Page 43 of Devils Cut

"You're up soon, princess," I whispered, watchin' goosebumps rise on her arms as she poured the golden liquid. Her breath hitched, and her cheeks flushed pink.

"Okay," she murmured, her eyes meetin' mine briefly before lookin' away. God, she was somethin' else. My heart pounded in my chest, adrenaline already pumpin' through my veins at the thought of hearin' her sing.

With her hands on her hips, Tempest turned to face me with a defiant smirk. "You do know I could tell the boss about possible sexual harassment here," she said, pointing at me.

"Is that so?" I asked, my grin growing wider. Fuck, I loved it when she challenged me like this. Made everything more exciting.

"Absolutely," she replied, her eyes sparklin' with mischief. Before she could say anything else, though, I leaned down and planted a deep, possessive kiss on her lips right there in front of everyone. The men around us cheered and hollered, clearly enjoyin' the show.

"Ok, pay up fuckers!" Amanda yelled, holding out her hand to collect the bets some of them had apparently made on me.

As we broke apart, breathless and flushed, I smirked at Tempest. "It's okay, princess. I'm friendly with the boss. I'm sure he'll believe me and not you."

She rolled her eyes but smiled, tryin' to hide the fact that my touch affected her just as much as hers did to me. "Whatever you say, VP."

I turned my back on her, walkin' away with purpose. My boots thudded against the hardwood floor as I made a beeline for the stage. The bar's patrons parted like the fuckin' Red Sea before me, their eyes watchin' me with curiosity and anticipation.

"Attention!" I barked into the mic, my voice commandin' silence from the rowdy crowd. "We got ourselves a special treat tonight. Our beautiful bar lady, Tempest, will be singin' a song for us every night after her shift."

The whole place erupted in cheers and whistles, the air crackling with excitement. I could feel the power surgin' through me. This was my fuckin' kingdom, and I was showin' off my queen.

Amanda whispered into Tempest's ear, leanin' close to be heard over the din of the crowd. I couldn't hear what she said, but whatever it was made Tempest blush and look at me with wide eyes.

I held out my hand to her, beckoning her to join me on stage. "Let's give a warm welcome to our girl, Tempest!" The bar went wild as she walked up, her eyes locked on mine.

As she reached the stage, I shrugged off my cut, draping it over her shoulders like a cloak. The entire room went dead quiet, holdin' their breath. "Now listen up," I growled into the mic, "This here's my old lady, and ain't nobody gonna record or film her up here. You wanna try that shit? Go right ahead, but you'll be leaving with a bullet between your fuckin' eyes. You got that?"

I stepped off the stage, takin' my place right in front, my eyes never leavin' her. The crowd roared back to life, whistling and cheering, making her blush a deep red.

Fuck, she's beautiful, I thought, feelin' a possessive growl rising in my chest. She looked at me for reassurance, and I nodded, givin' her the go-ahead.

"Show 'em what you're made of, princess."

She raised the mic to her lips and began to sing "Stay" by Rihanna, her voice slow and hauntin'. The power of her talent resonated through the room, silencin' even the rowdiest of patrons. Every word felt like it was meant just for me, pullin' me under her spell.

Jesus Christ, her voice... My pulse raced, knowin' she belonged to me, that we belonged to each other.

The silence that followed her song was deafening—a testament to the powerful grip of her voice. It was like the world had stopped breathing, waiting for its next cue.

"Fuckin' incredible," someone whispered, breakin' the trance.

"Tempest! Tempest!" The chant spread through the crowd, roaring louder and wilder. My heart swelled with pride.

"Thanks, everyone," she said, her voice shaking. She stepped off the stage, walkin' straight into my arms. I wrapped her up, lettin' her feel my strength, my protection.

"Ok, let's go home," I murmured into her ear. "I don't have to be at the clubhouse till 9, so I got a few hours to help you move some furniture around that I'm sure the boys have dumped into your place by now."

"Thank you, Corvus," she said softly, pressin' a chaste kiss to my cheek. "I appreciate it more than you know."

"Anythin' for you, Princess," I replied, squeezing her tightly.

Chapter 19

Tempest Miller

Icould still taste the intensity of Corvus' kiss as he pulled away, his eyes dark and filled with concern. "Ben will be outside on the front porch while I'm at the clubhouse, Princess," he said, his voice deep and gravelly.

"Let him in, Corvus. He can sit on the couch at least." I couldn't help but feel sorry for Ben, being stuck outside like some sort of guard dog. It didn't seem right to me.

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