Page 29 of Foxx
And finally, it makes no fucking sense why I haven’t given Stone the order to dig into her past, even though I’m certain she’s hiding something. Aside from the idea that maybe I don’twantto know who she is, because if I find out she is lying, my men will want me to kill her. And I’m not ready to rid the world of those bright blue eyes just yet. In fact, I realize as I head inside, toss on my boots, and grab my keys, Iwantto see them.Not only do I want to, I’m fucking eager, and knowing that is all it takes to make me feel like I’m losing my goddamn mind.
* * *
Lavish is swarming when I enter. I scan the space, and all of the girls look the same to me. They’re here to work, because if we didn’t offer them a safe space, they’d strip somewhere else for less money and less respect. If they want a safe, secure environment, they last a long time here. If they want to whore their asses out for cash, they find somewhere else to do it.
Roz already has my approval to hire a new dancer to replace Cara, but I don’t remember her name. The only woman I can’t seem to ignore, even when I leave town, is currently wearing a tight as fuck, shimmery gold dress, and she’s serving the reason I’m here.Dagger.
It wasn’t five minutes after I got out of the shower that Roz texted, letting me know that Dagger was back in the club and that she was too short-staffed to pull Mia away from working his table. I really do need to give that woman a good raise.
I move through the club slowly, weaving through tables and people as I go, trying not to disrupt the party atmosphere as Mia’s voice hits my ears.
“All I do is serve. If you want a dance, any one of the dancers would be happy to do it for you.”
My blood pressure rises as I approach the table.
“Ah…just the man I want to talk to,” I say, pulling out an empty leather chair and taking a seat. He asked Mia dance for him?
Over my dead fucking body.
“Foxx, brother! That meeting went well. Hopefully youhave some good news for me. Secure any more tools for us?” Dagger’s high as a fucking kite, and he’s openly drooling over Mia’s ass as she hands out more napkins to his buddies at the table. It makes me want to rip his eyeballs from their fucking sockets.
But I refrain. I have bigger fish to fry.
“I do have some good news,” I tell him.
Mia looks down at me with those blue eyes. I’ve pictured them countless times over the last three days, but my memory didn’t do them justice, and they hit me so much harder now after being away.
“Can I get you something?” she asks with total indifference.
“Gentleman Jack. A double,” I tell her coolly without making eye contact.
“Scurry on. Let the big boys talk for a minute, lass. Know your place,” Dagger tells her, like the condescending prick he is. I’m instantly full of rage the moment he speaks to her, so I definitely shouldn’t be sitting here with him as he watches her walk away. I don’t have to turn my head to know her perfect ass is bouncing and swaying just enough to harden his puny cock under the table, and I’ve had enough. He’ll be lucky if I don’t put a bullet in his head before the end of this conversation.
“Jared just called me.” I name the prez of the Titans through clenched teeth. “They found enough extra stock to cover your next shipment. It’ll come to you through me, but I think something needs to change in terms of the delivery route. There’s just too much heat everywhere right now.”
“I’ll tell you what, Foxx.” Dagger’s evil eyes glimmer as he thinks. “I have another way you can make it up to me.” He grins.
I flick my lighter open and closed with my left hand, asmy right rests comfortably against my thigh, so I don’t put it through his face.
“And that is?” He’s really fucking testing me.
“Why don’t ya give me your new little birdie instead. I have the perfect cage for her.” He tweaks his nose and grins, already looking for more of whatever he puts up there. He leans in across the table. “And I already have another baby bird to play with her.” His bloodshot eyes move to mine. “Then we’ll call it even.”
Rage churns in my blood, and my last ounce of control snaps. I pull my gun and aim it right between his eyes faster than he can even fucking blink.
In turn, his two men pull their guns on me. I don’t move. In the dark corner we’re in, this isn’t even garnering any attention over the hustle and bustle of the club, except for the table of men next to us who get up and fucking scatter. We sit in silence for a beat, analyzing one another’s potential actions.
Par for the course with this woman. Here I am, acting before fucking thinking.
But I’ve reached my limit. I’m done with this fucking psycho looking at her, or her walking around here, just ripe and ready for the taking by someone like Dagger. A man who wouldn’t think twice about kidnapping her when she leaves work, or even when she’s sleeping in her own bed, just because he can. He’s a stark raving fucking lunatic, and he fixates on women like property to torture, adding them to his collection. I fight the urge to get involved. I shouldn’t fucking care what happens to Mia. But I need to know who sent her, and if Dagger gets to her, I may never get the information I need. The vision of her naked in a filthy fucking cage washes over me, and this is what drives me toshowhim she’s off-limits.
I hold my gun inches from Dagger’s face, and the ideacomes to me. I need to make her unattainable. I don’t second-guess it as I slowly pull back and re-holster, folding my hands on the table. Dagger waves at his men to do the same.
“What the fuck, brother?” he bites out, knocking back his whiskey and slamming the glass down on the table. His high is making him more reactive than he’d normally be.
Pulling a cigarette out of my cut, I light it, speaking on the exhale. “I’m not your fucking brother. Apologies for losing my temper. But you will not talk about Mia that way again.” After this, no one, including him, will fucking touch her. If anyone tries to, it will be their last day on this earth.
I lean forward. “You must not have heard, but Mia is already taken.”
