Chapter 11

Nate

I dropped down in the chair by the desk and let my head drop back as the last forty minutes played in front of my eyes. Every moment, every sound and smell, teasing me to the edge of orgasm again. Jenna had a way of turning me on far more than I thought possible. Sex with her would be heaven. My heaven.

"Nathaniel. It's time to close down the basement and Tamren was out running an errand for me. I’m not quite sure he’s back. Can you handle it please?" Fredrick stood beside the open door to the office.

"Of course, boss." I got up and walked toward him as I sucked air between my teeth. "Thanks for tonight. I needed it."

"Anything for you." He patted me on the back as I walked past him.

"The feeling is mutual." I made my way down the stairs and tried not to put too much weight on Fredrick's comments. He'd half raised me seeing that no one else would, but he was a money-hungry bastard like the rest of us. The lesson was clear. Protect yourself and no one else, cause only the cunning survived on the streets.

Bet Ashley's new hubby never saw the knife hit his back.

"Hey, handsome." A pretty brunette walked up to me as I stepped off the last stair into the main part of the club.

"Hey, girl. How are you?" I reached out and pinched her chin. I'd seen her before. Most likely fucked her. The faces ran together after a while. Fucking was a means of feeling alive. Nothing more.

Not until Jenna.

"Hey. Where you headed?" she called after me, but I ignored her and jogged toward the basement door. Something must have gone down for Fredrick to want to close down the black lights room early on a Friday night. The party was usually just getting started down there.

I pushed the door open and walked down the stairs as the smell of shit filled my nose. "Ugh. Damn."

"It's being cleaned up. Just go tell everyone to fuck off." Tamren lifted his hand and pointed to the back door entrance.

"What the hell happened? And I thought you were off running and errand."

"I’m back, and dude got toked up on Zandra and seized. That shit is toxic if you take more than two. Everyone is warned about that, but Superman here decided to give it a try." Tamren shook his head and glanced back over toward me. "He died right here on the fucking dance floor."

"The body?"

"Being burned on the west side of town." He shrugged and pushed a thick handful of dreadlocks over his broad shoulder. "Not my problem. Nor is it yours. Stay out of it."

"Hell yeah. I'm not at all interested." I turned and walked toward the door as I lifted my wrist to my nose and tried not to breathe in the tainted air. Nothing smelled worse.

The chilly fall night air felt good on my skin. I hadn't realized how overheated I'd gotten. Must have been because of Jenna. Pretty little thing trying to behave in front of me. I could almost feel her back on my lap, shaking like a leaf while she fucked herself good on my fingers. Came like a fountain. I wanted to taste her, to drink her down.

"Stop it," I barked at myself as I lifted my hands and yelled across the long line of people bitching about the wait. "Basement is closed. Mr. Carrington is fine with you guys getting in line on the main floor and treating yourself to one drink on him. Just move up here and I'll mark your wrist. If you're not interested, then have a nice night."

"What happened?" A big guy with tats all over his face moved right in front of me.

"None of your business." I pulled the sharpie from my pocket and tugged the top loose. "You want the symbol for tonight or you headed home, man?"

"Yeah, shit. Give it to me. I was looking forward to this."

"I get it." I scribbled a quick symbol on his wrist. "It'll be open again tomorrow night. Just come back and keep that thing on your arm. They'll let you in without a wait."

"Awesome. Thanks, man."

"Yep." I stifled a sigh and took care of the rest of the crowd, which seemed to grow by the second. Worry crept up deep inside of me over Ashley having to handle her husband's death by herself. Would she turn me in? Pin it on me?

I wouldn't put it past the bitch. She was out to take care of herself and that was it. Or was it?

How many times had she told me she loved me over the years? Too many to count. And I'd never said it once. Not to her. Not to anybody.

And I wouldn't for a long fucking time. It meant too much to me to use the term so casually. I finished up and walked back into the club, closing and locking the door behind me.

"Nate," Tamren walked up to me and put his mitt of a hand on my shoulder, "you know who that woman was tonight?"

"What woman? I thought you said a dude died down here."

"Naw, man. The woman you took up to the top of the club."

"Jenna?"

"Yeah, man. I've seen her before."

"Around this dump?" I ran my fingers through my hair as he released his hold on me.

"I don't know." He brushed his fingers against his lips and glanced past me. "I can't place her to be honest, but I know one thing."

"What's that?" It wouldn't go unnoticed that she was the most beautiful thing in the whole fucking building that night. I didn't expect it to.

"She's powerful, Nate." He turned his attention back to me. "I can't remember where her power is wielded, but she's important to the city."

"To New York?" I snorted. He had my girl mixed up with someone else. She worked at a fucking hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. She shook like a leaf while I fingered her. She wasn't powerful or important, at least not to anyone but me. And I planned to keep it that way.

"Yes. Just tread lightly dude, all right? We kinda like you around here."

"Is that a joke?"

"That we like you?" He laughed.

"No, asshat. That you're worried about my safety because of me being with Jenna."

"No, I'm telling you to be careful."

"All right, well, if you remember where you saw her and where she's powerful from... help a brother out. I plan on marrying that girl one day."

"No, you don't." He lifted his eyebrow. "You're taking this playfully, but I'm fucking serious."

"All right. I getcha man. Thanks for the warning." I turned and jogged back up the stairs, letting the conversation go. He had the wrong woman. Plain and simple.