Mine

by Stacey Kennedy

  Once Miles sat down across from him, Dmitri said, “I have a proposal for you.”

  Miles ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair, displaying the dragon tattoo on his forearm that marked him a Master of Club Sin. “What type of proposal?”

  The reminder of the dungeon, and the symbol behind the tattoo, only made Dmitri more confident in his next steps. “What would you think of opening a nightclub here in Vegas?”

  Miles brows shot up. “A nightclub?”

  “The club would be a front for a new Club Sin.” Excitement bounced through him. “We need a more secure location. The house has been compromised, and that’s not something that I’ll allow to happen again.”

  He paused, letting Miles process what he was hearing, then continued. “You have said that you wanted to find something new in regard to a business venture. Something exciting and fresh. And I wondered if you’d be interested in investing in and being the sole owner of the nightclub.”

  “I’m not uninterested.” Miles considered Dmitri with a curious glance. “But explain.”

  Dmitri set to doing exactly that, sketching out what the members of the DC had successfully achieved. “We find a safe location for the dungeon. What I’m thinking is that we’ll use the main floor as a high-class nightclub. Top-notch. Luxurious.” Spotting the pinch of concern rushing along Miles’s expression, Dmitri added, “I can personally front the money as a silent investor.” He hesitated, then felt it necessary to add, “Club Sin was created in honor of Charles, and I don’t want to forget that. I want the dungeon to run in the same manner that we saw in Club Sin, but I also want to distance myself from it.”

  “Understandable.” Miles inclined his head in agreement. “But let me ask you this: how can a nightclub also be the location of a private and exclusive BDSM dungeon?”

  “It’s actually an ideal location.” Dmitri had thought it out as he traveled back from San Francisco to Las Vegas. A nightclub was a perfect front—and he knew of a club that was currently on the market and in a prime location. “It explains why people come and go late into the night, perhaps dressed in sexy clothing. Of course, we’ll have to create a rule that states no lingerie until visitors have cleared security. And I think it only makes sense to have the dungeon area soundproofed.”

  Miles’s brows drew together in concentration. “Okay, I can see how this plan makes sense. Next thing is, how will you ensure that no one who’s not authorized gains access to the dungeon?”

  “We’ll have an area that to the public seems like a VIP area but in fact will be the spot where we have the door to access the dungeon. Meaning that only Club Sin members can gain access to that area. We can hire security for the entrance to the dungeon and have two security checkpoints on the way into the private area of the club. In fact, I’ve received some advice tonight that pointed me in the direction of a security company known to work with politicians.”

  Miles snorted. “And that’s important because they are their own brand of trouble?”

  “Not necessarily,” Dmitri countered. “But because they are known to keep damaging stories under wraps and away from the public. Besides, someone I trust runs this company. Someone who would ensure this matter is taken seriously.”

  The silence between them hinted that Miles wanted to know whom Dmitri had gone to see today, but he let it go and said merely, “Let me get this straight. The main idea is that you are simply a silent partner in the nightclub. If the dungeon is exposed, the hit would land on me?”

  Dmitri nodded. “As long as you don’t mind holding the responsibility of this, then I think it’s our only choice.”

  “Nah, like I said before, I don’t care.” An inner light slowly began to form in Miles’s dark eyes. “Running a nightclub, hmmm?”

  Dmitri waited for Miles’s decision, not pushing him either way.

  Miles finally said, “While I am intrigued by this idea, I don’t know anything about running a bar.”

  “Luckily, I am well acquainted with many in the clubbing industry because of the casino. We could hire managers who would run the show. You would be the CEO, nothing more, nothing less.” Dmitri lifted a hand to Miles’s shoulder. “I know you like a good party. I also know you’ve been looking for something else to do with your life. This place would have your stamp on it. You would be in complete control.”

  Miles grinned. “Well then, we both know how much I like control.”

  —

  An hour later, and exhausted to his bones, Dmitri strode through the long lavish hallway of the casino’s hotel. A dark red carpet led past white doors with gold handles. His steps were heavy and slow, and he shoved his hands into his pockets, attempting to ease the emotion coiled inside him. Tonight he needed to explain to Presley what had happened, but he remained hesitant. While he had resolved most of the issues so far, he still had a few more loose ends to tie up. Everything needed to be settled, so that she wouldn’t feel obliged to take responsibility for any of it. Perhaps he could tell her half-truths, merely letting her know that the person behind the threatened exposure had been bought off.

  His conversation with Micah still echoed in his head. He loved Presley, loved her with everything that he was. Dmitri sensed a sudden peace wash over him. The biggest problems were settled. Miles was considering Dmitri’s offer to open a nightclub. And Steven was no longer a threat; Dmitri had checked on the flight home and seen that the funds had been transferred into Steven’s account. Dmitri wouldn’t miss the money; the relief that this was over meant more. He hadn’t realized how much responsibility the club was on him. How much he thought about the members on a daily basis. How much they affected his life.

  Now he thought only of Presley, and it refreshed him.

  When he reached the end of the hallway, he pulled the key card from his pocket. As he opened the door and stepped into the living room, he called, “Presley.”

  Silence.

  Confused, he moved to the bedroom, and that’s when his perfectly controlled emotions began to unwind. The closet doors were open and Presley’s clothes were gone. He heard the click of the front door opening behind him, and as he hurried back into the living room he spotted Kyler entering the suite.

  “Where’s Presley?” he demanded.

  “She’s at Aidan’s,” Kyler replied, shutting the door behind him.

  Rapid thoughts spun in Dmitri’s mind. He grasped the table next to him, feeling weak-kneed and winded. “Has she left me?”

  “She’s devastated.” Kyler took a seat on the couch, only then sliding his glance to Dmitri. “Miles texted a bit ago indicating that you were back in Vegas, so I thought it best to come and let you know what’s going on.”

  Dmitri dropped into the chair in front of Kyler, running his hands through his hair. Words escaped him. She’s left me? Of all the scenarios he had expected to come home to, this hadn’t been among them. He shut his eyes, cursing his decision not to take out his frustrations on Steven. The man deserved worse.

  Beyond that, the blame rested on Dmitri’s shoulders. In wanting to protect Presley, he’d driven her away. He’d thought he’d taken large strides toward resolving the situation, only to discover that something else had unraveled.

  Kyler finally broke the silence. “The decision to leave you is not making her happy. Do not doubt that.”

  Dmitri lifted his head, staring at his closest friend. Presley had done this to make a statement. To make it clear that she wouldn’t allow Dmitri to shut her out. Yet little did she know he hadn’t been pushing her away to hurt her; he’d done so to protect her. “This whole fucking thing is exhausting,” he admitted.

  “I know.” Kyler crossed his ankle over his knee. “Are club matters resolved now?”

  “Most of them.” Dmitri ran his hands over his face, hating the shake in his hands. “I should have some definite news in a couple of days.” He dragged his fingers through his hair again, wondering what in the hell to do now. Of course, he could go to Presley and explain all
that had happened. But the damage was done—he had put her second. Even if Dmitri couldn’t have stopped it or controlled this mess, he had put others before her.

  That could never happen again.

  For so long, Club Sin had been his life, and he’d accepted that responsibility. Just as Sawyer had seen with Chloe, Dmitri saw now that to get Presley back, he had to change. Things had to change. And they were changing—the knowledge that soon the club would be a responsibility shared between him and Miles, and not just his alone, lifted a huge weight off Dmitri’s shoulders.

  “Good. I’m glad this shit is over,” Kyler grumbled, drawing Dmitri’s gaze. “What are you going to do about Presley?”

  Dmitri paused, considering. Ideas rushed through his mind, everything from going to Aidan’s right now and bringing her home to groveling until she forgave him. But deep down it wasn’t enough. “I need a week to fix all this.”

  Eyes tight, Kyler warned, “Dmitri—”

  He raised his hand, unable to think of the now, thinking only of the future. Seven days was a blip in time compared to a lifetime. “I need a week,” he repeated. “Please watch over her until then.”

  Kyler’s stern gaze burned into Dmitri’s for a moment before his expression softened. “You know that I will. But take this as the warning it is.” He leaned forward, dead serious. “You might not have her if you wait any longer to make this right between you.”

  Heart aching in his chest, Dmitri sighed with the longing he felt not having her close. “I am well aware of that. But this is the right thing to do.” He stared at his friend, willing him to understand. “Whatever you need to tell her to get her to understand, please do that. I need time.” Time to get everything under control. Time to get his fucking priorities straight. Time to right all these wrongs, so that Presley would never feel second again.

  He had made mistakes.

  He wouldn’t repeat them.

  Kyler regarded Dmitri curiously as the glow from the lamp cast a soft light over the side of his face, then he gave a firm shake of his head. “I don’t pretend to understand your play here.”

  “My only play is keeping this from hurting her further.” Dmitri rested his arms on his legs, lacing his fingers. “I haven’t found a new home for Club Sin yet, and you know Presley—she’ll think it’s her fault that the club closed.” Until he and Miles sealed the deal by buying a club, this remained an open wound. “She knows what this has done to me. Christ, she experienced my loss of control.” He realized how she’d interpret all of this. “She’ll think that the reason I haven’t been talking to her is because I’m angry at her.” He leveled a hard look at Kyler. “Will she understand? Will she believe me that that is not the case?”

  Kyler drew in a long, deep breath and gave a slight nod. “But you need to be aware that this time you’re taking could put more distance between you two, a distance that you might not be able to reverse.”

  “That’s not a situation I’ll accept,” Dmitri growled, possession rising within him. “If I go to her now, before this is all settled, she’ll take the blame on herself, and she doesn’t deserve to be blamed for something that none of us have been able to control. Until this is settled and I have a plan to show her that things are fine and that I will no longer put her second, this is how it must be.”

  Surprise flashed in Kyler’s eyes. “You’re protecting her?”

  “I know my submissive.” Dmitri shrugged. “I’m more connected to Presley than I have ever been to a submissive before. This would destroy her. She is hurting now, and yes, I’m aware of that. But she deserves answers to all of her questions, yet how can I give her those when I don’t have them myself? If we talk and I tell her about Steven, she’ll think that I was pushing her away because I was angry with her. Nothing I could say to her will fix that. In the bigger picture, what would hurt her more?”

  Kyler’s brows pinched. “She’ll feel as if she failed all of her friends, not to mention her Dom, and she’ll think it was because of her that you lost the club honoring Charles.”

  Dmitri agreed with a nod. “I won’t allow her to feel that. Until I have fixed this and can prove that she comes first and that none of it was her fault, I’m afraid this is the lesser of two evils.” He dropped his head and paused as his heart squeezed in his chest. Then he said softly, “Please take care of her until I can.”

  “You know I will” was Kyler’s reply.

  —

  I need you to trust me now. Trust in us. I love you. Don’t forget that, doll.

  Dmitri’s text arrived a little after ten o’clock. Presley couldn’t stop staring at it, trying to decipher the message. She sat on the couch in the living room of Aidan and Cora’s log house, a quilt covering her legs. Noise came from the kitchen, where Cora and Aidan were still fixing some snacks for the movie they all planned to watch together.

  On one hand, she was elated that Dmitri had texted her and said the things he had. On the other hand, why wasn’t he coming for her? He had to be back in Vegas now, and maybe he’d sent that text because he knew she had moved out. But then why wasn’t he knocking down the door and apologizing?

  Her head began to hurt more than her heart.

  “Wine and chocolate, a woman’s best friend, right?” Cora smiled as she entered the living room holding two wineglasses.

  “It sure is.” Presley forced a smile.

  “Women are unusual creatures,” Aidan muttered, carrying a box of chocolates. He placed them in front of Presley on the wood coffee table that resembled a tree stump and then sat down in the recliner facing the television. “I will never understand the appeal of chocolate.”

  “That’s because you’re a man.” Cora winked at Presley. “They aren’t supposed to get it.”

  “They don’t get a lot of things,” Presley muttered, instantly regretting her words when she saw the concern on her friends’ faces. She shook her head and smiled brightly. “So, what are we watching tonight?”

  “A movie that will punish me,” Aidan grumbled, but his smoky gray eyes reflected a tender compassion.

  “You can bet your sexy ass on that.” Cora handed Presley her wineglass, then slid under the quilt. “I found the stupidest comedy ever about male models. It’ll make us laugh.”

  Presley smiled, a little more honestly now. She and Cora always laughed at the same parts in movies, even if no one else did.

  Just as Cora raised the remote to start the movie, a knock sounded at the door.

  All eyes went to Presley, who swallowed back thick emotion. Had Dmitri come for her? After exchanging a glance with Cora, Aidan pushed off the recliner and moved to the door.

  When the front door opened, disappointment hit Presley like a wall of bricks. Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, Kyler entered the house, his gaze zeroed in on Presley. A tear rolled down her cheek, and she hastily brushed it away before anyone noticed. She’d let herself hope, and now all she felt was desolation.

  Pity shone in Cora’s expression as she laid a hand on Presley’s leg.

  “I need a moment alone with Presley,” Kyler announced. “All right?”

  Cora glanced at Presley, and once she saw Presley nod, she said, “Sure.” She rose from the couch and followed Aidan into the kitchen.

  Kyler sat down next to Presley, his forearms resting on his thighs. “I’ve spoken to Dmitri,” he began.

  Presley tried to say something, but the emotion flooding her wouldn’t allow her voice out.

  Kyler looked at her. “I need you to listen to me. Okay?”

  She nodded.

  “Out of all of us, I have known Dmitri the longest.” He smiled gently, as if recalling happy memories, before tightness returned to the corners of his eyes. “I know him as well as I know my brothers. He is a good man—an honorable man.”

  Presley didn’t need to hear that; she already knew those things. But the man she loved and admired wasn’t the one who had been with her lately. Dmitri used to be a strong man, not someone who’d send
his best friend to talk to her and not come himself.

  “These past couple of days have been hard on Dmitri,” Kyler went on in a soft voice. “I’ve never seen him this unraveled.” He gazed down at his hands for a moment before looking at her again. “I’ll tell you this—as devastated as you are, he is equally so.”

  She couldn’t hold back the bite in her voice. “If he’s so devastated, why isn’t he here?”

  Tenderness filled Kyler’s expression. “I need you to trust me now. I need you to believe that what I tell you next is coming from a friend.”

  She nodded, wringing her hands beneath the quilt and thinking the very worst. “Dmitri has asked me to tell you to give him a week.”

  That wasn’t what she’d expected to hear, and she bristled. “Give him a week for what?”

  “He needs to deal with something.”

  A hot rush of anger fisted her hands, all traces of worry gone. “This is exactly why I left him, Kyler. I don’t want this type of relationship. I want to have a partnership. I deserve that.”

  “You do deserve that, and so much more,” he replied instantly, his voice soothing. “And I know that’s the type of relationship that Dmitri wants, too.”

  “Is it really?” Her cheeks warmed with rage. “If that’s true, then why isn’t he doing it? He’s a man, for cripe’s sake. He’s acting like a child.”

  “Yes. You’re right. He’s not acting like himself.” Kyler considered her for a long moment and then sighed. “You know my friendship to Dmitri means a lot, yes?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then you know that I never share something that has been told to me in confidence.”

  “Of course I know that.”

  He turned to face her fully, and the emotion visible on his face was like a punch to the gut. “You are my friend, too, Presley. I hope you know this.”

  “I do,” she whispered.

  Pleased by her answer, he inclined his head. “I don’t like seeing you hurting. I don’t like seeing him hurting either. I…” He cursed, shaking his head. “I’m going to be honest with you, and I would hope you know the cost of my doing this. But I, for one, have always told it like it is.”