The Cost of Control

MADDIE

“Please, right this way, Mr. Onyx.”

I led the new investor down the halls of the construction site.

We were headed toward a back room that Loch and Hael were using as their office during the construction. It overlooked the lobby of the casino, allowing them to see ~everything~.

This man had practically appeared out of thin air. But it was a blessing in disguise.

Loch and Hael thought they’d outsmarted me by monopolizing control over the casino.

To them, it was cute that I wanted to be their partner. But they didn’t really take me seriously, and that was a ~major problem~.

I pushed open the massive mahogany doors to the office. Both brothers were there, looking over plans that they had no intention of letting me see.

“Hello, gentleman,” I said with swagger. “This is Ash Onyx. He’s a new investor in the casino. And that means he’s your new partner.”

My mates looked at one another before returning their attention to the imposing man standing beside me.

They looked him up and down, confused by this mysterious man interrupting their closed-door meeting.

“We didn’t ask for a new investor,” Loch sneered.

“You might not have asked for one,” Onyx replied, “but there’s little doubt you need one.”

I should have been surprised by his curt reply, but I wasn’t. This guy had some serious balls on him.

“As your partner, I’ve asked him to join us,” I said, still feeling high and mighty. “I felt that we needed one more person to help bring these ideas to life the right way.”

“Money is of no concern to us,” Hael replied quickly. “You of all people should know that.”

“If money is no concern, then his presence shouldn’t bother you,” I retorted.

Mr. Onyx looked at me and gave a wink. Even if he did have ulterior motives for showing up out of the blue, I didn’t care.

With Ash by my side, Loch and Hael wouldn’t have me on such a short leash. Hopefully soon they’d be the ones wearing the collars…

The look on their faces told me everything I needed to know.

Onyx’s presence as an investor would throw a wrench in their plans—and that would allow me to have more say.

I was already beating them at their own game…

***

Hael

Fucking mouse!

Hael

And this asshole Onyx.

Hael

I’m going to wipe that smug look off his face!

Loch

She’s testing us.

Hael

If she plays with fire, she’ll get burned.

Loch

It looks like that’s what she wants…

HAEL

I watched as Maddie and Onyx left the room.

After waiting several seconds, Loch picked up one of the chairs at the table and broke it in half. Then I went ahead and broke another.

“She probably heard that,” I said.

“Good! Then she’ll know how fucking pissed I am.”

I smiled at his comment, but it sent me even further into my anger.

“She’s very clever,” I continued. “Which is usually a positive characteristic for a mate.”

“But Maddie’s too clever. Especially for her own good.”

“Or ours…”

As usual, Loch and I were on the same page.

I hated that she was trying to seize control of our casino. And I hated even more that she’d brought this ~Mr. Onyx~ into the deal.

He may have the money and the knowledge to help run a casino, but there was something off about him.

“We’ll need to keep an eye on Onyx.”

Loch nodded. “But first, we need to worry about our little rat problem.”

“She’s trying to teach us a lesson,” I said as I watched the construction below. “It seems as though being our mate is simply not enough.”

“Then we need to remind her of her place,” Loch said, a glimmer of mischief sparkling in his eyes.

For now, we would allow Maddie to think she had the upper hand. But the truth would hit her soon enough.

HARRY

Even though it was getting later in the evening, I was still at work.

It was part of my job to put together the employee forms, which included information about our dress code, rules of conduct, and NDA policies.

Maddie had put me in charge of sweating the small stuff so that she didn’t have to. It wasn’t what I wanted to do, but as her right-hand man, it was my job.

And I was getting shit done. At least, I was until Ash Onyx seemingly materialized out of thin air.

“This will not do,” he said, causing me to jolt up from my chair. “This will not do at all.”

Onyx was looking at my suit. And it felt like he was scrutinizing every inch of me.

I was wearing a blue pinstriped two-piece with a red tie. It was supposed to be a ~power look~ worn by successful men.

And up until Onyx arrived, I’d felt pretty confident in it.

“What won’t do?”

”Is this the type of suit you’re going to wear to the grand opening?”

I took another look at my suit, suddenly feeling as if I were shrinking underneath all the cotton and wool.

“It’s not the only suit I own.”

“I assume the others look just as gaudy, and I haven’t even seen your closet yet.”

~Yet? What the hell is that supposed to mean?~

Onyx stepped closer, the smell of his aftershave and cologne mixing together. I inhaled the scents, mesmerized by the remarkably handsome man whose face was inches from mine.

“If you’re going to be working for me, you’re going to look as good as I know you can.”

Again, I was taken aback by Onyx.

~Tall, handsome, comfortable in his own skin, knows what he wants…

Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

~Not to mention fucking rich…~

Ash Onyx was seriously checking all of my boxes and then some…

He touched the lapel of my suit and frowned. When I bought these suits months ago, I felt on top of the world.

Perhaps it was time to make a change in my style to match that of Onyx…

“What happens if I don’t live up to your standards?” I asked, uncertain.

“Is that something you’ll want to find out?”

He was already standing so close to me, but somehow he moved closer.

I swallowed hard, trying to push down the lust that was building inside.

“I’m not sure yet,” I admitted.

Onyx stopped inspecting my lapel and grabbed my tie, pulling down just enough to slightly choke me.

“Well, when you find out, let me know,” he said, letting go of my tie. “Then maybe we can start to figure out whatever the hell ~this~ is.”

Without another word, Onyx left the room, closing the door behind him.

I didn’t understand how the hell he got into the room without my knowing, but it didn’t matter.

Onyx was into me.

I was still breathless even after his departure, and I knew it could only mean one thing.

I was into him too.

MADDIE

It didn’t take long after introducing Mr. Onyx before Loch and Hael asked me to join them for a meeting. They were going to have a discussion with the site manager and they wanted my input.

But when I arrived at their office, they were waiting outside the massive mahogany doors.

“I thought we were having a meeting,” I said, confused.

“Oh, we already did,” Loch said coolly. “We wanted your advice on something else.”

I looked from one mate to the next before shrugging.

They were definitely still mad at me about the move I pulled earlier. Any dragon with their sense of pride would be…

But their body language was loose and confident as if they weren’t bothered at all by what I’d done.

They began to walk, and I quickly caught up, falling into place between them.

“We had a conversation with the site manager and have decided to allow the designs to the outside of the building,” Hael said nonchalantly.

“With a few minor changes, of course,” Loch added.

~Of course.~

“I’m surprised you’re not giving me more pushback,” I replied. “I thought you didn’t want it to look too gaudy.”

“Gaudy might be good,” Hael mused, “if given the right attention to detail.”

“We can live with a dragonhead as the entrance to our casino,” Loch said. “What we won’t have is you subverting our control.”

I followed my mates for several minutes, and began to realize we were walking through a part of the casino that I’d not yet visited.

The black tile ended at a series of steps leading down. At the bottom of the steps was a massive vault door.

~Fuck.~

I stopped before reaching the bottom of the stairs, and noticed Loch and Hael licking their lips.

“Come closer,” Hael said with a devilish smile. “We want to remind you who’s the boss around here.”