Page 57 of New Beginnings
The look on his face was almost laughable.
“What the fuck do you think I’m supposed to say, Rumi?” He tossed his hands in the air. “You’re not my fucking old lady. And even if you where you’d know what the hell, he said was the truth. He’s my fucking president and I listen to him.”
“Now whatever the fuck is going on between the two of you,” I said, “it’s not important right now. You’re here Rumi because you look just like your fucking sister which has almost gotten you killed once. Here you’ll be protected. Trust me, I don’t want you here either, but it is what it is.”
She huffed. “How long do I have to stay here? I have a life. I have a fiancé who I need to get back too.”
Caesar snorted, and she glared at him before looking back at me.
“Until we make sure there isn’t a threat, Rumi.” I sighed, running my hand through my hair. “I know it’s an inconvenience, but I’d rather you be inconvenienced than you be dead. And that’s an actual possibility. Which do you prefer?”
“Sis, just listen to them,” Rebel said. “This is the best thing for both of us. Just call Oscar and tell him we’re going on a sisters retreat to the spa before the wedding, and you’ll call him every day.”
Sounded like a decent plan to me.
“You do know I have a job, Rebel.” She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. “What am I’m supposed to tell them?”
From the short time I’d known Rumi, it was clear she was entitled, and a spoiled brat. She was used to getting her way. I was pretty sure her parents were to blame for this, but Caesar too. I could see him trying to give this woman the world if she asked for it.
“Rumi, for fuck’s sake.” Rebel tossed her hands in the air in frustration. “You can work from anywhere and you fucking know it. Stop it with this bullshit.”
“Then it’s settled,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “You’ll stay here. Caesar take Rumi to her room and make sure you have one of the girls get her whatever she needs.”
“So, I don’t have any say in this?” she asked with her eyes wide.
“No, you don’t, unless you want to end up dead. Dead or stay here. Those are your choices.”
Enough with the bullshit. My place. My rules. She was staying here, and that was final. Once all this shit was over and I knew she was safe, she could do whatever the hell she wanted. Preferably away from me.
“Come on Mimi,” Caesar said, pulling her from the chair. I was shocked she didn’t fight him and went willingly. It almost seemed like she had to fight against everything. That had to be tiring. It sure as hell was for me.
“I’ll see you in a little bit, and we can talk then,” Rebel said.
Rumi sighed and nodded, then followed Caesar out of the office. When the door shut behind them, I let out a breath ofrelief. It was like it was easy to breathe again with her out of the room.
My gaze landed on the beautiful woman sitting in front of me. She was dressed in a long black skirt paired with a pink off-the-shoulder top. Her signature low-top Chuck Taylors, normally black, were now a matching shade of pink.
“I’m sorry about Rumi. She can be a little much at times, but her heart is in the right place. She’s worried about me, and she’s fighting her feelings for Caesar.”
“Nothing to be sorry about.” I shrugged. “I wasn’t expecting this either. So, she has a right to be upset, but she has to understand this is for her safety as well as yours.”
“So much is going on and she’s out of the loop. But I’ll have a talk with her later.”
“I never imagined everything went this deep,” I said. “I just knew something was off with Dani’s death.”
And that was the simple truth. What the authorities were saying didn’t match up with anything. Charlotte’s finest had a vendetta against me, I knew that. But I would have never imagined they would have been involved in the death of a mother and her child because everything had always been aimed at me and the club.
“How are you doing?” she asked.
“I’ll be doing better once you get your ass over here,” I said, motioning with my finger. “Come here, beautiful.”
With a smile on her face, she rose from her seat and leisurely strolled around my desk. I pulled her onto my lap, guiding her to straddle my hips. I gripped her ass through her skirt as she rested her head against mine. And in an instant, a sense of peace washed over me, despite the chaos surrounding our lives. Even though shit was about to hit the fan, her presence made everything alright. As long as she was by my side, I knew everything would be alright.
“Are you alright?” I asked, squeezing her ass.
“Define alright?” she asked, chuckling, and squirming under my touch. “I was almost killed by a crazy cop. I also had to deal with the FBI, and my annoying ass sister.”
“Mentally?” I twisted one of her braids around one of my fingers before letting it go. “Emotionally?”
