Mikala's Passion (Pulse Series Book 2) (22 page)

“One day at a time, Marcy, let’s not put the cart before the horse.” Mikala said, turning the key and smiling as the engine roared to life.

***

“What time are you guys heading out?” Mel asked, as she and Mikala sat at opposite ends of the living room sofa, with freshly brewed coffee.

Marcy and Mason were busy making breakfast together in the kitchen. The smell of maple bacon frying and pancakes browning made Mikala’s stomach rumble and they laughed at how loud it was.

“Mason said we need to leave about noon if we want to beat the traffic.”

“It’s been so great having you here this weekend, we’re going to have to do this more often.” Mel said.

“Weekends away are nearly impossible for me. Once the club, or I should say
Passion
opens again all my times going to be spent keeping it running.” Mikala hit her hand on the sofa cushion with a grin. “Maybe you could come spend some time with me when my new apartments finished, I have the most amazing claw foot tub, its hot pink.”

Mel looked at Mikala with a puckered brow, either she wasn’t impressed with the idea of a pink tub or something was on her mind. “I’m just going to say this. You two are being dick-wads!”

“Excuse me?” Mikala laughed, after nearly spitting her coffee across the room. Mel passed her a box of tissues from the side table to wipe her dripping chin and laughed.

“I wish you and Masy would stop being so fucking stubborn and admit you love each other. You and I both know Masy adores you, he’d kill for you, you know he would and I know you love him too. I’ve heard proof.” Mel’s one brow lifted as she giggled. “No one calls out my brother’s name in the throes of passion quite like you, Mik.”

Mikala’s eyes widened, she started cackling at the way Mel nodded her head knowingly. Embarrassed that she had been heard when Mason had done his best to muffle the sounds they made, she covered her face with both hands and squealed.

“Time to fess up, Mik. I want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

“So help me god, Mel.” Mikala pointed into her face. “If Mason finds out I told you,”

“Swear, not a word,” Mel said, crossing her fingers over her chest and leaning in to make sure she missed none of the details.

“You’ll be happy to know, we’re giving it another shot. We decided on the drive here.”

“Holy fuck! I knew it,” Mel screeched, practically jumping into Mikala’s lap. “It’s about fucking time too!”

“Shhh…”

“Breakfast is ready,” Mason said, popping his head around the doorway. He scowled when they went silent, glaring from one to the other and back. “What’s going on in here?”

Mikala made one of her innocent I’m-an-angel faces and Mel followed suit. “Girl talk,”

“Mmm…I don’t like that,” he hummed and left the room.

Mel and Mikala turned back to each other and roared with laughter.

‘Talk dirty to me’ started playing from Mason’s phone. Mikala looked at Mason and started laughing. “What the fuck?”

“I was playing with ringtones, haven’t quite figured it out yet.” Mason Laughed. “Grab that for me, it’ll be Chase.”

Mikala eyeballed Mason at his choice of ringtone for his best friend, he shrugged with a cheesy grin knowing exactly what she was thinking.

“Hey, Chase,” Mikala said. “He’s driving…we’re on our way back now, why what’s up? …I’ll put you on speaker, hang on.”

Mikala fiddled with buttons and set the phone on the seat between them.

“Go ahead Chase, what’s the word on the street?” Mason asked.

“Not good I’m afraid. Sorry to ruin your weekend kids, but I want you to come by so we can run over security footage.” Chase said. “Our little friend has been messing things up around here, I wasn’t sure at first, but now I’m sure he’s fucking with us.”

Mason and Mikala shared a quizzical look as their happy weekend quickly came to a disturbing end.

“Explain,” Mason said.

“First off, tools went missing last week. I didn’t think much of it at first, but then a load of drywall was smashed to bits and the missing tools showed up with the cords cut looking like someone took a sledgehammer to them.”

“When was this?” Mason asked.

“Saturday morning, I had a few of the guys come in for some overtime so we could stay on track with our opening date and that’s what they came into.”

Mason slammed his palms against the steering wheel making Mikala jump, she put a hand on his forearm and smiled. “We’ll see you soon Chase,” she said ending the call.

Mikala scooted over to the center of the seat resting her head on Mason’s shoulder. “Back to reality I’m afraid.”

Mason lifted his arm, placing his hand on the side of her face. “Yeah, sugar, back to reality.”

“All great things must come to an end sooner or later,” Mikala said, lowering his hand to rest in her lap, she wove her finger into his. “I had a really good time with your Mom and Mel.”

“Me too,” Mason tightened his grip and they drove the rest of the way in silence.

***

Pulse was quiet and brightly lit; noise from the kitchen was all they heard. The usual sounds of music playing and the din of voices as the club readied for a night of dancing and joviality were eerily missing. As Mason led Mikala to her office, walking cautiously ahead of her, Chase came from the kitchen with a clipboard in hand to greet them.

“New land speed record?” Chased joked, pulling Mikala into his chest for a hug.

He smelled of Basil with a hint of garlic and the acidic scent of tomatoes fresh from the vine. “You smell like an Italian restaurant,” she teased.

“We’ve been trying out the new pizza oven,” Chase happily announced.

“Pizza oven, holy shit I gotta see this,” Mikala said, running off through the kitchen doors.

Chase motioned to Mason and they strolled away from the open kitchen door before he spoke, “Weekend was good?” Chase asked.

“Better than good,” Mason smirked. “Things are definitely looking up.”

A vision of his hand covered over Mikala’s mouth as she cried out her orgasm and her nails tore into the flesh of his shoulder blades, forced Mason to smile. He could feel the healing scars sting under his shirt and flinched when Chase slapped his hand onto his shoulder.

“So onto the business at hand,” Chase said, as they continued across the room heading to the stairs. “I’m not sure how or when this guys getting in here, but we need to look at footage from Friday. And there’s something else.” Chase looked to see that they were alone before going on. “The doors aren’t opening tonight, the T&N order never came, seems
someone
cancelled it.”

“What order?” Mason asked, confused.

“T&N is the Liquor distributor, no booze, no business. It’s hard to run a dry dance club.”

Mason cringed, “Mik’s going to flip.”

“Why’s Mik going to flip?” Mikala said, climbing the stairs not far behind them.

“No T&N delivery, the order was cancelled,” Mason said, backing up the stairs since stopping as she got closer wasn’t an option.

“Who the fuck was the moron that did that!” she yelled. “Get Carl on it, better still, I’ll do it myself.”

Her feet pivoted on the top step and she raced back down the stairs spouting an obscure rainbow of obscenities in her path. Mason and Chase could practically see the paint peeling from the walls, with the vulgarity gushing from her mouth like vile acid.

“That woman has a mouth on her,” Chase declared, shaking his head.

“Fifty bucks says a truck full of booze arrives before midnight.”

“No way, not even Mik the merciless can make that happen. Bets on!” Chase put out his hand and Mason’s evil laugh had Chase scowling.

“Do not,” Chase warned, as he opened the doors to the private club and blocked Mason. “And I mean
do not
, let Mik in here until this gets cleaned, I’ll lock up again on the way out and make the excuse we can’t find the key.”

“Okaaaay…” Mason said, looking around, whistling as he turned a full circle. “Holy fuck!”

The newly dry walled walls looked like something from a seedy back ally. ‘Whore’ was sprayed in black spray paint over every surface including the ceiling leaving a foul taste in Mason’s mouth as his eyes took it all in.

“This is too fucking serious now, far beyond a hate crime. We better call Blackstock in,” Mason said, pulling his phone from his pocket.

“Already done, he came Saturday, took photos, searched the place, questioned the workers, said to call if anything else happens. Oh, and he wants a copy of all the footage.”

“Let’s see what the cameras picked up.”

Several hours later with most of Friday’s footage viewed, Mason sat shaking his head. “Son-of-a-bitch definitely has keys. Can you fucking believe I forgot to change the locks?”

“How’s he getting past the alarm code?” Chase asked.

“Haven’t set one up yet,” Mason said, raising his hand to stop Chase’s next question. “So many people have been coming and going, Mik’s staying with me so I didn’t bother. Besides I’d have to change it every day.”

Chase scowled. “Get one set, tonight!”

“Aye, aye captain,” Mason saluted, earning himself a manly punch to his bicep.

“This isn’t funny, asshole,” Chase chastized.

“You don’t think I fucking know that? This isn’t a game for me either, this is fucking terrifying. Mik’s in danger!”

Mikala touched her hand to Mason’s shoulder causing him to jump to his feet. “Take it easy! What’s got you so jumpy?” she asked.

“Caught me off guard, I was concentrating,” Mason said, quickly changing the subject. “Any news on the liquor front?”

“They’re sending what they can in a few hours. The remainder of the order will be here by lunch tomorrow.  I had to set up a password for future orders, remind me to tell Carl what it is,” she instructed Chase.

Mason held out a hand, waiting while Chase pulled a fifty from his wallet slapping it into his palm. “Nice doing business with you,” he sneered.

Mikala glared at the pair knowing it had to be another one of their childish bets, not the first and certainly not the last with this pair.

“Did you boys see anything?” Mikala nodded towards the six screens hanging on the wall in a room hidden behind her office. No one knew it was there except the three of them. A bookcase opened like a door concealing its existence.

“We think he has a key…no, we know he has a key,” Mason said, and Mikala let out a gasp. “Do you keep a spare around?”

“Behind the bar, hanging on the side of the till,” she said. “But I haven’t noticed if it’s there in I don’t how long.”

Chase checked it out and shook his head, “Not anymore.”

“I’ll get a call into my locksmith before we leave. We’ll set up a code for the alarm system too. What do you want it to be, at least eight letters?” he looked at Mikala.

“Bite my ass.” Mikala said, laughing at the affronted look on Mason’s face. “That’s what I want it to be. B.I.T.E.M.Y.A.S.S,” she spelled out each letter.

“You got it.” Mason happily input each letter and gave it a test. “The system likes it,” he chuckled. “Bite my ass it is.”

“Sit for a second,” Mason pushed out the chair next to him patting the seat. “Listen to me carefully and no flying off the handle, alright?”

“No flying, okay,” she assured, skeptically.

“When we leave here later, you’re not coming back,” Mason said, grabbing her wrist when her brows darted toward the ceiling and her mouth dropped open. “Hear me out! It’s not safe for you to be here anymore and until we catch this asshole, you’re not coming within a mile of this place.”

“And you’re not going to keep me away, this is my business, my livelihood, you are not going to dictate where I go and don’t go. I’m not scared of this creep.”

“No? Well you should be.”

“That’s what you think, no man is going stand in the way of what I want.”

“As brave as that sounds, sugar, I’m standing in your way.”

“Like fuck you are.”

He tightened his hold on her wrist and dragged her out of the room, past the dance floor and up the stairs. He stood fiddling with the lock and opened the door, shoving her into the room.

She stood gaping around and swallowed back a lump in her throat urging the feeling of vomiting out of her mind. She walked to the center of the room and wrapped her arms over her chest.

“Still not scared,” she said, turning to face Mason. “But I sure am pissed, look what that bastard did to the walls, do you have any idea how hard it is to cover up black?”

A smile slowly spread across Mason’s face. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind and kissed his lips to her ear, his hold tightened as he spoke, “I love this tough ass thing you have happening here,” he whispered, “but it won’t change my mind.”

Mikala struggled to get free but he held her tight as she fought him like a wildcat. “Mason, you can’t do this, you can’t keep me away.”

“I can and I will.”

***

With a defiant frown written across her beautiful face, Mason laughed watching as she plunked her ass onto her pink chair crossing her arms and legs like a punished school child. Just as he was about to explain the arrangement again, trying to get her to understand it was for her own good, the doors intercom rang and Mason ran to answer it.