Page 68 of Bitter Desire
Connie flashed me a bright smile and sauntered farther into the room. She headed straight for a large desk, mahogany or some shit, that had a leather chair behind it like the one Honey’s mother sat in by the fire. “That’s right. I’ve got it right here in writing. You know how we like to keep records,” she said, plucking up a folded paper from the desk. She flashed it at the room, mostly at Honey, and I knew it was the letter I’d tossed to the side that night. I hadn’t thought twice about it.
Why would I?
This had been the place I could come to relax. Not think over what kind of trail I was leaving, but there was the fucking letter and I felt like a goddamn asshole for not taking it with me when I’d left. I’d been too wrapped up in Honey, in tasting her, in spending every goddamn second I could with my hands on her, in fucking her.
I’d been distracted and now it was coming back to bite me in the ass.
“What’s that?” Honey asked. She hadn’t said it but I knew she was talking to me by the way she moved, coming close to my arm and putting a hand on my bicep.
“It’s nothing,” I told her, but even as I said it I knew it wouldn’t be nothing. Not tonight.
“I wouldn’t say that. Not with the payout you have waiting for you, Law.”
Honey’s eyes widened. “Pay out?” she asked Connie.
Connie hummed and nodded, moving around the desk and opening a drawer with a snap of her hand. Zeus and Honey’s mother were silent, unmoving, as they took in the scene unfolding like they were watching a fucking play.
“There’s no pay out,” I said, but even as I spoke, Connie was pulling out a piece of paper.
Zeus tsk’d and I wanted to hit him in the throat. Make sure he never made another sound. “That’s no way to talk about owning part of the Cairn, Law. And for such a thorough job you deserve your reward.”
“The club? What’s going on, Law?”
“Nothing is going on, princess. This is all bullshit.”
Her mother snorted. “Princess? What the hell ki-”
“Honey, listen to me,” I cupped her face with my hands and tried to get her to look at me but she was staring at her mother, her eyes wide and then she was looking at Zeus and finally Connie who was now walking towards us with the papers in hand. She was looking everywhere but at me. “Look at me, Honey.”
“Here’s your reward for doing a job so well. We wanted to extend this payment in person seeing as it is a very valuable prize so many have wanted, but you, Law, have earned it.” Connie held out the papers.
I know you hate games.
Sorry about that.
Games. She was right. I hated them, and right now the biggest one was happening with Connie playing Checkmate. “You can shove those fucking papers. I didn’t want shit,” I growled.
That wasn’t entirely true. I’d known it was a job that night, but I’d taken it on the bet that whatever I’d earn would be worth the trouble. It had been good to shake off the office persona I’d fallen into and let out the man I’d once been.
Whatever Zeus was willing to offer me had better fucking be worth it.
I’d thought so. Believed it was worth it to take Zeus up on his request but had thought it would be for the night. But Honey? She made me want forever. I’d taken that fucking job and not known it was her. Every thought of a job or favors or pay outs had left my brain the second I’d seen her in the club.
All that had existed was her. Needing her, wanting to protect her, I’d wanted Honey for myself. I’d taken her for myself and not given a fucking second thought to Zeus, or jobs completed.
Until now.
“Honey, princess, look at me.” I moved, trying to block the scene from her. The whole fucked scene that had Zeus grinning, Connie coming closer papers dangling from her fingers, and then her fucking mother. That woman wasn’t fit to breathe the same air as Honey. Christ.
“What are they talking about?” Honey asked, her eyes came to me. “Law, what-”
“This was all a job,” Connie said, coming to stand beside us. Her voice was soft and gentle, the kind teachers used on pre-school children to let them down gently when they found out Santa Claus wasn’t real. “And now Law is getting paid.”
“What was a job?” Honey’s voice was getting higher, I could hear the break in it. The hitch in the back of her throat that told me she was panicking. The woman that had followed me in here was gone. She was done with being strong.
I couldn’t blame her. But I willed her to hold on just a little longer. I had to get us out of here.
“We’re leaving,” I said, moving to grab her hand, but Honey jerked away from me when Connie spoke.
