Page 25

“For pay, not for favors,” Star added. “I am not my brother.”

I wasn’t sure what that meant, but it was enough to bring Justice down a notch.

“We’ll talk about it.”

“Excellent.” Star called over the server who must have been waiting in the wings with a platter of appetizers and more drinks.

“Tell me,” Star nudged one of the posters towards me, “How is this alpha-coded? I thought it bold and elegant.”

I rolled my eyes. “Black and red?” I offered. For whatever reason, that was the default alpha color scheme. “It’s over done and kind of tacky. Bold, serif, all-caps font? This is the design equivalent to a screaming hard-on and an inflated ego.”

Star laughed and slumped back casually, looking more like a rich playboy than a questionable business man.

“Fuck,” he nodded at Justice, “our omegas can never meet.”

THEO

Ren had stayed at the club. I think he was working Nico. Not a con, but making a better deal. The poker consultation idea had lit up his aura. Ren constantly joked about being a criminal, a bad element. Maybe he missed the thrill of his old life? He and Justice had a private word before we left, which I was 100% sure was about Daryl. They weren’t done with him.

The car ride home was quiet. I flexed my fists, a small, vicious smile playing at my lips. I didn’t know what to call this emotion. Vindication maybe. The look Daryl gave me as we filed out? I’d live off of that for years. I wondered if this was how alphas felt all the time.

My head came up as we pulled into our building, rocking me out of my thoughts. Justice held the door for me and his hand skimmed my back as I passed through. His longer legs quickly put him a half step in front of me. He hit the button for the elevator. It came immediately and took us right to our floor with no stops. I followed him into the penthouse.

“Oh, we didn’t tell you,” I said. The packages by the door were a reminder. “We have interviews set up with house managers starting next week.”

Justice nodded. He had put me in charge of finding our own Todd the Butler. Or at least picking out the people we’d talk to. I followed him into his bedroom and he went straight to his bathroom. His room was dimly lit, as always, it was never fully dark. The motion sensors flicked on as soon as he stepped into the bathroom.

“Mackenzie was thinking about painting her bedroom again. She won’t admit it, but she hates the color. I still haven’t decided about mine,” I said. I nudged the chunk of rock on the media console so it was in line with all the others. This one was the biggest, the size of my palm. Justice kept rocks from some of his favorite rock climbing spots. The rough brokenness of the stones somehow went with his sleek room. He emerged from the bathroom with a glass tumbler full of water.

He stalked to me. My heart skipped a beat. He had an edge to him right now and if I wasn’t totally in love with him, I might have been scared. I still backed up a step, and another, until the back of my thighs bumped up against the console. He handed me the glass and then put two little pills in my palm.

“Take them.”

“Oh, I don’t think I need painkillers,” I said absently, looking down at my hands.

“I didn’t ask your opinion. Take them.”

“I…” my breath caught as his aura pushed against mine. “Yes, Sir,” I said softly, and downed the pills with a sip of water. He took the glass from my hand and placed it on the media console. With two of his long fingers, he pushed my chin to the side.

“It pushes me to the edge, seeing our bite marks peek above your collar.” He trailed fingertips across my neck. I resolved in that second to only wear collared shirts.

He knelt suddenly and pulled on the laces of my left shoe, before guiding my foot up so he could slip it, and the sock, off. My right shoe was next. He stood, without a word, and tugged on my belt buckle. I reached up to undo the buttons of my shirt. He batted my hands away. I moved them to my belt. He pinched my wrist, hard. And glared. I dropped my hands to the side.

With a sharp tug, he whipped my belt free from the loops. He attacked the shirt buttons next, roughly tugging the tails free and pushing it off my shoulders, but not completely off. He tugged me forward to stand in the middle of the room and then yanked the shirt all the way off. He folded it, not neatly, and stepped back to drape it over the console. Turning me slightly, he pressed into my back and pushed my head aside again. He dragged his lips across his bite mark, making me moan. Soft kisses as he undid my pants and let them drop to the floor. I stepped out of them without being told.

And then he was gone, striding across the room and perching in a sleek chocolate brown leather armchair. He spread his legs wide and adjusted his hard cock. He rested an elbow on the arm, and pinched his bottom lip, devouring me with his eyes. That was the only way to describe it. He ate me up, inch by inch, his eyes burning into me. Being naked wasn’t the point. Being made naked by him was.

I licked my lips and took a cautious step forward. I slid to my knees right in front of him. He opened his legs further for me.

“Your hair’s gotten long.” His voice was gruff and dark.

“I…” I hesitated. This was a private secret I had been keeping to myself. “I like when your hands are in it. When you pull.”

A smile flickered across his lips. He held out his hand in invitation. I wrinkled my brow, a little confused, and placed my hand in his. He grasped it lightly and brought it to his lips. He kissed each knuckle, like he was healing any hurts the blows I gave Daryle might have caused.

Feeling bold, I went right for his belt. He didn’t stop me as I unzipped him and freed his cock. Holding his eyes, I bent forward and licked the head with a long stroke of my tongue, before taking him into my mouth. I sighed deeply.

It was so damn satisfying having any part of my alpha in me. I played with the tip in my mouth, savoring how it filled me, even just this little. He reached down and traced my lip, stretched tight around his cock, like he could erase the boundary between us. My eyes fluttered shut. I wanted all of him in me. I caught his wrist, guiding his hand to the back of my head before settling both of mine on his thighs.