Chapter 33
LUCERO
The strip club had been completely transformed for the night.
Our usual gambling night was done up even more than usual.
Everyone was hands-on this time. Elia was making rounds, flirting with patrons.
Nash was at the bar making sure things ran smoothly.
Prince was security at the door. Damian walked around like he owned the place, which I guess he did.
My oldest brother was anal about any and every plan he came up with.
He went all out for this plan, with tables for Blackjack taking up the majority of the space.
Every single person who’d be attending was under the impression that tonight would be VIP list only.
The stakes would be higher. We had a few dancers walking the floor and some on the stage.
All this to catch that fucker.
I was still in the mindset of breaking down his door and then slamming his face into the ground until it turned into ground beef.
Maybe if I slip out right now.
I did a quick peek around. No one was paying me any attention.
The only one who could probably see me right now was Emir.
He was in the back office, watching the cameras.
He wasn’t one to get his hands bloody unless he was saving a life, but even he’d shown up tonight.
His main role was to patch anyone up who needed it, but still, it meant a lot that he’d joined in. Everyone was doing their part.
I had to wonder if this was what Onyx felt like all the time, luring his prey into his web before going in for the kill.
There was a thrill doing something so elaborate with my family but it was also nerve-racking.
I could be at home, cooking dinner for my husband, and then eating his ass for dessert.
Killing his piece of shit father, on the other hand, was a close second.
“Hey, big guy,” a sultry voice I’d know anywhere wrapped around me like a snake did its prey. Light fingers danced along my back, leaving goosebumps in its wake.
My stomach clenched as I turned to face my husband.
I barely held myself back. I wanted to rush to him, drag him against my body, and kiss him until we were both close to passing out from the lack of air.
Gone was the platinum blond hair and gray eyes.
The usual soft makeup that complemented his features was replaced by a more drastic glam look.
Jet-black hair swayed behind him, stopping just above his ass.
Brown contacts made his eyes look doe-eyed and innocent-like.
Something my husband wasn’t at all. He wore a deep red shimmer dress that stopped just under his ass.
Mine.
Fuck this, let’s go home.
My cock twitched in the confines of my pants.
I wanted nothing more than to rip everything off him and fuck him right then and there in the middle of the room.
I wanted everyone to see how he moaned for me, how he ruled me, how I begged and whimpered for him.
All to truly show that he was mine and I was his.
A slow smirk formed on Onyx’s face as he moved closer to me. His hand lightly touched my chest. Staring down at him only made things worse. I was hit with how drastic our size difference was.
How am I supposed to think right now?
“Do you need something to drink?” His painted nails danced up my chest until they reached for my neck.
I caught his wrist, a growl sat at the back of my throat, trying to work its way free. We stood there for a while as the tension thickened between us. Onyx’s lips parted and that sinful tongue of his came out, swiping over his lips.
“What are you trying to do to me, beautiful?”
We were in a room full of people, but at that moment, everything stopped existing except for us.
His head tilted as he erased more of the distance between us.
He wasn’t even fully touching me, and I swore I could feel the heat of his flesh pressed up against mine.
The sway of his hips was mesmerizing. I already had a hard time focusing when Onyx was around me, but when he wanted to, he could completely shut my brain off.
“Beautiful? Not bella?”
Onyx didn’t sound upset, but still, I treaded carefully. “You’re always beautiful to me, but right now, you don’t look like my bella.”
His thick lashes lowered and he bit his lip, drawing my attention to his mouth again. I’d level buildings to get to those lips.
"You like the way I look now, better than usual?"
I swallowed, trying to remember how my mouth worked. "Onyx, I love you any way I can get you."
"Good answer."
“I want to kiss you,” I confessed.
Onyx smiled up at me and it was all my bella, the way his right dimple appeared and the corner of his mouth tilted up. “I really want you to kiss me too.” He twisted out of my hold before I could follow through on our desires. “Work first.”
This is stupid.
“Be good, Luci.” Onyx winked at me, walking past. Our fingers brushed against one another's and my stomach instantly erupted into butterflies. I was starting to suspect that feeling would never go away when it came to my husband.
I chased after him, cornering him where the lighting wasn’t so great. No one was looking our way, and I wasn’t ready to stop being near him.
“Lucero.” Onyx’s tone was a clear warning, but what could I say, I couldn't get enough of him.
“A few seconds. We’ve been apart all day getting ready.” He didn’t shove me away so I took the chance to lean down and get further into his space. “Are you ready?”
Onyx’s back stiffened and he turned enough to meet my gaze. Gone were the flirtatious looks he’d been giving me. They’ve been replaced with a coldness that anyone in my family would be proud of.
“I’ve been ready.” His mouth dipped into a frown. “I should have slit his throat deeper when I had the chance. Instead, I was pathetic and weak?—”
I grabbed Onyx’s chin and backed him against the wall. I tilted his head back and got into his face. “Take back what you said about my husband. Now.”
“Lucero, it’s true.”
I dropped my hand from his chin to his throat and tightened my hold.
“You were never weak or pathetic.” I squeezed tighter, keeping him from protesting me.
“Your first kill is always the hardest. No one knows how deep to cut, how much strength to use. Mistakes were made, but you were never at fault for your lack of experience.”
Onyx hit my hand away from his throat and pushed up on his tippy toes. Even in heels he was still shorter than me. I met him halfway and relished in the chaste kiss that was given to me.
“You’re an idiot.” He kissed me once more before dropping back down. “But mine.” He wiped the sticky gloss off my lips.
I would have happily worn it around the room. Fuck, I wanted to kiss him again.
He moved around me. “Thank you, Lucero.”
"Want to go to the back room?" I asked him.
He smirked at me. "Behave and maybe you'll get a treat."
Fuck, I was a goner. I nodded eagerly, ready for the night to already be done with so I could take my husband home. I watched, transfixed, as Onyx walked away. Each step was agonizing and enjoyable to watch at the same time.
"You literally live together. Do you have to drool over him all the time?" Nash asked.
"If you had someone like Onyx by your side, you'd understand."
My brother looked at me like I'd lost my mind. “Hell no. He's what I'd avoid at all cost. Someone willing to kill me in my sleep.” Nash looked visibly appalled at the idea. "Didn’t he try to kill you? Multiple times.”
All I could do was smile in response. Onyx could, in fact, murder me in my sleep. Shit, my husband didn't need me to be asleep in order to achieve it. He'd made it known plenty of times already just how capable he was at killing.
“True love. You will want it too.”
"No, thank you. Sounds like poison.” He shook his head, snapping his fingers in front of my face as I sought out Onyx again. “Damn, you will see him tonight if all goes according to plan.”
“This is taking too long.”
“No, you’re crazy, the night only just started.”
Everyone was out to get me, I swear. No one was on my side. I was obviously going through withdrawals from not being near my husband.
“Is he here yet?” I asked.
Nash nodded. "Yep, Prince just sent confirmation he's here. You remember the plan, right?"
"Try to not bash his brains out in front of a room full of people.
" There was probably more to it but the main thing everyone kept shouting at me was “no killing the target before kill time” or whatever.
The only reason I was holding back was for my sweet bloodthirsty husband.
I knew exactly how badly he wanted to be the one to give the killing blow.
Bet he’s going to look sexy as fuck covered in blood.
My brother stared at me like I had two heads instead of one. "You know, I'm starting to feel sorry for Onyx." He shook his head and started to move.
"What does that mean?" I chased after him, needing an explanation. He evaded me like we were kids again and I had chicken pox. I hated being sick all alone. Anytime I caught something, I made sure my brothers were right there with me. They’d learned to evade me the moment they heard I was sick.
Fucker.
Damian caught my attention. His mouth didn’t move, but I could practically hear him telling me to pay attention.
I rolled my shoulders back, noticing the man walking through the door with a bodyguard on each side of him.
A smile sported on his smug face. His hair was combed back, showing off the salt-and-pepper hair.
The corner of his eyes were crinkled up like he was enjoying his conversation with the man next to him.
He won’t be smiling when my fists cave in his fucking teeth.
I curled my fingers into a fist imagining doing just that. How satisfying it would be to break his grin.
Bella.