“That would be a good place to start,” Dmitri agreed.
Porter sipped his coffee and then added, “Once we identify who is behind this, I can start digging on my end.” As one of the best private investigators in Vegas, Dmitri figured Porter could get dirt, and a lot of it, on the culprit. “But without knowing who is behind it, there isn’t much I can do.”
That escalated Dmitri’s frustration. This was his club. His responsibility. His family. Yet he was helpless to resolve the debacle. He reached for his coffee and sipped, trying to fend off the icy feeling the conversation was inducing. “When will you have the fingerprints back?” he asked Kyler.
“By tomorrow, for sure,” Kyler replied, “I’ll put a rush on it.”
Aidan’s brow arched in obvious skepticism. “Not that I don’t think this is in our best interests, but how will you be able to bring the pictures into the police lab to lift fingerprints without outing those shown in the photos?”
Kyler’s inclined his head toward Miles. “I thought I would take Miles up on his offer. Since he isn’t concerned about being exposed, I’ll use his picture. Hopefully there will be prints on that one alone.” He added with a half shrug, “If not, I’ll have to use someone else’s.”
“Use mine, if you must,” Dmitri interjected without hesitation.
The Masters all looked at him as Dmitri added, “At this point this is all we have to go on. I will deal with the repercussions if it gets leaked.”
Kyler regarded Dmitri a moment before shaking his head. “I doubt that will happen. I have a good friend in CSI who will do this as a favor to me. He’s trustworthy. I’m confident he’ll keep this quiet.”
Miles lowered his mug to the table with a bang. “Like I said last night, stick to mine if you can. I have nothing to lose.”
Regarding Miles over the rim of his mug, Kyler said, “We’ll start with Miles and hope that’s all we’ll need.”
“Good.” Dmitri finished the last of his coffee, then rose, pressing his hands against the table. “Before you go, tell me, how are your submissives doing?”
Kyler’s cheeks flushed deep red with anger as he leaned back in his chair. “Ella is concerned, of course, but she’s trusting that we’ll get this handled.”
Dmitri looked at Aidan, who replied, “Cora is terrified. If this got out, it would likely cost us both our jobs.”
Dmitri nodded in understanding, feeling torn with guilt. It was his responsibility to ensure that none of his members felt like this. His jaw clenched with rage. “And Kenzie?” he asked Porter.
“She’s pissed.” Porter hesitated, then sighed. “She’s in the same position as Miles, and doesn’t feel that it would affect her much if it got out. Plus Kenzie is quick with words—I don’t doubt that she’d find some way to talk her way out of any situation.”
That didn’t lessen the rock in Dmitri’s stomach. No one should have to talk his or her way out of anything. Yet they lived in a vanilla world, where some wouldn’t understand the choices they made. And Dmitri wouldn’t pretend otherwise.
“How about Presley?” Miles asked, a frown marring his face. “Is she holding up well?”
“I’m not sure how she’s holding up.” Dmitri let that admission sink in before he added, “I haven’t had the chance to talk with her. Last night was consumed with phone calls from the members. I left her the moment we arrived in the suite and she was asleep by the time I went to bed. But I imagine she’ll be concerned for all involved.” Culpability stormed him for not seeing to her comfort and concerns. But before they talked he wanted to have a plan in place. He did not want to have a conversation about this if he couldn’t alleviate her worries. He needed to make this better for her, and for everyone in Club Sin.
Renewed in his resolve to forge ahead, he asked, “Will you encourage your submissives to visit Presley? I need to get my head into this and see what I can find out myself.” First he needed to think of anything else they might be missing and start going through lists of everyone he knew to figure out who might be a suspect. For some reason this felt personal, though he didn’t want to share that with the group just yet. “I want to make sure she’s not alone today.”
Once he received nods from the Masters, he said, “Thank you.”
“All right.” Aidan rose, glancing to Kyler. “You’ll call once you hear something?”
“I will.” Kyler said with a nod. Then his gaze went to Dmitri. “What will you do once we find out who is behind the photos?”
Dmitri smiled, knowing that the tenseness of his expression reflected all of his anger, tension, and hatred for whoever was behind this. Nothing could undo the fact that someone planned to destroy what he had built in honor of the man Dmitri owed everything to—Charles, who had mentored Dmitri in his early days in the BDSM lifestyle. The man whom Dmitri worked under when he was first hired at Aces. Club Sin was built on Charles’s memory; the thought of that being tarnished was something Dmitri could not accept. “I plan to show them just how bad an idea this was.”
—
The sun beamed down on Presley as she leaned against the balcony’s edge, staring out at the Las Vegas strip. The flurry of activity always passed by in a blur. Surrounded by patio furniture, she shut her eyes a moment, soaking in the warmth from high in the sky. She’d woken a little after ten o’clock, discovering Dmitri had left the hotel without saying goodbye. In fact, she only knew he’d come to bed last night because his side of the bed looked slept in. He’d left her no note this morning. No texts on her phone. Nothing.
She’d called his office once, but his assistant said he wasn’t accepting calls—and he always accepted her calls. She’d texted him twice, again with no response. Part of her wanted to go down to his office and demand he talk to her. The other part of her figured that if he wasn’t returning her calls it meant he was busy. Though her heart kept replaying the same question: Why is he too busy for me?
Done with ruminating over the same thoughts, she’d showered and ordered room service—pancakes, fruit, bacon, sausages, and eggs. Intent on eating her stress away, she’d ordered the works, figuring that if she had to live in a hotel, she might as well take advantage of it.
With a full stomach, she had ventured out to the patio, where she’d been standing for the last hour. She’d watched the tourists walking by in awe of the city, and she understood them. Not long ago she’d been there herself. God, it seemed like a lifetime had passed since she’d ended her engagement with her ex-fiancé, Steven Moser. His cheating had spurred her to join Cora at Club Sin, where she’d met Dmitri. Maybe she’d taken it all for granted just how much of a fantasy her life had become—a fantasy that deep down seemed to be coming to an end. One in which happily-ever-after didn’t exist.
Possibly all those thoughts were what made her crave the comfort of home. She moved to the couch in the living room. Her throat tightened as she lowered herself onto the soft white cushions and reached for the phone on the table. Her mother, Jennifer, answered on the second ring. “Hi, Mom,” Presley said.
“Hello, sweetheart,” her mother replied in her soft comforting voice. “Are you not working today?”
“Nope. I’m off until Wednesday.” Presley wondered what her mother would think of the fact that she, at Dmitri’s advice, had decided to work only part-time. Not that Presley didn’t love being a dental hygienist, but Dmitri had gently suggested that she cut back her hours at the dental clinic, since she often worked evenings and on weekends. Now, since she worked only three days at the dental clinic, she volunteered at the animal shelter every second week for a couple of days, and that brought her more joy than cleaning teeth ever could.
While she thought her mother would understand, Presley didn’t want her mom to know that she’d basically become a kept woman. Being an independent, strong woman was something her mother had ingrained into her while growing up. But Presley didn’t feel like a kept woman; she felt like a woman loved by a man who wanted to make her life easier.
> “Oh, that’s nice for you,” was all her mother said, to Presley’s great relief—she wouldn’t have to go into the details. “And Dmitri, how is he?”
“He’s fine.”
“Just fine?”
Presley stared out at the French doors, looking at the fluffy clouds in the sky. Her heart hurt thinking about it all. Things didn’t feel right between them; in fact, they had never felt so wrong. All of her friends had their Dominants at home, comforting them, wrapping their arms around them. Why wasn’t Dmitri holding her?
She tried telling herself he needed space. That this was a blow to him. That his club was falling apart. But she hated that distance.
She wanted him here—with her.
“He’s busy,” she finally replied.
“Being responsible for a casino will do that, I’m sure.” her mother said. Presley could hear the television on in the background—probably some gushy soap opera. “Your father and I were talking the other day and we’re hoping you two could come for dinner one night soon. I’ll make Dmitri’s favorite, roast beef.”
Presley couldn’t stop smiling. Her mother adored Dmitri. But of course she would. Dmitri was insanely successful and poised. He was respectful and well mannered—he brought her mother flowers each time he visited. He looked completely at ease having a family dinner with them. He was equally comfortable sitting on the porch with her father and chugging a beer.
Being loved by her family was never the problem.
Her loving him wasn’t the problem.
But a sharp ache in Presley’s chest couldn’t be ignored. Dmitri wasn’t being the man he’d always been with her. He was being something else altogether: Cold, distant to her feelings. “That would be wonderful,” she said, stifling her sigh. “I know Dmitri has a lot going on right now, but maybe we can take a drive down to Apple Valley in a couple of weeks.”
“Perfect. I’ll let your father know.” Her mother hesitated. “All right, baby girl, I need to get to my knitting group. Call me once you pick a day, okay?”
“Will do. Bye, Mom.”
Presley hung up the phone and dropped her head into her hands, consumed by thoughts of what her family would do if they found out about Club Sin. They would still love her, she was sure, but she didn’t want them to know such things about her private life. Or have to explain to her mother what a BDSM club was.
Fuck.
A sudden knock on the door made her jerk her head up. Her heart tripped as she pushed off the couch, hurrying to the door, hoping that Dmitri had sent someone to let her know that he was thinking of her.
Maybe he sent flowers…
She whisked the door open, and her already weakened soul took a harder hit. Ella, Kenzie, and Cora stood in the hallway.
Kenzie gave a sassy smile. “This is the new pad for a while, hmmm?” Being her usual pushy self, Kenzie stepped into the room without being invited.
“It is until this is over.” Presley shut the door once everyone was inside.
She turned, facing her best friends, and something inside her broke. Shattered. She was standing in front of women who had all started dating their Doms after she’d met Dmitri. Each of them wore a diamond necklace, which in their world was a sign that they were owned by a Dom. And all three of her friends were married. Presley reached up, touching the collar Dmitri had given her two years ago, and her heart clenched, as somehow that seemed not as important as a wedding ring.
She felt a sudden and most unexpected flare of jealousy. The other three women’s Doms were there for them, wanted them to share in their lives, but where was her Dom? Since Steven, Presley hadn’t consciously thought much about being married, but suddenly, and for the first time in a long time, she realized that was the life she wanted.
Why did I forget that?
Her heart banged against her ribs as she followed the girls into the living room, returning to her spot on the couch. Cora sat next to her, and Ella and Kenzie took a seat in wingback chairs. Doing her best to be strong, Presley swallowed the hard lump in her throat. “Have you heard anything more about the pictures?”
Eyes huge, Cora sputtered, “Has Dmitri not told you anything?”
Embarrassment warmed Presley’s cheeks as she fiddled her hands in her lap. “I haven’t seen him since he brought me to the casino yesterday.”
“That’s weird,” Kenzie said, unconsciously placing her hands on her pregnant belly. “What happened?”
“His phone started ringing the second we entered the room.” Presley tucked her legs beneath her. “He was gone by the time I woke up.”
The sun beaming through the French doors cast a glow over the side of Ella’s face. “That doesn’t sound like him.”
Presley noticed the beautiful diamond ring on Ella’s finger, reminding her of her own bare finger. “I know,” she admitted. “He’s not being himself.”
“He’s going through a lot with the club,” Cora offered. “I would imagine that must be hard on him. He probably has a lot on his mind. And I’m sure he feels like he’s failed to keep his members safe.”
“I’m trying to tell myself that,” Presley muttered, suddenly feeling foolish for making it all about her. “Okay, so update me. What’s going on?”
Kenzie crossed her legs and answered, “Kyler is trying to get fingerprints off Miles’s picture and then Porter can start to investigate things on his end.” She adjusted the small square pillow behind her, then leaned back against it. “I’m sure they’ll have answers soon, and will bury whoever is trying to sell the pictures.”
“Let’s hope,” Cora added. “I can’t even begin to think about what will happen if this story is released.”
“Horrifying things, that’s what,” Ella interjected in a high voice. “Kyler is worried because of his dad being the police chief and all.”
Cora snorted. “I hear you. Aidan will leave the company to ensure that his practice doesn’t go under. It’s a scandal that no one wants.”
“He’ll give up his job?” Kenzie asked, alarmed.
Cora nodded, lips pressed into a tight line. “That’s what he said. To protect the company.” She slid her glance to Presley. “But isn’t that kind of like them, always worried about everyone else?”
Presley understood what Cora was implying. Dmitri had a lot on his plate. Somehow it didn’t comfort her. The scandal should bring her and Dmitri closer together, as it apparently had done with everyone else. They were dealing with it as a team. She hated more than she wanted to admit that she’d had to hear about Club Sin’s updated status from the girls rather than from Dmitri himself.
Their relationship wasn’t like this, or it hadn’t been—until now.
Things between them had been based on trust, honesty, and a deep connection. Her heart bled as doubts about her and Dmitri flooded her. In the room with all her married and pregnant friends, one question swirled on her mind: Why hasn’t Dmitri proposed? She’d never wondered about that before, but a nagging thought now made her wonder if there was a good reason he hadn’t taken that next step.
Maybe he didn’t want to.
Perhaps he didn’t share all this with her, because he, as the Dominant in the relationship, didn’t think of her on the same level as him. And possibly he hadn’t proposed because deep down all he felt for her was a Dominant/submissive relationship, not a relationship that would lead to marriage.
Not a partnership.
“Presley?”
She blinked, realizing all eyes were on her. “Sorry. Spaced out there.”
“Nah, really?” Kenzie said with a grin. “As I was saying, we’re going for lunch. Wanna come?”
Sit in this hotel room alone? Think about all the shit I don’t want to think about and worry over Dmitri? Presley pushed up off the couch. “Only if it includes wine.”
“A girl after my own heart.” Kenzie mused, placing a hand on her chest. “You always were my favorite.”
“Hey,” Ella and Cora protested in unison.
; Presley laughed, easing the tension she felt inside. Maybe she was thinking too much, worrying too much, and not understanding Dmitri’s stress. Though a lingering thought reminded her: You would understand if he told you what he was going through. “Let me grab my things.” She moved to the table by the front door, and as she reached for her phone and purse, she couldn’t help but look.
No new messages.
Shoving away her nearly shattered heart, she tucked her phone in her purse. “Ready.”
Ready to leave the depressing thoughts behind, to stop worrying about Club Sin, and to quit thinking about Dmitri.
Ready for a damn glass of wine.
Chapter 3
Presley awoke with a jolt, opening an eye. 10:00 glowed bright green in the dark room. She lifted her head off the pillow, noticing that Dmitri wasn’t beside her—again. Having no idea if he’d even come home, she sighed and pushed off the duvet. Earlier at lunch with the Club Sin girls, she’d had three glasses of wine. By seven o’clock, she’d hit the bed and fallen fast asleep.
As she exited the bed, the warm air brushed across her naked flesh. In her tipsy state she had apparently stripped off her clothes, leaving them on the floor by the bed. She heard soft piano music coming from the living room, so she grabbed a robe from the closet and wrapped it around her shoulders.
Two steps away from the door she realized it had been closed to only a crack, indicating Dmitri had been in the bedroom at some point. Her feet dragged against the carpet as she pulled open the door. The warm light from the table lamp in the living room spilled into the bedroom. Then she saw him.
Shadowed in the dark corner, Dmitri sat with his ankle crossed over his knee. He held a glass of scotch against the armrest; his head bowed to his lap.
“Dmitri,” she said softly.
He didn’t lift his head or show any other sign he knew she was there. All day her aggravation at being ignored had built and built, and now her anger at the situation boiled over. She asked with a bite to her voice, “Why are you shutting me out?”
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