Kristen Ashley - Rock Chick Revolution

Oh God.

He was killing me.

So.

Loved.

My big brother!

“Honey—”

“It sucks. I’m happy, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel like I’ve lost something.”

Oh God.

“Please—”

“Give him time,” he whispered.

He meant Lee.

And now I got it.

I was his little sister and Lee wasn’t ready to let that go.

I pressed my lips together before I nodded, our foreheads rolling. Hank lifted a bit away but didn’t let go of me, mostly because I squeezed his arm.

“I get you,” I said softly. “But I hope you never let go.”

“Good to have your permission, ‘cause I see in him that you’re it for him. He’s all about you. His world has become you. And he can have that.” His fingers tightened around my neck. “Still, in the way I can, I’m gonna keep hold.”

Hank saw in Ren that his world had become me.

I liked that.

I wondered if Ren’s sisters saw the same in me.

And my brother was going to keep hold.

Righteous.

“Good,” I replied.

“Now I’m gonna go before you go girl on me and burst out crying.”

I jerked back and declared, “That’s not gonna happen.”

That wasn’t a lie. It was true.

Still, I was close.

My big brother smiled at me.

Then he let me go and got up, muttering, “Shit to do.”

I had shit to do too. I had to run and get sweaty and come home and get laid by my man.

I did not share this.

I walked Hank to the door.

He opened it. I followed and stopped in the jamb.

It was then I remembered to ask, “What did you and Lee decide about Jane?”

He turned and answered, “He’s gonna tell the men. He’s gonna tell Indy. I’m gonna tell Roxie. And we’re gonna keep our eye on shit but let the chips fall.”

Time to scratch a conversation with Jane on my list, and I decided to give her a heads up before I ran.

The good news was, neither Hank nor Lee had gone ballistic. That might make Jane fret less.

Still, I’d have to keep an eye on things, too.

Hank leaned into me and I thought he was going to kiss my cheek.

He didn’t.

He put his lips to my ear and said, “He hurts you, I’ll fuck him up.”

Loved my big brother.

“That won’t happen,” I replied.

He pulled away, saying, “It better not.”

I rolled my eyes, and when I rolled them back, I saw him smiling.

I stuck my tongue out at him.

He smiled bigger.

Then he was gone.

* * *

I rushed offstage at Smithie’s after my final dance, keen to get the hell out of there and get home to bed.

And Ren.

It was another bust of a night at Smithie’s. Even though I’d approached a couple of the girls and had a chat with Tanya, one of the waitresses, there was no thawing of the informational freeze-out.

I’d also had a chat with Smithie about what he knew about Gibbons. I wasn’t telling him our progress on the case because I didn’t want him to lose it and screw the pooch if what Steiner and Gibbons were doing went deeper.

But Smithie paid attention in his club. So he knew exactly who I was talking about.

And his response was, “He’s an asshole. Shit vibe. But good customer. He drinks. Tips the girls good. Gets a lap dance every night. Don’t love every one of my regulars. But I don’t bitch when they buy drinks and take care of the girls.”

Gibbons would tip the girls “good” since he’d see a return of that money, and not in the normal way.

“Why you ask?” Smithie finished.

“Just keeping my eye on things and he gives me the heebie-jeebies,” I told him.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Asshole written all over him. Then again, that’s every other guy who walks through my fuckin’ door.”

He was right. But not that brand of asshole.

I left it at that.

Then I went about my business, hoping that Bobby and Darius would turn up something or one of the girls would suck up the courage to give me a lead.

And soon.

But now the night was over and the workday was done for me. The girls had half an hour of dancing before they were finished, but there was no reason for me to stay. Therefore, if I did, it might be noticed and wondered about.

So I headed to the dressing room as the girls headed toward the stage to take over once Lottie was done.

“Have fun,” I said on a big smile.

“Mm-hmm,” JoJo replied on a forced one.

“Have a good night, Ally,” Meena said as she passed me.

She also grabbed my hand.

I thought that was weird.

Until I felt her pressing something in my palm.

I closed my fingers around what felt like a piece of paper and a jolt of energy surged through me making it hard to keep my voice modulated when I called, “See you tomorrow night.”

“Later, babe,” JoJo called back.

Meena turned back and waved.

But her face said it all.

Fear.

Shit.

I rushed to the dressing room, got dressed, grabbed my stuff and hauled ass. My palms were itching, but I didn’t want anyone to see me reading the note.

So I waited until I was sitting at a stoplight before I yanked the paper out of my pocket, unfolded it and read it.

We pay, or they do it. We talk, and they do it.

They have more guys. Eyes all the time.

We don’t pay or we talk, they’re gonna hurt Smithie.

I stared at the paper.

Then I whispered, “Fuck.”

* * *

I sat cross-legged on the bed in my jeans and tee (but I’d flipped off my flip-flops).

Ren was up against the headboard, sheet to his waist, chest on view.

For once, I didn’t appreciate the view. My mind was on other things.

He was studying the note which, incidentally, was what my mind was on.

In other words, I was obsessing over it.

Ren had elected not to go to Smithie’s that night and instead stay in and get some shuteye.

But I’d woken him up after I flipped off my flip-flops and turned on a light.

Then I’d shown him the note.

He looked from it to me. “You want me to put Lucky and Santo on this?”

This surprised me.

“Would Lucky and Santo be helpful?”

“One of many things those two have goin’ for them is everyone underestimates them.” He held my eyes. “Heads up to you, don’t underestimate them.”

I nodded.

That was good to know, and as Curious Rock Chick, also a relief to have that intel.

“So you want me to put them on this?” he pressed.

I leaned toward him and put my hand to his chest. “No, baby. But thanks for the offer.”

“Ally—” he started, his voice cautious, and I knew where he was going.

This was bigger than me. Even bigger than me and Darius.

This needed team play.

So I cut him off in order that he wouldn’t worry. “I have to talk to Lee.”

Ren let out a breath.

I took one in and said, “I had this feeling when it started. It wasn’t bad. It was bad. Darius on it, bringing in Bobby and Brody, I felt better.” I tipped my head to the note. “That? Smithie needs the big guns.”

To that, Ren weirdly asked, “Do you know what’s amazing?”

“Well… no,” I answered, bemused at this turn of conversation.

“That you give a shit enough about what you do, and about Smithie, to be big enough to set pride aside to do the job right.”

He.

Was.

So.

Awesome.

“You’re just saying that so I’ll kiss you,” I replied.

“No. I’m sayin’ it ‘cause it’s true. Though, I’m also sayin’ it so you’ll kiss me. But mostly I’m sayin’ it so you’ll fuck me.”

My happy place spasmed, but my eyebrows drew together.

“I was dancing all night and you want me to do all the work?

“Babe, you dance for eight, ten minutes tops. That hardly puts you out of commission.”

“I also had a run today,” I reminded him.

He grinned. “Yeah, I remember.”

That grin—another happy place spasm.

“So I’m thinking my man needs to put in a little effort,” I kept going.

“I did that after your run.”

This was true. And it was more than a little. This was because, before I got back from my run, Ren had cleaned my Lelo.

“Okay, a little more effort,” I amended.

“Are you sayin’ you’re good with missionary?” he asked.

“Missionary is growing on me,” I shared.

Ren grinned a grin I felt in my nipples and my happy place.

Then he set the note on his nightstand and lunged toward me, taking me to my back on the bed with him on top.

His lips to my lips, his eyes looking into mine, he suggested, “Let’s see if I can take it to number one.”

I was all for that.

Totally.

And I shared this by lifting my head and kissing him.

Hard, wet and wild.

Ren kissed me back the same way.

My eyes fluttered open as I woke.

Ren’s arms gave me a squeeze.

“Babe, you awake?”

I grinned to myself and rolled from Ren spooning me to me snuggling front to front with my man.

He wrapped a hand around my jaw, tipped my head back and moved in, giving me a soft, sweet morning kiss.

Oh yeah. This together togetherness rocked.

And did in a way that would last forever.

So that rocked a helluva lot more.

He disengaged and said in his sweet voice, “Mornin’, baby.”

“Mornin’,” I replied, snuggling deeper into his warm, hard body. Then I declared, “I have to apologize.”

He did a slow blink and asked, “For what?”

“For going back on the promise I made myself last Sunday that I’d make you breakfast in bed every Sunday morning until the day my arthritic hands couldn’t crack open an egg.” I watched his face get soft(er) and thus hot(ter) and kept talking. “But I have to talk with Lee, and I have to get to Fortnum’s to check in.” I snuggled even closer and finished on a whisper, “But you pick a day this week, I’ll make up for it.”

“You don’t have to make up for it, Ally,” he replied.

“Yes, I do.”

“Babe, you don’t.”

“Babe, you liked it,” I stated. “And I liked that you liked it. And I like doing things for you that you like. So give that to me and think on a day when you’ll take my rain check.”

It was him that pulled me closer when he said, “All right, honey.”

I kept snuggled close as I moved on to the hard part. “There’s something else I need to tell you when you’re in a sweet, waking up Sunday morning mood.”

His eyes came alert and his lips muttered, “Oh shit.”

Oh yeah, oh shit.

“Okay, there hasn’t been a good time to tell you this because there is no good time to tell you this, but also things have been kinda busy, so I’m picking now because you need to know,” I explained.

“Just tell me, Ally,” Ren demanded.

“I know who wrote that book. She’s a member of the Fortnum’s family. Her name is Jane,” I said quickly.

“Fuck,” he growled, “Seriously?”

“I don’t know if you’ve met her but—”

“Does your brother know?” he cut me off to ask.

“Which one?” I asked back.

“Either one, Ally,” he clipped, impatient.

“Um… well, yeah. Both of them do.”

“And what’re they doin’ about this shit?”

“Nothing.”

Ren stared at me a beat before he asked, “Nothing?”

“She’s a member of the family, honey,” I said quietly.

“Who’s tradin’ on the private lives of that family,” Ren returned.

“Who’s weaving fairytales,” I countered and slid up so we were eye to eye. “She’s wanted this her whole life.”

“I don’t give a fuck.”

“It’s beautiful, Ren. All of it. Why shouldn’t the world know?”

His head jerked against the pillow and he clamped his mouth shut.

“I’m not mad,” I told him. “None of the girls are mad. Neither Hank nor Lee freaked about it. And I want you to try to dig deep in you to find that to give to Jane because I care about her. And I believe in what she’s doing.” I shot him a smile. “Everyone should know how righteous we are.”

“Does it matter to you that I don’t want everyone to know how righteous I am?” he asked.