Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Tink

It feels like six months have passed since I was last in the Underworld, rather than something like twelve hours. Adem gives me a bright grin when he sees us walk through the doors. He’s one of those too-gorgeous-to-be-real people, which is saying something in our world. His dark brown skin doesn’t appear to have pores, and he always dresses to the nines. Tonight is no exception. He’s wearing a three-piece suit that would be overdoing it for anyone else working what is essentially a front desk job. On Adem it’s just … Adem. “Couldn’t stay away, could you?”

“Not even if I wanted to.” It’s impossible to be a part of Carver City’s power base without spending some time in the Underworld. Even Peter came here from time to time before I made my deal and Hook subsequently staged his coup. Though he never went beyond the lounge.

Hook and I will be playing tonight. I’m sure of it. He doesn’t need to fuck me to be married to me, but he was pretty damn explicit about what he wants. My body, traitor that it is, is thrilled by the thought of the pending power games. I’m stubborn to a fault. I don’t know how to be anything else. I can’t give in to Hook. Not without a fight.

His big hand presses against the small of my back, branding me right down to my skin. He gives an easy grin. “Adem.”

“Hook.” Adem’s dark gaze lands on the giant ring on my finger and goes wide. “Uh… Congratulations.”

“Something like that,” I mutter.

Hook’s laugh rolls through me in the most delicious way possible as he hooks an arm around my waist and hauls me against his side. “I’m planning something special for the little woman tonight. We’re celebrating.”

Adem’s dark brows rise and keep rising until I’m a little afraid they’ll just disappear entirely. “I … see.”

The impulse to explain shoves against the inside of my lips, but I stifle it. No matter the reason I said yes, this is a real marriage. Undermining it the second I get a chance undermines my safety and the safety of others.

Others.

I haven’t had a chance to think about the implications of being Hook’s wife, at least beyond the obvious. He’s the ruler of his territory. Even though it’s on the smaller scale, there are hundreds of people who are ready to jump to obey his every whim. There are those who would see him forcing me to get married as a sign of strength, but that puts me at a disadvantage for the rest of my life.

I start. The rest of my life? What the hell am I even saying? This isn’t about the rest of my life. This deal only serves to protect me until the threat of Peter has passed. That’s it. A shoring up of Hook’s strength because I can’t protect myself. Always the victim, never the partner.

I’ve played that part. I will never willingly go back.

So I lean into Hook and rub one hand up his bare chest. His muscles jump a little beneath my fingers, but his expression doesn’t change. I smile at Adem. “We wanted to surprise everyone.”

“I think it’s safe to say you’ll do exactly that.”

Hook catches my hand and presses a kiss to my palm. “Go in ahead of me. I have a few calls to make.”

I don’t trust that at all, but arguing will undo all the work I just put in. I give Adem a wave and walk to the set of large black doors that dominate the wall behind him. This entrance is built to intimidate and transition a person from the real world to the one that lies within. Sin and decadence and power games. Only Hades’s laws matter here, and anything is permissible as long as a person’s safe word is honored. It’s fucking heady, even now.

Especially now.

I have no idea what Hook is planning tonight. A public announcement of our marriage, yes, but I doubt he’s going to be happy standing on the bar and declaring it for everyone present. No, he’ll go about it in a uniquely Hook way. I shiver.

It’s late enough that the lounge is more than half filled. I recognize Gaeton sprawled in one nook and smile a little when he raises a hand in greeting. A flash of pink hair draws my attention, and I turn to find Aurora bearing down on me. Before I have a chance to react, she throws her arms around me and gives a strong hug that belies her delicate build. “I was so worried about you!”

“I’m sorry.” I don’t know why I’m apologizing.

She takes a hold of my shoulders and leans back. “I didn’t even know you were leaving, and then you were just gone and Hades had people packing up your room. Are you okay?” She takes me in with a glance. “You look great, but you always look great.”

I can’t help but smile. A real smile. Aurora is so fucking sweet, sometimes she makes my teeth ache. It’s genuine with her. She’s just a good person. “I’m okay.” I nod at her outfit. “You’re looking good tonight, too.” She’s wearing a white underbust corset that highlights her trim waistline and a gauzy fabric draped in a way that’s almost a dress. It highlights her light brown skin and I can see her nipples through the top of it. The folds beneath the bottom of the corset mostly obscure her around her hips and leave her legs bare. She is, of course, barefoot and wearing the collars all the submissives on staff wear while on shift.

Strange to think I’ll never wear mine again.

“Thanks.” She smiles, before the expression falls away. “Seriously, though. What can I do? I can’t believe Hades just kicked you out.”

I can’t really believe it either, but the time for being pissed about it has come and gone. “You know me, Aurora. I always land on my feet.”

“Still, I’m here if you need anything. Absolutely anything.”

The wave of affection that rises in response to her offer nearly takes me off my feet. I’ve tried to hold myself separate, to drive people back with my shitty attitude, but it never fazed Aurora. Her bubbly attitude is infectious and if I was anyone else, we might even be considered friends. Maybe? I’m not even sure what real friendship looks like. Growing up, I moved homes too often to set down anything resembling roots or form lasting friendships. Then I was with Peter and anyone close to me painted a target on their chest, so people kept their distance and I did the same.

Her gaze flicks over my shoulder. “Don’t look now, but here comes Hook.”

I sigh. “Yeah, about that …” I hold up my left hand.

Her jaw drops. “What? No. Seriously? No way.”

“Yes, way.” I almost manage not to tense as Hook’s arms come around me, and he plasters himself against my back and props his chin on my head. His skin is warm against mine, and even as I tell myself to stand firm, I get a little melty.

“Hi, Hook,” her voice is very small, and her eyes are very wide.

“Hey, Aurora. Nice dress.” He gives me a squeeze. “You want a drink, wife?”

Oh, so it’s like that. He wasn’t even trying to be quiet when he said that. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see heads swiveling in our direction. Then the whispers start. I grit my teeth and turn in his arms to press my hands to his chest. It’s a mistake—touching Hook is always a mistake—but jerking away is conceding defeat, and that’s something I’ll never do. I look up into his laughing eyes and have to fight the urge to jab him in the throat. “Subtle. Really subtle.”

Thankfully, he lowers his voice. “You know me, Tink. I don’t have a subtle bone in my body.” He lowers his hands, too, and the sound he makes in the back of his throat when he cups my ass has my pussy giving an answering zing. He drags me closer yet and, yes, I can feel his very unsubtle boner pressing against my stomach.

“Control yourself.”

“Never.” He grins. “Have a drink with me. If you manage not to stab me with something for the duration, I’ll give you your surprise.”

I do not understand this man. I don’t think I ever have, no matter what I told myself. The way he relishes every confrontation with me can’t possibly be real. It has to be an act, and one that will bite me in the ass sooner rather than later. I glare up at him, and my ire only seems to make him more delighted. Finally, I sigh. “Yes, I’ll have a drink. I want a—”

“Seduction on the Rocks.”

I blink. “You know my drink.”

He doesn’t answer. He just ambles off to the bar, leaving me blinking after him. Dazed, I turn back to find Aurora staring at me like she’s never seen me before. “What?”

“You married him.” She shakes her head slowly. “There’s no way this is a love match.”

“You don’t know.” I’m not sure why I’m arguing. Aurora has worked with me more nights than I can count over the last few years, and she’s seen me avoid interacting with Hook a lot. She knows I haven’t given him the time of day before now.

“I do know.” She takes my arm and pulls me toward the door that leads to Hades’s public office. “I don’t care what he did to make you say yes, we can fix this. If I have to threaten Hades myself, I’ll get you out of it.”

Oh no. I cover her hand and dig in my heels, hauling us to a stop. I’m painfully aware of the attention of the people around us. “Aurora, stop.”

“It’s not fair that you’re put in this position. What the hell is the point of a deal if Hades hangs us out to dry the second it’s finished?” She shakes her pink hair, her expression as ferocious as I’ve ever seen it. “No. Absolutely not. We’re getting you out of this and we’re doing it now.”

I know I’m staring at her like I’ve never seen her before, but I can’t seem to stop. She manages to drag me a few steps before I remember that I’m supposed to be resisting. “Why do you care so much?”

She finally stops and looks at me, anger flickering into confusion. “We’re friends, Tink. Protecting each other is what friends do.”

There’s that word again. Friends. Apparently I don’t really know what it means, after all. I can’t let her confront Hades. I’ve made my bed with Hook, and fighting Hades will only endanger Aurora’s deal. Panic flares in my throat, hot and tangled and confused. I’ve never had to look out for someone else before. I’ve been too busy trying to survive. But if Aurora gets hurt because she’s trying to defend me …

“We were seeing each other in secret,” I blurt. “I couldn’t do anything until my contract was up.”

She finally stops tugging on my wrist and narrows her eyes. “You’re not lying?”

Oh, this sweet girl. Even after so long of moving through our world, she has an innocence about her that nothing has touched. I hope nothing ever does. I take a breath and work on morphing my expression into one she’ll believe. “I’m not lying.”

She studies me for a long moment. Finally, she shakes her head, looking more confused. “Wow. I just … Wow. I didn’t see this coming.”

“I don’t think anyone did.” That, at least, is the truth. I carefully remove her hand from my wrist. I don’t know what I’m supposed to say to someone who was willing to go to bat for me. “Thank you. You don’t have to fight for me.”

“Of course I do.” She smiles, though it looks a little brittle. “The Underworld is going to be weird without you here. I’m going to miss you.”

The novelty of being missed is something I’ll have to ponder later. The feeling in my throat only gets more tangled, and I try to swallow past it. Are my palms sweating? Because this feels more anxiety-inducing than participating in my first scene. “I, um, I’m going to be busy for a bit getting settled in.” Another wobbly breath that does nothing to fill my lungs. I expel the rest of the words in a rush, already bracing for rejection. “But do you want to get coffee sometime soon?”

“Really?” The hope that flares in her dark eyes makes me feel both like the biggest asshole in existence and also so relieved I’m a little dizzy. She gives me a happy smile. “I’d love to get coffee.”

I open my mouth to say—I don’t even know. Maybe to apologize for being such a dick since I’ve known her. Hook sweeps in before I get a word out. He hands me my bright drink and slips an arm around my waist again. “I’m stealing my wife back, Aurora.”

She immediately drops her gaze, her training finally kicking back in. “I wouldn’t dream of keeping her from you,” she murmurs, though there’s an archness beneath the words that tells me she’d fight him with everything she has if she thought for a second he was forcing me to do something I didn’t want to. Just like she was about to fight Hades.

Yeah, I really am an asshole.

Hook guides me to a booth near the door to the public playroom, and I’m still too caught up in processing Aurora’s response to be irritated by him. It’s only when he slides into the booth next to me instead of across from me that I refocus on Hook. Impossible not to when he’s pressed against me from shoulder to knee. He drapes one arm over the back of the booth, which brings me closer yet, tucked right under his arm.

I fit. It’s annoying that I fit.

I take a sip of my drink, mostly to give my hands something to do. It’s perfect, but then Tis made it. She’s the best bartender I’ve ever encountered, in my totally unbiased opinion. But thinking about her only makes me think about everything I’ve lost in the course of the last few days.

It’s time to stop dicking around and put some honesty on the table. I look up at Hook. “You’re using me as bait.”

He doesn’t blink, doesn’t lose that charming smile, but his body tenses the smallest bit. Confirmation, not that I need it. In the hours after the farce of a wedding ceremony, I had plenty of time to think this through from all angles. There’s only one that makes sense. Hook can’t find Peter on his own, so he needs to piss him off enough that Peter comes to Hook. He’s likely tried other things already, so he’s landed on me. He must have thought I’d say no if he told me the full truth.

Finally, he responds. “I’m using you as bait.”

It shouldn’t sting. I knew he didn’t practically blackmail me into marriage because he was overcome by love or some bullshit like that. This was always about territory and power. Everything in Carver City is about territory and power: claiming it, keeping it, taking out anyone who threatens it. It was never about me.

It really, really shouldn’t sting.

I take another drink, hating that my hand shakes. “Where he’s concerned, I’ve always been a big red button.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you.” Hook speaks so low, I can almost convince myself that I can’t actually make out the words.

“That’s not a promise you have any business making.” Bitterness creeps into my tone, a direct counterpoint to the sweet drink on my tongue. “It’s not a promise you ever had any business making.”

“I know you had no reason to trust me then, and you have no reason to trust me now.” I feel, more than hear, his exhale. “But you can trust me to keep you safe.”

At least he’s not pretending he doesn’t understand. I close my eyes and strive for calm, strive to keep the past in the past, locked up in the box I created just so I could get through my days without being a sobbing mess of trauma. “I don’t want to talk about then.” The before, when I couldn’t take tomorrow for granted because the threat of Peter hung over my head every second of every day.

For a moment, I think Hook will push the subject. Another of those long exhales and all the tension leeches out of his body. “One day, we’ll talk about what happened the night I offered to get you out of his territory.”

“No, we won’t.” There’s no point in pulling out all the wrongs done during those years and looking them over. Hook isn’t even the perpetrator, but he stood by and witnessed, which is almost as bad. I don’t exactly blame him for it, but I can blame him for the fact that the past is clinging to my back more fiercely than it ever has.

“Tink.” He practically purrs my name, a low grumbling sound that has me focusing on him completely. Just like that, the rest of it fades away, and there’s only this man who stares at me as if he can divine my thoughts right out of my head. He drags his thumb along my jaw to stop just below my bottom lip. “Would you like your reward?”

I reach for some attitude, but it slips through my fingers like water. I might be mouthy, but in my heart of hearts, I love submitting. I love the moment when I hand over control to someone who will give me exactly what I didn’t even realize I need. I love that I am never truly at their mercy because I will always have a fail-safe, and they will always respect it. At least here in the Underworld.

There are bad Dominants. There always will be.

Hook isn’t one of them. I hope.

“No, beautiful girl. Don’t get that look on your face.” He releases my chin and presses his finger to the spot between my eyebrows, smoothing out my frown. “Stay with me.”

I shouldn’t let him soothe me, no matter how good he is at it. But I am so goddamn tired. The events of the last few days cascade over me, and all I want is to forget for a little while. I press my lips together, clinging to my last bit of defiance. “I’m not crawling to you tonight.” Too late, I realize I all but admitted that I will crawl to him, will beg for his cock.

“I know.” His smile is nowhere near his usual shit-eating grin, but somehow it’s more genuine. “I have something else in mind for you.”