Page 72 of Lucifer's Hounds

Gater and Cass walk through the doorway of the lounge to find us sitting on the floor, laughing about the customers we encountered throughout the night. I catch Cass’s eyes on me. The other girls trail off when they realize I’m not listening to a single word they said since Cass walked in.

“Finally. Everyone else is gone except for Leo, Shorty, and Scott.” Cass sighs, sitting down behind me and pulling me to him.

The uncontrollable smile on my face is from the electric current stirring deep inside my stomach. Cass sets my libido on fire with that simple connection, and little does he know that he’s driving me wild already.

Mindy gives me a puzzled look, embarrassment flooding my cheeks. Although, I’m not sure why. It isn’t like Mindy can hear my thoughts. I give her a chaste smile and nuzzle my head into the nape of Cass’s neck.

Gater holds his arm out for Ryan, helping her up from the floor. “Are you ready to go home?” he asks.

“Hell yeah. I’ve been ready. My legs are killing me.”

“That is, if Cass is done with you.” Gater looks to Cass for approval.

“Do y’all need her for anything else?” Cass asks, looking between myself and Mindy.

“Nope, I think we’re done with her and Lucy both. And Lilly, you can go too. Everything is done for the most part.”

“Come on, Gater. Let’s go home.” Ryan hands her tip bucket and jacket to him before walking around the room to tell everyone goodbye.

Mindy disappears to the front of the bar with Lucy after Ryan and Gater walk out, leaving me and Cass alone in the lounge.

Cass places a trail of tiny kisses from my earlobe to the base of my neck. “You were so fucking sexy behind that bar tonight. Watching you back there, the way you move…” He trails off, placing another kiss on my neck. I shiver involuntarily as chills pepper my skin.

“Thank you, babe.” I turn my face to meet his.

Nose to nose, we sit here lost in one another’s eyes until Mindy comes barreling in. I don’t know how long she’s been standing there before she speaks and breaks the silence.

“Y’all have to come see what we did on the register tonight!” Mindy almost yells and is bouncing up and down with excitement. I tear my eyes from Cass’s and grin at an impatient Mindy.

“Comeon!” she urges.

Cass stands and lifts me simultaneously. “Let’s go check it out.” He presses his hand to the small of my back, guiding me toward Mindy as he walks behind me.

Mindy’s holding up three long pieces of register tape, the bottom of each one having a number in large print and circled.

“We made six grand tonight on the registers!” Mindy dances around in a small circle while holding the papers above her head.

“Oh my god!” I stare at the numbers on the bottom of the papers in Mindy’s hand. “Six thousand dollars?” I shriek.

Cass stares at the receipts, a look of pride on his face. “Kevin told me that when the bar was at its best, the most money it ever brought in in one night was twenty-five hundred dollars.”

“We nearly tripled that tonight!” I squeal hearing the sheer happiness in Cass’s voice.

“We did amazing, because we are a kickass team,” Mindy chimes in.

“Yes, we are, and this kickass team member is about to go home. I’m exhausted.”

I hug Mindy, walking past Cass into the lounge to grab my things. I don’t have much to get but when I come back, I slow down to listen to Mindy and Cass talking.

“She really likes you. You’ve put some kind of spark back in her eyes that I haven’t seen in a long time, maybe even ever.”

“I like her, a lot. I’ve never clicked with anyone so well, but with my lifestyle, I don’t know how well she will be able to adapt to it. The club takes up more than a lot of my time.” Cass sighs.

I round the corner, deliberately interrupting their conversation. I don’t know where that conversation was going, but I’m scared of what I may or may not hear.

“I’m out of here, y’all.” I hug Mindy one more time then find myself in Cass’s arms, once again—that familiar place that only he can take me to.

A feeling of comfort and home that I cannot remember feeling, yet it’s so familiar.

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