Page 40 of Savage Promises (Quinlan Empire #2)

Lennox

M y hands grip the edge of the desk as I force my pulse to slow. Shane says I’m his forever, but I can’t help but ask the burning question haunting me every day, “Then why the prenup?”

Still inside me, he doesn’t flinch, his voice steady and sure. “I told you. It was given to me. It doesn’t matter. We’re so good together. Nothing can come between us. Not anymore.”

I hate how badly I want to believe him. But in this situation, belief is dangerous. Hope is lethal.

A wrinkle forms above his nose, and he shakes his head. “Please say you believe me.”

“I do.” I smile, my head still reeling.

Pulling out and lifting off me, he sounds more pleased at my response, than accepting the club.

I’d told him I loved him, but he may have dismissed it because I’d been drunk at the time. Does he want me to say I love you stone-cold sober? Because I will. I want to say it again right now, but it feels hollow. Like it’s just because he gave me the nightclub.

Some people don’t mix business with pleasure. I can’t mix the depths of what’s in my heart with a good fuck and keys to a nightclub.

Shane faces the smokey window as he reassembles himself back to his usual perfection. His cock put away, pants zipped, and belt fastened, he faces me as if he didn’t just turn my world upside down.

I slip off the desk and push my dress down. Playing it cool, I trail my fingers over the sleek lacquer, taking in the polished space. I’m floored by how every detail is tailored to me. It’s perfect. Too perfect.

Shane’s eyes darken, seeing straight through me. But he doesn’t call me out on my silence.

Instead, he smirks, slow and knowing. “Let’s go test out the VIP lounges.”

“ That sounds like a great idea.” I turn away before he can see the doubt consuming me.

TWO WEEKS PASS AND I give in to the inevitable.

I signed the papers my father’s lawyer sent me to give up the management position at Club Echelon.

The settlement wasn’t what I thought it should be.

Dad cited improvements some crooked engineer said were needed.

I’d been banking on his generosity. And once again, he’s left me bereft.

An empty well, as was my whole life under his thumb.

With an opening date for Luxe set at the end of the month, I hire a professional recruiter to build an ace staff from the ground up.

I requested to take one thing from Club Echelon.

Mara. My father and brother would have held her back if they thought they could control her.

In loyalty to me, she gave her notice and signed a contract with Luxe.

But even after my club opened, I’ve yet to see her.

With Luxe running smoothly one night, I slog to my late kickboxing class and then head over to Club Echelon after a few alarming texts from Mara that hinted at more problems. Problems I had to see for myself.

The harsh beat of music pounds from the speakers in the DJ booth. Only, there’s no DJ. It’s that obnoxious AI-generated techno music. My cheap bastard of a brother fired my DJ.

No one is dancing because you can’t dance to this shit. And the volume is so loud, that people can’t talk. A bar is supposed to bring people together to dance, socialize, and not just drink.

The air smells faintly of stale liquor and a lingering trace of something sour.

Mara wasn’t exaggerating. The place is nearly a ghost town. And those who are here, look sketchy as hell. I’ve already watched a group of four young, sexy women leave their drinks that looked watered down and storm out. No doubt without tipping Mara.

What the hell is Garrett doing? He can’t be that clueless.

At the bar, Mara gives me a grim look. “He’s holding two weeks’ worth of my pay and tips hostage. Telling me to work one more night. One more night.” She throws down a towel. “Look at this place.”

It’s pathetic. No one would ever guess it’s a Saturday night.

“Where is my brother?” I ask, looking around.

Mara tilts her head toward the back. “He brought one of the new servers back there. A while ago.”

“Unbelievable. I’ll fix this.” Fuming, I storm down the hallway and don’t even bother knocking.

Garrett sits on what looks like a new leather sofa, moaning. A young woman is on her knees in front of him, her face in his lap, head bobbing up and down. Garrett freezes seeing me.

“Jesus, Lennox,” he bites out. “Ever hear of knocking, eh?”

I do him the courtesy of looking away. “Are you out of your mind?”

“Get out, Elise,” Garrett snaps at the woman, pushing her away. “You’re fucking horrible at giving head.”

I’m going to kill him.

The woman scrambles to her feet, muttering, “I just came in here to ask for a night off to see my kid in a play.”

“And a blow job is the payment?” I fume at Garrett and tell the woman, “You take whatever day you need, hun.”

“Uh, okay. Thanks.” Eyes lowered, the woman wipes her mouth and scurries away.

“ I control the schedule,” Garrett barks, getting to his feet and shoving his dick back into his pants. “And I said no days off until—”

“Shut up, Garrett.” I slam the office door. “You had no intention of giving her a night off. Good blow job or a bad one. You’re disgusting.”

“What do you want, Lennox?” Garrett zips his pants, his jaw tightening. In a T-shirt and jeans, he looks like one of the sketchy customers. “Or should I say, Mrs. Quinlan .”

“You’ve got some nerve,” I hiss, stepping closer. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

He rolls his eyes and sits at my old desk, leaning back in the chair. “Back off, Lennox. This is my place now.”

“That doesn’t mean there aren’t rules,” I scoff, planting both palms on the desk. “Garrett, you’re the boss. You can’t sexually assault the women here.”

He shoots to his feet. “That wasn’t assault.”

“Sex in exchange for favors is assault and trafficking.” I struggle to keep my voice steady, the rage bubbling beneath the surface. “You could be sued or arrested. Do you even understand how reckless this is?”

He waves me off like I’m a buzzing fly. “Don’t lecture me. You’re not in charge of me.”

“I still give a damn about this club,” I snap. “Employees shouldn’t have to do tricks or have their paychecks withheld. You think I worked my ass off to make this place profitable so you could burn it to the ground because you want your dick sucked?”

Something dark flickers across his face. He stalks forward, towering over me. “Don’t fucking talk to me that way, Lennox. You think because you’re married to a Quinlan, you’re better than me? That you can treat me like shit the way your husband does?”

“From what I see, you deserve it.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he spits. “You got that last name because you spread your legs. You’re nothing but a whore with a ring.”

The insult hits me like a baseball bat to the head. Before I can stop myself, I smack him, dead in the face. The crack of my hand on his jaw echoes through the office, and for a moment, we both freeze.

But then Garrett moves.

“Big fucking mistake.” He backhands me, the force of it sending me stumbling.

My shoulder slams into the side of the desk and I sink to the floor, dazed. My lip stings, and when I touch it, my fingers come away bloody.

“Oh fuck. I’m sorry, Lenny!” Garrett’s panicked voice trembles. He crouches in front of me, his hands hovering awkwardly. “I’m so fucking sorry. I didn’t mean it. Are you okay?”

I shove him away and with fumes of strength, I claw at the desk to get to my feet.

“Don’t touch me,” I hiss. My vision blurs with angry tears that I can’t keep from falling. “Don’t you ever touch me again.”

“Please,” he begs, his voice cracking. “Please don’t tell Shane. I’ll fix things here, okay? I’ll do better. Just don’t tell him I hit you.”

I worry Shane will use this as an excuse to either kill him or send him away to a punishment camp.

I’m not sure I care, but Neve will be devastated.

Garrett is all she has. I don’t trust my father to do the right thing by her.

The clock is ticking before I can get her into a college far away from him.

I glare at my brother, my chest heaving. “I’m leaving Mara here one more night. You pay her tonight . You have one month to get this place back to what I made it,” I say firmly. “If not, I will tell Shane. I swear—”

“I will,” my brother cuts in, nodding frantically. “I promise.”

I don’t wait to hear more. His voice grates on me. I storm out of the office, and holding my face, I stop at the bar to see Mara.

“Holy shit. I hope the other guy looks worse.” She wraps ice in a napkin for me.

“Not quite. I told him to pay you.” I gently press the wrapped ice against my cheek and see stars. “Please stay here one more night. After that, you’re done here. I’ll cover your back pay if Garrett doesn’t come through.”

Mara gasps when I take the bloodied napkin away. “Go home and lie down with more ice.”

“Yeah, sure.” I avoid the curious stares of the barebones staff that Garrett scraped up to replace the loyal, hardworking people who worked for me for years.

I hike to the Navigator idling out front where my guard is waiting, leaning against the back door. I’d fought hard to keep him out of the club earlier. I didn’t want to be seen that way. Someone spoiled with a guard, the way Neve flaunted Lars.

“What the fuck happened?” my brawny guard grounds out, looking at my face.

I freeze and think quickly. “A rowdy customer bumped into me.”

“Someone fucking hit you? And you didn’t come get me? Your husband will kill me!” He runs a nervous hand through his hair.

“It was an accident.” I hadn’t considered how this might affect Dorian and his standing with Shane. “I’ll handle it with my husband. I promise.”

I get into the backseat and push away the feeling of wanting to cry. I glance at my reflection in a makeup compact and wince, understanding Dorian’s horror-filled expression. My lip is swollen and there’s dried blood already caked over a cut.

My hair is disheveled, and my is blouse ruined with blood stains on the collar.

By the time I get home, I’m a mess inside and out, and my lip feels even bigger. It’s late and I’m grateful the house is empty. Shane and I have eased into a routine where we each come and go as we please.

I rush up the stairs and slip into my bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I’m grateful for the first time that I have my own bedroom. I blot my lip with a damp cloth to clean off the blood.

The sight of my busted-up face sends a fresh wave of anger through me. At Garrett. At myself. At everything.

Just as I reach for the door handle, planning to go to the kitchen for more ice, the door creaks open. Shane is standing there and horror floods my veins.

His eyes narrow on my face.

“What happened? Who the fuck did that to you?” His sharp voice startles me.

I didn’t have time to come up with an excuse, and I don’t know if he’s spoken to Dorian. Did my guard rat me out?

“I was at the gym. Kickboxing. Someone got too close. A kick went wide.”

His eyes bore into mine, and I know he doesn’t believe me. He steps closer, his fingers brushing against my stained blouse.

“You went to Club Echelon,” he says quietly. “I saw it on your phone.”

With a dry throat, I say, “Yeah. I stopped there after the gym. My nose was still bleeding when I got dressed.”

The tracking device he put on my phone recorded me being there. And Club Echelon, where according to my lie, I waltzed in there with blood on my clothes.

“Are you lying to me, Lennox?” Giving me a suspicious once-over, Shane speaks in a deceptively calm voice. The tension radiating off him is unmistakable. And terrifying.

“No,” I whisper, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “I’m not lying.”

For a moment, he just stares at me, his expression unreadable. Then he exhales, brushing a kiss against my forehead.

“I just stopped home to see you,” he says. “We have another weapons shipment coming in. We’re all working tonight to keep the fucking Albanians off our backs and the Feds looking the other way.”

“Okay,” I say, holding my breath.

“Get some rest.” Shane kisses my forehead again, and when I wince, he growls. But he leaves without another word, the air thick with unspoken tension.

As I sink back against the bathroom counter, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve made a grave mistake covering for my brother.

Again.