CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Victoria
I breathed a sigh of relief as we rounded the fountain in front of the manor. Az's mood at the center had taken a significant downturn, so what had started out as an unusual but not altogether unpleasant day was ruined. I nearly leaped from the car as soon as it came to a stop and made my way into the house.
I hadn't made near the progress I'd wanted to, my calls to potential donors consistently interrupted by notifications. It was quickly starting to wear on my nerves.
"Have the productive day you wanted, Princess?" Rich leaned against the foyer wall as I walked through the house, heading for my rooms.
"Would have, if some asshole hadn't decided it would be fun constantly interrupting actual good work." I said, turning the corner and slamming my door behind me. It wasn't necessary, but it felt good.
I kicked my shoes off and started looking for something to lounge around in when my phone went off again.
"You have got to be shitting me." I sighed, eyeing the notification bar on the small square. I'd seen the same thing all day: 'private number.' I flipped the smartphone open to its full screen.
Don't forget who you belong to.
I sneered at the message on my screen. One name came to my mind, and with it, the images from the night he left me in the camera room almost a week ago. I rubbed a spot on my shoulder absently, where a mottled and bruised bite was still healing. The dull throb from the mark only served to frustrate me further. Didn't they have anything better to do?
As I was about to drop the phone, it started ringing, and I breathed a sigh of relief when Tiff's name popped up on the screen.
"Tory!" Her bubbly voice immediately made me smile. "What are you doing right now?"
"Not much, just got back from the center. And currently trying to ignore these assholes playing mind games." I set the phone to speakerphone so I could continue looking for something comfortable to wear for the rest of the evening.
"Sounds like fun. Well, I'm here, so don't pick anything out to change into."
"You're here?"
"Sweetie, you really need to work on your active listening skills. Yes, I'm here. Now come let me in."
"Just let yourself in, Tiff. I doubt it's locked right now. The Az-holes are home." I picked up my phone and headed toward my bedroom door.
I had to hold the phone away from myself as Tiffany's squealing laughter pierced the air. I smirked, chuckling at myself. It took a couple of minutes for her to settle down. She was still laughing as I stepped out into the sitting room, heading for the door.
"Okay, now that I've looked like an insane person sitting in your driveway laughing for too long. Come, let me in. I don't want your prison guards to shoot me or have to deal with your warden."
I groaned inwardly as I moved through the foyer, seeing Rich come out of his office at the exact moment she made her comment. He arched a brow, and the corners of his mouth turned down, but he didn't say anything. I hung up the phone and opened the door as Tiffany stepped out of her Tesla Roadster.
"If I have to pay for that remark, you're paying me back with interest, Tiff." I smiled at her as she hugged me. "What are you up to?"
"I've come to make your warden turn you loose for the night. You can't stay locked up like this. It's not healthy. So find a cute outfit. We're going out tonight." Tiff breezed past me like me leaving the house was always a huge fight.
I followed her helplessly to the family room the boys had converted into a billiards room. Rich, Craig, and Az were chatting as Craig lined up his shot. Tiff walked in, snagged the beer from Az's hand, and took a long swig before offering it back.
"Tiffany… I was beginning to think the house was too peaceful." He said with a sneer, grabbing another beer from the mini-fridge by the bar.
"You know you missed me. With Leighton out of the house, who else is going to keep you on your toes?" She chirped, turning to eye the table. "Cutthroat, good game. I'd offer to give you boys lessons if we didn't have plans this evening."
"Jesus fucking Christ." Rich said, running a hand over his face. "This shit again, girls? Is your survival instinct just broken?"
"This isn't living, warden. If you can keep her safe, then keep her safe. Don't keep her locked up under your thumb." Tiffany said calmly.
"I'm literally standing right here. Don't talk about me like I'm not." I bristled. It was becoming tiring to have everyone around me acting like I was so helpless.
"Listen, I–"
"I can take them, Rich," Craig interjected, trading places with Az after he'd taken his shot. A muscle in Rich's jaw tensed, and I suddenly thought he had to have broken teeth from how often he seemed to be that way these days.
"Are you going to keep an eye on both of them if something goes down like last time?"
"I've doubled our security cameras, and Az doubled the number of guards at the club. I don't have any other runs to make tonight. I don't mind."
"See, at least one of you wants to balls up about being Tory's protection without being a warden. You're a good egg. I like this one Tory, let's keep him." Tiff laughed, sidling up next to Craig and rubbing his head gently. "For luck."
I couldn't help but laugh at the look on Craig's face as she walked back to stand by me, cackling. Rich sighed, shaking his head as he moved to stand caddy corner to us by the bar.
"Fine. Craig, we're going to talk about this later. For now, Az goes with you. I have a meeting."
A scraping sound drew my attention as Rich spoke. I looked toward the billiards table in time to see the tail end of Az attempting his shot while staring daggers into Rich's back. The cue ball went sailing across the room, heading straight for me. I stepped back, trying to figure out how to move but not getting anywhere fast enough. Rich's hand shot out and caught the ball in front of my stunned face.
"You're a magnet for trouble, Princess. You go nowhere that's not neutral ground without at least two of us."
The sun was setting as we arrived at Temptat!on a couple of hours later. Craig and Az had a tense set to their shoulders as we pulled up by the entrance. The security at the entry had definitely increased since the last time I'd seen it. Two men stood by the door, and one walked the front of the club where the line to get in had formed.
"Stay." Az clipped as he and Craig climbed out of Craig's Mercedes.
"What does he think we are? Dogs?" Tiffany said and moved to open the door. Az shut it and glared at her through the window as a man dressed in all black with a bullet-proof vest that read 'security' across the chest strode up and exchanged words.
Craig winked at me where he stood by my door and held up a finger to indicate giving them a minute. I smiled at him and nodded, settling against the seat to wait. After a couple of seconds, the boys opened our doors almost simultaneously. Craig held out his hand to help me out of his sedan.
Craig slid his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to his side. I blinked, startled for a moment.
"Stay close to me until we get inside, okay?" He said in a low voice.
I nodded, and we fell into step with each other. I wasn't entirely uncomfortable with his arm around me, and he gave me a reassuring squeeze. Despite his easy smile and tone, there was a tense set to his jaw, and he kept his eyes on the crowd as we moved. The waiting line jeered when we approached; the doormen nodded in acknowledgment as they stepped aside.
Inside was a pair of men patting down entrants, checking coats and weapons before allowing them to pass. The casual way they'd tag and store weapons, giving a check ticket like a purse or jacket, was oddly comforting. I should have been more alarmed that it didn't seem as unusual as it should have.
The boys bee-lined us for their private booth, and Craig only released me once we were safely by the dais of their table. I slid into the semi-circular booth next to Craig. Tiffany set her purse down and turned back toward the main dance floor.
"Where do you think you're going?" Az snapped.
"We're in a bar, and we're lacking drinks. Someone has to rectify that. I wouldn't expect you'd know about that, considering it's a little too reminiscent of having fun." She huffed as if she were explaining something so obvious.
Az rolled his eyes and waved down a nearby waitress. "She'll bring whatever you want, but you two are staying put." He said, slipping his wallet out of his pocket and placing a black credit card on the waitress's tray.
"We need a round of Four Roses Select shots for the table." Tiff practically yelled to be heard over the music. "And keep them coming."
The waitress hurried off. I settled into the seat, enjoying the music and being out of the manor for something besides working. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait long before the waitress returned, balancing a tray with eight shots.
"Brought you double to get started! Wave one of us down when you're ready!" She yelled, sitting two shots in front of each of us. Tiffany reached for the ones in front of the guys, but Craig grabbed two back and put them in front of Az.
"We're working, man. I'm not–"
"Have some fun, Az, before you have a coronary." Az gave him a look like he wanted to argue. "Look, the place is crawling with our guys. Both on and off duty. Besides, I've got this."
"Yeah! Don't be such an Az-hole all the time. Maybe a shot will remove the stick jammed up your ass." Tiff yelled, shooting back one of her shots. She slid one of Craig's pilfered shots over to me. "You too, miss! If I'm not holding your hair back in twenty minutes, I'm not doing my job!" She held up her next shot to me in a cheers motion. I grinned, and we clinked our glasses together and took our drink.
About twenty minutes later, a neat little pyramid of shot glasses was stacked in the center of the table, and Tiffany was talking a mile a minute. I wasn't sure what it was about since I'd tuned her out when she started slurring her words. Craig and Az sat chatting, and for the first time since I'd known the man, he looked relaxed. It was startling how good it looked on him.
A high-pitched squeal plucked me from my thoughts as the songs switched over. Tiffany threw her arms in the air.
"This is my song !" She jumped up from the table and grabbed my arm. "Come on, bitch, we're dancing."
The familiar look of wanting to argue settled back over Az's features. He moved to get up, but Craig put his hand on Az's chest and gently pushed him back into the back of the booth.
"Let 'em go, man. Stay in line of sight, ladies." Craig said, giving us a wink.
I leaned forward slightly, intending to kiss his cheek for being so reasonable and sweet, before I caught myself and froze. I blinked several times before letting Tiffany pull me out of the booth and mouthed 'thank you' as she pulled me away.
We found a spot on the dance floor where we could still clearly see the guys and fell into the music as we started to dance with each other. The strobe lights bounced off the various shiny surfaces in time with the seductive EDM beats of the music, and the bass reverberated through my body. I could feel the effects of the whiskey working on my system, getting lost in the motion and the music.
As we danced, I felt arms wrap around my waist. I started and spun around, my heart thundering in my chest momentarily.
"Benson?" I blinked several times as recognition crept into my mind. The tall brunette in front of me grinned in response.
"Funny running into you here, Tory." He pulled me in close, and I let him.
Ending on bad terms was an understatement for how our breakup had gone, but his arms around me felt good. I slid my hands around his neck, and we moved together on the dance floor. The ache in my body wasn't for him, but my alcohol-addled mind didn't care where the soothing came from.
Suddenly, his warmth was gone, and I swayed on unsteady legs at the loss of support. Az had Benson by the collar, pulling him away, but his blazing blue eyes were locked on my face. He shoved the other man into the mass of writhing bodies behind him before crowding into my personal space.
"We need to talk, Victoria." He growled, and heat spread through me at the sound.
It had nothing to do with the whiskey. I nodded as he grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the dance floor and toward a hallway behind the bar. Az kept a firm grip on me as he dragged me into the hall that led to the back offices. I squinted against the sudden change from the dimly lit club to the harsh fluorescents of the hallway before noticing that his hand was bleeding.
"Az, your hand." I spoke.
"It's nothing." He grunted, squeezing his injured hand into a fist as he continued toward the furthest office. "I'll deal with it later."
He didn't say another word until he dragged me inside the small room and slammed the door behind us.
"What the hell were you thinking? Letting some random guy get that close when you know how fucking dangerous it is?" He seethed.
I whirled around on him, the room spinning slightly from the sudden movement. Blinking away the swimming feeling in my head, I did my best to pin him with a stern glare.
" Excuse me?! I don't think I heard that right, because I know you weren't just trying to tell me who I can and can't dance with." I could hear the slurred edges to my voice, and I was sure that it wasn't helping make my case very much.
We stared at each other for a moment, sizing each other up. Az's face was flushed from the alcohol, and he looked angry. There was some other emotion on his face that was more distracting than was comfortable. It was very unfair that such a giant pain in my ass looked incredibly tasty in a suit. The top couple of buttons had been undone at some point, and his intricate tattoos were peeking out from under the fabric. I realized he was talking while I was staring at his mouth. It definitely wasn't making a hot tingling sensation spread across my core.
"You really must not have a survival instinct! Do you know how fast a well-placed knife would snuff the light out of those pretty brown eyes?" He snarled. As the words fell out of his mouth, he looked just as surprised as I did that he'd said them.
Compliments didn't change the fact that he was, again, going out of his way to ruin my night. "I saw them checking weapons when we came in. Craig assured us we were safe. And not that it's any of your business. I wasn't dancing with some rando. I know him." I spat as I moved around him to get to the door, letting my words drip with insinuation. Let him think whatever he wants about it. "If that's all you have to say, you can shove it up your az-hole . I don't have to sit here and–" He cut me off with an annoyed groan.
"Fuck!" He growled, grabbing me by my upper arms, turning me around to face him, and pushing my back into the door. None of the movements were gentle. My head spun again, and it took a second for the swimming feeling to settle down.
He looked at me intently, anger and lust waging war on his face as his blue eyes kept dipping to my mouth. My breath caught in my throat, and I couldn't stop myself from licking my lips as I watched him fight with himself.
"You get under my skin, Princess." His voice was barely above a whisper before his lips crashed into mine in a scorching kiss that sent sparks streaking through my veins.
His kiss felt like raw desire and a desperate urge to possess me. It made my knees weak, and I couldn't stop myself from surrendering. I moaned into his kiss and parted my lips to let him explore further. I felt the corner of his mouth turn up in approval, and he released my arms. One hand slid down my side, finding the hem of my dress and toying with it as his fingers danced across my thigh, his other hand wound into my hair and tugging gently.
I slid my hands up his chest and around his neck, arching my back into him. When he broke away, his grip on my hair tightened, and he tilted my head to blaze a trail of kisses down the side of my neck. I groaned between the heavy panting to catch my breath and rolled my hips against him. He pulled back, leaving scant inches between us, that infuriating smirk plastered on his face.
"Ask nicely, Princess." He breathed, pulling my hair a little harder.
"Az…" I started, but my voice died on my lips.
He looped one arm around my back and pulled me off the door, pivoting around to walk me backward to the desk. He sat me on the edge, effectively pushing my short dress up around my hips.
"I won't make you beg. This time." His voice was husky as he pushed my knees apart and slid his fingers up my inner thighs, teasing me. "But if you don't ask for what you want, I won't do anything at all."
My eyes fluttered, and I licked my lips as every feather light touch against my thighs was like an electric bolt straight to my center.
"Az, please."
"Please… what?" The smirk on his face was fucking killing me. His fingers slid higher and teased me from outside my panties, making me moan loudly.
"Touch me, please." The words were barely audible as I finally got them out, feeling the flush creep across my skin and toward my face. He grinned wickedly before using his grip in my hair to pull me back in for a shattering kiss.
He pushed my panties aside harshly, but his touch was gentle as he brushed against my soaked and aching pussy. A pleased moan escaped his lips into our kiss as his fingers started to work little circles around my clit. I broke from our kiss, and my head fell back, moaning and mewling in his hands. He pulled my head back up and looked me in the eye.
"Eyes on me, Princess. I want to watch you." He said, dipping a finger inside me and using his thumb to continue his circles on my clit. He started slowly, his hungry eyes devouring every squirm I made. Still, he held my gaze as he slipped another finger inside my aching core.
It didn't take long before I felt the familiar tension coiling inside me, his skilled fingers playing with me like a well-practiced instrument. I rolled my hips in time with his thrusts, wanting more. His pleased smirk never left his face, even as I screamed my release. I gripped his shoulders, my nails dragging against his blazer, as I arched into him. He rode out my release, only slowing when it started to ebb.
"Beautiful…" He whispered. I barely caught the remark as I floated on the high of my orgasm.
When I regained control of my body, I reached for him, my uncoordinated hands fumbling at his belt for a moment before I could undo it. He kissed me hard and pulled me to the very edge of the desk. I made quicker work of his button and zipper, taking him in my hand as I released his very hard cock from his pants.
"Greedy little princess." He chuckled darkly before taking both of my wrists in one hand and locking them behind me before leaning me back slightly. I was already wound tight from the anticipation as he seemed to take a moment to admire the sight of me.
BAM!
I screamed before I realized what happened, and the furious look I was so used to returned to Az's features. He shifted slightly so he could see behind him without exposing me. I looked past him to the door. Into Benson's face and the disgusted look he had.
"What the fuck are you doing, Tory? This guy pulls you off the dance floor and you decide to fuck him for it? When did you start slumming it with gang bangers?"
"Benson?! What the fuck! Get out of here!" I screeched at him.
He made a sound of disgust, turned on his heel, and stomped away. I could crawl into a hole and die. I slid my gaze back to Az and felt the chill from the icy look he was giving me run down my spine. He stepped away from me, adjusting his clothes and putting himself back together. Gone were the pleased smirk and the smoldering desire.
"Az, I'm so–"
"Don't worry about it, Princess. I wouldn't want you to do something you'd regret in the morning, anyway, like slum it with a gang banger."
I could hear the hurt in his voice before he masked it in his oh-so-familiar anger. He was already out of the room and closing the door behind him before I could process what was happening.
"Az!" He was gone.
Tears pricked at my eyes. For the second time, I was left sitting with myself and wondering what the fuck was going on. Just as the tears began to fall, Tiffany opened the door. She looked me over, and realization dawned on her features. Her bright blue eyes glinted angrily, but she swept me up into a reassuring hug.
"He's going to pay for every inch of this. We'll make damn sure of it."