Page 20 of Death's Deal

Standing before her, looking down on those sultry lips curled in a snarl, they’re taunting me to pull them between my teeth. “You don’t get a choice.” Using my size to intimidate her, without touching her I push her to move until she backs herself against the wall. Resting my leg between hers, my knee rests close to her pussy and I want nothing more than to know how wet she is. I have to put her in her place though. Toni has no power here, not now, not later. This is my club and my life. I’m no longer that kid who let the older men control things, I’m the one who controls things now. I’m the President.

“It may be about you, but this is not your world.” Leaning over, bringing my face close to hers, the intoxicating scent of her perfume wafts toward me. Sliding my hand down the soft skin of her inner arm, grasping her hand, and leading her to the chair in the corner, I command, “Sit there, silently, or I’ll leave you with the strippers.”

She mutters, “I’d almost rather be with them.”

“It can be arranged, Princess. Remember, this is my ass on the line protecting you, and that doesn’t mean I have to be nice about it. So shut up and sit there.” I add, “Please.”

Flaring her nostrils, blowing out a cute breath, like she’s tough against the likes of me, and taking the seat like I’d advised, Toni crosses her legs and arms before furrowing her lips in a deep pout.

I walk to my desk. “You’ll be the death of me, T.”

Taking a seat, pushing my bills, notes, and various other business paraphernalia to the side, I wait for the guys to enter. With a knock, and a “yeah, come in,” the boys quickly fill up the room.

Curse, with his slung arm, takes a seat beside me, whispering low, “You gonna explain this?”

“As much as I can for the moment. Later we’ll talk more.”

“As you say, Boss.”

As they all filter in, taking seats around the room, Boyd wanders in while his gaze never once leaves Toni. He’s not going to take this well, knowing the history and that we have no say in this. I’m sure we’ll have a heated discussion after.

Waiting on my little brother, who is always last and late, the chatter in the room is a low drone as the busybody men, who know my history, are conversing amongst themselves. Their gazes are stern, pissed, and unabashedly annoyed. Curse, Boyd, Des, Trigger, Tweet, and Thunder, don’t make me feel any better about my decision. I want to tell them why I chose this option truthfully, and why I—in essence—sold us to the mayor for the price of our existence. Some younger members may understand; they won’t. Their trust is the only reason I’m still going through with this.

Toni is sitting in a den full of angry, hungry, out for blood wolves. Yes, she may be used to slick politicians, but a room full of men who despise authority, and those same politicians who have caused us so much pain over the years, this is not the same thing. Those who created my incarceration and had no issue with putting an innocent kid in jail for their shortcomings, they’re the number one reason for our hatred of regular norms. The establishment of society. The reason for why we are the one-percent we are.

“Let me start by saying—”

Cut short as the door opens wide, Apoc wanders in. His smile that was ear to ear, brimming with joy, has been replaced with a sneer of disdain. “What the fuck is she doing here!” His voice booms.

“If you’d shut up, you’d find out from your President,” Curse clips off.

“This is in no way standard club shit, Curse. This is family.” Turning and pulling the door wider, Apoc acts as if he has a say in any of this. “Everyone out. THIS is between me and my brother.”

“Tlaloc. This affects us all,” I snap back, using his given name. “Close the fucking door so I can continue.”

As Apoc stews silently, shutting the door with a gentler move then I expected, I begin once more. “This is Antonia Morriso, and for those who have not met her, she’s the mayor’s daughter. We’ve been tasked with her protection.” Looking at my brother, seeing he’s about to blurt out that it’s a bit of a stretch from the truth, I correct the comment before he does. “Let’s just say, I’ve been subpoenaed to guard her. She will be like my shadow, and no one will give her shit. She can go as she pleases in Humble, but she does not leave if I have not. If I’m in the club, she’s in the club. No one takes her out without my permission, no one watches her leave here without me by her side. Understood?”

Apoc doesn’t reply. He stays quiet.

“Okay,” Trigger states flatly with a shrug of his shoulders.

Mack smirks, raises a brow, and leans against the wall. “Got it, Boss.”

“Want us to keep her from the girls?” Curse asks with a smirk. I know he means the strippers.

Looking at Toni, the shock in her eyes states it all. I scoff with a sideways grin, “I doubt that’ll be an issue.”

She’ll be so afraid of them, there’s no way she’ll leave my side. They’re so outside of her wheelhouse that if I found them trading nipple sticker secrets with her, I’d be wholly surprised.

“Can I say something?” Toni asks with an authoritative tone. Turning slowly toward her, surprised by her sharp tone in this space, it feels as if my brows have risen so high they’ve met my hairline. “I know this is not my world. I just want you to know I promise not to be here longer than necessary. I know you’re not happy about it either. I don’t plan on being in anyone’s way, and I have my own life to get back to.”

Well. I didn’t expect that. I thought for sure she was going to rail against the injustice done to her. She’s been dragged from her home, and put under the protection of a man she helped incarcerate. She’s in a room of men who hate her. At least those who know her.

Clearing my throat, I ask, “Anyone else with a question?”

The first to speak is Mack, his tone is nonchalant, “Na.” As if the decision doesn’t matter to him in the least. Rising from the chair, in a disconnected and clearly disappointed voice, his booming tone adds a sense of acquiescence I would never have expected. “It’s cool, Boss. We’re behind you.”

As a few of the others chime out with their approval of the situation, their voices scare me slightly. They all believe in the democracy of the decision, and they’re following me without fault. I gotta admit, I’d expected a different outcome. More than that, I hope this will all work out the way I’ve designed and the mayor comes through with the cash injection we so desperately need.

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