Hard to Love

6. Seth

"The meet's all set up." I've just about finished the rundown with the guys at the far left side of what will be our bar. The brown paper is laid out on the floors and the furniture is covered in cloth. The painters are coming back tomorrow since I had to kick them out early for this meet. Club Allure is coming together, piece by piece. "We've got a fight next weekend, so let's get the ring moved downstairs."

"The place isn't finished," Connor interrupts me. He's leaning against the primed walls next to Cade, who's in charge of the books, and Liam. Liam is Connor's brother and looks just like him. Especially now that they're both wearing dark jeans and dark t-shirts. Cade's the odd one in a crisp white shirt and black khakis. The rest of these guys couldn't give two shits about appearing professional. Cade comes from a different background though. He's all about numbers and left a top accounting firm to come work for me.

In another life, I'd wear suits every damn day. We don't do that here though. The men before us who wore suits destroyed any desire I had to put on tailored clothing.

"Doesn't matter," Cade speaks up, turning his head to face Connor and leaning forward so he can see him. He's the one who came to me with the idea of a fight club.

"You think anyone betting on the fights downstairs gives a shit what this floor looks like?" Derrick asks Connor, his question dripping with sarcasm.

The three of those men side by side look like they could be their own Irish crew. If things were the way they were two years ago, they'd probably be dead. The Irish didn't last too long when Michael Vito took over. The three of them are as Irish as they come. Cade comes equipped with a hint of an accent too; he's first generation. With tats trailing up his right arm, it's easy to tell him apart from Liam. He's taller than Liam too, with lighter, longer hair on the top of his head. Liam looks more clean-cut. His short hair's always neatly trimmed, as is his facial hair. Even though Cade left the business world, you'd think Liam was the one who was trying to be white collar based on how they look.

"You two," I say as I gesture on both sides of Connor to the other two Irish men. "You get the say since this gig is your baby. Have it here, in the basement? Or keep it where we have been?"

"Here," Cade says, his accent peeking out. Liam agrees with his friend. The two of them are tight, another reason they'd have been knocked off years ago. I remember telling Connor that it was on him if Cade and Liam couldn't be trusted. I have a hard time trusting people. These two are the only two guys out of the five in my crew I've brought on in the two years we've been running this shit. I don't like new blood, Connor, Derrick, Roman and I have been through everything together. We don't need anyone else. Cade and Liam can be trusted though and it's better to keep them close. So it's just my five guys and me.

That's enough for now.

"Good. I'm ready for things to start changing and the first—"

"Yo," Derrick says, cutting me off and leans his head to my right. The dark black glass for the front double doors was just installed and Laura's admiring it from where she's at the other side of the bar, still holding one door open.

"I knocked," she bellows when I call out her name to get her attention. She looks cute in a tight pair of jeans and a cropped top that shows off her stomach. Just the sight of her makes my cock twitch. My first instinct is to smile, thinking she's come to surprise me, but then I see her expression.

"Come on down," Derrick calls out to her.

"Give me a minute," I tell the guys, not liking the look on her face. It's the one she gets when she's scared but she's trying not to be. I know it well. I take a few slow steps toward her as she takes the shortest path across so she doesn't have to walk the entire distance of the place.