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Chapter Twenty-Four
Mari
We exited the car to a line that twisted around the building, everyone desperately waiting to see if their names were on the list for Gilded’s final night.
The club was shutting down indefinitely for unexpected repairs, and it wasn’t the only one. Wicked was undergoing renovations due to a faulty water line that didn’t exist. We’d even had some of the smaller businesses take time off. It felt like running away, but it was the only option to keep people safe.
Giving Cash fewer targets to fixate on was in everyone’s best interest.
The club was still as beautiful as ever. Deep pomegranate walls and brushed gold everywhere. Still the crown jewel of my empire. Cash’s previous attempts at destroying it had been weak, but he’d attempt it again before this was over.
Just being here made me jumpy, though that wasn’t the only reason.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” Nate promised, pulling me closer with a hand on my hip. I wasn’t so optimistic.
Dominic, who was holding my hand on the other side, squeezed my fingers in silent support.
We’d all dressed up for the night, and I knew we looked incredible as a group. Greyson’s sapphire-blue silk shirt complemented the black suit he’d paired it with, while Nate had stuck with an expensive emerald-green T-shirt and a pair of ass-hugging jeans. Dominic’s style fit somewhere between the business and casual they sported, with dark-washed jeans and a blood-red button-up that made his eyes molten. It was very bad-boy chic.
They looked fucking edible, and I rubbed my legs together as the first kernels of heat warmed me.
What I wouldn’t give to take one of these men to the bathroom for a little distraction.
Dominic squeezed my hand again, though this time, he took the opportunity to look me over.
I’d stuck with a dark purple dress that cinched tight at the bust and waist and flared around my thighs. It looked whimsical until you saw the very occupied thigh holster. I’d paired it with heeled boots, knowing they’d be easier to run in later if necessary.
“Have we told you how beautiful you look?” he asked as he bit his lip, clenching my hand tighter. “I want to sink my teeth into you.”
Um, yes. Now, please.
He chuckled under his breath when he heard my sharp inhale, but he pulled me forward before I could say as much. Rude.
“Your booth, ma’am.” Dominic’s bow was over-the-top dramatic, and I rolled my eyes.
“Get in.” I shoved him down, making sure I gave his ass a nice tap as I did. Nate and Grey smothered their laughs, but Dominic’s eyes were burning when I took my seat beside him.
The U-shaped booth was darker than the others in the club and sectioned off by the guard standing close by. The low table in front gave us space for drinks, which appeared without asking, but didn’t disrupt the view—the whole point of the booth. From here, we could watch the entire club, from the front door to the side stairs. It was obvious that this booth wasn’t for just anyone—no reservation sign needed.
They each took one side of the booth, leaving me in the corner between Dominic and Nate, but I didn’t mind. I downed the first drink fast, ordering another before the empty glass had even hit the table. Our server scurried off, returning with my drink and disappearing when Greyson waved him away with a curt, “That’ll be all, Jimmy.”
“I wanted another,” I protested.
“After the meeting.”
The argument was right there when Dominic squeezed my thigh. “You can’t be drunk when we meet your cousin.”
What the fuck?
“Who said I was getting drunk?” Really, they should’ve known me better than that. As anxious as I was to get things dealt with, I was neither stupid nor suicidal enough to drink my way through a meeting with the Feds. “It was just to calm my nerves.”
Working with the man made me itchy.
Nate hauled me into his lap and kept me there with a palm to the hip, glaring at Dominic when he tried to steal me back. Wrapping his free hand around my throat, Nate tipped my head back until it hit his shoulder and he could whisper freely against my neck. “I get that you’re stressed, but we all agreed this is the right move. Are you having second thoughts?”
“No, I’m just not sure I trust them.” I didn’t just mean the government either. Two-Bit might’ve been blood, but he was still an unknown factor, and I didn’t like that we were heading into this situation without a good read on him or his intentions.
Nate hummed against me, his palm sliding over my hip until it wedged between my thighs. He was so close to my pussy that I could feel the heat of him through my panties even though he wasn’t touching them. Goddamn, I was too wound up for this. “Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out together. Stop stressing.”
