9. Tiberius

9

TIBERIUS

The music in the dark nightclub should distract me from thinking too hard about my discussion with Kinsley. It does not. The sweet, innocent thing is on my mind and won’t leave. I don’t want her to know the truth, because the truth means there will be no barrier between us. It’s her pure innocence that attracts me. It has since she turned fifteen. I saw her from a distance and my attention was snared. Nothing is more arousing than that of forbidden fruit.

Women dance at the divider that separates me in my booth from the rest of the club. It isn’t my favorite place to be, but I need something taken care of that I can’t do myself.

I eye one of the women who appeared as soon as I sat my ass down. It’s her mouth that I contemplate. When she knows my attention is solely on her, her eyes drop to my groin. I imagine it’s Kinsley’s eyes on me, my cock liking that a lot more than it should. Slumped on the sofa with my legs splayed, my thick bulge is noticeable. The woman licks her lips. I call her over with a curl of my finger.

She saunters over and drops to her knees between my legs.

“Suck me off,” I growl, blunt and to the point.

Her eyes gleam as she drags a red fingernail down my shaft. It twitches and wants out. She doesn’t keep me waiting. She unzips my pants, and then her hands shove my shorts out of the way. Her grip is tight as she strokes my pulsing cock.

My eyes travel up to the ceiling and slowly close as her tongue licks up my precum. I pretend it’s Kinsley on her knees, her virgin mouth licking me. Kinsley wraps her lips around my cock, sending shivers down my spine as she takes me in completely. The sensation is overwhelming, and I know it won't be long before I come down her throat.

She hums around my cock as it grows even harder. One of her dainty hands cups my balls, her fingers gently massaging my sac. It takes all my strength not to shove myself down her throat. The intensity of the moment is almost too much to bear, but I want to savor every second of Kinsley's touch. With each movement of her mouth, I grow closer and closer to the edge. The sound of her soft moans, mixed with my own ragged breathing, are loud to my ears.

Kinsley sucks me so hard that my eyes roll. I bump the back of her throat, and nearly fucking come from the sensation. Her skilled tongue dances around me, sending waves of pleasure through my body, and then, with a deep suction, I come. My back arches as I clamp my mouth shut so I don’t shout her name. Kinsley milks my cock fucking dry, which is when I open my eyes and my fucking dream shatters.

I must look murderous because the woman between my legs springs to her feet and runs from me. I quickly shove my dick away and curse under my breath. What the fuck is wrong with me?

I came here tonight to get my dick sucked. I didn’t anticipate getting lost in my own head and coming so fucking hard that I saw stars. It isn't fucking smart for me to forget what the hell is going on around me. My life is fucked up. Kinsley's is too, except she has no idea. The girl is smart. She knows, because of her eye color, that it’s impossible for her to belong to Jude. Her sperm donor had blue eyes, which is where Kinsley got hers from.

Furious with myself for my lack of control, I stomp out of the booth. Patrons quickly move out of my way when they see the thundercloud on my face. Salem, my right-hand man, raises his brows when he sees me heading toward him. He doesn’t question me. He falls into step beside me instead.

“Don’t let me come here again,” I growl. “You hear me?”

“Not making much sense, but I hear you.”

I grunt in response. “Heard from Edgar yet?”

Just as I ask the question, Salem’s phone beeps. He reads the message and winces.

“You’re wanted at the house,” he says.

“Why?” I ask, distracted.

A sleek black sports car moves slowly down the street. Salem is speaking to me, but I don’t make sense of his words as I keep my focus on the car. Blood rushes around in my veins when the window lowers. Seconds before I see the barrel of a gun, I recognize Cannon Edge. He's pointing the gun directly at me, a smirk playing on his lips. Panic sets in as I realize the danger I'm in, and Salem's urgent voice finally breaks through my shock. As though in sync, I turn and grab Salem as he grabs me. We hit the sidewalk, taking cover behind my SUV. Two rounds explode into the night. Chaos erupts. Screams fill the air as guests waiting in line to get inside the club scatter.

“Edge,” I hiss. “That bastard won’t get away with this.”

Salem peers out from behind the SUV. “They’re gone.”

I clamber to my feet and brush off my clothes. My eyes scan the area for any injured, but I don’t see anyone on the ground.

Salem curses. “They took out the fucking tires. Bastards.”

Sirens break into my thoughts, and with a wince, I glance at Salem. “We don’t identify the driver.”

“I didn’t see him anyway," Salem responds. He shakes his head and approaches the bouncers for a quick word.

I stand with my hands on my hips, my eyes seeking out anyone who might be out there to report back to Edge. I don’t see anyone. Zilch. This was a warning. If Cannon Edge wanted to take me out, then he would have used a sniper with a high-powered rifle. The asshole wouldn’t want anything traced back to him.

Salem returns to my side. “A team is on the way to change the tires. Blaze will drive it back to the house,” he says. “We need to get to Edgar.”

“Kinsley?” I hold his gaze.

“The girl is fine. The house is secure, and Jock is on alert.”

Three cop cars pull up. “I don’t think we’re going to get the car fixed anytime soon.”

Ryan pulls up outside the Lake House. Edgar has someone in the outbuilding. The man is hard and dangerous, more lethal than Salem, which is saying a lot.

Following the path around the house, I veer off to where a large storage building is located.

“I wasn’t sure what to do,” Edgar says when I step inside.

“About?”

“You’ll see.” He indicates for me to look over his shoulder.

Salem lets out a string of curses. “What the fuck, Edgar!”

Impatient, I look toward the man strung up to an overhead drain with his face lowered. There is something about him that I recognize. My eyes widen when he lifts his face. “Bastard,” I curse with a glance at Edgar.

“I caught him snooping around,” Edgar says.

“I wasn’t snooping. I was coming to talk to you,” says Xavier Edge. “I didn’t want to be spotted.”

Edgar snorts.

“Untie him,” I demand.

Salem steps forward and does my bidding.

“Xavier, why are you here?” I ask. “Your brother will be pissed when he finds out.”

The man rubs at his wrists and glares at Edgar. “I’m really hoping he doesn’t find out.”

I look at him, wondering if he’s an idiot. His brother will find out, not from me, but someone will have seen Xavier around here.

“What did you want to talk about?”

“You have a snitch in your house,” Xavier states. “You need to be careful.”

I indicate for him to take a seat. “Why are you telling me this?” I ask as I join him.

“You are more than aware that I don’t like what my brother and sister have become. I’m stuck in that family. No one gives a shit about what I want. I don’t trust Cannon not to put a hit out on me if I walk away.”

“Cannon shot out the tires on my SUV tonight,” I share. “I know he’s coming for me, but tonight was…out of character, even for him.”

“He’s been listening to Cleo.” He winces. “My sister is worse than he is.” Xavier shoves his fingers through his hair. “The snitch in your midst is someone in the kitchen. I don’t know anything other than that.”

“Green. Martha Green. I fired her yesterday.”

I catch a look on Salem’s face but decide to table it until our guest has left.

“How is she?” Xavier suddenly asks, holding my gaze. “I know Kinsley is my sister. I figured you knew that already. It’s why Cannon has such a hard-on for your family. He wants revenge because your brother and his wife fucked our mother over. He’s not going to stop, Beckett.”

“Kinsley is mine to look after. He won’t get to her.”

“He won’t stop until he succeeds. You know that.”

“I’d have to be dead for him to get to her.”

He watches me closely, and a slight smile edges his mouth. “I get it.” He sighs. “If I have warning that he’s planning something, I’ll try to get word to you. I can’t promise anything other than I will try fucking hard to warn you. She’s my sister. We don’t get a say in who our parents are. None of this is her fault. I’d like to meet her one day.”

Fucking hell! If I’m reading him correctly, Xavier Edge is sincere.

“You need to leave. Where’s your car?”

He winces. “In a ditch about a twenty-minute walk from here.”

Edgar grunts. “I know where it is. I’ll take the SUV and haul it out.”

“Go with Edgar.”

Xavier nods. “I’ll be in touch.”

I wait until they are outside before I turn to Salem. “Thoughts?” I ask him.

My friend slumps into a chair opposite, a loud sigh on his tongue. “I didn’t sense a lie. But you can’t trust him. For all we know, Cannon sent him, knowing you’d be tied up with the cops for a while—or at least hoping that would be the case.”

“Do you think that Green woman was the snitch he mentioned?”

“Well, I can’t honestly see it being Marie. Doesn’t mean it isn’t.”

I squeeze the bridge of my nose to release the pressure from the last couple of hours. “Spread word to keep an eye on the girl. Also, contact Ryan and ask him to find out the full skinny on Martha Green.”

“Will do.”

There is a part of me that hopes Kinsley is still awake as I head toward the house. The other part hopes she’s asleep so that I don’t cross the line with the girl.

I’m the indecent villain in this story.