I trace my finger back and forth over the hair tie that’s been on my wrist since I removed it from Tova’s hair. I’m not sure why I haven’t taken it off. It’s been there for over a week. The smell of her is long gone from it.
I wish I had a new one that still had her scent on it, but I know the only way to get it would be to go and see her. Though I guess I could slip into her home easily enough. I don’t trust myself not to take only a hair tie if I were in her bedroom alone.
All I have been able to think about since I pinned her to my office door like a barbaric Neanderthal are the sounds of her moans of pleasure as she came undone for me.
I still don’t understand what came over me that afternoon. I’ve tried to create some space with Tova since then, not trusting myself, but I’m starting to see that it doesn’t do shit. It has only made me ravenous for her. It’s gnawing at me right now. That pull I have to her constantly trying to take me to her. I know I’m in a losing battle, but I need to keep reminding myself that this is for her own good.
I run a hand down my face, exhausted. Sleep isn’t coming easily, either. I never needed much, but right now, I’m not getting any. I can’t shut my mind off from thoughts of Tova. Now that I know she’ll be mine, the floodgates have opened to all the things I want to do to her and for her. I can’t explain it. I think that is part of what is driving me so insane. I’m trying to rationalize it, but there is nothing rational about it.
“We’re having a bachelor party after all?” Z drops down in the seat adjacent to me. I shoot him a look that tells him I’m not in the mood. “What? Beating the shit out of someone sounds like a bachelor party for War if I ever heard of one.”
“Can I get you a drink, sir?” One of the cocktail waitresses bends down, giving Z a view of her tits. They’re pushed up high from the corset she has strapped around her. You could never hide a weapon in that.
“I’m good,” Z tells her.
She doesn’t bother to ask me, knowing I want to be left alone. It’s not often I come down to Bourbon Street. The front part is a high-end strip club while the back is a brothel. On the outside, you’d never know what’s inside, but that is the whole point.
This place is a double-edged sword. We have all kinds of people coming and going from here. They range from high-ranking government officials to doctors and famous people of all types. None of them want anyone to know that they visit this place. This ensures they remain under my control.
If we didn’t own and oversee this place, someone else would. It also protects the girls who want to do this work. This is supposed to be a safe space for that. That’s the reason I’m here now. One of the clients had gotten out of hand. Normally, I wouldn’t handle it myself, but I could release some tension at this moment. Plus, every now and then I like to send the message myself, knowing people are always watching. Everyone needs to know that I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty.
Ronan drops down into the chair across from me. “Why are you here?”
“I could ask you the same question.” Ronan puts his feet up on the table between us, leaning back to get comfortable. I pull the hair tie and let it snap against my wrist to focus on that, not my annoyance with my brothers.
“It’s his bachelor party,” Z answers when I don’t. “And were you raised in a fucking barn?” He shoves Ronan’s feet off the table. ‘Don’t put your feet on the table.’
‘I bet worse has been on that table.’ Ronan nods to the other end of the room, where two strippers are all over a businessman.
I watch them for a second, but I don’t feel any desire. Even when I walked in here earlier, I hadn’t felt a spark of anything. There were nude women dancing on the stages throughout. Sex has never been a desire before, but now it’s only targeted at Tova.
‘You know, I could ask them to come join you. I’m sure they’d drop that poor schmuck to give you more than a couple of dances.’ I turn my attention back toward my brothers.
‘Fuck off.’ I stand up, adjust my suit jacket, and check the time.
I’m about to pull my phone out when I see Violet headed toward me. She has run this place since before I was born. It’s not often people get out of line here and Violet can’t handle it herself, but this one is different.
“Evening, boys.” Violet tucks a piece of her purple hair behind her ear. The woman is always dressed in latex. I’m not sure how she manages to wear it all day, every day. It sounds painful, but from what I hear, Violet is all about the pain, and many pay for the privilege to enjoy it with her.
“As lovely as ever, Ms. Violet,” Z says, coming to his feet. Ronan stands but doesn’t utter a word.
“Violet.” I give her a curt nod.
“You’re getting married tomorrow—”
“Don’t offer him a dance or room.” Z’s hand comes down on my shoulder.
“I would never.” Violet shakes her head. “If I know anything, it’s men, and War has no interest in that.”
‘I am interested in the man you alerted me to.’ Violet never directly reaches out to me except on rare occasions. That means that whoever this client is she is having an issue with has power of some kind.
I hadn’t bothered to ask too many details over the phone because I knew I would be coming down here myself. It is getting me out of the house and away from Tova.
That way I don’t pounce on her like a rabid animal that has no control. How am I going to be able to manage when she’s in my bed every night? The thought has my cock starting to harden for the first time since I entered this place. Go fucking figure.
“He’s a cop. Not one of ours.”
“A cop?” Z echoes my thoughts. “How does a cop afford this place?”
“Trust fund kid.”
“I want to know how he got in here.”
“I already sent you his file details.” Violet nods her head for us to follow her to the back of the club. “He’s pretty new and had an incident a month ago with one of my girls. He’s rough, but I’m starting to see that he doesn’t want to have one of the girls that is trained for such a thing. I think he gets off on them being inexperienced.”
“He wants to see fear in their eyes.” That’s what he’s after.
‘He’s got a real thing for power and control.’
As do I, but I’m not beating the shit out of women. No. Instead I’m going to enjoy beating the shit out of him. Cop or not, he needs to know there’s a line you don’t cross. I won’t tolerate this sort of disrespect to either the women here or to my family.
Violet enters the code for the basement door. The lock clicking over is loud and heavy.
‘Allow me.’ Ronan grabs the door to open it. It’s as thick as a vault door. Nothing escapes this room unless I allow it. Not even screams.
‘I’ll leave you boys to it.’ Violet steps back. ‘I already know the answer, but as always, let me know if I can get you some entertainment when you’re done.’ I don’t hear my brothers’ responses. I’m already descending the stairs.
The man lifts his head when he hears me come in. I almost want to laugh. They have him tied to a chair with fuzzy pink handcuffs. He blinks a few times before his eyes widen with fear. The stench of ammonia fills the air.
“Aww, man,” Z mutters, coming to stand next to me. “He already pissed himself.” It’s not surprising. Men like him do it all the time. They’re only tough when pushing weaker individuals around. At the first sign of real trouble, they either try to buy or beg their way out.
That’s what he’s already doing. Sobbing and pleading. I’m sure the women he beats on do the same. I also bet the people he comes into contact with during his job do as well.
“Violet always does know what a man needs.” Ronan runs his hands across the tools laid out on the table.
“I’m only here for the show.” Z grabs one of the chairs in the corner, dropping down into it. “First time I have ever said that here.”
“Wait, what, what are you going to do to me?” the man in the chair stammers.
“Don’t speak.” I backhand him, snapping his head back. He lets out a yelp.
“He’s fucking loud.” Ronan picks up a hammer, tosses it in the air, and catches it by the wooden handle. He can turn anything into a weapon and use it like it’s a part of him.
“We’ve only just started.” I grab him by the hair and yank backwards, taking the chair with it so it’s on two legs, and pull them both across the room. He screams the whole way.
“I’m sorry.” He sobs.
“Did she cry? Plead?” He doesn’t respond, but I’m not really wanting an answer. “Tape,” I tell Ronan. He grabs the duct tape off the table, tossing it to me. I pull a piece off and slap it across his mouth. I can’t listen to his high-pitched cries.
“Since we’re all here, should we talk about why our brother is in such a pissy mood lately?” Z asks, putting his hands behind his head, getting comfortable. ‘And don’t say it’s about getting married. It’s about who should not be named.’
‘You mean the one we never talk about.’ All my attention swings back to my brothers. I stare at them for a long second, neither of them saying another word.
“You know.”
“I don’t miss much.” Ronan shrugs.
“I know everything.” Z wiggles his brows. He is a smart little shit, but it’s more tech-related. Z leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees. “The thing I’m missing is why are you avoiding the girl? You can have her now. I mean, you always could have, but you’re not all right in the head.” He taps the side of his temple.
“You moved her in,” Ronan points out.
The fucker behind me makes another sound. I turn back around and hit him hard enough to knock him out for a few minutes.
“And I put a target right on her head. I just didn’t know it would be my own fucking father that would bring it to the light. I need to keep her safe.”
“Why is that, War?” Z leans back in his chair again. “Why do you need to keep her so safe? She was fine out there in the world.”
“No, she wasn’t!” I bark.
“Why not?” Z pushes.
“If I latched on to her, someone who doesn’t tend to be drawn to females, sexual or otherwise, then anyone else with eyes would too. She’s not safe wandering around.” It sounds logical in my head, but as I speak the words, I can hear they are crazy. ‘I’m not rational when it comes to her, and I have no fucking clue what I’m doing.’
‘All right then.’ Z comes to his feet. ‘Why don’t you tell us what you do and want to do to her?’
‘Watch it.’ I take a step toward my brother.
‘Mind out of the gutter.’ Z shakes his head at Ronan. ‘I was thinking more along the lines of jewelry or a romantic date.’ Ronan cracks a partial smile.
‘How about you finish with this guy?’ Ronan nods to the knocked-out man. ‘Then we’ll give you dating tips.’
‘You two have dating tips?’ I glance between the two of them. Z is married to his computer, and I’m not sure what the fuck Ronan does in his free time, but it’s not romantic.
‘We got Google,’ Z says, like we’re the dumbest shits in the world.
‘You do realize I get married tomorrow,’ I remind them both. We’re miles past dating.
‘Then finish with him already. Place fucking stinks.’
Z’s not wrong. This place fucking stinks and tastes like shit. Everything does when you don’t get to kiss and smell the fresh flowers and sunshine that is my soon-to-be wife.
Without her, everything is starting to be pointless anymore.
