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Rolling up on the club, I scan the crowd while stepping out. Carl gives me a nod through the window and stays behind. The doors close, and I can hear the locks engage from inside. No need for surprises. Outside, the constant beat of the drums and an occasional flicker of strobe spills into the street. One of the main reasons I bought this place is because fights can easily be written off as drunk patrons, and business meetings can be conducted without the fear of someone overhearing. It’s a good place to push my money through too. It appears legit due to the consistent flow of cash.
The twins walk in front of me, tipping their heads to the bouncer at the door as Charlie comes up behind me. “You really like doing business here, huh?”
I stop and turn to my side, placing my hand on the nape of her neck to push her in front of me. “I like it because it’s mine.”
“You own this place?” I can’t see her face, but her voice raises a few octaves and almost transforms into a squeal.
I let out a small laugh. “Did you ever wonder how you made it in here when you were eighteen? It’s not because of the shitty fake ID you had. It’s because I had my eyes on you and allowed it. Like you said—” I move my hand to the small of her back and urge her forward until we reach the bottom of the stairs for the VIP section. “—I have lots of people in my back pocket. I own more of this town than you know.”
Her green eyes catch mine over her shoulder for a second before she faces forward and makes her way up the stairs,pushing open the door.
Stepping inside, I see Lucas and Julius lounging on the couch with a man I’ve never seen. He’s tall and skinny and looks almost scared. “Who are you?”
Before the man can answer, Simon Moreno strolls through the door. “Theodore Hale, so nice of you to come and meet me.”
He walks to the couch and sits down like he owns the place. His scrawny legs cross as he stretches his arms along the back of the couch, but I’m not fooled. Simon is a scrapper and always has been. I guess that comes along with being a junkie. The need to know how to fight, and fight dirty, just to survive long enough to get your next fix.
My lips curl in disgust. “I’m only here to throw your lousy ass out of my club, Simon. So, if you have something to say, start talking.”
He tilts his head with wide eyes and a smirk. “Oh.” He moves one hand to his chest in a surprised manner. “Is the big, bad, devious king going soft? I was expecting a fight, a shootout. Something other than ‘say what you gotta say.’” He laughs, trying to mimic my voice.
His eyes shoot to Charlie, who’s standing tall beside me, then back to me. “Ah, that’s it. Didn’t Cedric ever teach you not to let good pussy go to your head?”
Everything in my being snaps when he talks about her, but I keep my cool. Empires weren’t built on impulsive decisions, after all. I look to the twins, and they nod, grabbing the dude on the couch by either arm.
Simon uncrosses his legs and leans forward, almost like he knows what is coming. “Let’s make it fair, shall we?” He reaches behind him and pulls his gun, throwing it to Charlie’s feet, then stands.
She kicks it to the side, then steps in front of me.
Simon’s eyes go wide. “Oh, letting your bitch do your fighting? That’s a new low, Hale.” He laughs.
I can see how much it pisses Charlie off to be disregarded only because she’s a female. Her back rises and falls quicker than before, and her hands ball into fists. All of it is so slight, I don’t think anyone would notice, but I do.
“A low?” I question with a laugh. “You haven’t seen what she can do. The only thing low about this”—I motion my hands between the two of them—“is you getting your ass handed to you by a woman.”
Charlie looks at me out of the corner of her eye, and I can see it. The switch. It’s the same switch that flipped when she was with me. Seeing her this way adds clarity to the nickname her dad gave her. She’s beautiful, and fragile in a sense, but if you touch the wrong part of her, she’s deadly.
I wink at her, and that’s all it takes. She catches Simon by surprise. He’s taller than her, even with heels, but not by a lot. She throws her first up and strikes him under his chin, hard, sending his body almost flying back.
As he stumbles and tries to figure out what the fuck is happening, she raises her knee and grabs his shoulders. Before she can connect, he brings his arm up and grabs her wrist, turning it until her back is to him.
“Now, now, monarch, that’s not a very smart move on your end. Do you know who I am, what I can do?” he hisses next to her ear.
I step forward, ready to get his filthy hands off her, but Julius makes it to him before me. He grabs Simon by his greasy hair and yanks it hard until his back arches. “No one fucking touches her!” he roars, and to be honest, it’s chilling.
In my many years of knowing Julius, I’ve only heard him speak a handful of times. To know that he is willing to use his voice when it matters, to protect my most valuable asset at the time, fucking makes me proud.
I sit back and watch, knowing Julius needs this release more than me. When Simon finally lets Charlie go, she stumbles to me with wide eyes, undoubtedly from Julius’s outburst.
I turn her body, keeping her pressed closely to me, and let her watch the events unfold in front of us.
Lucas sits on the couch, still holding the man without a name, while Julius hands Simon his ass.
Julius grabs Simon’s arm and turns it the same way he did to Charlie, only this time, there is a pleasant pop following the motion. Simon howls out in pain, and it does nothing but excite Julius.
When I found him and Lucas on the streets years ago, the same way Cedric found me, I knew they’d be the perfect complement. While Lucas is more vocal and blunt, he is still the more reserved one. He thinks before he acts, even when he’s mad. Julius on the other hand… He is more reserved on a day-to-day basis, but when he gets mad, it’s like unleashing the Devil’s own personal hellhound. He won’t stop until he sees blood or the other person is dead. He has nothing to lose, which makes him perfect for this job.
I watch as the two men go around and round until Simon is finally on his back. Julius leans over him with a bloody nose, then spits. It’s his way of showing Simon he is nothing more than shit on the bottom of his shoes.
