Whoever thought it was a good idea to be bold enough to raid one of my businesses on some bullshit suspicion of human trafficking was about to get a rude ass awakening. The Ryders had been known for dabbling in a lot of illegal activities since our inception. During my father’s reign he began to focus more on the legal entities and rebranding the Ryders’ public persona. Archer had grown tired of playing into the hands of those who thought the entire Black population of America only deserved to be jailed or enslaved. He wanted us, especially his three children, in positions of prominence and wealth to deliver a giant ‘fuck you’ to every high and mighty elitest who couldn’t see beyond the color of a person’s skin.
The warrant that was served indicated they were looking for undocumented women working at the casino. So, there was technically no reason for ten agents and a tactical team to barge through the doors and hold everyone hostage while they questioned the staff. The information they were in search of was largely transactional- employment paperwork on each server and dancer, payroll records, and account information. In essence it was mostly a paper warrant which could’ve gone straight to our attorney. Roman Reynolds would’ve quickly pushed back on this shit. He started working with my father thirty years ago, and except for some years that he’d been unable to appear personally, his firm had always done great work on our behalf.
“He’s been sitting on Hemmings since he arrived at his office this morning. Just give the word and we’ll snatch these muthafuckas up right quick.” Cam wasn’t known for his patience. In fact, he was almost as trigger happy as KC’s rowdy ass. Between trolling for the next woman to fuck on and shootingwhoever looked at them sideways, Zayn and I often swore it was Cam and KC who should’ve been brothers instead of cousins. Hell, the two even resembled each other with the same athletic builds, almond complexions, and mischievous grins that had women practically tossing their panties at them like confetti.
“I want the fed,” I snapped.
“KC’s on his tail. Bastard has a girl in Richmond. He went to see her last night after his work at the casino, so KC and his crew had to track him down,” he replied.
Rubbing my free hand down the back of my head was doing absolutely nothing to soothe the rage simmering inside of me. I wanted each of their heads lined up on my desk right this fuckin’ moment but I needed answers first. “As soon as KC is in place, grab ‘em and take ‘em to see the lilies.”
We were both talking on burner phones that KC had fitted with self-destruct chip that would melt the device the second we pressed a panic button. But giving the order to bring someone to me so I could kill their rat-bastard asses either on the phone or in my office wasn’t something I would ever do.
“You got it, boss,” Cam replied and disconnected the call but not before I picked up on the glee in his tone.
That fool really did love killing people. It wasn’t my favorite pastime, but I wouldn’t hesitate, especially not when my family, blood or inked, or our livelihoods were being threatened.
Dropping the phone onto my desk, I rested my head back on the chair and tried to get my thoughts together. Twenty-four hours ago, I was having a picnic on a scenic beach with my fine ass wife close enough that I could touch and taste her. A day ago, I’d declared to the woman who had popped into my life and stolen every inch of my sanity with one smile that we would never be apart again. Of course, I didn’t mean that she couldn’t go away on her girls’ trips and be with her cousins. I’d meant it in the broader sense that the fifteen months we’d spent secretlymarried was over. I was ready to love that woman out loud the moment I met her but had respected her need to tell her family in her own time. But that time was up.
Yeah, I’d said that shit before. The night I showed up at the hospital when Cade’s daughter, Malissa, was born. Dakota, as well as the rest of the Donovan family, had understandably been on an emotional roller coaster that day. Shawna’s condition had gone from nervous excitement at the prospect of the arrival of the new baby; to traumatizing when there was uncertainty whether she or the baby would survive. Dakota went home with me that night, and in my arms that morning she’d pleaded for more time. I’d given her a whole year on the condition that two weekends out of the month would be spent in either my bed or hers. The fact that I would pop up at her house or wherever else she might be was a given and there was nothing she could do about that. But she trusted that I would never embarrass her or go back on my word to let her announce our union in her time. That was then and this is now.
I couldn’t wait for her to return later this week and planned to have movers at her place the moment she touched down to start packing her things. I wanted her in my bed every night and there was no more negotiating that fact. On Sunday afternoon we would go to her parents’ estate for dinner to make an announcement that had the potential to cause tremors in both our worlds.
Multi-tasking wasn’t normally a problem for me. I ran a billion-dollar corporation that included one of the top five automotive companies and the newest Black owned one in the US, all while leading the most notorious MC club in the region. To the underworld, I’d stepped down from the role of president of the Platinum Ryders years ago. Only on the strength of my grandfather being the club’s founder and my father making such substantial contributions in the game was I able to walk awayfrom a life that was normally blood in and blood out. But that was just the thing, I hadn’t walked away. I could never because the Ryders were more than just a club to me, they were my legacy. There was nothing or nobody that could ever change that fact.
Zayn was now the face of the club. He wore the patch and carried the daily weight, all while managing two barber shops and the cigar bar he and Cam were building. And in the background, I continued to move the pieces, to set the stage for the future of the Platinum Ryders.
One of those pieces was the continued task of making sure all of our money was clean and none of our illegal dealings were proven. That’s why I wanted everyone involved in this raid to feel the heat of that mistake. With that in mind, I reached for my phone again, prepared to call the only federal agent I could stomach being around. The door to my office swinging open halted that action.
“Didn’t I just tell you that’s not what we’re doing here?” Sonya asked the fuming woman who pushed past her. “I know you didn’t just?—”
“I’ll take it from here, Sonya.” I stood and interjected before Sonya could go any further.
For the past five years, Sonya had proven to be a phenomenal assistant. In her late thirties, she was also an attractive woman with a butterscotch complexion, pouty lips, and box braids she loved to let hang down to her ass. What I appreciated most about her, though, was how even in a professional environment she wasn’t about to take any shit from anybody. Like, right this moment she had been about to yank the intruder’s ass right back out of my office, leading to a situation I knew would escalate quickly.
“Leave us,” I continued as I came from behind the desk. “If she’s not walking out on her own in ten minutes, send security in.”
With narrowed eyes Sonya gave me a curt nod, before doing as instructed.
“You blocked me from your phone and on social media. Really, Fury? How the fuck old are you?”
August Deveraux stood in front of me with rage etching her tone and lust in her almond-colored eyes. Her silky black hair hung past her shoulders, drawing my eyes directly to full breasts barely restrained by the low cut of a white dress that wrapped around her body like a second skin. She stood on fuchsia skyscraper heels that accentuated her toned legs. One hand, with perfectly manicured nails that I knew first-hand were better described as claws, was perched on her hip as she glared at me.
“I’m old enough to know when I’m tired of fuckin’ somebody.” I folded my arms over my chest and leaned back on the desk. “But since we’re talking about age, I’d say that at forty-six years old, you should be mature enough to know when to walk the hell away instead of embarrassing yourself by begging for the dick.”
If this were a cartoon, I’d expect to see steam coming from her ears and nose. Instead, her nostrils flared, and her lips thinned. “I didn’t complain when you cancelled our contract because I got it, work and personal wasn’t mixing well. But then you attempted to ghost me, ignoring my calls and texts, having that bitch of a secretary keep me on hold forever. And now this! What the hell?”
August was still fine as fuck. She came highly recommended after I started Blackbond Automotive, and her PR firm did a fantastic job branding the company’s image and positioning us for long-term success. In bed, she was even better, willing and able to do whatever I asked, whenever I asked. For three years,our business relationship and personal entanglement operated smoothly. She knew everything about the public relations business, knew all the key people I needed to get in front of and how to navigate those meetings. On the outside we probably gave perfect power couple vibes. But beyond the photo ops, press releases, and media appearances, there was only sex.
I’d been fuckin’ since I was thirteen. Had been with more women than was respectable and had a time doing so. I was too old for that shit now. A part of stepping back in the club was also so I could explore the parts of life I hadn’t given thought to in my early years. I’d wanted money and power back then, to walk into the position that was prepared for me. I did that. Excelled at it. Then, decided I needed more.
For a brief time, August had seemed like the answer. Until viral pictures and explosive orgasms were no longer enough. Not for me, anyway. I ended the personal relationship first. She cried, swore she couldn’t live without me, then showed up at my house in the middle of the night and sucked the good sense out of me. I tried again, thinking that if I just focused on things growing between us that it would get better. It didn’t, and I knew the next step was to sever all contact. The contract with her company was broken, and I told her I never wanted to see her again. That was two weeks after I met Dakota.
“It’s been over a year, August. Have some fuckin’ pride.” I did not have time for her shit today.
“You need to have a damn heart,” she shot back. Then sighed heavily and closed the space between us. Placing her hands on my chest, she stared into my eyes and pouted. “I miss you, baby. And I know you miss me. You miss us.” The last was said in a whisper as she pressed her body against mine.
And shit, I couldn’t lie, she felt good as hell. Soft in all the right places and I knew that if I pushed her dress up and cupped her pussy, it would be hot, wet, and ready for me. August wasalways on ‘go’ where I was concerned and for a long time that shit turned me on. Today, it pissed me the hell off.
