Hoss’s Limits (House of Lustz #2)

Hoss Chapter 3

Last night at Lustz was quiet. I wondered if it would be the same tonight. Not that I was looking for trouble, but sometimes it would be nice to have a smidge so I wouldn’t get bored. With my crazy work schedule, between SacketEdge and Lustz, I got one day a week off—Sunday.

When I wanted more time off, I took it. It was a perk of being the boss, and I worked hard the rest of the time to make up for it. Most thought that my working at Lustz Thursday through Saturday meant I was in the office at SacketEdge Monday through Wednesday. They were wrong. I was there Monday through Thursday. When I got off work on Thursday, I changed my clothes, grabbed dinner, and headed to Lustz. Those nights, I didn’t start to work until eight o’clock. On Friday and Saturday, I was there by six o’clock. The club was open until three a.m. We could stay open longer, but serving alcohol had to be stopped at that time. However, alcohol consumption was prohibited if the patron wanted to do more than socialize on the first floor. We used a special marking system to track if someone consumed alcohol rather than a non-alcoholic drink. The earliest we opened was at five p.m.

In the off-hours, Mikhail, Reuben, and other staff worked on the books, ordering, cleaning, stocking, and many other things. It was never totally closed. If there was a need, during the day on Friday, I took meetings at SacketEdge, but only if I had to. I’d heard competitors grumbling about how I was never in the office a few times. They said they had no idea how anything got done. It must be because I found ways to steal other people’s work. It was sour grapes. They damn well knew how I got shit done. I worked far more than they did, and I had the best when it came to those I hired. They didn’t see the hours I worked from home while they were at parties, dinners, or during the work week on the golf course with their cronies. Golf bored me to tears. I’d rather jump out of a plane or something like that. Watching paint dry was more exciting to me than golf. Just the word made me gag.

I was on the verge of losing my patience, which was why I was anxious to have something or someone to focus on. And the reason was all Cady’s fault. It had been three days since I went to the clinic after hours and tried to get her to leave. Most people would assume her stubbornness about not leaving and her sassy talk to me were the cause of my impatience. They’d be wrong. Her brattiness didn’t make me feel that way. It stimulated me. It made me want to hear more and be able to calm it without breaking her of her sassiness.

As a brat handler, I didn’t want to make her into a meek, mild, and submissive Stepford wife. I’d be bored to tears in a day. I loved her fire. I needed that just as she needed to express it. I knew why she did it. She felt out of control and insecure. I needed to understand why so I could help her get some control and feel more secure.

I’d been tempted to ask Tajah if something traumatic in Cady’s past might’ve caused her to be so prickly and unwilling to rely on others, but I didn’t. The reason was that I wanted to discover all there was to know about her for myself. It was like Christmas. Most people tore off the wrapping in a flurry to get to the gift inside. I’d always been more of a guy who meticulously removed it. To me, it made the discovery of what was there better. More satisfying.

However, in her case, I was finding the desire to open the door and see how she responded sexually was gnawing at me. Tuesday night, when I told her I’d undo my pants so she could see what I was packing, her eyes and that look of awe and trepidation had almost made me beg her to get naked with me. I had images flashing in my head all night after I left. Pictures of me with a nude Cady spread out on her desk, submitting to me. I’d ended up jerking off twice that night and every night since.

I’d looked at my calendar earlier today and realized it had been twelve weeks since I first saw her. Waiting to have sex with a woman for three months was unheard of with me. Not to say I pressured them into it. Hell no, but usually for me, since I joined Lustz especially, it wasn’t hard to find women willing and eager to play. Sometimes, it was only play, but often, sex might be involved. I played with a few repeat brats, but I’d never had one long-term who was exclusive to me, nor was I exclusive with them. It wasn’t due to me not being willing. It was purely because none of them had interested me enough to contemplate that. Several had asked, and some pleaded with me, but I couldn’t.

I hadn’t gotten to play in-depth with Cady, but the small amount I’d seen made me crave more. My gut told me that she would be the one to change my mind about the long term. Cady was the woman I was positive I could play with for a lifetime. Never had a woman occupied my mind or made me ache for her the way she did. And if this were the result after four meetings, two of which lasted barely minutes, I’d be an idiot to walk away without doing my damndest to see if she could feel the same way about me.

“Earth to Hoss, earth to Hoss.” Mikhail’s voice penetrated my meandering mind. I blinked and focused on him. I’d gotten here early. The patrons hadn’t started to arrive yet, though it shouldn’t be long until they did. I straightened from where I’d been leaning against the side of the building.

“Hey, sorry about that. What’s up?”

“Are you okay? You were really out of it, and that’s not like you,” Mikhail said, his expression worried.

“I’m fine. No worries. It won’t happen again. Promise.”

“Talk to me, Hoss. Something is on your mind. I can see it. This is your friend Mikhail talking, not your boss. If you need time off or to talk, I’m here.”

Glancing around to ensure no patrons or other workers were nearby, I lowered my voice. “I don’t need time off. That’s not it. What I need is for there to be reasons for me to be near Cady. I don’t see her unless I’m here when she is, which hasn’t happened in two months. The two nights at the clinic were a fluke—or they better be. She doesn’t want anyone babysitting her. If I go straight to her and say I want to spend time with her and ask her out, she’ll say no. What the hell is a guy to do with that?”

He stared at me for a good minute without saying anything. I don’t know if he thought I’d back down or give him another reaction. I stared back at him steadily. Suddenly, a slow grin spread.

“Son of a bitch, I don’t believe it! You undoubtedly have it bad for her. You said you were intrigued by her, but it’s more than that. Let me ask you something. When she kicked you out Tuesday night and the past two evenings when she stayed over at work, did you do as she said and go home? Or did you park where she wouldn’t see you and keep watch until she left?” He smirked. If it had been anyone else, I would’ve lied.

“I stayed where she was unlikely to see me, but I could still see the clinic. The stubborn woman is staying just to be bullheaded. It’s like she wants those bastards to come back. How the hell did you know I did?”

“She is stubborn. That’s a fact. Ask Tajah and Carver, and they’ll tell you. As for how did I know? Well, see, I knew she’d run me off. Even after your Tuesday visit, Tajah was still worried, so I asked my cousin if I could have one of his guys, if he had any available, watch the clinic for a week or two. Luckily, he did, and his men can be discreet when they have to. His guy spotted you and recognized you. He was one of the ones who accompanied Matvey and Victoria to our house for dinner the night Cady stormed out. Matvey called to ask if you should be run off or not.”

I groaned. I was outed by a damn Bratva soldier. “A Bratva soldier spotted me. Great, should I expect to be snuffed out?”

“Nah, I told him you weren’t out to harm her. Matvey laughed when I told him she was driving you mad. I saw it the other night when we were at the clinic. I’m not going to lie. It’s going to be hard to tame her.” Mikhail warned me as if I didn’t recognize what a handful she was .

“I don’t want to tame her. I want to reduce her need to exhibit her stress and insecurity through her sassiness but remain a brat. I don’t want it to go away for good. I adore her just the way she is. It’s a rush when she spars with me and gives me her attitude.”

“Tajah can sometimes be a brat, and my primal brain is more turned on by it. But I don’t have the full tamer or handler mentality. Taj is perfect because she falls into my primal world effortlessly. It was as if she’d always been waiting for it, even though she had no idea she was. That’s when you know a woman is made for you.”

“Mikhail, you have no idea how I pray Cady is the same way, only leaning toward being my brat. If she does, I’ll make it so she never wants to leave. I may have to regulate her, but I want her to feel safe being herself. I can give her the world if she gives me that gift.”

I’d never spoken to anyone this way before. It was slightly weird to feel it, but if I was to do it, Mikhail was the one to tell. He would keep it confidential. The grin he gave me told me he might not tell anyone, but he would tease me about it.

“Go ahead, say it,” I told him.

“No, I won’t say a word, not yet. I want to see how this all plays out. I’ll wish you good luck, and if I can do anything, short of it being something that will piss off my woman, all you have to do is ask.”

“I will. Thanks. Well, I guess I should get back to work. Here comes our first patrons, and the boss doesn’t like us to sit around doing nothing,” I joked. Two men and a woman were coming across the parking lot. I recognized them. Mikhail punched me lightly in the arm .

“That’s right, and don’t forget it. No, seriously, if you want to talk, I’m here. And so is Reuben.”

“I know, and I thank you. I have a feeling I might end up taking you up on the offer, maybe more than once.” I stated ruefully. He grinned, let out a chuckle, then walked inside.

That trio was the start of the steady stream of patrons coming and going. The night remained just enough to occupy my mind, mostly. At three in the morning, I did a final check-in before leaving. I was startled to see that Mikhail was still downstairs. Since he found Tajah, he wasn’t in the club as much, and certainly not this late unless there was a need. He practically lived there in the past, even though he had staff more than capable of managing and monitoring the club. It was good to see him letting go some. I walked over to him. He was talking to Reuben.

When they saw me approaching, they gave me chin lifts. “Is this a private conversation, or can anyone be nosy?” I asked.

“No, it’s not private. We were talking shit about you,” Reuben said.

“Oh, so the same thing you do all the time,” I quipped.

“Yeah, now that you mention it,” Mikhail said.

“Where’s HR when you need them?” I asked as I pretended to scan the room.

“Pansy,” Reuben muttered under his breath.

I elbowed him, which shifted him to the right. “Boss, he’s touching me,” Reuben pretended to whine. Mikhail chuckled and rolled his eyes.

“I swear it’s like babysitting a bunch of kids. To answer your question, it’s not a private conversation. We were just downloading on how the night went. I assume nothing out of the ordinary happened outside since we didn’t hear from you. I had a couple of patrons approach me about sponsoring someone. I told them to get whoever wanted to join to fill out the application, and we’d follow our process. We’re always willing to take at least a look at anyone who applies, although having a current or former patron in good standing vouching for you helps,” Mikhail reminded us.

“True. I’m going to head home if there’s nothing else you need from me,” I told them.

“Go. We’re good. See you tomorrow night. Oh, before I forget. Tajah wants to have a small get-together at the apartment, and she wants you two to come. There will be fewer people than there were last time. She said she wasn’t sure exactly when, but it would be a Sunday. I know that’s your one day off, Hoss, but she would rather do it when we can all enjoy ourselves and not have to run off to work unless we do like we did last time and get others to cover your shifts,” Mikhail informed us.

I never minded spending time with friends, and I considered Mikhail and Reuben friends, and Tajah had also been added to that list. But there was one other I wanted to be there even more. “Am I to assume another specific guest will be included?” I asked Mikhail.

He smirked while Reuben gave me a questioning look. “Yes,” was all Mikhail said.

“Well, I was planning to say yes anyway, but this makes me even more eager. Regardless of which day you want to do it, I’ll be there,” I informed him.

“I wouldn’t miss it, but I want to know who Hoss is all happy will be there. Or should I guess? Could it be a petite firebrand?” Reuben asked, sort of smiling .

“And if it is?” I shot back. If he were about to say he was interested in Cady too, I’d have to do something terrible, like torture him until he saw the light and would run every time he saw her.

“Damn, if looks could kill, man, I’d be dead. You have nothing to worry about, Hoss. I’m not interested in Cady. She’s an attractive, desirable woman without a doubt, but her tongue and attitude would push my buttons if I had to put up with her all the time,” Reuben said. Knowing his primary and secondary kinks and how he liked his life, I could understand it.

“Good to hear. Yeah, she’d put you through hell if she were yours. However, for a man like me, that tongue and attitude are perfect,” I told him, smirking.

“More power to you, man. Alright, tell Taj to make it happen and just tell us when and what time. Oh, and if she needs us to bring anything,” Reuben stated.

“Excellent. I’ll let her know. I should have an answer for when next week. Good night, and drive safe,” Mikhail told both of us.

A quick goodbye and man hug, and we went our separate ways. As I drove back to my place, I wondered how Cady was doing and if Taj would have trouble getting her to attend. Something in my gut told me my brat would resist, but I had news. She’d come even if I had to bribe or kidnap her and bring her ass there. I wanted more time with her. This was the only way I could think of to get it.

I got my wish to see Cady, but not how I imagined I would. It was the following night at Lustz. I was at the door working. It was crazy busy, with people constantly coming and going. Despite the number of people, no one had misbehaved outside. As for inside, if they had, no one asked me to help. There was inside security, and they knew their jobs. However, occasionally, I was asked to assist, especially if it was an altercation with several people involved or someone extra out of control.

I was outside minding my business when a guy came to the door. He tried to walk right past me. “Hold it. I’m sorry, but I don’t know you. May I have your name? Are you a new patron? Or a guest?” I asked as I held my hand out to block him.

I was able to look up the names and photos of all patrons on a small tablet I had. If someone was bringing a guest or meeting them here, they were required to have Reuben or an associate approve the guest, and their name and photo had to be given to the staff. It was then added to our system. It ensured no one was sneaking in who shouldn’t be here. People tried it all the time. They were curious about what went on inside. Lookie-loos were not wanted.

“I’m a guest,” he said, trying to walk past me again. I put myself between him and the door. He scowled up at me.

“I need your name. And who is your sponsor?”

“Listen, I just need to get in to see my girl,” he said snappishly.

“And I can’t let anyone inside the club who isn’t a patron or guest. And if your girl invited you, no problem. All I need is to check for your name.” I reiterated. He didn’t appear to be mentally slow. He was trying to avoid answering, which meant he wasn’t on the list.

I could see the frustration growing on his face. Through what I thought were clenched teeth, he said, “My name is Flint Reid.”

I quickly opened the tab I kept pulled up at all times. It saved time by not having to reopen it repeatedly. Scanning the entries, which were in alphabetical order, I didn’t find a Flint Reid. I even went to the Rs to be sure someone hadn’t gotten the names reversed. Zilch.

“Sir, I’m sorry, but your name isn’t on the list. I can’t let you inside.”

“She must’ve forgotten to put me on it! She’s absent-minded like that. I’ll tell you what. Just let me pop inside, and I’ll find her and be back in five minutes. She can tell you.” He made his voice sound reasonable and tried to give me a friendly grin.

There was no way he’d find her in five minutes in there, and I wasn’t letting him search shit. I laid my tablet on my stool. “That’s not happening. I can see if the patron you say invited you is here and if she can come out to speak to you, but if you’re not on the list, then you’ve most likely not been cleared by management to be here. In that case, you can speak to her but not enter. That’s the best I can do.”

I had kept my voice calm and edged with friendliness. I hadn’t crossed my arms or done anything to appear menacing. However, his following words began to change that.

“My fucking girlfriend is in there, and I want her now! And don’t lie and say she’s not because I saw her car. She and I need to talk. She has no business being in a place like this!” he shouted.

Unfortunately, from time to time, we did get upset significant others who found out their partner was enjoying the play at Lustz and not including them. The non-patron was often excluded due to unwillingness to explore with the patron, and the member needed his or her needs met. Most of the time, sex wasn’t even involved, just consensual play. So, having a boyfriend going off wasn’t new, and I barely felt any of my cool evaporating.

“Mr. Reid, I’m sorry if your girlfriend is in there and you weren’t invited, but it doesn’t matter. You aren’t entering. If you tell me her name, I’ll have someone see if they can find her and ask her to come out to speak to you,” I offered a second time.

There was no way he’d be able physically to take me on and get past me. The guy was maybe five feet nine inches at the most and alright in the build department, but stacked against my six-foot-seven-inch bulky frame, he was a pipsqueak. I crossed my arms.

“Then fucking call her! Her name is Cady Anderson. I know she’s in there. I want her out here now!” he shouted.

The dude was unraveling, but what made me lose my shit was him saying he was Cady’s boyfriend. According to what I knew, she wasn’t seeing anyone. When did it change? What did she see in this fucker? More questions crowded into my brain, but I let them go. I had one thing to do—send this guy on his way.

“Sir, I know Cady, but she’s not here.”

“Like hell, she’s not! I saw her come here. She’s in there. Either you let me see her, or I’m calling the cops and telling them you’re holding a woman against her will.”

We tried to avoid contact with the police. Most had preconceived ideas about Lustz and the people here. Knowing Mikhail would be unhappy if the cops were on our doorstep, I took out my phone. There was one way to handle this. I’d call Tajah to see if Cady was here. There was a slight chance she’d come in before I got to work at six. If not, Taj could at least tell me when Cady had started seeing this joker. My gut churned with bile at the thought she was no longer unattached. Not that it would deter me from making a move. It just complicated things if she had feelings for him, although I couldn’t see how it was possible. Nothing about him seemed to be Cady’s kind of man.

Finding Taj’s number, I pushed the button. It rang three times before Tajah answered. She sounded a tad hesitant as she did. “Hi, Hoss, uhm, is everything okay? Aren’t you working at the front door? Do you need Mikhail? If so, he’s downstairs.”

“Honey, I’m sorry to bother you. I wasn’t calling for Mikhail. It’s you I need. I have a couple of questions. We have a person at the door demanding to be let in to see Cady. Is she there with you?” I paused to give her time to answer.

“She’s not here, Hoss. Who in the world would be at the door insisting on seeing her?” I heard her puzzlement.

“He claims that he saw her car come here and that she’s his girlfriend.”

“His girlfriend! Cady isn’t dating anyone. What’s his name?” she asked suspiciously.

“He said his name is Flint Reid.”

“Flint Reid! You tell that no-good son of a bitch to stay away from Cady. She’s through with him, and no matter how many times he tries to convince her to get back together with him, it isn’t happening. If he persists in refusing to leave, kick his ass and make him. In fact, on second thought, make sure he stays right there. I have a few things to say to that bastard. Be right there.”

Before I was able to say anything, she hung up. I had no idea if she was coming alone or grabbing Mikhail. It might take a while for them to get here, so I lied as I put my phone away. I didn’t feel an ounce of remorse for it.

“She’s on her way. She said to stay here. It’s crowded inside, and the place is big. It might take a few minutes, but she’ll be here,” I informed him.

“Good. I’m not having her do this shit. Why would she come to a place like this? It doesn’t make any sense. She can’t get anything here that I can’t give her. Who were you talking to? It sounded like they were with her.” He squinted his eyes at me.

“Just someone who would know if she was here or not.”

As we waited, he paced. I studied him. It was a relief that Cady wasn’t dating him. However, knowing she had, I wondered what the attraction was. How long had they been broken up? I’d known her for three months and never heard mention of a man. Had he been trying to get her back this whole time? Why did they break up in the first place? I was slowly driving myself a little crazy, wondering so many things. Luckily, we weren’t alone for long.

A patron I knew well approached the door. I greeted him and opened the door as he went to enter, ensuring Flint couldn’t slip inside. As the door closed, he questioned me.

“Why didn’t you make him stop and check his name? ”

“Because I know him. He’s allowed in the club.”

“So you stand here all night opening doors and checking people’s names. God, how boring. But I guess for a big guy like you, there aren’t a whole lot of jobs you can get other than bouncer duty,” he said snidely.

I fought not to grin. He had no clue. To him, I was a big dumb muscle head. A lot of people made that mistake. In business, when people made the same presumption, it always came back to bite them in the ass. I didn’t bother to correct this idiot’s assumption.

Six minutes and fifteen seconds later, yes, I timed it, the door opened and out walked Tajah. Mikhail was with her. No surprise. She wore a ferocious scowl on her usually smiling face. Her eyes landed on Reid immediately, and they narrowed even more. I swore for a moment that I heard her growl. Mikhail was close but not saying anything. Tajah stamped closer to the unwanted guest.

“What the hell are you doing here, Flint?”

“Tajah, I’m here because Cady is. I need to talk to her. Why did she send you out? And what’s with bringing another bouncer? Are you that afraid to face me?” He smirked.

Mikhail stiffened. Before he said a word, Tajah was on the attack.

“The day I’m scared of a piece of shit like you will be the day I stop writing. I came to tell you to your stupid face that Cady isn’t here, But if she was, there’s no way she’d talk to you. And she, for damn sure, has no interest in dating you. Why don’t you give up? Find a woman who likes your bullshit. Cady doesn’t. It’s time for you to move on. She has.”

“What does that mean? Is she seeing someone? Who?” His smugness evaporated, and his agitation climbed.

“As if I’d tell you that. Have some self-respect and leave. She’s not going to be yours. You had your chance, and you blew it. No second chances. You know she doesn’t do those.”

In his distress over Cady, he took a couple of steps toward Tajah. Immediately, before I could do it, Mikhail placed himself between them. His scowl was dark and filled with wrathful promise.

“You take one more step toward her, and I’ll break your fucking legs. Stay the hell back. She told you Cady isn’t here, and even if she were, she wouldn’t want to see or talk to you. Leave right now.”

“I’m not taking orders from a goddamn bouncer or whatever you two are supposed to be,” Reid snapped.

“Well, it’s lucky then we’re more than that. I’m Mikhail Ivanova. I own the House of Lustz, and you’re trespassing. Leave. Don’t come back. You’re never welcome.”

“What the hell does this have to do with you?”

“Tajah is my fiancée. Cady is her best friend—end of story. And the big guy here, who I must say is showing tremendous restraint by not ripping your head and all four limbs off your body, is Hoss. I’d worry more about him if I were you.” Mikhail smirked.

“And why is that? Just because he’s the size of a small building?” Reid sneered. I had to give it to him. He didn’t back off even when obviously unequipped to handle someone.

“No, because he’s Cady’s new man,” Mikhail lied.

His self-satisfied grin made me want to roll my eyes, but I didn’t. I let the lie go and then rolled with it myself. I crowded Reid. The glare I gave him should’ve scorched the fucker. He finally took a few hasty steps back. He was showing unease.

“Let me add to what has been said. Cady is mine. I take care of what’s mine. If I find out you’re trying to see her again, call her, leave a message, hell, even think about it, I’ll find you. And when I do, before I tear off all your appendages, I’ll make you hurt in the worst way. She’s in the past. Keep it that way,” I growled out as menacingly as I could.

At last, he was getting the hint. His face paled, and sweat had broken out on his brow. He swallowed noticeably. His mouth was opening. I waited to hear what he’d say next, but we were interrupted in a way I wasn’t expecting.