I grab her hand. “I wish I was more like you.”
She snorts.
“You’re gorgeous.” She rolls her eyes. “Sexy and confident. You enter a room, and everyone stops what they’re doing to look at you. You’re not a whore. Not even close. You know what you want, and you go for it.”
“Says the girl in a sex dungeon.” She laughs.
I do too. “You didn’t sleep with him. And even if you did, so what?” I tuck my hair behind my ear. “Like I said, I wish I was more like you. I was always shy. I had only ever slept with Bones until I moved to Chicago. Even there, I only slept with one guy. Now Titan makes three.”
“How is that going?” she asks.
“Good. For now.”
She smiles over at me. “He’s good for you.”
Doesn’t mean I’m good for him. I’ve been thinking about it ever since he begged me to stay. I have nothing to offer him. He owns a Kingdom. I’m homeless, broke, and my current job is being an escort.
“Enough of this. We’re going to do shots now.” She goes back over to the minibar. “Pick your poison. I have Jim, Jack, and Garth.”
“Garth?”
She holds up her phone. “Garth Brooks.”
“How about all three?” I offer.
“That’s my girl.” She punches some keys on her phone, and then “Friends in Low Places,” fills the room from her speaker.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
TITAN
I CHECK MY phone for the third time in five minutes. I’ve become a fucking chick waiting for a call from Em. I’m worried about her. I was able to talk her into staying here, but she’s on edge, and George is still MIA. We have no leads at the moment. I shove my phone into my back pocket. “Any word on the guy who broke into her parents’ house?” I ask Bones as we walk up the back stairs to Kingdom.
“No. Luca has put the word out and is waiting for info. He’ll call the moment he has it.”
We walk into the back door of Kingdom and see Nigel standing behind his desk. He is to the Kings like Alfred was to Batman—irreplaceable.
“Hello, Bones. Titan.” He nods in greeting.
“Good evening, Nigel,” I say, coming to stand in front of the single elevator. I place my card in front of it, and the door slides open.
“Oh, sir. I just wanted to let you know that Emilee has joined Jasmine up in The Palace,” he says as the door slides shut.
I look over at Bones, and he shrugs. It’s the first he’s hearing about this as well. Queens are allowed to join other Queens when doing a job, but it has to be approved through me, and they will both be granted access for their date and each paid accordingly. But I have not done so for tonight.
I place my card to the keypad and press the sixteenth floor. Looks like we’re making a stop.
We exit the elevator and come up to The Palace door. I punch in the code and enter the room with Bones behind me. We hear their laughter immediately. And I hate how much I missed hearing Emilee’s. She hasn’t laughed since her mother passed.
We come to the open room and see them lying on the floor. Emilee is on her stomach, her feet kicking her ass while propped up on her elbows. Jasmine lies on her back, staring up at the ceiling. “Porn Star Dancing” by My Darkest Days blasts from a cell phone on the floor lying next to Emilee. Bones and I both do a quick sweep of the room for the client but don’t see him. He must have had his service and was done for the night. The thought of Emilee joining them has my teeth grinding. The only person I will share her with is standing beside me at the moment.
“God, remember that time we slashed Trenton’s tires and busted out his windows?” Jasmine laughs.
“Of course. You made me take a shot before we went.”
“No. No. No.” She rolls over onto her stomach as well. “I forced the first one down your throat, but you willingly swallowed the second and third.” They both giggle. “Man, he was so mad.” Jasmine goes on. “He heard us and ran outside with a bat.”
“Yeah, and you held your arms out wide and said swing, motherfucker. I’m pretty sure he shit his pants when he saw it was you destroying his precious car.” Emilee gets to her feet, and I don’t miss how she stumbles. She’s drunk. And to further prove me right, she walks over to the bar.
EMILEE
“He was pissed.” I laugh, adding some vodka to my empty cup.
“Yeah, he was. But the sex we had afterward was off the charts,” she adds.
I turn to walk back over to my spot on the floor but come to a halt when I see Titan and Bones standing before me. Side by side, they have their arms crossed over their chests and legs wide. How long have they been here?