Mercy (Salacious Players Club, #4)(85)

I don’t linger too long near any window. I just pass by the voyeurs as I make my way down the dark space. Once I reach the end, I can’t fight the grin on my face. This is the coolest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. But it’s not for me. Not right now. I’d rather come back with Maggie, where we can enjoy it together.

I hope we have something like this at our club.

When that thought makes its way through my head, I pause. Our club. How long have I been seeing it that way? What would she think about that? Instinct tells me she’d love it. The idea of running our own club, having it be our thing gives me more excitement than anything has in a very long time.

My whole life I’ve been searching for purpose, and nothing ever felt as good as this idea does. I almost want to go wake her up right now to tell her. But I’m not done exploring yet.

After coming out of the hallway, I meander my way through every corner of the club, seeing as much as I’m allowed. Counting rooms and checking out the store again.

My dad did this. Not alone, of course, but he built this place, and I spent so long hating him for it when I should have been proud of him. I am proud of him. Now I almost want people to figure out who I am. Know that I’m Emerson Grant’s son.

When I finally make my way back to the bar, I must be wearing my emotions all over my face because the large man seated at the corner laughs when I sit down three seats away from him.

“First time?” he asks.

When I glance up, I stutter out my answer. “Um…not really. But sort of.”

He laughs. “Okay, then.”

After a moment, I recognize him as the bouncer who stopped me from handing that protester’s ass to him on the second masquerade night I attended. I guess I owe him for that. If I had ended up in jail, I wouldn’t have experienced the mind-bending power of the riding crop.

“So…what do you think?” he asks, taking a sip of his clear drink. Just then a bartender walks up to take my order and I politely ask for a Jack and Coke.

Turning toward the bouncer, I answer him, “I think it’s great.” Then for some reason, I feel the need to spill my secrets to a complete stranger. “I used to not think it was so great. In fact, I used to think it was terrible. But that was before I ever actually came here.”

He looks almost offended before I clarify, “I was an idiot. I only saw what I wanted to see and that was enough to feed all of my anger. But then I met someone. And she opened my eyes, so I see things very differently now.”

The bartender places my drink on the table and I slip him some cash to avoid having to hand over my credit card with my name on it. The bouncer nods at me before finishing his own drink and asking for another.

“You know…so did I, once,” he says, and that surprises me. “But people change. Minds change. Courses change. Don’t beat yourself up.”

I smile as I sip my drink. “I’m not. Not anymore.”

Suddenly, a hand latches onto my arm and spins me until I’m facing a shocked and angry-looking Maggie. “What are you doing?” she mutters quietly.

“Having a drink,” I reply, looking back at the man at the end of the bar. He smiles up at us before taking another sip.

“Hey, Maggie,” he says before looking forward.

“Hi, Hank,” she replies politely before tugging on my arm. “Come on. We have to go.”

“Am I in trouble?” I ask with a mischievous grin.

“So much trouble,” she whispers. As we make our way back upstairs, her eyes are traveling back and forth around the club, waiting to see someone call her out, but no one moves.

“Did you have a nice little tour of the club,” she asks in a teasing tone before we reach our room.

“I did,” I reply as I hand her the keycard.

“Good.” As she reaches for the door, I grab her hand, drawing her attention to me.

“I was thinking…about Phoenix.”

Her mouth falls open as she stares up at me. She almost looks worried. “Okay…”

“What if I help you?” I ask, and her face instantly changes from worry to confusion. Brows pinched inward and mouth closed.

“Help me?”

“Run the club.”

There’s a moment of hesitation before she continues, “You want to help me run the club?”

Her fingers are intertwined with mine, and I tug her closer so she has to stare up at me. “Yes, I do. I want to be a part of it. Help you manage everything and come up with new ideas…and test stuff.” I add in that last part with a wink, which makes her roll her eyes.

“But…if we do that, then we have to tell everyone about us.”

“I’m ready,” I reply, placing a soft kiss on her pouty lips.

She looks less than sure about that, still struggling to admit whether she wants people to know about us.

“Okay,” she mumbles against my mouth, and I pull back, staring down at her in surprise.

“Really?”

“Yeah.” She nods. “Fuck it. Let’s tell them. And then immediately move away so they can’t kill us.”

With a laugh, I wrap my arms around her waist, hoisting her off the floor. She squeals into my neck, and I feel on top of the world. Setting her back down, I drag her lips to mine, kissing her hard and tasting the moan on her lips as our bodies slam against the closed door.