"But the moment our
eyes meet, I'm right
back under his spell,
a helpless hunk of
steel to his irresistible magnet."

~~Alyson Noel

****************

~~Alex~~

The moment I bit into the sandwich, mustard slid from the corner of my mouth and I internally cringed when I felt the impact on my shirt. Quickly wiping the remainder away with my thumb to avoid further disaster, I looked down at the ruined material. Sure enough, a large yellow blob was laughing up at me, cause you know... jokes on me right? Cursing, I grabbed a handful of napkins and tried to clear away the evidence, but I only served to make it worse.

Today is not my day, I thought as I crumbled up the paper napkins and tossed them onto the table.

"You're disgusting," a voice cut into my silent complaining as I took another bite.

Glancing up, my eyes locked with Bryce's, my friend and the enforcer of the Family. I quickly swallowed the bite in my mouth, almost choking in the process. Tossing the rest of the sandwich back on the plate in front of me, I shot him a grin.

"Some people like watching messy eaters," I replied, wiggling my eyebrows. "Is that why you're here? Just had to see this sexy face getting stuffed, huh?"

"I changed my mind," Bryce answered with a grimace. "You're revolting."

I laughed, shoving the plate with the evil food away from me and slouched back in my chair. "I've been called worse. So, what's up? Your brother finally going to forgive me and let me get back to real work?"

"You're lucky he didn't kill you, Alex," Bryce told me with a shake of his head.

"Why? It was a compliment!" I said, exasperated. "I said she was hot and I'd fuck her if she was single! Not when he's dicking her down!"

"It's the principle," Bryce explained with a shake of his head.

"Dude... I haven't done grunt work like this since high school," I complained as I tried once again to clean the mustard from my shirt. "It's like I'm his butler or something. Did you know he had me pick up his dry cleaning this morning? His fucking dry cleaning, bro!"

Bryce chuckled, something that had taken me a while to get used to at first. But after his twins were born, it seemed to be a regular thing. It was a shock when he first told Shayde and I, another long time friend of ours, but it was a good thing in the end. Maddox and Harlow were some badass little kids, even if they were only a year old... well almost.

"Earth to Alex," Bryce called, waving his hand in front of my face to get my attention. "Hello?"

I blinked, shrugging sheepishly. "My bad, kind of zoned out I guess."

"Well, if you're good...?" Bryce trailed off, and waited for me to nod before continuing. "You wanna go with me to Firefly's?"

He could have easily ordered me to whether I wanted to or not, being higher ranked than me. However, we had been friends longer than we had been made, which counted for something. The prospect of doing anything besides the measly jobs I'd been doing was exciting, but Firefly's was like a bonus!

"Did you really have to ask?" I groaned dramatically, quickly standing from my chair in the kitchen of the Family compound. "Your car or mine?"

●●●●

Firefly's was a strip club close to downtown, and we had been dealing with them for years. The previous owners had always been reliable, but since they had changed hands last year, it had been a bit more shotty. The new guys thought they'd be able to get out of our deal, but that wasn't how the boss worked. Once he had his claws in, blood would be spilled before he gave up.

They needed us anyway, and I wasn't sure why they would rather risk our wrath versus the trouble they'd get without our protection. We got free booze and tits whenever we wanted, and they didn't die. Why did it have to be complicated?

It was late in the afternoon, the start of their busiest time of day as people began to get off work, wanting to catch a peek before going home to their boring lives. The doorman for the night was a friendly, someone linked to Bryce through his lovers, and he let us in without hesitation.

"Bullock," Bryce acknowledged the bull of a man as we walked by. "See you tomorrow?"

"Wouldn't miss it," the man grunted.

If I wasn't surrounded by large, scary-eyed men every day, Bullock would have made me piss myself. The man narrowed his eyes at me but otherwise said nothing, pretending I wasn't even there.

"If it wasn't for little man and pebbles, I wouldn't show up tomorrow," I told Bryce as we entered the club, careful to keep my face in check. "I'm sure there will be other people that won't be happy if I'm there, not just Bullock."

"Like who?" Bryce asked, maneuvering through the tables towards the employee door. "I don't understand the paranoia."

One face slid into my mind and my jaw involuntarily clenched. I hadn't seen him in two years, not since I brought his sister to see him in the hospital in California. That had been out of human decency, something people do for people they care about when they're hurt. But I had been wrong... so fucking wrong...

"Doesn't matter," I managed, deciding to end the conversation as we neared the office door.

Bryce didn't press the issue, letting me survey the hall to ensure his safety before raising my fist and pounding on the door. I didn't wait for permission to enter, simply opened it and strolled inside with Bryce following after me. I took in my surroundings, red walls with black trim, faux feather boas scattered about, along with tiny scraps of sequined fabric that I assumed were garments. It wasn't a dressing room...

I looked at the man sitting wide-eyed behind the desk, one hand visible as it gripped the computer mouse, while the other was hidden.

"Other hand on the desk," I instructed in a firm voice, my easy going side being squashed down as I slipped into business mode.

The man swallowed almost audibly as he did as he was told, a fine tremor consuming his body. Fearful eyes flicked from me to Bryce, his face paling as recognition dawned. The man instantly tried to stammer out excuses, but all Bryce had to do was clear his throat and the room fell silent. A small sound caught my attention, coming from around the desk, and the man began to tremble harder.

I caught Bryce's eye and raised a brow in question, the corners of my lips turning up as he nodded. He had heard it too, both of us realizing what it was. I wanted to laugh but I refrained, knowing he was using this as some sort of blackmail. He definitely wasn't using his looks.

In two strides, I was around the desk and yanking him up from the chair by his shirt. Barely bending, my eyes locked with a pair of glassy orbs filled with fear. The girl was dazed but alert enough to know trouble had entered the room. Tears filled her eyes as she stared at me, and I wished Bryce would give the order to beat the bastard.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I told the girl, holding out a free hand. "Come on, you don't belong under there."

She cautiously took my hand and I pulled her to me, shoving the bastard back in his chair. After making sure she was alright, I led her from the room and shut the three of us inside. I stood silent as Bryce took over.

"If I find out that girl was here for any reason other than because she wanted to be... you and I are going to spend some quality time together," Bryce informed the man calmly as if they were discussing the weather. "Are the drugs yours?"

He was giving the man a chance, the benefit of the doubt, but the dumb ass decided to play stupid.

"D-drugs?" he stammered, eyes darting toward the door and back. "W-what drugs?"

"Come now, Mr. Jenson," Bryce said after exhaling through his nose. "You and I both know that girl was on something. The question is, did it come from you or someone else? I would advise you to answer correctly."

It wouldn't take long to find out where the drugs had come from, but something told me Jenson was a shit liar. He had failed thus far to convince us.

"M-mine..." Jenson stuttered fearfully.

Bryce hummed in response, putting his hands in his suit jacket pockets and causing the guy to flinch. I bit the inside of my cheek to hold back my laugh.

"You'll have the money for protection ready by the end of the weekend," Bryce proceeded to instruct the new owner, his cool demeanor never wavering, "along with fifty percent of every profit. I want to be informed of incoming supply drops and my men will supervise yours until you've earned my trust. This is no longer up for discussion. Am I clear Mr. Jenson?"

"F-fifty?" Jenson spluttered. "T-that's half?"

"You can do math which shows you're not completely incompetent," Bryce answered, dismissing the man's panicked indignation. "You may survive this city yet, Mr. Jenson."

"Y-yes, sir," the man croaked, his shoulders sinking in defeat.

"Three days, Mr. Jenson," Bryce reminded him before turning on his heel and exiting the office.

I smirked at the timid man one last time before following after my boss down the hall and back out into the main showroom. My eyes slid over the barely clothed and half naked women, licking my lips as I watched another dance on stage. It had been a while since I'd had a good lay, and the lack of excitement from Bryce's 'meeting' left my blood unsated.

"With the party tomorrow, we're taking the day off," Bryce said, stopping before we reached the exit and turning to look at me. "Take the night but be at my house by one. Andi wants everything ready by four."

I swallowed back the first thought that had come into my mind and nodded stiffly. "Can't wait to be there."

"Relax, no one is going to kill you while you're there," Bryce said with a roll of his eyes.

"Don't be so sure about that," I muttered, gray eyes flashing in my mind before I shook my head and pasted on the familiar easy smile. "Nah, I'm good. I'll be there, no worries, Boss."

Bryce seemed skeptical but nodded. "Fine. Kas will be picking me up in a minute but I'm going to wait with Bullock until he gets here. Enjoy yourself, Alex."

I wiggled my eyes brows as I stole a shot from a passing waitress and downed it, the liquid burning beautifully down my throat. Bryce shook his head and disappeared out the door, leaving me to my thoughts and own devices. Looking around, surrounded by gorgeous women, I found myself pissed off. My thoughts had just been swirling with the many debauched things I wanted to do to one of the women in this room. Now, they were being overridden by a pair of haunting gray eyes and a distant smile.

Snagging another shot like the one before, I gulped it down with determination. I had spent two years trying to erase him from my thoughts and memories, but it was like picking fiberglass from insulation. Impossible. Focusing my gaze on a woman across the room, her black hair cascading down her back, I made up my mind. For a few hours I would forget it all, lose myself between her legs and maybe I'd be able to survive tomorrow.

●●●●

The sound of my phone ringing drug me from my sleep, a groan rumbling up my throat and rattling my brain like an earthquake. My head was pounding and my stomach churned angrily as I blindly searched for the screeching device on my bedside table. It quit ringing before I found it, only for it to start right back up again. My finger finally landed on the obnoxious thing and I squinted my eyes against the brightness as I tried to answer, completely missing the name on the screen.

I should have paid more attention, maybe then I would have been a bit prepared for the ass chewing. With my hangover, it was doubtful, but there was hope right?

"Where the fuck are you?" Bryce yelled, forcing me to jerk the phone away from my ear. "You were supposed to be here an hour ago!"

"Uh..." was all I managed, confusion fogging my brain. How much did I drink?

"Get the fuck up, Alex!" Bryce snapped, and I was pretty sure my brain started to bleed after that.

"I'm up, I'm up," I groaned, still clutching the phone to my ear as I stumbled to the bathroom. "Hold on a sec, Boss."

Dropping the phone onto the counter, I proceeded to empty my stomach of all its contents. After what I was convinced was an eternity, I dragged myself up and splashed water on my face, wiping myself clean before picking the phone back up. I felt a bit better, at least less nauseous and out of it.

"I'm back, but please stop screaming," I said, realizing the light in the bathroom was still off and I flipped it on, only to grimace. "Give me a few to clean up and get rid of my company. Then, I'll be headed your way."

"Don't fuck me over, Alex," Bryce growled before hanging up.

I knew he was just anxious about his kids' first birthday, but he didn't have to be a dick about it. Taking another look in the mirror, I frowned at my reflection. My light brown hair stuck up at weird angles and green eyes were bloodshot, the color vibrant next to my sickly pallor. To put it simply, I looked like complete shit. Looking towards my bed from where I stood at the bathroom sink, my gaze raked over the naked woman lying atop my sheets.

Her hair was spread across my pillows, the dark strands shining delicately from the bit of light streaming from the bathroom. The smooth globes of her ass had me biting my lip, debating if I had enough time for a quick fuck before I needed to leave.

Might keep my head on straight if he's there... I instantly regretted that thought, ruining any chances of a clear head for the sake of the party.

"Hey, wake up, Vada... Hayden... Jasmine... whatever your name is," I said, jarring my skull with my own voice to ensure she heard me. There was an 'A' in her name somewhere. "It was fun and all, but I've gotta hit the road."

I watched as her lithe body began to stir, her sleek curves taunting me as she woke up, stretching her muscles. With a smile, she slowly got up and gathered her clothes, making sure to stroke my half hard cock on her way out of the room. Yeah, it was going to be a long day... without a doubt.

●●●●

Bryce smacked me in the back of the head when I arrived at their house, the force making my head spin and I nearly puked again. That seemed to be enough punishment for me as he smirked and led me through the house and into the entertainment room. The three Rivers sisters, Rory, Andi, and her twin Anika, were already there, busily arranging decorations. Andi was scolding Mason, the tech guy for the old Southside Crew, who was red with embarrassment while his girl and Andi's twin, Anika, doubled over with laughter.

"We're on balloon duty," Bryce informed me with a sigh, stopping at another small table. "And no, we don't get to use helium for these."

"Oh, man," I groaned, already knowing it would make my headache worse.

"That's my job," came a high pitched voice like a chipmunk, causing us to look up.

Kas, or Khaos as many people knew of him, slid down into a chair beside us with a balloon in one hand and a small air tank in the other. His dark hair was styled in a fohawk, the ends dyed pink, and chocolate colored eyes were bright with mischief. He gave Bryce a boyish grin, putting the balloon to his lips and taking a deep breath.

"What's wrong, Baby B?" Kas chirped, reaching out and running his long fingers playfully down Bryce's cheek. "Don't you think I'm sexy?"

I was amused as I watched my boss bat his lover's hand away in annoyance and scowled.

"Not right now, you're being an idiot," Bryce said with an unconvincing frown.

"Oh, so mean... I love it," Kas squeaked as Andi came up and wrapped her arms around him with a laugh.

"Behave boys," she scolded lightly. Her blue eyes turned to me with a smile. "Glad you could make it, Alex."

I grinned. "I wouldn't miss it, doll."

The next hour was filled with laughter and light conversations until the twins woke up. It was the closest to a normal day I had encountered in a long time, and it was strangely depressing. I watched my friend interact with Andi and Kas, the love obvious between the three of them, and there was no ignoring that I wished for something like that. Even a fraction of that would be better than nothing.

As other people arrived, the Underboss for the Family, Benjamin Crowe, Bullock, and Raz, the one I called a female assassin, I couldn't stop the nervous beat of my pulse or how I held my breath whenever the doorbell rang. Shayde, the third member of my tri-friendship with Bryce, showed up and was talking about racing at the local strip, but even that couldn't hold my full attention. Despite what I had told myself, I had secretly hoped today would be different, that maybe he wouldn't avoid being near me.

Once it seemed like everyone had arrived, I caught sight of Mason and Kas speaking in low voices just outside the room. Mason kept looking at his phone, both of them wearing worried expressions as Mason shook his head. My brows furrowed, wondering what had happened, but the sound of the doorbell ringing made my whole body freeze. The worried expression on Mason's face morphed to puzzlement as he looked at something, or someone, just outside the room.

"Can we get this started?" Rory asked over the commotion of the room. "Mad has climbed on the table twice now, guys!"

"Yeah... yeah, let's do this," Kas said, spinning on his heel and joining his family in the center of the room, Mason not far behind.

Seconds later, as the birthday finally got underway, another figure appeared, lingering in the doorway. His black hair wasn't short like it had been before, but falling into his eyes as if he hadn't bothered with it. Even across the room, I could see through his mask of indifference and nonchalance in the way he held his body. What I saw hidden beneath the surface, it made me nervous, because it was the opposite of everything he usually was.

Mr. Jay was rattled...