Page 37 of Watcher

“We could use Kentucky,” I say.

Diablo chuckles and shakes her head. “This is Watcher’s deal. Kentucky knows that. That’s what respect is between the club members.” We’ve not discussed what Watcher did, but I think Diablo is fully aware of the man he is.

“I need to share something with you,” I say, sitting behind my desk. I glance at my mother’s picture. It’s true that you never truly know how much you love someone until they’re gone. Unlike my father, she would be proud of me. Oddly, she’d like Watcher, though I’m not sure what she’d think of the age difference. “You know Jeremy came into the office while Watcher and I were having sex?”

Diablo laughs. “That’s what’s bothering you?”

“No. What’s bothering me is that Watcher made Jermey stay and watch him finish.” I feel less surprised by the whole thing now. Like maybe it wasn’t a bad thing.

“Kentucky told me Watcher was into some weird shit and tell you not to worry when you started to worry.” This is what Skittles was referring to.

“I have to admit it was fucking hot having someone watching us. When Jeremy stuck his hands down his pants and started whacking off, I about lost control.” Leaning back in the chair to catch my breath, I can’t believe about about to say this. “I actually wanted Jeremy to join us.”

Diablo laughs and slaps her leg. “Your problem isn’t with Watcher and what he did. Your problem is with yourself and your wanting to take it further.”

She’s fucking right. “I think Watcher would have let me. I think he would have been willing to watch Jeremy fuck me.”

“You’re right,” she says. “You should talk to Watcher about it. Understand what he was thinking and what he wants in a relationship with you. Make no mistake about it. Watcher is an alpha male and isn’t going to take any shit off another man. He will always be in charge.”

“Meaning what? He gets to decide which man I bring to the party?”

“Meaning that he believes he’s your protector and will make sure any man you mess around with knows that.” She points at me. “You have a man who will watch out for you for the rest of your life. That’s not something most women have.”

“I’ve gone from virgin to whore in two days, Diablo.”

“Hellcat. Give yourself a break. What you’re thinking doesn’t make you a whore. Men do it. Why can’t we?” She goes to the whiteboard and writes, “Reverse Harem.” She underlines the two words. “That’s what we’re talking about. He learned that shit at a kink club.”

“He’s learned a lot of shit from the kink club.” With an epiphany building in my head, I get up and join Diablo at the board. She hands me the marker, and I write, “Kink Club.” I draw three lines under the words. “That’s our income stream. I’ve got the capital to buy a building. More than one, if need be.”

“We get Watcher to help us get it going,” Diablo says. “Once we get the first up and running, we open a second.”

“As the club grows, I say, “and we start new chapters, we start new kink clubs in those locations. Fuck. The answer was right in front of me.” I grab my phone and keys and start toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Diablo follows me out to the parking lot, where I find Jeremy pulling in. “Oh shit,” she says.

“I want to go to Pine Bluff and find Watcher. I need to fix this.”

“What about him?”

“Him, I can handle. Give me a minute.”

Diablo climbs on her bike and pulls away, stopping at the exit to wait. Jeremy gets out of his car and looks back at Diablo. I think he may be scared of her.

“Hey,” he says. “Can we talk about the other night?”

Jeremy is the product of a career dad and a mother who enjoys Memphis high society as much as the wicked stepmother. Unfortunately, we can’t always choose who our family is.

We met at a party on the edge of town when I returned from Stanford. We talked and decided to meet up and talk again. That’s really all we’ve been doing since. Not dates. No kissing. Certainly, no fucking. It wasn’t an excuse for being an asshole sometimes, but I know at nineteen, he pretty much just wants to fuck someone. I can’t get over the feeling that he may still be a virgin, especially with the skillful jerking off he did yesterday.

“It’s okay,” I say, setting him at ease.

“I’ve been a douchebag to you and want to fix that.”

I nod, and he’s taken aback. “Yesterday was a little weird for all of us, Jeremy.”

“Who is he?”

“He’s a biker. The Brothers of Chaos in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.” I’m careful not to laugh at him when fear crosses his eyes. “If he wanted you dead, he would never have let you leave yesterday.”

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