One shots

Wild card

"When you do something beautiful and nobody noticed, do not be sad.
For the sun every morning is a beautiful spectacle, yet most of the audience still sleeps." -John Lennon

She awoke startled. A cold sweat breaking out across her skin. She breathed in heavy and ragged as the memories burned through her restless mind. She ran a hand over her face, exhausted from the constant battle she seemed to play inside of herself everyday. Her worn sheets sat in a tangled mess around her legs. She looks at the clock to see it was one in the afternoon. Her shift didn't start until three. She had time.

"Just a dream Nia, it's okay." She told herself,
hand against racing heart.

"What the hell am I gonna do to fucking solve this shit Linc?" He screamed in frustration.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, before running a hand through his slicked back hair. Nia was a innocent fucking child the last time he had seen, before when he was still in the life. When her brother was his best friend, and they ran their empire together.

"Her name is still big in their world, it doesn't matter if she never was part of it."

He felt pain, guilt, emotions he thought he'd had left behind. But just hearing her name two weeks ago had him almost coming to his knees. It took him back. Back to a life he swore he'd never turn back to. He cut his connections with that life. Stayed as far away as he could from the fucking fucked up brotherhood. And most importantly anything that reminded him of the brother he lost.

"So is yours Silas. You built an empire off of fencing and the other shit you used to do. You left the life, but your legacy outlives you."

Lincoln stood up clapping him on the back.

"I was trying to straighten this fucking place out more with the regulations as well as making sure to not have issues with the women. Just my fucking luck you past walked through the door."

If looks could kill, Silas had just sent Lincoln to the seventh pit of hell.

"Don't look at me like that." Linc held his hands up.

"From a legal standing, she signed that contract and she hasn't done anything that could risk her contract leading to her being fired."

He groaned like a man in agony.

"She is the risk Linc, knowing who she was, what she stood for could ruin this place." He remarked.

"There's fuck all you can do Silas. She's a grown ass woman, making her own decisions. I could say the same for you, I'm not naive I know you still have people involved in the world. But she didn't even hint at knowing you during the interviews. She's playing it safe and guarded."

"Fuck off." Was all he was able to mutter, shoulders sagged like a man with no fight left in him.

"She's playing Linc, I've known that girl her whole life. Somethings going on." The frustration was giving him a headache.

"Don't shoot the messenger dude. Look the most I can do is put her on the bar. It's the safest bet to making sure nothing happens, beside everyone who walks through our doors knows Tease is neutral space."

Without missing a beat and as an after thought he added, "and that way none of the men that walk in will also be able to get in the way." Without missing a beat he added, "unless she wants."

White heat courses through him at the thought of another man, seeing, grabbing out at her. The bar would serve as little barrier. And her knew there was nothing he could do to get her to quit. The motion of anger just tore him up inside more. The conflicting emotions of wanting her, feelings floor he didn't deserve to have her. He knew Linc was trying to push his buttons and like a fool ha played into it. With a single swipe he threw everything on the desk into the floor, storming into Lincoln's face.