Page 7 of Into the Blue (Shades of Vengeance #1)

My dick is hard as fuck picturing her putting on a show just for me. At the same time, irrational fury assaults me thinking about how many people have gotten the private show I want to keep for myself.

I haven’t seen her do any of this in real life and now I’m considering pulling her from the floor so she only works in the private room for me.

Need to see her soak my fucking knife like she did again. The same knife I’ve ended countless lives with, stained red so often it has its own rep.

I almost went back on my word and shoved my dick deep inside her. Fuck, I wanted to. I didn’t even have any rubbers. That’s how sure I was that I wouldn’t be fucking anyone.

And if I hadn’t stopped when I did, I probably would have tried to fuck her raw. Have my nut seeping out of those fat pussy lips so I could stuff it back inside her with my knife again.

What the fuck am I saying?

Vert comes into the office and the music from today’s video is still playing on repeat. I know he knows how many times it’s played at this point. She captioned it, “warming up for tonight” with a blue heart emoji after it.

A blue fucking heart.

Goddamn.

She’s twirling slowly around the pole with both legs wrapped around and her hands trailing over her fuck-me body. She’s got on another of those shiny, minuscule outfits—tight and tiny.

I’m already itching for my blade to take all of it off.

“We headin’ over there, boss?” Vert finally asks from the doorway. I had forgotten he came in to be completely honest.

“Yea,” I respond.

One night, became two nights, became three nights of watching Diamond twirl around the pole and stroll through the club like she was the one who owned this fucking place—not me.

For whatever reason, I let her do her thing. I didn’t press her or demand the time I wanted. I watched and gave her space. Wanted to touch her but needed her to come to me on her own terms.

I couldn’t show anyone I had an interest in this woman because she would have a target on her back in that very same breath.

And if I gave myself an inch with her for someone to see, they would know how much I want her. I’d absolutely take the full mile and that was dangerous for us both.

The first night, I walked in and sat at my usual booth, all my men with me.

But I know she felt me in the club. From the pole, I saw her motions completely pause when I got into the area where all the raised platforms are.

She was playing with me. Each time it was her slot on the stage, she glittered under the blue spotlights, making each reflective outfit look like her namesake.

Bills steadily rained down on the stage.

Easily I’d blow bands just to keep the stage covered in mostly my money.

At the end of each performance, they would sweep the cash into the trench in the back for her to collect the money and have it counted backstage. By the time she was back on the floor, I fought every urge to grab her if someone else got her attention.

Twice, I had to enforce the “no touching” rules on the floor.

I was close to catching a fucking charge for a woman I barely even knew.

Less than a week I owned this club and I had to replace all the bouncers with my own men.

None of which complained about the reassignment.

Surveillance in a car at the same late hours was far worse than seeing some of Louisiana’s finest women in as little clothing as possible for the same pay.

I’m gonna win boss of the goddamn year at this point.

The rules are the rules though.

You don’t touch what’s mine.

My men threw out anyone whoever dared break the rules with my Diamond .

I was willing to pay for her time.

Anytime she wanted.

But I didn’t want to block her hustle. In her element, she was like some mystical being as the lights glinted off her. Thick hair trailing her back. Little glimpses of her body teasing here and there. Strong legs always in fishnets.

One thing I’d never allow her to do again?

Take anyone to a private room if it wasn’t me.

Dancers have the option to accept or decline a reservation of their room since there were so few limitations inside. If they were uncomfortable or just didn’t want to, they could decline.

My name was the only one on the list and it was there every night. She has yet to show up for one.

Today, I’m getting my time.

As I wait in the room we had before, it takes everything in me not to be impatient.

When the sound of the club’s music comes in through the open door, I sense before I see her realize she accepted the room with me and not Vert as I booked it.

She appears shocked for a moment, but then she collects herself quickly.

“Blue,” she says, her sensual voice wrapping around me like it's meant to, “what are you doing here?”

Raising a brow, I ask, “Expectin’ someone else?”

“Yes,” she says simply.

Tonight, she wears black and silver stars over her full tits and another tiny skirt that has black stars over the silver fabric. Her belly button ring dangles with a spray of stars. Silver eye makeup makes her brown eyes look even bigger as she holds my stare when I meet them.

“Been busy?” I ask, though I know she has been. It’s hard work to hide from someone as persistent as me.

“Thankfully,” is all she says when she sits on the bed. The bed. Not on the loveseat with me. I suck my teeth, praying for calm because at this point, I’m ready to grab her and leave this fucking club .

Showing restraint with a woman is a completely foreign concept, but I knew letting her out of my grasp was out of the question.

What the hell is she doing to me?