Page 18

18

MADDOX

Fuck. I really screwed this up.

I always knew Aces had a slimy side. Any kind of place like this would. Hell, it started off as an illegal speakeasy during Prohibition. They’ve always skirted outside the limits of the law.

Honestly, I never thought much of it. I once took a waitress to the private areas, and we both had a pretty good time. I’m not exactly proud of it, and I never did it again, but it wasn’t an inherently evil thing to do. Nowadays, I come to Aces to have a good drink, to meet people. Women, mostly. Do I look the other way when someone takes a server behind one of the velvet curtains? Yeah. I also buy produce that was likely pumped full of pesticides and picked by underpaid workers.

There is no way to be morally pure in this complex world.

I like this club. I love the mystery, the meticulously detailed theming that Rouge put into it after she took over. And it’s the best damn gin and tonic I’ve ever had. I’ve tried to replicate it at home, but it’s impossible. I swear to God, they must pick and ferment the elderflowers themselves. No one knows which brands of liquor they use, either. I wouldn’t be surprised if they make it all in-house.

I’ve never brought a woman here before. All the women I’ve socialized with here have been members in their own right. They all know what goes on behind closed doors here, so I’ve never had to rationalize it for them in real time.

But if any of those women stormed out for any reason, I’d let them go. If they can’t handle the dark side of the world, they certainly won’t last with me.

I guess the same is true about Alissa.

Except… Shit. Her phone is dead. And I don’t think she closed her tab at the bar, so she doesn’t have a credit card.

Maybe she has other credit cards. Or cash in her purse.

But I don’t know that for sure.

She may never want to see me again, but damn it, I promised her a ride home. And for all his faults, Maddox Hathaway follows up on his promises.

I stand and walk across the club, swinging open the Green Door to the mirrored staircase. I ascend and knock three times.

Chet opens it, his eyes wide. “I thought I might be seeing you soon, Mr. Hathaway.”

I swallow. “Did Alissa come through here?”

He nods slowly. “Yes. Miss Wonder just passed through. You two didn’t have a spat, did you?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes, we did.”

Chet’s grin has been pasted on his face since he saw me, but the edges of it waver slightly—maybe his version of a frown.

He lifts his eyebrows. “In a false quarrel there is no true valor.”

I wrinkle my forehead. “What the hell are you talking about?”

He gazes toward the door. “I don’t think Miss Wonder will have gone far. You should go after her.”

“Right. Thanks, Chet.”

I open the door, look out the alleyway. The coast is clear, but a bone-chilling shriek pierces the air.

“Let go of me!”

Alissa’s voice.

Fuck.

Every muscle in my body coils like a loaded spring. I bolt toward her voice, my pulse hammering in my ears. I round the corner and skid to a stop in the alley behind the building.

Alissa.

She’s trapped in a circle of three men, their matching leather jackets stamped with crude nicknames. Their stances are relaxed, too confident, like they’ve already decided how this ends.

They have no idea what’s coming. The man holding her arm in his grip has the word “Mouse” written on the back of his jacket. To his right is a guy marked “Dodo,” and to his left is “Eaglet.”

What the hell? Were all the good nicknames taken?

But I don’t have time to think about that. I race in front of Alissa and swing my fist down on Mouse’s arm, forcing him to let go. “Leave her alone, asshole.”

Mouse cocks his head, narrowing his eyes. “Nice hat.”

“Fuck off,” I say through gritted teeth.

“You’re dead,” Mouse growls.

Dodo and Eaglet seize my arms, but I jam my foot into Dodo’s crotch. A strangled scream rips from his throat as he doubles over. I wrench my arm free from Eaglet’s grasp and then grab his wrist, twisting it behind him and then kneeing him in his chest.

Mouse moves in like a shadow, his arms locking around me in a crushing bear hug. I slam my elbow into his side—once, twice, three times—but he doesn’t budge. His grip tightens, a vise squeezing the breath from my lungs. Desperation fuels me. I plant my feet against the brick wall of the building, every muscle coiling as I shove off with everything I have. The momentum sends us lurching backward. Mouse falls on his ass.

I scramble off him, turn around, and punch him.

God, it feels fucking good.

Once. Twice. Three times. Once more.

Blood trickles out of his nose and he closes his eyes. I think he’s out, but I don’t have time to make sure because Dodo is advancing on me, fury in his eyes. He throws a punch, but I block it easily. He lands a second one to my gut, but I ignore it and take advantage of the closeness of our bodies and sweep his legs. He falls to his knees, and I kick him in the chin, knocking him back.

But shit, I’ve lost track of Eaglet. He’s behind me, and before I can react, he throws his arm around my neck, yanking me into a headlock. My air cuts off in an instant, panic spiking through me as his grip tightens.

I slam my elbows back, aiming for his ribs, but he’s not stupid—he’s positioned himself just right, his body flush against mine, leaving me no angle to strike. My vision blurs at the edges.

I have seconds. Maybe less.

I twist, thrash, anything to break free, but his grip only tightens, his breath hot against my ear. My lungs burn. My body screams for oxygen.

Fuck. I can’t let this degenerate take me?—

Crash!

Breaking glass. Eaglet's grip slackens just enough for me to rip myself free. I drag in a desperate gulp of air. I turn around to see Alissa standing there, her fingers clenched around the jagged neck of a broken liquor bottle. Shards glisten at her feet, and blood drips from a fresh gash on Eaglet’s forehead.

He sways, blinking like he’s trying to piece together what just happened.

I don’t give him the chance.

I drive a brutal side kick straight into his chest.

He stumbles backward, gasping, and falls against the wall with a dull thud.

I’m not sure if any of them are out cold, so I grab Alissa’s arm. “Come on, I’ll get you to my car.”

She says nothing, just nods, gulping, her eyes wide with fear.

I guide her to the garage where I’m parked and open the door of the Rolls-Royce for her. She looks up at me, trembling. “I suppose I should thank you for that.”

I shake my head. “No need. I just did what any decent man would do. How’d you end up cornered by those creeps anyway?”

She frowns. “I was trying to figure out where the nearest L station was. I guess I wasn’t paying any attention.”

“Don’t let that happen again, Alissa.”

My voice is terser than I intend. But what the hell, I’ll probably never see this woman again.

We don’t talk at all as we make the drive uptown to Alissa’s apartment.

I park in front of her building, and I get out and open the door for her.

“I’ll walk you up.”

Hesitation flickers in her eyes, and for a moment, I think she’s going to reject my offer, but then her face softens and she gently nods.

She unlocks the front door, and I walk behind her as she walks up the three flights to her apartment door. She turns around.

“I know you said I don’t have to thank you, Maddox. But I’d like to.”

I smile slightly. “I mean, I won’t reject it if you do.”

She grabs my hand. “Thank you, Maddox.”

I tip my hat to her. “Of course. Good night, Alissa.” I turn.

“Wait.”

I look over my shoulder. “Yes?”

She runs her hand through her gorgeous blond hair. “Would you like a drink? We didn’t get to finish ours at the club, and I have a bottle of wine I’ve been meaning to try. It’s the least I can do to thank you for your bravery. God knows what those men would have done to me.”

I know exactly what those men were going to do to her, and the idea makes me sick to my stomach.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

She swallows, nodding. “Yes. Please come in.”

“All right.”

She opens the door and I follow her in.

Her place is clutter-free. A brown leather loveseat sits opposite a flat-screen TV, in between them a coffee table with neat stacks of magazines and pastel-colored coasters. Across from the living room is a kitchenette with gleaming stainless-steel appliances. Next to it is a small round table with two matching chairs. A red wingback chair sits in another corner, framed by a vintage floor lamp with a fringed mossy-green lampshade on one side and a bookshelf on the other. From there I can see two doors, one of which I imagine leads to Alissa’s bathroom, and the other…

To her bedroom.

Fuck. My cock shouldn’t be hardening given the circumstances…

“It’s a nice apartment,” I say.

“Thanks. It’s cozy.” She reaches into a cupboard and pulls out two glasses and a bottle of wine. She uncorks the bottle, pours two glasses, and hands one to me. “It’s a new brand I just found at the liquor store. It’s an independent label. Drink Me Vineyards.”

I chuckle. “Very to the point.”

Her lips twitch upward. “I guess so.” She examines the label. “It’s a red blend from California. Should be pretty nice. Not too complex.” She eyes the loveseat. “Please, sit down.”

The loveseat is comfortable, and she slides next to me and takes a sip of wine. “It’s not bad,” she says. “Goes down easy. Try it.”

I take a drink. She’s right. It’s wine that tastes like wine. Robust, a little bit earthy, but very tasty. On the dry side, which is my preference.

“You’re right. Not too complex.”

Unlike the woman sitting next to me. She’s a layered, multifaceted individual. Thirty minutes ago, she was leaving Aces in a huff, probably planning to never see me again. Now I’m cozied up next to her in her apartment with Drink Me wine.

I draw in a breath. Time to face the music. “Alissa…”

“Yeah?”

“I want to apologize for how insensitive I was back at Aces. You had every right to be appalled by some of their practices, and I’m sorry for trying to sweep them under the rug.”

She shakes her head. “No. I wouldn’t let you get a word in edgewise. I certainly won’t say I approve of what they’re doing behind those velvet curtains and ropes, but as long as what you say is true and that it’s one hundred percent consensual… To each his own, I guess. I was just shocked. I’m sorry I threw my drink at you.”

I chuckle. “Not my preferred method of ingesting alcohol, but it still tasted pretty good.”

She bites her lip. “At any rate, you saved me from those thugs. Thank you.”

She leans in and brushes her lips against mine. My cock immediately reacts. It was already hard—just being near Alissa does that—but now it’s fully engorged, desperate for a sweet pussy.

I kiss her back, gently at first. After all, she just avoided being raped in an alleyway. She’s probably in no mood to?—

Her tongue probes my lips.

Perhaps I’m wrong.

I open and let her in—not just into my mouth, but into my heart, my soul.

I hold her tight, clamping my mouth down on hers and deepening the kiss. We kiss and kiss and kiss. She pulls me down as she lies back on the loveseat. I grind into her. God, I want her. Fuck. Too many clothes. Can’t get close enough. I move forward, try to?—

Damn. I knock my glass of wine off the coffee table. The purple liquid slides over the wood and onto her floor.

“Shit, sorry.”

She grabs my head, forcing my gaze into hers. “Who bloody cares? Leave it.”

We make out on the couch for a few more minutes before she pulls at my jacket and begins unbuttoning my shirt. She gets three or four buttons down and places her hand on my bare chest.

She grins. “Just the right amount of hair.”

She crushes her mouth to mine again, running her hand up and down my chest. When she catches a nipple, I shudder. My nipples aren’t normally that sensitive, but damn, this woman heightens all my senses.

She unbuttons the rest of my shirt, and I shake it and my jacket off. They fall to the floor.

Yeah. My expensive garments are on the floor along with the spilled wine.

And I don’t fucking care.

All I want is Alissa—her flushed face, her perked-up tits. The ripe fragrance between her legs.

I’m ready. So fucking ready to take her, make her mine.

And within my heart, in the deepest recesses of my soul…

Mad Maddox stirs.