Zeppelin
Misty continues to amaze me. I can feel the walls she has built up so damn high around her heart crumbling down. I expected slow last night. As close to slow as we really get, but then she went and told me to make love to her. Something no one has ever said before.
It was amazing. Everything I imagined it would be, and as much as I wanted to tell her I loved her then, it felt like it might not mean the same. Being buried deep inside someone as you say the wordsI love youfor the first time kind of seems a bit fake.
“Why the fuck is this so hard to figure out the timing of?” I murmur as I walk through the back door of Velvet Desire.
I need to handle some business, and when Misty told me Bernie has her first sleepover with Carly tonight, I knew I needed to get this done before this evening. Tonight’s the night. I’m going to tell her, and I’ll let the chips fall where they may.
There’s still a chance Misty will freak out and retreat, but I’m done hiding it. I can’t hold it in much longer, and I need her to know. I need to get it off my chest.
Nadia Ballard’s voice floating down the hallway and into the office changes my entire mood. Why the fuck is Butch’s wife inmybrothel?
“Someone has to warn her,” Nadia says. “She has to stay as far away as possible.”
“Yeah, I know, but how do we do that without it getting out? Jolene doesn’t want Zep knowing, and I also don’t think Zep’s the type to let that secret go.”
Queenie’s talking to Nadia… voluntarily? What the fuck happened to loyalty? And what fucking secret? How did I get pulled into this conversation?
They’re talking about Misty!
“Butch already got involved with the café. Stopped her pastry delivery. He’s not too happy that she found another solution, and it’s only a matter of time before he tries…”
She trails off, and my stomach twists. Tries what? What the fuck is that motherfucker going to do to my girl?
But what confuses me more is that Nadia’s worried about Misty at all. And talking to Queenie. She’s married to the asshole in charge of my fucking rival.
“Zep wouldn’t let it go, which is why he can’t know,” Nadia says. “But he needs to make sure he protects Misty.”
Okay, now I’m pissed. This bitch talks like she knows me, but we’ve never had a conversation before. Well, that’s not true. I’ve told her how fucked up her husband and son are, but I’m not sure that counts as much of one.
“I don’t know how to go about this. Maybe Nancy can do it. That way, we’re both in the clear. Have her talk to Misty directly, and I don’t think Misty would tell Zep. She’s a mom, after all. She’ll understand Jolene’s decision,” Queenie says.
And what the fuck does Mama have to do with this?
“Do you really think Misty would keep it from Zep? Plus, he might need to help convince her that she needs to be careful. If he’s gone on a run, she can’t be walking around at night. It’s what happened with Jolene.”
“And I don’t know if Zep would be okay with raising his half-brother if history repeats itself. But if Zep knows, you’ll be a fucking widow. You know that, right?”
My world starts to tilt. They can’t be saying what I think they are. No. No, it can’t be true.
“Honestly, I don’t even care anymore.”
“With the age difference between them, Butch’ll have a hard time pushing the story of a drunken one-night stand like he did with Jolene. I think we should talk to Jo about this. Maybe it’s time she tells Zep the truth.”
My world crashes to a halt. Mama didn’t have a one-night stand with Butch. No, my conception was completely against her will.
I can’t take it any longer, and I step out into the hallway and make my presence known. Both women jump as they see me, and they cling to each other.
“Get the fuck out of my business, Nadia,” I growl. “And don’t you ever fucking come back.”
“Zep—”
“Queenie, you better pray the club takes letting the enemy into our place better than I am right now. Get to work and get her the fuck out of here.”
All I get is a short nod as she pushes Nadia out the front while I try to remember how to breathe where I stand. I have to know for sure. Get it straight from the source.
Outside, I call Jethro. “Hey, I need you to send someone else to Velvet Desire to handle the issue from last night. I have an emergency to take care of.”
