Black
It felt like I had just closed my eyes when the sound of my cell going off woke me. Who the fuck was calling me now? The clock read twelve. I didn’t often get to bed early, this was the first night in a long time. Clearly, the powers that be didn’t like that idea.
Jones’ name glowed on the screen. “Yeah.”
“I woke you.” Jones didn’t apologize, just stated a fact.
“You’re a fucking genius, Jones. What other tricks are you going to pull out of your sleeve?” I had no time for this shit. I wanted to get back to my amazing dream.
“I was tracking Ronnie like you asked. Followed him to Joker’s Sin. Didn’t think much about it, except none of you told me Quill worked there. That information would have been nice, boss.” I knew Jones hated surprises.
“Shit. What happened?”
“Ronnie is currently sitting at a table, watching Quill’s every move. He went up to get a drink, they had words, and by the look on your boy’s face, it wasn’t anything good.”
My boy’s face? What the fuck? “He’s not my boy. Keep eyes on him, I’m on my way. We got anyone free right now?”
There was a lot of sound, so I knew Jones was moving deeper into the club. He’d stay completely hidden. Ronnie wouldn’t know he was ever there.
“Everyone’s out on jobs. The new guys, you haven’t cleared them yet.”
My own demons were holding me back on okaying anyone else. What Emma did, infiltrating my organization and practically destroying it, had hit me hard. I had to adjust.
“Call Ginger. I want him to locate the whereabouts of Bartholomew Sterling. Then I want him in my office in the morning at nine.” Ginger was the best of the new recruits. A wisp of a thing, but he shocked us all in his testing. Especially Jones.
“Ginger? You sure he’s ready?”
“I’m not repeating my orders, Jones. I’m almost dressed. Make sure Quill stays safe.”
Tossing my phone on the bed, I grabbed a pair of black jeans and a white, long-sleeved shirt. I didn’t have time to braid my hair, so I brushed it quickly. It felt uncomfortable not wearing a suit, but I’d stick out too much at Joker’s Sin in a three piece suit. Placing my phone in my pocket, I opted not to call my driver and instead went down to the garage. My Charger sat beautiful and black, and as I slipped into the leather seats and started her up, I couldn’t help but smile at the familiar vibration as I revved the engine.
I parked my car as close to Joker’s Sin as I could. I took my leather jacket off the seat and quickly put it on, hit the alarm, and made my way toward the club. There was still a line after midnight. The place closed in two hours, why would people wait that long? Well, I wasn’t.
“Can I help you?” the large bouncer asked.
“No.” I barreled through him and made my way into the club. It was like dubstep nation in there and so much fucking leather.
“Hey.” I felt someone tap my shoulder. I whipped around and grabbed whomever it was by the neck. It was the bouncer from the door.
“Not today, Junior. You tell Atlas, Black is here. Now fuck off.” I pushed him away and made my way to the bar. I hadn’t been inside Joker’s Sin before, I only knew how it looked based on Mace and Bill’s description.
I liked the concept and would’ve taken more time to appreciate it if I wasn’t hell-bent on finding Quill.
“Can I help you, handsome?” I turned and looked down. A small guy with pink hair and barely-there black leather shorts had spoken.
“No. Where’s Quill?”
The small man slid his fingers down my arm. “Mmm. Quill didn’t tell me he had a God for a boyfriend. You’re better than most I see him with.” He jerked his head to the right. I followed the direction and there before me, was Quill.
He was dressed in red leather. I couldn’t see below the waist, but the vest he wore was tight against his pale skin. I knew he loved his bracelets, and he had them all on tonight. His arms were covered in red and silver glitter, making him stick out like a gorgeous disco ball. It looked like he had put all of his piercings back in, and I could see when the light shown on his face, he also had glitter on his cheeks.
“I’ll just leave you to it,” the small man said with a chuckle, and I took the few steps to where Quill stood mixing drinks.
He hadn’t noticed me yet, and I got a chance to see he had red eyes and black liner on his lids. He looked like pure sin. I was surprised when I felt my cock stiffen. Until now, I was never sexually interested in Quill. Okay, to be fair, I admired him. He was stunning, but there was a line cut somewhere between admiration and want. Why was I feeling something now?
“Are you following me?” Quill’s voice snapped me back to attention.
“I thought you wanted me to follow you.”
Quill narrowed his eyes, but I saw how he swallowed as he took me in. He was a flirt by nature and no matter how peeved he was at me, he could never sustain that anger.
“Your hair is down. And you’re not in a suit… And,” he reached out, lightly fingered a strand of my hair, “it’s like silk.”
“I use a very special treatment.” I didn’t really understand why I was having this conversation. I wanted to tell Quill he had to go back home where the security system would keep him safe, but there he was, flirting, but something about him seemed different to me.
“Hmm. I like it. What’s it smell like?” He leaned forward, and I actually found myself meeting him so he could sniff my fucking hair when I felt another hand on my shoulder. What was with these touchy people?
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” I knew Ronald Sterling’s voice. With my back to him and my hair down, he likely had no idea who I was. He also didn’t know I wasn’t alone. This time, I wasn’t in the middle of a coffee shop and I’d had enough.
Watching Quill’s body lock up and the sheer fear that transformed his smiling face into a terrified one pissed me off. I knew Ronald was on my left and my size had pushed people away. I spun, fist ready, and made a connection with his face that was quite satisfying. He fell back a good foot, taking dancing people down with him.
“Goddammit, Black!” Atlas stood between me and Ronald, who lay bleeding on the floor.
I didn’t pay Atlas any mind at all. I took a couple steps and hovered over Ronnie’s body. “I warned you. That was a courtesy.”
“You don’t own this town,” Ronnie shouted, spraying blood with his spit. “Quill hasn’t told me to leave him alone.”
Knowing Jones was close, I turned my back on Ronnie. Atlas was ordering his men to help Ronnie up and clean the mess. My eyes locked with Quill’s red ones.
“That right?” I asked him. “You want him?”
Quill’s gaze darted from me to Ronnie. So much fear, so much anger. He was on a precipice. I couldn’t help him make this call. But if Quill said he wanted Ronnie, I knew I’d have little choice.
He shook his head and I wanted to hug him for being so brave. “I… I don’t want him, Black. I told him to leave me alone.”
That was all I needed to hear. I spun around. Ronnie was upright now, aided by two bouncers I chose to ignore. Gripping his shirt, I pulled him closer to me.
“Now you’ve heard it. I see you near him, you will lose your eye sight. You talk to him, you will lose your tongue. You touch him, I will take your hands… Do you see where I’m going with this? I will kill you in inches, Mr. Sterling.”
“My father will hear about this.” Ronnie’s voice shook, but he wasn’t backing down how I’d hoped. He was either a fucking idiot or he had far too much faith in his father.
“Oh, I’m counting on it.”
The bouncers escorted Ronnie out of the club and when they went to grab me, Atlas intervened. “Not him. He’s going to my office.”
I didn’t miss the glare Atlas gave Quill as we passed, and I was sure Quill wanted to follow me into that office with Atlas. But it was better this way. I knew Jones was still lurking, but he was going to follow Ronnie and note where he went. Quill was fine behind the bar for now.
Inside Atlas’ office, I explained as best I could why I was there. When I told him Quill was an employee of mine and that when harm came to my people, I intervened, there were a lot more questions thrown my way. I couldn’t answer them, nor would I.
“I don’t much like you and your people, Black,” Atlas said as he drank down his whiskey. His dark skin made the white leather outfit he wore practically glow. He was a stunning man with his long braids, flawless skin, and sculpted body. “You cause me a lot of grief. First Mace and Bill, now you—”
“You hold on a minute there, Atlas. You’re alive because of my people. You are the one who got in bed with a psychopath. If my guys hadn’t shook the hornets’ nest when they did, I am sure Zagan Marks would have you buried so deep, you’d be as gone as Hoffa.” I couldn’t sit there anymore. I got up, adjusted my jacket, and made for the door.
“Is Quill going to bring more trouble to my club?”
I gripped the handle, angry enough to crush it if I wanted. A part of me wanted to say yes and he should fire him. Another part knew as much as I wanted to do that, Quill would hate it. I was having a hard time swallowing that pill, and the why of it was irritating.
“He will have someone with him at all times until this situation is resolved. He’s not a danger to you or this place.”
Without listening to what Atlas had to say after that, I left. Quill was still working the bar, smiling once more. I stepped up in time to hear the pink-haired guy from earlier say something to Quill.
“Your boyfriend is intense, Quill.”
Quill shrugged, his smile dimming. “He’s not mine. No way would someone like him touch someone like me. But I have fun flirting.”
Even though Quill and I couldn’t be, I didn’t understand why he thought he couldn’t get a decent human being to be with.
“Well, I might try then,” pink dude said as he pointed over Quill’s shoulder, which had me face to face with red, nervous eyes.
“Be my guest,” Quill answered, but I knew he didn’t mean that. It was easy to read him. He either didn’t know how to lie or gave up trying a long time ago.
“I was just on my way out,” I answered. “Quill, you’re off at two thirty. A car will take you home and I will see you in my office at nine. Have a nice evening, boys.”
The widening of Quill’s eyes and the pink that covered his cheeks told me if I didn’t get out of there now, there’d be another scene. So as quickly as I could, I left.
I read my texts on the way to my car. Jones said he followed Ronnie back to his place and it looked like the guy was calling it a night. I arranged a car to meet Quill at two thirty and take him home. I hoped Quill wouldn’t give my driver a hard time, but I made it clear to my driver it was a non-negotiable ride.
I was sure I’d hear all about why I was an asshole in the morning, and I strangely looked forward to it.