He cleared his throat and stuffed his hands into his pockets. I knew me not saying much was making him nervous. But I’ll be damned if I cared.
“You know, I still have those connections for us to come into some good money. We don’t have to leave that part of the Thorns in the past. All we’re doing now is all this charity bullshit. You gone make folks think shit sweet around here,” he said.
I stood and chuckled while walking around my desk to take a seat against the edge.
“Fuck yo’ connections. We not on that. You wanna make some extra money, I can hook you up with a job around here. The Thorns on some new shit—what was going on before almost made you lose your patches. I’m starting to think you don’t respect the house no more, man. That what you saying?” I asked, tilting my head with a deadpan glare.
His spine stiffened, his brows pinching together for a moment. I could practically see the steam coming from his ears. He was the type of person who thought every idea he came up with was a good one. A man unwilling to learn or change was useless. He would never fucking grow.
“Nah, it ain’t even like that. I’m just doing my part—making sure The Crown see we were worth saving. That we ain’t weak out here.”
I chuckled with a shake of my head.
“I’m only going to say this once. Leave that shit alone. If you need more money, it’s a position available for you here. Simple as that. If I find out you’re on some different shit, we gone have a problem. Is that clear?” I asked.
Rafe ground his teeth together, and his fist clenched tightly at his side. I was hoping and wishing on my lucky star that he gave me a reason to beat his ass. He’d been asking for this ass whooping for a while now. His only saving grace was I respected my elders and the Black Thorns.
I rocked my head from side to side, then stood, pulling my pants up slightly.
“I don’t think I heard you. We got a problem?” I asked.
He looked off and chuckled before returning his attention back to me.
“Nah, we good. I hear you loud and clear.”
“Good. If you need those shifts, let me know. I’m not the kind of man who won’t help when it’s needed,” I reiterated.
I meant that. If he needed help, he knew where to find me.
Rafe gave a subtle nod, then headed for the door without another word.
I knew without a doubt I was going to have to keep my eyes on Rafe. When I took this damn position, I must’ve missed the part where the job description said babysitting grown muthafuckas’.
Soon as he left the room, I shut the door behind him and walked over to the window overlooking the club. No one could see up here, but I had a clear view of everything below. I watched as Rafe stormed out the back door toward the exit. A few of the old heads he usually ran with trailing behind him.
I shook my head as his lips moved a mile a minute. I’m sure he was down there talking shit, but it didn’t bother me because he was silent as fuck in here. I continued to scan the club until my eyes fell upon Solana. I could see her smile from here and herbad attempt at trying not to be noticed. If only she knew she had a presence that couldn’t be ignored even if you wanted to.
She danced in her seat while Jessa moved around her, and Aubree leaned back, bobbing her head. My eyes went right back to Solana, instantly drawn to everything about her. I needed to know everything about her.
The tightness I’d felt in my chest when Rafe was in here loosened the longer I watched her. I saw her finally stand and say a few words to her girls before heading for the exit. I turned toward my desk and sent a quick text to Juelz.
Me: Aye, make sure baby in the pink get to her spot safely. Don’t make it obvious you’re watching her.
Juelz: What am I? an amateur? I got it.
I locked my phone and took a seat behind my desk to pull up my outside cameras. I watched as she smiled and exited out of the building but looked around her often. I continued to watch until I could no longer see her and then sat back in my seat. When my phone buzzed against the desktop.
Juelz: She made it inside.
Me: Cool.
Juelz: You gone tell me why you got me out here stalking this damn girl?
Me: Man, all you did was make sure she got home safe. The most I did was give you a lesson in being a damn gentleman.
Juelz: Fuck you lol
I locked my phone and returned my attention back to the cameras to see Heiress walking into the club with my dad, Colby. They were sloppy drunk already and giving my doorman a problem. I leaned forward, then turned up the sound on the cameras.
