“You’re so tight, girl. You promise I’m not hurting you?”
“You’re not hurting me. You are everything.”
His hands find my waist, my hands are on his shoulders. We move in rhythm with the techno music, in rhythm with one another.
It’s like our bodies were made to piece together.
I don’t know where Grotto fits into all of this.
I can’t think about that now, can’t think about the fact Lucy is covering for me with my sister out in the club. Mary is totally clueless to the fact that I’m betraying our father with each thrust McQueen makes.
But oh, he feels so good. My belly is on fire, my body alive.
“I’m gonna come,” I tell him, wanting it all to last longer, but already knowing this sensation, this fullness is more than I should have. More than any human should ever get. Because McQueen inside of me is better than life.
The orgasm rushes over me, spreads through my thighs, reaches my toes. Sends a humming over my body that causes the walls of my pussy to pulsate at the reckless release.
And then he comes, too, shooting the seed from his cock into the condom he rolled onto himself before sliding into me. I wish his condom was torn off. In this moment, all I want is all of him pressed inside of me. Just him and me, so I could really understand him. Understand what this is between us.
Because it feels real. Feels like more than a rush, than a high. More than a forbidden craving.
Being with Ryan McQueen feels like something deeper. Being with him feels like love.
A knock on the door pulls me back to reality.
A voice calls through the door. “Time’s up.”
I sigh. Our bodies are naked, pressed against one another. Sex is in the air.
“The fifteen minutes went too fast,” I tell him.
“Our night doesn’t have to end,” he says. “Let’s get dressed and keep this party going.”
I nod, wanting that so badly. As I pull the zippered dress back on, my cheeks are flushed from the thrill of this rendezvous.
“I’m here with my sister. I don’t want to raise any questions.”
“Let’s just have fun,” he says. “I’m sure that’s what your sister is looking for tonight, too, if she’s at The Cockpit.”
“True.”
We walk out of the VIP room, and McQueen takes my hand in his. Walking out into the club, I look down at our hands held together, wondering what could become of McQueen and me. Knowing what I want is more than I can have.
When I look up, I stop dead in my tracks.
All three of my brothers are standing in front of us.
Chapter Fourteen
McQUEEN
Her fingers pull from mine so fast I don’t register what’s happening until I look at her, see the fear in her eyes.
I follow her gaze, and my eyes land on three men with rolled-up shirtsleeves, loosened ties around their necks, light red hair, scruffy faces. Blazing rage written across their clenched fists and tight jaws. Fuck.
“What in God’s name are you doing here, Josephine?” one of them asks her.
“Fuck asking her questions, Paul,” another one says. “Just tell this whore what she needs to do. Where she needs to go. Josephine, you’re coming with us. Now.”
She winces, and when I look at the men again I see that they have the same penetrating eyes as her. This is her family. The family she’s spoken about in cryptic messages, in secret code. The family she won’t talk to ... because she’s terrified of how they will hold things against her.
And now they’re here, on my turf, and I won’t fucking let them get close to the woman who just rode me hard, rode me fast. The woman who sucked my cock and swallowed my come. The woman who is mine.
“Don’t fucking talk to her that way,” I tell them, stepping toward the problem. No one is coming in this club and telling JoJo she’s a whore. “You’re the ones who need to go. And now.”
Paul shakes his head. “We’re here for our sister, and she’s coming with us.”
“Did you not fucking hear me?” I ask. “You need to go.” I look over their shoulders and see Ace and Landon heading our way.
“Stop it,” JoJo says. “Don’t fight. Please. I’ll go, Paul. Just give me a second.”
I scoff at her words. “Jo, you’re not going anywhere with these assholes. They can’t talk to you like that.”
“Oh, but you can tell her what she can and can’t do?” one of the brothers asks. “No surprise there. Our little sis likes a man who’ll boss her around.” The guys laugh, and I want to throat punch them. Who the fuck do they think they are?
I mean, besides the fucking Irish mob.
“What’s going on here?” Ace says, walking up to us. In his Armani suit and slicked-back hair, he looks like an Italian prince, and I admit in my hoodie and sweats I feel a little underdressed for this throw-down. “Can I help you, gentlemen?”
“We’re here to collect our sister. Nothing more, nothing less. God knows I don’t want to be here in your pussy club.”
“My name’s Ace Royalle,” he says smoothly. “And I don’t think we’ve met.”
“Maybe there’s a reason for that,” Paul says. Dismissing Ace, he turns his eyes back to JoJo. “We’ve stood here long enough. It’s time to go. Understood?”
I watch as the girl who can throw punches, fill a ring with her grit, her fury, her fire, the girl who has spun me up in a million ways, turns her eyes to the ground.
Somehow, in a matter of minutes, her brothers have managed to extinguish her flame. And that makes me want to burn these motherfuckers down.
Thinking they won’t escalate things more in this packed club, I attempt to buy more time.
“Ace, Landon—do me a solid and find JoJo’s sister and her friend Lucy.” Looking at JoJo, I ask, “They’re in the club, right?”
“Yeah, just look for the six-foot-tall blonde,” she says.
“No, we got this,” one of the brothers says, dismissing me.
“Just let him, John,” JoJo says.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” John spits back. “You shouldn’t be here. And we’re taking you home. You have some explaining to do.”
Before they can argue any more about it, Ace claps me on the back. “We’ll be back with them. I’ll send Jack your way.”
I nod, grateful they have my back.
Turning back to the mobster brothers, I say, “JoJo doesn’t need to explain shit to you.”
“Like hell she doesn’t. Although, seeing you here, all up in her grill, tells me a few things already. Let me guess, you’re the asshole who sent her flowers tonight?”
My eyes meet JoJo’s. Does she have another fucking man in her life? Because by my count, with her father, her brothers, and me, that’s more than enough as it is.
But one look tells me she’s as confused as I am. Her eyes are filled with tears, and the fight in her is gone. She looks terrified.
Shit.
“Two dozen roses sent to the door. A male stripper and a fucking cliché,” the other brother says.
I know I can’t let this guy get under my skin, know my only job right now is to keep my girl safe.
My girl? When the fuck did that happen?
I don’t know, but for the first time in my life I’m not fighting against it. I want JoJo.
And right now I need to get a better understanding of what I’m up against.
“Did you read the card I sent with the flowers?” I ask, giving the lie a try. Trying to play it cool, play it like I have a fucking clue as to what’s going on.
“Yeah, we did,” John says. “And you’re a fucking creep, you know that?”
“Why’s that?” I ask, crossing my arms as Jack strides up to us and stands next to me, shoulder-to-shoulder.
Paul snorts. “Who takes a picture of their dick and sends it with flowers?”
Jack pulls away. “Whoa, what the fuck did I just walk into?”
Jack may not get the situation, but JoJo and I know exactly what this is about: the stalker is back.
I run my hand over my jaw, knowing I need to help JoJo out of this, and fast. I’d say it’s about time to tell these boys what happened at Kit’s Gym last week, but I have a feeling that might only make it worse. She was scared to tell them in the first place, and after meeting them I know why. I wouldn’t trust her brothers with anything, yet she’s forced to trust them with her life.
But, before I can respond, Ace and Landon are back with Lucy and JoJo’s sister, Mary.
Mary launches into a tirade. “What the fuck are you guys doing here?” I’ve never met her, but man, she’s a spitfire and her guns are blazing. “I needed a night out, but no,” she says, pushing against her brothers with her hands, looking for a fight. “No one will just let me do what I want.”
The brothers start arguing with Mary, telling her that’s she’s acting like a skank by hanging out at a strip club, and I take the opportunity to pull JoJo aside.
Ace, Landon, and Jack are on their phones, calling in backup, and with reason. These brothers are causing a scene on opening night—not the press they want. For a moment I feel like shit for bringing this here, but then I look over at JoJo—her big brown eyes, her worried face, her life force draining as the scene unfolds.