Page 110 of Blissful Devotion

“Wait,” I reach out, my fingers closing around her wrist to stop her.

She turns to look up at me, the question clear on her face, but she doesn’t voice it.

“What’s up?” Des peeks his head back out of the car, but I wave him away.

“We’ll meet you at the house.”

I see understanding dawn on his face a second before the door closes on it.

With a quick tap on the roof of the car, it takes off, and I thank god when Desmond stays in the damn car as Vince pulls away.

“Where are we going?” Kat’s voice is muffled by her scarf wrapped around her neck, making her sound even more adorable than usual.

I don’t answer, instead reaching for her hand and fighting the urge to puff out my chest at how easily she laces her gloved fingers with mine as I pull her toward the club door.

Again I see the confusion on her face, but she follows, the music slowly increasing as we make our way down the hall toward the line.

“Mr. Lawson!” Mitch, our doorman, snaps to attention, standing at his full height as I pull Kat past the line of people, all of whom have now given us their full attention.

He pulls the red rope from the wall as we approach, letting us slip past before he clicks it back into place.

”Keep up the good work, Mitchell,” I shout back over my shoulder before we turn and head up the stairs. The door to keep everyone out is at the top of the stairs; only Oliver, Desmond, Alex, Vince, and I have access, with our fingerprints programmed into the lock.

Pressing my thumb to the pad, I make a mental note to have Kat added to everything later.

“What are we—oh wow…”

The lounge is huge, with floor-to-ceiling windows on the far side of the room that are actually one-way glass. They allow us to see the club, but not the other way around. It’s very modern but minimalistic, with a few dark gray couches and armchairs, a coffee table with two end tables, and a few high-top tables near the glass for when Des and Alex people-watch.

She moves to the glass, eyes wide, and I can’t stop the smile that pulls at my lips watching her. We’ve used this lounge for years, built it specifically for us to have a space, so while it’s made just for us, it's lost a little of its shine.

Kat, of course, found a way to give it back; she had a way of reminding me of all the beauty in the world.

That’s not the only thing that’s got me smiling, though, as my gaze flicks to the chair farthest from the door. The one that Vince currently occupies.

I should have guessed he would catch on and tag along.

I can’t say I blame him now that he’s finally given in; he has plenty of time to make up for it, after all, but what he does is up to him.

I have my own business to attend to.

The club is packed; the bass thunders through the building, even though the actual music is mostly canceled out. Lights shine, and bodies move around on the dance floor; business is booming.

“It’s crazy to think that not too long ago I was just nobody, sitting alone at the bar trying to drink away my sadness,” she says as I move to stand behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist, and pull her back into my chest.

“You were never a nobody, simply a queen waiting for her kingdom.” I lift her hand and press her palm to the glass. “A kingdom you’ve found.”

She tilts her head to the side, looking up at me over her shoulder.

“A family.” She corrects me with an arch of her brow, as if daring me to disagree.

I could never, not with anything like this, especially not when she’s right.

“A family.” I nod, and I know I’ve said the right thing when her lips pull up in a smile.

With my arms still wrapped around her waist, I spin her around in my arms and press her back to the glass, her tiny gasp letting me know I’ve caught her off guard.

Good.