Ch.17 - Divine

Thomas instantly jumped up, pushing Alexis to arm's length before standing up over her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he said in a hushed shout.

Alexis gave a small eye roll. "It's called a kiss."

"Don't play smart with me," he snapped. "What made you think something like that would ever be okay?"

"Why not? Don't you like women or something?"

"You are not a woman, Alexis! You're the boss's da ... dependant."

"Who is a woman!"

"Who is a seventeen-year-old girl!"

Alexis' lips pursed tightly as she considered a comeback though her expression resembled hurt more than defiant.

Thomas let out an exasperated sigh before neatly setting black locks back with a clean run of his hand over his head. Then he returned to his place on the ottoman beside Alexis.

"I always thought you considered me somewhat of an uncle anyway," he said lightly.

Alexis pouted slightly at his words. "I don't know why you all think that."

"Well, you're Vincent's charge, but we all kind of raised you, so I ..." Thomas paused and looked at Alexis through slightly narrowed eyes before continuing. "I hope the circumstances that led to any such conversations with the other men were very different to what just happened now."

Alexis shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I mean, you know I've liked Jeoffrey forever. I clearly don't consider him an uncle."

"Yeah, well, he's Jeoffrey," Thomas said with a light laugh. "Probably not great uncle-material."

Alexis nodded as she watched Thomas a content smile gently set on her lips.

Thomas had a beautiful laugh. One that she didn't hear often. In fact, it was one she was sure no one heard often - no one except for Vincent anyway.

"That's why I like you more than I like Jeoffrey. He plays way too much! But ... I guess ... there's never going to be anything more than you being somewhat of an uncle to me, is there?"

"I'm afraid not, Alexis," he replied with a small shake of his head. "And I'm pretty sure all the other men of Blackthorn feel the same way." Thomas let out a low sigh as he rubbed his fingers briskly over his brow. "I swear I'll kill any one of them who would consider it okay to start an intimate relationship with you."

That was a response Alexis wasn't expecting.

"You would kill one of your Blackthorn brothers for me?" she asked.

Thomas' gaze locked onto hers, the truth of his intention speaking louder than words before he replied. "If any of them were to ever put their hands on you, they would no longer be my brother."

That made sense. Alexis had learnt a long time ago that Thomas was a man of strong principle - another reason she had grown to like him so much.

"Wow," Alexis uttered. "But not Vincent, right?"

"That would never become an issue," he answered, too soon to have given the question much thought. "Please tell me you don't have feelings like that for Vincent. Surely, he's more like a father figure to you than anything else."

Alexis shrugged.

She loved all of the Blackthorn men, possibly Vincent the most, but, "I've never thought of kissing him if that's what you mean."

"Good. Let's keep it like that."

Alexis laughed then. "Are you trying to protect me, or Vincent?"

"Both," he answered succinctly.

It was somewhat of a diversion from where she was hoping the conversation had gone, but it had led her directly to something else she had considered for quite some time.

"Can I ask you a question now?"

Thomas gave a small groan. "You may, though I feel I might regret it."

"Maybe." Alexis gave a nervous scratch of her head before trying he hair up in a matching lilac band. Then took in a deep breath before asking something that had played on her mind for a while. "Are you in love with Vincent?"

The word 'What?' left Thomas' mouth in a short puff of laughter.

"You can tell me."

"What? No. Of course not."

"It's just something you do whenever you talk about him, and then there's the way you are when you're with him." Thomas was listening and as far as Alexis was concerned, his lack of denial was his acceptance of her words.

"I owe Vincent my life," he eventually said. "And I would happily give it to him."

"Because you love him?"

"Because he's like a true brother to me."

"And you love him."

"Alexis!"

"Fine," Alexis cut quickly, there was no point in pushing it. "I just wish I could have that," she added, more as a wistful muse than anything else.

Thomas' eyebrows furrowed in question.

"That look you have when you're with him - pure, undying ... loyalty," she said, emphasising the last word.

Thomas smiled softly and nodded his head. "I'll accept loyalty over love anytime."

Probably the truest thing I've heard, Alexis mused.

After all, her father had supposedly loved her and from what she did remember, he had abandoned her to fend for herself before selling her on to Vincent. Vincent, she was sure, would never abandon or sell her.

"Loyalty over love," she repeated with a smile. "Though I would appreciate a kiss too."

Thomas smiled again and then leaned forward to place a small kiss on her forehead. "You'll get a real kiss in good time, Alexis. I'm sure. Just don't try kissing any more of our men. I meant what I said about killing somebody."

"Okay," Alexis sang, prolonging the vowels. "Just to let you know," she said after rising from her seat and taking a few large steps away from where Thomas sat. "I've already tried to kiss at least two other men here, but their response was pretty much the same as yours so ... no killing will be necessary."

Thomas' brow furrowed as he mouthed a confused 'Two?'

"Don't worry about who," she said, waving her hands dismissively in front of her. "Just know that I saved the best till last."

"I hope so," Thomas said his expression still stuck in contemplation most likely wondering who those 'two' were.

"You hope you were the last or that you're the best?" she asked breaking into a small giggle when Thomas' voice came out almost as a growl.

"The last, of course."

Alexis gave a small smile and salute while uttering the words "Promise," and then left the library, closing the door behind her.

This was the usual ending to one of their interactions.

Despite the bond that had grown between them, it seemed Alexis couldn't help but annoy Thomas at some point or another. It never bothered her much, though, as it was the only time she would get an emotional reaction out of him. Although, that day, he had shown a lot more emotion than in any other of their interactions.

Thomas shouting, for one, was rare if she had ever seen him do it in fact. Then she got, not only a smile but also a laugh which made her rejection almost worthwhile.

So much for spending time with Thomas, she thought with a slight giggle before turning her focus to where she could go next to cause a little mischief.

A thought that she didn't need to dwell on for long as Ren came into sight on the landing. His eyes narrowed momentarily when he noticed her shying away from Thomas' door.

"What you up to, Princess?"

"Just the usual," she sang moving closer to take Ren's arm in hers to walk with him. "What about you? Why are you all dressed up?"

Ren was mostly always dressed up. He was definitely the best dressed of the Blackthorn men and always seemed to be on his way to attend some kind of grand event. That day he looked especially stunning complete with a golden suit with charcoal trimming that matched perfectly with his blond highlights.

"About to head out to Divine," he said, referring to a Blackthorn-owned nightclub. "Meeting Geoff and the guys down there."

"Nice," Alexis chirped maybe a little too excitedly. "Let me come."

"I thought you hated club runs."

"That's cos I always have to sit in the office, but I'm thinking I sit out front with you guys."

"I don't think that would be ..."

"Come on. I'm two weeks from eighteen, plus Vincent owns the club. What's the problem?"

"Two weeks from eighteen isn't eighteen."

Alexis let out a long huff as she dropped her head. "Please, Ren. I swear I'm going to die of boredom in the house."

Ren gave a small chuckle. "Let's not over-dramatise, Princess."

"Fine," she said with a nonchalant shrug. "Then, I'm just going to have to break my promise to Thomas."

"Promise?"

"About not trying to kiss anybody else."

"Anybody else?" he muttered before letting out a loud chuckle. "You tried to kiss Thomas?"

"It's really not that funny."

"I wish I could have seen that."

"It's not funny!" Alexis repeated pulling her arm free from Ren's.

"No, it's not," Ren agreed resuming to a more composed and even serious expression. "You've got to stop the kissing. You're going to get yourself into trouble or, even worse, one of us."

"Please just let me come."

Ren let out a soft sigh. "Go ask Vincent, if he agrees you can come."

"If he agrees?" Alexis repeated. "If it were that easy, I would be here already."

Ren let out a low hum. "And I would have said yes already."

Of course, that was the reason for his hesitance. Vincent wouldn't so easily allow her to sit out front of one of his clubs - not without some grovelling, and even then, it wasn't guaranteed.

"I'm actually avoiding him," Alexis admitted. "There's something I want to talk to him about, but I don't really want to do it now."

Ren's head tilted slightly in question to which she simply answered - "My dad."

A simple 'Oh' left Ren's mouth before quickly adding, "I'll talk to him for you, Sweetheart."

Yes! Of course, knowing Ren to be a complete pushover when it came to pity pleas, she knew that would be his response.

"Thank you," Alexis said before leaning up to give Ren a quick cheek kiss.

"Be ready in twenty minutes," he said before walking off.

That was a reassuring request. When Ren told you to prepare for something, it mostly meant it was going to happen. She'd already been to the club a number of times and was sure Vincent would give her permission to accompany the men as long as Ren took responsibility for her.

He was an entrepreneur by heart but was completely ruthless when it came to ensuring his efforts received the return he had expected - investors were always happy and loanees always paid up on time. In short, Ren's word was solid and Vincent often took it without a question.

Despite his no-nonsense nature when it came to profits, Ren loved to laugh, often at the expense of others, but mostly in a light-hearted manner. He had also been Alexis' second attempt at a kiss sometime after her failed attempt with Jeremy. She had received a similar response to the one she got from Thomas, but Ren had thought the whole situation to be quite amusing.

Finally, I get to walk through the front door like the rest of the men, Alexis mused as she stood in front of her bedroom mirror. I just need to look the part.

She still hadn't had her official outing party as Vincent decided it was too risky to announce her in such a way. So she'd lived mostly off the radar, attending places with close friends or under the strict supervision of the Blackthorn men. She had visited Divine and other Blackthorn establishments before but even then it was mostly undercover sat at the back of the house with trusted staff.

Now she had a chance to stand out front and she was going to make the most of it.

Alexis removed her loose hair band and combed her hair back into a mock ponytail, pulling out two locks which she curled into faux ringlets. Her nose instinctively scrunched up, not impressed by her rendition of a hairstyle one of Geoffrey's lady friends had attempted on her one night, but then she couldn't help but give a little giggle at how cute she looked, so nonetheless she pulled her packet of hairclips from her drawer and began pinning the style into place.

Now for a dress, she thought and headed straight for her closet.

She wasn't short of dresses by any means. Vincent bought her one at least once a month even though she never wore them, but that night, without even understanding why, she felt in the mood for pretty and girly and her closet had a perfect array of dresses in all tones of lilac, crimson red, and black.

Not that girly, she moaned as she threw the first three dresses she'd come across out of her closet - each boasting a flower design.

It took a further fifteen minutes of searching before she realised that Vincent had not likely bought her anything similar to what one of Geoffrey's ladies would wear. So, she would have to do with Vincent's interpretation of teen girl's attire. She grabbed a semi-plain black dress, fitted herself into it, and paced back to the mirror.

Not bad, she thought giving a small twirl.

It was a semi-formal, high-necked dress with semi-sheer arms and a mid-length high and low shirtline.

She'd given up checking on the dresses that Vincent was buying, and the leafy embroidered patterning had most likely sealed its fate to a lifelong sentence in the back of her closet, but wearing it now, it looked more than decent.

Just missing one thing, she told herself after a few moments more inspecting herself in the mirror.

She had various items of make-up that had been given to her, mostly by Geoffrey's girlfriends. She had no idea how to apply make-up, but she was sure lipstick was an easy bet. She pulled off the lid and inspected the nude-coloured lipstick for a moment before applying, it as she had seen women do many times on TV.

Not bad at all, she told herself as she turned her face left to right to get as much of a three-sixty view as possible in the mirror with a bright, yet mischievous smile overtaking her face.