Chapter 42 The Sovereign – Koen
THE SOVEREIGN
KOEN
Now
Briar’s been quiet the whole drive.
She’s wearing the dress—the one I bought her. And it’s a good thing I did. The outfit she’d come up with—a cut off band t-shirt, shorts, and black fishnet tights—while I enjoyed it, clothes like that won’t cut it at the club we’re going to.
The Sovereign is exclusive, catering only to the rich and powerful. And seeing as how she’s mine, I need her to look the part.
The black silk clings to her the way I knew it would. Simple, expensive, and tight—and short enough that it might as well be lingerie. The sight of her in it, knowing that I bought it for her… it’s all I can do not to drag her back into her bedroom and rip it off.
But we have places to be.
Briar fidgets in her seat, pressed up so close against the door that I’m glad I engaged the child-lock, because even if she doesn’t try to run again, she might just fall out.
She’s staring out the window. Her hands play anxiously along the hemline of her skirt, which is so indecently high, I think I might have an aneurysm if it creeps any further.
It’s what I wanted, I bought the fucking dress, but the thought of anyone else seeing her in it has me seeing red.
I should check on her, see if she’s okay, but every time I go to open my mouth, I can’t make the words come out. So instead, we sit in silence as I try, and fail, to keep my eyes off of her.
When we pull up to the club, Briar shifts in her seat, shooting anxious glances my way with nervous flicks of her eyes.
“What?” I clip out, looking up from my phone after I feel her gaze on me a third time.
“What’s the plan again?” she asks nervously.
“You do everything I say.”
“Oh, of course, how could I forget?” She rolls her eyes. “Excellent plan, boss.”
I clench my fist to keep from wrapping it around her throat.
I slide my phone away, turning so that I’m facing her. I don’t miss how she swallows, her throat bobbing as she meets my gaze.
“This club is known for—” I pause, carefully choosing my words. “Trading,” I say finally.
“In girls?” she asks, her expression borderline horrified.
One look gives her her answer.
“Oh.”
“While we are in there, you’re going to act like you are mine. You know, just like you do for all those guys back at Wonderland every night.” She works for Giovanni. I know Wonderland’s reputation, what his girls are known for doing in those back rooms of his. This should be right up her alley.
Her eyes darken. It’s a low blow, but I can’t resist. If she can do it for them, she can do it for me, too.
“You just have to pretend like you want me; it’s really not that hard.”
“Says you,” she mumbles. “And what are you doing in there?”
“I have business to attend to. Your job is to look at faces. I want to know if anyone in there looks familiar to you from that night in Wonderland.” Before we left her apartment, I made her fill me in on the circumstances that got her sent to that warehouse.
“Got it?”
I look back at her, annoyed to find she’s not looking at me. Her eyes are on the club, a far-off look in them as she chews on her thumbnail.
“Briar.”
The sharpness in which I say her name elicits a little flinch, pulling her out of whatever memory or imagined scenario she’d been lost in.
“I got it.”
This girl has got me so distracted I almost forget to give her the chain. I reach under my collar to unfasten the twisted silver chain from around my neck. I rub my thumb over the little charm, a Celtic trinity knot, before holding it out to her.
“Here.”
Briar turns slowly to face me, eyeing the chain before looking back at me.
“What is it?”
She still hasn’t taken it.
“Just put it on, will ye?”
She eyes the twisted silver chain in my hand like it’s poison.
“Why?”
My fingers tighten around the chain and I grab her hand, depositing the necklace directly into it before closing her fingers around it. “Because I told you to, that’s why.”
I bring my fist back to my side before it tightens again, and I force myself to look out the window so I don’t wrap the damn thing around her neck myself.
I catch Liam’s smirk in the rear view mirror and notice how he and Mac exchange amused glances. I glare at the both of them. I’m relieved to find Briar fastening the chain around her neck out of the corner of my eye.
“Can’t just answer a simple question…” she mutters, keeping her gaze steady out the window.
I breathe in deep, not entirely conscious of the decision to answer her before I do.
“It’s mine. If you’re wearing it, everyone will know who you belong to.” I look over to find her staring at me. “No one will touch you.”
She releases a shaky breath and dips her chin, and I relax back against the seat, considering the matter done with.
“Never take it off,” I add, right before Liam pulls up to the door, and the valet steps forward to take the keys. I step out, buttoning my suit jacket before walking around the SUV to let Briar out.
As I open the door for her, the look on her face tells me she tried and failed to open it herself, and she sure as hell knows why. It’s work to hide the smirk on my face when I offer her my hand.
She thinks about refusing, but when my gaze hardens, she sighs, reluctantly placing her palm in mine, yanking it away the second her feet are on the pavement. I give her a look but allow it, placing my hand on the small of her back instead, to guide her the rest of the way to the door.
When we reach the main floor, Briar visibly stiffens and I feel a slight tremble ripple through her body, not missing when she inches closer to me.
The first floor of The Sovereign is just a strip club: tables, stages, a bar.
As we weave our way through to the back, I don’t miss the attention Briar attracts…
how men lean back in their seats as she passes to steal an extra look at her ass.
My jaw tightens when I catch her lagging behind. Reaching out, I snatch hold of her hand and pull her in close. Her body is stiff in my grip while I lead her toward the elevator.
“Relax,” I hiss into her ear as we wait for the doors to open. She’s going to blow this whole thing with how tense she is. Her reaction is odd—doesn’t she do this every night? At least here, she won’t have to take her clothes off.
Eyes follow us through the club. First, looking to me, then taking an interest in her. I make sure my hand stays on her at all times, keeping her close. Liam trails closely behind.
The host brings us to the table, the men I’m looking to meet are already waiting. I slide into the booth, setting Briar down on my knee, my hand moving to her lower abdomen to steady her.
The eyes of all three men flash with interest at the sight of the girl I’ve got with me.
“I didn’t know you were bringing company?” Filip smiles, leaning in while licking his lips. He gives her an appreciative once-over, and my fingers tighten on Briar’s side when I feel her stiffen.
The way he’s looking at her makes me want to reach for my knife and gouge his eyes out but instead, I lean back in my seat, forcing my expression to stay lazy, indifferent.
The waitress automatically places a glass of whiskey in front of me. My hand grips it but I don’t take a drink, wanting to keep my wits sharp tonight. “Thought we were here to talk shipments,” I say, redirecting the conversation.
Dominick speaks up, nodding to my brother seated on my right. “Liam here said you wanted to meet to discuss changing up the routes.” The Polish mafia may be small, but they do control several key ports and ships along the East Coast.
“Aye. We’ve encountered a few snags in operations over the past few weeks. I may be looking to expand my horizons, test out some new waters.”
“That so?” Dominick’s eyes gleam with interest. He’s got a terrible poker face.
“She really is exquisite.” Filip hasn’t taken his eyes off Briar, and he’s staring at her chest. “Where’d you get one like that?”
My mouth pinches, irritation growing at his continued interest in the girl on my lap.
“Giovanni,” I clip out and watch their brows rise.
“Fuck.” Filip smiles, looking away from Briar, and finally to his boss. “I might have to change my mind about attending that auction next month.”
“I didn’t know the Irish were involved in all that,” Aleksander, the oldest of the three, says, speaking for the first time.
“Like I said,” I say smoothly, slowly tracing a finger up and down Briar’s side. A wave of delight goes through me when she shivers. “We’re looking to try new things.” My gaze moves back to Dominick. “The trade routes?”
The business talk circles, we go back and forth on various ports and shipments we need to land. Liam wants reassurance that the Polish still have no deals with the Russians.
“You’d sooner see me dead than striking a deal with a fucking kacap!” Dominick hisses angrily, snatching his glass off of the table and draining what’s left in it.
I believe him.
“Heard your brother snatched the Bratva’s little angel right out from under Kostalov’s nose,” Aleksander says casually, swirling his glass but keeping a keen eye on me.
My jaw tightens.
Filip laughs at that. “I wouldn’t want to be her.
Ace ain’t known for his soft side,” he says, winking at me.
“Word is he’s making their little angel pay for what her family did.
” He lifts his glass to me. “My condolences on your father by the way.” I grit my teeth but he continues, “I admit, I’m jealous.
You can’t buy premium virgin ass like that on the street, that’s for sure.
She must’ve been fun to break.” His eyes slide back over to Briar, who’s trembling now on my knee.
“The Irish do seem to have good taste when it comes to their pets.”
Every muscle in my body goes tight, and I feel Liam shift beside me.
He looks my way and I give him a small, nearly imperceptible shake of my head.
Liam looks pissed but he stays seated, though I’m certain, like me, he’s resisting the urge to launch across the table at Filip for the way he’s talking about Rory.
My brother didn’t take the Bratva Princess; he saved her. Married her to keep her safe from the arranged marriage her father had set up with the monster that was Matteo Carozza. Another problem we’d seen to.
I don’t correct them. If we’re to get into the upcoming auction, rumors like that can only help us.
Liam clears his throat, wrangling the discussion back to the matter at hand, and finalizing the deal for an upcoming shipment we have coming in from down south.
Briar hasn’t moved in minutes. She sits atop my lap, stone still, back rigid.
To anyone watching, she appears to be the perfect accessory: poised, pretty, and obedient.
But I can feel the truth in every tiny tremor that runs through her.
The way I can feel her heart racing when my hand circles her wrist, wanting to feel her pulse.
I lean in, letting my mouth brush against her ear, low enough so that only she can hear me.
“Go to the bathroom,” I murmur.
She tenses, nearly jumping at the sound of my voice, too caught up in the conversations playing out around her. My thumb moves in small circles on the outside of her thigh.
“Take a breath,” I say, trying to reassure her, and wait until I see her inhale deeply.
“Good. Now go, take a lap, freshen up, and remember why you’re here.” My hand finds her chin, turning her face to mine, silently reminding her of her mission—to see if she recognizes anyone from that night in Wonderland.
I sit back, my expression bored and unreadable. It takes her a second, but she slowly rises. Keeping her head down as she makes her way through the crowd, though I catch her eyes darting up, taking in faces. I keep my eyes on her until she disappears into the bathroom.
“Well-trained,” Filip compliments, and I grab hold of my glass, pulling it closer so I don’t bury my fist into his throat.