Darkness

9. Cain

Nine

Cain

Looking through the week’s paperwork to make sure all the rooms have the right amount of staff or not overbooked anywhere. I have someone doing all this, but with how busy this place gets now, even they get confused. So I like to look through it all myself to make sure there isn’t anything going wrong.

The sixth floor seems to be a lot busier this week than normal, a lot of them are male parties which makes me up the security for the staff. One too many drinks and they get a little over the top.

The sixth floor is V.I.P but I still have to make sure my staff are safe. I won’t let anyone fuck up my business by harming my staff.

I hear the door open, and I glance up and am surprised at who’s walking through the door. I have not seen him since I helped find his girl. Throwing my pen in the notebook, I lean back on the chair.

“How can I help you tonight?” I ask Travis, who’s come by himself. Which is another thing that surprises me. The three of them never go anywhere without the others close by.

“Just wanted to come see you.” Travis sits on the chair on the other side of the desk.

“What help do you need now?” They only come to me when they need help with finding something.

Other than that I’m nothing to them. I tried to build something with Logan and he’s throwing that in my face, and Travis, well if his sister was still here, he would have been my brother-in-law. But the universe had other plans for her and left me alone.

“Don’t need anything from you Cain, I only wanted to catch up. I thought maybe you’d want to show me the business. Remember, I made a promise I would look after this place if you ever needed me to.” I have to laugh a little to myself with his words.

I asked Logan. I wanted Logan to be part of this business. Being my half brother, I thought I would help him build a future. So when Travis wanted help to find his girl, all I asked was Logan to look after this place if I ever went to The Pit, and at the time he said yes.

But I know the only reason he said yes was so I would help. He didn’t mean it. He sees Blake and Travis more as brothers than he will ever see me as part of his family.

The only reason Travis agreed was because of the letter Tessa left him, telling him everything about me and her. Told him what we had. Now he thinks he owes it to his sister to be there for me.

“We both know you and your brothers-” I make sure he hears the word brothers when I say it, because that’s what they are. “-want nothing to do with me, or my business. I’m the person you have around when you need something.”

“Cain, I know it might seem like that from Logan. But-”

“Travis, if you didn’t know about me and your sister, would you be here? Or would you be with Logan because Blake isn’t here?” I ask the question straight out. I’m not one to go around corners and watch people’s feelings, so why would I do it with him?

He looks around the office, and I can see it on his face. He’s trying to work out what answer to give me, so I make it easy for him.

“Travis, your sister isn’t here, so you owe me nothing.”

“Have you opened her letters?” He asks, and the pit of my stomach tightens up. The day he gave them to me, they’ve been locked in the safe in my apartment. I don’t want to hear the reason she did what she did. Two fucking months is all she had to give me.

And didn’t.

“How is the workshop?” Changing the subject, anything is better than talking about the only woman who loved me with all the demons, nightmares, and scars. But yet like all the women, us Crawfords fall for, she didn’t have faith I could do what I promised. But I did it. Now I’m the boss of the hell they call The Pit.

“We hope to have it all done by the summer. You could come over to check it out.” Travis turns to the door when it opens and Lincoln walks in, and Travis turns to face me again.

“I know Logan isn’t open to having anything with you, but I am. Yes, a part of it is for Tess, but you’re not as bad as I thought you were.” Travis stands up and just stands there for a moment before giving me a smile. “Open the letters, Cain.” With that said, he leaves the office and I shake my head, turning my attention to Lincoln.

“A delivery is coming in which you need to sign for.” I watch Lincoln, but he breaks eye contact with me. I can’t even remember the last time I’ve signed for anything. He does it all, or the bar manager does.

“And why can’t you do it?” I ask him, looking at the screens to see the footage from the back of the building seeing the truck pull up.

“I have something on the sixth floor, and the bar is busy.” Lincoln walks out of the office before I get the chance to say anything else to him.

Annoyed, I grab my jacket from the back of the chair and make my way down to the truck. The music is loud; the place is full of people, not just the bottom floor, even the floor fifth is booked out for months. Now that’s what I like to see, a business going the way I wanted it too.

“Mr. Cain, there are a few items missing. They will be here in the morning. Something about shipping.” The big guy hands me the clipboard, for me to look at the things that are missing, a few drinks, nothing I’ll miss.

I sign the paperwork and hand him the clipboard back, and he gives me a nod. I take the moment to look up at the night sky. It’s getting late but the warm weather is still in the air.

Turning to get back inside, I stop in my tracks when I’m met by the beautiful blue eyes fixed on me.

“Mr. Cain, so nice to see you again.” Autumn takes a step closer to me. “You seem busy tonight. The club is always busy. Are you going to tell me what is on the sixth floor?” she asks again, and I shake my head slightly.

The only way she will see the sixth floor is if I’m with her, fuck I wonder what her body would look like spinning around on a pole.

“I might have to put my name on the waiting list just so I can see it.” She continues to talk about the club, and I take in the moment to look over her body, not caring if she sees me doing it either, because from the moment I saw her she’s all I can think about, and not all of it is in a good way either.

She’s wearing a summer purple floral dress showing off her very sexy legs, legs which I’m sure would look sexy wrapped around my waist. Her waist is so tiny, I’m sure my arm would wrap around it nicely. Her eyes are beautiful, and I could look into them all day to feel some peace from them. Looking at them while I give her more pleasure than she’s ever had before. Now, I hate knowing that she’s been with other men, and how they touched her.

“Do you spend all your time here, Mr. Cain?” I’m pulled away from my thoughts when I hear her calling my name. “I mean, whenever I’ve seen you it’s been here, and once at the rink. Do you know Logan? Is he your brother?” Fucking hell this woman can talk, and I have no idea what takes over me, I close the gap between us, and before she can say anything to me my hand is on the side of her neck and my lips smash into her mid-sentence. I wait for her to push me away or something, but nothing. I feel her hands on my chest and I press harder against her lips, sliding my tongue along her lips, waiting for her to open for me. Fuck, she tastes like I thought she would. Sweet. The floral, sweet scent from the flower shop hits me as Autumn presses her body against mine, but I quickly pull away from her, and I hear a moan of disappointment from her.

What did I do?

Fuck.

I shouldn’t be kissing anyone, never mind out in the fucking open like this. I go to say something but stop when I hear someone calling Autumn’s name.

“Here.” Autumn shouts, and I look over at the woman walking over. “I’ve placed the order. I just have to pick it up,” she tells the woman, then turns to me and smiles.

“This is Mr. Cain, this is Katy.” She introduces us and I glance over at Katy, who has a smile so big I don’t think I’ve seen before.

“Seriously, you're way hotter than she was telling me.”

“Katy-”

“Oh, come on Autumn-Rose, have you seen the man?” Katy looks me up and down, giving me the chance to look over at Autumn again.

The only thing I can think about is kissing her again. Is she a woman I should be fucking with? She’s too innocent, too pure to have someone like me in her life.

“He is all-” Katy waves her hand in front of me. “-no words. You, Mr. Cain, is what other men should be jealous of.” Katy stops when Lincoln calls me, and her eyes move to him. “Hello, Mr. Upgrade, I’m Katy.”

“Hello.” Lincoln moves closer to me. “A problem in The Pit.” Nothing else needs to be said. I know this is going to be a fucking headache on top of the one I already have.

Probably two bastards fighting over something stupid, but it’s something I have to sort out.

Without saying anything, I walk back into the club, and I hear Lincoln saying bye to them both.

I fucking kissed her.

How the hell did that happen? Why did it happen? It’s the fucking pull I keep getting around her, a pull to be closer to her. And the only thing I want to do is sit on my couch and watch her from the window. Yet there is so much more I want to do to her.

But I can’t. She will run a mile when she sees what I really hide under these clothes, because there is nothing good or pretty like her friend said. It’s all dark and ugly.

Fuck.