#LUCKY (The Empire Series Book 2) (6 page)

"Now
that
just became my favorite date ever," they both laughed as he kissed her forehead.

Curling into his chest, Sami finally felt that connection she had always been missing with Cory. The moment was picture-perfect. She didn't want it to end, ever, but there was something nagging her about Declan that she couldn't explain. Instead of thinking too deeply, she insisted on enjoying the moment with her
boyfriend
.

I
t had been almost
a week since Declan's declaration of making them a couple, yet she hadn't heard a peep from him. She was beginning to think it was all a dream as she flipped the matchbook in her fingers. He explicitly stated he wanted to be more than just a hook-up.
Was she completely out of her mind?

Out of nowhere her phone began to ring. She hoped it would be Declan.

"Hello?" Sam picked up the phone without looking at the screen first.

    "Hey, babe."

    "What the hell do you want, Cory?" Sam stated with exasperation in her voice.

    "I was hoping we could talk," he pleaded.

    "Cory, I have nothing to say to you."

    "Sam, look, I screwed up. I know it."

    "You slept with my sister, Cory. What is there to talk about? I think it's pretty cut and dry," Sam argued.

    "Can we look past the fact that it was your sister for a minute?"

    "Are you serious? Are you fucking serious?" Sam yelled into the receiver.

    "I just think I can be a better man with you by my side."

    "Cory, nothing could make you a better man."

    "Why would you say that?"

    "You said and did terrible things to me while we were together. Things I'm not sure I can forgive, especially the things you said to me weeks ago."

    "I said it out of anger and I'm sorry. I saw you with that douche bag and...I wasn't thinking clearly."

    "Think before you speak. And Declan isn't a douche bag; he's quite lovely actually."

    Sam was hoping desperately that Declan truly was a standup guy. The incident with Demi had her worried though. What if he really was as bad, or worse, than Cory?

    "Well, I did a little checking around on your boy and I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. Don't go spreading it around to just anyone, sweetheart."

    "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

    "All I'm going to say is, it would behoove you to check out Club Star at ten tonight."

    "Cut the cryptic bullshit, Cory, just tell me what's going on," Sam growled as her anger mounted.

    "Ten. Club Star. Be there. Later, sweetheart."

    Cory slammed the phone down just as she was about to react. A sick sensation rushed over Sam's body as she alleged every scenario Declan could be in. Then she began to this of the note exchange, the matchbook and late night calls. The gut wrenching feeling just would not subside.
What was he hiding?

    What Sam didn't understand was why. If Declan really
was
that attracted to her, why would he keep anything from her, especially since he knew her past with Cory. The only way to find out was to check out Club Star tonight.

  "
A
m I dumb
or stupid for doing this, Mike?” Sam inquired as she was applying another layer of lipstick at the bar. Mike leaned against the slippery countertop, getting into her face.

    "I can't answer that for you, sweetie. I wish I could, but you have to make that decision on your own. Would it make you feel better if I went with you tonight? A little brut power never hurt anyone. "

    "I'm going in blind. It really ticks me off that Cory told me this, too. Even without him, he still attempts to fuck up my life. I'm never going to get away from him. I would love for you to come with."

    "You will get over him, even if that means I have to scare the shit out of him to leave you alone. I've got news of my own."

    "You got engaged to Angie?" she joked.

    "Angie and I broke up. Far-off from engagement, regrettably."

    "What? ! What happened?"

    "I just couldn't handle the constant hot, cold, behavior, not to mention her continuous career changes. I need something stable, and she is not stable at all."

    "I'm sorry, Big Mike."

    "I'm not," he laughed. "I just need to lay low for a while. Women are like a jigsaw puzzle, Sami. Y'all are the oddest beings on the planet.”

"I feel like I should resent that, but on a bizarre level, I agree."

Mike looked at her with raised eyebrows as he poured her a seven and seven.

"You know, you don't have to do this. Cory might be up to something just to be an asshole. Would that be too farfetched?"

"I could hear it in his voice, Mike. He's up to something and I want to find out what. I genuinely like Declan and if he feels the need to keep things from me, well, that's deal breaking."

"What if he has a legitimate excuse for his actions?" Mike looked on with concern.

"I guess I won't know until I get there," Sam felt apprehensive even uttering the words.

"I just worry about you, Sami. I don't want to see you get hurt again, particularly if Dec is anything like Cory."

"Let's hope he's nothing like Cory."

Virtually interrupting her response, her cell began to ring – Bee.

"Hey Sam-Sam."

"Hey Bridge, what's up?" Sam offered.

"I wanted to check in on you. I've called a couple time and I hadn't heard anything from you," Bee tiptoed. She positively knew about Cory and her.

"Who told you?" Sam asked slightly bothered.

"Hear me out, Sami," Bee implored.

"If you called to take Maggie's side, you can hang up right now. I have nothing to say to her."

"Maggie called extremely distraught a couple weeks ago. She seemed really upset, sweetie."

"Bee, she slept with my boyfriend. I have little respect, nor sympathy for her right now."

"This is different, Sami. I've never heard her like this before," Bridge begged.

"Maybe she should have thought about that before she came barreling into my world like a bull in a China shop," Sam was starting to get agitated with the conversation.

"I will not deny she could have chosen an alternate guy, but..."

"...but nothing, Bee. She's an alcoholic and a train wreck on a warpath to destruction. You can't say this is anything new. She's been on this roller coaster for far too long. I've cleaned her tears, held her head when she was puking everything but her high heels, and I'm exhausted. This time she took it too far."

"She's your sister, Sami," Bee cried.

"Not anymore," Sam stated as she hit the 'End' button.

"Trouble on the home front?" Big Mike asked looking alarmed.

"I must have been a horrible person in my past life to deserve all of this. Cory, Declan, and now Maggie, all seem to want to make my life challenging."

Bridget's call only fueled a fire deep within her gut. If she wasn't going to resolve or mend fences with Cory and Maggie, the least she could do was to repair her complications with Declan.

Sami's phone began to ring again.

"What, Bee?"

"Wow, that's a nice way to greet your intern. You okay?" Quinn questioned with distress.

"I'm sorry, Quinny. I thought you were my older sister."

"Negative. I was just calling to see when you were going to get down here to Club Star?"

"You're already there?" Sam asked with a quizzical look. Mike's ears perked up to hear there would be another female joining them. Sam tended to be the cock block when it came to his getting laid when they went out. After he landed Angie, she was overjoyed she didn't ruin it for him.

"Yeah and you better get down here," Quinn offered.

"Who's Quinn," Big Mike tried to interject as he whispered in her ear.

Swatting him away, "Why? You're scaring me, Quinn."

"Hey, hey, who's Quinn," Mike badgered again as he got closer to the receiver.

Pushing Mike's face away, "Is Declan there?"

"Yep, and so is Demi. Who's that in the background?"

"It's my annoying friend, Mike. You'll meet him tonight; he's giving me a ride."

Mike mouthed to Sam, "Is she hot?"

Nodding to get him to buzz off, Mike gave her a smirk as he shook his head up and down.

"Is he hot?" Quinn investigated.

"What the fuck guys? We will be there in a few and you can see for yourself. I need to get down there and see what the fuck is going on."

Hanging up the phone with Quinn, Sam jumped off the bar stool, clutching her handbag.

"Ready to go, Big Mike?" Sam rushed.

"Let me tell Kyle we are headed out, and we will be good to go."

"I'll be right here," she stood and crossed arms at her impatience.

Getting antsy, Sam checked her phone. She just missed a call from Maggie. Yeah, fat chance she was going to answer that. At least she was finally attempting to reach out and make contact. Maggie was a walking disaster that Sam didn't have time for right now. She had enough on her plate already for her to deal with her little sister's problems, too. 

"Ready to go?" Mike asked, clutching his spare helmet.

"I forget you have that death trap on two wheels," Sam shivered.

"It's not a death tap, Sami. I happen to be an excellent driver," Mike helped Sam on the back of the bike.

Straddling the seat in her tight leather pants, she strapped on the helmet. Mike climbed on the giant chopper. Reeving the engine, the metal machine roared to life.

    "Hold on tight, Sami."

    "I thought you said you were a safe driver?" She suddenly felt nervous.

    "Oh, I am, but that doesn't mean I don't like to go fast," he grinned hitting the throttle.

    Without another word or objection, they were off in a flash. Zipping down streets and weaving in and out of traffic panicked Sam. She clinched her firsts onto Mike as she squeezed her eyes shut, shielding her from the imminent destruction.

    Coming to a stop in the alley adjacent from Club Star, Sam removed her arms, trembling at the experience.

    "I never want to do that again. Every time I get on that devil machine, I want to barf. No thanks."

    "Where's your sense of adventure?"

    "Clearly far, far away from here," she finally smiled as she removed her helmet.

    While fixing her hair, she heard the Tinkerbell voice of Quinny.

    "Nice fucking bike," she stated as she approached the two. "Is that the new Harley fat boy? Look at those 17-inch wheels. What is that...bullet black? Oh my, God, you got the blacked out exhaust too. Nice."

    "I think I just fell in love," Big Mike stammered.

    "Hi! I'm Quinn," she extended her diminutive hand to the gentle giant.

    "I'm Mike, Big Mike, Brutus, anything you want, really."

    Sam watched their exchange and for a split second was really blissful for them both. Until tonight, she never would have pictured the two as hitting it off. Then again, Mike had been taken for years. He had always had eyes for Angie, but this was the first time she actually saw a spark in his eye. She missed this Mike.

    "That's a mouthful, Onyx," she gave him a cute grin.

    "Onyx, huh? I'll take it," he gazed at her, getting lost in time.

    "Are we done with the introductions? I have a boyfriend to spy on," Sam urged.

    "What does that say about you that you have to spy on your own boyfriend, sweetie?" Quinn looked concerned.

    "Either I let another asshole roll me over, or I rip the Band-Aid right now before I really start to get attached. Which would you prefer?"

    "You're probably right, but why not ask him up front?" Mike questioned.

    "This isn't going to be, 'gang up on Sami night,' okay?" She scolded them as they made their way into the club.

    "Sorry," the two said in unison.

    Immediately the loud music inundated them as the lights bounced off the vaulted ceilings. There were bars on either side of the club, but straight-ahead was a staircase that led up to the private rooms. Standing next to the staircase was Declan himself with Demi's arm clutching his bicep.

    "I'm going to get us drinks. Quinn, wanna follow?" Mike asked politely.

    Without any acknowledgement or head nod, Sam made a beeline for her Irish gentleman. She was much too quick for Declan to see her coming, but all of a sudden she was up in his face.

    "Sam!" He exclaimed as he turned to see who had grabbed his arm. "What are you doing here?"

    "I should be asking you the same. I got a call from someone telling me to be here to find out. I can see you are occupied." Looking toward Demi, "I guess this relationship really
is
complicated."

    "Sweetheart, you have no idea what you're talking about," Demi snickered.

    "What? Is it just sex? Is that all I was, too?" Sam questioned as the fury rose in her chest.

    "Sam, it was never just about sex with us."

    "Let her come up and find out what
is
going on," Demi offered with a smirk.

    "I tried to keep you as far away from this as possible. I’m so sorry. Take my hand, darlin'," questioning her sanity the entire flight up the staircase, Sam huffed in defeat.

    As they approached the first private room, Demi knocked on the door. Meeting her gaze was a giant bouncer.

    "Demi," he acknowledged.

    What she saw next was not at all what she was expecting.