Page 26 of Gilded Kisses

Seconds later, I step out onto the third floor. Cool air, the scent of recently polished leather and silence greet me.

Left of the reception area is a small lounge. It is made up of a collection of sofas and low knee-level tables where Genesis’ runners gather, looking for a contract to fulfill. Or collect payment on one. It seems they are all out on jobs tonight with how the place is as quiet as a graveyard. And I love it. Or, I willlearn to love it. Like I said, I have goals. If all goes well, this will be where I come to work tomorrow.

To get to my cousin’s office on the fifth floor, I have to stop here and take another elevator up. Just another level of security to keep people where they belong. One thing your five-million-dollar membership doesn’t get you in this joint is direct access to Harlon’s floor and after tonight I might lose mine.

I head to the back wall and punch the button for the top level. A few seconds and I’m whooshed up a couple of floors.

Polaris, my cousin’s suspected lover and his best friend’s, is looking over inventory. She is also their relatively new executive assistant. Juicy stuff. She is in her usual spot in front of his office door, looking pensive which makes my spidey senses want to dig for gossip.

Polaris is a broken soul and what has her brows pulled in deep thought might be bad memories and not lustful desires. Everyone here instantly bonded with her the second she came to live at Club Genesis. I want to ask what is on her mind, but think better of it for now. She was kidnapped, tortured, and then nearly sold off into an underground sex slave trade. Only her sister, a mean-ass Russian biker gang, and the men of Genesis saved her from a far worse fate than working for my family. Everyone is a tad bit overly protective of her. Including myself.

There is a bigger story behind her hookup with the Men of Genesis, but I don’t have time to stop and ask her how the rumored four-way romance is going. I do that and I will lose my nerve for the next part of my plan.

I keep my greeting casual. “Hey, sweet thing. Is he in?” I gesture to the closed door behind her.

Beautiful red lips peel back into a knowing smirk. “Yes,” Polaris coos with an arched brow and the shadows in her eye retreat. The sass in her is real and what made us fast friends after she arrived here a couple months back. “But you should know that cousin of yours is in a mood.”

Mygood mood drops to the floor. “Ugh. Not good. And Cassius and Santi?” They usually serve as nice buffers. I mentally cross my fingers.

Polaris shakes her head. “Stepped out. Club business with the Savages. Enter at your own risk.”

Shit. The Savages are the group of Russian bikers who saved her and are pretty tight with Harlon. Them in town is not a good sign from recent experience.

“What’s up?”

“I don’t know for sure, but they say a new girl is arriving. Her name is Briar. From what Harlon said, her story isn’t good. They pulled her out of a cargo ship hold.”

Polaris’ voice trails off and her eyes drift to a spot on the floor telling me this girl, Briar, will need a safe place to heal. There are a lot of lines my family crosses to make the money we have. Power and ruthlessness go in hand with my bloodline. But not at the expense of the innocent.

I reach out and take Polaris into my arms for a quick hug. “You okay? Do you need to talk about anything?” I pull back and look my friend in the eye.

“She’s gonna need all our help.”

“And we will.”

She nods. “But that comes later. Right now is about you.” I can practically see the ghosts of her past slink back into the shadows as she gives me a watery smile.

I take a steadying breath and hope it’s not my last. “Wish me luck. Let’s talk later, okay?”

Polaris nods and I blow through the thick wooden door, hoping I don’t get a gun in my face before I have a chance to speak my mind.

The large slab of dark wood swings wide open to reveal my cousin sitting behind his desk, eyes down. His office is a large open space covered in browns, leathers, and a few gold ornaments that add a flare of color and wealth. The familiar scent of cigar smoke and fine whiskey linger in the air which tells me Harlon is either trying to relax or keep from killing someone.

I open my mouth to start in on my spiel when he beats me to the punch.

“What would it take for me to convince you to walk away?”

I knew I would meet a wall of resistance. I square my shoulders and try to keep the frown off my face. “Did Polaris tell you?”

“She didn’t have to. It’s all over your face.”

My shoulders threaten to sag under Harlon’s incredulous tone, but I force them to hold steady.

Come on Aster. Fight it.

“So tell me. What would it take for me to convince you to walk away from Genesis? Paris, Rio, Vegas. Where do you want to go to create a life and leave this shit family in the dust?”

Like that can happen. My father keeps me locked in this city with five little words: Leave and I kill them.

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