Tough as Steele

  “Elise!” I ran up to her, hugging my best friend.

  “Why are you here?” She grinned, her eyes staring behind me. “Is that fuck-me man?”

  “Elise,” I snapped. Logan came up from behind me.

  “I’m Logan.” He extended a hand, which she shook.

  “You fucked fuck-me man?”

  “Keep your voice down.” I didn’t want people to hear us, it’s not like we were alone, but Elise tended to be loud in the most awkward places. It was one of the reasons I both loved and hated her at the same time.

  “Fuck-me man fucked her a couple of times,” Logan chuckled, wrapping his arm around my waist. I groaned, rolling my eyes.

  “Ooooo this is saucy!” She grinned, eyeing Logan up and down.

  “Stop stare-fucking him,” I ordered. I could feel myself getting possessive.

  “I can’t help it,” she winked at me. I wanted to reach out and slap her.

  “Elise. Aren’t you fucking my brother?” I cocked my head, and she nodded. “Then you can help it.”

  “Want a drink?” Logan asked

  “Yes, Pinot Grigio please.” Logan’s hand moved from my waist as he walked towards the bar.

  “I can’t believe you fucked him.” She winked at me, giving me a high five. “But why are you bringing him to your dad’s events?”

  “Okay…so you know the investor I had to meet the next morning?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It was Logan.”

  “No way!” Her hand shot in front of her mouth, and then she started laughing.

  “Why did I even tell you?” I asked her, pressing my hand to my temple.

  “That is hysterical!” She laughed, tears starting to come from her eyes. “Is he good?”

  “Life changing. I’ve never had better sex.”

  “You’re killing me! But why did you bring him?”

  “I haven’t seen him in a couple weeks, he’s been out of the country on business. He’s invited to Alfred’s events anyway, so we just came together.”

  Elise chuckled at me, “You've got it bad, so bad.”

  “I don’t have anything”

  “You’re so blind.”

  “I crave some good dick, okay?”

  “I can quench that craving,” Logan muttered, handing me and Elise both drinks.

  “Oh, I know.” I planned on satisfying my hunger as soon as we get out of there, which couldn't come soon enough. I looked around the crowd, spotting my father with Seb, talking to some people. He spotted me, and they both came walking over.

  “So, fuck-me man, what are your intentions with Brook?” I almost choked on my wine. Luckily, Seb and Alfred came up at just the right time so that we could avoid the lovely direction that Elise had turned our conversation to.

  “Darling, how have you been?” Alfred came in, giving me a hug, Logan kept his grip on me. His hand still stayed at my hip. It seemed I wasn’t the only one that was possessive.

  “Good, just keeping busy.”

  “I can see that.” Alfred stared at Logan, making me aggravated. He didn’t have a right to judge me, or to have any input on what I did with my free time.

  “Do you want to change that tone with me?” Momma didn’t raise no bitch. I didn’t just sit by and let people walk all over me. It was not in my DNA.

  “Logan, we should have a word.”

  Logan’s grip tightened on my hip, giving me a good squeeze. He brushed his lips over mine “I’ll be back in a minute.” Then, walked away with Alfred.

  ***

  Logan

  I could feel the tension in my body as I walked away from Brooklyn, following her father over to the side where there weren’t that many people. As my thoughts drifted back to the altercation with my ex-wife, my hand drifted down, and I let my fingers trace over the outline of my gun holster, which wasn’t something that would really be picked up on by another person unless they knew it was there. I could tell that he didn't like me all that much, but who really gave a fuck? The relationship that I shared with Brooklyn was nobody’s business but our own, and I really had no idea why Alfred thought he needed to get involved in what we had. Nothing would break us apart. I wouldn’t let anything happen to Brook, not on my watch.

  “Logan,” Alfred started, his hands clasped in front of him. The look on his face told me that this conversation was going to be anything but pleasant.

  “Alfred,” I replied, feeling a bit cocky.

  “I have a bad feeling about this. About what’s going on with you and my Brook.” The way Alfred said that Brook was his, really got on my nerves. Reggie, my security guard had done a lot of digging, after that night in the bar I found out a lot about my Brook, like how her father had just entered her life a few short years ago.

  “About what? We’re both adults, Alfred. What we have together is between us.” I was going to stand my ground. I wouldn't let Alfred try and knock me around.

  “I think you're hiding something from Brook. From me. From all of us.” I froze a little bit, but I shook it away before Alfred could realize anything was wrong, even going to the extent to lift my hand off my thigh, so that his eyes wouldn’t be drawn to the spot. I knew for a fact he wouldn’t be able to tell that I was armed, but in a situation like this, I could never be too sure. Alfred would pull anything he could to get me away from his daughter, and I had to do everything possible to make sure she wouldn’t find out about my other business, at least not yet. She was not ready to know. I didn’t want to scare her away, and I knew that would happen if she found out too soon.

  I laughed in his face. “Like what? Brook and I have a stable relationship. I don't know why you can't mind your own business.” I could feel my fists clenching as I resisted getting too angry.

  “If you say so, Steele. You know...getting involved with a business partner can make things go completely terrible if something was to happen.” I furrowed my brows. What the hell was he talking about? Was he going to do something to our relationship? Hell no.

  ***

  Brooklyn

  “What’s that about?” Elise prodded. It was about Logan seeing me. I was sure. A few minutes passed by before Logan returned, walking up to us and returning his hand to my hip. Alfred was seeing red, his face turning the actual color, and if it was possible, I was sure smoke would be coming out of his ears at any moment.

  “Logan.” Alfred was sending him a warning.

  “Alfred, your daughter’s an adult and is perfectly capable of making her own decisions regarding our relationship.”

  “What did you say to him?” I asked Alfred, who had a glare directed at Logan.

  “I just reminded Logan how the fallout of your relationship could negatively affect our business relationship.” Oh. He was playing that card.

  “Then tell me, how did the fallout of my relationship with Bryce negatively affect your relationship with Jaclyn and Jackson Monroe?” It didn’t. That was my point.

  Their son got me hooked to cocaine, and my father continued to have a lasting business relationship with them. I was really starting to see his true self now.

  I was calling his bluff. “He’s too old for you. He’s thirteen years your senior Brooklyn. Think about your public image.”

  “The only image you’re worried about is your own.” I placed my right hand over Logan’s, turning around and leading us back to his car. I couldn't stand to be around my father anymore.

  “Sorry, I can’t just sit around and take that kind of attitude. If I didn’t leave I would blow the fuck up. Now that, that would affect my public image.” I laughed saying the last bit, imagining the headlines of that story.

  “Don’t apologize. You have a good backbone, I admire that about you.” Logan unlocked his car, opened the passenger side for me, and he slid in the driver’s seat.

  “Logan, why do I get the feeling he doesn’t like you?”

  He laughed at me, “Because he doesn’t. We are cordial with one another because my father had devel
oped a business relationship with him. Steele Enterprises isn’t run by my father anymore. I’ve made a lot of changes, which ultimately affected Alfred’s businesses. I’m his biggest competitor, Brooklyn. You’re literally sleeping with the enemy.”

  I laughed at him, covering my mouth to try to prevent myself from continuing.

  “That’s hysterical,” I chuckled, wiping back tears. I almost told Alfred something else when he made that remark to me in the park. I tried to hold my laughter back. Logan’s hand skimmed over my thigh as he drove down the road.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Doesn’t sound like nothing”

  “I was thinking about what I almost said to Alfred.”

  “Which was?” I glanced to Logan, whose eyebrows were raised, shooting me small looks as he paid attention to the road.

  “Blame it on my daddy issues.” He laughed, giving my thigh a squeeze.

  Chapter 9

  Brooklyn

  It was nice to be back in LA, even if there was a certain someone I kept thinking about, whether I wanted to admit to it or not. LA was a place of glamour and sunbathing, and where I did most of my modeling shoots.

  I was sitting in my trailer on the beach while Manny, my makeup artist, was applying my beauty products to my face before the shoot.

  "Oh, I am just so jealous of your hair, Brook. It always does just what it is supposed to. And these cosmetics are so brilliant. Have you found an investor yet?" Manny asked as he fussed over me.

  I smiled. Manny had always been my biggest supporter, and for good reason. He had known two people who had gotten breast cancer, and he was a member of the PETA street team. He was a big proponent of cruelty free and chemical free cosmetics that still looked beautiful. I gave him that. "I actually did, Manny," I told him, and his face lit up as I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was in soft waves, going along with the beach theme of the shoot. I always loved the way Manny could make my face transform as well, looking like some glamourous celebrity rather than someone who had been through hell and back.

  "See, I told you that you would find someone. You are too talented not to take this so far," Manny gushed, finishing up my eyelashes.

  I was directed out towards the set to get ready and was instantly greeted by a good, old friend of mine, Greer Matthews.

  Trying not to mess up our hair or makeup, we shuffled over to each other and gave distant, careful hugs. "It's so good to see you again. It’s been too long." I gushed. Greer was a tall blonde with a hint of copper in her hair. She was pale with these piercing ice blue eyes that photographers either loved or hated. She was a great LA model, even more beautiful than the current standard.

  "It's good to see you too. I haven’t been around for a bit. I have just been taking small contract jobs here and there while I’m finishing up my last few months at FIDM, and I don’t have a new agent yet. Though, I am looking," Greer explained.

  "I am sure you'll find one. You’re gorgeous, but what is this I hear about you starting to design clothing now?" I asked her as the photographers were still setting things up for us. Modeling was glamourous and all, but it was also a lot of waiting around.

  "I am, actually. I just love doing it. I graduate from FIDM in six months. I have this plan to use the money I make from modeling to fund the manufacturing of my clothes. I was looking for an investor, but I was so unsure of what I was doing. I need to do some more research first."

  "My boyfriend is actually an investor." Did I just pop out with the word boyfriend? What was wrong with me? Ugh, I wondered if Logan had the power of hypnosis. “I could put in a good word for you."

  "Are you serious?' Greer squealed. "That is so amazing. I would owe you big time, really. I totally appreciate it."

  "Of course, I would. You're one of my closest friends in the modeling world. It makes me sad that we don’t get to see each other so often since I live so far away, but I am happy to have a friend like you." I had actually met Greer in my early teens, when we were modeling way back then. We had been friends ever since, even from far away.

  "Oh, Brook, I have missed you."

  "You know, a friend and I are going clubbing later. You should tag along," I offered, wanting to spend more time with her while I was in town.

  "God that sounds amazing. I’m in!”

  Just then, it seemed to be the crew was ready to start the shoot. So, Greer and I were told to sit down in the sand, the waves just barely lapping at us on one side. The water was a little chilly as it hit my bare skin, but I was used to those kinds of conditions. Models didn’t flinch.

  Our arms rested on our knees, and our heads turned towards the camera, posing. Then, we laid down in the sand on our backs and stomachs for some aerial shoots. That was when the fun got to happen. These beach shoots always took on two moods; the serious photos for high fashion and the fun ones, where we got to play on the beach while they snapped away. They would choose what looked best for the brand when they went over the proofs.

  I took the white jacket I had to cover the bathing suit while I was standing and waiting before and tossed it at Greer. It caught her off guard and made her laugh.

  Greer grabbed it at the same time I did, and we had a tug of war, both of us running around and digging our feet into the wet California sand. We began to laugh, and Greer let go, letting me fall down on my ass. I loved how it didn’t always have to be so stiff and that I had reunited with my friend. This was going to be a fun night.

  ***

  I was pumped, ready to party with my girls. We were all at the bar ordering our drinks when Elise heard her favorite song come on and went off to dance, guzzling her vodka down faster than I could have imagined. Atlanta had some great spots to have fun, but nothing beat the party scene in LA. Though, my thoughts, as I looked around The Studio, the club we had come to, were on Logan. It wasn’t just because certain parts of me were craving him as I ordered a shot of tequila; it was because he had mentioned he owned the place when I talked to him earlier.

  Everyone in Atlanta made jokes about how the Steeles owned the city, so I knew he owned a lot there. But I didn’t know he invested in quite a bit outside of Atlanta as well, including this club.

  I took the shot at the same time that Greer took hers, slamming the glass back down on the bar and then going for one more before I saw Elise on the dancefloor, making a fool out of herself all alone. I looked to Greer and we both cracked up before I took her hand and led her out to the dance floor with me, just as an Usher song came on. I was taken over by the music for a moment, just dancing with my girls as my hair swung from side to side, no longer perfectly quaffed from the shoot.

  "Sloane!" Greer called out loudly, and I turned my head to look towards the bar where we had been sitting before. I had met Sloane a couple of times but didn’t know her very well. Greer's family had adopted her when she was about ten. The opposite of Greer, she was at least in part, Latina, with black hair, brown eyes, and tan skin. She was also, generally, the louder of the two. Greer's loudness could be contributed to the alcohol. But then again, Greer had always been a bit of a lightweight.

  "Hey bitches!" she called, loud enough to hear over the booming bass. It made me laugh a little. Greer was so right about how loud she was. After we finished the song, we went over to her, sitting back down at the bar for some more shots.

  "So, Elise, what is your take on this one’s new boyfriend?' Greer asked Elise.

  "Oh, he’s a total hottie. They met at a club, and they instantly had the hots for each other. I can’t believe she roped him down, though," Elise answered, sipping at her martini.

  "Well, it sounds like he's a hottie with money," Greer said. I rolled my eyes. It so annoyed me when they talked as if I wasn’t there. "He's an investor."

  "Yeah, he’s a Steele," I said, wanting to get my own word in the conversation.

  "A Steele?" Sloane shouted, making some of those around them turn and look at her strangely. "Is he the man t
hat owns this club? You have scored big time. Take it to the bank, girl!" Some of her Latina spice was coming out the more she drank.

  I shook my head and scoffed. "You guys are so embarrassing."

  "Just wait, we aren’t done yet!" Sloane piped up again, dragging her sister to the dancefloor. Elise did the same with me for another round of shaking our asses around as a Britney Spears song blasted form above. I had to admit, this one was my jam.

  We were all singing along and having a good time when I felt someone come up behind me, trying to grind on me. "Yeah, that’s how I like it." I had forgotten what kind of trash you could run into in this city if you went looking for it. I bumped him off of me and tried to ignore him, but the man came right back, his hands on me as they shouldn’t have been. My mind closed in on me, thinking about the way Bryce had treated me. As far as I was concerned, this might as well have been him.

  I slapped his hands off me and turned around, tears threatening to sting my eyes. "Get the fuck off me before I call my boyfriend. He owns this club."

  Chapter 10

  Logan

  I looked at my phone, annoyed that it kept going off. Jordan was the name on the caller ID, and I was certain it could wait. I had just spoken to both of my brothers that morning as I was preparing to take another small shipment by myself, personally, to some friends of mine in Tennessee. They were in a pickle and needed the extra ammunition, it wasn’t necessarily smart for me to be doing this on my own, but I knew the DEA would never expect me to do something as stupid as this. I was hiding right under their damn noses.

  I pulled up to the club, church as they liked to call it. My friends happened to be members of a powerful motorcycle club known as the Skulls Renegade MC. Their Prez, much like myself, had been handed the club and turned it as legit as he could. For someone who made a career out of being a criminal, he was a good guy. Most of them were pretty good people.

  I walked inside and saw my friend Oliver, known more familiarly as Seamus. He was standing with his girlfriend, Daisy. I hadn’t seen either of them in a while, but it looked like she was pregnant. Perhaps congratulations were in order.