Pride (Living In Sin #1)

Chapter 24

Alec

Pry is my boss. He's off limits.

Getting into relationships with workmates was bad enough. Bosses were even worse. This whole thing was going to see me back on the street before I could blink.

That said, my whole being would not allow me to do anything else. If I hadn't kissed Pry, I was sure I would have imploded. I was just about to go mad. It wasn't fair that the universe had made everything so hard for me. Even now the space between us was almost so much that it hurt.

Pry, for his part, watched me through hooded lashes. He swayed to the beat, a beat I'd barely noticed while we'd been dancing. He wanted me to join him again. I wanted to join him again; or at least little Alec wanted me to. Even with my traitorous body being a little bitch, I turned as quickly as I could, trying to get away.

Of course, that had me barreling into the crowded bar area and Envy's smirking face. Everything was out to get me tonight.

"Well, didn't you two look good." Envy looked good, too, his tank top showing off sculpted arms covered with tattoos. In the dim light it looked like they were moving. It was a little disconcerting.

"Thanks, I guess?" I didn't know how to answer that and I didn't feel like it was something I should discuss with Pry's brother. Envy was a loose cannon when it came to everything and I was never sure how he was going to react. Pry never seemed to have a good handle on it either. Was he jealous of them dancing together? Would it become a problem? "Could I get something non-alcoholic? I still need to do a few things before I head home."

Envy looked like I wasn't fooling him in the slightest. It didn't stop him from doing that awesome bartending stuff, though. It always boggled my mind how good at things Pry and his family were. And I'd only met Chef and Envy. They all hinted that there were more of them out there. And they all had apartments in the building beside the club. If I stayed here I was bound to meet the lot of them.

I didn't know how I felt about that either. Pry and Envy seemed to be enough drama. I wasn't even sure how to deal with Chef after the weirdness of tonight. The whole thing swirled around me in a whirl of confusion. Then there was the dance and kiss with Pry. I couldn't fight how much I wanted my boss.

The creamy drink Envy placed in front of me had the other man smirking. I didn't ask what it was. The guy knew drinks as well as Chef knew food. There was also the fact that if I stayed here any longer, I might have set him on fire. The way the whole family seemed to know everything was just frustrating.

Of course, even retreating into the office would not be something I could get away with.

"You're always in a hurry."

The kid from the alleyway rested on a mop this time. They were clothed mostly in grey and the long hair hid their face. Even though they were in the darkness, I couldn't quite figure out if it was a felony that they were here. Were they even old enough to be in a nightclub? Was I going to go to jail for allowing a minor to continue to be here?

"Who are you?" Apparently, none of that was an issue. Pry's kiss had scrambled my mind, and I didn't know how to deal with that.

The kid gave me a small smile from behind their hair. After everything else from the last few minutes it was both soothing and a little unhinged. I didn't know what to do with that.

"I'm Ace." When they talked each letter was drawn out, like it was being dragged through molasses. "The second youngest of Pry's little family."

I wanted to smash my head against the wall. Of course they were. Ace laughed at my reaction. "Don't worry, I'm supposed to be here. I take care of the messes."

They indicated to the mop, but I got the feeling cleaning wasn't the only mess they dealt with. Considering that some of Ace's family were Envy and Pry I didn't think their only clean up was around the club. Thankfully, I had more self preservation than that; after everything I'd gone through over the last few days, I did not want to lose this job now. I just nodded, forcing myself to take a sip of Envy's drink.

The drink was sweet and fruity and perfect. Envy was so good at his job that it pissed me off. I forced myself to not throw the drink on the floor. Instead, I took the chance to keep an eye on the younger sibling in front of me. They were shorter than Chef, Envy, and Pry, but it could be that Ace seemed to be completely slouched over. Ace seemed perpetually sleepy.

Then I remembered Ace's name on some invoices I'd shifted through. "You look after all the maintenance around the club and apartment block. I can't even imagine the amount of work you must do."

Ace shrugged, but I could see a blush across their cheeks even as they leaned against the mop handle. "It's not a lot. But what are you going to do? Aren't you going to go back to Pry?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I headed past Ace and into the office. I would not deal with any more of the Club Midnight family right now. Not until I figured out what I was going to do with all these thoughts.