Annie wasn't the type to dress in short, tight dresses. She didn't particularly care about attracting men who wanted to fuck her in the bathroom without a condom on and preferred sophisticated, successful men who knew what he wanted out of life and had no problem reaching out and taking it for himself. A man like that typically knew how to take care of a woman in every area of life, not just financially. She had been to her share of nightclubs before; a couple of her friends had gotten married early in life and the bachelorette party consisted of dancing until three o'clock in the morning. She actually likes dancing; it was a good way to express herself without actually connecting. 

When her friend Carmen had found out she had made partner, Annie demanded that they celebrate. Carmen had been instructed to invite all her closest friends for a celebration that night. Annie had no idea what they were going to do but she knew she wanted to play something spectacular for her best friend.

She thought about what Jericho offered her. A smile had crept into her face, however, at how persistent he was in taking care of her. She had always taken care of herself, even when her parents were alive. She refused to take their money unless it was a gift, and anything that required paperwork, including her college applications, were done by her. Even in her relationships, she typically made the plans, she paid the bills, she did what was necessary to keep on top of everything. And she had always been okay with this because she liked being in control and knowing what to expect and where she was. However, Jericho's insistence at taking care of her was a welcome surprise and it was easier than she expected to allow herself to give up some of the control to him.

Because she trusted him.

She never thought that she would ever consider Jericho dependable but he was. In the couple of weeks that he had been living here, she hadn't seen one bill. At first, she thought that was a little presumptuous and perhaps a tad controlling. But when he explained that as owner of the home, he was responsible for everything except her cell phone bill, she dropped it. There was no point in fighting him.

And now he was letting her invite an infinite number of friends to get the VIP treatment at one of the hottest nightclubs in Seattle. 

When she told her friends, they were ecstatic. Bottle service, the VIP treatment at an exclusive nightclub like The Red Door, plus a limo service so they could drink all they wanted without worrying about driving.

Annie had no idea why Jericho… She couldn’t finish that thought. Of course she knew why. She wasn’t an idiot. He loved her and wanted to show her by having her friends come over to his club and treating them like they were some modern princesses. He wanted to make a good impression because he cared about her which meant he cared about her friends.

It made no sense. But then again, nothing Jericho did really made sense. But she was beginning to realize just how much it meant to her. He always seemed to care about her well-being. He wanted to take care of everything but not because he wanted to take the power, more because he wanted to take care of her. It was difficult for Annie to relinquish that control when she had been forced to handle things the majority of her life. However, Jericho was working his way under her skin, causing her to trust in him more and more, even after their discussion a week ago, about who he really was and what he really did. About the fact that he killed people he deemed needed to be put down.

Annie decided to push the boundaries when it came to her attire for the evening. Even going out with her friends, she was rather conservative. Maybe it was because they were going to Jericho’s club, maybe it was because now that they were official, she felt a responsibility to represent him to the best of her abilities – not because he expected her to, but because she wanted to. Which was unlike her, but then again, she had never been with anyone like Jericho before.

Was everything rushed? Oh, definitely.

But somehow, it felt perfect. They were perfect.

Her dress was skin tight and black. It was a sweetheart cut that had a built-in bra, giving her more cleavage than a typical bra would. The straps were thin and resembled the silky material that accompanied bras. The sides were transparent – black but with a hint of her skin tone, teasing without revealing, and the length stopped abruptly in the middle of her thighs. On her feet was a pair of red pumps. Her makeup was more than she typically wore – smoky with nude lipstick.

She turned to look at the way it clung to her frame from behind and how it was cut in a way where it showed off her legs in a flattering light. Her hair was pulled into a trendy messy bun, leaving her full face free from any stray strands of hair. She looked good but, more importantly, she felt good.

When she walked out of her home, the limo was already waiting. The driver gave her smile.

“Hello, ma’am,” he greeted with a nod. “Are you ready for this evening?”

“I am,” she said. “Thank you.”

He opened the door to the limo and she slid inside, texting her group of friends and letting them know she would be on the way and to be ready.

She picked up her four friends at Carmen’s apartment in the city. They all looked stunning and Annie felt reduced to her role as the smart one out of the group. However, while her friends were much more beautiful than she was, she still felt good about who she was. And tonight, she looked hot. She couldn’t wait for Jericho to see her – something else completely unlike her. She always dressed for herself. Even now, the dress looked good and she liked it. But she would be lying if she said she wasn’t excited for Jericho to watch her move.

They arrived at the club at exactly ten thirty. The girls were giddy with excitement. Annie was the only one somewhat reserved. She wasn’t sure if it was because she had been to The Red Door before and it didn’t feel as exclusive as it used to, or if it was because she had never been into the night scene and this wasn’t a big deal to her. However, even she couldn’t deny that it felt pretty good to skip the line and walk past the bouncers with friendly hellos and no cover charge.

And there he was, by the coat check, almost as if he was waiting for them to make their appearance. He looked beautiful in a dark blue suit with a crimson colored shirt that was probably silk unbuttoned to his collarbone. Every hair was perfectly in place, slicked back from his face. The girls were dressed in different outfits, all highlighting their many favorable characteristics, but somehow, his eyes only sought out her, and when he found her, his entire face lit up like the goddamn sun with a smile.

“Hey, Beautiful,” he said, stepping toward Annie and giving her a lingering kiss on the cheek. “These must be your friends. Annie has told me so much about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you all.”

“This is Carmen,” Annie said, placing her hand on Carmen’s shoulder. “She just made partner at her law firm. And she’s the reason for the celebration today.”

Carmen Mendoza had gorgeous flowing dark hair that reached just past her waist. She had a heart-shaped face, a Cupid’s bow for lips, and a beauty mark under the right corner of her lips. Her eyes were big and dark brown, nearly black. She wore a short beige dress that scooped low in both the front and the back, with high heels that pushed her taller than even Annie, who was typically the tallest of the foursome, standing at five foot seven.

Jericho shook her hand, giving her a charming smile. “Congratulations,” he said. “You and I should talk. I’m in need of a new attorney. What law do you specialize in?”

Carmen’s mouth dropped open. If she could get Jericho as a client, she would have proven her worth in twenty-four hours since her promotion. “Uh,” she stuttered, completely taken aback. “Whatever you need.”

Jericho chuckled and glanced over at Annie. “Maybe we’ll set something up next week,” he said. “I apologize for bringing up work. Who is everyone else?”

“This is Helen,” Annie said, placing her hand on a brunette vixen from Australia. She was married to a wealthy entrepreneur who probably streamed through the same social circles as Jericho did. Annie wouldn’t have been surprised if they knew the same people.

“This is Daphne.” She nodded over to the sophisticated redhead, her bangs in her face while the rest of her long tresses were pulled into a messy bun. She had a long-sleeved meche dress that clung to her slender body and barely covered her butt due to how short it was. She was a fashion designer, currently working on a line of sexy but practical clothes for the women of Seattle.

“And this is Shawnelle,” Annie concluded, pointing to the tall, slender beauty with black hair. Her eyes were a warm brown color and she wore a short toga-like dress that completely contrasted with her skin tone but made her look like a goddess. She was a tenured professor at Seattle State.

Jericho repeated every woman’s name, shook her hand, and locked eyes with them. They were all charmed by him, Annie could tell, and she felt a swell of pride tie up her heart as she looked at the effect he had on her friends. She knew they would be charmed by him; it was hard not to be. What Annie hadn’t realized, however, was that she was happy to the point of being giddy because of him. That she appreciated what he was doing for them to make them feel special.

“Who will be waiting on us tonight?” Annie asked.

“I will,” Jericho said with a smile. “Of course.”

Annie’s brow pushed up and she couldn’t contain the beaming smile on her face if she tried. Her heart fluttered the same way it did when she thought she was in love with someone. But that wasn’t possible, was it? To love someone so soon, someone she barely even knew?

Possibly. At the very least, she could be open to it.

Jericho led the group upstairs to the private booths. There was already an iced bottle of champagne that Carmen squeaked about when she saw, claiming it was a two-thousand-dollar bottle. Annie shot Jericho a look and he shrugged nonchalantly. On top of that, each woman received a bouquet of flowers and Carmen received a five-hundred-dollar visa credit card, to spend on new attire for her promotion. Annie couldn't stop smiling. There was surprise after surprise after surprise. As the women slid into the booth that faced their private dance floor - which was already half-full of other VIP members for the evening - Annie pulled Jericho into a quick kiss.

"Thank you," she told him in a soft voice. "You're amazing."

"I’d do anything for you," he told her. "You know that." 

As Annie slid into the booth, Jericho began to pass out the menus. "Ladies, these are our specials," he said. "However, if you're in the mood for something else, we will make whatever it is you want, regardless of if it's on the menu or not. Completely on the house, of course. I'll give you some time and then I'll come back to take your order. Is there anything else I can do for you before I leave?"

"A dance?" Carmen asked with her signature pout.

Annie cut Carmen a glare. Why was she flirting with her boyfriend? Yes, Jericho was amazing and handsome and rich but Annie was with him, no one else.

"Actually," Jericho said, his eyes a darker shade of green as he regarded Annie and only Annie, "I belong to Annie. She's the only person I dance with, if I dance at all."

Once he was gone, the group of women squeaked and started complimenting Annie on what a catch Jericho was and how lucky she was to have him. Even Carmen sounded sincere when she spoke about what a classy guy he was and how she never expected how out of his way he went to make the group feel special.

"I hope it lasts a while, Annie," she said, reaching across the table to squeeze Annie's forearm. "I can't think of anyone else who deserves this."

Annie clenched jaw from saying something. Why wouldn't it last? Yes, Jericho did have a reputation of dating multiple women a month - sometimes within the same week. However, she knew for a fact Jericho didn't go out of his way for his date's friends the way he was doing for them. There was no way he spent the kind of money on some girl he wasn't going to be with for a while. Even Carmen didn't think it was going to last at all. A while was different from simply saying she hoped it lasted at all.

Jericho came back a few minutes later and took everyone's order. He popped open the champagne and poured each woman a glass.

"All right," he said. "I have a meeting but if there's anything you need, just wave your hand. My office is just over there and I have a pretty good view of you from there."

Everyone thanked him and Annie took a long gulp of the bubbly Amber champagne. Jericho hadn't mentioned a meeting. Not that Annie cared. Technically, he was still working so it wasn't all that off base for him to meet with someone. Plus, she was here with her friends, not with Jericho.

She was going to have fun with her friends, no matter what happened tonight.

--

Jericho slipped into his office after leaving Annie and her group of friends at their booth.  He had a small smile on his face as he walked to his desk and pressed the speaker button before typing in a phone number he already had memorized.

“Yes, sir?” Bennet, his second-in-command, answered after the first ring.

“I hear we have an interested buyer?” he asked, sliding in his chair and leaning back into the cushy black leather.  His eyes somehow found Annie through the blinds.  He had placed her at that exact table for a reason, after all.  He wanted to keep an eye on her, make sure she was enjoying herself.  “Is he here?”

“Yeah, waiting outside in the rain.  Stares too long at pretty girls, though.  Not sure if he’s the type of guy we want buying from us.”

Jericho paused, really taking Bennet’s comments in.  Anyone else in his position might have snapped at him for talking out of turn.  Jericho, on the other hand, trusted Bennet’s insights.  The guy had a knack for reading people like nobody’s business.  His instincts were typically on point and Jericho had been saved from lots of grief by following them.

“Understood,” he said.  “Send him up.  Let Stan know he’s coming.  I think you might be right but I want to get a feel for the guy myself.”

“Of course.”

Jericho hung up the phone and turned his attention back to Annie.  He would have to check on their food in a few minutes, which was fine since he wanted his potential buyer to sweat just a little bit.

He slipped out of his office and went to the kitchen.  The cooks knew that the food order was for Annie and her friends so he expected the food to be done in a timely manner without compromising the taste of it.  He made sure to let everyone know, after the last debacle with his bouncer, that Annie was the priority over everything else.  Whatever she wanted, wherever she wanted to go, she was allowed without any charge or inhibitions.

As he expected, the food was ready.  He, along with two members of his small wait staff team, took the plates of food and headed out of the kitchen and to Annie’s booth.  The only plate of food he carried was Annie’s.  She was the only person he cared about.  The others he wanted to like and he was sure he would but his only concern was Annie.  As such, he set her plate down first, keeping his eyes just on her. She beamed at him, this gorgeous smile that completely took over her face and shined like the sun.

Jesus, she was beautiful.

He still had no idea how he managed to get her.

Once the food was dispersed, he turned to head back to his office but stopped.  From the corner of his eye, he saw Bennet with the potential buyer.  Jericho had no idea what his name was and didn’t think it would matter knowing it in the long run.

The man was completely average. Typical skinny white guy who had a swagger that he hadn’t earned and didn’t deserve. He thought the world owed him everything, that he didn’t have to work for anything and it should just be handed to him because he was awesome and shouldn’t have to break a sweat. He was either raised with wealthy parents or with bitter parents who were jealous of those with more. This type of personality had been long engrained into him so there was no helping it. Jericho just needed to figure out if he was actually worth doing business with.

Jericho stopped what he was doing and leaned against the door to his office, his eyes narrowed. The way this guy walked by the table of girls would tell him all he needed to know. He had a good view of Annie and a good view of the guy. If he was staring at her, Jericho would know.

Of course, he wouldn’t be able to blame the guy. Annie was gorgeous and that was an understatement, especially in her black dress with her messy updo. He had noticed the stares she received when they walked in. Part of him was proud. The other was protective. He didn’t mind if men looked at her but he minded how they looked at her. Some did double-takes, not fully expecting her to be so beautiful. He could understand that. It was hard to just glance at Annie when someone who looked like her deserved a long, studious stare. However, if they lingered too long, if their eyes darkened, if their lips turned up and the gaze turned hungry, that was when he had a problem.

Jericho’s eyes narrowed as he watched Bennet lead the buyer past the table. As he expected, the buyer glanced at the group of girls from the corner of his eye. He thought his instincts were wrong when the buyer nearly walked past them without commenting, without doing anything.

And then, the buyer stopped. He didn’t call Bennet back, didn’t tell Bennet to wait up for him. He was focused on the group of girls and was proceeding to walk back to the table without indicating a thing to Bennet.

Jericho clenched his jaw and waited. He wanted to see how this would play out.

The buyer spoke to the group. They stopped talking, nodding their heads at one another and whispering. Not in the way women did when they thought a man was attractive. More in the way where they were annoyed and didn’t want this stranger hitting on them and interrupting their night.

The only one not speaking was Annie. She regarded him with a guarded look and a gently furrowed brow, which seemed to indicate that he was only speaking to her. She seemed confused and annoyed but held it back with a passive look on her face. Which was admirable.

She had no idea that Jericho was watching and she still looked like she wanted nothing to do with the man in front of her.

Jericho was never one to judge other men in terms of attraction. The guy wasn’t particularly ugly, he had to admit, and there was those type of girls who watched shows or listened to country music who found this sort of guy sexually appealing. To be quite honest, he had no idea what Annie preferred, if she had a type, if guys like these were sexy to her, and that thought of not knowing bugged him more than he was willing to admit. So he continued watching through the blinds of his office, his eyes narrowed, looking for any tell that might implicate that she thought he was cute.

Which was silly. This was just silly. He felt like he was spying on her, which he wasn’t – he was just making sure she was okay – but he was glued to his window, watching like some sick, son of a bitch. He had never been the jealous type before. Many of the women that had come before Annie would try and flirt with other men to make him jealous, to get a reaction out of him, but it never worked because he didn’t care. Because Annie was different.

He was a jealous, possessive wild animal when it came to Annie. He didn’t care what she wore or what she didn’t. And he was okay with men looking at her. But if they lingered, if they tried anything, he was not above killing. Or, at least, hurting very, very badly in order to teach a very important lesson.

With amazement, Jericho watched as his buyer leaned on the table and continued to smile at Annie. Annie’s brow was now pressed further down, her lines drawn into a downward, tight direction. Bennet came back and gripped his arm, tugging him away from Annie. Despite the fact that Bennet was dragging him away, his eyes fixated on Annie still.

Jericho pulled his eyes away from Annie and started to prepare himself for this meeting. However, all he could think of was Annie and how the guy couldn’t stop looking at Annie and how he couldn’t stop talking to Annie and how this was very upsetting to him.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Jericho would recognize Bennet’s knock anywhere.

“Come in,” he called, hoping that the edge in his tone he detected wasn’t as prevalent as he thought it might be.

The door opened and in walked Bennet, followed by the potential buyer. He had a face Jericho wanted to punch, or maybe that was him projecting his frustration. Either way, he strutted into the office with that swagger he hadn’t earned and a smug smile on his face like he hadn’t just been rejected by the best looking girl in The Red Door.

Jericho stood and extended his hand because that was the polite thing to do. Not because he wanted to touch this vile insect he had absolutely no intention of doing business with.

“Jericho,” the man said with a slimy smile that crawled across his face like a snake slithering in the sand on its belly. “So good to see you. Thanks for having me.”

“Please,” Jericho said, pointedly ensuring that he did not return the sentiment. “Sit. Let’s talk.”

“Let me tell you, sir,” the buyer said as he slid into the chair like he owned the place, as though he was calling this meeting, as though he were in control. Jericho hated men who thought they deserved everything, who thought they were in control. He had learned at an early period in his career never to let that upset him. Instead, he would use their arrogance against them. Arrogance was a sloppy trait, but useful for what he wanted to accomplish. It always bit them in the ass. “The women you have adorning this club is immeasurable, and I’ve been to a lot of nightclubs, let me tell you.”

“What’s your name?” Jericho asked, keeping his eyes focused on the buyer. He could tell the buyer was going to slip up, much sooner than Jericho anticipated. Which was just as well for Jericho. It didn’t matter much to him anyway.

“Would you believe it’s Bob?” the buyer said with that smarmy smile. “My folks weren’t that creative. Named me after my mom’s dad, my grandfather. I inherited his brains, though.”

“Did you?” Jericho muttered more to himself than to the room.

The buyer – Bob – didn’t pick up on it. Jericho didn’t think he would.

“Anyway, so, yeah, the girls here are gorgeous,” he said. He glanced around, even though the office was small enough to see that besides Jericho, only Bennet was occupying the room. “Do you know if they, uh, well, take care of a guy who’s willing to pay – if you know what I mean?”

Jericho almost shuddered. “Well,” he said slowly, trying to control his temper. “The girls here do not work for me. They have their own free will. Who am I to judge if they indulge in a little pleasure for profit?” He forced a smile, showing his bared teeth like an animal issuing a warning. “Did you have anyone in mind?”

“Oh, boy,” the buyer said, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his hands together. “Quite honestly, I’m open to any of ‘em. They’re all gorgeous. But see, the thing is, I’ve always been a fan of blondes. Had the biggest crush on Heather Locklear when I was a kid. She was the first woman I beat off to, and that’s an important monument in my life. There’s a woman sitting at a table surrounded by beautiful women but Jesus, for the life of me, I couldn’t stop staring at her. Blonde hair, pretty nice tits. Ain’t the biggest I’ve seen, but they’re perky and natural. But God, that face. Shit, that face. I want to jizz in that face, you know what I mean? I’d pay her a grand to do that.”

“Hey,” Bennet snapped, pushing off the wall from behind Bob and crossing his arms over his chest.

Jericho lifted his hand to keep Bennet at bay.

“It’s okay, Bennet,” Jericho said, keeping his eyes fixed on the buyer. There was a smile on his face, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. It was a warning, but he highly doubted the buyer would recognize that if it punched him in the face. He was so self-absorbed, he was talking out of his ass about a woman Jericho was intimate with, the woman – whether she knew it or not – he planned to marry.

So Jericho would let him talk, let him run his mouth, because there would be a moment when he said something stupid, and Jericho could pull out the gun he had in his top tight drawer and shoot him in the head. No one would hear it except Bennet due to how loud the music was. No one would see it because the minute the buyer stepped in his office, Jericho had drawn the blinds. Jericho couldn’t explain it but he knew he would kill this man tonight. He accepted it. He was just curious as to what would compel him to actually do it.

They hadn’t even started talking business yet.

“Did I say somethin’ wrong?” the buyer asked, a smug smirk on his face at the thought that he might have offended Jericho’s sensitivity. “Did I offend you? What, I didn’t think you had a sister. I know you have a crusade against those women who got beat up by their boyfriends or husbands. But, see, I wanted to tell you about that. Maybe they did something to deserve it, you know? You don’t know. Maybe they ran their mouth when they need to be kept in line. Anyway, we aren’t talking about them, are we? We’re talking about the blonde girl in the black dress with the fuck-me lips that I want to have around my cock.” He furrowed his brow. “She your sister or something?”

“She’s something to me,” Jericho said slowly. He wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. Instead, he took his time, indulged his patience. It would come up soon. He was certain of it.

“So you’ve had a couple of go’s with her?” the buyer asked. “Why am I not surprised. You fuck only the pretty ones, right? Hey, can I ask you a favor? If I take one thousand off my asking price, would you introduce us, maybe put a good word in for me. Seriously, my cock throbbed when I saw her and I need to fuck her just to get it out of my system.”

Without warning, Jericho opened up the top right drawer, pulled out his gun which already had the silencer attached, and shot the guy square in the forehead. From the corner of his eye, Jericho noticed that Bennet didn’t even wince.

“That fucker had it coming,” Bennet said. He looked at Jericho, slight concern in his tawny gaze. “You okay, boss?”

Jericho stared at the body in front of him with a sneer. “Get this fucker out of my club,” he told Bennet. “I don’t want a single trace of him left here. Bury his body where no one will find him. Not that anyone would miss him anyway.”

“You got it,” Bennet said.

Jericho leaned back in his chair, relief sweeping through his body. He wouldn’t have to worry about Bob the Buyer again. And, unbeknownst to Annie, neither would she.