Chapter 4
FOUR
JEWEL
Well, on one hand, I was pretty sure I’d gotten Hugo’s attention.
On the other, his literally fleeing because I was so hot wasn’t really the plan.
I had wanted the session to end a different way—specifically with Hugo finally fucking my brains out.
Still, it was a win overall.
I’d been stuck in my office this morning in meetings but I brightened as a little ray of sunshine appeared at my office door.
“Casey! Oh my god, did you bring me a coffee? You are such a sweetheart.”
His cheeks predictably reddened.
“Yeah. I think I got the kind you like.”
I swiped it from him and took a sniff. It was a lavender latte from upstairs, and currently my favorite drink in the whole world.
“Come on, you want to take a walk with me? I’d been holed up in there for ages and I need to stretch my legs.”
“I’d love that,” he said, giving me his sweet smile.
I took us upstairs and out of the main lobby so we could walk through the rose gardens.
“God, I’ll never get tired of this.” I breathed in a lungful of fresh air. “You can practically taste the moisture from the sea.”
“I try to go outside at least once a day,” Casey admitted. Both of us had been trapped underground for months so fresh air and natural light were passions we shared. Casey stopped, crouching down to examine a bush. He reached out and touched the flower gently.
I choked on my coffee. Dear god, that flower looked just like a—
“What kind of plant is that?” I spluttered.
“An orchid,” Casey said. “Do you like flowers?”
“Some,” I said. I liked Jade’s flower. Never really been bothered with any others. At Ascend, I’d found it was pretty easy for my omega body to get off with all manner of flowers and… vegetables.
But everything there had been about power; and if it wasn’t mine it was theirs.
That single night I’d spent with Jade had been the opposite. I’d tasted surrender, and then been starved of it.
I honestly didn’t care about what kind of appendage someone had; what mattered was if I could surrender to them. And the list of people who I’d trust to handle that was very small. Just three people. Jade, Hugo, and Casey.
Casey 1000%. Because thinking about him stroking Jade’s petals had got me all kinds of horny.
“I love them,” Casey said.
“Hmm?” I blinked at him, trying to remember what he’d been talking about.
“Flowers. All kinds of plants really. It’s just incredible that nature can make things that are so beautiful and vibrant.”
“What about cucumbers?” I asked before I could stop myself.
I mean, come on. It was right there.
Before Casey could answer we were rudely interrupted.
“Oh my god, you’re Jewel, right?”
I looked over at the middle-aged man who was coming toward us. He was waving a pen and paper. “Wow, I can’t believe it. Can you sign this?”
“No, sorry. I’m trying to enjoy a private walk right now,” I said. I liked fans, but preferred controlled situations. I knew people liked to interrupt me at random like this, so I wasn’t afraid to set clear boundaries. The man hadn’t stopped, though.
“Please! It’ll only take a second. Or a picture?”
Casey straightened up and threw one arm out in front of me. He seemed to swell as I watched him, a stern frown on his usually placid face.
“He said no. I’m going to need you to step back, sir.”
The man gaped at Casey, swallowed, and then took a step back. Casey waved his hand, and the man took a couple more steps. Casey continued to stare him down as we started walking again, and the man didn’t try to follow.
I shook myself slightly.
Um, what?
Casey had a barky side?
And he used it to defend me?
If I hadn’t already been crazy about this beta, this would have done it. Casey gave a little huff of indignation once we were out of earshot.
“Sorry about that, Master Jewel. Some people are so rude.”
I linked arms with him.
“Remind me never to go anywhere without you again.”
I was in an excellent mood as I stepped into the elevator and used a pen to press the button for the main level.
Golden was opening very soon, and it was my baby. The Crimson Palace’s nightclub had formerly been called Dagger and Petal—so tacky—but I was thrilled to be taking over and making it better. Plus, I might as well put my experience to good use.
Back when my father discovered I was an omega, he’d ordered Dax Jones to kill me. It hadn’t taken much to convince Dax I’d be worth more to him alive. He’d whisked me away to Boston, so I could work at his nightclub, Ascend.
So much better than being dead.
At Ascend, I'd left behind Julius Octavius Fairchild and become Jewel. I finally had a place where I didn’t have to pretend to be straight or boring. I could finally shine.
When I dressed up and played my part, I could draw every eye in the room. That was what power tasted like—a room full of alphas not just watching, but worshipping.
A dream come true.
Sure, there was the whole I couldn’t leave part. But that had only been annoying because I knew Laurel and Jade were still out there without me.
Now, Laurel was no longer trapped in my father’s abusive hands. Jade was back in my life, and I was going to continue living my nightclub dream at Golden.
I really had the best of everything.
The main room of the club was busy; the mirrors had finally arrived and were being installed. I met with the opening band, answering their various questions, then walked back into the main area to review the table layout.
I was taking my exit via the kitchen when the door flew open with a bang. I caught a glimpse of wide, frantic-looking eyes before someone crashed into me, almost knocking me to the floor. I kept my balance, but the unfortunate woman did not; she was on the floor.
“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry,” she said, squinting up at me. “I’m late, and I wasn’t looking—”
She seemed near tears, which was absolutely unacceptable.
What kind of place did she think I was running here?
“That’s quite all right.” I crouched down and picked up a pair of glasses, handing them to her. “Are you hurt?” I asked, helping her to her feet.
“I’m so sorry. God, it’s my first day, and I’m late and now this—I’m going to be fired, and this is the first job I’ve had in months.”
“Tell you what. I’m close with the owner. No one is getting fired today, I promise.”
She put on her glasses and stared at me. Both her hands shot up to cover her mouth. Hmm. Did she do that often?
Time for the pocket hand sanitizer.
And the pocket hand lotion as well.
“Oh no! Jewel—Mr. Tate, I’m so sorry.” She was tripping over her words, looking close to tears again. Poor thing.
“Slow down,” I told her. “Have a seat, love. Can someone get us some water?”
I helped her into a nearby chair and eventually managed to convince her that everything was fine.
A door opened behind me, and my nightclub's new manager strode through. Claudia led a gaggle of wide-eyed orientees past the main stage. “Right, so we've got the seating divided into sections—”
She stopped short as she caught sight of me, her golden eyes widening in surprise.
She tucked a loose curl behind her ear and swallowed.
“Oh. Mr. Fairchild Tate, I didn't know you were going to be here,” she said, nerves making her voice waver.
The staff behind her were whispering or outright staring at me.
A decent chunk of them had golden eyes as well.
“Just Jewel, please,” I said, wrinkling my nose.
“Of course, sorry. Jewel.”
Claudia's cheeks had gone pink, and she looked mortified.
“Relax, darling, I don't bite. At least, not unless you ask nicely.”
That got a laugh, though this group was still looking at me with the same nervous awe.
I nodded to the girl in the chair. “I think this one’s yours? She said she got a bit lost.”
With a couple more reassurances, I got the little duckie settled and waved my goodbyes.
I made my way to my office, closing the door behind me. I sighed and sank down into my chair, starting on some of the paperwork that had piled up. God, this was tedious. I needed to find someone to do this for me.
A knock sounded on my door, and I put down my pen. “Come in,” I called out, leaning back in my chair.
The door opened, and Laurel stepped inside. Kaos gave me a cheery wave before closing the door behind her.
“Aw, miss me already?” I asked, putting on my most charming smile.
She came and sat down in front of my desk. She folded her arms and sighed.
Uh-oh.
I knew what was coming next.
“You doing okay?”
Her eyes met mine, and I looked away with a huff. “I'm fine. Better than fine, actually. Life's great. I'm rich, famous, and I have the world at my fingertips.”
“Jewel. You went through a lot—”
“I told you. I loved working at Ascend. Why else would I be making my own club here?”
“They locked you in a basement.”
“Just for a few months. And it was a necessary sacrifice to come back to you.”
“You’re not fine. You go out of your way to avoid any alphas.”
I waved my hand in the air. “That’s a preference, La-la. Most of them smell awful.”
Laurel caught my hand. “You promised me you'd see a doctor.”
“Mm-hmm. I will.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Yes, you will. I booked you an appointment for this afternoon.”
I scowled. Of course she had. “Ugh. Fine. You know I’m the older sibling, right? You’re kind of stealing my job.”
She gave me a bemused smile, then stood up and came over for a hug. “I love you, Jewel.”
“Love you too,” I told her as she left.
I did, even when she was being super annoying.
I guess this appointment would finally get her off my back, even if she was wrong. I didn’t need a doctor.
Needing a doctor was for victims, which I certainly wasn’t.
Ascend had been fine.
I’d thrived there. I’d taken every opportunity that had come my way. I’d clawed every advantage I could get.
I’d been in control.
I’d seen firsthand what victims looked like and knew that wasn’t me.
Victims had ended up vacant or prone to fits of crying and panic.
Dax didn’t really have a tolerance for failure. Like that girl who had crashed into me this morning—at Ascend, that would have been unacceptable.
I swallowed, bile rising in my throat.
I’d been able to comfort her in a way I hadn’t with the others.
I’d stopped myself from cracking jokes to make them smile or carrying them back to the dorms when they passed out upstairs. Dax didn’t tolerate shit like that. He had a packmate with a rather unpleasant sadistic side, and any failures ended up as Madison’s playthings.
Being kind just made it harder to sleep when we’d hear their screams.
In the end, there’d only been a handful of us who’d survived there year after year. We’d carved out our niche in blood, sweat, and tears, our household names giving us some measure of protection. Me, Synth, Candy, and Bliss.
Look at me; my plan had worked, and I was fucking out of there now. Maybe the others had managed some kind of escape plan as well.
Maybe they’d burned Ascend to the ground.
Or maybe they were still there.
Trapped with whoever had taken over when Dax left.
Shit, I didn’t have to sit here feeling fucking guilty over these people. The only thing we had in common was that they’d happened to share a roof with me.
I’d already paid my dues.
Dax and Madison were dead, so anyone still at Ascend didn’t have to deal with them anymore.
Another knock on my office drew me out of my morose thoughts.
I turned around, and my lovely little Jade opened the door.
I smiled, standing up and crossing the room. “Yes, angel?”
Jade huffed, already swelling up with indignation. It was so cute when she did that. “Don't call me that,” she said. “I have something for you.”
She held up a delicate-looking bracelet with charms dangling off it.
I perked up. “Is this a courting gift?” I asked, snatching it from her. Happiness was lighting up my chest, making me feel giddy.
Mine. Mineminemine.
“No,” she told me.
Tch.
Obviously a lie.
She showed me a beautiful crown charm, inlaid with sparkling gems.
“Are these real garnets?” I examined the intricate details.
“Nothing but the finest for you,” she deadpanned.
“You’re an angel.”
“Don’t read into it. It’s a tracking bracelet.”
I hesitated. “Is it secure? Not sure I want our enemies knowing where I am.”
Jade rolled her eyes. “Of course it is. I made it with Laurel and Kaos. It’s not like a normal GPS. We’ve set up a private triangulation network.”
“Oh, of course, a private triangulation network. Silly me, why didn’t I figure that out?”
“Asshole. It means, instead of using public cell towers and stuff, it uses the devices we have.” She wiggled her arm at me, showing me a plain-looking band. “No one else can interpret the signal.”
“All right, if you say so, angel.”
I took the bracelet, humming at how pretty it was.
She was such a liar.
Not a courting gift, my ass. If she didn't care, she wouldn't have chosen such a lovely piece of jewelry. Any old bangle would have done.
“Help me?” I asked, offering my wrist.
She rolled her eyes, but then her slender fingers were brushing against my skin as she did up the clasp. Goose bumps prickled along my arms.
Mine.
I examined it. The crown was the only charm right now, so I could add more.
“I love it,” I declared, throwing my arm over Jade’s shoulder and getting a lovely whiff of her faint lavender scent.
That, and the fact she was pressed up against me, sparked a delicious simmer of arousal. My perfume curled into the air, and she froze. I held my breath, because this could mean—
“Don’t push it.” She pulled away and stalked toward the door.
“So, all is forgiven?” I called after her.
She waved her middle finger at me in reply.
I’d take that as a maybe.
I sat down in my chair with a sigh. I just wanted to fast-forward through all this anger she had and get to the part where I could make her laugh again. She had a great laugh.
Why was she making this so difficult?