Page 42 of Devils Cut

"Fuck, sorry," she stammered, her eyes wide with fear. "Take it from my wages. I didn't mean to..."

"Tempest," I said, cutting her off. "Don't worry about the damn bottle." My heart raced.

Seeing her like that, vulnerable and flustered, spurred me into action. I strode across the room, boots crunching over broken glass, and stood in front of her. Grabbing her chin, I forced her to look up into my eyes. "Tempest, I'm in love with you," I said, my breath ragged.

Her frown gave way to surprise, and then a goofy smile lit up her face. Unable to resist her any longer, I leaned down and kissed her. She tasted like mine.

"Corvus..." she whispered against my lips.

"Shh," I replied, running my hands down her back and grabbing her ass. Lifting her up, she wrapped her legs around my waist, her body pressed tightly against mine. We moved out of the storeroom, leaving behind the stench of spilled whiskey and shattered glass.

In my office, I sat down with her still in my arms, her legs on either side of me. Her kisses were just as desperate as mine, full of a need we both felt deep in our bones.

My lips left hers, the air between us heavy with desire. "Tempest, you have to sing here," I told her, my voice husky from the raw emotions coursing through me. "Your voice is perfect. I need to hear it every single night. Please."

Her cheeks flushed, eyes wide and vulnerable. "Oh no, that's scary," she protested.

"Fuckin' bullshit," I countered, my grip on her tightening possessively. "Sing me one song after work on stage, then we can head home. Please."

She hesitated, biting her lip. "I don't know..." Then, a flicker of determination crossed her face. "How about this? All the work the boys are doin' on my house--singing one song a night on stage can go towards paying for it?”

I smirked at the unexpected bargaining, feeling a swell of pride for my woman. "Deal," I agreed without hesitation.

"Okay." She smiled a hint of mischief in her gaze. "But I have one request."

"Alright," I said, curiosity piqued. "What's your request?"

"No one is allowed to film it, put it on social media. I can't be seen on there." Her voice was firm, her eyes serious.

I furrowed my brow and wondered what the fuck was going on in her past that she needed to stay off the grid like this. But I didn't ask. Not yet. She'd tell me when she was ready. "Okay," I agreed. "I'll make sure it isn't recorded."

"Thank you," she whispered, relief washing over her face.

"Can you promise me something?" I asked, feeling a sudden vulnerability in my chest.

"Anything," she replied without hesitation.

"That one day you'll trust me enough to tell me your whole story. I would love to know." My heart hammered in my chest as I awaited her answer.

She blew out a breath, her eyes shining. "Okay. I promise. One day, I'll tell you all of it.”

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The mountain of paperwork on my desk finally started to shrink. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I dug through the mess, trying to make sense of this goddamn chaos. Tempest and Amanda were out front, handling business in the bar, while I dealt with the shitstorm behind the scenes.

"Corvus,"Mr. Pavlov's gravelly voice echoed in my head. He had told me they still hadn't found the rat in their ranks. But at least the latest shipment arrived without a hitch. Fuckin' finally."I want to shadow the next one again,"he'd asked, and I agreed. No point sayin' no; it was just part of the game.

"Hey, Corvus!" Amanda popped her head into my office, her bright eyes a welcome distraction. "It's 4:30."

"Thanks, Amanda," I replied, my voice rough from lack of use. The thought of Tempest singing on stage sent shivers down my spine. God, I couldn't fuckin' wait to hear that angelic voice of hers fill the room. It would be like a fuckin' drug to me.

I'd tried to get Tempest to come to the clubhouse party tonight, but she shut me down quickly – said she'd rather not. Didn't wanna push her too hard, so I cooked up a different plan to make her mine in front of the boys and the club without dragging her there.

The problem was, I didn't know her whole story. What if takin' her to the clubhouse triggered some bad shit for her? I sighed, shaking my head. No point dwelling on it now.

Finally, time's up. I pushed away from my desk, my boots heavy on the floor as I made my way outta the office, down the hall, and into the bar. The familiar scent of booze and smoke wrapped around me.

"Hey, Corvus," Amanda grinned, wiping down the counter. But my eyes were locked on Tempest, my beautiful angel, pourin' a beer for one of the regulars. I walked up behind her, close enough that her sweet scent filled my nostrils, and leaned in.

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