Chapter Thirty-Five Callum
As I walked through the back door of álainn, meaning beautiful in Irish, which was our upscale family owned strip club, a beefy bouncer nodded his head at me. “Good afternoon, Mr. Kavanaugh.”
“Good afternoon, Niall.”
Like most of our business, we hired within the clans. There were a few non-clan with us, but they were usually hired as cooks or cleaners. When it came to our dancers, we didn’t like hiring any of the girls with clan affiliation because it just made for bad blood among the men.
Of course, since marrying Caterina, I’d spent as little time as possible in álainn. Instead, I deferred to Quinn and Dare for all things women and alcohol related while Kellan kept track of the books.
Today was the beginning of the month, which meant meetings with my brothers. After sitting down at the conference table in the office, I nodded at them.
“How’s it looking, boys?”
Kellan grinned while shoving a red folder at me. “Grand as always.”
As I eyed the folder’s documents, I replied, “I’m glad to hear it.”
“It wouldn’t kill you to say thanks, would it?” he teasingly questioned.
While I rolled my eyes at him, Dare countered, “Get fucked, boyo. You’re not even old enough to have a drink here. It’s Quinn and I that keep this place afloat.”
With a scowl, Kellan countered, “I will be of age in three months.”
After ruffling Kellan’s hair, Quinn countered, “Then keep your trap shut until then.”
I pointed at Quinn. “Speaking of running this place. I’ve got an audition for you.”
A growl reverberated through his chest. “I’m not a fucking plaything you can trot out when it serves your purpose.”
I snorted. “As if anyone could ever think of you like that.”
“I’m serious, Callum.”
“I know. But I need your services.”
Since we were one of the finest gentlemen”s clubs in Boston, we had to wade through a shit-ton of dancers. As demeaning as it sounds, the first test was appearance. Did the woman look like she could charm millionaires and billionaires? If she passed that test, was she a phenomenal dancer who could work the pole?
Considering the amount of colleges in Boston, we had a lot of dancers pass the first and second tests. High-brow coeds who’d spent their childhoods in dance classes usually passed the first two rounds. But the last one was make or break: they had to give Quinn a lapdance.
We hadn’t chosen Quinn because he was allegedly Quasimodo. He was quite the opposite. Like all of us Kavanaugh men, he was a good-looking fucker even with his scars. When he didn’t walk around like the Grim Reaper daring anyone to touch him, women lined up for a piece of him. He’d become our ringer because of his scary-as-hell demeanor. If a dancer could survive riding Quinn’s lap without dying of fright, then she was hired.
At Quinn’s continued hesitation, Dare clapped him on the back. “You’re the only man I know who begrudges a lap dance from a fine as hell woman.”
“Fuck you,” he muttered.
“Quinn’s not the only one who would.”
Dare’s brows rose questioningly. “Who else?”
I eased back in my chair with a smile. “Me.”
Since I’d returned to the states as a married man, I hadn’t received a single lap dance from the girls. Despite my wedding band, I’d still been offered private dances. Many were hoping I’d audition them for a role as my mistress.
But after having a taste of Caterina, no other woman did it for me. I no longer desired random tits in my face or strange pussy grinding against me.
When my phone buzzed, I grimaced at it. “Speak of the devil?” Dare questioned with a grin.
“Yeah, she had a doctor’s appointment earlier.”
Quinn scowled at me. “Shouldn’t you ask the wee lass how it went?”
“She already let me know everything was fine.” When he still gave me a shitty look, I sighed. “Look, she’s asking to come see me at the office. There’s no way in hell I can tell her where I’m at.”
Dare’s brows popped. “Sister Sassy doesn’t know we own this club?”
Rolling my eyes at him, I replied, “Caterina would lose her mind if she knew about this place. In her book, I already have enough vices on my plate. There would be nothing of my dark soul left to salvage if she found out.”
While Dare chuckled, Quinn had the audacity to tsk at me. “You’re just digging your grave deeper for when she does find out.”
Although I knew Quinn was right, I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “I believe you have a dancer waiting to ride your dick.” Waggling my brows, I added, “Her pole dance was to some shite Taylor Swift song.”
Quinn’s growl echoed through the room. “I’ll pay you back for this, fucker.”
With a grin, I rose out of my chair. “I look forward to it.”
Although my phone buzzed again, I didn’t look to see if it was once again from Caterina. I walked out of my office to the main floor. Even though it was barely noon, the club was packed. Businessmen in three-piece suits entertained clients as well as the dancers.
Just as I started past a table, an arm shot out to grab me. Before I could knock it away, I saw it belonged to one of the local city councilmen. He grinned broadly at me. “Callum, good to see you.”
“Good to see you too, Lionel.” Jerking my thumb at Dare, I said, “Have you met my brother?”
I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure.” After Lionel shook Dare’s hand, he motioned for us to sit down. “Let me buy you a drink.”
“Considering how much you helped me with the liquor licenses for Bandia, it’s me who owes you a drink.” I slid into the booth and motioned one of the waitresses over. After ordering a bottle of our finest whiskey, I started talking to Lionel.
Halfway through our conversation, a dancer, whose name escaped me, came by and plopped down in my lap. She wrapping her arms around my neck, her bare breasts rubbing against my face. “Would you or your guests like a private dance, Mr. Kavanaugh,” she purred.
As I brought my hands to her waist and eased her to her feet, Dare groaned. “Oh fuck, brother, the shit’s about to hit the fan.”
Furrowing my brows at him, I asked, “What?”
Before he could answer, a stinging slap smacked against my cheek. I shot out of the booth and whirled around to face my assaulter. To my utter and complete horror, Caterina stood before me. “You fucking bastard!” she shouted before slapping my other cheek.
I held my hands out in front of me. “Kitten, it’s not what it looks like.”
“Spare me,” she spat before shoving me hard.
“I swear it’s nothing.” Motioning her to the back, I said, “Come with me to my office, and I’ll explain.”
“Save your bullshit explanations. There’s nothing you can say that will make up for the fact you not only deceived me about owning a strip club, but that you just had a half-naked woman on your lap doing God knows what.”
“There was nothing happening between us.”
Caterina’s face turned crimson. “She had her breasts in your face!”
Although the music was blaring and women were pole dancing naked, attention was riveted on Caterina and me. I grabbed her arm and tried moving her away from prying eyes. She slapped my hand away. “Don’t you touch me!” she shrieked.
“Caterina, please, just let me talk to you.”
Tears shimmered in her eyes. “I tried talking to you, but you wouldn’t answer my calls or texts. I couldn’t imagine why you would do that to me, but now I see.”
“I’m sorry. I was being a coward because I didn’t want you to find out where I was.” Shaking my head, I replied, “You were never supposed to find out about this place.”
“So I wouldn’t ever have to know you were cheating on me?”
“I swear to God I wasn’t cheating on you!”
She jabbed her finger at me. “Don’t you dare blaspheme at a time like this.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. There isn’t another woman in the world for me.” Grabbing her hand, I brought it to my chest and over my heart. “I swear, it’s only you.”
Tears spilled over her cheeks. “I can’t believe anything you have to say anymore.”
“Dammit, Caterina, I’m not lying.”
She slowly shook her head. “Today was the happiest day of my life, and you’ve spat and trampled upon it.”
I furrowed my brows. “What are you talking about?”
“The doctor’s appointment I went to today?” At my nod, she said, “I found out I’m six weeks pregnant.”
As I processed Caterina’s words, the world around me slowed to a stop. Fuck me. Caterina was pregnant. I was going to be a father. The pride and pure happiness that surged through me was indescribable. “We’re really having a baby?”
Caterina shuttered her eyes as if in pain. “Yes.
My hand brushed across her cheek. “You can’t imagine how happy this makes me, Kitten.”
Her anguished eyes opened to stare daggers through me. “So was I. But now you’ve ruined it. Do you have any idea how demoralizing and disgusting it is that I’ve been reduced to telling you you”re going to be a father in a strip club? It’s one thing having a mafia boss as my baby’s father, but it’s quite another having one who deals in sex.”
“Fuck,” I muttered as I ran my hand over my face. Quinn had been right. My lack of honesty had truly fucked things up. I had no clue how I was going to get myself out of this one. “Kitten, I’m so–”
She held her hand up in front of my face. Normally, I would’ve lost my shit at someone doing that, but I knew better than to react. “There is nothing you could possibly say right now that will ever make this right.”
“At least let me try.”
A maniacal laugh tumbled out of her lips. “Do you want to know what’s crazy? Your secrecy about this place caused me to pull a gun on Owen.”
My eyes bulged. “You held Owen at gunpoint?” Each and every time I thought I had Caterina figured out, she went and shocked the hell out of me. He had already earned a strong conversation from me for allowing Caterina to come here. But now I realized why he had disobeyed my orders.
Caterina nodded. “Because he was sworn to obey your orders and to cover your dishonest tracks.”
“He was just doing his job.”
The unadulterated hate that flashed in Caterina’s eyes caused a stab in my chest. “I can’t do this with you anymore. I’m going home now.”
“I’ll take you.”
She shook her head wildly back and forth. “I don’t want to be anywhere near you.”
“Please, Kitten, let me take care of you. Let me show you how sorry I truly am.”
She jabbed her finger at me. “Stay the fuck away from me!”
Whirling away, she started sprinting through the club. “Caterina, wait!” I called.
As I started to follow her, a group of businessmen came between us, talking and laughing and ignoring everyone and everything around them. “Get the fuck out of my way!” I bellowed as I began fighting my way through them.
When I finally busted out of the front door, my gaze spun left and right to try to find her. At the sound of a scream, my blood ran cold, and I fought to breathe. Down the street, two men had Caterina. My feet pounded into the pavement as I tried to get to her. Just when I reached them, the men shoved her in a black-paneled van.
As my eyes locked with hers, her scream pierced my heart. “Callum!”