AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Momma,” Jesse whines and looks to Lark, “Papa.”
Lark chuckles and shakes his head. “Don’t bring me into it. This is between you and your momma.” Bringing his gaze to mine, he gives me a knowing look. “But for the record. He did what he was supposed to do. You had something to deal with, and he came to me.”
I sigh and reach up to pinch the bridge of my nose. Of course, he’s right. Brass showed up, though I didn’t think he’d come after me so quickly. Then again, I should have.
Damnit.
Turning my attention back to Victoria, I wait for her toask whatever it is she’s going to ask.
“How come we never knew you?”
“Because it’s what I wanted.” I shrug. “The fewer who knew about me, the better.”
“It’s what made her so good at her job,” Raven adds, coming to her feet. Her eyes taking on a completely different look altogether. Like they were all seeing, I’d heard about her and her gift, but seeing her now, it’s kind of freaky. “The past is coming for you, and when it does, you have a choice to make. To surrender or to fight. But it’s up to you to figure out which to do either for.”
What in the hell?
Brass leans in his mouth by my ear. “Don’t say anything to piss these women off.”
I pull away from Brass and scan the room. “I’ve got to get ready for work, so if you all can finish up whatever you want to say, that would be appreciated.”
“We’ve got a plan,” Horse mutters through gritted teeth.
“I’m not happy with it,” Tracker adds, and Victoria grins.
“Of course, you’re not.” She rolls her eyes and looks at me. “I’ll be dancing tonight as well,” she announces.
“Come again?” I know I heard her, but that doesn’t stop me from asking.
“We’re going to get them, we have to work together. Well, I’m dancing tonight as well. Harlow and Raven are going to be in the shadows.”
“The club will be there. Red, K-9, and Blaze will be with Harlow and Raven, watching from the shadows. You just need to tell us what players we’re looking for. Tonight, it’s about watching and waiting,” Twister explains.
I open my mouth and close it several times before finding my words. They actually mean it. They’re willing to work with me, not take me out of the game. This I can do. But I do hope they mean it because if they try and take me out of it, I’ll do whatever it takes to stop them.
Clearing my throat, I give them the details they want and need about the men who have been coming in and using the strip club as a point of business. That it’s been going on there for a good year before they bought out the place. I give them everything I know thus far. All except for one thing, and that’s the main person I’m targeting in all of this. The man who my mother sold me to all those years ago. The one I somehow escaped from. I don’t remember the night very well. But I do remember the face. He’s older now, but I can’t forget his face. Not one like his. He’s got a scar that runs through his brow and another that goes from his ear down next to his shoulder.
The night he received those, I’d been there. I watched him get sliced open by the one who took me away. I don’t remember much else from that night. One minute I was sold off. The next, I was placed in the system, and I entered a completely different type of hell.
As I finish, Brass wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me flush against his front, securing me to him as he announces to the club.
“Athena’s mine.”
“Figured as much.” Striker snorts off to the side.
“Brass,” Stoney takes on a warning tone.
“Know she’s family to you and Horse, Stoney, but with all due respect, I’ve known her longer, even if we haven’t seen each other in years. Athena is still mine and always has been.”
I clear my throat once more, pull away from Brass, and shake my head. I can’t think of this right now. There’s too much to deal with at the moment, and I don’t have time to go over what he’s just claimed.
Maybe after I finish this job, then I’ll consider it. But not before then.
CHAPTER16
BRASS
The music is pumping, and the dancers are on stage doing their thing. I should be in the office handling business, but knowing Athena will be on stage several times tonight, has my back teeth set and I’m ready to kill. I don’t want her ass up there showing her body off to every other damn man in the room. She’s fucking mine, and I’m not the type to share.
