Chapter Five #2
I squeeze my eyes closed as Sasha seals her mouth around my cock like a vacuum.
My fingers tangle in her hair and I let my head fall back.
It’s no use, I can already feel my erection softening.
And then I picture her. Remi. Her flushed cheeks when she gets sassy, the way her lips glisten whenever she runs her tongue over them.
I shudder, gripping Sasha’s hair as I force her to take me deeper.
I come hard, my legs stiffening as I fill her mouth.
And then the image of Remi fades away and I open my eyes to see Sasha looking up at me with a smug satisfaction.
“Wanna continue this upstairs?” she asks, pushing to stand as she wipes her mouth on the back of her hand.
“I can’t, I’ve got shit to do.”
She pouts. “Later?”
I stand and she closes the gap between us, placing her manicured hand on my chest. “Maybe,” I reply, and she kisses me on the cheek.
“I hope so.”
I glance up to see Remi staring from behind the bar. Fuck. When did she get here? She immediately looks away and begins to fuss with the empties.
Sasha follows my stare and rolls her eyes. “She’s such a stray.”
“Remi?”
“Yeah. Some of the girls said she’s sleeping on a stripper’s couch and not paying her way. She’s clearly trying to get her foot in the door here so she can hang around.”
“You worried?” I ask, smirking.
“God, no. She looks like a walking STD. You’d have to be desperate to have sex with her.”
I scoff, and head for the office. Remi’s pretty in a natural sort of way. I can see why the whores would be worried she’s sticking around.
“You want me to go check on Steels?” I ask Axel.
He glances up from his laptop. “No. Stick around here and keep an eye on Remi. I’ll go to Steels. I want to check the new sign is up.”
“Why am I watching Remi?” I ask, though a small part of me is pleased.
“She’s a thief,” he says bluntly. “Catch her in the act.”
His words steal my breath. I frown. “And if I catch her . . . what do I do?”
“What we do with all thieves, Shadow. You’re my enforcer. Deal with it.”
He breezes past me, and I rush after him. “Wait . . . how do you know she’s a thief?”
“She didn’t pass the test.”
“You set a trap?”
“I always set a trap, Shadow.”
“But you hired her, knowing she was desperate. I told you not to.”
“Never bite the hand that feeds you, ain’t that the saying?” He doesn’t wait for an answer and heads out.
I turn to Remi. She’s wiping the bar like it’s coated in grime, so focused, she doesn’t notice me take a seat.
“You imaginary cleaning?” I ask. She jumps slightly, meeting my gaze.
“What can I get you?”
“A penny for your thoughts?”
She turns away to grab a glass. “You’re a Scotch man, right?”
“Water, actually.”
Her eyes narrow. “You don’t drink?”
“Sometimes.”
She slides the glass across the bar. “Why only sometimes?”
“You tell me first, then I’ll tell you.”
She pauses, considering. “My stepdad liked to drink. I hated the smell. Put me off.”
I lean over the bar and spot the crumpled twenty under the usual vodka bottle. A smirk tugs at my lips as I sit back, watching her carefully. Her cheeks flush faintly, and I wonder if she knows what I was looking for.
“You put it back,” I state, voice flat but attentive.
“Put what back?”
“Smart move,” I say, letting a hint of a smile creep in.
She scoffs. “Is that meant to scare me?”
“Why did you put it back?”
“Look, I wasn’t stealing it,” she begins, her cheeks burning redder. “I needed some food, so I borrowed it. I was going to pay it back the second I got paid.”
“When did you last eat?”
“This morning, at breakfast,” she mutters.
I frown, thinking back. “No, you didn’t, not properly. A few mouthfuls at most.” She begins to wipe the bar again. I snatch the cloth. “You already did it,” I snap. “When did you last eat a good meal?”
She shrugs. “I . . . a few days ago.”
“What did you eat?”
She acts like she’s thinking, then says, “A leftover sandwich.”
My eyes narrow. “Leftover by who?”
She shrugs, swallowing hard. “A guy in the park.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “You ate a sandwich from some guy you didn’t know?”
“Hey, beggars can’t be choosers, okay,” she snaps defensively. “Besides, I’m all good. I can go days without eating.”
“Yeah, not happening,” I huff, standing. “Shooter,” I bellow, and the prospect rushes over. “Watch the bar.” I turn back to Remi. “Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“To get food.” She’s already shaking her head, so I round the bar and grab her hand. “It wasn’t a request.”
We go into the kitchen, and I force Remi to sit at the central island. Then I go to the fridge and take out the ingredients I need.
Remi watches me in silence as I grab the chopping board and begin to chop an onion. “I’ll speak to Axel and see if you can have an advance.”
“It’s fine, I’ve got it covered.”
“If you had it covered, you wouldn’t have taken the money.”
“Jesus, I put it back, didn’t I?”
I slice some pepper then pop a bagel in the toaster. “You never said what made you put it back.”
“Roxy,” she mutters. “She said you’d be pissed, and it wasn’t worth the hassle.” She sighs. “I just wanted to pay my way. She’s putting me up for free.”
“She offered?” Remi nods. “Then don’t stress about it.”
“I don’t like charity.”
I arch a brow. “But you’ll eat from a stranger?”
“He put it in the bin. He didn’t want it.”
I briefly close my eyes, angry that she’s had to stoop so low. “Still, that won’t happen again. You get hungry, just come and tell me.” I assemble the toasted bagel with cream cheese and the onion and pepper. “Tell me how you’ve got it covered,” I ask, going back to her earlier answer.
“I went to see Ragnor.” I bristle at her words. “He gave me some cleaning shifts, or at least said I could go see this woman.” She produces a business card, waving it in the air. “I’m gonna go tomorrow.”
“Cleaning?” I repeat like it leaves a bad taste.
“Please don’t tell me I don’t belong on my knees scrubbing or I will walk out of here,” she snaps.
“Ragnor said that?” I guess.
“Made me a real ‘nice’ offer,” she continues, using air quotes. “You were right about him.”
“You turned him down?” Somehow, it feels better knowing she’s not interested.
“I might be desperate, but not desperate enough to be someone’s sex slave.”
“Damn, that was gonna be my next offer,” I tease, and a small smile tugs at her lips.
“Why do men think the answer to everything is sex?” she almost whispers. “We’re more than just vaginas.”
I laugh. “We’re animals,” I admit. “Thinking with our cocks.”
I watch her pop the last bite into her mouth then I grab a bottle of water and unscrew the cap, offering it to her. She takes it gratefully and glugs a few mouthfuls. “Don’t tell Axel,” she mutters. “About the money. I swear I won’t do it again.”
“He already knows,” I admit, and she groans. “Leave it with me and I’ll try to get you out the shit.”
She offers me her first genuine smile. “Thanks, Shadow.”
“Logan,” I mutter, not quite meeting her eye. “It’s Logan when we’re alone.”
“Logan,” she repeats, like she’s testing it on her tongue. “Thanks, Logan.”