Chapter 15
Xander
YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND, BABY GIRL
If I have to watch Quinn smile at one more guy in this bar, I’m going to burn the whole fucking building down.
I take a sip from my glass that Kian brought over to me and continue to stare at her like I’ve been doing for the past two hours.
Cash and Jordyn are still at the other end of the bar.
My older brother is standing guard while his wife continues to get drunk and laugh with Quinn about who-the-fuck-knows-what.
I need to know what they’re talking about.
What is my sister-in-law saying that’s making my sunshine so happy?
Every so often, I scan the bar to see where my other brothers are. Beckett is sitting on one of the velvet couches with Caleb at the opposite end. A group of women, who seem to be celebrating a birthday, are crowded around them, laughing at something one of those two idiots said.
Quinn works her way toward me. Just as she gets about halfway down the bar, a group of men approaches her, one of them with his sights clearly set on her.
I will slit his fucking throat right here in the middle of my bar. Then I’ll use his blood to mop the floor just to show any other guy who thinks about talking to Quinn what will happen if they so much as look at her.
Balling my fist, I rise from my seat, but as I do, Kian slaps a hand on my shoulder. “They’re customers, bro. You need to chill before you start a brawl in our own establishment.”
It feels like shards of glass slicing into the back of my neck as I sit back down. Scowling, I glare at the group of men who are all flirting with Quinn like she’s some sort of toy for them to play with.
“I’m afraid to ask how you know Quinn and if we need to do some kind of employee damage control,” Kian says as he takes the stool next to mine.
I ignore him and continue to watch her. If Quinn so much as flinches or looks like she wants these guys gone, our establishment or not, I’m fucking fighting these assholes.
Her laugh floats through the air, and a second later, the first guy slides a hotel key across the counter to her.
This time, Kian stands with me, but as if Quinn senses us ready to jump, she turns her head toward us and gives one shake.
She looks up at the dead-man-walking who’s trying to fuck her and passes the card back to him, using her forced smile.
Then she says something and gives him a small wave before shifting to another customer.
And just like that, my beautiful girl dismissed that asshole like it was nothing.
The guy stares at her for a second, clearly shocked at being denied, but then he grabs the key card and strides away toward his friends.
“Have you fucked her?” Kian asks only loud enough for me to hear.
In my dreams and fantasies, fuck yes, I have.
Unfortunately, I’m never going to get the chance in real life because I’m an asshole.
I fucked up. And I know it. Hell, I knew it the moment the words came out of my mouth.
I don’t blame Quinn for not speaking to me since. I sure as hell wouldn’t forgive me.
My glass sits empty in front of me. I probably don’t need another one, but if Quinn’s going to ignore me for the rest of the night, I might as well.
I catch the attention of the other bartender, who practically runs right over to us like her ass is on fire. This is how most employees act whenever we’re walking around our casinos. Even though we try to make sure they know they don’t have to treat us like royalty, it still happens.
“Get me a bottle of the thirty-year-old single malt,” I tell her.
The bartender rushes off to get it for me just as Quinn walks up. “Would it kill you to say please and thank you?” she asks, only loud enough for me and Kian to hear.
Kian laughs, and I glare at her.
Oh, my girl wants to be sassy, does she?
“Your wish is my command, baby girl,” I answer, loving the way her cheeks turn rosy at the endearment.
As soon as the other bartender slides me the bottle, I grin at her and lay a hundred-dollar bill on the bar. “Thank you.”
The girl gazes at it, and her eyes go wide. Then she looks over at Quinn, asking if this is okay.
Quinn smiles and nods, then narrows her eyes at me and huffs before she walks away. “You make it really hard to hate you.”
Kian looks over at me smugly, and even though I already know he’s going to bug the hell out of me for information, I’m just glad Beckett’s obnoxious ass didn’t see that unfold.
“So we’ve established that Quinn Summers doesn’t hate you. Let’s visit the reasons why she did so we can figure out if we’re going to be sued.” Kian grabs the bottle of whiskey and pours some in his glass, then waits expectantly.
Fuck.
“We’re not going to be sued,” I snap.
I don’t think we are, anyway. Let my little sunshine try. I’ll take her over my knee so fast she wouldn’t know what to think. And then after her tears have dried, I’d settle between her legs and work out a different agreement with her. One where she’s mine and never leaves my bed.
My brother shakes his head as he brings his glass to his lips. “Whatever you say, man. But from the way you’re looking at her, I think she might be my future sister-in-law. I’m just not sure whether it’s going to be against her will or not.”
Hm.
He has a good idea there.
I’d never force her to fuck me, but I feel like holding her against her will while spoiling the fuck out of her until she wants me isn’t totally crossing a line.
Morally it’s a little gray, but I wouldn’t hurt her.
Unless she was naughty. Then she’d be going to bed with a sore ass until she learned to be my good girl.
“Jesus Christ, Xander,” Kian murmurs. “You’re fucking thinking about it.”
Quinn smiles and greets one of the floating bartenders, who works in all the bars throughout their shift, relieving the permanent employees to go on their breaks.
Where is she going? Maybe I should follow her. Would she be pissed if I did?
Caleb, one of our long-time security guards and a partner of Savage Entertainment, glances up from the conversation he’s in with Beckett and the group of women.
He watches Quinn weave through the sea of people before he looks to me.
I don’t know how he does it. How he’s so in tune with everything that’s happening without making it obvious that he’s paying attention.
It’s why he’s so fucking good and now owns shares in our business.
I shake my head and start to rise to follow her myself, but I’m abruptly stopped as Jordyn comes up to me, definitely not walking a straight line.
“Well, I can’t wait to hear the story as to why you’ve been staring at my new bestie like an unhinged stalker all night, but,” Jordyn sways a little, no longer wearing her shoes.
Cash carries them while keeping a hand on her hip to steady her.
“He’s making me go home because he says I’ve had too much to drink and thinks I’m gonna end up being sick tonight.
He doesn’t know that, though,” she slurs as she waves a hand around dismissively.
Cash rolls his eyes, but the corners of his mouth twitch as he stares at Jordyn like the obsessed prick that he is.
“I think Quinn likes you,” Jordyn announces loud enough that I’m pretty sure the whole fucking bar heard. Then she throws an arm around my shoulder, which she’s only able to do because I’m sitting and she’s standing. Even then, she’s having to reach, and I hate to admit that it amuses me.
“Quinn doesn’t like me. But Cash is right, you should probably go home and go to bed.”
Jordyn scoffs, then sticks her tongue out at me. “Boo. Party pooper. Fine, but we are having family dinner tomorrow night. A real one. Six o’clock. Don’t be late.”
I snort and move around her, taking off in the direction Quinn went. There’s an employee restroom over there, which is probably where she went since she’s been running her sexy ass off for hours while drinking from a bottle of water whenever she got the chance.
As I turn the corner to head down a hall that is somewhat hidden, raised voices echo in the narrow space.
“Don’t touch me! Stop it!”
Not just any voice.
My girl’s voice.
My heartbeat thunders in my ears, and I run toward her. Whoever is touching her is dead.
When I see her, I speed up. She’s trying to push a man twice her size off her. The guy from the bar who told her she had a beautiful smile. I heard him say it, and I nearly killed him right then. I should have.
With my hands wrapped around his neck, I throw him to the ground as Quinn screams in surprise and crouches to the floor, crying. I want to go to her, to pick her up and hold her. First, I have to handle this guy.
Once, twice, three times, I hit him in the face, bones crunching with each blow. Blood flies, but I don’t see it. All I see is black. Not red. No. This isn’t my usual anger. This is pure, murderous fucking rage that won’t end until he’s dead.
“Xander!” Quinn screams.
Footsteps pound on the floor as people run toward us. My brothers. Kian goes to Quinn, while Cash and Beckett grab me, pulling me off the son of a bitch.
“Dude, you can’t kill him here,” Cash says as I try to get free from their hold. “We’ll handle him out in the desert. Go to Quinn. She needs you.”
I hear her name, and instantly, I move. Kian is kneeling, looking at her face. Her lip is cut, and both cheeks are wet with tears. Thank fuck she’s mostly physically okay, but mentally…
“Come here, baby,” I murmur, scooping her into my arms.
“I’ll have a car outside the west private exit,” Cash says, holding his phone.
Everything blurs as Cash and Kian lead us out of one of the dozens of exits we have. Quinn clings to me.
“I can walk,” she says shakily.
“No.”
She’s not going anywhere except staying in my arms. She’ll be lucky if I let her out of my sight after tonight.
Kian opens the back door of one of the Escalades that’s waiting. As gently as possible, I climb in, trying not to jostle her in case she’s hurt.
As soon as Kian gets in the front seat, he tells the driver to head to the hospital.
Quinn’s head pops up. “I don’t need to go to the hospital.”
The fuck she doesn’t. A man put his hands on her. When she told him no.
“Yes, you do,” I say before Kian gets the chance.
She turns her head to look at me, her lashes still wet. “I’m not hurt. He just pushed me around and then slapped me when I shoved him away after he tried to kiss me. I’m fine.”
She’s fine.
Fine.
Jesus Christ.
I should put her over my knee right now and spank her ass until she understands that what just happened is nowhere close to fucking fine.
Before I can say anything, she slides her warm fingers into my short beard, curling them so her fingernails scrape against my skin.
“Please,” she whispers when I look down at her. “I just want to get into my bed.”
Shit.
“Head to my apartment building and pull into the garage so we can skip the lobby.”
The driver nods. He and Kian stay silent while I hold her on my lap, my dick digging into her ass. I wish I could rein it in, but I don’t think there’s anything I can control when I’m around Quinn. Obviously, I can’t say no to her. Is this how I felt with Nicola in the beginning?
Her nails run over my jaw, and she looks up at me with the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen.
He’s going to die. It’s going to be painful, and he’s going to wish he never set foot in our fucking city by the time I let him take his last breath.
“I’m going to kill him.” The words are soft, but I leave no question that I’m serious.
“Xander,” she pleads. She knows I mean it, and I think she knows, no matter what she says, I’m going to do it. From the dozens of prior addresses I saw on her background check, I’m pretty sure Quinn isn’t a stranger to the dark side of this city.
I pin her with a stern look, then lean in so my mouth is right next to her ear. “Don’t argue with Daddy, or I’ll have to punish you.”
Her breath catches, and she stills, then pulls back to stare at me. As if she just realized my cock is pressing into her, she shifts her hips, and the tiniest whimper escapes. I think she tried to keep it to herself, but it didn’t work, and that little noise only makes me harder.
“Fuck,” I groan and press back into the headrest, using the palm of my hand to pull her to my chest for the remainder of the ride. “Close your eyes and rest, baby.”
She slides her arms around my waist and sighs, giving me the moment of silence I need to get myself under control.
The last thing Quinn needs is me trying to fuck her after some bastard assaulted her. What she needs is for me to hold her all night. To check her over for injuries and kiss away any I find. To take care of her in a way I don’t think she’s ever had.
She might not like it at first.
Too bad for her, I’m the one in charge.