Damn.
“Nothing’s going on,” Sixx lied (yes, yet again to a friend). “I just got a lead on a side job that, if I take it, and it looks like I’m going to take it, I’m going to need someone to go undercover in a sitch where I can’t do that.”
“That look on your face doesn’t say job. It says my girl is gettin’ herself some, and that gettin’ is a whole lotta good.”
Stellan didn’t miss a thing.
If possible, Sylvie missed less.
“I’m seeing someone,” Sixx muttered.
“Say what?” Sylvie almost yelled.
“I’m seeing someone,” Sixx snapped. “No big deal.”
“Like, someone you aren’t tying up?” she asked back, finishing, “Notthatthere’sanythingwrongwiththat.”
“People in my world hook up for more than just a hookup, Sylvie,” she educated.
“That look on your face says that’s the damn truth,” Sylvie shot back. “What’s his name and how long has this been going on? And warning, your answer better not piss me off seeing as my girl seeing someone means texting that info to her girl ahmeejeeatly, get me?”
“He and I, we’ve known each other years. But it started only recently. And so you’ll be fully informed, we’re living together. I moved in with him.”
Sylvie’s eyes took over her face.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Sixx said.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Sylvie parroted.
“No,” Sixx said sharply, hoping that’d be the end of it.
It wasn’t the end of it.
“Heads up, commitment-phobe, moving in is totally that big of a deal.”
It took some effort, but Sixx managed not to roll her eyes.
“At least he didn’t move in with you. And please, God, tell me he doesn’t live in a shittier studio than you used to,” Sylvie added.
“His place is…” Sixx couldn’t help but grin, “really nice.”
“Anything is nicer than that squat you used to call home.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” Sixx protested.
“It sucked,” Sylvie returned.
Sixx really couldn’t argue that.
“So spill,” Sylvie pushed. “What’s his name?”
She’d find out anyway considering, outside Aryas, Sylvie was the closest thing to a BFF she had in Phoenix—or anywhere—and Stellan simply wasn’t going anywhere.
And Sylvie also was a private investigator, so if Sixx didn’t spill, she’d go out of her way to learn what she wanted to know.
Sixx decided to save her the effort.
“Stellan,” she answered. “Stellan Lange.”
She didn’t have to say the second part.
On his first name, Sylvie’s eyes took over her face again, and she instantly snatched up her cell sitting on the table in front of her, engaged it, poked at it, and hit speakerphone so that Sixx could hear it ring.
“Sylvie—” she started.
“Yo, baby,” Tucker Creed’s voice said via speakerphone.
“Get this, partner,” Sylvie crowed. “Sixx is banging Stellan, and by banging I mean, all-moved-in-domestic-bliss-if-her-face-is-anything-to-go-by bang … ing.”
The good news was that she wouldn’t have to introduce Stellan to Sylvie and Tucker through some awkward dinner party or something. Clearly, for whatever reasons that could come about, they already knew him.
“Well, shit,” Tucker muttered, sounding amused.
Sixx looked up to the ceiling.
“She’s totally loved up,” Sylvie declared, and Sixx moved her eyes back to her friend in order to glare at her. “It’s coming out of her pores so bad, it’s turning me on.”
“Then finish your meeting quick, baby, and get your ass to me.”
“Roger that,” Sylvie replied.
“And tell Sixx I’m glad for her,” Tucker said. “Stellan’s solid.”
He could say that again.
“I’m right here,” Sixx piped up. “You’re on speakerphone so pretty much everyone at Sip knows I’m banging Stellan.”
“Glad for you, babe,” Tucker repeated, sounding like he was laughing.
Sixx shook her head.
“I gotta get this meeting done so I can get to you and work out this vibe,” Sylvie cut in. “Love you, hubs. Later.”
“Love you back,” Tucker said before Sylvie disconnected.
“Was that necessary?” Sixx asked.
“Totally,” Sylvie said through a grin with her straw to her lips before she sucked. After she sucked, she asked, “Do you tie him up?”
“He’s a Dom,” Sixx sighed.
“Bummer,” Sylvie muttered. “I was having visuals of Stellan Lange tied up. I love my man hard, but they were good ones.”
Sixx knew how that felt.
“So, he’s a Dom, and that’s your swing too, so how’s that work?” Sylvie asked curiously.
“He ties me up.”
Sylvie grinned. “Even better.”
“And gives me toys,” Sixx went on, not wanting to, but knowing Sylvie wouldn’t let it go.
“Yowza,” Sylvie said, her eyes dancing. “Niiiiice,” she finished on an exaggerated drawl.
Sixx’s brows went up. “Can we talk about work now?”
Sylvie put her drink down, nodding. “Sure. Shoot.”
“You know the Bolt?” Sixx asked.
“Yup,” Sylvie answered.
Sixx laid out what Carlo told her, watching Sylvie’s face get serious while she did.
She concluded that with, “I’ve done some research on all the partners. Like my guy said, Josh Coates is a flake, but he’s as solid of one as you can get as far as I can tell. Barclay Richardson is just straight-up good people, and from what I got after making a few calls this morning to players I know in that scene, he’d lose his mind if he knew this was happening. The last asshole, Pete Beardsley, is just that. An asshole. He’s a mess. Got a rap sheet. Petty shit, but it includes possession with the intent to distribute, something that he pleaded out, and soliciting a prostitute, twice. It’s primarily his mismanagement that led the Bolt to nearly having to close down before they recruited Richardson to buy in, turn the place around and run it. Which he does. Efficiently. And now it makes a good profit. The three players I talked to report Beardsley is skeevy, most the women, subs and Dommes, stay well away. And they all shared that they think something has been up recently, at least the past couple of months, since he suddenly has a stable of females available to him when no one would touch him.”
“So he partakes as well as hires out,” Sylvie mumbled.
Sixx nodded. “Apparently. I can’t know unless I get in there. My guy is setting up a meet with me and Josh. That’s happening this afternoon. But if I take it on, I can’t go in like I’d need to. I’m known in the scene. I’d never get this guy to believe I’m ripe for the picking.”
“Babe, I want in on this with you,” Sylvie said, picking up her coffee, “but this is decaffeinated.”
Damn.
“You’re knocked up?” Sixx asked.
“Yep,” Sylvie answered before sucking back a sip.
“Again?” Sixx queried.
Sylvie swallowed and smiled as angelic a smile as she could, which meant it was naughty … but happy. “Yep.”
“Happy for you,” Sixx said softly, and Sylvie’s smile got bigger.
“I am too. Creed acts every time like it’s the first time, so he’s clomping that big body of his around on air. Jesse wants a baby brother. Rayleigh keeps screaming, ‘thithy!’ so I’m feeling where she’s going. I don’t care. It’s another being made of me and Creed, and he or she will be loved, and that’s all I need.”
Another being made of me and Creed, and he or she will be loved, and that’s all I need.
Sixx looked away.
“Serious as shit, sister,” Sylvie said quietly, “you and Stellan would make beautiful babies. He’s way hot, and you’re gorgeous.”
She and Stellan had had the day before. It was the most beautiful day of her life. No day could possibly surpass it. She knew that down to her soul.
And it sucked to realize right then that even though they’d successfully navigated that minefield, things might not be just smooth sailing.
Sixx looked back to her friend, cleared her throat, and stated, “We’re nowhere near there yet.”