“Well, we wouldn’t need to be smart and careful about it if dumbass here would’ve taken care of him in the first place.” Deuce opens his big mouth again, and I’m done. I can’t take his shit anymore.

  I’m up and out of my seat, reaching across the table before anyone can say anything to calm the situation or stop me.

  Holding him by his neck in a death grip, I growl, “Listen here, you little fucker. I’ve had about enough of your shit. If you wanna stay in this club and continue to breathe on this earth, you better shut that fuckin’ hole in your head before I shut it for you. Permanently. Ya hear me?” I’m his fucking superior. I’m the Sergeant at Arms. He holds no officer’s patch. Yes, he’s a patched member, but that don’t mean he can disrespect me.

  His face is almost blue by the time I’m finished with what I need to say, but I’m not going to release him until he gets it.

  I can hear my brothers around me, yelling at me to let him go, even feel a few of them trying to pry my hands off Deuce’s neck, but I pay them no attention. My beef is with this motherfucker, and until I know he’s going to heed my warning, I’m not letting him go. I’ll either put his ass to sleep or kill him. I don’t care which happens first.

  When I see his eyes start to close, I give him a hard shake. “Do you fucking understand?”

  Finally, he nods his head. It’s not much since my hold on him won’t allow much more, but it’s enough that I notice. I’d much rather kill him, but I’ll settle for fucking him up a bit.

  I loosen my grip, just enough for him to get in some air.

  “Good. ’Cause next time you get on my ass like that, or I hear one more smartass comment, I’ll kill you.” With those final words, I let him go, but before he can completely fall backward into his chair, I swing my right arm and connect my fist right across his face, effectively knocking him out cold.

  Blowing out a breath and straightening my cut over my chest, I sit back down in my chair, cross my arms, and stare at Bear. “Now, where were we?”

  He glares at me hard for a few seconds before a small smile breaks out on his face. “Was that really necessary?” he asks, though he already knows the answer.

  “Yeah. It really was,” I tell him simply. My anger’s gone now that I’ve hopefully knocked some sense into him. Though I must say, my need to inflict pain is screaming at me now. I need to torture and maim, fight and kill. Maybe going to find that asshole Georgie would be a good idea. It’s been way too long since I’ve been on the road and had blood on my hands. I miss it.

  “Now that the hissy fits are over,” he says, glaring at me once more, not even bothering to spare a glance at the still unconscious Deuce, he continues. “Torq, I want you to leave tonight for Illinois. Find Georgie. Get a list of all his buyers and locations where he holds the girls before sellin’ them. Once we have that, we’ll be able to search them out and help any girls we find. I also wanna get rid of all the scumbag buyers.”

  I agree with everything he says, except for one thing. “If it’s all right with you, I’d rather leave in the morning.”

  He’s knows exactly what I need to do, but unlike some of these other fuckers, he won’t say anything out loud.

  Thinking on it for a few moments, he finally nods. “Fine. But no stops. I need you there yesterday. This shit has gone on long enough.”

  “I agree. I’ll be there in less than two days, you have my word. I’ll find that fucker and get what we need before ending him.” I leave out the part about making him pay for hurting Angel. They don’t need to know that, though if they did, they wouldn’t have a problem with it now that she works for us at the club. Shit, most of my brothers view her like a little sister now.

  We hash out a few more details, then Bear calls the meeting to a close. On my way out of the chapel, I check out the clock and see that I’ve missed Angel’s first and second act, but if I put the throttle down, I will be there for her last. And then me and her are going to have a little talk after.

  Before getting on my bike, I call the club. Since all our guys are here, we have a few stand-ins working the bar until the others can return. When the bartender answers the phone, I tell him to hold Angel’s final act until I get there. He doesn’t ask any questions, which is good for him, so after hanging up the phone, I break every speed limit on the way to Bottoms Up.

  ***

  Walking inside, I lock eyes with the bartender and nod my head, letting him know to get Angel ready. I may not know his name or who he is, but he knows me. Everyone here knows who I am.

  I’m not sure if she even noticed the delay, but hopefully she won’t give me too much grief for it. I can’t help that I wanted one last dance before leaving for a few days. I need my Angel dose, and I need it bad. She’s become my drug of choice.

  I don’t bother stopping at the bar for my usual drink. Instead, I make my way to my table and wait for her to come on stage.

  A few minutes later, the lights dim, leaving only a spotlight on the pole. Leaning forward in my seat, my heart rate starts to pick up tempo. That always happens when I’m seconds away from seeing her, but for some reason, tonight seems different. There’s a different level of angst, and something else I can’t decipher in the air. It’s almost electric, making me feel a buzz without even having a sip of alcohol.

  When the music comes on, my dick instantly gets hard. I know this song, and I also know that with it will come a show I will never forget. I’ll be lucky if I can keep myself off that stage.

  Halestorm’s song ‘I Get Off’ blares through the speakers just before Angel walks onto the stage.

  She’s dressed in an outfit that looks like it’s painted onto her body. I can see everything through the tight fabric, and it’s almost better than if I could see her naked.

  Angel’s one of the only dancers that doesn’t strip all her clothes off, and I think that’s what makes her popular. Guys can say that the best stripper needs to be naked, but when Angel’s in the mix, that statement would go right out the window. Of course, that won’t stop them from wishing she’d take more off, but they love that she doesn’t. And it’s probably a good thing too, because I’d probably kill every motherfucker in here who sees her naked.

  The opening verse sounds and Angel stares right at me while the lyrics swim through my head. She’s touching herself and mouthing the words to me. It’s the perfect song for us. I love to watch her; it gets me off. I know she loves it just as much as I do, which solidifies that tonight is the night everything changes.

  Like the words, my greedy eyes watch her as she comes undone, and as the chorus hits, she’s swinging onto the pole and doing things to it that should be illegal.

  I wish I’d gotten that drink, because my mouth is completely dry. I think I’m even panting, which is embarrassing. This woman is something else, and she’s mine. From this night forward, she’ll be in my bed every night and will only find pleasure in me.

  When the second verse hits, she starts to undo a string I didn’t notice before on her top. And just as the words sing about knowing how to bring me to my knees, she removes her top, and there, in the spotlight, are her smooth, perky breasts. She has those sticker things covering her nipples, but I couldn’t care less, because for the first time, I get see another part of her. Just as I thought, they’re fucking perfection, matching the rest of her.

  When the song’s over, she leaves the stage. I won’t let her get far—I’m too worked up. Whatever our routine was before tonight, I’m changing it up, right now.

  Getting up is a little painful, but I push it to the back of my mind as I stride with purpose toward the back. The only thing in my mind is finding her and devouring her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Angel

  I grab my top before walking off the stage but don’t put it back on. This top is sexy and I love it, but I don’t love the struggle it takes to put it on.

  The smile on my face hurts; it’s so big. I can’t believe I just did that, but I’m damn sure glad I did.

  When I started practicing a new routine, I didn’t know which song would go best with it. Then, after talking with Amy last night, it just clicked.

  I’d heard Halestorm’s song “I Get Off” only a few times, but it stuck with me. It’s sexy, and I secretly wanted to use it, not realizing how soon I would get to put it to use.

  Performing it tonight for Dominic was a high. I felt sexy and wanted. The look on his face told me he needed me and was barely containing himself. When I took off my top, it added a cherry on top of the whole thing. If this doesn’t shatter our silent game, I don’t know what will.

  I’m almost to the dressing room when someone grabs me from behind, but I know who it is. The electricity running over my skin says it all. Dominic. And I can’t wait to see what happens next.

  My bare back lands against the wall and he’s in my face, but not kissing me like I need him to. “Do you have any idea what you did to me out there?” he asks, his voice gritty and raw with what I hope is sexual tension. I want to relieve him of that.

  “Yes,” I whisper. I smile to myself, seeing that I’ve reduced this big, strong man to this. He’s so close, I can feel both his hardness pressing into me and his heart beating out of control. I did that.

  Leaning in close, he inhales deeply before whispering in my ear. “Of course you did.”

  He runs his tongue from my ear to my chin, my legs start to shake, and I almost collapse. He presses his knee between them to stop me from becoming a puddle on the floor.

  Reaching his hand up, he grabs my practically bare breast, squeezing hard, but the pain that shoots across my skin feels so good. I’ve heard the saying ‘hurts so good’ before, but now I know what they mean. This is what they mean. And it feels amazing. I feel pleasure shoot from my breast all the way down to my core.

  “Did you choose that song just for me?” He releases my breast, but he doesn’t leave it alone. Instead, he plays with the pasties I’m wearing that cover my nipples. I now wish I hadn’t put them on. I want him to see me, all of me.

  Unable to make words come out of my mouth, I nod.

  I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to perform it tonight. When I went on stage to do my first routine, he was nowhere to be seen. Then I noticed that none of the guys that are usually here, the guys who wear the same vest as him, were missing as well. I’d hoped he’d make it, but if he didn’t, I could dance for him some other night. I hated the thought, but I wasn’t upset with him. I knew it had to have been something very important that kept him away. I was no longer scared that he didn’t want me, because I knew. Every time I looked into his eyes I could see his want, his need for me. I’m sure the same look was reflected back to him.

  “I want you,” I say quietly. Then, with a confidence that surprises even me, I lift my head and say it again, with a stronger voice, my eyes locked onto his. I’m tired of dancing around what I feel.

  He dips his head down, finally taking my lips with his. It’s better than I could have ever imagined. His lips are rough and firm, demanding and forceful. Giving into him completely, my lips become putty to his, allowing him entrance and anything else he wants.

  I can’t help the moan that erupts deep in my throat.

  After a while, I’m not sure if it’s been minutes or hours, I start to feel like I need more. My body feels like a live wire that’s missing its connection, and without it, I’m going to die out.

  Realizing what I need without me even knowing, Dominic pushes himself closer to me, if that was possible, and rubs himself against me.

  When he bends his knees, I feel a loss like I’ve never felt before. I finally had what I needed, and he took it away. I start to pull away to demand he come back, but when he notices, he presses his mouth harder against mine. And then I feel him there, right where I need him. And it’s better than it was seconds earlier.

  His hardness presses into my softness, and it’s as if the final piece to a puzzle was put in its place. I can almost hear angels singing in the background—it’s one of those hallelujah moments. It sounds silly, but that’s what it feels like. The only thing that could make this better were if he wasn’t wearing his shirt, then I’d be able to feel his chest against mine.

  I feel him pull away from my lips, but he never stops the push and pull motion with his hips, which I’m grateful for. My eyes are closed, so I can’t see his face, but I can feel him.

  “Does my Angel like that?” he asks, but by the tone of his voice, he already knows the answer.

  “Yes. Please,” I beg. I need more of him, everywhere. I need it more than my next breath.

  “Please what?” he asks, which has me opening my eyes and staring into his, begging with my gaze for all the things I need from him.

  “More,” is all I can say, but it’s enough.

  His lips land on mine again, but this time, it’s quick.

  The hand that was on my breast moves painfully slow down my stomach, across my hip, and stops at the juncture of my thighs. My breathing hitches, and my eyes roll into the back of my head.

  Dominic waits until I look him in the eyes again before he moves in for the kill. Rubbing my clit, my whole body starts to shake uncontrollably. I don’t know what he’s doing to me, but I pray he doesn’t stop.

  The feeling of his hand on my most intimate place is unlike anything I could have ever imagined. I feel alive, more so than when I’m dancing, which is saying a lot.

  My heart beats faster and I feel like I’m not getting enough air. My knees shake even more, and a tingling feeling starts in my calves and arms, moving toward the center of my body.

  “Come for me, Angel,” Dominic whispers in my ear before he licks the lobe and sucks it into his mouth.

  And then suddenly, the whole world stops and the only thing that matters is this man and the way he makes me feel. The tingling sensation in my limbs shoots into my core and an explosion of feeling blasts through my body, causing me to scream out, but Dominic stifles the sound with his mouth.

  We stay like that for a while—him kissing me slowly and me feeling so high, as if I were flying. I’ve never felt anything like this before and I never want it to stop.

  Pulling away from my lips, I open my eyes and see a smile so big on his face that it causes one to form on my own, but mine is lazy. My whole body feels as if it’s weighed down and everything is hard and slow moving.

  “You are the most amazing woman I have ever met.” His words are whispered, but the meaning behind them strong. It causes my heart to leap in my chest.

  This man is a gift from God, meant for me. I couldn’t see it before, but I see it now. Dominic is mine and I can’t wait to tell him that.

  Smiling at my speechlessness, he helps me regain my balance, then takes me by the hand. “Come on,” he says, then drags me toward a back door, only stopping to grab a shirt sitting on a chair with the name of the club on it before slipping it over my head so I’m covered. Then he’s dragging me outside toward his bike.

  ***

  I have no idea where he’s taking me, but as long as it’s a place with a bed and privacy, I don’t care.

  We ride his bike for what feels like forever, but in this moment, I’m okay with that. I’ve never ridden a bike before. The guys always drop us off at home in a truck. I’m thankful for that because now my first ride is with Dominic. It’s fitting, really, since I want every important first to be with him. Going off what happened at the club, I think I can safely assume he’ll be my first in every way possible. And hopefully tonight.

  He turns into a familiar parking space and I know where I am. Home. I feel a little disappointed, like he’s rejecting me. Is he really just going to drop me off and call it a night?

  I remain silent.

  He helps me off the bike and takes my hand as he leads me inside and up the stairs. I follow him all the way to my door.

  “Give me your keys,” he demands, and like his willing slave, I comply.

  Reaching down for my purse, I realize I left it at the club.

  “Oh no! My purse,” I say with worry. I can’t believe I was so caught up in him that I forgot it. How the hell am I going to get inside?

  Smiling at me, he releases my hand, reaches into his pocket for something I can’t make out, and gets down on one knee in front of my door.

  “What are you d—” I begin to ask, but before I can finish, my door pops open.

  I’m shocked, and maybe a little freaked out, but also thankful he was able to open it. I decide to be grateful and not think too much about how he managed to do that.

  “I’ll text one of the guys to secure your purse in the safe,” he informs me as I walk inside my apartment, him following close behind.

  Things have cooled down between us, and even though I still want him with every fiber of my being, I feel like maybe a few things need to be discussed. He obviously feels the same way because he walks over to my little couch and takes a seat.

  “Come, sit with me,” he demands, but looking down at what I’m wearing, I decide I need to put something different on.

  “Let me go change quick.” I take off down the hall to my room.

  Not wanting to make him sit out there alone too long, afraid he might leave, I rush into my closet and grab one of my baggy shirts, but then toss it onto the floor. I like the club shirt better. Plus, it smells like him from our ride here.

  Reaching into the dresser inside my closet, I pull out a pair of underwear. Thankfully, one of the times I went to the store to buy costumes, I also bought some sexy panties. I hope Dominic likes them.

  The shirt covers me enough that I don’t put any pants on. Plus, I’m hoping to be naked soon anyway. No need to put on more clothes than needed.

  Leaving my closet, I almost miss him lying on my bed. It’s a sight to behold, one that makes my heart rate pick up and my palms get sweaty. I welcome the feeling, because I hope it leads to what I’ve been hoping for the past few weeks. I just hope my nerves don’t get the best of me, though if it’ll be anything like at the club, Dominic will make me forget my nerves and only make me feel the best things.