“Please.” Kingston rolled his eyes as he pulled into a parking space outside the rear entrance. “You look better than every single one of them. I promise you. Besides, we’re not going to be here for long. I just need to check on things, then we’ll head back to your hotel room.”
“Thanks.” Emmy drew in a deep breath to calm her nerves. She didn’t know why, but her lack of appropriate club clothing bothered her. More than it should.
Kingston came around and opened her door for her. His chivalry was something she didn’t think she would ever get used to. It was a first for her.
“We’re going to sneak in the back door and go straight to my office. We don’t have to go into the main part of the club tonight if you are uncomfortable. I didn’t plan on it anyway. If you want to see the club, that’s fine too. I can promise that no one will give you a hard time because of the way we are dressed.
“The only people who dress like the ones you saw outside are those looking for their next hookup. There is no dress code for the club. Some people come in wearing jeans or shorts. Others are dressed to the nines. There are separate areas to hang out, depending upon your interest,” he explained.
“That’s kind of a great idea.” Her nerves calmed instantly when she realized she had been letting her low self-esteem get the best of her. Why should she worry about what she was wearing? After all, she wasn’t there to impress anyone, and she was glad that Kingston had reminded her of that fact for the simple fact that it really did allow her to breathe easier.
“Hey, boss,” one of the bouncers greeted them as they approached the back door.
“Hey, Terence. Any issues tonight?” Kingston asked.
“No. It’s been a quiet night, though you do have someone waiting in your office for you. She demanded to wait for you. I tried to tell her we didn’t know if you were coming in or not, she politely told us that you were, and she’d wait.”
“Thanks. This is Emmy, my mate. Anything she wants, she gets. Let everyone know,” he ordered.
“Will do, and it’s nice to meet you, little lady,” Terence said, extending his hand to greet her.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” she said, shaking his hand. He was a good-looking man, tall with broad shoulders and legs as huge as tree trunks, but what held her attention was his violet eyes. They were stunning against his dark skin.
“We’re just going to pop in for a few minutes. Could you let Ryan know to meet me in my office in a few minutes?” Kingston asked.
“Sure thing,” Terence said, holding the large metal door open for them.
“He seems nice,” she said as they made their way through a series of hallways until they reached his private office.
“Don’t let Terence hear you say that. He protects his reputation as a hard ass fiercely.”
“I’ll have to remember that.” Emmy laughed. “So, who do you think is in your office?” she asked.
“A surprise for you?” He kissed her forehead before opening the door and ushering her inside.
“Gerri! Oh my God! What are you doing here?” She rushed to her friend and wrapped her arms around her, giving her a hug.
“I thought you might need some help adjusting to everything that’s been thrown at you. This one, “ Gerri pointed to Kingston, “called me and told me what a shit-show he’d made of everything. So I hopped on a flight, and here I am.”
“Thank you!” Emmy gushed. “But I think he may have jumped the gun on calling you. I’m okay. I am. He threw me through a few loops, but I think I have a handle on it now.”
“We’ll see. Why don’t you and I get a drink and let Kingston do what he came here to do?” Gerri offered.
“That sounds great. Do you mind? I know you said you didn’t want to be here long,” she asked Kingston, not wanting to interfere with his plans.
“Not at all. You go have fun with Gerri. I’ll find you when I’m done.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
“Have either Stryker or Archer been here in the last couple of days?” Kingston asked after Ryan stepped into his office.
“Not at all, boss. I’ve had everyone looking out for them, but we haven’t seen them. Which is kind of strange. They usually stop in every couple of days to grab a beer and wings. Is there something going on that I should know about?” Ryan asked.
“I found my mate and activated the covenant. Once the mating is complete, I’ll ascend to the throne, and my mate will join me. Neither were very happy with the prospect of me becoming King of the Pacific Dragos and recalling the clan to carry out our destiny,” Kingston said, taking a seat on the edge of his desk.
He could speak freely with all of his employees. They knew what and who he was because they all shared similar secrets. Though they weren’t dragons, they were all some form of a shifter, from wolves to big cats and everything in between.
“Holy fuck, man! Congratulations! It’s about damn time! The islands need you guys back on patrol.”