Page 3 of Controlling Chloe

We laugh. I give him the finger before I take a sip of my whiskey. “Why do you need guns from us anyway? I thought you had a supplier you’ve been using for years.”

We’ve worked with Angel, Knox, and the rest of the Javier men for a long time. Though, not normally dealing weapons. They’re not part of our organization, but they’ve done some jobs for us. In exchange, we’ve provided our resources when they’ve needed them. It’s a win-win relationship, and it’s gotten to the point where we consider them trusted friends.

Knox’s eyes darken, and he takes a swig of his drink, his face contorted into a look of disgust. “The last two shipments have been sub-par. Half of them don’t fire properly. In our line of work, we need reliable weapons that fire the first time we pull the trigger.”

Angel nods. “When we had a meeting with them to discuss the problem, we got the feeling that they’re getting into dirty business with some new people. The type of guys we’ve committed our lives to ending. We’re looking into it, but we’ve cut off business with them in the meantime. We’d rather work with you guys. Where the fuck is Declan, by the way?”

I chuckle, shaking my head. “He finally took Cali on a honeymoon. They’ll be back tomorrow.”

“So, we’re stuck making a deal with your ass in the meantime,” Angel says, his tone light and friendly.

“It’s not like I want to be sitting here with you assholes tonight either,” I quip.

It’s all love between us. When doing business deals like this, I wouldn’t normally come alone, but because we know these men so well and trust them, there’s nothing to worry about.

As a couple walks past our table, the hair on the back of my neck prickles. I study them as they’re led to a table across the bar from us. The woman’s honey-brown hair sways with her movements, and a few seconds after they pass, I get a whiff of something soft and floral that sharpens my senses. It’s unique. A scent I’ve never smelled before. Whatever it is, I want another hit of it.

The man, who looks like he belongs to at least a dozen country clubs, is dressed in an obnoxious plaid suit. Who the fuck wears plaid anymore? Especially when you’re standing next to someone as stunning as the woman he’s with. I haven’t seen her face, but I know she’s beautiful. The dress she’s wearing is both sexy and classy, and maybe I’m making shit up in my head, but it seems a bit innocent. It’s yellow, which is kind of a surprising color for a place like this, and lands mid-thigh. The skirt flares out, creating a baby doll look. It’s adorable. My cock thinks so too.

The woman moves stiffly, and every time her date puts his hand on her lower back, she quickens her pace to get away from him. He doesn’t seem to realize it or care because he continues to try to touch her. It pisses me off.

Angel and Knox notice it too. The three of us are bad men. The type you never want to cross because it won’t end well. I can’t count the number of lives I’ve ended. Boundaries rarely exist for us. We’re some of the worst men in Seattle. The one thing we don’t tolerate, though, is hurting women. We might turn their asses red and play roughly with them—consensually—but we never abuse or sell them. And we don’t put up with others doing it either.

When the couple sits down, my heart pounds faster. Heat crawls up my neck as I stare across the bar. I have no idea who the slimy-looking guy is, but I know exactly who she is. My muscles are so tense, it’s painful.

Who the fuck is this jackass?

“She looks like she’d rather be anywhere but here,” Angel says.

I nod without glancing his way and continue to watch them, trying to decide what to do. She’s my best friend Kieran’s little sister. Chloe. Should I call Kieran and tell him to get his ass down here?

The guy flaps his lips, not giving her a chance to get a word in edgewise. Before long, he rises and goes to the bar. A few minutes later, he carries two drinks back with him. When he sets the martini glass down in front of Chloe, her face falls into a look of disgust.

Luckily, Angel and Knox no longer seem interested in keeping up the conversation. They’re too busy watching this fiasco. Part of me thinks I should interrupt and scare that weasel off, but for all I know, he could be her boyfriend. She deserves way better than that fucker. There’s no doubt in my mind. If he is her boyfriend, there’s no way Kieran knows about him because I’m pretty sure he’d have a coronary over it. Not that I blame him. My brothers and I are just as protective of our little sister.

Right as I’m about to get up and make a casual, yet memorable, appearance at their table, Chloe stands and heads toward the bathroom.

“Where are your Little girls tonight?” I ask while keeping my gaze on the weasel.

Knox chuckles. “Probably giving Wolf more gray hairs. Lucy’s having a slumber party with all the girls tonight.”

I smile at the thought of all those women under one roof. I’m sure it’s chaos. Angel and Knox have six other brothers, plus their dad in the family. Which means there are nine women driving Wolf to a heart attack. And he’s probably loving every second of it.

The waiter drops off a glass of wine at Chloe’s table and leaves just before the slimy-ass fucker grabs hold of a woman who walks by. She yanks her arm away and then scowls at him before flipping her hair over her shoulder and storming off. I don’t know the situation with Chloe and this guy, but it’s obvious he’s scum. I want to deal with him the way the mafia likes to handle people who displease us. With a bullet to the head. Or use my sister-in-law’s idea of handling things and feed him to the fishies.

Chloe still hasn’t returned, and I wonder if she made a run for it out the back. I hope she did. Hopefully, she gets as far away from him as possible and blocks his number. I hope to God this asshole doesn’t know where she lives.

The scumbag holds his hand over her glass for a moment and then picks it up by the stem. My blood runs cold as he swirls the drink around before setting it back down.

“Did you see that?” Knox asks.

I nod. “The woman is Kieran’s sister. Can you stay here for a few? I’m going to need your assistance.”

“Oh, shit,” Knox murmurs.

Yeah. Messing with a mafioso’s family member isn’t a good idea. Ever.

“Of course,” Angel says. They sit back down, ready to enjoy the show, I’m sure.

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