Page 11 of Up in a Blaze (Polished P & P #4)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

HENRI

“W hat do you think of this?” I asked the people around me while we sat at a table in the Diamond MC compound.

It had been two weeks since the drama at Polished, and things were settled.

Usually, I would have hungered for more drama, but I was too busy with other things for the Playhouse to want any action happening.

The desk area had been changed where no one could reach around or over, and it had caught a few questions from clients.

All we told them there was an incident that called for the change, and we weren’t at liberty to discuss.

No one pressed for more information, and really, I doubted they cared since gossip wasn’t what they were there for.

“Da, that is a better choice,” Adrick said.

“I like it,” Eve said, Tech’s sister and one of my friends.

“Why am I here again?” Gun asked.

“You are to be part owner. You need to have input on behalf of all other biker owners,” I explained while looking down at the paint sample.

Adrick grunted as he picked up a color sample. “I think that color with this vivid white for skirtings. It will give a calm feeling.”

I nodded. “Plus, with the offset of the black furniture, it will appear classy but homey.” Smiling, I ran a hand through my dark hair, relaxing. “I think we have finally figured out the Playhouse colors.”

Since we had cash, with an added extra big bonus, we were thrilled when we were able to rush through the purchasing process to have received the keys just yesterday.

It always amazed me how money could get things moving unconventionally fast. What also helped was the connections the Diamond MC had, which assisted in speeding things along.

In levels one and two, on the outer edges where there were already offices, the rooms would now be used for private dancing, and each floor had a medium-sized room, which would be secured for functions. They were blocked off from the main area by walls.

Luckily, there were already three bathrooms on both bottom and second levels—two for guests and another for employees only.

At the back of the building, there would be break and dressing rooms, and in front of those, where the wall separated those rooms, would be the long bars.

Then, in the large middle area on each floor, there would be two stages with tables and chairs placed between each.

Booths would line the walls, and on the other side of those were the halls that led to private rooms.

Upstairs, the third story would hold the offices, security, another break room, bathroom, and a VIP room, which was away from those downstairs.

All the preparations kept me nicely busy. I hadn’t had time to grow bored, which Blaze loved since he was still occupied with searching for information on the trafficking.

I was sure any day now Blaze and Tech would figure out what area they needed to be in for when those ships docked, and then, the Diamond MC would be there waiting. They would deal out their own punishment. But Officer Jones would also be there to assist with the victims.

He was the club’s inside man at the local police station.

Though, Blaze did tell me the club was helping Jones, too, by keeping an eye on the chief of police and Detective Marco Brown, who had been associated in the trouble with Jones’s old partner, Officer Plank.

So far, all drug trade that they were putting on the streets had stopped.

The club also believed trade had ceased because Plank was behind bars and the damage done to him had scared the other two enough to either take a break or stop completely.

I hoped it was the latter.

Still, they would be watched, and if they sneezed in the wrong direction, the Diamond MC would be all over them.

“Great,” Gun said, bringing me from my thoughts. “I’m going to get some lunch. Surely Dusty’s finished cooking by now.”

Eve snorted. “You’re brave. You remember the last time Quake went into the kitchen while Dusty was cooking and asked something?”

Gun smirked. “Yeah, but she loves me more, and Quake is always stealing food as she makes it. At least I wait until she’s done.”

“But what about your input here?” I asked. “We still must pick the rest of the furniture. The flooring. The lighting.”

Gun stood, giving me a look I didn’t understand, but his words made sense. “You’ve got more style and sense than me. I’m sure you’ll do fine without me. We trust you, Henri.”

My chest warmed. “This is true. I do have more style. Thank you, Gun.”

He smirked, rolled his eyes, and moved off toward the kitchen doors.

“All right, what do you think of these black booths, which will”—I grabbed the layout of the club and pointed to a spot—“hug these walls on each floor? Then in the large space in the middle we can have tables and chairs.”

Adrick grunted. “I believe Gun is correct. You have style, little French man.”

I beamed at the scary man and glanced to Eve, who raised her hands. “Hey, I’m just here for moral support. This is all you. But I do love the idea and that both men and women are welcome there and not just as dancers but as patrons. Makes everyone feel welcome.”

“Da, I have a feeling this club will be very busy.”

My excitement shone through as I wiggled on the seat. “This makes me very happy.”

“Not like I do,” a gruff voice said from behind me before an arm wound around my waist and I was pulled up off the bench seat. Blaze’s teeth latched onto my neck, making me close my eyes and sigh happily.

I loved his claiming.

“Fuck me, I need to get laid,” Eve mumbled.

“At least you have Quake here. My West?—”

Blaze lifted his head, and I opened my eyes like we both expected something to happen.

Eve didn’t disappoint.

“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!” Eve snapped, standing and resting her hands to the table. “There’s nothing going on with me and Quake. Got it?” She stormed off toward the kitchen before Adrick said more.

“Was I supposed to pretend I know nothing about them when they are obvious about it?”

“Oui, Adrick,” I said.

It was well known that Quake and Eve did the horizontal tango, but Eve would never be locked down into a relationship. She had commitment issues from past trauma. Though we could see that Quake adored her. He was a sweet man who would treat her right.

Adrick swore in Russian, then waved a hand as if to brush it off. “Does not matter. But maybe when West tells me things, he needs to warn me of these secrets too.” His gaze narrowed. “Everyone knows about them, da?”

“Everyone but Eve’s brother.”

“She has brother?”

Blaze snorted at my back.

“I am joking. I know the technology man is her twin brother.”

“Then don’t say anything to Tech about Eve and Quake.”

“It bothers me not. Can we get back to this?” He nodded down to the table.

Turning in Blaze’s arms, I asked, “Do you have more things to do here, mon amour? Or are we headed home before work?”

He lowered down to nip at my bottom lip, which sent a tingle right to my balls.

“Home.”

“What about this?” Adrick asked.

Turning, I started packing up, placing the papers in the bag I’d carried in with me. “Tomorrow, we can meet for a coffee at that cute little cafe down the street from Polished. Bring West if he is free. Saint should be available too.”

Once I zipped the bag up, I caught Adrick’s nod before Blaze took my hand and led me out of the compound.

We’d been so rushed that morning we hadn’t had time to play, and it seemed my beast was in the mood to have some bedroom fun.

On the drive home, I asked how the investigation was going. When his hands tightened around the steering wheel, I knew it wasn’t a good sign.

“I can’t fuckin’ stand the waiting game.

Both boats are headed to North America. We think one will port in Los Angeles and the other Mexico.

The satellites can only be used to show their routes.

We can’t see what’s happening on the vessels.

If we could, we’d know which boat to watch more closely.

We’ll have to split teams and be at both destinations.

At least we have enough men to cover both areas.

The brothers from Hawks wanted to be involved.

Wanted to travel over, but Country has asked them to wait.

With a lot of negotiations and promises, they finally agreed.

For now. Besides, if we have more people flooding the area, it could alert the wrong people, and shit could turn bad.

” He drew in a breath. “This shit is still fucked, though. We don’t even know their end destination after they make their stop. ”

“You will save them, mon amour. There is no need to worry about what could happen after they arrive here. You will stop them from moving on.”

“We need to fuckin’ find out who is behind all this.”

“You will. And at least there will be people to question from the ships. Then, you and the club could talk to Officer Jones to see if he wants to be the one to deal with the people in charge. If he can’t do anything within the force, then I am sure Country will know how much the club should be involved after learning who the mastermind is. ”

He reached over and took hold of my hand, drawing it up to his lips to kiss the back of it. “Thanks, firecracker. My head’s been spinning, and you say the right things to help settle it down.”

I brought his hand in mine over to hold it against my chest. “You would have thought of it as soon as the stress stopped messing with your mind.”

“You gotta know I’m waiting on a call from someone who might know something about this shit.”

I scrunched my brows, placing our joined hands to my lap. “Who, mon amour? And it better not be an ex of yours that I’ll have to set straight?”

His lips twitched. “No, firecracker. You never asked, so I didn’t say anything about who I sold my business to.”

Oh.

No, I had never asked, because it was the part of Blaze that had kept him away from me, and I was being selfish by not wanting to know about that darker side.

It probably made me a bad person. Some would even say I should want to know everything about my lover, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask about trafficking body parts.

However, my beautiful beast understood my wishes, and he hadn’t pushed for me to know anything I didn’t want to.

“You think this person will know why these people are being trafficked?” I swallowed. “Is it because of organ selling?”

Please, don’t let it be.

“We need to rule it out and this guy is the biggest dealer in this area. I doubt it’s him. He’s…. Hell, he isn’t too bad, even when he deals in that shit. He doesn’t traffic people, which is why I doubt it is him. But he might know something.”

Blaze was saying this man wasn’t bad, even though he sold body parts. I never understood how that made sense. But I didn’t have to worry about it any longer, as my Blaze had given that up for me.

“Hopefully he has answers.” I licked my lips.

“You and he….” If they had some type of relationship, I would hate them speaking, but I wouldn’t stop it if it eased Blaze’s mind.

He would just have to put up with me being salty for a while, knowing my man was speaking with someone he had his tongue and dick in.

Blaze looked over at me, saw I was glaring, and smirked. “I wouldn’t do that to you, firecracker. Malice and I have never had anything like that.”

I screwed my nose up. “Malice?”

“Yeah.”

“No kissing?” I checked.

“None.”

I relaxed and smiled. “I won’t have to hurt you now.”

He snorted. “You were going to?”

“Only if you were speaking with someone who knows intimate information about you.” I wiggled my fingers his way. “That body is all mine. I do not like knowing others have had their taste of you.”

His hand clamped down on my thigh and then slipped up and cupped me between my legs. My cock stiffened, and he smirked my way before he said, “Feel the same, firecracker. I’d go as far as hurting an ex if you wanted to talk with them.”

“Oh, mon amour, that should not turn me on, but it does.” We were different and yet the same when it came to those types of things. Which was why I had to be sure. “You promise there was no touching at all between you and Malice?’ I spat out his name.

His hand ran up and down my length as he drove along. “Malice and I haven’t done shit. Promise. And I’ll only be talking to him if the fucker ever calls back.”

“Do you think of him as a friend?”

“I trust him. In the past, we’ve hung out a few times. But he knows I want no part of that business. I don’t even want to be around it, which is why I haven’t talked to him since we got back together.”

“All right, mon amour.”

“I trust you more,” he told me as we pulled onto our street.

“And I shall show you how much I appreciate that trust when we get home.”

I’d let him worship me in all the ways I knew he liked.