Page 82 of Knight’s Dominion

“Just an FYI, you don't need to offer up your pussy as some type of bribe to get me to do my job. I agreed to work with you because I respect your abilities, not for what you’ll give me in return."

Those words had played on repeat in her head since he’d said them.

She hadn't expected that. That seemed to happen a lot with Chaos. She'd spent the last twelve years hating him, blaming him, expecting nothing but arrogance and stupidity, but then she’d met him, and yeah, the male was arrogant, but he also gave a shit about her people, about this world. About all of it.

Grace busied herself collecting glasses as Chaos and Lazarus walked across the floor, headed straight for the office. After she'd shown him where she’d found Tina's body the night before and shared everything she knew, he'd told her he was coming in to speak with Vince.

Naturally, her boss would be their first stop—Tina and Hannah had both worked at Revelry—and going by the expression on Vince’s face, he wasn't happy about it.

Both knights towered over him, and with an extremely unhappy glance her way, Vince led them to his office. She would have joined them, but Vince didn’t know about her and Chaos, or that they were working together. He had enough going on without her adding to it. Chaos would fill her in later if there was anything she needed to know. Her surety of that surprised her.

He would, though. She had no doubt.

“What are Chaos and Lazarus doing here?” the new girl beside her asked. Grace still couldn't remember her name, and she'd been told twice.

“No idea.”

Excitement lit the female’s eyes. “I was so sad to leave the compound after my training. They’re all so smokin' hot.”

Grace’s hackles rose in an instant, and the urge to reach out and smash the poor unsuspecting female’s face against the wooden bar was almost irresistible. "They're both mated."

She pouted. "Too bad."

"Yeah, too bad." Grace’s hands curled into fists as an emotion she didn't want to name reared its ugly, unmistakably green head. "You okay here on your own?"

"Sure."

"I'll be back after my dance."

The poor girl hadn’t done anything wrong. She was right, they were hot, all of them, and their newest staff member had eyes in her head. Why the hell should Grace care if the girl was mentally undressing Chaos and all but drooling down her chin?

But dammit, she did.

And right then she needed to get the fuck away before she succumbed to the rage building inside her chest and accidentally on purpose tripped the girl, then stomped on her.

The changing room was empty when she walked in. Good thing, no one needed to be around her at the moment. And if Grace was honest, the anger growing inside her with every passing second had nothing to do with the female behind the bar, not really.

Chaos being kind of distant, perfectly professional, last night after they'd left his apartment, and again tonight when he’d walked in here, should please her. But it didn’t. It felt…wrong. She was trying to work out her jumbled emotions, and since she was seriously struggling with that, anger had become her default. Anger she was used to. Knew what to do with.

Grabbing her favorite black leather corset, the one that made her small tits look much bigger than they were, and sheer lilac panties that were feminine and delicate with ruffles on the butt, she quickly changed. Her stockings and garters had black satin bows and her heels were spiked but cute. She'd had several outfits made, different themes to match her moods. But this one, the mix of vixen and virgin always earned her fantastic tips.

That was the only reason she was desperate to get out on the stage for her performance tonight, right?

It had nothing to do with the way her skin still tingled, telegraphing loud and clear that Chaos was in the building. Of course not.

Pulling her hair back, she secured it into a tight bun, then slid on a pair of black-framed glasses and the finishing touch, a gray, houndstooth pencil skirt and fitted jacket.

One naughty librarian coming up.

When she walked past Vince's office, the door was open and the room was empty. Before she knew what she was doing, she’d closed her eyes and reached out, searching for Chaos. She wasn’t even sure it would work. It did. Oh God, she felt him. The tingling across her skin intensified.

Since the mating, her body hummed and burned when he was close.

He apparently could turn it off at will.

After a few words to John, the lighting and sound guy, she stood back and waited for him to introduce her. Moments later the lights went low and silence engulfed the club.

John introduced her and she walked out slowly, the click of her heels ringing out, drawing everyone’s eyes her way.