Page 32 of Room Nine: Masters of Control

Kerr walks the few feet down the bar and offers his hand. “Kyra told us about you. How are you feeling?”

Poor Jimmy looks so confused. “I’m, uh, fine. Thanks for asking. Who are you?”

“We’re Kyra’s friends,” Kerr says.

Dem follows and offers his hand, “Her close friends.”

Jimmy’s brow furrows even more. “Okay.”

“What can I get you guys to drink?” I interject, trying to pull their focus away from Jimmy. He’s a big guy, but these three are just as big and ooze power and authority, the kind Jimmy at twenty-six years old hasn’t mastered yet with all of his gym muscles. There’s a big difference between his bulk and the three men honed from years of combat training.

Kerr locks eyes with me, his bright blue eyes shining in the darkness. “Come here, Kitten.”

I know I shouldn’t run to him, especially when he’s making a blatant territorial claim on me—Jesus Christ, he might as well pee on me in front of Jimmy—but something about the look on his face says he needs this more than I do.

I round the end of the bar. “What’s wrong?”

Kerr doesn’t hesitate to pull me against his chiseled chest, cocooning me in his embrace. “I missed you.”

I giggle, rubbing his back. “You saw me less than six hours ago.”

“It feels like an eternity.” Kerr pulls back and looks me in the eye. “If I paid you a month worth of tips right now, would you blow off work and come home with us?”

“A whole month?” I joke.

“A year,” he growls. “Name your price, and I’ll pay it.”

I frame his face with my hands, barely remembering where we are or our audience. “I’d like nothing more than to come home with you right now, but Tony’s short-staffed and has always been good to me. His wife just had their baby, and he’s entrusted me with his bar while he’s home taking care of them.”

“If you come home with us, you won’t have to work ever again, if you don’t want to.”

I roll my eyes and smack his chest, taking a step back. “Yeah, right?”

I turn into Dem’s chest, having no idea he was waiting behind me. He wraps his arms around me, his hard body like pressing up against hot stone.

“Hey there!” I squeak in surprise.

He presses a kiss to my cheek, but then steps back, his eyes surreptitiously sliding toward Jimmy. Although he doesn’t say a word, both of their actions speak loud and clear. I’m theirs, and they will tolerate no one else making a claim. Considering my past, I should be terrified, and yet, I’m not. If anything, I’m all warm and fuzzy inside because I know they’d never hurt me to get my undying loyalty. They want it freely and will worship and adore me to get it.

“We’ll take a round of whiskey, Angel.”

I smile, hoping to convey my understanding with the simple gesture. “Coming right up.”

“Jimmy, do you drink whiskey?” Dem says.

“Uh, actually, I think I’ll take off, but thanks anyway.” Jimmy tosses a ten-dollar bill down on the bar. “See you tomorrow, Kyra.”

“Keep your money, man. We’d be honored to buy you a drink.”

He narrows his eyes. “Another time.”

I watch this exchange, pouring them two fingers each of the best whiskey we have in the bar. After Jimmy leaves, I put the three glasses on a tray and walk out from behind the bar to serve them. “What the hell was that?”

“Nothing.” Kerr grins. “We honestly wanted to buy the guy a drink. He put his pretty face in jeopardy to protect you.”

I hand him a glass and sneer, “You can’t be territorial over me like that.”

“We told you we were possessive, Cupcake.” O’Dell takes a glass from me.

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