Grace ran her fingers along his collar, making sure it was still buckled as she gently scolded her pet before standing up and placing her hands on her hips.
“You’re not going to shock my dogs!”
“Then you can be the one chasing them through the neighborhood when they run out again,” Ice said, moving past her to set the box down.
Grace started to snap at him again, but stopped. “Why is my couch still here?”
“Because Goodwill hasn’t shown up to get it yet.”
“I’m not giving my couch to Goodwill. I love that couch.”
“There is no way in Hell that flowery couch is going into my house. When the brothers come over and see it, they’ll call me a pussy.”
Grace folded her arms across her chest. “Then I guess they won’t be coming over.”
Ice relented. “It can go in one of the spare bedrooms or the basement. I already bought a leather sectional big enough for the brothers and me to sit on to watch the games.”
Grace’s lips tightened as she rolled her eyes. “What will I be doing while you all are watching sports?”
“Fixing all those game day snacks I see on television. We’re all looking forward to those,” he told her in all seriousness.
“And exactly what will I be getting out of it?” she asked, debating internally about moving in with the chauvinist biker standing in front of her.
“After they leave, I fuck you on the couch and show my appreciation. It’s a big couch.”
“We can put my couch in one of the spare bedrooms,” Grace gave in. Hell, they would probably need it for the nights they would argue. He could sleep on it.
After they finished packing the rest of her things out to the truck Ice had rented, he put her dogs into the front, and Grace went to say goodbye to Merry. She had gotten out of the hospital the previous week and her granddaughter had moved in to help take care of her. Grace hoped she would do a better job than her brother. Before leaving, she made sure the young woman had her number in case Merry needed anything.
She walked back to her house, seeing the For Sale sign on the lawn. Grace locked and set the alarm for the final time, trying not to cry. The house had been a safe haven while she had needed it, but now it was time to move on.
Turning back, she saw Ice playing with the dogs in the truck.
Grace smiled at the only man she had ever loved as she climbed inside. She had never dreamed when she had been chained in that basement in her darkest hour that, one day, she would ever be able to enjoy life again, while her two friends had been denied their own.
For better or worse, she was going to live with Ice. She would find out if they belonged together, or if she needed to give up the hope that he loved her enough to promise her a future.
Chapter 31
Grace moved the mouse to another section of the banner for Mouth2Mouth’s next concert.
“How’s that?” Grace asked Penni, who was sitting next to her.
Penni stared in concentration at the computer screen. The last four months had flown by. Grace had been taking her time, searching for jobs, when Penni had called her up and asked her out to lunch one afternoon. During the lunch, Penni had told her she was interviewing for an assistant yet was having trouble finding one with the computer skills she needed. Grace had asked her for a trial, deciding to take a break from teaching. She had come to love the job and working with Penni.
“Can you make it bigger?”
Grace moved the mouse again. “Better?”
“Perfect. I love it! Now I need—” Penni’s voice broke off at the sound of Grace’s cell phone.
“Sorry,” Grace apologized, reaching for her phone.
“Where are you?” Ice’s irritated voice came across loud and clear over the phone. She was instantly embarrassed that Penni could hear him.
“I’m still at work. I’ll be home in another hour or two.”
“You were supposed to be home an hour ago.”
“I’ll be home soon. There’s some leftover chili in the fridge.”
“All right.” Ice hung up, but she could tell he was far from happy.
“Problems?” Penni asked when Grace set her phone back down on the desk.
“No. Ice just likes me to be home when he gets there.” She knew it was an archaic way of thinking, but it made her feel wanted.
“Those boots of his were made for walking on you.” Penni curled her lip.
“I like being there with him,” Grace protested Penni’s harsh assessment.
“Does he come home the same time every night?”
“No,” Grace admitted reluctantly.
“Do you call him and tell him to get his ass home?” Penni pushed.
“No.”
“So, he gets his cake and eats it, too.” Penni stood up, picking up the notes they had been working on. “Go on home. We can finish this in the morning.”
She’s right, Grace thought to herself. “Sit back down and let’s finish this. Afterwards, we can grab a bite to eat before we go home.”
“That a girl. I know the perfect place.”
* * *
“Penni, why are we in a strip club?” Grace stood with her mouth gaping open in the doorway, debating whether to follow Penni inside or not.
Penni turned back when she saw Grace wasn’t following her. “Because I want to offer a couple of the women a job dancing on the stage during the concerts. Of course, they’ll leave their clothes on, but their moves will make the men in the audience crazy.”
A huge man in a suit walked toward them as they made their way across the dimly lit room.
“Why are you here?” The man addressing Penni looked like he had been in the boxing ring because of his battered face.
“Is that any way to greet a paying customer?” Penni smiled infectiously up at him, which he wasn’t affected by. Her smile disappeared. “We were in the mood for some hot wings and fries, and your club has the best in town. I was going to give Grace a taste of something she hasn’t had before.”
Henry’s eyes studied Grace. “Stay at the bar and don’t talk to my girls,” he ordered.
“Of course not.” Not by a flicker of emotion did Penni reveal she was lying unrepentantly.
They took two stools at the bar, ordering two glasses of surprisingly good wine.
“King used to own this club before Henry bought it. He has expensive taste in alcohol.”
As the bartender set down their two baskets of wings and fries, Grace nodded, looking across the room to the large flight of stairs, which led to a closed, gold door. Her curiosity was aroused after seeing several men coming and going.
“Where does that go?”
“That’s the private part of the club,” Penni answered. “I don’t know for sure since I haven’t been up there before, but Vida told me that’s where the strippers give private lap dances.” She rolled her eyes. “There are bedrooms up there, too. Vida wouldn’t admit it to me, but I’m willing to guess that a private dance isn’t all men can pay for.”
As they were talking, a familiar figure came out of the door, going down the steps.
“Damn,” Penni muttered.
Grace lowered her eyes and lifted her glass to shield her face as Jackal skirted the bar and took a table at the back of the club.
“You’re not going to shock my dogs!”
“Then you can be the one chasing them through the neighborhood when they run out again,” Ice said, moving past her to set the box down.
Grace started to snap at him again, but stopped. “Why is my couch still here?”
“Because Goodwill hasn’t shown up to get it yet.”
“I’m not giving my couch to Goodwill. I love that couch.”
“There is no way in Hell that flowery couch is going into my house. When the brothers come over and see it, they’ll call me a pussy.”
Grace folded her arms across her chest. “Then I guess they won’t be coming over.”
Ice relented. “It can go in one of the spare bedrooms or the basement. I already bought a leather sectional big enough for the brothers and me to sit on to watch the games.”
Grace’s lips tightened as she rolled her eyes. “What will I be doing while you all are watching sports?”
“Fixing all those game day snacks I see on television. We’re all looking forward to those,” he told her in all seriousness.
“And exactly what will I be getting out of it?” she asked, debating internally about moving in with the chauvinist biker standing in front of her.
“After they leave, I fuck you on the couch and show my appreciation. It’s a big couch.”
“We can put my couch in one of the spare bedrooms,” Grace gave in. Hell, they would probably need it for the nights they would argue. He could sleep on it.
After they finished packing the rest of her things out to the truck Ice had rented, he put her dogs into the front, and Grace went to say goodbye to Merry. She had gotten out of the hospital the previous week and her granddaughter had moved in to help take care of her. Grace hoped she would do a better job than her brother. Before leaving, she made sure the young woman had her number in case Merry needed anything.
She walked back to her house, seeing the For Sale sign on the lawn. Grace locked and set the alarm for the final time, trying not to cry. The house had been a safe haven while she had needed it, but now it was time to move on.
Turning back, she saw Ice playing with the dogs in the truck.
Grace smiled at the only man she had ever loved as she climbed inside. She had never dreamed when she had been chained in that basement in her darkest hour that, one day, she would ever be able to enjoy life again, while her two friends had been denied their own.
For better or worse, she was going to live with Ice. She would find out if they belonged together, or if she needed to give up the hope that he loved her enough to promise her a future.
Chapter 31
Grace moved the mouse to another section of the banner for Mouth2Mouth’s next concert.
“How’s that?” Grace asked Penni, who was sitting next to her.
Penni stared in concentration at the computer screen. The last four months had flown by. Grace had been taking her time, searching for jobs, when Penni had called her up and asked her out to lunch one afternoon. During the lunch, Penni had told her she was interviewing for an assistant yet was having trouble finding one with the computer skills she needed. Grace had asked her for a trial, deciding to take a break from teaching. She had come to love the job and working with Penni.
“Can you make it bigger?”
Grace moved the mouse again. “Better?”
“Perfect. I love it! Now I need—” Penni’s voice broke off at the sound of Grace’s cell phone.
“Sorry,” Grace apologized, reaching for her phone.
“Where are you?” Ice’s irritated voice came across loud and clear over the phone. She was instantly embarrassed that Penni could hear him.
“I’m still at work. I’ll be home in another hour or two.”
“You were supposed to be home an hour ago.”
“I’ll be home soon. There’s some leftover chili in the fridge.”
“All right.” Ice hung up, but she could tell he was far from happy.
“Problems?” Penni asked when Grace set her phone back down on the desk.
“No. Ice just likes me to be home when he gets there.” She knew it was an archaic way of thinking, but it made her feel wanted.
“Those boots of his were made for walking on you.” Penni curled her lip.
“I like being there with him,” Grace protested Penni’s harsh assessment.
“Does he come home the same time every night?”
“No,” Grace admitted reluctantly.
“Do you call him and tell him to get his ass home?” Penni pushed.
“No.”
“So, he gets his cake and eats it, too.” Penni stood up, picking up the notes they had been working on. “Go on home. We can finish this in the morning.”
She’s right, Grace thought to herself. “Sit back down and let’s finish this. Afterwards, we can grab a bite to eat before we go home.”
“That a girl. I know the perfect place.”
* * *
“Penni, why are we in a strip club?” Grace stood with her mouth gaping open in the doorway, debating whether to follow Penni inside or not.
Penni turned back when she saw Grace wasn’t following her. “Because I want to offer a couple of the women a job dancing on the stage during the concerts. Of course, they’ll leave their clothes on, but their moves will make the men in the audience crazy.”
A huge man in a suit walked toward them as they made their way across the dimly lit room.
“Why are you here?” The man addressing Penni looked like he had been in the boxing ring because of his battered face.
“Is that any way to greet a paying customer?” Penni smiled infectiously up at him, which he wasn’t affected by. Her smile disappeared. “We were in the mood for some hot wings and fries, and your club has the best in town. I was going to give Grace a taste of something she hasn’t had before.”
Henry’s eyes studied Grace. “Stay at the bar and don’t talk to my girls,” he ordered.
“Of course not.” Not by a flicker of emotion did Penni reveal she was lying unrepentantly.
They took two stools at the bar, ordering two glasses of surprisingly good wine.
“King used to own this club before Henry bought it. He has expensive taste in alcohol.”
As the bartender set down their two baskets of wings and fries, Grace nodded, looking across the room to the large flight of stairs, which led to a closed, gold door. Her curiosity was aroused after seeing several men coming and going.
“Where does that go?”
“That’s the private part of the club,” Penni answered. “I don’t know for sure since I haven’t been up there before, but Vida told me that’s where the strippers give private lap dances.” She rolled her eyes. “There are bedrooms up there, too. Vida wouldn’t admit it to me, but I’m willing to guess that a private dance isn’t all men can pay for.”
As they were talking, a familiar figure came out of the door, going down the steps.
“Damn,” Penni muttered.
Grace lowered her eyes and lifted her glass to shield her face as Jackal skirted the bar and took a table at the back of the club.
