Page 36 of Blood Money

Take some time to figure it out. He’s not going anywhere.

Except on stage where other men think they have a right to him, or….

No. He would never again have a man in one of those rooms other than me. I would kill anyone who tried, and Liam wouldn’t like that. I remembered the look of horror on his face when he realized we’d just fucked next to a corpse.

Should I just let him go and give him a chance at a different life than this? Could I do that? I wasn’t sure.

If I let him go, he’d find someone else, someone who would take care of him, who would touch him, fuck him. No. I slammed my hand down on the table and several people turned to look at me.

Most of them realized who I was and immediately looked away. I took a deep breath and stood. I needed another drink.

Tyler smiled at me as I approached the bar. Before I said a word, he grabbed the top shelf whisky I preferred and poured me a double. I slammed it back, and he raised his brows.

“What’s got my favorite boss upset tonight?”

I glared at him, but he didn’t back down. What would it take to scare him?

I’d never been soft for anyone except my brother—and now Liam. He’d seen me kill, but he still wanted to be with me. I hadn’t managed to scare him off, no matter what I’d done.

“Is a certain dancer giving you trouble?”

“Mind your own fucking business.”

Tyler’s smile was infuriating. “Uh huh. I thought so.”

“Liam hasn’t done a fucking thing wrong.”

“Good. I’d hate for you to have to eliminate him. He’s one of the few nice dancers we’ve had in here. Most of them are so fucking bitchy I can’t even have a conversation with them.”

I waved Tyler toward another customer, hoping he couldn’t see how upset I was. Eliminate Liam? The thought paralyzed me. Before meeting him, I would have followed my father’s orders to take out any employee that was causing us trouble, threatening to expose us, or who just didn’t get how serious we were about our rules.

But if he told me to get rid of Liam…No. I wouldn’t do it. I couldn’t, and that was a problem. I wasn’t supposed to get that close to anyone. My business didn’t involve making friends or helping people.

I should send Liam away.

And pay his debt?

I’d have to make sure my father never knew, but that would be the safest thing for Liam. I lost track of time as I sat at the bar, making my way through my next drink much more slowly.

“Liam’s about to come on stage again,” Tyler said, startling me from my thoughts.

I glanced toward the stage as Liam strutted out in his fucking cowboy outfit.

“Fuck.”

“Right?”

I scowled at Tyler then made my way to a table close to the stage.

Liam saw me, and from then on he kept making eye contact, looking right at me as he pulled off his vest and ran his hands over his nipples, pinching them, then dropping his head back. Men were hollering, begging him to move their way, and I wanted to tear them apart.

By the time the dance ended. I was standing at the corner of the stage, glaring at the men who were tucking money into Liam’s jock strap, making sure they knew I wouldn’t let them get away with anything outside the rules. One of them, the same asshole who’d ordered a lap dance on Liam’s first night, the bastard who’d been watching him before he came to the club, cupped Liam’s ass and squeezed. I nearly broke his fingers off after I pulled him away from Liam, but I kept enough control to simply punch the shit out of him and toss him out the side door. As he stumbled down the street, I realized where I’d seen him. He was one of the Irish mobs’ foot soldiers, and we’d had a run in once before. I needed to investigate that, but not now.

I turned to see Liam smiling at me.

He jumped off the stage and made his way to me, ignoring the whistles and reaching hands of other men.

When he said, “I’m ready” in a low seductive voice, I could have come right there. I couldn't remember ever wanting a man this badly.

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