Page 23 of Nicolette

“Really, right here, right now, like this?” I asked, waving my hands at the naked Circus locked to me.

He let his gaze linger on us before fixing it on my eyes. “It’s perfect timing. You’re not going anywhere or able to do anything.”

“Super,” I muttered. “Well then, what are the next steps?”

“First, we will bring you back to our compound. It’s an apartment building the Savage Pride owns to house all the felines that are part of our pride. Next to the apartment building is a bar that we run and use as the crew’s hangout. We also have a diner a few blocks away that the pride owns and operates. Gives the women who want nothing to do with Savage Pride jobs. I like to keep everything we can as in-house as possible. It keeps outside trouble at bay,” Nine explained. “For the first few days, you will be with one of us at all times so we can monitor your interactions with the other members of the pride.”

Shoving up on my elbows, I snarled. “I don’t need nor do I want a motherfucking babysitter.”

“Yes, you do.” Nine stated succinctly. “This is to protect you as well as the rest of my crew, who I’ve been charged with keeping safe. You don’t feel threatened here, your lioness has no reason to lash out at anyone, but that won’t be the case when we go back. In fact, I would expect quite a bit of backlash for staking your claim on us.”

Dropping to the floor, I groaned. “Fucking perfect. I hate mean girl drama.”

“Being a lioness, they’re going to instinctively know you’re in charge, making it a bigger blow to their egos, unfortunately,” Marco added. “Give it a few weeks, and I’m sure everything will work out. It just takes time for people to figure out where they fit in the pecking order again. This happens any time a new member is added to the pride.”

While I knew he was trying to be helpful, it simply didn’t feel that way. Even though I’d made friends with a few people at the Lucky Shot, they weren’t people I interacted with on a daily basis. Not ever wanting things to be used against me, I kept people at a distance. Nomolin and Gavin were the only two people I ever got close to, and they had job security per their own fucked up contracts. None of us went into detail about those, but they were all sob stories of desperation like mine was.

Now I was being asked to integrate into a pride, pack, crew, or whatever you wanted to call it. They all meant family. That was the last thing I wanted. Family is what got me into this fucking mess and was the gift that kept on giving with Mortas making an appearance.

I let out a little grunt as the lock between Circus and me relaxed, and I was free to pull away from him. Picking myself off the floor, I perched on the edge of the table and picked up a piece of bacon to munch on. “So tell me, do I have a choice in being part of this pride of yours?” I asked, waving my bit of bacon at Nine.

Faster than I could track, he snatched the meat out of my hand and stuffed it in his mouth. “Not really,” he mumbled, then swallowed. “You have to remain with us for at least six months before you can even think about moving on. Here’s the thing though, if you leave the Savage Pride and that fucking two-bit leprechaun finds you, the contract still holds.”

“I’ve fucking paid what I owed and then some,” I snapped, grabbing more bacon. “That fucker was raking in hand over fist because of me for years. He refuses to show me the records, but I know I’m clear.”

Nine relaxed back into the chair, tossing an arm over the top, looking way too goddamn sexy for his own good. “I wouldn’t doubt that’s the case, but unless you sign that your bargain has been fulfilled, it will stand until the day that fucker is dead.”

That had me perking up. “Wait, I just have to kill him?”

“Notice that’s the part she zeroed in on?” Rambler chuckled as he joined us, taking a seat at the table and grabbing food. “If you don’t think others haven’t thought of that solution, you’re an idiot. He writes in protection spells on all those damn things preventing you from ever hurting or killing him.”

“Is that why I couldn’t slap his pervy little face no matter how badly I wanted to?” I demand, slamming my fist on the table and punching right through it. “Just when I didn’t think I could fucking hate that little crotch goblin anymore than I already did.”

A finger brushed down my spine, making me shiver as lips caressed my ear. “We could see if someone could do it for you. I wouldn’t even make you ask,” Dice offered.

When I turned to look into his green eyes, I saw how serious he was about this idea. Pressing a kiss to his lips that I’d meant to be a quick peck soon became the man tongue fucking my tonsils.

I just couldn’t get enough of these fucking men.

Nine cleared his throat, putting some power behind it that had us breaking apart. “Sorry to interrupt, but I wasn’t finished with what I wanted to talk to you about.”

With a huff of laughter, I winked at Dice and tried to regain my composure enough to focus on what Nine wanted. “Please, continue. I’m not sure how much attention I have left, but I don’t want to be rude.”

Rambler snorted. “Since when?”

I glared at him. “I can behave if I want to. I just don’t find many reasons I need to.”

That had them all snickering.

“At least you’re honest,” Nine said with a smile as he reached a hand to me. “Come here. I’ll make sure you pay attention and be a good girl.”

I took him up on his offer and let him tug me onto his lap. Then, putting my back to his chest, he urged me to spread my legs so they fell on either side of his, but he hooked my ankles around his making it so I couldn’t close my legs.

“Do you know what good girls get?” Nine asked as he let his hand slide down my side. Biting my lip to hold back the whimper, I shook my head. “They get orgasms,” he murmured right before he let his teeth scrape along the shell of my ear.

My whole body shivered at the promise his words held. “Sounds like a reasonable reward for behaving.”

“I’m so glad you think so since this is the prize you’ll be getting if you let me say all that I need to with no back talk, sass, or argument.” As he explained the rules, his fingers toyed with my nipples, giving them a tug at each thing I needed to not do. “How good a girl do you think you can be, Nicolette?”