Promise of Eternity: (Promises Book 4)

Chapter 10

Frustrated. That was the only way to describe how I felt. One night. That’s all I had wanted. My feelings mimicked how I’d felt when I asked Oliver how he did it.

Because it was always something.

I’d been so close to getting what I wanted. So close. The guys had carefully planned the night from the dinner we’d eaten to ensuring we had a space to “play” at Rapture. And then some jackass had to ruin it.

Dominic’s fingers untied the cords winding around my skin while I took deep breaths, trying not to lose my shit. A fire? At Inferno? The timing was terrible, and the temper I worked so hard to hide threatened to rear its ugly head. Hunter leaned against the wall, holding the phone as Joey gave me the details. “Killer, take your time. The fire department is here. And remember to breathe.”

My scowl deepened, but I took another deep inhale as Ethan handed me my clothes. “And the employees, are they all safe? How bad is the damage?”

Over the speaker, Joey huffed out an audible breath. “No idea about the damage yet. We called the fire department as soon as we realized what was happening. Fire alarms and sprinklers never went off. Victoria is shaken up, but Rory is on the way right now. The dancers that were working seem like they’re fine, but when you get here, we need to talk. You know the new bartender? He vanished.”

My pulse raced as I put together the unspoken pieces. That someone had disabled the fire alarms only pissed me off further as I struggled with my clothes. “The guy that Hunter just hired?”

The background check had come up clean. Hunter had even asked Scott, his hacker friend, to double-check him to put me at ease. I would have hired Trey instead if it had been up to me. He was practically family at this point.

“I’ve got to tell you something even weirder. The new stripper kept looking at him like she was scared. Something is going on there.”

“Detain Skye. Don’t hurt her, but I want to speak to her tonight. Anything else?”

A deep chuckle rumbled across the line. “Nothing that I know of, but that could change at any moment.”

I slipped my shoes on, and Ethan handed me a hair tie. Always anticipating my needs.

Skye had been hiding from her past, but as usual, it had caught up to her. Now, her secrets were impacting the rest of us. They had a tendency to do that. It was a lesson I’d learned the hard way.

Hunter ended the call as Dom took the elastic from me, gathering my hair into a messy bun. He pressed one last kiss to my neck before touching my stomach. “It’s all going to be okay. Whoever did this… We’ll make them pay.”

We always did.

***

Inferno. I didn’t know if it was the hormones or the memories, but seeing it engulfed in flames made my throat tight. The sight of flames licking at the stars was too much. It was never supposed to be like this.

A part of me was tempted to run to Oliver, tell him everything, and let him reassure me like he always did. Because it would be okay, at least eventually. Even though he had retired, it was doubtful he’d ever completely leave things to me. He was too stubborn and set in his ways. And he was the closest thing I had to a father.

“Shit.” Hunter’s reaction succinctly encompassed how I felt.

Victoria stood nearby, her head resting on Rory Donahue’s shoulder. She hadn’t worked as many shifts since starting her own business, but had been working as a favor to me. I trudged over to her, my heart heavy and emotions threatening to spill over. “You’re okay?” If something were to happen to my best friend, I would never forgive myself.

She nodded at me, the look on her face encompassing how I felt: angry, defeated, upset, and powerless. “I wanted to be here when you saw. I’m sorry.”

Her voice cracked, and I stopped myself from telling her it wasn’t her fault. If anything, it was mine. If I hadn’t taken the night off, maybe I could have stopped it. But logically, even that was unlikely.

I glanced at Rory, whose arms were still circling Victoria’s waist. “Where are the kids?”

He lifted a shoulder at me, his lips twisted downward. “Dad has them. I was going to surprise her later, but…”

I gave him a quick nod of acknowledgment. He didn’t even have to finish his statement. “Both of you go home and kiss the kids for me. I have something to take care of.”

Hunter laced his fingers with mine. It was a simple gesture. A way to say I’m here and support you. You’re not alone anymore. We can do anything together.

The parking lot’s gravel crunched beneath my feet as I strolled over to where Joey stood with one of the firefighters. “Anything new?”

He shook his head at me and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Not yet. We probably won’t know anything about the fire until tomorrow at the earliest.”

“Cause?”

He raised an eyebrow at me. Despite there being no confirmation, we both knew. I just wanted someone to utter the words before I put together a plan. “Skye’s in my car right now, waiting for you.”

That we could communicate with minimal words at the moment was a plus. I didn’t trust my voice. Between the crackle of wood and the pieces of ash floating through the air, my heart shattered in my chest. Inferno had never been the cornerstone of Strathmore’s underground. It wasn’t about the building itself. In some ways, it was symbolic of our hopes and dreams, failures, our past and future.

Without it and the man who had founded it–I would have never met the men surrounding me. The ones who showered me with their love daily.

I patted Joey’s arm gently in thanks before searching for the new dancer. And just like Joey had said, she was sitting inside his car. The coat she was wearing was his, the leather hitting her knees, engulfing her body. I opened the back door and slid in, closing the chaos–and the guys–out. This was a conversation best had between the two of us.

“We need to talk.”

She blankly stared out of the window, not moving. Seconds ticked by before she responded. “I know.”

And then she crumbled in front of me. It was the easiest and somehow most brutal interrogation I’d ever been a part of. No torture was required. No blood was shed—just a tear-riddled confession.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

All I had to do was hold her hand and listen as she poured out her heart. If only she had come to me before all hell had broken loose.

“I just wanted to leave Strathmore and the Sinners behind. I didn’t want to be someone’s old lady or watch my children live like I had. A few months ago, someone had drugged me. When I woke up, I knew what had happened. But when I went to my father…”

Tears spilled down her cheeks in silver streams as I listened, tightening my grip on her hand. “He told me I was nothing but a whore, and that was what I was good for. I shouldn’t have been at the clubhouse if I didn’t want it.”

“I’d heard that they wouldn’t mess with you. I thought I’d be safe if I worked at your club–just long enough to make the money to leave. It’s not like I can dance for much longer. I’ve started to show. I just needed a few more weeks.”

While I understood her logic, it frustrated me she didn’t trust me. Then what she was really saying dawned on me. She wasn’t just on the run. She was pregnant with her rapist’s baby. “If you had told me your story, I could have done more to protect you. There are things that you could have done that don’t involve dancing on a stage. I could have set you up working behind the scenes at The Lucky Lady or a dozen other things. Or I could have just given you the money.”

I rubbed my eyes with my free hand. “First, I need you to tell me who the bartender I hired really is. You know something like this can’t go unpunished. Then we need to figure out somewhere safe for you to stay.”

I exited the car after Skye finished speaking and cleared my throat, trying to will away all the emotions whirling inside me. Stupid hormones. I needed a better way to vouch for potential employees.

Even Skye wasn’t who I thought she was. An MC princess who was trying to run away from Strathmore and sought my protection from her father. How had I not known Butch was her dad? Had he hidden her from the rest of the world that well? If only she had told me that was what she was doing first.

Now, we’d be at war with a group I’d never dealt with. Their actions couldn’t go unpunished. Mentally, I made a list of everything I needed to accomplish in the next twenty-four hours. Find the bartender who was called Brick Knowles. Find Skye’s rapist, whose street name was Tank. File with the insurance for the fire that was finally contained and find a contractor for repairs. Get Skye in to see Dr. Matthews to check on the baby. Make sure she had somewhere safe to stay.

Piece of cake. Just an average day at the office.

Dominic stood by, silently observing me and waiting for my command. “You know where the Sinners hang out?”

He tipped his chin up in acknowledgment. “Yeah. Tell me what you need.”

“Two guys. Brick and Tank. I want them taken down to the warehouse. Find out everything we can about them. Call Trey this time. I trust him more than I do Scott.”

Dominic gestured towards the car Skye was sitting in. “What about her?”

I struggled to stifle a yawn, my feet aching from the concrete. “What about one of the safe houses? Also, can we call Kourtney in the morning? Have her pick up some things for Skye?”

Dominic gave me a rare smile, melting my heart a little. “I think Ethan is rubbing off on you, sweetheart. I remember trying to talk him out of buying you things. Not like it ever worked.”

I scoffed at him before stretching up on my tiptoes and planting a kiss on his cheek. “Maybe the three of you all changed me in your own ways. You made me a better person.”

Dominic placed his hand against the small of my back, tugging me into his body. “Doubtful. You’re still as stubborn as ever, but I wouldn’t change anything about you.”