When we walked back towards the bar, I stopped in my tracks watching Kadence flirt and laugh with Melisa and Cinder. They weren’t polyamorous, but they would flirt together with my girls and bartenders. I knew Kadence was doing it to irk me even more. It shouldn’t annoy me like it did. I shouldn’t care the way I do. I hated the way this woman made me feel. Feeling I haven’t felt since Olivia.
Hunter nudged me in the side. “You pissed her off, huh?”
“Shut the hell up. She’s doing this because I rejected her.”
“I mean, you could just fuck her and get it out of your system. Or I could.”
I didn’t want Hunter to touch her. “No.”
Hunter laughed. “Yeah, you’ll be fucking her soon.” Then she stepped away.
Normally, we would talk at the bar about our shipments and everything, but I didn’t need Kadence listening to us. It would be a change of scenery, but I still didn’t trust Kadence enough to give her a minuscule crumb of information about my businesses.
Kadence was talking about some sex positions when I stepped up to Melisa and Cinder. “We can finish this in my office,” I said, cutting Kadence off.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t rush them, Blaize. The first drinks are important.” She glared at me with a soft smile.
I saw Melisa look at Cinder, and Hunter laughed. Her bratty attitude was starting to annoy me more than it should, and I already said I wouldn’t fuck her. If I would break all my own promises to myself, then I would drag her to my office and show her how I handled brats.
Cinder laughed. “Do you always treat the patrons like this?”
She winked at Cinder. “Only the ones who appreciate me.” Her eyes snapped back to mine. “The boss doesn’t seem to care.”
I’d shot people for less. No one disrespected me without there being consequences, but I couldn’t do it with her. “Get your drinks and meet me upstairs.”
And with that, I left them alone. I wouldn’t let her embarrass me in front of my guests. She would be dealt with, but privately. I needed to stop allowing her to have this power over me. This was not the type of woman I was, nor the one I wanted to become because of a woman. She was doing things to piss me off, and no one else caught on. They saw it as harmless flirting.
Hunter met me in my office first, and I already knew she was going to ruin my night even more. “You got it bad, Blaize. Damn. You need to fuck her and get it over with.”
I glared at Hunter. “She’s a fucking brat.”
“Yeah, and you love punishing brats. Imagine what you could do in one of the playrooms with her.”
The possibilities were endless, but I wouldn’t allow myself to do it. “No. I’m not sleeping with Kadence, and that’s final.”
“If you say so. I’ll make sure we have extra fire extinguishers when it happens.”
I was about to argue back with her when Cinder and Melisa walked into my office. Cinder would say something; I already knew she would, and it would piss me off more. She better belucky we were damn good trade partners or I would kick her ass out.
“She’s feisty.” Cinder laughed. “She honestly reminds me of Rory.”
“So Rory’s a brat, too?” I retorted.
“Ohh yeah. Not to that extent, but she is. Kadence wants to sleep with you, so she’s pushing you over the edge.” Cinder just met the woman, and already she was reading her like a damn book.
“Not happening. Now, let's get the trade figured out, so we can enjoy the club.”
CHAPTER 41
KADENCE
The air was thick with dread. I couldn’t breathe, but my heart was pounding in my ears as I stepped through the eerie darkness. My eyes darted around the blackness, trying to pinpoint something, anything in the shadows. It felt all too familiar here.
I heard footsteps, heavy and powerful creeping up on me. The ground beneath my feet shifted, and I fell onto a hard mattress with a firm body straddling my hips. My breath caught in my throat, and I tried to scream, but no words escaped. No. Not again. I couldn’t handle this again.
Sharp fingers clawed at my clothes, feeling like hot needles digging into my flesh. I needed to fight, to kick, to scream, but my body was paralyzed with fear. I was going to be destroyed again, and no one would save me.
“You can’t escape me, Caden.” His voice was hot venom lashing my skin.
