Chapter 13 #2
I ignored my brothers, walking past them into the building.
The lights were set low with neon stripes lining the floor and corners.
They were all set to red, bathing the entire place in a sexual hue.
During the day, a few dancers moved about the place, entertaining the guests who sought out company during the daylight hours.
Most of them were men with a few women here and there.
“Hey, big fella,” one of the girls called. She was wearing nothing more than a pink lingerie set and heels that my husband could easily run in.
I wonder how good Onyx would look when bathed in red light. All his pale skin exposed, wearing one of his lingerie sets.
My cock was hard as my pulse raced.
I picked up my pace, more determined than ever to get to my husband. Even amongst all the bodies, all I could think about was Onyx. I hoped he liked the food I'd made.
"What the hell are you running for?” Damian asked. He easily caught up to my strides as we neared the backdoor that led to the backrooms and basement.
“Onyx needs me.”
He gave me that same look he’d given me over a hundred times as a kid. As if he couldn’t understand what was wrong with me.
Nash bumped into me, a playful smile on his face. “Well, get your man out of your head; he's a distraction.”
Impossible.
“We have a few debts to collect. One of the guys is downstairs." Nash had his phone in hand as his fingers tugged at the dirty blond strands of his hair. The more I observed, the more I noticed the tired lines around his eyes and the tightness in his shoulders. Damian wasn’t any better.
“Am I only here tonight?” I asked.
Nash shook his head. “No, I need you to stop by the warehouse. Prince said he sent a cleanup crew for you and you nearly broke one.”
I looked anywhere but at my brother. The first time had been an accident, the second he’d looked a little too long at Onyx.
“And Elia needs some help. There isn’t a fight tonight but we have more bets coming and we will be collecting some tonight. People get testy about this shit.”
“Damn it,” I muttered. This was already sounding like I should have ignored their calls and stayed blissfully ignorant with my husband.
“Lucero,” Damian said.
If it wasn't for Nash, Damian probably would have lost track of all of us by now. My oldest brother fixed me with a glare. "Handle this right, Lucero. We have limited space for fuck-ups. I need all hands on deck. It can't be a day here and then you're gone again."
"Onyx went missing."
He nodded as if he understood me. Maybe he did. "And I helped, but I need you to be on it right now."
"Yeah, I got you."
Damian nodded and hugged both Nash and me before he headed for his back office. No doubt dealing with even more shit that I couldn't fathom.
"He needs a vacation," I said.
"You and I both know there is no such thing in our line of work." Nash headed down the few steps to the basement with me on his heels. “ Although you took one.”
"I got married."
Nash nodded. "Yes, so you keep rubbing it in everyone's face. Still can't believe it happened."
Me either. My heart skipped a beat just thinking about the fact that I was married to Onyx. I touched the wedding ring, twisting it on my finger.
I took my phone out of my pocket as we made our way through the club. Before Onyx, I practically stayed at Heaven’s Gate or the fighting pit, breathing and eating work. He'd broadened my world the moment he said I do.
Lucero: Did you eat?
Lucero: What was your favorite dish?
Lucero: I miss you
I waited for a message to come through. When a few seconds ticked by with no reply, I got ready to send another one.
Lucer: What are you doing?
Lucero: Should I come back home?
Three dancing dots appeared and my breath hitched as I waited.
Light of my life: No!
Light of my life: You've been gone less than thirty minutes.
Lucero: And every single second away is agony
Light of my life: Pathetic. Get it together and go to work
Lucero: I'm only this weak for you
I couldn't believe Onyx was messaging me back. My heart felt heavy in my chest.
Light of my life: You're annoying.
Lucero: Did you eat?
A whole minute passed before a picture appeared. There was a plate that was clean but the spread that I'd prepared on the table was missing stacks of food.
Light of my life: Happy now? Now go do your work.
Lucero: Happiest I've ever been. Love you.
Light of my life: Still angry with you
Lucero: Not forever, right?
Damn. I was pretty certain my homemade French toast would have worked. I'd have to call my ma later and go over the recipe with her. She swore by certain dishes. Food was the quickest way to a man's heart, and I was desperate to get to Onyx's.
"You heard nothing," Nash said, cutting into my thoughts.
I put my phone away and smiled. "Not a word."
He grunted. "Head over to room 4, we got Drake Henderson. Lawyer from Bailey and Sawyer law firm." Nash whistled. "He should be able to pay no issue, we just need to remind him that paying debts is a good way to avoid death." Nash went the opposite way, no doubt getting tools or something.
I had my ballerinas on my hip, but I didn't tend to use them when I wasn't going to kill.
I found the door and went in. I checked my phone to see if Onyx had texted me back but there was no such luck.
I removed my jacket and placed both chrome Desert Eagles onto the counter on the far right wall.
The room was bare except for a single chair in the middle of the room.
There wasn't a window in sight, and one wall was just exposed brick.
Everything was soundproof for these situations in mind.
"Hey, you're married, right?" I asked, rolling up my sleeves to my elbow.
There was nothing about this man that stood out. I couldn't even bother to remember his name. The only thing that had caught my eye about him was the gold ring around his finger. "Huh?" His gaze bounced around the room as if looking for a way out.
There wasn't one. His only way out was to pay his tab or through a body bag.
I snapped my fingers in front of his face to gather his focus once again. "Married, you have a wife."
"Yes. You want her?" He licked his lips nervously. "How much can it knock off what I owe?"
Disgust turned my stomach, and I drew my fist back and slammed it into his face. The sickening crunch against my knuckles only gave me an ounce of satisfaction.
"You'd give up your wife to save your own ass?"
When he didn't answer, I drew my fist back again and slammed it forward. His head snapped back hard, an audible crack echoed from him before he crashed to the ground with his chair.
"What the hell happened?" Nash asked as he came downstairs. He looked to me and then the man on the ground. "Lucero, he still owed us a lot of money. He had tabs to pay."
"He was going to sell his wife."
Nash opened his mouth and then closed it.
My brother groaned as he marched over to us and dropped down.
His fingers went to the man's pulse point.
"Call Emir, we'll have to make the money back from his organs.
" Nash looked up at me. "How did you get on the conversation about his wife anyway?
Your job was to come in and stand there. "
"I was going to ask for some advice. Onyx is upset with me, and I wanted to make him happy."
Nash laughed. "So you asked a low-life?" He stood back up with his phone out. "What did you do?"
"It's not what I did as much as it is what I won't do."
"What, you won't let him play with your ass? Because if that's the reason, let me tell you, your marriage is doomed. There are compromises in any relationship,” Nash said.
Nash had always had a girlfriend. There was a never-ending stream of women leaving his room since we were teens. He had to know a little something about making people happy. All the girls who'd dated him said the same thing. They never wanted to break up; it was always Nash's call.
"That's not it. If Onyx wanted to top me, I'd let him without hesitation. It's my last name."
Nash lifted his head and met my gaze. "The one you changed without talking to us?"
I nodded. "I know everyone is pissed off."
"Yeah, we are."
"I want to make sure Onyx is happy."
"And what about your happiness?"
I smiled. "I'm happy being with him."
Nash blew out a breath. "Okay, what about it?"
"He wants me to change it back to Marino."
Nash's eyes widened. "Okay?"
"If I do, and it will be one less thing tying us together. I can't lose him, Nash."
I wasn't sure if it was the desperation in my voice or the pleading look on my face, but Nash gave me advice.
"Does he like flowers or jewelry?"
I nodded. Onyx liked all those things.
"Gifts are your gateway in and then once you're in? Grovel. Give him something else to focus on instead of your fuck-up. Especially if you don't plan to change it."
Gifts I could do. “Let me borrow some money.”
Nash groaned. “I’m not funding your lifestyle. And isn’t your husband super rich?”
“I’d be a shitty husband if I asked him to buy his own gifts.”
My older brother grumbled but pulled out some cash. “Told your ass not to spend so much on that wedding.”
There was no way in hell I was going to hold back on our wedding. My husband deserved the best and that was what I got him. I’d spent most of my money on the wedding, but whatever I had left could be for Onyx. If it meant he'd open his heart to me, I’d give up everything.
"Good, now focus, because you're the one calling Prince afterwards and watching over the cleaners."
"I have a date with Onyx."
Nash was already headed toward the door.
"Too bad. I have to go handle some sanitation issues, check in with the supply runs, not to mention go over the guest list and interview some new dancers." He stopped short of leaving. "After you’re done, go see Elia.” He pointed at me. “I don’t want to hear shit about Elia saying he could handle it. That nut job can’t handle shit but fighting. "
I fucking hated anything that took me away form my husband. Maybe I should bulldoze the building down. We'd have to put gambling parties on hold, but then I'd be able to spend more time with Onyx.