Cross (Dark Kingdom, #4) — Chapter no 6

CHAPTER SIX

CROSS

CLICK I flip my Zippo open as Titan glares at me from across the conference table.

We always start our day off with a meeting, even if we don’t have anything to go over. We shoot the shit for a couple of minutes, then go on with our day, but I know what Bones will want to talk about today. He currently sits at the head of the table, staring down at his watch.

“Sorry I’m late.” Grave comes rushing in the double doors with a water in one hand and a KitKat in the other.

Bones sighs but sits up straighter, ready to get down to business. “Were you guys able to find out anything last night at the Airport?”

“No,” I answer. “But we spoke to Turner, and he’s got his eyes and ears open. If he sees or hears anything, he’ll let us know.”

“You believe that?” Bones asks.

Grave nods. “Yeah,” he says through a bite of his KitKat—breakfast of champions. “He has no reason to lie to us.”

“Except for the fact that he’s a Mason,” Bones argues.

Grave rolls his eyes but doesn’t comment. Instead, he continues to shove chocolate into his mouth like he hasn’t eaten in days.

“Well, then I guess that’s all we can hope for.” Bones slams his palms down on the table and stands, exiting. Obviously pissed off. That’s pretty much how Bones is most of the time.

“I rushed into work for that?” Grave snorts. “I could have slept in another hour.”

“Welcome to being a responsible adult,” Titan says, slapping Grave on the shoulder and getting up before leaving.

I close my Zippo and put it in my pocket before I stand. I would usually ask him if he wanted to go to Glass—the strip club to blow off some steam,

get fucked up, and fuck strippers—but Grave doesn’t do that now, and for once, I’m not in the mood to go.

I wasn’t surprised to see Derek at Lucky’s last night. I knew who he was the moment I saw him. I’ve done my homework on Alexa. Father left when they were younger. Mother’s dead. Derek is all she has. And he hates me, as he should. I’m not good for her, but it doesn’t mean I’ll stop seeing her.

“How did things go last night with Ethan?” I ask Grave, trying to get her off my mind for now. I know that’s where he had Nite take him. He wanted to keep me out of it for a reason. Maybe so Bones won’t find out. We all know Nite doesn’t talk, but he knows all of our secrets.

He shrugs. “Same ole shit, just a different day.”

I’m not sure what that means exactly, but I don’t dig. If Grave has a problem that needs to be fixed, he’ll come to me.

I make my way down to the casino floor and over to my tattoo shop. I opened up Tit for Tat about two years ago, and it’s my baby, other than Kingdom. The guys and I share the hotel and casino, but we each have something that is just ours.

Titan has the Queens. They are our ladies of the night. Our very discreet escort service we supply for the elites around the world. Men fly in from all

over to be with one of our girls.

Grave has the nightclub—Crown.

I have the tattoo shop.

And Bones … well, he buries himself in Kingdom. His other businesses are outside of these walls.

I push open the glass door for Tit for Tat and see the brunette’s head snap up from behind the front desk.

“Cross …” She rushes out from behind it. “About last night …”

“Don’t care,” I tell her, walking through the lobby and to the hallway.

I’ve been fucking my assistant ever since I hired her. Not my best idea, but we were both very open about it not being serious. She needed this job because she slept with her fiancé’s brother, and he called off the wedding.

So, it wasn’t like I expected her to belong to me. I know men get shit for this, but not all girls are for you. Some are just to use. And women see men the same way.

“It’s not what it seemed.” She goes on, trying to explain herself.

“I don’t care,” I say honestly. Why she thinks I care who she fucks is

beyond me.

“Cross …”

I come to a stop and spin around, her body running into mine. I reach out and place my hands on her shoulders. “It’s fine, Rachel. You are free to fuck whoever you want.” I’m not going to tell Alexa what I saw at the Airport. I highly doubt she’d care what Mitch is up to. She has definitely moved on from him no matter what their past is. They weren’t married—I checked— and they don’t have kids together. So she is free of his ass.

“But …”

“Now, I have an appointment in twenty minutes, and I need to get set up.” I push off her and turn, giving her my back and entering one of my many rooms, ready to start my day with a gorgeous bleach blonde with green eyes still heavy on my mind.

ALEXA

I SIT IN my car outside of Kingdom, my fingers hovering over the text that I got from Cross earlier today.

Cross: Good morning, gorgeous. See you tonight?

Gorgeous? Why do I smile like an idiot every time I read that? I’m not the type of woman who cares about pet names. Or so I wasn’t. And the see you tonight part? I’m glad he’s keeping it sexual and not trying to take me to dinner. I can buy myself dinner.

Placing my cell in my purse, I exit my car just as a guy walks up to me dressed in a three-piece black suit.

“Good afternoon, miss. Are you checking into the hotel?”

“No. Just here to try my luck,” I say, handing over my keys. Half true.

I’m not here to gamble, but I’m not sure how well Cross will take to me just dropping by to say hi. Casual sex and clingy woman can look the same to a man.

I make my way up the stairs and step into the casino. Machine’s ding, and people are hollering at the tables. I’ve never been much of a gambler and haven’t stepped foot in a casino as much as I have in this week at Kingdom.

I’m not sure where to find him exactly. I know that tower one is for the Kings only and where their suite is, but it’s midday. I know he’s not in bed.

I pull my cell out of my purse and call Jasmine.

“Hello?” she answers, sounding half asleep.

“Quick question. If I was at Kingdom looking for Cross, where would he be?” It’s a long shot, but the best one I’ve gotten at the moment.

“Tit for Tat,” she answers through a yawn.

“And what is that exactly?”

“It’s his tattoo shop. If he’s not there, then he’s on the thirteenth floor of tower one. That’s where their offices are.”

“Okay. Thank you. Go back to bed now.” I laugh.

“No. No. I need to get my ass up. In fact, I need some food. You’re at Kingdom now?” she inquires.

“Yeah,” I say, looking around to see where the hell Tit for Tat is.

“Lunch at Empire? Give me an hour?” I hear her shower come on.

“Yep. Meet you at the restaurant.” I hang up and see that I had a new text message come through while I was on it.

CUNT: Please call me. I need to talk to you.

Ignore.

A cocktail waitress dressed in a black halter top with black booty shorts walks by, carrying a tray of drinks. I step out and stop her. “Excuse me?

Where’s Tit for Tat?”

“Walk past the poker tables and take a right. You can’t miss it,” she says, nodding toward the tables to my left.

I thank her and adjust my purse on my shoulder. My heels dig into the soft black carpet covered in what looks like gold confetti. This place is a dream—literally. People come here hoping to win big and return home a completely different person—a wealthy one.

I pay attention to the gold chandeliers hanging from the ceiling to avoid the fact that I woke up this morning and shaved my entire body after reading his text. Even though he’s already seen it, I wanted it to be as smooth as possible and smell amazing. I even did a conditioning treatment.

Like hello? What the fuck am I doing? This is not how a woman acts over a fuck boy. But then I remind myself nothing is wrong with self-care, and my mind was back on track. Hygiene is important.

Passing the end of the poker tables, I turn right and see the red neon sign that reads Tit for Tat above the black tinted windows.

Bingo!

Reaching up, I fix my hair to frame my face and take in a deep breath, smoothing my shirt down. Then I walk over to the door. Opening it up, I have a smile on my face, but it drops off the moment I step inside and see

the woman standing behind the desk.

“Alexa!” She swallows nervously.

What in the actual fuck? Rachel Myers stands before me in the flesh. The same girl I caught Mitch cheating on me with. She works for Cross? I knew this was too good to be true. Can’t a girl just find a good fuck without any drama?

She has a spike between her eyes and a hoop hanging from her nose. Her jet-black hair is up in a high ponytail, and she’s got several tattoos all over. I always wondered what he saw in her. I mean, I’m not saying she’s not pretty, but I’m just curious how he could want both me and her? We’re so different. “Uh …” She averts her eyes to the notebook in front of her. “Do you have an appointment?” she asks, flipping through the pages quickly.

“No. I’m here to see …”

“Alexa,” Cross says, coming from around the corner with a smile on his face. “What are you doing here?”

My eyes drop to his black combat boots. They run up his ripped jeans and black Kingdom T-shirt. He’s got the sleeves rolled up, showing off his tatted forearms.

“She doesn’t have an appointment,” Rachel growls, still looking for my name in the book.

“I thought that text this morning was an invitation,” I answer his previous question, ignoring hers. I said all I needed to say to her when I found her naked in my bed with Mitch.

Reaching up, he rubs his stubble and smiles at me. “It was.” Taking my hand, he pulls me down the hallway, both of us ignoring the bitch at the front desk.

I’ve got so many questions right now, but I shove them down for two reasons. One, they’re none of my business. And two, like Haven once said, I’m probably better off not knowing.

He opens a door at the end of the hall and pulls me inside. It only takes a second for us to get undressed before he’s fucking me on a tattoo chair.

_______________

HE’S ZIPPING UP his jeans while I lie here, cum dripping out of my cunt with my legs wide open, my skirt pulled up to my waist. I knew I wore this outfit for a reason. This is the kind of stuff you don’t learn about sex. When your body is spent and you’re so high from your orgasm—if you’re lucky—that you just don’t give a fuck what you look like.

Reaching over, he hands me a few tissues to clean myself. Once done, I sit up and drape my legs over the side of the chair.

“If a text gets me this kind of treatment, what will a morning phone call get me?” he asks, coming to stand between my legs. He places his hands on my bare thighs, and I know he can feel them still shake. “I could get used to this.” He leans forward, nuzzling my neck and kissing my skin.

I throw my head back and take in a deep breath. “Keep doing that.” My hands run up and down his back. “And you can have it every day.”

A knock on the door has him pulling away, but he stays between my legs, covering my exposed pussy in case whoever it is decides to barge in.

“What?” he demands, making me jump.

“Your next appointment is here,” Rachel growls.

“I’ll go. I’ve taken up enough of your time,” I say, pushing him away. He takes a few steps back to allow me to get off the chair. I pick up my thong off the floor and then yank down my skirt.

“Dinner tonight?” he asks, pushing my matted hair from my face.

“That sounds like a date.” I arch a brow.

“If you consider me eating your pussy while lying naked in my bed, then yes, it’s a date,” he says, running his tongue across his pretty teeth. God, the guy has a billion-dollar smile. My pussy tightens just thinking about that.

“It’s a date,” I say, gently kissing his lips, then walking out of the room.

As I pass by the front desk, I see Rachel standing there out of the corner of my eye. My skin burns from her glare. “You can write me down for an appointment every day,” I throw over my shoulder on my way out.

I make my way up to Empire and see Jasmine already seated. I sit down, and she smiles at me. “You just got fucked, lucky bitch.”

I run a hand through my hair to make sure there are no knots. “Maybe.

You?” I ask, looking over her perfectly fixed hair and makeup.

She rolls her eyes. “I need twenty chicken nuggets and a Bible.”

“Why?” I wonder through a laugh at that combination. “Need to bless some chickens?”

“No. I’m starving and need to repent,” she answers, scanning the menu in her hands.

“I didn’t take you to be a religious person.” I chuckle.

“Well, when I’m on my knees, I’m not praying. If that’s what you mean.”

The woman sitting in the booth to our left raises her brows, listening to our conversation. “Just what did you do?” I ask.

“What haven’t I done is more appropriate,” she mumbles, closing the menu and placing it on the table. “Anyway, enough about me. You’re

obviously still seeing Cross.”

I nod. “Seems so.”

Jasmine snorts at my vague response. “Well, when a King decides he wants something, there’s no escape.”

I go to ask what she means by that, but my cell beeps. I pull it out of my

purse to see it’s another text.

CUNT: Alexa?! Call me ASAP!

I lock my cell and toss it onto the table. Placing my elbows on the edge, I run my hands through my hair in frustration. “I think I need to change my

number.”

“Fuckface still won’t leave you alone?”

“Nope.” I sit up straighter. “It wasn’t this bad until he saw us with Cross

at the Airport.”

“You know what we should do?”

I tilt my head to the side. “No. What?” You never really know what will come out of her mouth, so I have no clue what she’s thinking about.

“We should design an app called Rate the Dick. Where we upload past sexual encounters and others can leave reviews so women can know what

kind of guy they are.”

I laugh and nod. “That’s a great idea.”

“For instance, I got a text from a guy last night that I haven’t fucked in over a year. He sent me a picture of his dick.” She rolls her eyes. “It was

just the picture, then he immediately sent another message saying sorry,

wrong bitch.”

“Did you respond?” I wonder.

“Of course. I said still disappointing women, I see.”

I chuckle, taking a drink of the water that she already had waiting for me.

“He then called me a slut.” She shrugs. “Like that was an insult. Please, he was so small I felt like I was scissoring a woman.”

I spit that water out all over the table, covering my phone, and the

woman next to us chokes on her eggs.

“Like I’d miss that.” Jasmine snorts.

I sit back in my seat, cleaning off my cell with my napkin. “I feel the same way about Mitch. I’m not Jesus, nor do I have Alzheimer’s. I don’t forgive, and I don’t forget.” All of a sudden, he just expects me to come crawling back to him. It’s not going to happen.

“Men. I wish we could kill them after we’re done with them,” she says with a sigh. “At least that would give us something to look forward to.”

“Amen, sister,” I agree.

“Anyway, I know the bar keeps you busy. How is the studio doing?”

“I sold it.”

“What when?” she asks surprised.

“Last month.” I shrug, no biggie. “The people who own the coffee shop beside me wanted to expand and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.” My mom had bought a small studio back when she was in college. It was a run- down hole-in-the-wall that her friend’s dad was selling. He sold T-shirts out of it. She bought it and turned it into a dance studio. She left it to my brother and me when she passed. Derek wanted nothing to do with it, and I was tired of having to keep up with it. I’d much rather have that money to put into Lucky’s someday.