Queen of The Reapers by Jessa Halliwell

Sixteen

Thirty minuteslater and the two of us pull up to the entrance of Hell's Tavern. We haven't even gotten out of the car yet, but I can already feel the vibration of the EDM music pumping through the speakers. I look at the long line of people waiting outside and bristle. Anyone of them could’ve played a part in Alex’s disappearance.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Atlas asks, linking his fingers with mine.

I look down at our intertwined hands, and the tender moment is bittersweet. I never thought we’d get here. Allowing ourselves to express our emotions for each other so freely, like this. And now it's like at any moment the closeness I feel with him could be stripped away. I don't want to lose him, but I know if something happens to my sister, things with us will never be the same.

“It's the only thing I can do.” I respond, squeezing his hand a little tighter. “It keeps me busy, which is a good thing. You know how I am with idle hands.”

Atlas gives me a smirk before stepping out of the car to meet me on the driver’s side. He helps me out and gently glides his arm over my shoulder in a casual sign of possession that sends a little thrill up my spine. The crowd’s eyes follow our every move, but Atlas seems utterly unfazed. His stride is powerful and his head held high as he ushers me straight up to the front door.

“They’re all staring at us.” I whisper as I tuck in closer to his side.

“Not us, Kitten.” He says as his lips form into a devilish grin. “You.”

His statement gives me pause, and for a second my feet stop moving. “Why are they staring at me?” I hiss, looking up into his eyes.

“It's not every day a queen arrives to claim her throne.”

A new wave of nervousness hits me. That’s it, isn’t it? This visit isn’t just about finding Alex. It’s about sending a message. The last time I was here, I was a toy, brought in solely for The Reapers’ amusement, but that isn’t my role in their lives anymore.

Tonight, as I walk into the building under Atlas’s muscular arm, I’m staking a claim on something I never knew existed. I’m letting his entire world know I’m the one he chose. I’m his queen. I have no doubt in my mind that my new title will be tested, but I’ve never been more ready to fight for what’s mine.

Heavy is the crown.

* * *

“If you needanything else at all, just ask.”

The red-headed server shoots Atlas a flirtatious wink and I jerk my cocktail up from the table and slurp it loudly. Her throaty baby voice is obnoxious, and if I’m going to have to sit through this bullshit any longer, I’ll need much more alcohol.

It wouldn't be so bad if it were just her, but there seems to be an ever rotating merry-go-round of slutty servers in this place and she’s just one of the many we’ve seen tonight.

Initially, I wrote off their blatant flirting as part of the normal service the girls here offer, but five different women have visited our lounge at least ten times within the hour. And during every single visit, they only focus their eyes on Atlas.

“I’ll take another.” I say abruptly, shaking my empty glass for emphasis. I’ve been sucking on melted ice for the last thirty minutes, not that any of them have noticed.

She shoots me an annoyed glare and rips my glass out of my hand.

“I’ll have that right out for you.” She hisses, all sweetness from her voice suddenly gone.

“Awesome.” I say, flashing her a mocking smile.

She could stand to be knocked down a few pegs, and if she keeps talking to me like that, I’ll be happy to be the one to do it.

Atlas levels his eyes on me and cocks his brow with an amused look in his eyes.

“What?” I ask, flipping my hair off of my bare shoulder.

“Nothing.” He says, fighting a smile.

“I needed a drink.”

“Uh, huh.” He says, leaning into me. “You know, if I didn't know you any better, I'd say you were jealous.”

I turn away from him and smooth down my dress. “I’m not jealous. I just have a hard time respecting people that don't understand boundaries. They’re working right now, but all they seem to care about is flirting their boney asses off. Other patrons of the club are suffering because of their neglect. Excuse me for caring about your business.”

“If you say so, Kitten.” Atlas says, letting out a lighthearted laugh before taking another sip of his drink. “Still, I probably wouldn't trust any drink she brings you after that interaction.”

My smile falls.

Damnit.

“Ugh.” I say, rolling my eyes as I stand up from my seat. “You're right. I’m going to head to the bar. Do you want anything?”

Atlas gestures to the four other Jack & Cokes, still waiting for him on the coffee table. The sight only fuels my annoyance, and I grit my teeth with a sneer. Of course, they made it a point to refill his fucking drink every visit. Stupid asshole servers.

“Calm down, Kitten.” He says, shaking his head with a smile. “She’s testing you. They all are.”

“Did I mention I’ve always been terrible at tests?”

Atlas only shakes his head in response as he takes another slow sip of his whisky. As I walk past him, I gently pat him on his shoulder and make my way towards the bar. The whole point of coming here was to get some intel on Alex’s kidnappers and try to find out who the hell has been asking about me. But the only thing we’ve done is summon an army of skanks. It’s like, with Jessie no longer around to keep them in line, the girls have gone wild.

I approach the bar and lean against the cool granite countertop as I wait for service and silently thank my lucky stars that none of the bartenders hate me. Yet. One of the male bartenders approaches me and I quickly put in a drink order for two hellhounds and take a seat while I wait. From the peripheral of my vision, I see a large body sink into the seat next to me and turn to face me.

“We meet again.” It only takes me a second to recognize who it is. But once I do, it’s a voice I’d recognize anywhere. Dimitri.

“Go away, Dimitri.”

“Now, now. That’s no way to talk to a friend. Besides, I come bearing peace.”

I pivot slightly in his direction and slowly level my eyes at him. “Somehow I find that incredibly hard to believe.”

He nods his head as he swirls his glass of rich brown liquid. “That’s understandable.” He says, looking up at me with the deepest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. I don’t remember them being this captivating. Then again, I try my hardest not to remember anything about that night.

“We didn’t have the best first impressions of each other.” He says. “But I hope you now see my intention was never to hurt you. They led me to believe you were nothing to them. Merely a toy. And I’m embarrassed to say I acted accordingly. I apologize for my behavior, Kroshka. Truly. But I assure you, in a world full of enemies, I am one of the few you can trust.”

“Do us both a favor?” I ask, grateful to see the bartender placing the garnishes on my drinks. “Save the excuses for someone who gives a shit.”

I thank the bartender, slide a twenty onto the bar top, and gather the two glasses in my hands. Dimitri can try to twist the narrative all he wants, but he knows what he did was wrong. My grievance with him may be on the back burner right now, but that doesn't mean I’m letting him get away with it. Not by a long shot.

I take a step away from the bar and turn on my heel to make my way back to Atlas.

“You never responded to my text.” He calls out.

I freeze in place as my thoughts race. That couldn’t have been him, could it? I glanced at my phone the entire drive here, debating on whether to text the number back. I was planning on telling Atlas and having his guys see if they can trace the number. But a small part of me, the ugly distrusting part, thought it was better to keep it to myself. I still hadn’t decided what to do with it yet, but now it looks like I won’t have to.

“What text?” I ask, feigning ignorance. I'm not stupid enough to take his bait that easily. If it was him, he needs to prove it.

“It’s good to be distrusting.” He remarks, leaning closer to my back. “You should be wary of everyone, including your men.”

I shake my head as my upper lip curls.

“I have known them for a long time.” He whispers, his warm breath cascading down my bare shoulders. “Long before you ever knew who they were. One fact about them has always remained true: The Cole brothers look out for The Cole brothers. No one else.”

“And what about you?” I ask, turning around to face him. “What makes you different? Why the hell would you want to help me?” I have no idea why I’m even entertaining this conversation, but something inside of me wants to hear what he has to say.

“You’re right.” He says, shrugging his muscular shoulders as he leans back against the bar. “I have no real cause. No vested interest in any of this. But unlike my brothers, I have a conscience and as much as you may not want to believe it, I regret our first encounter. Helping you find your sister is my way of making up for that.”

I mull over his words for a moment and study his features for any signs of a lie. His words feel like they’re true, but I can no longer simply trust my gut. Not with so much at stake.

“You want to make it up to me? Fine. But if we’re doing this, everything goes through Atlas. I'm not hiding anything from them.”

“That is disappointing, Kroshka. Unfortunately for you, I’m not nearly as trusting of them as you seem to be. I have resources I feel will help, but I can’t, in good conscience, hand it over to them. They’ll only end up betraying you. If you want my help, you’ll have to accept it without them.”

“No deal.” I say, shaking my head. “We’ll find her without you. And just so you know, you're wrong about them. They would never do anything to betray me.”

“Is that so?” He asks, staring into my eyes so hard it feels like he's peering into my soul. “Then might I suggest not returning to your table just yet. I think you've had enough disappointment to last you a lifetime.”

Against Dimitri’s suggestion and against my better judgment, I turn around and the sight I see punches me straight in the gut. The servers. The stupid, big-titted tramp whores are hanging all over Atlas. Circling him like a group of hyenas.

I know it's unfair for me to expect fidelity when I'm in a relationship with his brothers, but that doesn’t stop the jealousy from pouring into me.

The world stops moving as I barrel my way towards Atlas. I painfully grip the icy drinks in my hands and the numbness feels like it's seeping from my fingers all the way down into my toes.

I stop steps in front of the group and the girls are too distracted by Atlas to notice my presence. Ironically enough, the red-head showed up with my hellhound after all and by the looks of it, she “accidentally” spilled it all over Atlas. Luckily for him, the other servers were right there, ready to help her clean up her silly mistake.

I loudly clear my throat, expecting them to scatter as soon as they see me, but none of them make a move to leave. Assholes. Atlas glances up and we lock eyes. There's no hint of embarrassment or shame in his eyes, just mild amusement. I have nothing to worry about and his lack of response proves it. Still, these bitches need to go.

I gesture for him to do something about it, but he says nothing in response. Instead, he looks around the room before glaring back at me as if to say, “the entire crowd is watching. What are you going to do about this?”

He's right. If I let him take the reins on this, I'll end up looking weak and insecure and I’ll never get the respect I deserve.

“Excuse me.” I say, a little more softly than I intend to. I wait for some kind of reaction, but when I don’t get one; I try again. “Excuse me.” I repeat, a little stronger this time, and I see the five women surrounding him visibly bristle. “Hey!” I snap. Forgoing my attempt at politeness all together.

The red-headed server jerks her head in my direction and sneers as she looks me up and down. She’s sitting beside Atlas and is in the middle of patting down his lap with tiny black cocktail napkins.

“Can we help you?” She sneers, cocking a brow at me.

“You’re in my seat.” I say calmly, fighting the instinct to sneer back at her. My voice is cool, detached even, and there’s no hint of the hostility brewing inside of me.

“Oh, sweetheart.” She laughs, stepping up to her full height as she smooths down her royal blue minidress. “I’m sure he had fun with you, but with Melanie out of the picture & Jessie finally gone, the world is his oyster and he has much better options now. I think it’s time you leave, before you really embarrass yourself.”

I take a step back, and her face radiates with delight. She thinks she's won and, based on the looks on their faces, the other servers think so too. But Atlas knows better. His eyes haven’t left mine since I stepped back into the lounge and I can see the thoughts swirling inside of his head. He’s wondering what I’ll do next. How I’ll handle this woman’s blatant disrespect.

The old Stevie would've attacked. She would've ripped the red hair out of her head and beat her in the face until she felt better. But I've changed a lot since the first time I visited Hell’s Tavern. Violence won’t be enough to deter these women, not by a long shot. They want the money and power that comes along with being with a man like Atlas, and will go through hell to get it. No. To earn my rightful place in this world, I need to show them that Atlas will never choose anybody else but me. That I am the queen he and his brothers have chosen.

“Ladies.” I call out, my voice carrying all the power and exuberance of royalty as I address the room. “It’s time to leave. Now.”

“We aren’t done yet.” The red-head sneers, acting as their spokesperson yet again.

I level my eyes on her and offer her a wintry smile. “You seem like a smart girl… um…” I trail off, signaling for her to fill in the blank.

“Katie.” She finishes for me, wrapping her arms across her chest as her eyes flick back and forth between me and her pack of hyenas.

“Katie.” I repeat back, flashing her a smile. “We haven’t been properly introduced yet, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt here. I'm Stevie, and right now, you still being here after I politely asked you to leave is crossing a fucking line.”

The red-head narrows her eyes at me. “I know who you are.” She spouts, shaking her head indignantly at me. “Jessie told us all about The Reapers’ new little toy.” She says, giving the other servers a knowing grin.

I let out a little laugh before narrowing my eyes at her. “I’m so glad she’s kept you in the know. Did she mention the only reason she’s still breathing is because I spared her life?” I ask, cocking my head at her. Katie’s smile falters and a shit-eating grin forms on my face. “How about the fact that after we were done with her and her men, there wasn’t a single spot on the floor not coated in blood?”

Katie’s eyes shift around the room uncomfortably, but she doesn’t say a word.

“I didn’t think so.” I say, shaking my head with a sad smile. “This will be my one and only warning.” I call out, wanting everyone within earshot to hear. “The Reapers are mine and if you or anyone else ever disrespects me again, I won’t have security escort you out. I’ll snap your fucking neck myself, just to prove that I can.”

I shoulder past her, and the other servers scatter the second they see me coming.

Katie stares at us with her mouth agape and her eyes rounded. “You-you can’t just threaten us like that.” Katie huffs, planting her hands on her hips. “We’re his employees. Atlas, aren’t you going to do something about this?”

“You’re right.” Atlas says, as his eyes roam the length of my body hungrily. “I definitely need to do something about her.”

Without bothering to give Katie another glance, he leans back against the blue suede sofa and locks eyes with me. “Come, Kitten.” He orders, patting his muscular thigh with a smirk. “Find out what Daddy thinks about your behavior.”

My face breaks into a smile when I hear my pet name slip from his lips. With anyone else, I’d view it as a slip up and move on, but with him, it’s different. Atlas is a very calculated man. He knows the crowd is watching and is lingering on every word we say. Calling me “Kitten” in front of them isn’t just a cute moment between the two of us, it’s a way of staking a claim on me. It’s showing everyone a glimpse at the deeper connection we have. If anyone was unsure of my importance in his life, calling me by my pet name just clarified it.

I can't help but smile at the hint of a challenge in his eyes. He’s gauging me, seeing if I’ll give in to his temptation. Everything about this moment feels so visceral. The way his intoxicating scent of rich amber wraps around me, the deep bass vibrating through my bones, even the hot sticky heat radiating off of the dance floor.

Accepting his challenge, I crawl into his lap and smooth down the silky blood red fabric of my dress.

Atlas stares at me as he wraps his hands around my throat and squeezes. Not enough to cut my airflow, but enough for my heart rate to kick up a few notches. The possessiveness in his eyes sets me on fire and as he grips my jaw and tilts my head from side to side, anticipation builds inside of me.

“What the fuck am I going to do with you?” He asks, looking deep into my eyes.

I visibly swallow and stare back at him. “Whatever you think is best.”

“Mmm.” Atlas groans, sliding his hand down my throat before pausing at the center of my chest. “Good answer, Kitten.”

He runs his fingers up and down the plunging neckline of my dress and it feels like my chest is going to explode. It’s a harmless touch, but everything about the way he’s looking at me feels so innately sexual that just having his hands on me feels provocative.

“You, in this,” he whispers, pulling me close as he swipes his tongue out to moisten his lips, “the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.” He lets out a deep breath and presses his lips to my ear. “It’s a shame I plan to rip it off of you tonight.” Atlas hooks his finger under my chin and pulls me in for a provocative kiss.

The kiss starts soft, sensuous even, but quickly grows dirtier as the heat between us builds. Atlas slides his hand to the back of my head and gathers my hair into a tight fist. He tugs slightly, and the sweet pain causes a little moan to slip from my lips. I feel him groan in my mouth and I readjust on his lap so we’re chest to chest.

Atlas’ body freezes and without warning, he breaks the kiss. My chest heaves and I search his eyes for some kind of explanation. What the hell, we were just getting started?

“As much as I’d love to continue,” He says, pressing a kiss to my forehead as his hand reaches for my chin and tilts it to my left. “We still have an unwelcome guest in our midst.”

My eyes flash to the server and see the unmistakable look of desire in her eyes as her entire face turns bright red.

“Pride is the crutch of the insecure.” Atlas says, speaking to her but never taking his eyes off of me. “My queen is being gracious enough to give you a second chance. Take it.”

I press my lips into the crook of his neck and try to hide my smile as she clumsily stomps away.

“I can’t believe she stayed to watch.” I say, pulling back to look him in the eyes.

Atlas smiles. “Can’t say that I blame her.” He says, staring at my flushed lips. “Besides, she wasn’t the only one watching.”

Atlas flashes his eyes toward the crowd and it clicks. Hell’s Tavern is deceptively dark and with the music pumping and the faces around us cast in darkness, it’s easy to forget we aren’t alone.

“Should we head home and finish what we started?”

“I have a better idea.” I say, dipping my hand between us and rubbing his hard length through his pants. “We wanted to make an impression. How about we give them a show none of them will ever forget?”

Before I can change my mind, and before he can try to talk me out of it. I stand up in front of him and make a show of tying my hair up. “My only question is, are you in?”

“As you wish, my queen.” Atlas stretches out his arms along the back of the sofa and flashes me a wicked smile.

Kneeling in front of him, I run my hands up and down his tree-trunk thighs and unzip his fly.

“You sure you want to do this, Kitten?” He asks, rubbing his thumb against my jaw.

I reach for his impressive cock and rub my thumb over the drop of pre-cum already forming at the tip. “I’ve never been more sure about anything.” I say, smiling up at him. Atlas’ golden brown eyes are blown with desire and seeing the way he’s staring at me only solidifies my resolve.

I lean over and guide his tip into my mouth, wincing a little at the stretch it takes to fit him all in. With my lips wrapped around his cock, I slowly glide my head up and down. Atlas groans and I move my head faster, encouraged by his sounds of pleasure.

Tears well in my eyes as I take him in deeper, but I don’t back down. I keep taking him deeper and deeper. His huge cock rams against the back of my throat and I instinctively jerk back, releasing him with a loud pop. I look up at Atlas, and his expression changes from concern to hunger the second he realizes I’m going back for more. I take his cock in again and this time; I glide my mouth up and down the length of his cock shamelessly.

It’s messy and drool dribbles down his shaft, but it only seems to turn him on more. His hands reach for the back of my head and he begins guiding my movements. Showing me how deep and how fast he wants it as his hips jut forward. He grits his teeth and groans as I work his massive cock, and despite having all the attention on him, I can already feel my wetness pooling.

It’s such a turn on to know he’s losing all of his composure because of me. To know that even-though I’m choking on his cock, I’m the one with the power and he’s the one at my mercy. He lets out an audible curse and, without warning, he jerks my head away from his cock.

My lips release his tip with a pop, and I flash him a wide smile. “Too much?” I ask, staring up at him through my lashes.

“Not nearly enough.” He grunts, pulling me up to my feet.

His hands wrap around my thighs and slowly inch their way up. I feel a sharp tug and before I know it; he rips my thong off of my body. Atlas flashes me a wicked grin as he crumples the black cloth and discretely tucks it into his suit jacket. His movements are quick, so lightning fast and precise, I doubt anyone else in the room knows what’s going on.

Atlas looks up at my face. “Well, Kitten?” He asks, moving his hands behind my knees. “Ready for the grande finale?”

“You want them to watch.” I note, narrowing my eyes at the anomaly sitting in front of me as I fight the urge to smile. It’s hard to believe that a few weeks ago, both he and I were denying our feelings for each other. We loved each other from afar for years and it’s strange to think now, in front of a room of people, at Hell’s Tavern of all places, our story is coming full circle.

“Maybe I do.” He says, pulling my knees in to straddle the sides of his hips. “You’re my queen. I want every person in this room to see who has, and who will always belong to me.” To finish his proclamation, Atlas slides his tongue up the center of chest and smirks, leaving me feeling a little lightheaded and delirious.

As crazy as it seems, something inside of me wants to be seen. To be possessed. To be claimed in front of a room full of strangers. To finally feel like I’m not alone, even if just for a moment.

I lower myself onto his cock and the sensation is almost too much to bear. He fills me so brilliantly, so fucking completely that taking all of him in feels otherworldly. Like there’s no possible way a cock can make me feel this good. I slide up his shaft slightly as we look into each other’s eyes and I groan.

Atlas pulls my mouth to his in a sensual kiss as he wraps his large hands around my waist. He slowly slides my pussy up and down his shaft, watching my reaction as I take in every inch of him. His strokes become more and more intense, and before I know it, he’s mercilessly pounding into me.

Atlas fucks me like he’s trying to resuscitate me. Like I’m on my deathbed and his cock is the only thing that can bring me back to life.

We fall into a steady rhythm with Atlas’ hips jutting forward and my hips grinding against him. I can feel the eyes on us now, and it feels so fucking good to stake our claims on each other in front of everyone.

Atlas’ control is fracturing right before my eyes and as he jams his cock deeper and deeper inside of me, my feverish body trembles on top of him and I feel myself come apart all over him. I cry out, but Atlas covers my mouth with his and brutally slams into me as he experiences a climax of his own.

Once we finally catch our breath and I’m able to form full sentences, I climb off him, smooth my dress down and retake my seat next to him as if nothing happened. Atlas stares at me with a mixture of unreadable emotions crossing his face.

“What?” I ask, cocking my brow. “Is there something on my face?”

Atlas lets out a little chuckle. “No.” He says, looking down to pick up his drink off of the coffee table. “You just surprised me.” His eyes flick up and he studies my face with pure abandon.

“Why?” I ask, with a smile. “Because I didn’t go completely ape-shit on her? Or because I let you fuck me in the middle of your club.”

Atlas smiles and I stare at the faint little crinkles starting to form in the corner of his eyes. “A little of both.” He says, chuckling to himself. “I’m impressed.”

I nod my head in agreement. “I think I'm finally learning that fighting doesn’t solve everything. I mean it can, temporarily. But in the long run, you can’t keep doing the same shit and expect a different outcome.”

“And what kind of outcome are you looking for?”

“I don’t know.” I say honestly. “As a kid, I always wanted my life to be like a fairytale. To find my prince and have a fairytale ending. But I think I gave up on having a happily ever after a long time ago.”

“That's fair.” He says, taking a sip of his drink. “Life has a way of altering plans and changing perspectives when we least expect it. What about now?”

“Now, I just want to be happy. For however long that lasts.”

“Do you think you'll ever find that with me?” He asks, looking up at me through his dark lashes. The vulnerability I see in his eyes punches me in the gut. He's putting himself out there, while I’m still guarding my feelings like my life depends on it.

“Forget I asked.” He says, setting his drink down to stand up. “It doesn't matter.”

He's right. It doesn't matter. I’m stuck with The Reapers whether I want to be or not. But at least I know that for Atlas Cole, my happiness means something to him.