Page 10

Chapter

Ten

ARI

I was going to kick River’s ass.

It was a curse. An omen. Why did he have to say Troy’s name three times? It was like playing Bloody Mary or summoning Beetlejuice. Didn’t he know three was a charm—or a definite lack thereof?

Because now Troy fucking Godwin stood in the middle of Smiley’s Gym with a frown that could be seen from space. Or, at least from the window seat of the plane I was about to miss because of him.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” I said as politely as I could.

Troy’s frown somehow grew even deeper. Half his face was as wrinkled as a newborn baby. “I will not be leaving without a face-to-face conversation. That’s the least you owe me since I practically built this gym for you.” His eyes slipped from me to Lotto, who stood next to me in front of the front desk. “I never took you for a coward, Lotto. Or you, Ari. I would have appreciated a personal invitation when you denied my more-than-generous request.”

“Our contract was for one fight at Heathens Hollow. That’s it.” Lotto leaned against the front desk on one arm. “I checked the fine print. We were finished as soon as we stepped out of the ring.”

“And yet, you continued to use my club on my dime.” His smile was scathing. “Should I send you the bill for the booze? Or the reupholstery of the VIP booth you ruined”

My cheeks burned. “We didn’t ruin anything.”

“Only the future of Heathens Hollow,” Lotto challenged. I hadn’t seen him look this annoyed since we signed Troy’s contract in the first place. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? Because you got stuck signing the Perks and now the big names won’t be showing up.”

Troy stayed silent. Lotto’s words must have hit hard because he only stared with the heat of the underworld in his dark eyes.

“Sorry you have to find a new cash cow.” I checked the clock on the wall. If we didn’t leave soon, we were going to miss the flight to San Diego. “So if you could?—”

“Double.”

Troy’s offer hung in the air.

Double?

“Excuse me?” I managed to choke out.

“I’m offering double.” Troy clasped his hands behind his back. “For every single one of you. You two, Frankie, Bones, River. Even Teo. Double our original Heathens Hollow contract and I’ll pay your contract penalty with the Circuit for pulling out early.”

I gaped. Was Troy insane? That had to be close to a million dollars all together. Maybe I was dreaming. Or on some weird prank channel and the shoe would drop like an anvil on my head.

Lotto glanced over. He looked absolutely gobsmacked, which was a feat in itself. Okay, maybe it wasn’t a dream. But a million dollars ? Just to sign up for Heathens Hollow again and put Troy back on the map?

It was so tempting to say yes. So fucking tempting. The Circuit had barely started. We could bow out after three fights and make up some excuse why. If Troy was paying the penalty, we wouldn’t have to worry about that hanging over our heads. And the best part: we could kick Lucien’s pompous ass to the curb. Tell him to find some other team to bother.

But then River’s grinning face popped into my head. The sincerity in which he thanked me after the contract was signed. His push to go legit. If we got back with Troy, he’d walk. Smiley’s would lose him. I’d lose him. Somehow, that hurt more than saying goodbye to more money than I’d ever hope to see in my life. And who the fuck would I be if I sold out my family for cash? Not someone my dad would ever be proud of, that was for damn sure.

Refusal was on the tip of my tongue, but Troy beat me to the punch.

“Do you want to know why Lucien Fritz picked your gym?”

Troy’s sneer deepened when he mentioned Lucien’s name. Clearly, we weren’t the only ones tired of that bastard.

“He was at Heathens Hollow,” Lotto said.

“No, he wasn’t. I would never give an invitation to that sniveling coat-chaser. The rats who eat my garbage are better company.”

Oof. Lucien wasn’t even here, and I winced for him. “If he wasn’t there, how did he know we won?”

“He buttered up the right people and got the inside scoop. And the second he did, he swooped in to steal you away from me.”

“But why?”

“Because I didn’t give him the attention he craves, so now he’s trying to take my place.” Troy barked a laugh. “And you fell for it like fucking idiots. Someone shows you a little bit of love and you go crawling for it. How pathetic.”

“Do you really think calling us idiots is going to make us come crawling back?” Lotto shot back. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. “There was no stealing us away. We made the choice.”

“Did you?” Troy took a step forward and held up his phone. His smile grew a touch more menacing. “Why don’t I call some of my contacts? Because more than a few of them were confused why Lucien Fritz texted that you belonged to him. Especially when they had no clue who Lucien even was.”

My heart stuttered. I opened and closed my mouth. Of course Troy would know all of this. He always fucking did. We were his merchandise a few weeks ago, and he obviously wasn’t ready to let us go so easily. And the worst part was he had a fucking point. Lucien’s tactics were shady at best. Illegal at worst. Not that legality meant much to us from the way we started, but I also didn’t want to make an enemy of one of the richest men in Seattle.

“He’s got a big head.”

“And his daddy has a bigger wallet.” Troy eyed us. “But not as big as mine. Double. Make your choice.”

I hesitated. That hesitation brought burning shame to my cheeks. Why was I hesitating? I knew what I had to do. Yet it took me two beats to actually say it out loud.

“No.”

Troy had the audacity to look surprised. “No?”

“I said, no.”

“Do you even know what the fuck you’re saying? What you’re doing? Who you’re going against?”

Lotto stepped closer to me. “Keep your threats to yourself, Troy.”

“It’s not a threat if it’s the truth.” His eyes narrowed at me. “Lie with the dog, you get fleas.”

“I’m still trying to get rid of the fleas you gave us,” I retorted.

“Interesting.”

Troy thinned his lips. There was something dark in his eyes. Something calculating. All the confidence in my answer disappeared in an instant. Was going against Troy really a good decision? Did Smiley’s have much else of a choice?

“Let’s see if you made the right choice.” Troy fixed the lapels of his suit and offered a smile. “I’ll see you when you come crawling back to me. And trust me when I say, I’ll enjoy seeing you on your knees, Ari.”

Troy left me trembling behind the desk as he walked out. I was still trembling after the bell to the front door stopped ringing. It wasn’t even a big threat—more like something a scorned lover would say—but for some reason, it left me more shaken than any of his previous threats.

“Angel,” Lotto called. When had he gotten so close? He placed a hand on my elbow. “You okay?”

“Fuck that guy.” But my words were shaking as much as my hands. “Who does he think he is, some mafia boss?”

“Close enough.”

“And he didn’t even bring any cannolis.” At Lotto’s confused look, I sighed. “If we’re going to play out The Godfather , he could at least— You know what, never mind. He got his point across. We’re fucked without him.”

“ Angel .”

I glared at him. “Am I wrong?”

“I wouldn’t put it that way.”

“Then how would you put it?” I threw up my hands. “We were stuck doing his bidding in the first place, and now we’re stuck doing someone else’s bidding, all because Lucien’s dick is half the size of Troy’s. And if we go with Lucien, we keep River but have Troy threatening us with… I don’t even know what, but I know it’s shit either way. But if we go with Troy, our chances of ever going legit or staying away from him are slim to none. Is there something I’m missing here?”

Lotto stayed silent, which got his answer across painfully clear.

I clenched and unclenched my hands a few times but the need to smack something lingered. I was slipping. All our choices were bullshit. None of them actually helped Smiley’s. People only wanted to use us. For money, fame, ammo—whatever. We were fodder for rich people’s whims.

“I’ve been working so hard to make my dad proud, but at what point do I call it quits, Lotto?” I pounded my fist against the front desk a few times, but fire still raged within me. “Would he even be proud of what’s going on right now? We’re winning, but at what cost? Maybe I should just shut it all?—”

“Angel, do not finish that sentence.” His voice was low and full of warning. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do—” I inhaled and closed my eyes. “—n’t. You’re right. I don’t.”

Smiley’s was my baby. My father’s last memory. My family. Despite being jerked around by two dickheads, I wasn’t going to give it up without a fight.

“We’ll tell the others about Troy’s threat when we get to California.”

My eyes widened. Shit. The flight. I checked the time. We would need a miracle to make our originally scheduled plane.

“Damnit, we need to?—”

“Change the time.” Lotto’s voice was way too calm for the mess that sat on our plates. “There’s another flight that leaves two hours later.” His eyes flashed when he turned to me. “I don’t think you’re in the right mind to travel right now.”

I slowly let out a breath. My body was still tense, as if at any moment I could unravel at the seams. That Lotto could sense this was both touching and alarming. It was always scary to lose control, and lately I’d been losing way too much of it.

“You’re right. Thanks, Lotto. I think I just need…” I sighed. I didn’t know what I needed.

Lotto shifted closer. “Do you want to take your mind off of things, angel? Say the word.”

Heat raced through my body. I checked outside the front windows. No one was around. We had some time if we changed our flights. Maybe Lotto could help me calm down in our own special way.

“Go lock the front door. Then come back over here and bend over the front desk.”

Lotto’s eyebrows arched in surprise. My own request held a whisper of uncertainty. I’d never really been one to take charge—at least not with Lotto—but something in my hands still trembled. For once in a long time, I wanted to be in control. For a second, I thought he wouldn’t agree, but then he did as commanded, making sure we couldn’t be interrupted before splaying himself out for me.

“Pants off.”

Lotto unbuckled his belt and slid his pants down just enough to expose his supple ass. I licked my lips. I always loved that ass. I couldn’t stop myself from copping a feel.

Lotto smirked. “What next?”

“Change our flights.” I smacked his ass, and the sharp slap rang in the quiet room. “Give us some time to relax.”

Lotto’s eyes darkened when I slapped him again. He’d done this for me a few months ago when I’d had to call the insurance agent about that stupid fucking tree. He’d taken great care of me and calmed me down. Now it was my turn to return the favor.

I smacked Lotto’s ass over and over until his skin bloomed bright red. He stayed in control the entire time, clicking away on his phone as he changed our flights out. I didn’t even know if I was affecting him at all, but when I slapped his ass one more time, a little harder than my previous ones, he let out a breathy groan. I smirked. So, he wanted it rough. I could definitely provide that.

I slapped as hard as I could until Lotto’s thighs were trembling, and he was pushing back into my hands. It gave me such a thrill. I was in control, sure, but seeing him respond to me so eagerly was even better. My palms stung, but I kept working his ass until he finally set down the phone with a deep groan.

“All done. Texted the others, too.”

“You’re always so on top of things, Lotto.” I bent down and pressed light kisses to his reddened cheeks, my grin wicked as I tugged his hips toward me. He turned easily. The evidence of his arousal pressed hard against the front of his pants. I jerked his clothes down the rest of the way so that his hard cock sprung free. Lotto settled against the front desk, leaning back on his elbows.

“Someone has to be. You think Bones or Frankie could handle the contracts?”

“River might be able to.” I wrapped a hand around his cock and slowly started jerking. I smiled when Lotto’s jaw ticced. “He could charm the pants off of some investors.” I knew that for a fact because he charmed the pants off me not too long ago.

“I doubt he’d want to take my place.”

I flicked my tongue over the slit of Lotto’s dick. He bucked into me, and I giggled. “Actually, Lotto, I think he’d really want to take your place. Especially now.” I circled the tip of his cock, my eyes locked on the way his expression twisted. “Or maybe he’d want to take my place? What do you think?”

Lotto grunted and moved his hand to the back of my head. I thought he was going to push me into his length, but instead he pulled me away by my ponytail. “We can talk about how much we want to fuck River later.” His lips curled into a smirk. “But right now, angel, you’ve been having all the fun, and it’s time to share.”

I nodded. Probably a bit too eagerly since Lotto laughed. He tugged off my pants then settled on the floor next to the front desk. We maneuvered until his cock bobbed in front of my face and my cunt was directly over his mouth.

I started sucking his cock, and he pulled me down, running his tongue along my folds. I moaned and ground down into him. He laughed into my folds as he split me and dipped his tongue into my pussy. The shallow thrusts of his dick into my mouth swallowed my whine. I hollowed my cheeks and ran my tongue along the base of his cock, and when he flattened his tongue against my clit, my hips began moving of their own accord.

Lotto kept me split with strong hands on my thighs. He worked me even faster, tongue dipping into my wet cunt before circling and sucking my aching clit. I cupped his balls and squeezed as I sucked him. It felt like a game—who could make the other come first—and I wasn’t about to lose this game, not when control was literally between my fingers.

I spread his legs slightly to dip a finger between his cheeks. He moaned into my pussy when I circled his ass with my fingertip. I popped off him to wet my finger and pushed it inside. Then I took him back into my mouth and fucked and sucked until he was bucking wildly into my mouth. The rush was even better than the pleasure Lotto gave me with his tongue because he was losing control. His tongue was wild and messy, his grunts loud and desperate jerks of his hips even louder.

But when he took my clit into his mouth and sucked—hard—I cried out. He didn’t let up. He assaulted my clit until I was just as desperate. I moved my finger even faster and bobbed on his cock until it was twitching on my tongue. I don’t know who came first but my orgasm hit like a sucker punch. Lotto’s release as he came in my mouth covered my pleasured cries, and I rode Lotto’s face until my high subsided. I rolled off him and sat up, swallowing his cum and opening my mouth to show him.

Lotto chuckled. “Do you feel better?”

“Surprisingly, yes.” I giggled and leaned forward to kiss him. He swiped his tongue into my mouth, and we moaned as we shared his taste. I smiled. “Let’s go see the rest of our family.”