Club Thrive: Vendetta (The Club Thrive Series Book 2) Read online

  “That’s awesome. He’s a great guy,” Shane says.

  “People definitely behave because they’re afraid of him, but he is a great guy,” Jonah says as he joins our little group. “Hey, Shane, we’re all set,” Jonah adds, letting Shane know the front of the club is locked up.

  “Okay, everyone, let’s call it a night. I want to get the hell out of here.”

  “Good night?” Logan asks.

  “Yeah, we were jamming, man.”

  “Good, glad to hear it. Let me know if you have any problems.” He turns to Sky. “Let’s go, baby. I just checked in with the nanny and Stephan just went back to sleep. If I hurry you home, we can get some sleep before he wakes again.” We all quickly hug, and they hurry out the door with Jonah and Sadie following. I see Miranda walking out the door with Stone. She turns to wave letting me know she’s leaving, and I shout for her to call me.

  Once the place is empty, Shane locks up and we call it a night. It’s been fun, but I’m exhausted and my feet are killing me.

  Chapter 10

  Shane

  Katie and I spent part of the day moving some of her clothes to my place and rearranging my closet and drawers to make room for her stuff. I’m glad she’s as excited about the move as I am. Now to see how her parents feel about it. Her dad and I get along pretty well, and we’ve been seeing each other for a while now, so it’s not like this is a surprise to anyone.

  “Hey, Shane, I’m going to jump in the shower and start getting ready for dinner,” Katie says as she leans in the closet, where I’m finishing hanging up some of my stuff.

  “All right, baby, I’ll be there in a minute.” As soon as she walks off, I listen for the shower to start. I’ve been watching her walk around all day in these tight black leggings and a tank top, and it’s been driving me wild. Giving her a minute to get in, I slip into the bathroom, quickly strip my clothes off, and climb in behind her. She moans as I wrap my arms around her, placing my hands over her breasts, massaging them.

  “I hope you’re ready for me, because watching your sweet little ass in those leggings all day has been killing me.”

  “Oh, you poor baby, let me make it all better for you.” She turns to face me, sliding her hands down my chest, straight to my cock. She slowly starts stroking it and instantly it grows in her hand. I close my eyes, enjoying the feel of her hands wrapped around my cock. Suddenly my eyes shoot open when I feel her lips wrap around it. My cock jerks at the sensation.

  “Oh, baby, that feels so damn good.” My hand goes to her hair, pulling slightly as I start to fuck her mouth. She loves when I do that. She’s moaning as my cock hits the back of her throat, and the vibration from her lips and the warmth of her mouth is unbelievable.

  “Baby, I’m going to come.” Her hand cups my balls massaging them. It sends me over the edge. “Holy shit, baby.” I bury myself deep in her throat and empty myself as she swallows down every last drop. She looks up at me, licking her lips. I grab her shoulders and pull her to her feet, slamming her back against the shower wall. My mouth crashes into hers, and our tongues become tangled in a heated kiss. My hand slides up her body to her breast, massaging it as I kiss and nibble at her neck.

  “Shane, make love to me.” She pants.

  “You got it, baby.” My cock is already hard and ready for her. I slip my hand back down her body to her eager pussy, discovering just how ready she is for me. “You’re so wet, baby,” I whisper.

  “Yes. Please give it to me now.” I love it when she begs for it.

  Picking her up, she wraps her legs around my waist and I lift her ass slightly, aligning my cock with her opening. She uses the wall to try and seat herself on my cock, my eager little lady. I begin moving my hips in a circular motion as I grip her ass. I start out slow, but gradually pick up the pace and continue in a consistent rhythm as my fingers poke at her ass. She’s whimpering and moaning. Knowing in this position it’ll be hard for her to fight my anal play, I pick up the pace.

  “Shane, please don’t stop. You’re going to make me come.”

  “Yes, come for me, baby.” I continue slamming my cock deep inside of her. I know she’s getting close because I can feel her muscles tightening around me. “Come on, baby, give it to me.” I give it to her a few more times, and suddenly her legs tighten around my waist as an orgasm rips through her. At the same time, I slip my finger into her ass, stretching her as I empty deep in her pussy.

  “Holy shit, Shane, that was intense.” She pants as she rests her head on my shoulder. I slowly slip my finger from her ass and lift her so I can pull out of her. She finally straightens her legs and I gently put her down, ensuring she can stand before I stop supporting her. We spend the remainder of our shower washing and massaging one another.

  I’m sitting on the couch reading the paper when Katie finally comes out of the bathroom. “I’m ready, honey,” she says to me. Placing the folded paper back on the coffee table, I stand to meet her.

  “You look beautiful, as always.” She’s wearing a pair of jeans and a purple shirt. The color truly suits her.

  “Thanks. You look pretty good yourself.” I always wear jeans and a polo to go to her parents’ house.

  “Let’s get going so we’re not late. You know your sister will get on us if we are.” She giggles, taking my hand as we walk out the door.

  We arrive at her parents’ house about thirty-five minutes later. I jump out of the car and rush over to her side to open the door for her. Her father greets us at the door.

  “Hey, pretty girl,” he says, kissing Katie on the forehead.

  “Hey, Daddy,” she says as she gives him a hug.

  “It’s about time you two showed up,” her sister, Kara, says from behind the screen door.

  Her father and I shake hands, and we all step into their large living room. They have a rather nice house. The living room is on one side of the kitchen, with the dining room on the other. The bedrooms are all on the second floor. However, I only know that because Mark has told me. He’s so protective that I’m not allowed upstairs to see Katie’s old room. “Well, I guess since you want to nag me, I should just cancel the VIP section Shane has given us for your twenty-first birthday.”

  “What? No way! Are you serious?” She’s jumping up and down, full of excitement. Katie and I start laughing.

  “Shane, you make sure they don’t let my baby girl get too drunk now.”

  “Yes, sir, and I’ll make sure she gets home safely.”

  “Good, because like I told you before, being a detective, I have a way of dealing with situations.”

  I chuckle at his threat. He threatened me about hurting his daughter once already, when we first met. I would think after all this time he would know me well enough by now, but truthfully, if it were my daughter, I would do the same thing.

  “Oh, you stop being so hard on him,” Katie’s mother, Lilly, says as she comes walking into the room to say hi. She hugs her daughter and then me. “You know he will take good care of our girls. He’s done well so far.”

  “Yeah, well I want to make sure there are no slip-ups.” He puffs out his chest, obviously trying to show off his size. I give him a smile.

  “No worries, I get it.” He’s a decent-sized guy, but really, we’re about even. It’s the bit about him being a cop that really scares me. The guy has a gun on him at all times. Lilly just shakes her head at her husband.

  “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. I hope you’re all hungry because I made two huge pans of meatloaf.” She walks back off to the kitchen to finish getting dinner ready and my stomach rumbles. This woman can cook and my mouth is watering.

  Katie looks at me. “Hungry, honey?”

  “I guess I am. It doesn’t help that you and your mom are amazing cooks. I could eat all the time when it comes to your food.”

  “I wish I could cook like Mom. I can’t boil water.” Kara pouts.

  “Find a man who can cook instead. There are plenty of them out there. Shoot, even S
hane can cook,” Katie brags to her sister.

  “Don’t be rushing your sister into any relationships. She’s too young for that shit,” her father growls as he walks into the kitchen.

  “Come on, dinner’s ready,” Lilly calls.

  Kara rolls her eyes at her father, and Katie and I chuckle as we walk into the dining room to find meatloaf all sliced on a platter. There are bowls of mashed potatoes, sweet mashed potatoes, broccoli, and green beans all laid out. Her mother goes overboard every week, but her food is so good we always leave full and with leftovers. Honestly, I think she only goes overboard so she can send us home with food. Kara is like her mother; they both eat like birds. However, Katie, Mark, and I aren’t afraid to eat.

  We all make our plates and fall into a comfortable silence, eating. I can feel Katie’s leg twitching under the table, and since Mark is on her other side, it’s clear he senses it too.

  “What’s wrong, Katie?”

  “What do you mean, Daddy?”

  “You’re bouncing your leg under the table, and you only do that when you’re nervous about something.” Of course, the man would notice; he’s a detective.

  “I’m moving in with Shane,” she blurts out.

  “Oh, that’s great, sweetie,” her mother replies quickly.

  Mark’s brows shoot up. “Is it? I mean, don’t get me wrong, Shane. I like you, but isn’t it a bit quick?”

  “Daddy, stop. Shane and I have been together for a year now. It’s not like we just started dating. You need to let me grow up.”

  He closes his eyes and sighs. “You’re right, I’m sorry, pretty girl. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  She gives her father a warm smile. “Shane’s not going to hurt me, Daddy, and it’s time you trust him on that.”

  “I really have no intentions of hurting her. I love your daughter, and I want to be able to spend more time with her and build our relationship.” I’m trying not to sound nervous, but the guy doesn’t appear to be in a very good mood now that he’s heard this news. I can’t blame him. I’m a bit older than his daughter, but I truly love her, and I need to figure out how to get him to start trusting me.

  “This is really good, Mom,” Katie says in an attempt at easing the tension at the table. Her plate is empty, so she and her sister get up to start cleaning. Her mother joins them, leaving her father and I at the table, and now I have no idea what to say to this man. You’d think after all this time it’d get easier, but it hasn’t.

  “Join me on the porch, son.”

  “Yes, sir.” I stand and follow him out to the farmer’s porch, where they have chairs set up. We both take a seat and sit in silence for a few minutes.

  “Shane, try to understand. It’s not that I think you’re a bad guy, but I have two girls and they’re my world.” He sighs, leaning forward placing his elbows on his knees. “I’ve seen some pretty shitty things in my days on the force, and I only want the best for them. It’s why I’ve worked so hard my entire life putting scum behind bars so our city would be safe.”

  “I understand, and I want you to know that I will do whatever I can when I’m with her to protect her. My building has a doorman, and you have to be on a list to be let up without permission.” I look him in the eye. “I will add you both to that list first thing in the morning. You’re welcome at our house anytime.”

  He nods, looking out into the distance. We both sit in silence for a few minutes until he speaks. “Do me a favor?” he asks as he looks at me.

  “What’s that?”

  “Whatever you do, be sure she’s happy and safe.”

  “You got it,” I say, shaking his hand. A minute later, Katie comes out onto the porch.

  “We’re all cleaned up from dinner. Are you two ready for dessert?”

  “You better believe it. Your mother has made my favorites: chocolate cream pie and banana cream pie.” Her father strolls off into the house, giving us a minute alone.

  She sits down next to me. “Everything okay?” she asks, looking concerned.

  “Everything is fine.” I squeeze her leg. “We had a man-to-man talk and I think we’re good. As long as you and I get along, I get to live.” Her eyes go wide. “I’m kidding. Seriously, though, we’re fine.”

  “Good, let’s go get some of my mom’s killer pie.”

  “It’s only killer because it costs us extra time at the gym. I could eat the entire damn pie.”

  Katie bursts out laughing. “Honey, you can get fat off my mom’s pie and I’ll love you just the same,” she says as we enter the dining room.

  “You won’t get fat off a little dessert. Come on, you two.” Lilly is cutting dessert for everyone.

  “I’m with Shane on this one. I could eat the entire pie, and this shit costs us extra time in the gym. I can’t chase down bad guys if I’m fat,” her father says, shoving a piece of pie in his mouth. Of course, he has a slice of each.

  “So, Katie, how many people does this VIP section hold?” Kara asks.

  Katie looks at me for an answer. “You can fit up to fifteen people.”

  “We have Sky, Sadie, and Meg joining us. I wouldn’t invite more than five or six friends. We don’t want to be packed in there. We want to be comfortable.”

  “That’s perfect,” she says with a huge grin on her face. “Half my friends won’t be twenty-one yet anyway.”

  “Who are you going to invite?” I ask Kara.

  “Is Miranda coming?” she questions.

  “Oh shit, yeah, Miranda is coming,” I tell her.

  “I’ll probably just invite Becky, Toni, and Alex. They’re all twenty-one and my closest friends,” Kara says.

  “Shane has reserved it for the weekend right after your birthday, so let the girls know. They will have to give my name at the door. That way, they won’t have to wait in line.”

  “This is going to be so sweet. Thank you so much, Shane,” she says, clapping excitedly.

  “It’s no problem. Your booth is right near one of the bouncers’ stations, so if there are any problems, let him know and he’ll take care of it and call for me. I’ll probably be bouncing between two bars, since I have to give one of my best bartenders the night off.”

  I raise my eyebrows at Katie’s request for Meg to get the night off.

  “Thank you, honey.”

  “She already has you wrapped around her little finger, doesn’t she?” her father asks jokingly.

  “Maybe a little.” I shrug. This time Katie raises her brows at me in a look that screams really? “Okay, so I would probably do just about anything for her.”

  “Good man,” her father says, taking his plate to the kitchen.

  “Kara, go get the cover to the pie containers please.” She hurries out of the room to do as her mother asks. “You two can take the rest of this home with your dinner.”

  “Mom, you don’t have to do that.”

  “Yeah, why are you giving them the rest of my pie?”

  “Oh, Mark, there are two more in the fridge.” She smacks him playfully. They really are a sweet couple. They’ve been married for years. Katie told me they met after she had to call the cops on her real father because he was wasted and being abusive. I think that’s why he’s so protective of the girls. He may not be their father, but he would give his life to protect them and I admire that. Kara was barely one when he came into their lives, and although she knows he’s not her father, they both call him Daddy and treat him as though he is. They have no idea where their real father is or if he’s even alive, and they couldn’t care less. When he was released from jail on bail, he took off and no one has heard from him since.

  From what I’ve been told, Mark kept coming around to check on Lilly and the girls. After a while, Lilly started inviting him over for dinner and they began dating. Kara instantly took to him and called him Daddy before Katie did, but as she grew older, she realized her real father wasn’t coming around anymore. She loved Mark like a dad, so she began calling him Daddy too. Shortl
y after Lilly and Mark married, he adopted them and they took his last name, like their mother.

  “Are you ready, honey?” Katie asks me.

  “If you are.” I’m used to being up late so I’m not tired, but she has to work in the morning.

  “Yeah, I need to get my sleep because I have that dreaded meeting in the morning, and I’m going to need my energy for this one.” She rubs her temples like she has a headache.

  We both get up from the table and her parents follow. We both hug her mom, and her dad and I shake hands. The man doesn’t let go before saying, “Thanks for understanding.”

  I nod. “Not a problem. We’ll see you guys next week?”

  “Of course, you will,” her mother says.

  Kara yells a thank you and good-bye from the other room, and we head home.

  Chapter 11

  Katie

  I’m walking into work when I hear my phone chirp. Dropping my purse on my chair and my laptop bag on my desk, I dig out my phone to see a text from Shane.

  Shane: Thank you for a great weekend. I’m so glad you agreed to move in with me. See you tonight.

  Katie: I love you. I’m looking forward to this next phase of our relationship. Have a good day. ;-)

  Smiling, I place my phone on the cordless charger. I have to leave for a meeting in about thirty minutes. Originally, I wasn’t going to come into work until later, but I wanted to grab some things, including the other file I have on this company.

  I get busy organizing myself so I can get over to Anna’s Bridal Shop when I hear “What are you doing here?”

  I turn to find my assistant, Evelyn, standing in the doorway. “Hey, Evelyn, did you have a good weekend?”

  “I did, thank you. Is there something I can help you with? I thought you were meeting with Anna this morning?”

  “Oh, I am, but I forgot the file with all the ideas we scrapped, and I want to have it with me when I get there, because if she doesn’t like what I present today, then I’m going to show her all we’ve discussed. If she can’t agree to something today, then I’m done.”