One Empire Night

by Autumn Jones Lake

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” She stops and picks at a loose thread on her jeans. “I feel restless. Like I’m supposed to be doing something.”

  “You are. Relaxing. We had a busy day.” I rest my hand over hers. “You’ve had a pretty crazy year.”

  She opens her mouth, but I place one finger over her lips. “I’m really proud of you. You’re balancing being a mom, going to school, your job, and you’re killin’ it.”

  “I don’t feel like I’m killin’ it,” she mumbles behind my finger. “I feel like I should do more. I wouldn’t be able to do any of it, if it wasn’t for you.” She waves her hand in the air. “Hope and Rock, my brother.”

  “You can do anything you put your mind to, but tonight you’re going to chill with your fiancé. Alexa’s sound asleep. Rock and Hope are out for the night. Trinity’s studio is closed until after New Year’s.”

  Heidi’s mouth quirks at that. Turns out Trinity’s as demanding to work for as Wrath. And just like Wrath never cut me any slack working for him at the gym, Trinity expects a lot from her photography assistant. Eager to prove herself, Heidi’s excelled at the job—Trinity’s words, not mine. Also like her husband, Trinity doesn’t hand out compliments unless someone’s earned them.

  Her gaze wanders to the tree. Heidi wanted to wait and do the rest of the decorating with Rock and Hope.

  “Since we have the place to ourselves tonight, want to check out the hot tub?” I ask, pushing her hair off her neck and replacing it with my mouth.

  “Hmm,” she sighs, then giggles. “I was putting my summer clothes away yesterday, so I even know where my suit is.”

  I hadn’t planned on wearing anything, but since I’m excited to get her alone in the hot tub, I keep my mouth shut. Her suit can always be removed later.

  Thirteen

  Until you see it for yourself, it’s easy to dismiss pole dancing and say it’s not a real sport. Within five seconds, it’s obvious how much discipline, athleticism, strength, and grace it takes to perform. Somehow Swan makes it appear effortless.

  “She’s amazing,” I say.

  Trinity nods. “We need to step up our yoga game.” She ended up in Wrath’s lap, but she’s close enough that we can talk without too many people overhearing us.

  “Are you kidding? I’d land on my head if I attempted any of that.”

  Wrath’s wrapped around Trinity like an anaconda with his head buried against her shoulder—doing God only knows what that makes Trinity’s eyes roll back in her head.

  She’s gone. I end up turning in Rock’s lap to face the stage completely.

  “Careful,” Rock groans.

  Oops.

  I wiggle in his lap again and he grips my hips to stop me.

  One of his arms bands around my chest and he gently grips my jaw, turning me to face the room, where not everyone who’s hooking up has bothered to find some privacy. His lips brush against my ear. “This isn’t your lawyer party. I don’t need the privacy of an office upstairs or a closet. No one would think twice if I fucked you right here. Right now,” he rasps.

  His hand squeezes my hip, then slowly moves down over my leg. “There are three items between your pussy and my cock. It would be so easy to move them out of my way. When I say careful, I mean it.”

  “Uhh.” A delightful shiver electrifies my skin and steals my words. I’m practically panting with excitement when he releases me.

  He brushes my hair to the side and places a kiss at the base of my neck. “That’s not the reaction I expected from you, Hope.”

  I turn, catching him off guard and brush my lips against his. “It’s hot, because I trust you. You’d never fuck me in public. You’re too much of a caveman to expose your woman that way.”

  His eyes widen. Along with surprise, I find humor and heat in their steel gray depths. His gaze flicks over the crowded room then back to me. This time desire burns in his eyes. “Normally that’s true.” His low-spoken words reach every part of me. “But even cavemen sometimes have the urge to publicly claim their women.”

  I have no intention of fucking Hope out in the open, but it’s always fun to tease her. Maybe I am feeling territorial after watching Loco salivate over my wife for the last hour. The fact that she’s oblivious to his interest soothes the beast in me that wants to impale her on my cock in front of everyone.

  The lights in the club brighten a fraction as Swan finishes her routine and exits the stage. A wave of rowdy whistles and cheering fills the room. I wouldn’t have expected such a favorable reaction to a performance that was more artistic than naked. Not from this crowd. Z made a good call.

  Loco leans in. “Talented lady you got there, Rock. She gonna work the room?”

  I’m not sure what Swan’s plans are for the night other than dancing on the stage. When the brothers sat down for church to discuss the party, I’d been given the impression the VIP rooms were a “no fly zone” for Swan during this event.

  Searching the crowd, I locate Dex and signal him to bring Swan to the table.

  Briefly I wonder if anyone bothered to tell Malik to search our guests for weapons tonight.

  I glance over at Wrath, who’s still busy molesting his wife, and reach over to tap his arm. He flicks his gaze my way before lifting his head and raising an eyebrow. It takes him less than five seconds to assess the situation and gently transition Trinity from his lap to the seat next to him. He places his elbows on the table and leans forward. To anyone else he looks casual. I know he’s ready to pounce if anyone gets out of control.

  Hope pushes out of my lap before I have a chance to stop her and brushes past Loco—who uses the opportunity to stare at her ass—to get to Swan. She throws her arms around her. “That was so amazing. I know I’ve watched you practice before but, wow!” she gushes.

  Wrath nudges Trinity in their direction and she joins the girls.

  “Not quite what I had in mind,” Loco says. “But the view sure is pretty.”

  Wrath’s irritated growl reaches me and I cut him a look that I hope he reads as calm the hell down.

  Dex moves past the girls and addresses me. “Did you need me, Prez?”

  “Loco wanted to compliment Swan’s performance.”

  His gaze slides to Loco and they shake hands. “Swan,” he says without turning around.

  She appears at his side and Loco doesn’t wait to be introduced. He pulls the kissing-the-back-of-her-hand move he did with Hope and then yanks her into his lap.

  Dex narrows his eyes and pulls out a chair, dropping into it and making it clear he’s not going anywhere.

  Fourteen

  “What do you think?” I ask, stepping into the living room.

  Marcel stops and stares. “Wow. I didn’t get the whole effect before.”

  It took time, but I wrestled my hair into a fancier knot with lots of loose tendrils framing my face. I have a lot more makeup on than I usually wear, but it’s a holiday party after all.

  “I didn’t think about my outfit carefully enough. My property patch will cover up all the racy cut-outs of my dress.”

  A deep rumble works out of him and he hooks an arm around my waist, inching me closer. “The way it should be, Sunshine. All those sexy bits are for me.”

  He cups my cheeks, all playfulness disappearing as he searches my face. “Are you sure you’re okay going to this party?” He hesitates. “We don’t have to go if you’re not comfortable,” he adds in a lower voice.

  His grave demeanor gives me pause and I stop to consider what he’s actually asking. When I finally figure it out, I press my hand to my chest. I haven’t thought about that night in months. Not since Marcel came home and told me he and my uncle had taken care of the second man who violated me.

  I glance down at my boots, sort of amazed that this is the first year I didn’t have a sense of dread the minute Christmas decorations and music started popping up everywhere. I’d actually been looking forward to our first Christmas together in our ne
w house, surrounded by our family. It’s the first Christmas without my mother and all I feel is free. Free to breathe and be happy for once.

  “Hey,” Marcel’s hand brushes my chin, tipping my head up. “I’m sorry—”

  “No,” I say, cutting him off. “This is the first time since it happened that I’ve been excited about the holidays.” I can’t hide the amazement in my voice.

  “I didn’t mean to bring up bad stuff.”

  But he didn’t. He reminded me of how far I’ve come and how much of my life I’ve gotten back because of him. Things I don’t want to take for granted.

  “I’m at peace this year and that’s because of you.”

  Love will never be a strong enough word to describe what I feel for him. I slip my arms around his waist and rest my cheek against his chest. The two of us stand there holding each other without speaking for a few heartbeats.

  “I love holding you,” he murmurs into my hair.

  “And I love the way you hold me,” I answer.

  Fifteen

  The tension around our table rises to uncomfortable levels. Well, for me. Rock seems completely calm.

  Wrath has an air of exasperation around him.

  It’s Dex who looks like a rubber band stretched too tight.

  I settle my hand on his shoulder and he reaches up and pats me. “How’re you doing tonight, First Lady?” he asks without taking his eyes off Swan.

  She’s still sitting in Loco’s lap while he compliments her performance.

  “Good.” I raise my voice to capture Loco’s attention. “That was amazing, Swan. I’ve seen bits and pieces but never the full routine.”

  “Thank you,” she says shyly.

  “How long you been doing that, sweetheart?” Loco asks.

  “Um.” Swan covers up her nervous laughter with a hand over her mouth. “Pretty much since I could walk.”

  Rock clears his throat. “Swan, you have some things to take care of in back?”

  It’s more of an order than a question, and Swan’s quick to seize the opportunity to scramble out of Loco’s lap.

  “What a slave-driver.” Loco flashes a slow grin at Rock. “Can’t let the lady have a few minutes off?”

  “We run a tight ship,” Dex says, standing and nudging Swan away.

  “Dexter with her? That why he’s lookin’ so bent?” Loco asks.

  Rock doesn’t have to answer because Lexi joins us and is more than happy to warm Loco’s lap. I brush past Loco to rejoin my husband and he pulls me down next to him. “You see what I put up with,” he whispers in my ear.

  Before I have a chance to answer, Lexi stands and pulls Loco toward the VIP rooms. “I’ll be back, Rock,” he says before following Lexi.

  Rock cuts a glare at Wrath. “You seen Stump or Chaser yet?”

  “Not yet. You know they’d both stop to see you first.”

  Trinity returns to Wrath’s lap, but they both seem more alert and less playful than before.

  More “traditional” pole dancing has taken over the center stage. A number of girls circulate through the crowd.

  “Disgusted yet?” Rock asks.

  Laughing, I shake my head.

  There’s a round of shouts by the front door and a few minutes later Teller and Charlotte join us.

  “You came!” I say, rushing over to greet them. I hug Charlotte tight—as if I didn’t just see her this morning. “We weren’t sure if you would be here.”

  Teller shrugs. “How could we skip this?”

  “How was the Bar Association party?” she asks me.

  “Nice actually. We didn’t stay too long. I do have something I want to talk to you about later, though.”

  She tilts her head and narrows her eyes, much the way I probably did when Mara suggested I co-chair one of the committees. I snort-laugh. “Later. Tell me, did you find a tree?”

  “Yup,” Teller answers. “Alexa flipped her shit when we chopped ‘em down too.”

  “Aww. I’m sorry I missed that.”

  “Murphy got the tree set up at your house.”

  “Oh, he did? That’s so sweet. I bet Alexa loved it.”

  I turn to lead Charlotte over to where Trinity and I are sitting and collide with a hard wall of a man.

  “Whoa. Sorry, Hope,” Whisper says, steadying me with a hand on my shoulder. “Was coming to say hello to Charlotte.”

  “Hey, Whisper,” she says, reaching up to give him a quick hug. “How’ve you been?”

  “Fine. Heard from your uncle this morning. He’s spending the winter down in Florida.”

  “Oh, that’s good.” A nervous smile flickers over her lips and she backs up against Teller, who slings his arm over her shoulders.

  Whisper’s gaze slides to Teller. “Still haven’t heard from Keeper yet.”

  Teller doesn’t so much as twitch. “Sorry to hear that.”

  Unsure of why the atmosphere took such a weird turn, I link my arm through Teller’s. “Rock’s been waiting for you.”

  “Aw, fuck. What’d I do now?” he jokes.

  “Hey,” Rock calls out, standing to give Teller a quick embrace. “Glad you made it.” He nods to Charlotte.

  “So, what’d I miss?” Charlotte asks, shoving into the booth next to me.

  “Swan’s performance, a lot of bare skin, and no jolly half-naked elves for us to enjoy.”

  Even though Rock’s deep in conversation with Teller and a brother from Sway’s club, he reaches over and squeezes my leg. His subtle way of saying he heard my naked elf comment.

  God damn has this been a long night.

  Loco returns from the VIP rooms in time to meet Stump and Chaser. Stump’s interested in working with Loco, but he seems to feel he’s doing me a favor and wants something in return.

  He leans in lowering his voice. “I’d like to introduce you to my daughter-in-law’s father. He’s gonna pay us a visit in the spring for my granddaughter’s graduation.

  I’ve known Stump since I was a kid tagging along on a run with my old mentor, Grinder. That’s how I know the man he’s referring to is tied to the Russian mafia. Business I’ve never wanted to get involved with.

  “I need more details.”

  “Another time. Tonight’s for celebrating.”

  Then why the fuck even bring it up?

  Now I’m just irritated.

  I endure a few more hours of conversation, catching up with people I haven’t seen in a while. Making arrangements for new deals. Scheduling things for next year.

  Then I’m done. I need my wife and some quiet.

  “I have to check in with Z, and then we’ll get going,” I say to Hope.

  She nods and kisses my cheek. “I’ll wait here. Unless you need me?”

  “Nope. Here’s fine.” I lift my chin at Wrath. “You good?”

  “We’re going to head out soon too.”

  “Sounds good.”

  I glance around the club and decide I’d rather have Hope with me.

  Z’s nowhere in sight. One of the girls says she saw him down in the VIP rooms and I roll my eyes.

  “Ooo, I’ve never seen the secret VIP section,” Hope says, giggling and hurrying to keep up with me.

  “Don’t get too excited. It’s not all that interesting.”

  Z’s put a lot of effort into redesigning the VIP rooms since I used to run the place. Each room seems to have its own theme. Gaudy, over-the-top, but it’s more than paid for itself according to the spreadsheets Teller hands out at church.

  I find Z stumbling out of the “Roman Gladiator” themed room.

  “Living out your gladiator fantasy?” I ask.

  He smirks. “What’s up?”

  “We’re leaving. You got this?”

  “Who else is still here?”

  I give him a rundown and he nods. “It’s all good.”

  “You okay, Mama Bear?” Z asks Hope. “We didn’t traumatize you too much, right?”

  “I had fun. The club’s really impressive.”
>
  “Thanks.” He smiles, but it’s more pained than anything and Hope gives him a tight squeeze.

  “Take care of yourself, Z.”

  We stop at the bar so Hope can say goodnight to some of the girls. Sparky’s sitting in the corner with a beer, watching Willow work. Hope hugs Sparky too. “Did you show off your babies tonight?”

  “Sure did, First Lady. Did you want to see them?”

  “No, you can show me at home. We’re heading out.”

  He gives her a blissed-out smile that makes me suspect he was sampling the goods more than showing them off. But whatever. It’s the holidays and I don’t care.

  The cold night air slaps us in the face as we step outside. A light dusting of snow covers the ground and Hope shivers as we cross the parking lot. “Sorry, Baby Doll. I should’ve come and picked you up.”

  “I’m fine.” She gestures toward the rapidly falling snow. “I’m worried about Wrath and Trinity. They took the bike.”

  “Someone will give them a ride. He won’t take any chances with her.”

  Once we’re driving, it doesn’t take her long to realize we’re not headed home. She’s fighting to keep the smile off her face.

  “What?”

  “Where are we going?”

  “You already know, don’t you?”

  She bursts out laughing. “I don’t know where. Just that you have something planned.”

  Now I feel bad, because it’s not even anywhere fancy. It’s a nice hotel and I reserved a large suite, but it’s still in Empire. Not far from Crystal Ball.

  “Don’t get your hopes up.”

  She rests her soft hand against my arm. “Rock, I don’t care where we go, as long as I’m with you. I do have one question for you, though. What am I supposed to wear for however long we’re away?”

  “Not a damn thing.” I won’t bother telling her there’s a bag of her stuff in the back. Not yet anyway.

  She lets out a contented sigh. “Why is that such a damn turn on?”

  I drop my hand on her leg, running up under her dress until I reach bare skin. “Because your body recognizes I’m its king.”