Chapter Thirteen
Nashville
“That fucker is getting on my last nerve,” I snarl at Razer.
“The dickhead who threw cash on the floor?” he answers, drinking from his glass of vodka. “They’re fucking idiots all of them.”
“Keep that shit to yourself,” Rebel boots him. “You want to fuck this up?”
Razer holds up a hand to say sorry but we all know he only means sorry for saying it out loud, not that he is sorry for actually saying it.
“At least she didn’t pick it up,” he says.
No, but I did. I wasn’t letting that fucker take it back. Charley earned that fair and square, he was just being a prick because he thought it made him look good. Every single Disciple in here saw that and instantly hated him.
Even Nero shifted in his seat. We all know what this deal means, and no one wants to cause shit. Ellie handled it, the way she handles everything else, getting Charley to do the same, with decorum and grace. I watched him as they walked away, saw the rage brewing.
“Nero is working the old man,” Fury says from beside me. “He doesn’t give a shit about the younger one. Only person that ass cares about, is himself.”
“He needs to learn some fucking respect.”
We stop talking when Nero comes over with the older Cantrell. He can tell instantly there is something up, but he’s made a move to bring the guy over to the officer’s table and can’t take it back. We make space for them and Cantrell starts talking about the show.
Beast grimaces when he mentions the hot brunette at the front of the stage.
Ellie. I’m not sure if it's protective of one of his staff or something more. Hell, I’d been as shocked as Charley was to find him fucking her the other week.
I never knew that was a thing. Whatever their situation is, he doesn’t like the insinuation or Cantrell asking if Ellie takes dates.
She takes dates all right, but it’s usually when Nero needs her to get information out of someone. Without her working over Chains a few months ago, we never would have found out half of what we did about Storm.
“She makes her own rules,” Nero says, not giving away her name.
Cantrell laughs and Nero smiles back but it’s not a real smile. Part of me wonders if he is regretting having this here. His eyes flick to the door that leads to the back, and he turns to Beast. What was that about? I look too just as the door is closing behind a man.
A quick search of the room says that Cantrell junior isn’t where he was before. Most of the men in here are either chatting or watching the dancers that have come back out.
My gaze flicks back to Nero, his jaw is tight, but he’s talking with the older guy as if nothing is amiss. A slight move of his hand gives me the go ahead.
After excusing myself, I walk through the booths and tables and head for the door no one other than employees should be using. And given it’s a limited staff tonight, there is someone back here who shouldn’t be.
And I’m itching to fucking knock the shit out of him. A couple of the dancers hurry out of the room and I ask if they’ve seen anyone back here but they say they were in the dressing room.
I duck my head in and search around, getting an eyeful of bare tits and a pussy. Tami sees me and straightens up, fully naked and smiles.
“Anyone seen Charley?”
Her smile slips, and she shakes her head. “I think she went to the bathroom.”
I don’t give a fuck if she isn’t happy with me. After the last few weeks I regret getting that blow job off her. The bathroom is empty. As I’m walking back, I eye the door of the room Charley has used to practice.
She’s struggled a lot with the stripping side of things, even though she did a fucking amazing job tonight. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
Knowing her now, it makes sense that she wants to be alone after something like that. And that fucker throwing money at her like she was some hooker.
When I open the door and hear the filth coming out of his mouth, I don’t even hesitate, or think about the consequences.
He goes sprawling when I slam into him, his face hitting the hard wood floor.
Good, the trail of blood left behind when I grab him by the hair and pull him up gives me a sense of satisfaction.
Taking hold of his shirt and tie at his neck, I push him back, mostly holding him up too as he’s shorter than me and I’m moving fast. I slam his back into the wall and punch him in the side so hard he loses his breath.
“What the fuck did you just say to her.”
He’s disorientated and there is blood all over his face. In my peripheral I see Charley moving, she is clutching the little red blazer closed over her chest.
Rage fills me all over again and I pull him forward and slam him back again so his head cracks against the wall.
Someone says something in the hallway but I don’t hear them as I hit the fucker again, this time in the face. He’d fall if I wasn’t holding him up. He gets his hands up to try to fend me off but I’m fucking livid. Nothing can stop me.
“Nashville.”
I pause, but I don’t stop choking the little fucker.
Beast walks into my line of sight. He stares at me, then Cantrell, finally his eyes fall to Charley. He understands exactly what is going on and any move to stop me leaves him and he takes a pace back.
It’s Nero I need to worry about but he tells Beast to shut the door, which he does.
Now it’s the three of us with him. And one of the dancers. I’m not sure of her name. Nero says something, and she hurries over to Charley and pulls her away.
Our reflections catch in the mirror. It is hard to read her expression, but she does pause and I’m pretty sure she isn’t mad I’m beating the shit out of this guy.
“My father is going to fuck you up.”
Lucky for him, Charley and the other dancer had left before he said that.
“Let him go.”
It takes a few moments for Nero’s order to register. His hand coming down on my shoulder is what makes me release the fucker. He drops like a lead balloon and grabs his throat.
The urge to kick him in the head is so strong. Nero reads me and uses the hand on my shoulder to move me back.
“What did he do?” he asks me in a low voice.
“Threatened to rape her.”
His jaw clenches and he looks back at Cantrell. I know this deal means a lot for the club but even Nero won’t stand for that. My eyes widen when he kicks him in the face. Cantrell flops to the side, out cold.
“Fuck,” Nero turns away from him. “Did he touch her?”
“No, I got here before he could. Heard him telling her what he was going to do.”
“She’s the one he threw money at?” he asks. I nod. Nero grimaces and looks down at Cantrell, his mind working. “Beast, go get his father.”
“Are you sure?”
Nero doesn’t say anything. We wouldn’t normally question his orders but this is probably not the best of ideas. Cantrell is connected, he’s not a big player, but he is also someone you don’t mess with.
Good thing we’re scarier than he is and don’t give a fuck.
Nero eyes me as I start to pace. Charley better be okay.
“Fuck,” I curse out. “Five minutes later…”
“It didn’t happen.”
“It could have.”
“It didn’t and it won’t and he isn’t getting away with it.”
The door opens and Beast comes back with Cantrell and Fury. He is smirking like he thinks he is getting a present until he sees his son out cold and covered in blood.
“What the fuck?” he steps forward, going toward his son, but Nero sidesteps and blocks him. “What the hell is this? Do you have any fucking idea what you’ve done?”
“He threatened one of my employees,” Nero says.
“What? One of the girls? He didn’t mean it. He may be my son but he’s an idiot who runs his mouth.”
“I’m glad we agree he is an idiot.”
Cantrell turns his head to Nero his face a mask, but Nero doesn’t falter as he stares him down.
“No one threatens my staff. If you’re happy to have a rapist as a son, then this deal is off.”
“A what?”
“Don’t bullshit us.”
Nero eyes me and my mouth snaps shut. There is no way this guy hasn’t hurt women before. He’s gonna fucking regret trying to hurt Charley.
Cantrell looks at his son, then back to Nero. Whatever he sees on my President’s face makes his shoulders drop. “I don’t want to fuck up the deal.”
“Then deal with that,” he points at his son. “I don’t want to see his face in my city.”
“You can’t…” He trails off.
He is standing in a dark room with four of the most dangerous men in the city and he knows trying anything with us is only going to end with him getting hurt, shunned or worse, losing money.
“I’ll send him to California tomorrow, to work with my brother.”
“Do it tonight,” Nero says. “Take him out the back.”
Cantrell makes a call and two men come in to help carry the fucker out of the room. When it’s done, he focuses on Nero again.
“Things can go ahead as discussed?”
“If you hold up your end,” Nero tells him and Cantrell leaves without another word. “Fucking hell.”
“You know I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t necessary.”
“I’m not pissed at you,” Nero says. “I’m sick and tired of filth like that wandering this city. If I could have got away with it, he’d be at the farm.”
Beast glances at me and Fury grins. Shame we can’t.
“Someone check on the girl, make sure she gets home okay.”
“I’ll do it,” I say before Beast can. All eyes turn to me. “What?”
“You’re getting close to her.”
“I’m looking out for her. And she is probably shaken the fuck up so I’m gonna go do it now.”
Before Beast says anything else, Nero tells me to go sort it out. I’m assuming he just wants to get back to the club but knowing Nero, he’s seen right through me and I’ll be hearing from him.
Charley is in the dressing room, fully clothed and promising everyone in there that she is okay. Her eyes meet mine when I open the door and she glances at my fist, which is swollen and will bruise after how hard I hit that dickhead in the face.
“Come on,” I say to her. Ellie watches her walk to me but I don’t spare anyone a glance, just hold the door for Charley. “You have the keys to the beamer?” She hands them to me. My bike will be fine here overnight.
“What’s going to happen to him?” she asks as we drive out of the gate. “Has it wrecked everything?”
“No, don’t worry about that. Nero knows what he is doing. And forget about that asshole, he’s leaving the city tonight.”
“You have that kind of power?” she asks.
“Yeah.” There is no point in lying. “Are you okay?”
“He didn’t touch me.”
“That’s not the point, he cornered you and threatened you.”
“It was bad, but I had my shoes.”
“Your shoes,” I look over at her.
She takes one out of her bag and shows me. “One of those to the eyeball and he’s out of commission.”
“Jesus Charley,” I laugh. “And here I was thinking I’d upset you my smashing his face into the floor.”
“He deserved it.”
“Damn right he did.”
We drive the rest of the way in silence and walk into the house.
“I’m going to take a shower,” she pauses at the bottom of the stairs. “I have this glitter all over me.
“Sure,” I tell her, looking down on her now that she wearing flats. “Give me a shout if you need anything… After the shower,” I add. “Not during. Unless you want to.”
“Jesus Callum,” she pokes me in the stomach and laughs.
Funny thing is, I wasn’t joking.