Her body and facial expression relax and she lets out a breath. "That is awesome. Thank you, baby." Leaning up on her toes, she presses her lips to my cheek, but I turn my head to capture them with my own.
"Your lips belong on mine, woman," I muttered into the kiss.
"Ugh, gross," comes a deep voice from in front of us. I break away just in time to see Silver walking past us, making a face.
"Oh, you're one to talk!" my little spitfire retorts loudly at her brother. She opens her mouth to continue yelling but I just pull her back to me while laughing.
"Easy, slugger."
Leah wrinkles her nose at me, but I silence her by kissing her quickly. "I'm gonna bring you home, and I'm gonna put Teddy on your house while you guys are there. Start packing things up, though, because I want you moved in as soon as possible."
In her gaze I can see her appreciation, but there's also some defiance. "You know, you never really asked me if I wanted to move in..." she said.
I raise a single eyebrow at her. "That implies that you had a choice."
Leah rolled her eyes. "Wow, caveman. You're lucky I love you and I want to move in with you."
"Oh, I know," I growled, closing the gap between us and kissing her with everything I have. When I pull away, she is visibly affected, which just makes me grin more. "Let me oversee some things here, wrap them up, and then I'll take you home. Tell Camilla and Lana to wait, I want to make sure I go in there before you girls do."
Leah's hand curls into my shirt and leans into me. "You're a good man, Ward Gibson. I'm a lucky fucking girl."
I didn't think that many people would describe me as good, but I know that no one else's opinion matters other than the woman in my arms. The fact that she thinks I'm a good man fills me with pride. It may not be the truth by society's standards, but this wonderful, incredible woman sees something in me that even I can't. I don't know what I did to deserve her, but there's no way I'm going to give that up or let her down.
That was a fucking promise I will hold until the day I die.
CHAPTER 51
LEAH
THE MAIN FLOOR OF Hello, Darling could only be described as organized chaos. Both staff and dancers hurried around, taking care of last minute things, double and triple checking that everything was completely perfect. There was no room for error, Lana had ingrained in them all since the moment we set foot inside the club hours ago.
Our techs were messing around with lighting and sound, perched on ladders on the stage and huddled in their respective booths to make sure everything would go off without a hitch. Alani was in her DJ tower, as she loved to call it, headphones on, going over the set lists for the evening when she wasn't being called on the play something for sound check. My sister had been in and out of the tower all day with her to check that everything was working. She honestly could have left it just to our DJ, but by now, Alani and the rest of us were used to how anal-retentive Lana could be on show nights.
The cleaning crew that Ward had brought in after the incident over a week ago now had done a great job in fixing up our office and the main dressing room. I busied myself quickly that I didn't have time to even dwell on the message that had once hung on the wall.
Nothing was rattling me. Not tonight. This was the sort of thing we were supposed to be good at, throwing together a kick-ass event and pulling it off. This was as important for our business as it was to the three of us and everyone that worked here. It showed us that we didn't fuck around.
It'd been three days since the lockdown had been called off, and we hadn't wasted a single minute. I'd been so busy that packing up and moving into Ward's place had been put on the back burner, just for now. The only reason I wasn't already completely moved in was because of this event. I had dedicated every waking moment to make sure we pulled this off.
Ward had been extremely patient with me, though I knew he was also preoccupied. Things hadn't ended with the lockdown. I was well aware that there were still things that the Aces had to worry about. All we had really been able to do was spend nights together, half the time passing out in my bed if we even got a chance to get naked and appreciate one another in the best way we knew how to. Still, it was nice having him there, even if it was only for a few hours.
Tonight was the big night, though, and my body was practically buzzing with excitement.
"Ladies!" came Camilla's loud voice cutting through the noise of the building. We all turned to see her standing center stage, her hands cupped around her mouth so the sound could carry. "Full dress rehearsal in forty-five minutes. That means full hair, makeup, and costumes. Wear your very first outfit of the night if you have costume changes. You should have already tried everything on and gone over it with Leah and Lana, so if you haven't, get it done."
A dull roar rose from the crowd of girls as they began to scramble. I was confident that everyone was prepared, though. I would do last minute checks during rehearsal, and definitely before the event started, but that was only to be sure that we would be completely prepared.
Tonight was gonna kick ass. I could feel it in my bones.
~
"Shit, this place is packed! Are you sure we're not breaking any fire codes?"
Lana and I stood off to the side of the stage, just at the start of the hallway leading to the bathrooms and our office. Three hours into the event and things were going even better than we planned. Every table and booth were filled, the bar was at least three people deep, and the show had to be one of the best ones we'd ever put on. Being out there on stage, I had been able to feel the energy of the room and it was exhilarating. We had really pulled this off.
"Cam's got Bright at the door under strict orders to not let anyone in that isn't on the list and hasn't paid, and she did the math down to the very last number. There weren't any more tickets sold than bodies allowed inside, including all of us."
"Sweet. That bitch thinks of everything."
She really did. Honestly, I don't even know what we would do without Camilla. This place wouldn't be nearly as successful as it was if she hadn't been on board since day one.
Adjusting my black corset top, I turned to the nearest reflective surface to double check my appearance. We were waiting for our next group number, and I certainly wasn't about to go back on stage without making sure there wasn't a flaw in my dramatic makeup, big curls, or the outfit I had on. I was pretty proud of this one, too, it being one of my newest creations. Black lace corset with an attached tulle skirt, almost resembling a tutu, with a pair of black cheeky shorts underneath. Fishnet thigh highs, black laced up heeled boots, and waiting in the back for me was the finishing touch - a pair of gorgeous black feathered wings that I had hand made myself.
"Come on!" Lana elbowing me turned my attention away from my reflection, catching sight of her as she was heading to the side of the stage.
That was my cue to get ready to get back on stage.
I glanced into the crowd, placing a hand over my eyes to shield them from the lights. Ward had said he would be by at some point, but with things still weighing heavily on the club, I knew he couldn't make any solid promises.
Shaking out my limbs then, I rolled my neck from side to side, limbering myself up to dance. I had to focus. He would come by if he could, and if not, I'd just have to give him a private performance later.
CHAPTER 52
WARD
I SHOULD HAVE BEEN at the burlesque club right now, but my time is being eaten up by a useless fucking prisoner and information that has led to dead end after dead end.
I'm frustrated. Beyond. There's no denying that. Running on meager hours of restless sleep and an over surge of adrenaline rocketing through my veins, I was forcing myself to stay out of The Box. If I got my hands on the man currently hanging by his arms, I might end up killing him. There was no control over my anger now, despite how hard I've tried. It had slipped a few times over the past number of days, and at this point, it remained tattered and shredded into oblivion.
Mentally, we've barely managed to make a goddamn dent. I'm starting to think that the guy isn't fucking human.
It doesn't make any sense.
Everything had been thrown at him. Aside from the physical abuse he had received by the hands of our enforcers and SAA, the attempts at breaking his spirit and resolve have been upped every single time we went in there with him. We kept him up all hours, going back and forth between torture and letting him just hang there, wounds festering, broken bones throbbing until the pain has to be so blinding that he passed out. But we never let him stay asleep for too long. We also isolated him for nearly a day, with just loud noises to keep him from sleep, until he was begging for us to make it stop. Every time he did it, we all had hope that we were finally breaking him.
Funny fucking story - he couldn't be broken.
When he talked, he gave us bullshit, but we hadn't known it at the time. The first few times he revealed a location for a safe house, a name of one of the men released from prison, a name of someone that has been helping him, the result was absolutely nothing. The guy is pulling names out of his ass, sending us on a wild goose chase for his pure fucking amusement.
Our plan to use his mother and younger sisters to get him to talk had been for nothing. He was quite the actor. I'd be impressed if it didn't want me to choke him until I watched the light leave his eyes.
Miguel Hernandez had a death wish.
That's what I've finally concluded, on day six, standing there at the monitors in the control room. This guy is on a suicide mission. He never expected to come out of this place.
Which now brings me to the awful realization: what if he had gotten caught on purpose.
As I stared at the feed from The Box, watching as his mutilated face contorts in evil laughter right in Joker's face, I know there is no what if. This was the plan all along.
"This is going fucking nowhere," I say to the room, slamming my fist against the table so hard it rattles the equipment. Tensions are extremely high. Most of us hardly left the clubhouse, but tonight I had insisted that all hands had to be on deck for the girls' big event. There was no way, with this asshole in our clutches clearly stalling for him, I was allowing that place to go unprotected.
I had half a mind to fly over there on my bike and close it down right then and there.
The only thing keeping me there was that, unbeknownst to Leah and the others, I'd had some of my guys sweep the entire building for anything that could possibly go wrong. Broken gas lines, explosive devices, holes or crawl spaces for someone to get in through. The systems were working perfectly, and I had all of my best guys there, manning all entrances and exists, patrolling the floors, keeping a watch on the girls and everyone that was there.
I knew they were in good hands, but it still didn't ease me completely. I wasn't there, and that was unacceptable.
"Wait, look," Tank says from beside me, motioning to the monitor. I glance at the feed into The Box in time to see Joker swing a pipe at our guest's ribs before tossing it to the floor, stalking over to the door, and wrenching it open after angrily pounding out the code.
It didn’t take him long to use the same force on our door, not even using the knocking rule we strictly abide by.
"This mother fucker has been playing us all along." He's seething, his blue eyes flashing with rage. "Pres, need you now."
He never spoke to me like he just did, but it didn’t even resonate with me. All I knew was that I needed to get into that room, and before I even registered it, I'm following my brother.
"What the fuck is going on?" I roared, walking right up to Hernandez as he wheezes, trying to catch his breath.
"Tell him, fuck face!" Joker was like a mad man, like a rabid wolverine as he lifted his leg and kicked our prisoner. "What were you about to say?" When Hernandez didn’t answer, Joker grabbed him by the throat, lifting him so that he was facing us. "You were so fuckin' chatty just now, get the fuck out with it!"
"Joke," I command, and he quickly let him go. Hernandez gasped and coughed, but soon his swollen lips turned into a wicked smile.
"What is today?" he barely croaked out.
"Oh fuck, not this again." Joker went to grab his face but I held up my hand.
"The fuck does it matter, Hernandez? Talk. You've got something to say? Say it."
His laughter dissolved into a coughing fit, which slowly calmed down. "I ask because I want...to make sure."
My jaw clenched so hard I'm shocked I don't break any teeth. "Make sure of what?"
"Make sure it's--" he gagged slightly, "it's-- the timing...is right."
My fists were wound so tightly that my nails were beginning to draw blood on my palms. "What timing? Spit it out!"
Hernandez looked up at me, no doubt for dramatic fucking effect. "Haven't been working alone. They should already have them now."
I stopped dead in my tracks, and next to me, so does Joker. It wasn't a shock that he wasn't working alone, but it's was words that follow the revelation that stopped my heart. "Them. Who." I growl out, a command rather than a question.
"Your...whores..." He laughed again, spitting blood from his mouth. "Let 'em right into your ranks..." Wheezing, he attempted to get the next words out, but I had already closed the gap and have my hands on his face, nearly crushing his skull.
"Who! Who is it?! What do you know?"
Looking into Hernandez's eyes confirmed what I already know: the man was psychotic. He wasn't functioning right, even before his stay in The Box.
"Luis. Acevedo."
Rage boiled within me, and I can't control myself when I grabbed his hair and yanked his head back. "Luis Acevedo is fuckin' dead. My father killed him twelve years ago."
That earns me a snarl, his eyes flashing pure hatred. "Motherfuck, I know." He let out a string of Spanish that I can only assume are cursing me, but I shake him quickly, causing him to groan and gasp. "Not. Him. His son."
I froze. It was never in any of the papers, any of the information, that Paco's son had any children. He had been fairly young at the time and wasn't married. We had checked and double checked. There was no way we would have missed a son, especially named after him. "Liar," I spit out. "More fucking lies."
Hernandez laughs again. "No. I think you know him under another name..." The grin that spreads across his face nearly makes me sick, but I don't release my hold on him.
"Alex Ortiz."
I barely have any time to react before Joker absolutely loses his mind next to me. His roar echoes throughout the hallowed room, and I have to jump away to avoid the metal chair he sends hurling across the room from crashing into me. Seconds later, there is banging on the door.
Flying backward, I key in the code and wrench the door open. Jekyll is standing there, his face white.
"Ortiz. Our new security guy. He's working the fucking club tonight."
CHAPTER 53
LEAH
WHEN I’M ON STAGE, the music becomes my pulse.
It becomes my guidance, my confidence, my power over the crowd.
The music takes hold, and for the amount of time I'm out there, it controls my body and I get completely lost in it.
My heart beats with the base, and suddenly, I can be anything I want to be.
Dancing gives me something that nothing ever really did. It makes me feel in ways that are difficult to explain. I look right into that massive mirror and feel this power inside of me that I hadn't known existed. I feel like a fairy, flitting through a field of flowers. Like a
warrior evading her enemies on the battlefield. My dancing becomes an exotic drug and is part of myself and who I am.
The world of dance has been our lifeline during the worst time in our lives, and even though we almost gave up, the pair of us found our way back. And it saved us. Many, many times over.
Tonight was no different. As I stood on the stage in our club, our very own burlesque club, I performed my heart out. As I went through my singles performance, commanding the stage with every twirl, thrust, dip, and toss of my mane, I was reminded of exactly why I did what I did.
That high dancing gave me was coursing through my veins as I took a bow. No one could take the smile off of my face. Under those hot lights, under the gaze of the crowd, I felt invincible.
"Fantastic job, as always," Camilla said as she high-fived me, holding my hand briefly and squeezing it.
"Thanks, Cam." Turning, I stand side by side with her and reach out an arm to wrap around her shoulders. "We're killing it, aren't we?"
She tilts her head up and looks at me under her heavy false lashes, her red lips curved into a wide grin. "I fucking know, right??" The arm closest to me loops around my waist and she gives me a squeeze. "We're totally hitting it out the park, girly."
That brings me such satisfaction. It had definitely been hard for the three of us to close down for over a week, but looking out at that crowd, hearing the numbers earlier and seeing how busy everyone was, how hard they were all working, it seemed worth it now. I didn't want that to ever have to happen again, but at least now I knew we would always come back with a flashy bang.
I look around the side stage area. "Where's Lana?"
Camilla lifted her head and took a look herself. "I don't know." She glanced across the stage to the other side. "Maybe the girl's dressing room? She told me she was going to grab her smoothie because she was starving."
Heart of a Rebel: Rebel Aces MC Part 1 Page 27