Page 17 of Facet

“Just… stay off the stage.”

My brows shot up in surprise. “But the club is shorthanded. I would think you would want me working to keep the money rolling in.”

We had been dealing with some guy named George Horacio poaching the girls away, leaving us shorthanded at the club. It was part of the reason I had started dancing.

“That club could shut down tomorrow and the chapter would be just fine. It’s the principle of the matter that we’re staying open. We’ll be damned if some rich prick runs us out of business.” He huffed and shook his head. “Now, do we have a deal?”

With a calculated gaze, I studied him, weighing my options and arguments. Like I said, the extra money I made being onstage was nice, but I had only agreed to it because I wanted to help Cookie—Sage—out. The money also came in handy because I was trying to save everything I could to try to find my family. Still, I didn’t want to appear too weak or easily cowed, so I pursed my lips as I pretended to think it over. Then, I nodded. “Okay, fine.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, he grabbed my hips and hefted me on the counter. He stepped between my pajama-clad thighs. I almost snickered at the sexy bad biker caged in by the ice cream cones printed on them.

He pushed his hands up under my top to wrap around my sides and all thought vanished.

“How can I need to be inside you again so soon?” he asked me as he nuzzled against my neck.

“Jesus, please don’t violate my kitchen,” Venom muttered from the doorway.

Embarrassed, I pushed Facet back and dropped to my feet. My cheeks burned as I buried my face in his shirt. His chuckle shook his chest against me.

“Like you and Loralei haven’t violated the table in here. Hell, I think you two have a thing for tables,” Facet teased.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Venom muttered as he poured himself a cup of coffee. As he raised it to his mouth, he eyed us. “So you two finally got your shit together?”

“Oh my God,” I groaned. “Did everyone know? I thought I was a bit more discreet than that.”

Venom laughed. “Not even close, little one.”

“Oh.”

The president of the Royal Bastards in Ankeny always intimidated me a little. Venom was big, burly, and surly. He had the resting-asshole face perfected, and I never knew when he was in a good mood or not until he laughed.

Venom left the kitchen, coffee cup in hand.

“I spoke with Voodoo, but I ended up talking to my mother as well. She has, umm, connections. I thought maybe she could help.”

“Did you find anything out?” I asked him, as I tipped my head up to look at him.

When he pressed his hand over mine, I realized I could feel the firm thud of his heartbeat under my palm. The warmth of his touch sent heat up through my arm to fill my body. That quickly morphed to pure, unadulterated need.

While before I’d been incredibly attracted and drawn to the broody tech guy for the club, there now burned a need that I could barely contain. It was like we’d opened Pandora’s box. If the teasing warning from Venom wasn’t so fresh in my mind, I would’ve jumped him there and then.

“My mom….” He sighed and glanced away as if he was troubled. “She’s trying to reach out to my father.”

“Trying? I thought you didn’t know who your father was?” I asked, confused. It dawned on me that I didn’t know much about him or his family. I didn’t know where his mom lived, I didn’t know where he was from, I knew next to nothing about him and his life.

His gaze returned to mine and pain flashed in his winter-sky eyes before it vanished. “I thought my father was dead,” he emotionlessly announced, leaving my jaw unhinged.

I wasn’t sure what to say. It took him asking her to look for my family for his mother to tell him his dad was alive?

“I… um… wow,” I stammered. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say.”

“Nothing to say.”

“How did that happen? Did your mom tell you he was dead, or did you just assume he was dead?”

“Well, I always remembered her saying it, but now that I think back, she more implied or said things that I think I assumed meant he was dead,” he muttered with a sigh before he dropped his chin to the top of my head and pulled me flush to his firm body.

“I’m so sorry,” I told him, the platitude sounding completely ineffective and wishing I had something better to say.

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