12. Cashlynn
CHAPTER 12
CASHLYNN
C urrently, I was lying in bed with the lights off, staring at the ceiling, headphones on, and listening to a random meditation playlist I found on YouTube. Normally I would close my eyes to meditate and center myself, but after what happened last time, I needed to be alert.
Carson was in the game room, which seemed to be his favorite room in the house. He had adjusted to living at Nazai’s house a lot quicker than I expected him to.
My nerves were rattled from earlier when Nazai kissed me. It caught me off guard for many reasons. Mainly because that was the first time anyone had kissed me. It was embarrassing and pissed me off at the same time. I just froze, eventually biting his tongue, not sure how else to react.
I sighed. It had been a while since I’d meditated. My mind cleared and my body relaxed the most it had been in months. I hated that the Tavarezes were so in the public eye. I never cared for attention and wished they just would be a normal crime family and leave the spotlight to the upstanding citizens.
My calmness was interrupted when the lights were turned on and my headphones were snatched off my ears.
“What the hell!” I hissed.
Nazai stood above me with that annoying, cocky, crooked grin he often wore on his face. He was still in the same suit he’d worn to the party. It was unsettling how arrogant he was. It would be better if he was ugly, but Nazai was far from that. He was extremely attractive and always well put together.
When I logged onto social media today, for the first time in ages, I went to his Instagram and saw it was flooded with women gushing and lusting over him. He didn’t have much on it, mainly a couple of selfies and pictures with his brothers. Those pictures got double the comments with women wishing they could land one of the brothers. Both his personal and business pages had thousands of followers.
Yesterday I hadn’t expected his reaction when it came to his car or fish tank. I was still seething about the gun situation and wanted to get a reaction out of him and show him I wasn’t a pushover. Blowing thousands of dollars on whatever wasn’t enough. Feeling that water rush against my face and the towel blocking my airwaves caused a fear I hadn’t felt in a long time to come crashing into me. I was furious, but I also felt a rush I hadn’t felt before either. It was confusing to me.
“What do you want? I was busy!” I squinted at him, sitting up on the bed.
“You were sleeping,” he noted.
“I wasn’t sleeping! I was meditating and you interrupted me…again.” He stared at me curiously, as if he couldn’t understand what I meant. It caused me to roll my eyes and grab my phone, pausing the playlist.
“What do you want, Nazai?”
“Get dressed. We’re going to my club tonight.”
My brows bunched and my mouth turned upside down. “Pass. Can I have my headphones?” I held my hand out.
“There is no passing. We need to make an appearance at my club. My brothers and River are meeting us there. Get dressed. Put something tempting on that snatches people’s eyes but doesn’t give away too much. If you don’t have anything like that, I had my stylist get you something.” He nodded at the dress that wasn’t on my bed when I’d first lay down. Another unsettling thing was my awareness when it came to Nazai. Normally I was very aware of my surroundings. It was critical with what I did, but with him I never seemed to be able to detect him.
“I don’t like clubs and I’m not leaving my brother.”
“Your brother will be fine. I called the lady who used to watch me and my siblings to come keep an eye on him.”
“No.” I shut him down. “I’m not leaving my brother with some stranger I don’t know.”
“Mrs. Rosebud has been in my family since I was a kid. She’s more than qualified to watch him. He’ll be in good hands.”
A standoff happened between us, neither willing to back down. “Why do I have to go? You can just go by yourself.” I had never been to The District nightclub but I’d heard about it, of course. It was always packed with people, both it and Euphoria, the strip club attached.
He tossed the headphones on the bed. “I’ve announced you as my fiancée, now we need to sell it. You’re gonna be my wife and we need to show you stand by your husband.”
I rolled my eyes, feeling a headache rise. “Now hurry up, we’re leaving in two hours.” He turned to leave. I turned to look at my phone; it was eight o clock. I wanted to fight him and stand on not going, but eventually I sucked it up. Leaving my brother alone with a stranger still made me uneasy, but I was going to go against my better judgment and trust Nazai’s word. I would talk with Carson before I left to make sure he was okay though.
____
The music was loud, lights flashed, and people talked loudly, having a good time around us. A woman dressed in nothing but a skimpy thong was on stage getting a bunch of bills thrown at her. The District was packed and when we got here the line was wrapped around the corner. When customers first stepped inside, there was a small area where they could either go into the nightclub or go up the stairs that led to Euphoria.
The first hour we were at The District, we were downstairs in the nightclub. Nazai had a private section close to the entrance for him and close friends only. Eventually, we headed upstairs to the strip club. It was a little less chaotic up here than downstairs. Again, we were in the owner’s section, as he called it. His brothers, along with River, all seemed to be having a good time. Lucas and River had been making it rain since they’d gotten here. Emmet had been sitting back nursing a drink, observing his surroundings and Ezra had left to get a private dance in one of the back rooms.
“This must not be your scene.” I jumped when River sat next to me. Nazai had gone to the bar to handle some matter they needed him for. A few girls were in the section entertaining.
“It’s not,” I told him, sipping my drink. I didn’t know what it was but it was fruity and good.
Where we were gave us a full view of the rest of the club. “Me and Nazai been best friends our whole lives. You’re the first woman I’ve seen give him a run for his money though,” he mentioned.
This time I turned to face River. He was an attractive man—smooth chocolate skin, bulky frame, five o’ clock shadow that highlighted his chin.
“Do you have a point?”
He smirked. “Nah, just making an observation.”
I ran my eyes over him. “You’re considered his enforcer, right? The one that takes care of issues?”
His face straightened. “I’m his head of security, yeah.”
I tilted my head. “Mhm. For both businesses?”
River eyed me curiously but I made sure to give nothing away. Since I would be marrying into the Tavarez family, I wanted to play a part in the business, but it hadn’t come up yet. If I had to guess, River was the one who carried out the killings when they were needed. So I figured he was who I should talk to.
Before I could say anything more, Nazai returned. “Back off my wife. She’s off limits,” he joked, sitting next to me and pulling into his side.
River eyed me a little longer before a crooked grin formed on his face. “She’s not your wife yet.”
“In less than two weeks she will be.” I glanced up at Nazai and he stared down at me, licking his lips.
I hated the flutters that filled my belly. Snatching my eyes from him, I watched one of the girls in the section lean down and whisper something to Emmet. He shook his head and brought his drink to his mouth. Usually I could read people well, but Emmet was hard. He seemed like a blank slate, never giving away how he was feeling, but always watching.
“You glad you came now?” Nazai asked, leaning down.
“I would rather be at home.”
He chuckled and brought his cup to his mouth.
Eventually, Ezra returned with a wide grin on his face.
I had my phone out, checking on Carson. Nazai ended up upgrading his phone at the same time he did mine.
“You the only person I know who comes to a strip club and looks mad at the world.” I glanced up at Ezra. “You ever smile?” He grinned and cocked his head to the side.
Finishing my message to my brother, I tucked my phone in my crossbody purse. It was small enough for essentials, but big enough for my butterfly knife and gun. Thankfully no one bothered to search us at the door.
“When I have something to smile about.” He chuckled and took a seat next to me.
“Lucas sent us a picture of Nazai’s car. I knew you would be the one to give him hell.”
“Your brother needs to be humbled.”
He smirked. “And you’re the one to do it.”
My shoulders lifted. “Maybe.”
He tossed his arm around me. “I’m gonna enjoy you being around. You’re gonna keep shit entertaining for sure.”
Snorting, I finished my drink and shook my head. Out of all the brothers, Ezra seemed the most welcoming.
As the night continued, Ezra eventually disappeared again. I heard him mention something about the basement. Not sure what he had going on, but Emmet left with him.
Nazai had spent most of the night being the boss. He disappeared a couple of times but I didn’t question it, happy to be left alone. A few times Lucas or River remembered I was there and briefly entertained me, but I seemed to be an afterthought to my fiancé. His presence was demanding and it was clear everyone respected him. We had been here for three hours now and I was ready to call it a night.
I was in the middle of ordering a ride share when Nazai finally appeared next to me. He had a cool expression on his face with a lazy grin.
“Why you look so tense?” Nazai asked, leaning into me. His warm breath against my ear smelled of alcohol and cinnamon.
I tilted my head so I was looking him in the eyes. “You forced me to come here and then just left me alone. I’m ready to go.”
He tossed an arm around the back of my seat. “Nah, not yet. You just need to relax some.”
A girl approached us, her eyes bouncing between me and Nazai. I narrowed my gaze, not feeling how she was watching us.
“Hey, boss. Lindsay told me to bring you this. You ordered a Blood Lust on the rocks.” My brows furrowed.
“Yeah, thanks Majesty.” She licked her lips and gave him a flirty grin.
“ Anything for you.” The suggestion in her words caused a foreign feeling to twist in my stomach. She lowered the tray in her hand. I noticed a small, clear bag taped to the glass. “Did you two want a dance too?” She fluttered her eyelids.
“No.” I shut her down, clenching my purse.
This thing with Nazai was unorthodox, but the disrespect wasn’t something I would tolerate either way.
He nodded at her. “You heard my fiancée. We’re good. Go ahead and work the floor. Next time let the bottle girls do their job.”
The smile on her face fell. “Yes, sir.” She shot me a glance then turned and stalked away. Her ass cheeks bounced as she strutted away in the tall heels.
“Now back to you. What’s it gonna take to get a smile out of you?”
Facing Nazai, I ignored the way my heart raced as his dark orbs peered into me.
“I don’t like large crowds,” I stated.
My eyes kept darting to the exit all night. In case of danger, I needed to make sure I had a getaway route. Security was tight here, Jackson and Luke stood guard outside the section too, but still. I didn’t like how open this place was.
For a moment Nazai’s face fell, then that lopsided grin appeared. He brushed my arms with his hands, causing goosebumps to form and the hairs to raise.
“I got you. I didn’t mean to leave you alone most of the night.” He tossed back the drink then took the baggie off it. I noticed a white pill inside. He placed it in his mouth then leaned in. Like earlier, his mouth crashed into mine, catching me off guard.
I opened my mouth to object to the kiss when I felt the pill he’d just put in his mouth enter mine. He pulled back and watched me. “Swallow it.”
My heart thumped at the raspy demand. My breathing picked up. I didn’t know what it was he had given me and the kiss caught me so off guard that I listened. Swallowing the pill, I grabbed the outstretched glass he gave me.
“What did I just take?” I asked.
“Ecstasy.” My brows shot to my hairline.
“Why the fuck would you give me that?”
“I’ve been keeping an eye on you the whole night and you’ve been tense. This will help chill you out.” My heart slammed against my ribcage.
My eyes darted around the section. I didn’t notice it had cleared out, outside of us two. I’d never taken drugs before. I wasn’t sure what to expect either. His hand went to my thigh. The dress I wore rested right above my thigh. Goosebumps scattered across my body. I still wasn’t over what Nazai did to me, but my body didn’t seem to care.
“Because I want to see you relaxed. While I enjoy you being my Wildfire, I want to see how you are when you’re relaxed too.”
Wildfire.
It was a name he used frequently with me. No one had ever given me a pet name before.
“Stop calling me that.” I shifted in my seat. The back of my neck grew warm.
Nazai leaned in and cuffed the back of my neck, causing a shockwave to shoot up my spine. “But you are my Wildfire. Your mouth is reckless, your personality bold and wild. I think the name fits.” Nazai leaned in and brushed the tip of his nose against my jawline. I inhaled a sharp breath.
“Stop that,” I said on a shaky breath.
A couple of employees came over to speak with Nazai and I found myself more relaxed. The drug must have started to take effect. My body felt lighter. A throbbing formed between my legs.
“How you feeling?” Nazai whispered.
My stomach skittered. “Nazai, I—” My words got lodged in my throat. Was this what it felt like to be high? I felt like my body was floating and my skin felt sensitive.
Pulling back, he observed me, tucking his bottom lip into his mouth. “C’mon.” He stood and held his hand out.
I grabbed it and he pulled me up. My legs felt like jello. He must have known because he dipped down and picked me up bridal style.
“My purse!” I rushed out.
“I got it.” He started out of the section.
Suddenly my body felt like a furnace. I had too many clothes on. “I want this dress off,” I stated.
A pounding formed in my ears. My heart was beating too fast inside me.
Nazai moved through the club until we were walking down a dark hall then upstairs. He opened a door to a well-lit room. When I looked around, I saw it was an office. He moved to the couch and lay me down with my purse next to me.
“Hot,” I moaned, pulling on the bottom of my dress. It hugged my small frame and currently felt suffocating.
“Let me help you.” He pulled me up and unzipped the dress. I didn’t have a bra on. My breasts were perky enough to sit up high on their own. They weren’t the largest but looked good either way.
“I’m not having sex with you,” I said breathlessly as he helped me out of my dress, pushing it down my body.
“Don’t worry Wildfire, when I fuck you, you’re gonna be sober and coherent.”
His hands pushed over the collar on my neck and he tugged on the heart. A wave of possession passed through his eyes.
He dipped his head so he was eye level with my breasts. A loud, embarrassing moan left my mouth when he ran his tongue over one. My already sensitive nipples seemed to be even more alive than normal. As I arched into his mouth, he used his teeth to pull and tease my hardened nubs.
“I never met a woman whose nipples were as sensitive as yours. I could just blow on them and you’re ready to cum.” To prove his point he blew on my breast and my body shivered. “You’re usually talking shit, but I don’t hear anything now. Where’s that smart ass mouth at?” His hand went between my legs and he pressed on my pussy.
I whimpered and ground against his touch, needing more. His hand on my skin made my body ache with yearning desire.
His mouth bounced between my breasts—teasing, sucking, and licking my nipples. A tsunami formed between my legs, drenching my panties. I had come once already just from the stimulation to my hardened nubs. My body felt more alive than ever. It was a feeling I never wanted to lose.
“I love when you fight me, but I think I love seeing you turned on more. The blissful look on your face is captivating,” he uttered against my skin, kissing down the valley between my breasts to my stomach. His tongue swirled around my belly button. Butterflies fluttered wildly in my belly.
My eyes closed, my breathing grew heavy, and my chest rose and fell quickly. I felt him pull my panties down. My skin was still extra sensitive. A shiver raced through me when he got to my mound. He pushed my legs wider and kissed the inside of my thighs.
“I’ma write my name on this pussy so it only knows me,” he rasped, sinking his teeth into my skin and sucking hard.
I moaned in response, unable to form a proper word.
What the hell was he doing to me?
I shouldn’t be allowing him to touch me. I should be fighting him and pushing him off. My blame went to the drug; that was the only explanation. Foolishly, I’d taken it, not knowing what it was. Now I was at Nazai’s mercy.
“Oh fuck!” I cried out when his tongue swiped across my pussy. My clit throbbed as my pussy grew wetter.
“You taste good as hell.” He sucked my lower lips into his mouth. My hands balled tightly at my sides as an overwhelming sensation filled me.
“When I finally have this pussy wrapped around my dick, I know I’ma be hooked. Look how fucking wet it’s getting for me and I barely touched her.”
I tuned him out, getting lost in the sensation his mouth was bringing me. I had never felt like this before. The pleasure was almost overwhelming.
I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting to keep my moans to myself until Nazai slapped my pussy. “I like to hear the outcome of my work. Let me hear you,” he grunted, pushing a finger inside of me. I winced and pushed out a shaky breath. “Fuck, how long has it been? You’ve got a vice-like grip on my finger.” He pushed another finger in, moving them back and forth. It was painful but the pleasure overshadowed it.
“Nazai,” I whimpered as my body trembled.
“There you go, Wildfire. Cum for me. Show me what this pussy can do. Just like that. Fuck!” he growled, covering my clit with his mouth and sucking it roughly.
I didn’t know how long we stayed in that office or how many times I came. Eventually I passed out, feeling exhausted and overstimulated.
____
I had to blink a couple times to focus my eyes as I listened to Nora speak with the lady at the dress shop. I brought the glass bottle of apple juice to my mouth, appreciating the cool liquid as it ran down my parched throat.
Last night was a slight blur to me. I remember bits and pieces like going into Nazai’s office before passing out. The main thing that kept playing over in my mind was the multiple orgasms he brought me and the way his eyes burned into me whenever I caught his stare. Heat flooded in my stomach and I downed the apple juice faster. This morning he was gone before his mom popped up at the house. I had forgotten she’d mentioned coming to take me to dress shop.
I wasn’t enthusiastic about going with her. My guard was up, not forgetting her threat toward me. I had my gun and knife in my small, book bag purse. Hopefully this lady wouldn’t make me use it. Carson was with us too. He seemed fine this morning when I checked in on him. He was currently sitting against the wall, playing his Switch, lost in his own world.
“Cashlynn, did you hear me?” I snapped out my thoughts and peeked up at my future mother-in-law. She was a beautiful woman. Almost too beautiful, made me wonder if she had any work done. Her face showed minimal signs of aging, although I was sure she was in her fifties. Her makeup was done to perfection, hair done in soft locs. She had the same gingerbread skin color as Nazai and penny-colored eyes as well.
“What did you say?” I asked, looking between her and the worker.
Nora’s lips pressed together. “For your dress, would you rather go strapless or strapped?”
My face balled in confusion. “Doesn’t matter to me.” It wasn’t like I was the most girly girl, so dresses weren’t my specialty or preference. I could barely walk in heels without breaking my neck. Getting dressed up for a wedding I was being forced into wasn’t ideal either; so I couldn’t care less what I wore.
Nora blew a frustrated breath out and irritation passed on her face. Apparently this shop was a big deal and it took months to even get an appointment. Once again I was shown being a Tavarez came with certain privileges because I was able to get an appointment right away.
“Stand up,” Nora demanded. We hadn’t spoken much. She was locked into her phone and iPad the entire drive here. When we got to the dress shop, she immediately took over, talking with the lady servicing us.
Sighing, I set my bottle down next to my book bag and did as she said.
The worker circled me. “You have a wonderful neckline and shoulders. While you’re not very tall, you still have a delicate figure. I believe a halter mermaid style would do you justice.” She stopped in front of me and gave me a onceover. Her head tipped to the side slightly as her hand went under her chin and she squinted.
After a few seconds of observing me, I felt myself getting antsy and was about to speak when she snapped and smiled.
“I got it!” She clapped happily while her eyes lit up in excitement. “Just leave it all to me.”
____
It felt like we had been at this shop for hours. I went through six different dresses before finding one even I loved.
“That’s it! This is the one,” Nora gushed with a bright smile on her face.
Shifting my eyes, I gazed at myself in the full body mirror. The white halter sweetheart top dress hugged my frame perfectly. It was overlayed in lace, backless, and mermaid style. With a court train at the bottom. As much as I hated to admit it, it looked like it made for me.
I spun around to face my brother. “What do you think, bud?”
His eyes lifted from his game. A smile split his face. “You look really pretty!”
I ran my hand down the front then looked at the worker. “I’ll go with this one.”
She clapped happily. “Great. The chest area needs to be altered a tad, and the waist, but those are simple modifications. I have your measurements and it’ll be ready in time for your big day.”
I twisted my lips to the side and turned back to the mirror. Typically, I dressed simply and homely. In the short time I’d been around Nazai, I’d been more dressed up than in my whole twenty-three years of life. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel good either. My mom was far from motherly and didn’t really care to show me femininity, so this was new territory for me to explore.