What the fuck?“I’m sorry, sugar, but I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not in a relationship with anyone.”
She huffed, and the sound was infused with anger that was obvious even over the phone. “I met your…lady friend earlier, so excuse me for assuming you were in a relationship since you slept with her last night. Either way, I’m not getting in the middle of it. What happened between us yesterday wasn’t a good idea, and it’snothappening again.”
“I didn’t sleep with anyone last night,” I denied flatly. “Who the fuck told you that?” I was going to kick somebody’s ass for lying to her.
“I didn’t stop to ask her damned name, King. She was a bleached blonde wearing very little clothing. Whoever she was, she said you were still sleeping when she got up, and that you’d both gotten home late from Fallen Angels, then stayed up even later after that. The implication was clear.”
“Fuckin’ Star,” I muttered under my breath. I was going to wring that bitch’s scrawny neck for pulling this shit.
“Look, you didn’t make me any promises and don’t owe me any explanations, so there’s nothing else for us to talk about.”
“The fuck there isn’t. Listen carefully, sugar,” I instructed. “When I left your house last night, it was because I needed to take care of an issue at Fallen Angels, which our club owns. I wasn’t there to watch the dancers or find a hookup. Star wasfinished working and asked for a ride back to the clubhouse when I left. It was late, and I didn’t think it was safe for her to take an Uber, so I dropped her off and then went home. Alone. I have no fucking idea why she lied, but you can bet your ass that I’ll find out. Now, can you please explain what happened today because I’m confused as hell? How did you even run into Star?”
There was a moment’s hesitation, and I held my breath, half expecting her to hang up on me.
“After you left last night, I realized you had forgotten to take the container of muffins and cookies with you. My office is only a few miles away, so once my meeting was done there this morning, I stopped by your clubhouse. Rod told me you weren’t there, so I left the goodies for you. I taped my business card to the top of the container so you would have my number. I hoped you would call me. As I was leaving, your whatever-she-is decided to make it clear that my presence wasn’t required.”
“I didn’t get the goodies, or the card with your number on it. That’s why I had to get it from Linc,” I grumbled. “Those damned idiots didn’t say a word to me about it.”
“Well, you’ll need to take that up with Rod, then,” she said snippily.
“I will, and then I’m gonna track down Star and find out why the fuck she lied to you. Do you know what I’m gonna do after that, sugar?”
“What?” she asked with equal parts hesitation and bravado.
“I’m gonna convince you to let me take you to dinner, because the only woman I’m interested in is you. See you soon, sweet Ella.”
I disconnected the call then, knowing that I’d pushed my luck and would likely get another earful for my cockiness. I slipped my phone back into the pocket of my cut, then left my office in search of the club bunny who was about to get her ass handed to her. I wasn’t sure what that bitch’s problem was, but she was going to regret trying to stir up shit.
I stormed into the common room, finding her flirting with Bull at the bar.
“Excuse me, brother, but I need a word with Star,” I growled as I grasped her elbow and turned her around to face me. He wisely got up off the stool, grabbed his beer, and wandered over toward the dart board, where Viking and Joker were in the middle of a game.
“What the fuck were you playing at when Ella stopped by earlier today?”
“Who?”
“Knock it off, Star. You know exactly who I’m talking about. Why the fuck did you lie that we’d spent the night together? You’re gonna be lucky if I don’t throw you out on your ass for pulling that shit.”
“I’m sorry, Prez. Really,” she looked fearful. “I just figured she was a hangaround who came back lookin’ for more. I thought I was helping you by chasin’ her off before she turned into a clinger.”
I rolled my head from side to side to try to release my anger. Her remorse seemed genuine, and it was possible that she thought she was being helpful. In any other situation, with any other woman but Ella, I would have even appreciated her quick thinking.
“Well, she’s not, so don’t do that shit again, understood?” She nodded and tried to hurry off. I stopped her as I remembered the cookies.
“Where is the container she brought?”
Star shrugged. “I think I saw it in the kitchen.”
I got pissed off all over again when I discovered the cookie tin sitting on the counter, empty except for a few stray cookie crumbs and a crumpled muffin wrapper. Damned cookie-stealing motherfuckers. I trusted them with my life, but I couldn’t trust them with baked goods, apparently.
I debated calling Ella to explain about Star, but decided she probably wouldn’t appreciate another interruption to her workday. I was smart enough to know that I was already on thin ice with her, and I didn’t need to make it worse.
I finally buckled down and quit mooning over Ella as the afternoon wore on. I needed to prepare for the meeting this evening with Luca Rossi and Trick to sort out the logistics for the next round of underground fights. That was a very lucrative piece of our business, and we definitely didn’t want to fuck it up, especially if it put us at odds with the local mafia.
The meeting was to take place at our MMA gym. We weren’t meeting until the gym closed at nine o’clock, so if I timed things just right, I would have a little over three hours to spend with Ella. Surely that would be enough time for me to explain about Star and take her to dinner.
I kept one eye on the clock throughout the remainder of the afternoon, then finally jumped on my bike and headed to her house at five-thirty. I figured she would be home from work by then, and I was right. I grinned as I pulled in her driveway to find her standing in her front yard watering her flowers. She wasdressed in a T-shirt and shorts again, with her hair piled up on top of her head, looking cute as hell.
