Chapter 2
Eleven years later
The bitter taste of the two little white pills in my mouth is barely noticeable before the strong, smoky whiskey hits my tongue. I’ll stop taking them tomorrow, but tonight, I need the pick-me-up.
I toss my phone down on the jade-green, velvet sofa in my office. I’m out of options. I called every girl I have on rotation, and no one is available to cover for my bar manager, Sally, who’s just called in sick. I’m going to be stuck behind the bar tonight. Not that I mind, I like the conversation with the regulars, but I have a million and one other tasks I should be doing. Like organizing our VIP event for next weekend or making sure the new strippers know their roster and have their dance classes booked in with our dance coach, Paige.
I spend my life in this place, rushing about making sure it runs like a well-oiled machine, but I’m sure no one actually knows what I do to keep it running. The pressure I feel every day to keep a smile on my face while I balance the books so we all have a job to come to, while keeping my staff happy and safe. The Raven’s Nest, my exclusive club, is more than a way of making an income for me. It’s my whole life. This place and the women in it raised me, and I owe it to them to make sure they have the best work environment possible. That means keeping the cops at bay and the creepers out on the streets where they belong.
I inhale deeply, the relaxing scent of vanilla filling my nostrils from the candle I have just snuffed out. My office is my home away from home since I spend most of my life here. I’ve made my office feel like a cozy bedroom, complete with everything I need, rather than a stuffy, old-fashioned workspace the previous owner, Syd, had. I tug off the white sheath dress I arrived here in this morning and move to my closet, pulling out a simple black dress that hugs my petite figure and accentuates my perky tits. It’s also way more suitable for working behind the bar. I rush into my personal bathroom and check my makeup, touching up my peach-colored lipstick. I also brush my long platinum-blonde hair up into a high ponytail so I look like the other staff. As the owner, I don’t have to wear the dress code, but I think it looks more professional, and I’m all about professionalism.
Before I leave, I nod to the beautiful women whose portraits line my office walls. They are why I do this day in and day out. Someone has to keep the women of Ravens Hollow safe, and I decided long ago I would be the one to do it. As I step out of my office for the night, the hushed quiet of the hallway, lined with flocked wallpaper, is broken only by the gentle tap-tap-tap of my heels. Onyx, my broody, badass bodyguard waits patiently for me at the end. His eyes hold mine for just a second before he pushes open the door for me. He’s been doing that lately, making my heart flutter with just a look of his dark and dangerous eyes. It makes my pussy throb with a desperate need for him. One that doesn’t seem to be getting any better no matter how much I tell it to fuck off. Yes, I will admit it. I have it bad for my bodyguard, a man who is out of bounds in so many ways it’s not even funny. But my horny little body won’t get with the fucking program.
“I get you as my desk buddy tonight, girl?” Myriah smirks as I join her behind the bar. She’s busy wiping down glasses and lining them up on the marble countertop.
“Looks that way. Is there something on in Ravens Hollow tonight I don’t know about?” I ask her, assessing the rather empty club before me. Where are all my regulars?
“Girl, you know everything that happens in this town.”
“Why is this place dead and all my usual staff busy then?” I click my fingers, remembering. “Jagger, he has that event on at the Precinct tonight.”
“Damn big bro, stealing your clientele.” She laughs, knowing I could give two shits about what Jagger is up to. His establishment is on the other side of town, and where my club is classy, in moody blacks and silvers, with hanging chandeliers, fresh flowers, and girls who charge upward of one thousand by the hour, his dive bar is more what you would expect from an emblem-wearing biker-gang leader. Dingy and rough around the edges. Because that is exactly what my big brother is.
“What can I get for you, honey?” I ask the handsome specimen sitting alone at the bar. He must have just come in. I can’t help but check him out, my eyes leisurely roaming over his face and body—well, what I can see from this side of the bar, anyway. The sun has kissed his skin to a deep tan, and his sandy-blond hair styled longer on one side gives him a surfer vibe, strange for round these parts since we have no surf.
“A Bud Light, thanks.” He smiles, a charming smile that reaches his dimples, crinkling the corners of his eyes. Piercing green eyes that suck me into the depths of his soul. Who the fuck is this guy? I need to know.
I return his grin. “Coming right up,” I say all flirty, then cringe as I turn around to open the fridge. Christ, I sound like Myriah, the most massive flirt you have ever met. I need to get laid and fast, the number twenty-five lighting up in my head like a fucking neon sign. What kind of a sex club owner is still a virgin at that age? The extremely sad, horny kind, that’s who. And I need to do something about it desperately, because that number is haunting me and I’m running out of time fast. My birthday is in three days!
I crack open the frosty beer and slide it smoothly across the bar top to him, watching as he takes the first swig. “Are you new in town? I haven’t seen you in here before,” I ask, knowing I sound corny as hell, but it’s the truth, and Jagger would kill me if I didn’t keep a good eye on who walks through my door. You can never be too careful in this line of business.
“Moved here yesterday.” A happy chuckle punctuates his reply, making it clear he’s up for a friendly conversation.
“From California?” I ask when he doesn’t give me anything else to go off.
“From New York.” His brow rises, and his green eyes twinkle like sparkling gemstones. “Originally from California.”
I slap the cool smooth surface of my stone bar top. “I knew it.” My grin widens. I love to be right, but who doesn’t. “Why of all the places on this planet would you choose to visit Ravens Hollow? I love this town, but it’s a shithole.”
He chuckles, and I think it’s the best sound I have ever heard. This guy is something else. “My gran is quite ill and needs help, so I’ve come to take care of her for a couple of months.”
I gush even more; this guy is just adorable. “How kind of you. Your next drink is on me.”
He slowly scans my face, and I can see I intrigue him. “Thanks. Do you own this place?”
“Sure do.” I do enjoy the surprise in people’s faces when they find out this place is mine. No one expects it. They think my brothers run it and I work for them. But the truth is I’m more successful than all of them, and they couldn’t run this place if their lives depended on it. I adore my brothers, but they are more about having a good time, less about responsibility.
“And you choose to work behind the bar?” he asks, surprised.
“My manager is sick tonight, and I didn’t have a replacement at short notice, so here I am. I can’t say I’m disappointed. It’s not every day I get to meet someone new.” I would like to say someone so damn fine, but I keep that last bit to myself. I feel like a bitch in heat right now, and I’m sure he can tell.
“You’re not the only one. I’m glad I stumbled on this place tonight.” His gaze holds mine, and it’s like the rest of the room fades out. I’m captivated by the intensity in his eyes, a swirling vortex I want to get lost in. “With you working here, I’m sure men are drawn to your club like moths to a flame.”
The way he says it makes me wonder what he’s trying to get at. He might be new in town, but has someone told him what we do here and he’s looking for a quick fuck? Or is it something more sinister? “Thank you for the compliment, but most nights I’m hunched over my desk, the glow of the computer screen illuminating the late-night paperwork and the ever-growing pile of staffing issues. It’s not all glamorous running a club.”
“I bet it’s long days, filled with the constant pressure of looming deadlines and stressful situations most of the time.” He leans forward, and I prop my elbows on the bar so we’re a little closer. Man, am I glad we’re not busy tonight. “And the threat of constant danger present.” I know that he is implying the table of bikers behind us is getting rowdier.
My lips curve into a smile as our eyes meet, the air crackling between us, as the rest of the bar seems to fade away. I don’t know his name, but there’s a palpable energy about him, a quiet intensity, like he’s silently promising to be my knight in shining armor. Swooping in and saving me. I know what this life would look like to an outsider, but to me, it’s normal, and if anything I want to corrupt him, lure him into the dark side with me. “It is a chaotic life, but it’s my life, and honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“I admire the hustle, but don’t you ever wonder if there’s an easier way? Something a little more fun. Maybe letting someone sweep you off your feet and take care of you instead?” His eyes meet mine, causing my heart to kick up a beat.
I gaze back at him. I knew this was where our conversation was going, I could see it in his charming eyes. He’s too pure to be in this place, too genuine and kind. I sigh heavily; he wants to save me when I don’t need saving.
He takes a swig of his drink as the silence hangs in the air between us. It’s not uncomfortable. Not at all, in fact. “I think it would be more fun if I corrupted you.” I smirk cheekily. “I’m not all work and no play.”
He chuckles light-heartedly. “You’re a wildcat.”
“I can be whatever you want me to be,” I say, knowing right now I am Myriah. I have heard her use that exact line before. And I’m so fucking grateful no one is around to hear me since she is currently clearing tables.
His touch, light as a feather yet intense as a flame, sends thrills through my body as he reaches out and traces the side of my face. “I bet you could.” The way he says it, I know that’s exactly what he’s imagining. Me being wild just for him. I know it’s where my mind is at.
Out of my periphery I spot Asher, one of my older brothers, striding through my club like he owns the place. He spots Myriah chatting to a table of patrons in Iron Strykers’ jackets and kisses her cheek on his way toward me. Shit! Of course, one of my brothers is here to ruin my flirting. It’s like they have a fucking Sloane-fun radar, and as soon as I’m talking to a dude I’m actually interested in, they appear to spoil it. I glance over my shoulder at my bodyguard, Onyx, and know he’s behind this. They team up on me. He would have texted Asher for sure. I take a step back from the bar as he gets up in my space, kissing my cheek. “Hey, little sis, what you doing behind that bar? Where’s Sally?”
“She’s sick. Don’t you have another sibling to bother tonight? I’m busy covering her shift.”
His grin widens, showcasing his cheeky-as-fuck dimples. “It’s your lucky day. I’m free as a bird, might stick around and give you a hand.”
I glare at him to make it obvious he’s cramping my style. “Fuck off, Ash,” I snap when he doesn’t take the hint. “You know I don’t need your help. All you’re going to do is chat up Myriah and make her all flustered. I need her focused tonight.”
He looks at my new friend at the bar, his brow raised in his direction. “You see how mean my little sister is? Here I am trying to be her hero, and she talks to me like the shit she just scraped off the bottom of her shoes. What would you do if that was your sister?” he asks him, and I fucking know what he’s doing. Making sure this very attractive dude knows who I belong to—the Strykers. And that means he can’t touch me. Or he can, but he might just lose his hands for trying.
I sigh heavily, so over this protective macho bullshit. “You don’t have to answer him. He’s just being a dick.”
“Looks like he wants to help you. I wouldn’t know what that was like, I’m an only child.”
“Oh my God, you’re so lucky.” As I say it, I hear myself and cringe. What the hell is wrong with me tonight? Why do I sound like a high school cheerleader trying to chat up the football captain? Even Asher gives me a funny look.
“Sloane here has four big brothers.” He turns around so the guy can see his jacket. “Iron Strykers,” he says, just in case it wasn’t already fucking obvious.
The dude tilts his head toward me. “You’re a lucky girl.” He polishes off his drink and hands me the bottle. “How about that second drink.” His lips curl up at the side, and I smirk back. He knows what my brother is doing as well, and he doesn’t give a fuck.
I like this guy. He’s either brave or stupid. I hope it’s the first option; he won’t survive around here otherwise. He stands and holds his hand out for my brother to shake. “Reef Wilder,” he introduces himself. But I’m stuck on how tall he is. He must be six four at least, just a smidge taller than Asher. He’s also built, the muscles in his arms bulging as he shakes my brother’s hand. I almost have to wipe the drool from the side of my lips. This guy keeps getting better and better.
“Asher Stryker,” my brother says with a warning in his tone. “You must be new in town.”
“Just moved here to take care of his gran, how sweet is that, Asher.”
Asher’s eyes run over him. “Real sweet. You might want to get home to her and leave my little sister to do her job, she’s very busy.”
I roll my eyes. We have now lost the ability to be subtle and he’s just plain being an asshole. Fucking awesome. I hand Reef his second beer. Fuck, even his name is hot. Then I take my brother by his bicep, making sure to dig my long-manicured nails right into his flesh as I drag him with me to the other end of the bar. “You need to fuck off. I know what you’re doing, and I’m fucking sick of it.”
“What am I doing, Sloane, offering to help you? That’s all I see here. A big brother who loves his little sister so much, he can’t stand to see her drop her panties for some surfer boy.”
My death glare intensifies, and I slap him across his arm as hard as I can.
His face scrunches up into a scowl. “That fucking hurt. Why are you being such a bitch tonight?”
I stomp my foot, so fucking frustrated. “Because you won’t let me be a normal person. Striding in here and introducing yourself as my brother, a fucking Stryker.” I roll my eyes. “I’m so sick of you and your double standards. You come in here and hook up with my staff and customers on the regular, but God help me if I’m chatting to one nice guy. Nope, that’s not possible. You get Onyx to message you so you can come on in and make a scene, hoping to scare him off.”
His expression turns more serious, and I see how much he really cares. “No one is good enough for you,” he growls.
“I’m going to be single forever.” I’m going to die a fucking virgin. It’s actually going to happen.
From the other end of the bar, I see Reef stand and polish off his drink. He offers me a wave, and my heart sinks. He might be new in town, but even he knows I’m not worth the hassle when I have four big brothers and a bodyguard ready to chop him up just for chatting to me. I offer a wave back, knowing that will be the last time I ever see him in here.
Asher waves as well while he watches him leave and has a little chuckle to himself because he knows he’s won.
“I hate you,” I bark at him, taking a bottle of top shelf whiskey down and pouring myself a drink.
“You love me.” He kisses my forehead. “What needs doing around here? Onyx says you’re stressed and have too much on your plate. I wasn’t kidding, I’m yours for the night, put me to work.”
I glance over at Onyx, knowing deep down he messages my brothers because he cares, but man, it would be nice to have a little freedom. His eyes, dark and intense, lock with mine, and I quickly look away, feeling a blush creep up my neck. Him watching every move I make is wearing, especially now when I can’t get him out of my mind as well.
He has been my bodyguard since I turned eighteen and took over this place, but he has been in my life forever. Literally since I was born. I wish I knew what had changed between us lately, but maybe it’s always been this way and I just hadn’t noticed he was looking back when I gazed at him with puppy-dog eyes. What started out as a little crush a few years ago has now turned into more of an obsession. I think about him all the time. When he’s close to me, I’m desperate for him to touch me in any way. When I’m alone late at night, I get off to the thought of him. I know he’s off limits, for so many reasons, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting him so badly it hurts. Maybe that’s why I was so excited to have a hot distraction tonight. For the whole time I was talking to Reef, I wasn’t thinking about Onyx.
I close my eyes and massage my temple, trying to stop the spinny feeling that’s happening again. I have been feeling so off this week, lightheaded and just plain weird. I know it’s just stress, and the truth is I really can’t afford to turn Asher’s offer of help away, no matter how much he just pissed me off.
I turn back to him. “Can you work the bar for a couple of hours so I can catch up?” I polish off my drink. “Or maybe I will just off myself since I have a life sentence of being alone ahead of me,” I can’t help but add, needing him to know how truly angry I am about him causing a scene.
“You’re going to trust me and Myriah together on the bar?” He cocks a cheeky brow.
I inhale deeply, wishing for some sort of patience so I can deal with my life. “I’m going to trust you to do the right thing because you’re a mature adult who knows how to make good choices. Maybe you, Jagger, Cruz, and Malachi can award me the same honor since I’m about to turn twenty-fucking-five,” I snap back at him before stalking off in the direction of my office.
I’m grateful for his help tonight, but fuck, I’m so disappointed. I was having fun talking to Reef Wilder, the cute surfy boy originally from California. I sigh heavily as I swipe my card to let me through to the back room. Looks like it will be me and my hand again tonight. At least I will have a new hot face to imagine as I get myself off.