Chapter 13
Thirteen
Belle
I t’s been four straight days of so much sex my body is ready to give out. Our show has been so successful, New York City’s new branch of The Gilded Key Society wants us to take our show on the road.
It’s tempting. But I don’t think the men are wanting to leave their gig as SEALs to travel the country screwing me in different locations. Talk about a mid-life crisis career change.
Now that I think about it like that, it doesn’t sound too off of what Aziel would call perfection.
First, I just want to wrap up this little gig and not have my brother find out. New York can wait.
I enter The Society through the side entrance intended for the workers though Raja insisted I walk through the front doors. According to him, it draws the eye of the members which leads to more visitors to the Mirror Room. I can’t bring myself to do it though. On stage, no one is paying attention to my face. I walk past them swaying my now-familiar hips and dirty blonde hair; someone is bound to put two and two together.
The door closes behind me and I stash my things in the dressing room before heading out to the floor. Society members are already gathering among the available lounge areas with waitresses moving through the crowd offering cocktails and cock rings all in the same breath.
It’s dark enough in here that I don’t have to worry about someone recognizing me.
Today I’ve come in early so I can catch up with my cousin. If I’m lucky she’ll help me slip out after the show. I don’t think I’ll get away from the men so many times in a row. Every night this week they’ve tried to get me back at their lake house and every night I’ve had to fight my way out of this club. Not because they have held me here, but because I struggle in sticking to my guns and keeping this as strictly pleasure.
Besides, I need to talk to my cousin about a situation I overheard on my first night here. I haven’t been able to get her alone long enough to share the hot news I picked up.
I spot the booth I reserved earlier complete with a pitcher of waiting margaritas and two cocktail glasses.
Sapphire enters with a hostess and I wave them over. I’ve worn my hair up and away from my face, but I know the second my men see me they’ll loosen the high-swept ponytail and not be happy until my hair hangs loose. The clinging white wrap-around dress I picked for tonight hugs my breasts and I’ve caught the eye of a few single men looking to hook up with someone willing to share their evening. They can look all they want, but these curves belong to three other men.
Sapphire’s shimmery dress highlights her blue eyes and I swear she is a walking diamond who catches everyone’s eye as she passes. Including the Southern Alliance’s.
Sapphire and the hostess weave through the crowd and I swear with my hand over my heart the closer Sapphire gets the more irritated she seems.
“I’ll leave you now, Ms. Constantine. Enjoy your stay with The Gilded Key Society.”
“Thank you.”
The hostess leaves. No sooner are we left alone do I throw my arms around my friend.
“What the heck was that about?” I ask when we break apart. Some major vibes are going on between her and the Southern Alliance sitting a few booths away.
I glance over her shoulder, but she pulls me back around.
“Never mind. It was nothing. Probably mistaken identity.”
I can see her warring with herself. Being near the men she craves but can’t have is killing her. I’ve known her since we were in pampers. She tries to school her expression, but I see her desires flitter over her expression
“Liar. I’m not blind, Sapph. I see them every night, too. Harlon would keel over if he knew we were here with the Southern Alliance three tables over.”
Fucking mafia feuds and though shalt nots rule both our worlds.
Sapphire tsks. “What? You scared of your brother now?” Her tone is slightly mocking but I don’t take offense.
I know she thinks I’m this perfect example of a spoiled member of Constantine royalty. But we both know the real me. I’m a little dirty under all my sweetness.
“Yeah right!” I scoff.
She gives a low laugh. “That’s what I thought.”
“Good deflection. But, come on. I see that fuck me look on your face. You wanna do the nasty with those three.” I gesture behind her and she grabs my hand, holding onto it.
“Belle!” she hisses. “Can you try to be a little louder?”
We sink into the plush cushions of our booth and sigh. Thank God the high dividers between the booths block us from view when we sit down.
“What? Tell me I’m lying.” I know the true version of her. The one with the kinky desires and filthy dreams and she knows my darkest secrets.
“You’re such a hussy. I can feel those take me I’m yours vibes rippling off you like waves in an ocean, girl.” I wrap my hand around my throat in a dramatic way as if I’m drowning.
She puts her phone on the table and runs her hands over the smooth buttery soft leather of the sofa we sit on. “You are too much sometimes, you know that?”
My glossed lips pull up into a mischievous grin and I bat my lashes. “But ya love me.” I serve us each a margarita and push one her way.
She takes it.
“You knew they were going to be here. Not just tonight but this whole week.”
I lean forward. Busted.
“That’s the real reason you wanted me here, isn’t it?”
The mood shifts from casual to tense. “You are always talking about wanting a family. I happen to know something and I’ve been waiting to see if the chemistry between you guys would work. And now I think I have my answer.”
I didn’t do any matching, despite appearances, but she doesn’t need to know that. While I believe in kismet, Sapphire is less inclined toward the magic and mystery of fate.
That’s okay. She has me.
She licks the salt from her lips contemplating me from under thick falsies and perfectly dolled-up eyes. “Like some cupid?” she quips.
“Not really. I just played the cards in front of me.” I lean across the table and lower my voice. “Hear me out, okay? A couple of the women who handle club contracts between members were talking in the dressing room and I overheard that all three men of the Southern Alliance are looking for a breeder.”
Sapphire’s face blanches. I can practically see images of cribs, bottles, and onesies flashing across her mind. But her words say she’s lost. “Come again?”
I gesture with my hands over my belly. “You know.” I make a baby bump gesture. “A breeder. Someone to have their baby under contract.”
Her face says: “Yep. That’s what I thought you said.”
“You are not serious. You didn’t talk to them about me, did you?”
Her face reddens and I can tell she’s worried. I grab her hand and squeeze it.
“No, silly.”
She sighs and in goes a healthy gulp of her margarita.
“Let’s start over. Hi, I’m Sapphire. Have you seen my cousin? She’s about this tall, cute, plump ass in a skin-tight white strapless dress. Love in her eyes and is always happy. It’s annoying really. I’ve seemed to have lost her and found a nosy blonde trying to get me killed instead.”
I roll my eyes dramatically. “Cute ass, huh? Okay, I’ll take that.” I tap my phone. “I can give them your number if you like. Walk over, drop it on their table.” I know my smile turns devilish while her expression is closer to a sheet of paper—completely blank.
“Belle, please don’t get me killed. Your brother is sweet and all, but I don’t want to get on his bad side.”
“Okay, okay. I get it. I know how miserable you are about thinking you owe Harlon. I just wanted to help. Tell me I didn’t see what I obviously saw between you and those men just a minute ago and I’ll drop it.”
“It was nothing.”
“Did I mention it’s a paying job?”
Her brows shoot up. “Paid to get knocked up?”
I wiggle my brows. “Yep.”
She gulps her margarita, tossing the whole thing back letting her cheeks bulge with the liquid.
All the movement of her throat draws my eyes to my cousin’s throat. I suck in a harsh breath out of surprise.
There’s not enough concealer in the world to hide the black and blue marks marring her skin, but she definitely tried.
“Oh my God, Sapphire! What the holy hell happened?” My voice climbs and I can’t stop looking at her throat, bare shoulders, and fingers. “Were you in an accident? Here I was flooding your phone all day with silly selfies and talking babies when you were in trouble and obviously traumatized.” I must have sent her a dozen selfies of me with the men. We’d met over lunch to talk about the show tonight. We’d been happy but there was tension there too. Something was up between Gage and Aziel. Rush filled me in when they went to pay the check. He shared they were at odds about Aziel wanting to leave the military. It was hard not to press for more answers, but those two had no plans of opening up to me on that front.
I sigh and shove the men from my mind, turning my attention back on Sapphire. I weave the fingers of her hand through mine over the table’s polished top. “Tell me. What the hell happened?”
I turn her chin left, noticing the thumbprint on one side and the four fingers on the other.
“Damn, Sapph. Is that a cut, too? Who did this to you?”
“It’s nothing. A misunderstanding at work. It’s all sorted out. Honestly. How about another margarita?”
“Here, take my drink. I’ll get us more. Lots more. Should I cancel my show? Oh, crap.” I glance at my watch. “It’s almost time.”
I scoot my chilled margarita into Sapphire’s hands.
A little wide-eyed, I watch as she takes a small sip and then a second and third. Yeah, we’re going to need more liquid courage.
I stop a passing waiter dressed in The Society’s attire. Black dress slacks and crisp white shirt. No name tag.
“Hey, sweetie, will you bring a pitcher and an ice pack please?” I move into momma hen mode. “Now tell me everything.”
I don’t take my eyes off Sapphire’s face as she spills her guts for the next half hour. She fills me in on the trouble with work and a runner named Snake Eye who ended up going to the basement with Harlon.
Ouch.
“Whoever this Snake Eyes is, I hope Harlon cuts his nuts off and feeds it to him in front of those two asshole security men who were supposed to protect you from douches like him.” I take in her bruises and I’m close to picking up the phone to make a few calls when she plucks it out of my hands.
“I got this, okay?”
“Okay.”
We clink glasses. Around a mouthful of tequila and salty margarita mix, Sapphire concurs with my throat-cutty take on what should happen with the man who attacked her.
“I don’t doubt Snaky is wishing for a career change right about now.”
“Speaking of careers, how long before you tell my brother to stick it and you run away with me to New York?” Or some other place the mafia life can’t touch us. The moon maybe.
“As soon as you tell him you’re screwing three guys in the middle of a sex club.”
Her face scrunches at the sight of mine doing the same.
In a low voice I say, “Would you seriously pass up the chance to have something with those three if you had a chance? C’mon. You can tell me.”
“The problem with that is I owe Harlon. You know that. It doesn’t matter what I want.”
Her words reverberate through me like a ton of truth hitting me all at once.
It doesn’t matter what I want. Gage, Rush, and Aziel can never be more than a fleeting time for me. All that matters is what is best for the Constantine family. Worse yet, Sapphire and I are trapped under the rules of a dark world we don’t want any part of anymore.
Around us, the room is starting to fill with key bearers and key masters and my mind turns to the show. I feel the energy shift in the room and look up to see my three alphas prowl toward us.
“More later, okay?” Sapphire and I both stand. She turns, following my line of sight, and comes face to face with all three of my SEALs.
“Hey, sweetheart,” drawls Gage, reaching for me. He slips a thick arm around my waist while the other two come up on the other side.
“Ready for tonight, baby girl?” Rush places a slow kiss over my exposed collarbone. You know what I’m talking about. The kind of kiss that says I know what we are about to do and it’s going to be hella kinky.
Aziel moves an arm tightly around my middle right above Gage’s. This isn’t for the show either. There’s possession in their touches and Sapphire notices big time.
“Mind if we take Belle for a little while? We promise to bring her back safe and sound.” Rush winks at Sapphire, all innocent and sweet.
“Gentlemen,” she says with a knowing smile.
“Just a minute guys, please.” I place my hands on either of Sapphire’s shoulders.
Blue eyes hook mine. “Belle. I don’t know how you do it.”
I know what she means, but I don’t try to correct her. I can see in her eyes she thinks I’ve found some happily ever after when in reality I’ve done nothing but give myself heartache in the end.
I smile softly and keep all the coming dread in my life under wraps for now. There will be plenty of long nights of crying and ice cream in my future.
But not tonight.
“It’s simple. Once we get going, their hands on me, their mouths doing wicked things…down there, it’s like magic. The audience fades to dull noise and it stops being about the show. It’s me with my men. I enjoy giving others pleasure and if I can help others find their balance in some way, how can I not explore that?”
I place a hand over my cousin’s heart. “You should do the same.”
I smooth out a few stray strands of hair near her cheek and give her a quick hug. “Go with your men, sweetie. I’ll be fine. Promise.” Lifting my gaze, I find hope in what I see. “It looks like tonight might hold something good for the both of us.”
Sapphire’s brows draw together when I pull back from her.
“Why?”
In a low voice, I say, “Don’t look now but you have visitors coming your way. Now you seek out those bold new adventures and maybe lose that V card to a crew of handsome Bratva.”
“Belle,” she starts.
I slip across the small distance to join my waiting lovers. In a louder voice, I say, “Gentlemen, be careful with her.”
“Do we need to do something? They don’t look like the nicest men.” Rush looks over his shoulder as we walk away.
“Actually, I think that is what my cousin likes about them. Just how rough and tough they are.”
Gage swings me up into his arms and pins me to his chest. “Enough talk about other men. After tonight’s show, I want to take you out on our boat. Get you alone under the stars.”
“Not tonight, boys. I need to head home. I have some work I need to take care of.” I’m half teasing and half itching to get my hands on my paints. I want to put the image of our time here in the Mirror Room on canvas while it’s fresh in my memory. Not like I’ll be forgetting any of this in this lifetime.
“Bothers, did you pack the rope tonight?” Now Gage is the one who looks like he’s only half kidding.
“Oh,” I ask, my brows arching high in question.
He shrugs with a rueful grin taking hold of his lips. “I’ll resort to low-handed tactics to get what I want, sweetheart.”
That is what I am afraid of most. If they get me alone at their house, I’ll cave and tell them everything. They are SEALs and I represent everything they are fighting against in the world. It would be the end of us.