Motown Takedown (Motown Down Book 3) (19 page)

I did not like being pulled from our bed because of business. Ares, the smart bastard watched me climb out and not only took my spot but snuggled in deeper. Demo had some shit he needed to run by me before approaching Cinn, so I reluctantly took the call in my office.

“Start talking,
”
I advise him.

“Let’s not pretend power isn’t something you get off on, we both know you do. The woman sleeping in your bed is the key to securing it, so we need to figure out how to keep you alive while it happens. Tomorrow after I’ve slept off some choice blow, I’m coming over to drop the bomb that she’s needed here. Whether you like it or not, to keep enjoying the woman in your bed she needs to take over.”

“I agree, so if I were you, I’d make sure the idea to come back is hers.”

“No way it’sthat easy,
”
he laughs. “No fucking way.”

“Then drop the bomb by making it an order and see what happens.”

“You’ll back me?”

“If I like what I’m hearing, I’ll back you.”

“You don’t even wanna know who wants you dead?”

“Is it a long list?”

“Fairly.”

“Then tell me tomorrow, I’ve got a woman in my bed I don’t like being away from.”

“Lost too many years already, I feel you.”

“Demo, you’re blown out and right now. You ain’t feeling a God damn thing.”

“To be fair,
”
he laughs. “Cinn scores really good coke.”

At this, I hung up the phone.

Showing Cinn her seat, she ignored, it preferring my lap.

Guaranteed she figured out I preferred it too when she sat on my hard on. Giving nothing away, she loops an arm around my neck and pets Ares with the other. As far as anyone watching was concerned, Cinn was right at home. Ransom gave Ares a wide berth and stayed behind us, out of his sight. I had six additional men in the next room, with another ten scouting the exterior. If Demo came here under false pretenses, he’d be carried out in a garbage bag. Actually, fuck that, I’d feed him to the mutt. Who oddly enough, doesn’t seem all that interested.

“Cinn,
”
he says smiling. “Lovely as ever.”

“I know,
”
she smiles back, and I almost laughed.

“Just business then?
”
he laughs taking her in stride. Then again, he’s known her for a while, so he gets it.

“If you please,
”
she nods. “I have a swimming lesson.”

“A swimming lesson? Monarch is a good teacher; I take it?”

“The best,
”
she says squeezing me.

“I’m here because I need you back,
”
he says raising a hand when she bristles. “Before you shoot me, hear me out. You had a system, a solid one. I only agreed to step up, so the men left behind had some form of leadership. Problem is, the fuckers don’t want to listen to me because I ain’t you. This is not how I saw my life going. Seriously, there’s a reason I didn’t have kids.
”
Taking a deep breath, he eases into his chair and continues. “Yes, Savage needed to die. Yes, I’m seriously fucking depressed I wasn’t there to see it and fuck yes, you spitting on that casket not knowing the chaos you’ve caused has been the highlight of my God damn year.”

“Does everyone know about the epic war spit but me?
”
she asks rolling her eyes.

“Yes,
”
we all answer and even the fucking mutt barked.

“My loyalty lies with Monarch.”

“I understand this,
”
he says. “I respect this as well. However, the men do not like change and frankly, Cinn, I like drugs and killing people. I’m not fit to lead them.”

“What are you asking?
”
I chime in wanting this the hell over with.

“I am asking for Cinn to take her rightful place,
”
he shrugs. “Without you by her side.”

“You walk into my place, request my woman’s help to clean up your mess and then have the balls to tell me I’m unwelcome?”

“Yep.”

“Hang on,
”
she says twisting in my lap. “My power is here. If anything, I would transfer that power, not expand it. By helping you, I’m putting the den in a better position. I have no reason to do that for you, for anyone.”

“Not true,
”
he disagrees. “By aiding the den you’re keeping your man safe.”

Standing up, she puts her hands on her hips and Ares was there at her feet. “You’re going to watch how you speak inside my home,
”
she says lowering her voice. “I will remind you that my man is at the top of the food chain. With me by his side, he will remain at the top, and while we’re at it, we might make another fucking food chain just to top that one too. Call me an overachiever.”

“I’m not threatening Monarch and he realizes that, or I’d be dead by now. The den needs you back, Cinn. The term
by any means necessary
applies here. Other sects want you in their corner and without you, the den is vulnerable. Bottom line is and pardon the phrasing here, but you are hot property. I’m doing everything I can to encourage them to stand down, but it turns out they don’t trust coke heads. They do trust
you
. They also don’t want to see Monarch any more powerful than he already is until he proves himself trustworthy.  Your man is known for killing your men, you follow? As for the others? When you left that cemetery, I saw it for myself. A play will be made for you, it’s only a matter of time. The easiest way, fuck, the
only
way is to kill him. Monarch dies only then the war begins, Cinn. The war is for you, always has been, Bean. You’re the ultimate war prize. Who gives a fuck about who leads which den in the long run. The short term is what I’m talking about. We gotta show the others you ain’t a female to fuck with.”

“You risk much by telling me this.”

“I risk much more by not.”

“I need a month,
”
she says coming back to my side and kissing my cheek. “But if you ever fucking call me Bean again, I’ll feed you to my dog.
”
Ares barks in agreement and happily follows her from the room.

“She’s in,
”
he smiles in victory.

“She’s in,
”
I nod in agreement.

“Who will come at her first?
”
Ransom asks.

“Whoever it is,
”
Demo howls. “I feel real fucking sorry for him.”

Naked and proud of it, I face him and wait impatiently for him to undress. Monarch looked a-fucking-mazing naked,but he was too busy playing with the remote to get that way. Tapping him on the shoulder he turns, looks down at my perfect body and grins. “Ever watch a porno?
”
he asks pulling me to him.

“No.”

“Want to?”

“I can’t believe you even have to ask,
”
I smile wickedly.

Ordering a skin flick out of the way, he slowly undresses for me while the credits play. Motioning for me to climb into bed, I do, and he takes his spot next to me. When the movie starts, I sit up straight watching every movement hoping something sexy happens. Minutes later, still watching the world’s longest blow job, I look over my shoulder at him who seems about as bored as I was.

“I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this,
”
I admit leaning against him. “Maybe if we fuck too it’ll get better?”

“Porn is supposed to get you horny,
”
he says tracing my arm. “You feel nothing?”

“You get me horny,
”
I say sitting back up. “Wait, you like it?”

“It’s fucking awful,
”
he laughs. “But if it got you off, it’d get me off.”

“I take issue with the female’s fuck face for one,
”
I confess. “She looks like she’s seizing. I, on the other hand, look amazing when I’m being pleasured. I think your cock brings out the best in my features.”

“Nothing like watching you come, Mo chuisle.”

“We’re making a porno,
”
I announce and then jump out of bed grabbing my phone. Sliding it to video, I watch him getting hard watching me and instruct him to turn on the music. While he did that, I positioned the phone on the nightstand propped up against a book.

“What music does my queen want in her ears when she fucks?”

“Surprise me,
”
I grin. “And tell me when to start recording.”

Jazz fills the room,and before I could comment on his excellent choice, he stood at the end of the bed where he crooked his finger for me to come to him. “Start recording, Cinn.
”
Doing just that, my intent was to play up to the camera and put the female I saw in the video to shame. But the second he touched me, I forgot the damn thing was even on.

Three weeks ago, Monarch told me to
not fucking stress Demo
. Taking his advice, I haven’t. He’s been in touch; I’ve shared a few pointers, but I asked for a month to decide, and I still had a week left. So, in the meantime, I’ve been swimming, driving, fucking, and relaxing.

When I’m not doing those things, I’m reading to Monarch. As in bed, out loud with Ares at our feet. Monarch ate it up. So last week as a surprise, I had Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series delivered. Her twist on all things Greek and Godly had him canceling one swimming session, my parallel parking quiz, and it infringed on our fucking. However, we now had an agreement. We decided that when the characters got it on we would too. Only we’d do it better, longer and dirtier.

Twice, I’ve caught him reading on his own. It was beautiful watching him get lost in the story. A few days ago, during our reading, Jules Allen called me to let me know that Demo was in Lush and causing  more trouble. This pissed me off because he was running drugs and skin when he was supposed to be running the God damn den.

My answer to all this? A motherfucking pool party.

In a few hours, I was having girlfriends over. Here,
to my house
! With lists made, Ransom has been running all over town getting me what I needed. Which was essentially, booze, food, and float things for the pool. Monarch stepped up security and was currently pacing and promised not to interfere.

He was full of shit too, but I was too happy to call him out on it. Anything spoken to the girls I’d say in front of him, so I wasn’t worried. Plus, if any of them said anything negative I’d drown them. Simple.

He did not know Jules, Lina, Macy, Venessa, Kandace, and Camo. I filled him in the best I could but when I was explaining Kandace being Camo’s man’s little sister and my down-low doctor, I swear I felt the world shrink. We had this little circle of awesomeness, and I’d never had that before.

Ever.

So the first four pulled up together in a pimped out Yukon, while Camo and Kandace pulled up in a swank pickup truck. You have to hand it to Detroit; we do love our trucks. Waiting at the gate, I welcomed them in and went straight to the pool while I answered questions on the way. As the perfect hostess, I poured margaritas and wasted no time catching them up. I’d never had girlfriends to talk to, and it turns out, it’s pretty fucking awesome. Although, I was certain it had more to do with these particular girls than the fact they were girls.

“You hocked a loogon his casket?
”
Venessa asks with wide eyes.

“Yep.”

“And started a war?
”
Macy asks.

“With spit,
”
I confirm.

“How’d that feel?
”
Jules asks.

“Overdue and awesome. My spit was gross and glorious.”

“Truth,
”
Lina says winking.

“No one tried pulling a Motown Takedown?
”
Camo asks. “Because fuck you for not calling for backup. Hello! Bitch,
I’m
the backup.”

“What are we?
”
Macy asks.

“Half of you are mothers,
”
Camo says shuddering. “No offense but, no.”

“Camo won’t let me kill people,
”
Kandace whines. “She kills
all
the time. It’s bullshit.”

“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be,
”
I point out. “Especially when they stay dead and you can’t do it again.”

“Right?
”
Venessa laughs and the rest nod in agreement.

“So check this,
”
I smile. “Monarch got me a dog!”

“Seriously?
”
Camo asks clearly not getting it.

“His name is Ares and he’s the most badass motherfucking cutie of a pit ever.”

“A pit?
”
Lina laughs. “He goes big ey?”

“Where is he?
”
Macy asks. “Shit, Venessa you should have brought Boner!”

“Playdate!
”
Venessa shouts.

“Well?
”
Kandace asks wanting to meet him.

“Let me call – ”

“Excuse me, ladies,
”
Monarch says into the speaker. “Ares misses his momma, and he’s pissing me off. Mind if I bring him in?”

“I was just calling you!
”
But then Jules leans in and says, “He’s a listener, huh?”

“Yep.”

“I feel you, girl, mine is too.”

And like a pit on four lines of coke, Ares stormed the pool room dragging Monarch with him. My baby loved the girls; the girls loved my baby. My baby swam, we all did. And then we proceeded to get really fucking drunk. I was having the time of my life.