Chapter 3
Twenty-five is just a number, Sloane, it doesn’t define you in any way. I repeat the words swirling through my head as I pace back and forth over the Persian rug in my office.
I’m hiding out, away from the gathering of my friends and family who have booked out my club for the night to celebrate with me and Cruz. Except with the overwhelming dread that’s filling me all the way to my Prada heels, I know twenty-five is more than just a number to me. It’s a number that feels like a weight I can’t shake, a constant reminder that I’m living a lie in my own world. I’m the motherfucking owner of the best elite sex club in all of Ravens Hollow. A successful businesswoman, respected and feared by all. But I have just one little problem. I’m a fucking fraud. And if anyone found out the truth, my reputation would turn to shit in an instant. I would quite literally be the laughingstock of the town and my club, I’m sure of it.
A heavy knock comes at the door. “Sloane, everyone is waiting,” comes Onyx’s low voice, sending another wave of anxiety through me. Of course he’s right there waiting.
“I know,” I snip back. Rushing to my sleek marble desk, I pull open the top drawer to find the bottle of pills I’m looking for, and with a flick, I pop a couple of little white pills in my mouth and swallow them down with a swig of my whiskey. I just need something to take the edge off to get through tonight. I’ll stop tomorrow when I’m officially twenty-five. I move over to the mirror and straighten my shoulders while I re-apply my peach lipstick, ready to face the party. I look like a million bucks in my powder-blue, off-the-shoulder party dress.
But as I reach the heavy black door, my head spins, and I feel like all breath has been sucked from my lungs. I can’t do this. My head rests on the solid door of my office. Deep breaths, Sloane. It’s just a fucking birthday party. Smile, dance, drink, and pretend you want to be here, because you do, you love these people. It’s simple. I shake off the awful feeling, standing up straight and turning the door handle. I can do this because I’m Sloane Stryker and I can fucking do anything.
I smile tightly when my personal bodyguard, Onyx, falls into line beside me. He was waiting by the door for me. Like he always is. He’s been my dark shadow from the moment I took over this club from the piece of shit who used to own it when I was only eighteen.
His hand brushes my back, the contact barely there. “Everything alright, trouble?”
I broaden my smile. “Of course, why wouldn’t it be? It’s my birthday, and I’m ready to celebrate.” I have been faking it so long it comes naturally.
He moves in front of me, blocking my path. His dark eyes lock with mine in a way that makes my heart race a little faster. Man, he’s beautiful. Dark and broody, rough around the edges, but so damn beautiful it makes my heart hurt. Mostly because I know it doesn’t matter how much he makes my heart race, he will never feel the same way about me. I’m a job for him. A reason to stay working under my brother and part of the Iron Strykers gang. I’m his meal ticket, that’s all. I quickly avert my gaze, my heart pounding with fear of what I might do if I look at him any longer. I’m feeling reckless tonight, and I might just go through with the fantasy of kissing him.
As I try to pull away, his hand closes over mine, his touch warm and insistent, pulling me back. “Sloane.” He looks me over, his forehead creasing in that way that makes him look every bit his thirty-eight years. Another reason my silly infatuation will never be anything more. He’s nearly fourteen years older than me and has been in my life since I was born, when he started working with my family.
“If you have something to say, then say it, Onyx.”
His eyes rake over me, taking every bit of me in. The way they do makes me feel all warm inside. When he still doesn’t say anything, I pull out of his hold and shove past him, pushing through the doors to my club. He’s been doing this for weeks. Making me feel like something more is going on when I know it’s not.
As I enter the main club, Asher calls my name, his voice a powerful roar of celebration that cuts through the pulsing music. He’s standing on the bar, a bottle of violently shaken champagne in his hands, spraying the cheering crowd of his adoring fans below, like he’s a fucking rock star or some shit.
Meanwhile, Jagger and Cruz have taken it upon themselves to clear one of the tables and look to be playing some sort of card game with a stack of cash piled up in the center of the table. Jagger spots me and nods in my direction. Cruz grins, his lips twisted up at the sides in that menacing way that tells me he’s up to no good. It is his birthday as well after all, and the game was most likely his idea and he’s about to cheat Jagger out of thousands. That’s on Jagger, he should know better by now.
With a hesitant step, Sally, my manager and close friend, comes to my side, her face wearing a guilty expression, even though she’s dressed to party in a white cocktail dress that shows off her long, tanned legs. She might be in her mid-thirties, but Sally is a stunner. Her long, chocolate-brown hair frames her face, and her dark, smoky eye makeup gives her a mysterious vibe tonight. I have no idea how the girl is still single.
“Looking good, baby,” I compliment her.
She smiles cheekily back. “Not so bad yourself. You should wear color more often.”
“Harley talked me into it. Guess she was right.” I shrug. “Nice to see the party started without me,” I huff, not at all surprised. I was in my office trying to get my shit together for well over a half-hour.
“I tried to stop them, but you know your brothers.” She rolls her eyes dramatically. After years of dealing with them, I’m sure they have given her more reasons to quit than stay working with me, but something keeps her around.
“That I do.” She joins me behind the bar where we find Myriah pouring shots. “You’re not working tonight,” I say over her shoulder, letting her know she’s off the hook.
“Hey, girl. This one’s for you.” She hands me a Fireball Whiskey shot, beaming with excitement like the party girl she is. She looks adorable in a cute little silver sequined number that shimmers under the low light of the chandeliers, her caramel-colored hair out and deadly straight. It’s a good look on her.
I throw the shot back and slam the shot glass down on the marble counter. “Give me another.” I grin slyly, suddenly getting in the party mood.
“Yesss! Sloane’s going to let loose for once. I knew it was a genius idea to shut the place down for the night.” Myriah smiles smugly at Sally.
“I never said it wasn’t a good idea.” Sally throws back a shot of her own. These two are the best staff a girl could hope for. I have had them by my side for years, and I know they have my back in every situation possible.
As I take my second shot and throw it back, I see Harley and the Moretti boys arrive through the main doors. Harley completes our girl gang. I haven’t known her as long as these two, but since she got into a little trouble last year, the two of us have been inseparable. She’s my sister from another mister, and I wouldn’t admit it out loud, but I love her to bits. Even if she has an entourage of her men always buzzing protectively around her.
Myriah leans in closer, bumping my shoulder with hers. “I still can’t quite understand how Harley dates them all. Four is a lot.” She emphasizes the lot, coming across a little tipsy already.
“It is,” I agree. Wonder how I would juggle it. Then I laugh to myself. Fat chance I will ever have to worry about it.
Sally eyes me curiously. “Could you do it, Sloane? Date more than one guy at a time?”
I stare right back at Sally, looking at her like she might have just lost her mind. “I would give my left tit to date just one dude, but you both know that’s never going to happen.”
I give an indirect tilt of the head toward Onyx, who is not-so-subtly leaning against the bar just out of ear shot, and my brothers making sure they’re having plenty of fun of their own. They just won’t let their little sister partake in anything remotely enjoyable. Well, I have had just about enough of their overprotectiveness. When I was younger, I got it. I didn’t have parents to bring me up, so they stepped in. But enough is enough.
I watch Harley with Ricky and Maddox at her side. Ricky is obsessed with her, his hands permanently attached. Maddox looks at her like she is his entire world, and Geovani is a step ahead like he is scoping out the place to make sure it’s safe to enter. Alex, her husband, walks behind them all with another dude I don’t know.
My eyes get stuck on him. There aren’t many guys in Ravens Hollow I don’t know. A shit ton of them have memberships here, and every new sign-up is personally vetted by me. But this guy’s face is new to me. His eyes lock with mine from across the room, and his lips turn up at the sides in a cheeky greeting. That tells me, I might not know who he is, but he knows me.
“Who the fuck is that with Alex?” Sally’s eyes go wide with worry. “He wasn’t on the guest list. I checked that thing like five times.” She pulls the list from behind the bar and starts scanning over it.
We are extra cautious about security these days. You can’t be too careful when you run an empire like I do. But something tells me this guy isn’t anyone to worry about. “You know Alex, he doesn’t follow the rules.” And for once I’m not pissed about it. The dude by his side is an Italian god. Olive skin, thick dark hair with a little wave to it, worn longer on top, chiseled jawline, expensive suit tailored to fit his body just right. I could go on listing his positive qualities all night long. My head tilts as I take him in, and his eyes come back to me again as he chuckles at something Alex says. I feel a flutter in my heart, and I take hold of the bar for support. Is this what swooning over a guy feels like? Or am I just decently buzzed already, because my head is spinning.
“Geez, Sloane, close your mouth, you’re drooling.” Myriah giggles playfully.
I snap my mouth shut and glare at Myriah. “I am not. I just want to know how the fuck he’s crashing my party.” I push off the spot where I was leaning against the bar and stride across the room toward my newest guests. What kind of a host would I be if I didn’t introduce myself.
Seeing me, Harley wriggles free from Ricky’s hold, her eyes locking on mine as she crosses the dance floor. “Happy birthday,” she calls, her face lighting up. She’s adorable tonight in a little black dress that shows off her tiny baby bump, her long auburn curls flowing over her shoulders.
“Did you bring me a present in the shape of an Italian god?” I smirk, keeping my voice hushed. Harley is the only one who knows my secret. I told her in a moment of weakness, and she’s been a doll and kept her mouth shut about it. But every now and then she gives me this look, like she’s trying to find me the perfect guy to help fix my situation. She’s doing it right now.
“Alex’s cousin, Romeo, he’s hot, right?”
Alex’s cousin, interesting. “Gorgeous,” I gush then catch myself. What the fuck is wrong with me. I don’t carry on like this over men. Well, maybe I do, this week I’m out of control.
“He’s very single. Just like you.” She wiggles her brows for emphasis. “Come on, I’ll introduce you,” she says, hooking her arm with mine.
Suddenly, I’m nervous. Not just because he’s sexy as all hell, but because I know Onyx is watching my every move. And all four of my brothers are also in this room and will be ready to cock block me any chance they get.
“Happy birthday, Sloane!” Ricky chimes in as we approach.
“Thank you,” I murmur with a half-smile, but my attention is drawn toward Romeo. I can’t take my eyes off him. And when he smiles at me like he knows I can’t, my cheeks glow with heat.
“Romeo, this is Sloane.” Harley kind of pushes me toward him, and it’s as if time stands still. I’m lost in his dark mysterious eyes, pulled into his overwhelming vortex.
I suck in a breath, trying to find my normally cool composure. I hold out my hand. “Sloane Stryker. What the fuck do you think you’re doing crashing my birthday party?” I cringe. Way to go, Sloane, it won’t be Onyx or your brothers cock blocking you tonight; you’re going to do a good enough job of that shit yourself, if you can’t get your mouth under control.
Instead of being offended, a low, rumbling chuckle escapes him as he gently takes my hand, bringing it to his lips for a soft, lingering kiss on the back of it. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Stryker.” His accent is thick, but his English is decent, and it only makes him sound even more alluring. “I’m Romeo Moretti. I hope you forgive my intrusion on your birthday party. I’m new in town, and Alex thought this might be a good opportunity for me to meet some of the more influential people.”
My hand is still in his, and it feels like the two of us are the only ones in the room as he explains himself. I can’t look away from him or move. I’m mesmerized by everything Romeo.
His eyes meet mine. “I can leave if you want me to,” he says, but as he does, his lips morph into a cheeky smile that tells me he has no intention of leaving.
I pull out of his grip on me as if he’s burned me, realization of how ridiculous I must look swooning over him coming over me. “You can stay. Cause any trouble, though, and I will deal with you myself,” I add more seriously.
“I hope so.” He smirks, all charming. This dude is flirting with me.
I look over to my side for Harley or one of the boys, but I realize they have all moved on and found a table together. It’s just the two of us.
“How about a drink to offer my sincerest apologies,” he offers.
I blink back at him, not sure what to say. My body is screaming at me, hell yes. But my head says be careful, we don’t know this guy and you know we can’t trust anyone. “I should really get back to my friends.” I glance over at the bar, but the girls are gone as well. I find them watching Cruz and Jagger’s game.
His head drops a little closer. “But you would prefer to get to know me.” His voice is low and slides over me like a fine whiskey, all smooth and enticing.
God, this guy is charming, and he knows he has me. I feel like I should be fanning my face with the heat radiating off me. Instead, I smile back a little too giddy. Get a fucking grip, Sloane. “Okay, just the one.”
His hand comes to the small of my back and he directs me toward the bar as I offer Harley a small apologetic wave. She gives me a thumbs-up and smirks like a bloody Cheshire cat, so I don’t think she’s worried about me not catching up with her. I’m sure as normal she has her hands full anyway.
“Since you have been nothing but polite, I feel I should warn you. All four of my brothers are here tonight, as well as my extremely overprotective bodyguard. If you touch me for too long, you’re liable to have your hand detached from your body,” I offer a friendly warning, wishing with every fiber of my being I didn’t have to. But the truth is, I have been in this very situation before, and it didn’t end well.
He grins, all charming, but I can see there is an edge to him. He wouldn’t be a Moretti if there wasn’t. I know what being part of the Italian mafia involves. “Your brothers’ threats have no effect on me, doll face. As long as you’re happy to have my hands on you.” Smooth, this guy is so damn smooth.
I almost laugh. Doll face, is he for real? But I can see he one hundred percent is. Of course I want his hands on me. I feel alive for the first time in so long. We stop when we come to the bar, and I signal to one of the staff to get us two drinks. While we wait, I turn back toward him leaning against the bar so I can see my club before me. I can see Cruz has noticed us, his pierced brow raised as if to say what the fuck, Sis. But he hasn’t moved, and when Jagger says something to him, his attention snaps back to the game the two of them are playing. Asher is making out with not one, but two girls at a booth in the front. If I’m being honest, it looks like he’s doing more than just making out, but I don’t need to look close enough to know what. And Malachi is sitting in a booth with one of Harley’s friends, Dani; the two of them have gotten very close lately.
My attention returns to the man I can feel gazing at me. “Every man in this town fears my brothers,” I snip, knowing it doesn’t matter who he is or how far away he’s from, he knows my brothers’ reputation.
He runs a finger down one side of my face, the crazy electric pull I have toward him intensifying even more. “Not me.” He grins a flash of something chaotic in his eyes.
“What brings you to dreary Ravens Hollow? It’s a far cry from the inviting charm of Italy,” I ask, needing to keep the conversation going so I don’t just jump on him right here in the middle of my bar.
One eyebrow arches in question. “Have you traveled there?”
“I’ve never left Ravens Hollow; had no reason to. But I could imagine.”
His hand slides down my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. “I’ll take you one day.”
A skeptical half-laugh escapes my lips; I doubt his sincerity. “Truth is, I work around the clock. This club is my life.”
“Maybe one day you will have time to explore this beautiful world. It would enrich your mind in ways you can’t even imagine.”
I’m lost in his eyes again, something in them taking me further into the fantasy of me traveling to Italy with him. Why does every guy I meet think I want saving or time away from my work? “You didn’t answer my question. Is that why you’re here, to enrich your mind? Trust me, you won’t do much of that here.”
“I’m here for business.”
“With your cousin? I hear his media business is doing quite well for him,” I ask, trying to get whatever information out of him I can.
“I have no interest in what Alessandro is working on.” His eyes lock in on mine, something in them making me swallow hard. I get the impression he is here for me, but that can’t be right.
A wild energy surges through me, an erratic impulse to do something crazy. I’m so sick of being trapped in this life. I just want to throw caution to the wind and be the young woman I am for once. His hand settles in my long platinum hair, and he tilts my head just a little, moistening his lips as he scans every last inch of my face. Even though he has hardly touched me, this feels way too intimate for someone I have just met. But I don’t want him to stop whatever it is he’s doing either.
I’m acutely aware Onyx will be watching me from some shadowy hiding place; he always is. And maybe that’s why I say what I do. “Kiss me.” I breathe the words, not even sounding like myself. I just want his lips on mine.
He doesn’t skip a beat. His face lowers to mine, our lips locking for the first time, sending an electric thrill all the way through my body. He kisses like a demon, and I’m right here for it. My hand moves to the back of his neck, and I pull him in closer as our kiss intensifies. Tingles run right through my body in a way I have never experienced before. Every part of me lights up.
I wait, my heart racing like crazy for someone to come rushing across the room and violently tear us apart. But it doesn’t happen, so I melt a little further into him, our kiss deepening. Oh God, I could do this all night. This man is perfection.
“Your drinks, Sloane,” the young woman I have manning the bar says quietly as she slides them onto the bar beside us.
I pull away. I had almost forgotten where we were, too busy lost in everything Romeo. I need a moment to clear my head. That was intense. I fix the corner of my lipstick, still caught up in his eyes. “Sorry, I’m not sure what came over me,” I whisper, taking my tumbler and sipping on the smooth whiskey. I quickly glance across the room at my brothers, but they are all still busy. Not one of them seems even a bit interested in us. Strange.
I can feel the tension in the air—a prickling sensation on my skin, a tightening in my chest. And before I know it, Onyx is closing in on us. Oh, they have left the babysitting to him tonight. “Sloane, a word alone,” is all he says, his voice tight with barely controlled rage, anger radiating off him in waves.
“Sorry, Romeo. Just give me a sec.” I offer a half smile to apologize for the oversized bodyguard protecting me, but he doesn’t look bothered at all. If anything, he looks amused as he motions for me to take my time.
I move in behind the bar with Onyx so my new friend doesn’t have to hear. “I’m going to be alone forever if you won’t even let men talk to me,” I grumble, wishing for just one night off from all the overprotective shit I have to endure every fucking day.
“Good. You will live a long life. And he wasn’t just talking to you,” he mutters dryly, but his attention isn’t on me, it’s on the guy I was with, his eyes narrowed in a way that tells me something more is going on here.
“What the fuck is going on, Onyx?” He’s pissing me off tonight. Even more so than usual.
“Do you know who you were just mauling in the center of your club?” This time his eyes travel to me, a look of utter disgust on his face.
“Yes, I do. Romeo Moretti. He’s Alex’s cousin,” I sass. What the fuck is his problem?
“He’s also extremely dangerous, with heavy ties to the mafia.”
“News flash, big boy, most of the men in this place are. It’s kind of normal around here. I’m not worried.”
He steps in closer, so close I can feel the anger radiating off him. “Watch your mouth,” he snaps. “He’s not a man I want you messed up with.”
I take a step away from him, looking him over, confused. “You’re not my father, remember? Just my bodyguard. You don’t get to tell me what to do.” I don’t know why I say it, but something inside of me just snaps, and I can’t deal with the domineering shit anymore. Not tonight when I need an escape so badly.
Before I can walk away from him, he takes my hand in his, gripping it tightly. His eyes lock on mine, unwavering and intense.
“What is it, Onyx?” I almost plead with him. “For once in my life, I have a guy willing to ignore who my family are and actually pay me some attention. Please don’t ruin this for me. Just let me be normal for once. It’s my birthday.”
His eyes gleam, reflecting a sudden, sharp flash of emotion. Hurt? No, jealousy. Is the big dude bitter because I was kissing some other guy? No, he couldn’t be.
“Unless you want to have some fun with me instead?” I throw out there. I’m buzzed enough that now seems like as good a time as any to just say what I really think. The darkness of his pupils seems to intensify even more.
“You’re playing with fire, trouble,” he spits back at me, before letting my hand go.
I shrug. “Better that than sitting alone in my office.” Onyx knows I’m spiraling. I have been for some time, and even though he’s never once said anything to me, I see the way he looks at me when I take my pills. He knows I’m not in a good place. This life is taking its toll.
Get your shit together, Sloane, I tell myself as I round the bar. The last thing I need is Romeo seeing how fragile I really am. I plaster a sexy-as-fuck smile on my lips and return to him. Onyx’s bossy attitude just gave me the balls to go through with this. Romeo has enjoyed most of his top-shelf whiskey while I have been busy and looks relaxed. I take his tie in my fingers and run the silky fabric through them, needing to get closer. “Now where were we?” I purr seductively. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I have seen this shit done around this place enough, I’m sure I can work it out. And the last thing I want is him to work out how inexperienced I am.
“I think you were about to take me somewhere a little more private, like your office,” he suggests playfully.
Now it’s my turn to laugh. “I must look stupid tonight. I don’t take strangers back there.”
In a flash, he swoops in, his lips brushing against mine a second time, a rush of warmth spreading through me. This time it’s a crazy toe-curling kiss. I melt into him, letting him take full control of my body as he plunges his tongue deep inside my mouth. When he pulls back from me this time, I’m a panting mess, my panties drenched and my knees ready to buckle. Oh, dear God, who is this man and thank you for sending him to me. This is what I need tonight, something to snap me out of my funk and bring me back to life. This gorgeous man will certainly be able to do that for me.
“We’re no longer strangers when my tongue has been inside your mouth.” He smirks, before his lips drop down my neck and he places hurried kisses all down my neck, grabbing a handful of my ass as he goes. He’s going to do what he wants right here.
I moan out loud but catch myself. Get a grip, Sloane, he’s just kissing your neck. But my body is coiled so tight a slight kiss could literally make me combust. From across the bar, I catch Onyx’s line of sight. His eyes are fixed on me in a dark, scary, don’t-push-me kind of way. I tilt my head, giving Romeo better access.
“There is one thing you need to know about me, doll face. I always get what I want, and right now, I want you.”
My heart races a little faster as butterflies take flight throughout my body. “This party is for me, I can’t leave,” I whisper, not really wanting to fight him on it. I want him every bit as much as he wants me. More. Because unlike him who would have been fucking around since he was an adolescent, I have never had the chance, and I know if I leave with him there will be no question. He’s going to fuck my brains out, just like I want him to. I offer one more challenge to Onyx, raising my brow. Telling him he could have had me. He knows it. But like the stubborn ox he is, he doesn’t flinch; he’s not playing my game tonight. His loss, because I’m sick of waiting for him to actually notice me. Not for the girl he is paid to protect, but for the woman who is desperate for him to claim her. It’s never going to happen, and I need to get over it and move on.
I drop my gaze back to Romeo. His hungry eyes meet mine. “You’re new in town, right? So, you have never been in my club before?”
“Never.” His answer vibrates down my neck as his lips brush over my earlobe.
I find his hand with mine, lacing our fingers together. “Come have a look around with me.” I grin at him, ready for wherever this is about to go. I’m done with being me, the uptight business owner who always has to look over her shoulder and make smart moves. For tonight, my last night as a twenty-four-year-old, I want to be reckless and live a little.