Page 8

Chapter eight

Colt

F uck it. I’m being selfish for a few minutes. The bar hums with excitement as I move through the crowd, scanning name tags for Patrick. He’s not here, or at least not on the floor, but I know he checked in. I’ll search the patio after I refill the paper towels. People slip out there to smoke sometimes.

Before I rush off to the supply closet, I scan the floor one last time, checking every name tag, but there’s still no sign of Patrick. Motherfucker. I’ll find him. So help me, when I do...

I push the thoughts of frustration aside, and storm down the hall to the supply closet, plotting my next move. There’s no way I’m letting Patrick slip through my fingers, even if I have to intercept him on his way to sit down with her. There’s no ending where I don’t find him. I won’t allow it. Stressed, I run my hands through my hair, trying to focus on a slew of backup plans.

Luckily, it will only take a few minutes to change the paper towels, which means then I can get right back to searching. I grab a roll, push open the bathroom door, and freeze. Three people are inside. Two are too busy with their own bullshit, talking and doing a line of coke. Neither of them notice my entrance.

“Yeah, I’m going to need this to make it through my first date. Did you see that girl? She probably thinks she looks great in that see-through shirt, but no one wants to see a curvy girl. Give me those big titties with a tiny waist.” The tallest guy complains.

Excuse me. I think the fuck not. No one talks about my girl like that. If this asshole thinks he can talk shit about Maddox, he’s about to learn exactly how wrong he is. He doesn’t deserve a chance with her. I don’t feel an ounce of remorse for ruining any opportunity for him to find love tonight. Fuck the bro code; at this point, he’s lucky all I plan to do is cock-block him. If I had more time, I’d make him regret even looking at Maddox.

“You’re telling me, man. I took one look at her and wanted to ask why they’d allow a girl like that to participate. Honestly, these women should have to submit a photo to get a ticket. Otherwise, you end up with a bar full of fat uglies.” His friend chimes in.

My jaw ticks in annoyance, and I seriously contemplate beating the fuck out of them both. Maybe leave them in a stall together with their pants down. Let them wonder what happened when they were coked out. The urge to put these assholes in their place is gnawing at me as I crack my knuckles. This would solve my problem and save me from having to pay him. Two birds, one stone.

“It’d be fun to mess with her, make her think we are into her, waste her time, then—“

I crack my neck, drawing their attention. I’ve heard enough. These guys are fucking shameless. I step forward clearing my throat, rudely interrupting their conversation before I accidentally murder the two idiots. No one talks about my girl like that. Not to her face, and sure as hell not behind her back while snorting coke in a bathroom where people go to piss.

They stop talking and freeze. Good. I can feel the anger radiating off me. My fists clench, the muscles in my forearms scream and tense beneath my skin. I take a deep breath, fighting the urge to beat both these fuckers’ faces in.

The guy who’s obviously supposed to be on the lookout glances at me suspiciously.

“Please, don’t stop on my account. Not unless one of you is Patrick.” I say casually, popping open the dispenser and slamming it closed. My anger’s boiling over, and I know I’m about to lose control.

“Yeah, I’m Patrick. Who the fuck wants to know?” The guy looks up after finishing his line, the remnants of powder dusting his nose.

I chuckle darkly, weighing my choices. I can satisfy my urge to absolutely decimate this asshole and fuck with him for an eternity. Or I can do what I planned—even if it means paying this pathetic loser. Since the first option means risking a chance with Maddox, I’m going to suck it up and let karma take care of Patrick. He might be a big guy, but he’s got nothing on my hand-to-hand combat training or skills—another time, another place. It’s not that I can’t take him, it’s that I won’t risk the opportunity to make Maddox mine. Uncle Ricky spared no expense in the days leading up to our trial when he was certain they were going to pin everything on my brother and me.

Thinking on the fly, I unfurl my fists and answer with a steady voice, “Hey, big guy, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but there are some people out there—the kind who’d love to catch you with that.” I nod my head toward the coke. I hope he understands what I’m throwing down and insinuating. Sure, I might be misleading him, but I’m confident every woman out there would want to know what he’s doing in here before going on a date with him in real life. It’s not really a lie, more like bending the truth.

“Go on,” he coaxes, waiting for me to continue.

“Anyway,” I pause, “I don’t think you’re going to be able to participate in the event tonight, but I wanted to come in and personally buy back your ticket. A member from my staff has agreed to step in on account of the late notice.”

He thinks it over for a few moments before responding.

“So how many uniforms are out there? Or are they undercovers?” Patrick asks.

“No uniforms that I know of. Just my private team.” I’m telling the truth.

He folds his arms across his chest, in silent contemplation. “Well, this is an inconvenience. My ticket was two hundred. How much are you offering me for it? I also want to leave through the back door.”

“We can only pay you face value, I’m afraid. But, due to the unsavory turn of events, I’d be willing to send you off quietly with five hundred cash. That is, only if you promise to go quietly without causing a scene. Take your friends with you.” The offer rolls off my lips smoothly, with just the right amount of venom laced in my voice.

“I’m not with them,” says the guy who appeared to be standing watch.

Raising an eyebrow, I ask, “So why are you still here?”

“I was waiting for paper towels,” he stammers. “Well, I don’t need them anymore since my hands dried while I was waiting for you. These guys told me to keep a lookout for them, and then you walked in.”

His report is flustered, just like I’d expect from an innocent bystander. I eye him warily, inclined to believe his version of events for the time being.

“Is that true?” I ask Patrick.

“Yeah, I don’t know him,” Patrick confirms. “What about my buddy here? Are you cutting him the same deal?”

“No,” I say. “But I’ll buy his ticket, and you can split the hush money with him. You’re right—it would be a shame if he went out there and ratted out where you took off to.”

Drawing suspicion between them will hopefully be enough of a distraction to keep them from asking for more money. I would do anything for this chance with Maddox, and this guy is clearly a loser not worthy of her presence, but I don’t want to give him more drug money.

Patrick sizes me up. “Deal. Pay me, then take us out the back.”

“I’ll pay you at the backdoor, gentlemen. I need to ensure there continues to be no disruption to the event we’re hosting. I’m sure you understand our shared need for discretion. Follow me.” I open the bathroom door and step back into the hallway.

To my surprise, both men follow as I lead them further down the hall, past the kitchen and offices to the alley exit. The green EXIT sign glows overhead, lighting our way like a beacon of success. I’ll have to find a backup besides myself, but this is exactly why I doubled our staff for the night. I’m sure someone will be happy to jump in. Until now, everything’s gone smoothly. I just need to pay them, then I’m home free.

We approach the door. As I reach for my wallet to pull out the seven hundred we agreed on, the minutes stretch on. Finally, I open the door. Both men step into the alley, and I hand over the cash to Patrick.

“Have a good night, gentlemen,” I say, allowing the heavy door to swing closed—until Patrick stops it with his foot.

“I changed my mind. My buddy deserves the same deal.” His voice is challenging, the powdered courage clearly kicking in.

I laugh, mocking him. “Patrick, no one’s asking around for your buddy. I did you a favor, and it would serve you well to remember that. Look around. Do you realize where you are? Do you know who runs these streets?” I ask, unbuttoning my sleeves and rolling up the material to reveal our family crest tattooed in bold black ink.

He takes one glance at my arm, eyes widening in fear. Patrick throws his hands up, backing away. “My apologies. We’ll be on our way. We don’t want any more trouble tonight.”

I nod, shutting the door before I snap. I’m so close I can feel the tethers of my sanity slowly slipping away. Beneath my skin, my blood boils in response. Patrick had some nerve. It’s very tempting to take things further, but I promised myself I’d never be ruthless like my father.

There’s a reason I continued my training after the trial, and it wasn’t just so I had an outlet for my anger and pain. It was about so much more than preventing the darkness from consuming me. I never wanted to be vulnerable again. Tonight, Patrick tested my control. It’s been a long time since I’ve slipped and lost my temper. Patrick pushed all the right buttons.

Balling my fist, I swing at the brick wall, stopping midway in the air right before I connect. Pacing back and forth to calm my nerves, I silently scream at myself to pull it together. When I’m finally level-headed, I walk off to fill Kyler in and radio Travis. We need to convince someone else to join the dating pool, or not everyone will have a match.

As I walk, I continue to deescalate. This side of me—the one that almost lost it—Maddox can never see. It’s why I’ve hesitated with HexXdoll, why I can’t trust myself to be with her. Or anyone else. I can’t think about this right now.

“Travis,” I bark into the radio. “Meet me at the bar. Immediately.”

I wait for a beat of silence, then begin a new announcement. “All radios, copy check.”

The managers call in a copy one by one. When I’ve heard from everyone, I issue a quick order. “Ask your teams if anyone’s willing to join the dating pool. Send everyone interested to the bar. We’ve had a guest removed from the event.”

At the bar, I signal for Kyler to come talk to me. She’s working on a drink order, and as soon as it’s done, she saunters over.

“Hey, I’m sacrificing myself, so don’t let me down,” I say casually.

“Sacrificing yourself?” she asks, her tone teasing.

“I caught two guys in the bathroom doing lines of coke. They were talking shit about one of the guests, so I kicked them out. I’ve been thinking about everything you and Vivian are always saying—how men need to protect women, instead of exploiting them and stuff. I’m going to personally make sure this guest has the best date tonight. I bought their tickets, paid them to leave quietly, and sent them out the back,” I confess, just as Travis walks up.

Her jaw pops open, but she doesn’t say anything in front of the others. She knows better. I hold up my finger, signaling for her to wait, and Kyler grabs a drink order to work on.

“Travis,” I nod. “Pick someone from whoever shows up to join the event. And get me added to table nine. I’m filling in tonight. This is on you and Kyler. Don’t fuck it up.”

“We’ve got this,” he answers, glancing at Kyler for reassurance. “I’ll handle security and let them know to radio me instead. We won’t let you down tonight.” He runs off to talk with the handful of employees eager to enjoy a night out on my dime. I can’t help the smile that lifts each corner of my mouth. I enjoy being a solid boss.

Kyler’s eyes gleam. “So you’re filling in tonight. Are you sure this isn’t because someone still needs a date for Aidan’s wedding?”

I roll my eyes. “No, Kyler. It’s an opportunity to test you assholes and make sure our guests have a great experience. Finding a date for the wedding would be an added perk, but not at all my intent.”

“Besides. I heard the guys in there talking. They were making fun of one of the guests for being—“

Kyler interrupts me, fire in her eyes. “For not being a supermodel? I swear, if you tell me they were fat-shaming a guest, I’m going to head into the alley and take things into my own hands.”

“Don’t!” I hiss through clenched teeth. “You will do nothing. They are long gone now, and the last thing we need is another run-in with the Feds. If shit goes sideways, you know I’ll be the one to take the fall.”

Kyler’s face falls, her usual sass turning sullen. I immediately regret my response. “I’m sorry, Kyler, I didn’t mean—“

“No—I, it’s okay. I was just kidding, but I should know better.” She sighs. “Colt, I’d never jeopardize you or Aidan like that.”

“It’s fine.” I offer, forcing a smile to ease the tension. She laughs, a small one, but it’s there.

“You’re such a good guy. I can’t believe you kicked them out. I have one more question—if you overheard them talking like that, how did you let them walk away?”

If only she knew the real reason I didn’t throw a punch—it’s because I’m borderline obsessed with the girl he was assigned in round one.

“I almost punched the brick wall, Kyler. Okay? I’d hardly say I handled it well. But now I’ve gotta run upstairs to grab my mask from… well, that’s above your pay grade. And change my shirt. Can you hold down the bar tonight?” I ask.

“I gotchu, cuz.” She gives me a high five. “Don’t worry, Aidan told me all about the little soiree Daddy had you attend undercover. Where do you think Vivi and I got the idea for the masquerade?” She cackles at my surprise. “I told you, Aidan’s way more laid-back than you are.”

I shake my head as I walk away. My brother shouldn’t be telling anyone about the things I’ve been asked to do for Uncle Ricky. This is exactly why he needs to just focus on the bar. He’ll have a family soon, I’m sure. Once they finish fixing up the house they bought, my new sister-in-law will be begging him to knock her up.

I head to the back, typing in the code to the elevator, then step inside and take it up to my condo above the bar. It used to be mine and Aidan’s place, but he moved out over a year ago. It was hard at first. I mean, I don’t miss hearing the two of them hooking up from the other side of the apartment, but it’s definitely lonely now.

The elevator door slides open, and I step into the small entryway, unlocking the front door to my million-dollar luxury industrial condo. People my age would kill to live here, and I enjoy it free of charge—a gift from my uncle in exchange for a few… small things. I keep an eye on the bar, supervise minor transactions, and complete little favors whenever he asks. It’s a win-win.

My footsteps echo off the epoxy floors as I make my way to the bedroom. I cut across the rug, tossing my suit jacket over the back of the couch, and slip down the hallway, unbuttoning my shirt as I walk. By the time I reach my room, I’m peeling off my black work shirt and tossing it into the laundry. Walking into my closet, I flick on the light and find an ironed and pressed gray button-up. I dress quickly, grabbing cologne from the bathroom counter, fixing my hair, and brushing my teeth. Freshening up for her. Fuck! I almost forgot the mask. I race back to my closet, sliding open drawers in search of the mask from Uncle Ricky’s last assignment. I find it in the third drawer I pull open. Back in the bathroom, I stand in front of the mirror, taking myself in. I look good. I slide the mask into place and tie it around my head. Before I leave, I look in the mirror one last time.

“I’ll make Maddox mine tonight,” I whisper to myself, my words dripping with possessive hunger.