“That—”
“We’re getting off topic,” Bones interrupts Jasmine.
“Look …” Hooke places his foot on the floor. Adjusting his suit jacket, he obviously has more to say. “We’re thrilled to have you two joining Kink, but I’d be lying if I said I’d be sitting here with you ladies without Bones.”
Even though Jasmine had already told me we needed Bones, Hooke’s words still piss me off. How dare this motherfucker tell us what we can do with our lives? With our money. Women are capable of anything, but we’re looked at being weak because we carry a child for nine months.
A silence falls over the room. I can feel Jasmine’s stiff body next to mine. She wants to say something. Hell, I want to say more, but the look on Bones’s face is telling us both to shut the hell up. Maybe Hooke wants us to take his words personally and make a scene—then he’d have a reason to turn us down when we lash out at him. He’s probably recording us at this very moment.
I run a hand down my black dress. “How many members do you have?” Screw this guy and what he thinks he knows of us. I’ll show him how committed I am. I’ve read the paperwork.
“A little over five hundred at the moment,” he states proudly.
I almost choke on fucking air. Five hundred? The contract said the member buy-in is fifty grand a person. Each year. At fifty thousand a pop, it’s twenty-five million dollars. That’s insane.
“Are the memberships your only source of revenue?” I ask. The contract didn’t state anything other than the original buy-in for the members.
He shakes his head. “The fifty thousand per membership only gets them in the door. If they bring a date, it costs them. If they want bottle service, it costs them.” He gives a cruel smile. “If you want a room …” He holds his hands out wide. “Well, you get it. Everything costs you here.”
“Forgive me for being skeptical, but why would they pay for this?” I ask.
He looks at me. “Men like to show off what they have.”
“You mean to parade their sex slaves around,” I counter.
He chuckles softly. “If being a slave is your kink, then yes.”
“So, all of your members are men?” Jasmine asks.
“Not a hundred percent of them. But the majority, yes.”
“Why is that?” I go on.
He gives me a smile that makes my skin crawl. I wish men like him could be a woman for one day to know what it’s like. “A man will come five times a week and bring a different woman each time.”
“Getting his money’s worth,” I say with disgust.
He goes on as if I didn’t speak. “A woman will come ten times a year and bring the same man. So, it’s hard for a woman to justify that kind of … commitment.”
He means financially. He’s already said men make more money than women.
The door opens, and a woman enters dressed in black leather pants with a red crop top. She has her jet-black hair up in a tight bun. “Hooke, may I see you for a second?”
He stands and buttons his suit jacket. Bones stands as well and shakes his hand. “Thanks for taking the time to meet with us.”
“Of course.” He turns and nods to us just like before. “Ladies.” Then he exits the room. The door softly closing behind him.
I fall back onto the couch and let out a long sigh.
“Well, that actually went better than I thought it was going to,” Bones says, sitting back down.
“He’s a fucking prick,” Jasmine spits out and turns to face me, taking my hands in hers. “But it doesn’t change what I said, Alexa. Just give me the word, and we will show him how wrong he is.”
I search her green eyes. I trust Jasmine, and she trusts Bones. I have no doubt that she will devote her entire life to this club. She wants it to be a success. And I want that too.
Fuck Hooke and his view on women. We can be dominant and rule over men. “I’m in.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CROSS
I PACE MY office back and forth with my cell in my hand. I should call her. But I’m not sure what I would say at this point.
Sorry? Somehow that just doesn’t seem like enough. I’ve had some time to think about last night, and she wasn’t wrong. I just didn’t want to admit that.
I hate how much she’s on my mind. She was supposed to be a fuck, but she consumes me. Why did I allow it to get to this? And how do I stop it?
“You busy?” Titan asks, entering my office.
“What do you want?” I ask, flipping my Zippo open and closed.
“Still pissy, I see?” He laughs softly.
I roll my eyes and turn my back to him.
“Just thought I’d let you know that I just got off the phone with Bones.”
“And?” I spin back around to face him. “What did he say?”
“The girls took the deal.”
I knew Alexa would. It was too good to pass up. I’m happy for her. Nodding, I tell him, “Thanks.”
“How long are you going to beat yourself up over this?” he asks, plopping down in the seat across from my desk.
I ignore that question and ask my own. “Why are you avoiding going home?” It’s almost midnight. He hasn’t stayed this late in a while.
“I’m not avoiding anything. Emilee is over at Haven and Luca’s right now.” He checks his watch. “I’m picking her up in an hour.”
I nod and fall into my seat behind my desk. “Have you heard from Grave?”
“No.”
I place my elbows on my desk and run my hands through my dark hair, releasing a sigh. “I haven’t either.”
“He’ll let us know if he needs anything,” he states, standing to walk toward my door.
“Thanks,” I say, making him stop.
He places his hand on the knob and turns to face me. “Just thought you’d like to know. Since she’s not talking to you right now.”
My jaw tightens. Getting in a fight with your girl in front of your friends is never good. “It’s complicated,” I say.
He snorts. “Been there. Good luck figuring it out.” Then he turns and leaves.
I sit back and let out a sigh. This is why I fuck and move on. To avoid this bullshit.
ALEXA
I SIT ACROSS from Bones and Jasmine in his private jet. My mind is going a hundred miles an hour trying to figure out everything that needs to be done once we get back.
“Here you go, sir. Ladies.” His flight attendant stops beside us with a bucket full of ice and champagne.
“Thanks, Nicki,” he says, reaching over and grabbing it. He pops the cork and pours it into three flutes, then hands us each our own. “To you, ladies, and your success.” He lifts his glass.
“Thank you,” I say, smiling up at him. “For helping us out.”
“I don’t believe a person should have a set of balls in order to do what they want,” he states.
I like Bones. The guy has this air about him that totally screams don’t fuck with me. But he also just signed away his life to a two-million-dollar contract to help me and Jasmine start our own business.
“To the three of us and our future.” I lift my glass.