Everyone at the table erupted into laughter. Dickface jerks.
“You wanna come sit on my lap, sweetheart?” one of the other guys called out to her. “I wouldn’t mind burying my face in those sugar tits.”
“Aren’t you worried she’ll bite off your dick, George?” another one called out. “Oh, wait, she’d have to be able to find it first.”
George, who was a huge fucking beast, stood up and swung out his meaty fist at the guy who’d insulted the size of his cock. She used the distraction to reach for Sophie.
“Let her go. I’m done playing nice.”
The man just smiled at her, showing off a set of yellowed teeth.
“You’ve got some spinach in your teeth,” she told him. She drew back her fist, ready to let rip, but someone grabbed her arm, stilling her.
“Hey!” She turned, then froze as she saw who stood behind her. Connor. Although he was nearly unrecognizable. His face was cold, his gaze almost cruel, and there was a confidence in the way he held himself. As though he had no doubts that he could take on this whole pack of douchebags and come out on top.
“Let her go. Now,” he demanded quietly as he pulled Ria to his side. What did he think he was doing?
The drunk idiot looked him up and down dismissively. “Just having some fun here, boy. Go on back to your table before you get hurt.”
Had he really just called Connor a boy? Damn, he was more of an idiot than she’d thought.
“Ria, go back to the bar and wait there,” Connor said quietly.
She hesitated. He didn’t look worried. But it was eight against one. She glanced around and saw Master Rhett coming towards them.
“Ria. Go. Before you get yourself in more trouble.” There was a note of steely disapproval in his voice.
Trouble? What trouble? She wasn’t the one who’d started things.
The guy holding Sophie suddenly stood, a cruel grin crossing his face. “You want the girl? Fight me for her!”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He was even bigger than she’d first realized. Why hadn’t she tried to defuse the situation instead of escalating it?
Dumb, Ria. Dumb.
And now Connor and Rhett were about to get the shit kicked out of them. She looked around for help and saw Trevor, the bartender on the phone. Hopefully to the bouncers out front. It would be too much to hope that dipshit would help. Coward.
Instead of backing away like any sane person might have, Connor just smiled. “Bring it on.”
Ria reached around him and grabbed hold of Sophie, pulling her out of the way. She drew her over to towards the bar.
“Stay here, Soph,” she said frantically. “Trevor, watch her.”
Trevor just gave her a disgusted look. Yeah, he’d be a great help.
“Ria, wait—” Sophie reached out for her, but Ria dodged away. She couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. She reached the brawl and looked quickly around for something to help even the odds. Connor was fighting off two guys and a third one was closing in behind him.
Oh, hell, no. She wasn’t going to let some coward sneak up on him. She picked up a chair and stepped forward, raising it above her head. Determination filled her.
A wide arm reached around her waist, lifting her into the air. She kicked her legs. “Hey, what the fuck!”
The chair was plucked from her hands as the person holding her let out a loud roar. She winced, rubbing her ear and looked up with trepidation. There was only one man she knew who could make a noise like that. His big, beefy arm remained around her waist, her feet swinging. She felt like a complete idiot.
“Everyone, quiet the fuck down. Now!”
Two men jumped into the fray, pulling back some of the unruly group who hadn’t heeded Ajax’s command. Not surprisingly, everyone else turned to look at him. Ajax had once commanded a team of SEALs. He had an air of authority about him you just couldn’t ignore. He might act like a laidback cowboy sometimes, but that was just a disguise. Only an idiot would willingly go up against him.
“Who the fuck are you?” the dick who’d grabbed Sophie asked. He wiped at his bleeding nose. Case in point. This guy’s elevator didn’t reach the top floor.
“I’m the guy who’s going to make it difficult for you to keep solids down for the next thirty years if you don’t get the fuck out of my club. Now.”
The other guy swallowed heavily. Then he pushed his chest out. “Yeah? You and who’s army, fucker?”
“Jesus, Andy, that’s Ajax Born.” One of the other guys tugged at the idiot’s arm. “You can’t go up against him. He’s a fucking legend.”
“Don’t care,” Andy blustered although she saw the way he paled slightly.
“Ajax, let me down.” She tugged at his arm. She was done being held like an unruly toddler.
“Stay still,” he growled down at her. “I’m not happy with you right now.”
“What did I do?”
He just growled softly. “Lenny and Shane,” he called out to the bouncers who’d jumped in to help Connor and Rhett. “Take out the trash and make certain they know they’re not welcome back. Rhett, can you help them?” The other Dom nodded. Ajax turned to the rest of the bar. “Everyone else, see Trevor for a drink. On the house.”
Then he turned back. Still holding her. She sighed. Seemed like she wasn’t going anywhere for the moment.
“Sophie, Connor, you’re with me.”
Ria looked up at Ajax. “If you’ll just put me down, boss, I’ll help—”
He just turned away and walked towards the stairs, still carrying her.
“Ajax.” She wiggled in his hold, aware of how ridiculous she probably looked. Fuck, this was embarrassing—and he knew it.
He set her down by the stairs then gestured for her to go first. “Up. Office. Now.”
She gave him a wary look and wisely bit back her protest. Sophie came up behind her, slipping her hand into Ria’s. She was trembling softly and Ria immediately let go of her hand and wrapped her arm around her friend’s waist.
They moved up the stairs and into Ajax’s office. It was a masculine space, filled with a big, wooden desk, some cupboards against one wall and a large one-way window that looked out on the dungeon. There was a monitor set up on the wall displaying camera views of the bar, the foyer, and both entrances.
Ajax’s chair was huge and comfy-looking but across the other side of the desk sat two straight-backed, hard chairs. She guessed he didn’t want people sticking around too long in his space.
She led Sophie over to one of the chairs and leaned over her. “You okay, Soph? He hurt you?”
The other woman shook her head, but she could see the way she trembled. She crouched down and reached for Sophie’s hands. “It’s okay. You’re all right now.”
“Here,” Ajax said gruffly. Moving to the cupboards, he drew out a soft, fluffy blanket. Then he walked over and wrapped it around Sophie. “That better, sweetheart?”
“Yes. Thanks,” Sophie replied quietly.
“You sure you’re not hurt anywhere?” Ajax asked her.
She shook her head.
“Maybe we should call for a medic.”
Sometimes he still sounded like he was in the Special Forces.
“No, really. I’m fine.”
Ajax studied her for a moment, as though trying to figure out if she were telling the truth then he nodded and moved over to look out the window at the dungeon below.
Tension filled the room. Ria snuck a glance over at Connor. If he was worried about Ajax’s reaction to what just happened, he wasn’t showing it. Aside from a rip at his collar, he didn’t even look like he’d been in a fight. He was leaning back against the door, arms crossed over his chest, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world.
She wished she could say the same.
“Ajax—”
“Hush, Ria,” Ajax told her, his voice gentle. She forced herself to stand, even though her legs protested having to support her.
Finally, Ajax turned, bu
t he didn’t look over to her and Sophie. Instead his gaze moved to Connor. “You want to tell me how one of my waitresses was attacked and the other one very nearly ended up in a bar brawl?”
It wasn’t so much the words as the tone of his voice. Low and calm, like the eye of a storm. With no way of knowing when the calm was going to end and shit was going to fly.
Ria opened her mouth and both Connor and Ajax shot her a look.
“It was my fault,” Sophie whispered. “Not Connor’s.”
“How you figure that?” Ria asked. “That dick grabbed you.”
“I thought they were just having fun. Being friendly. Must have flirted too much with him. Gave him the wrong idea.”
Oh, hell no.
She leaned in so Sophie could see her. Could see how serious she was. “I don’t care how much you fucking flirted with that shit for brains. He had no right to grab you. He certainly had no right to keep holding you after you told him to let you go. That’s not on you. It’s on him.” She straightened and glared at Ajax. “They should never have been allowed in here.”
Ajax nodded. “Lenny was on the door. I’ll be talking to him.”
“Good,” she muttered. “When I saw Sophie was in trouble, I went to her aid. Connor and Rhett stepped in to help, and that’s when the fight broke out. You know the rest. Now if that’s all, I’m going to take Sophie home.”
“No, that is not all,” Ajax told her in a low voice. “I saw what happened with Sophie. By the time I got down there, she was behind the bar, with Vienna and the other subs. What I’m not clear on is why you weren’t there too.”
“That was where she was told to go,” Connor told him. Suddenly, he didn’t look so relaxed. In fact, he was glaring at her like she was at fault.
Ria crossed her arms over her chest defensively. She deliberately didn’t look at Connor. “I was going back to help.”
“Armed with a bad attitude and a chair?” Ajax asked. “I’m sure that would have gone well.”
“What did you want me to do? Stand by and watch while Connor and Rhett got beaten up?”
“Yes,” both men snapped in unison.
She huffed out a breath. “I’m no coward.”
“That wasn’t brave. It was foolish.” Ajax took a deep breath. “You should have waited with the other subs, Ria. You’re not indestructible.”
“I know that.”
Ajax just stared at her for a long moment. It was easy to see the frustration on his face.
“Don’t be mad at Ria, she was just trying to help me.” Sophie stood, moving her gaze from Ajax to Connor. Ajax turned to her and the look on his face softened.
“Don’t look so worried, sweetheart. You’re not in trouble.”
She bit her lip. “I’d really like to go home.”
“I’ll get Shane to drive you both home,” Ajax told them.
“I’ll drive her home,” Ria told him.
“Not sure that’s a good idea,” Connor said.
She moved her gaze to him. “Not sure it’s any of your business.”
The look of disapproval he gave her made her wish she’d bitten back the snarky words. But she was at the end of her patience. She didn’t appreciate being taken to task like a teenager who’d snuck out after curfew.
She put her arm around Sophie’s waist and led her to the door. The sooner she got out of here, the better. And not just because she was tired of being scolded. She started shaking. The adrenaline that had flooded her body during the confrontation was now dying off, leaving her upset and drained. She might act tough but the truth was, she wasn’t all that used to violence.
Connor opened the door as they grew close. He leaned in towards her. “Maybe I’m going to make it my business.”
She stared up at him, eyes wide, mouth open slightly in shock.
Say something, Ria.
“Good luck with that,” she told him. As a comeback, it was pretty pathetic but it was the best she could come up with.
“Oh, I don’t need luck, baby. Come along now. I’ll get you both safely home.”
“I said I could handle it.”
“You’re both shaking and upset. Can you imagine how Ajax and I will feel if you get into an accident on the way home? Knowing we could have prevented it?”
She glared up at him. Suspicious little thing. He wasn’t sure why she intrigued him. Maybe it was that she was so refreshingly honest. Even if there was plenty of snark injected into that honesty.
Hell, maybe he’d just worked for Hunter Black so long that he now thought sarcastic and prickly was normal behavior.
Jesus. That was a scary thought.
He could just imagine what his mother would say if he were to bring Ria home. She’d have a heart attack at her attitude. She’d end up in church, praying for both their souls.
Where had those thoughts come from? He had no intention of taking Ria home to meet his mother.
His forever girl was going to be sweet, soft-spoken. Honest. And she would follow the rules he gave her. Okay, so lots of people would probably brand him as an old-fashioned asshole for those views, but he knew that nobody would be as loved or cherished as his woman.
He’d already experienced one fucked-up relationship. Never again.
“He’s right, Ria,” Ajax told her. “Let him take you both home.”
She shot a look over her shoulder.
“I can’t get away or I’d take you myself,” Ajax explained. “I can get Shane or Joe to take you if you’d rather.”
“I will take them,” Connor said firmly. “And there will be no more arguments.”
“Just because you say something doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen,” she grumbled.
He smiled. “That hasn’t been my experience.”
“You might want to check the ego.”
“And you might want to check the attitude before you end up over my knee for being disrespectful.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Ria, please.” Sophie placed her hand on her shoulder. “I’m tired. I just want to go home.”
Ria continued to glare up at him. Then she turned away. “Fine. Whatever. You can drive us home. You got nothing better to do than be our chauffeur then who am I to complain?”
He stepped aside and opened the door, letting them both go first. “I’ll be back soon,” he told Ajax.
“I’ll be here.”
2
What was she doing? Why had she let him bring them both home? Stupid move, Ria, she berated herself as she hugged Sophie.
“Sure, you’re okay, Soph?” she asked as they stood outside her apartment.
Sophie nodded tiredly. “I just want to take a shower and go to bed. I’ll be fine.”
“Call me if you’re not.”
“Make sure you lock that door as soon as you get inside,” Connor bossed. “We’ll wait out here until I hear it engage.”
“Thank you, Connor. I appreciate you bringing me home.” Sophie gave him a soft smile.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” he told her gently.
Why was he so kind to Sophie and a pushy ass with her? Shit. She wasn’t jealous, was she?
Course not.
The door shut and when they heard the lock click, Connor turned to her. That softness had disappeared. The look he gave Ria was hard to describe. It was like he was trying to figure her out.
Good luck with that.
“Let’s get you to your apartment,” he said.
“I know the way.” She shoved out her hand, determined to put some distance between them. “Thanks for driving us home.”
He looked down at her hand and smiled. Then he grabbed it. But instead of shaking it, he pulled it up to his mouth and kissed the back of it.
She stared at him for a moment. “What . . . what the fuck was that?”
She tried to tug her hand out of his hold, but he didn’t let go, instead he pulled her close. She fell into him, and he gently wrapped his arms around her. “That was a prel
ude to this.”
He dropped his mouth to hers, kissing her gently. She murmured something, probably telling him what a prick he was, but he used the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth, and she melted against him.
He kissed her softly, slowly. When he wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled closer. Then she sealed things when she hugged him back. Oh, yeah, he’d known this attraction wasn’t all one-sided.
He cupped the side of her face and drew his mouth back. He stared down into her beautiful hazel-colored eyes. “Damn, you’re gorgeous.”
Her gaze narrowed. She pulled back. He let her go. Reluctantly.
“You don’t have to make up lines just to get in my pants.”
“I don’t?”
“Nope. I’d prefer you didn’t. It turns me off.”
It didn’t surprise him she didn’t know how beautiful she was. If he’d had the time, he might have worked to address her misconceptions.
But he didn’t have time. He’d finish this job and head back to Dallas.
Fuck. This was not where the night was meant to go. He’d intended to drive her home, lay down the law about following orders and not running towards trouble. He wasn’t supposed to be kissing her. He certainly wasn’t supposed to be thinking about where things could go from there.
“And what if it was the truth?”
She snorted. “Yeah, right. Whatever. I’m going home now. Do not follow me.”
He fell into step beside her. She sighed—loudly. He grinned. She was damn funny.
“You’re not going to let me go home on my own, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Have you always had these stalker urges? You should really see someone about them.”
Oh, no. He wasn’t going to put up with that. He reached out and grabbed her arm.
“What did you just say to me?” He lowered his voice, the disapproval in it clear.
She glanced up into his face then looked down.
“Do you really believe I would stalk you? Follow you around without your permission? Are you trying to tell me I forced that kiss on you? That you didn’t want it?”
He’d soon find out if she was a liar. Like Greta.
“Damn you. Of course, I’m not. But that doesn’t mean that it was a good idea. Or that it will happen again.”
Reveal Me, Sir (Doms of Decadence Book 9) Page 2