Chapter 20
Jameson
NEVER WAS SHE ACTUALLY darling Mia when I wanted her to be. Instead, the devil darling came out and the sweet, vulnerable side of her fucked with my head when I didn’t want it to.
Was her dress too much? Of course that shit was. She looked flawless in it though, and her little pout made me want to drag her over to the desk and spank her ass so she really had something to pout about.
And she was a menace to me in front of my guys, who all gave me shit after they left.
“She always talk to you like that?” Bane asked once we all settled in my office after I sent my mother, Franny, and Valerie off. I could barely look at her, let alone fuck her, tonight anyway. Sitting with my men instead was probably for the best.
“Pink always talk to you like that?” I retorted.
“My wife can say anything she wants to me. I’m surprised you allow your nanny the same leniency.”
Maybe it wasn’t for the best. “She doesn’t understand the dynamics,” I explained, pouring myself a finger of whiskey. Truth was, I didn’t care if Mia spit in my face while she talked to me as long as she kept on talking.
“Well, there was a woman in the next room who does,” Cal reminded me with a damn twinkle in his eye. “Valerie is always ready to get on her knees for you right when Ma leaves with Franny. How’s that going by the way?”
“Fuck off,” I grumbled, because I didn’t want to talk about it.
The woman had been around for as long as my ex hadn’t been, and she’d made it known that she’d happily take the place of a Diamond wife in my household if given the chance.
Not that I’d ever give it to her after her display tonight.
I told her to go home and we’d talk later.
Tonight wasn’t the time with my mother there or the guys.
“You were all used as my excuse for her to leave, by the way, in case she asks.”
And she would, because Valerie had a way of getting the truth every single time she dug for it. My mother loved her, Franny tolerated her, and she was a constant in Diamond circles. That alone gave her way too much access to me.
Valerie had been convenient for a time, but she wasn’t anymore. I only fucked around with women who didn’t cause me problems.
Except for Mia.
“You used us as cockblockers? Interesting.” Bane tilted his head and smirked.
“She wasn’t getting the hint.”
“Oh, she gets the hint, she just doesn’t want to take it.
” Hades leaned against my desk and pet Malek.
The dog looked dejected, like he missed a certain someone, and it made me realize he was starting to follow Mia around more than he did Franny or me now.
“Valerie told Rosy she’d fuck you until you saw the light and it didn’t matter who else you dabbled with in between. ”
“Probably because she dabbled as much as I did when we were screwing around.” I shrugged.
“Were? She know that’s past tense?” My brother wiggled his eyebrows like I wasn’t getting off the hook that easily.
I would, though. Our relationship had been one of only convenience, but not anymore.
Not when I couldn’t see anyone else in my mind but Mia.
“Supposedly she hasn’t looked twice at another guy for a while, according to Ma.
Even heard she cut that dumbass, Trent, off too. ”
“As she should. Trent’s going nowhere fast. He’s been flipping loyalties, right?” Bane added.
I nodded, but didn’t waste time going over it.
Trent wasn’t high enough up that I’d have to worry.
He’d be taken care of over time for leaking information to O’Connor’s men.
“Either way, it doesn’t matter who Val sleeps with or doesn’t.
She’s lost sight of the big picture. She’s been around my daughter far too long, and she got comfortable giving her unsolicited advice.
” It hadn’t been the first time either. Tonight, though, was a violation that was way the hell out of line, an overstep that Mia pointed out.
I wouldn’t tolerate it any longer even if Franny had known her a long time.
“Isn’t her job to give you and Franny advice?”
“Do you have to question everything I do, Cal?” I threw back at him. “How about you worry about you and Paolo’s niece.”
“Niece?” Bane frowned. “Don’t tell me you’re getting mixed up with Jasmina.”
Cal was quick to respond. “If we’re discussing our sex lives … Jameson can tell us about the nanny instead. You with her officially, or can I take a shot at her?”
“You better shut the fuck up.” I took a step toward him, and he held up his hands as Bane stepped between us.
“I flew in for updates. Not to watch you two bloody your knuckles.”
“He’d deserve it,” I grumbled but spun away from them and grabbed cigars from my drawer. We each took one and sat to discuss the business Bane was talking about.
We pulled up figures on a drop-down screen and discussed new numbers and legislation. When the topic of our pharm partnerships came up, I told them, “I’m not opening any warehouses to Paolo. Not ever going to be an option when we work as closely as we do with the Stonewoods.”
“Agreed,” Bane confirmed in a measured tone.
Cal was the one to speak on what everyone wanted to, though. “We’re not making friends on the East Coast by dumping O’Connor’s body and passing on this partnership with Paolo.”
“Do we need more friends, Cal?”
“No.” He paused. “Our casinos there give us enough pull, but that’s just stating the obvious.”
“Well, you obviously have some connections over there.” I hinted at him and Jasmina’s spat. “So, you can go make more friends if need be.”
The room was charged with tension and anxiety.
Could have been from what we were discussing, could have been that things were too quiet after what I’d done to the Irish.
Could have been a lot of things, but I knew that Dimitri, Hades, Bane, and I all felt the same thing.
Something I shouldn’t have felt considering I wasn’t even attached to Mia in the way the other men were attached to their partners.
Yet, it wasn’t long after Archer alerted us that Rosy, Mia, Pink, and Olive arrived at the dance club that we all decided we needed to switch from business on the screen to security in case something went wrong.
“In case something goes wrong?” My brother laughed. “Who the fuck do you think you’re kidding? You all look ready to call in every one of our made men to guard that place for no other reason than because they’re in there.”
“This isn’t real time,” Bane told us as he ignored Cal. He glared at the screens before pulling his phone out to call someone.
I swore while Dimitri asked, “How far behind?”
“At least a minute. Pink just texted me that she was in the bathroom.” And then we watched her on the monitor whisper to the ladies before heading off to the bathroom.
“Fuck.” Dimitri looked concerned suddenly.
I didn’t feel much better. Pink and Olive were accustomed to our lifestyle, but Mia wasn’t. She couldn’t and didn’t understand the gravity of it. Yet, they weren’t going to come home just because we didn’t want them out.
I passed more cigars around. “Archer’s there with his team.” I tried to be a voice of reason, but fear and unease snaked through me. “We’ve issued a warning. Plus, we’re here. If someone wanted to fuck with us, they’d come for us.”
“Or they’d come for what we care about,” Bane grumbled. He had his phone to his ear and growled, “Get the cameras up to speed, or I’ll be there to do it myself.”
And the relief for someone other than my daughter sank into me stronger than I would have imagined.
Mia was becoming a weakness. More than a distraction. And more than someone I could ignore.
Mia Darling was becoming mine.
Instead of dwelling on it, we discussed business. We made plans for next quarter and mapped out territories we could expand into.
I was happy to say I’d distracted myself until past midnight, but we still had the cameras on in the background, and we all still watched them dancing while we lit more cigars and drank away our concerns.
Cal threw up his hands when there was a lull in conversation. “Are we just going to watch them all night? It’s a complete invasion of privacy.” He just wanted to fucking goad me.
“Go home then,” I growled.
“Why did you all let them go if you can’t handle it?” he asked us collectively.
“I don’t let her do anything.” But I wished that was the way it was.
Daily report?
I sent you one.
Not for my daughter. For you.
Why are you texting me? Aren’t you busy on your Friday night?
No. Instead, I’m worried on my Friday night about one of my employees.
It’s well past my curfew, Darling.
Funny. I don’t recall having a curfew. I’m staying out. Chicago is alive at this time of night.
Then give me an update. How’s the club?
How do you know it’s a club and not a bar?
Because I’ve got eyes everywhere.
Do I even want to know what that means?
Do you?
She didn’t answer, but I saw her looking around and making eye contact with a few of the security cameras before narrowing her eyes. Then, she flipped off a camera, and Pink frowned at her. She pointed to all of them, and I saw Pink nodding.
She knows as well as I do, Darling, you guys are going nowhere without being watched. Now … Provide me an update. Dance with anyone yet?
I saw her shake her head and then try not to smile down at her phone like she was avoiding the inevitable. It wasn’t one that she let me see easily, and it had me smirking too.
This is too over the top. I don’t need a stalker, Jameson.
And yet you have one while out.
Well then you know, there’s been no princes to dance with yet. How long have you been watching me?
The whole time. Make sure you keep it that way.
You know you don’t get to tell me what to do with my weekends. I’m off the clock.
How about I hire you for overtime and tell you everything to do all weekend? Like that better?
Probably out of your price range considering my salary already.
I’ll bet that whole salary it’s not out of my price range, Darling Devil.
Oh stop. Let me have my fun. I’m sure you have yours. A prince or two or maybe even a knight would be nice for a dance or a few tonight.
Don’t make me come there to stop you.
She rolled her eyes and sent me another middle finger before I saw her get pulled onto the dance floor with Rosy.
“That must be for you?” Bane chuckled.
I shook my head and didn’t answer him. I was in too much of a trance as I watched her swaying and moving through the crowd like she belonged there, like the beat of the music moved through her body perfectly.
Mia was coordinated and athletic, which I’d clocked when she played tennis, but on that dance floor she was also languid, sexy, and knew how to draw attention.
Her dancing with the girls wasn’t a problem, but after one song, they made it a problem when Rosy pulled Pink onto the dance floor but Mia grabbed Archer’s hand too.
My security.
The guy who wasn’t supposed to look twice at her shook his head once, then gave in. He moved close and wrapped his arm around her waist.
I stood abruptly, but my brother’s hand clamped on to my shoulder. “Calm down. It’s Archer, bro.”
He liked to goad me, but he also knew he didn’t need Archer’s blood on our hands. He wouldn’t incite me to kill one of our most loyal men if it wasn’t necessary.
“Fuck off. He’s not doing his job,” I growled.
But it was clear he was scanning the environment even while he danced with her. Even while he dipped his fucking head and whispered in her ear.
I was going to kill him. “I’m going to the club.”
“Jesus Christ,” Cal mumbled.
The guys knew it was inevitable and got up to follow me.
“You’re all following, no questions asked?” Cal sounded disgusted.
What questions were there to ask at this point? Were we watching a security feed to a club we had access to? Yes. Were we acting like possessive bastards? Yes. Did I have a right? No. She was my employee, not my wife.
Did I give a damn? Also, no. Because she was still mine.