I shake the thought and shove her into my dungeon and she does stumble then, her eyes flashing anger and fear at me.
“That,” I snap, “is why this won’t work.”
“This won’t work because you’re hung up on a fucking bartender,” she sasses back and I almost grin.
“Where the hell is she?” I demand.
Sophia shakes her head and bites her lip. “I can’t tell you.”
“Do you know?” I ask, and she shakes her head, quickly enough that I believe her.
Whatever else is happening here, Sophia is telling me the truth.
“Cora won’t let her come here, though,” Sophia whispers. “Not until this is over.”
I stare at her, shocked fury choking me. “She has no right to keep her from here.”
“She’s a Domme and she’s jealous and she hates Celeste. She doesn’t need a right to do it,” Sophia says. She crosses her arms, and then she asks me the question I’ve been asking myself for fucking weeks.
“Why her?”
The truth is, I don’t know. I don’t know why Celeste caught my attention and held it. I don’t know why even now, I can’t get her out of my fucking head.
I do know that Mal is well past done with my shit.
It’s now the third night, and I’m no closer to selecting a girl than I was when the first sub knelt at my feet. Wolf leans against the bar where I’m sitting—I retreated here after the third girl came to me, trying to get a repeat of my performance with Sophia.
I wonder what they’d think if they knew I’d only talked to her.
“When you gonna tell him?”
I glance at Wolf. “Do you honestly think he’ll listen to me?”
He shrugs, lazy, and I shake my head. “Mal has always listened to you more than me or Beastie.”
“Doesn’t mean he actually listens,” I answer, and shrug. “It’s the last night. I’ll play it out. It’ll be over soon.”
Not that it’d matter.
I sip my green tea, and watch, bored, the subs still desperate enough to try to parade in front of me. They all look exactly the same. I huff and start to turn—
And freeze.
The girl is almost unremarkable. She’s wearing shades of blue, which grabs my attention, and a delicate mask of lace and shiny shit that catches and throws the eye. She’s wearing a simple blue leather collar, and heels—these ridiculous spiked heels that make my heart ache.
“She’s new,” Wolf murmurs.
I nod, and watch her.
She doesn’t look away when Doms eye her. She doesn’t drop her gaze or her head. She’s a submissive being watched and judged, and she walks through the room like a fucking queen.
I swallow the last of my tea and nod at Beast. His eyes widen, following my gaze to the girl, and I nod again, once.
“Are you sure?” Wolf asks, glancing at me and then back at the girl.
She has black hair that hangs to the middle of her back.
“Nope, but I’m out of time.”
I step away from the bar, tucking my hands into my pockets as I walk through the club.
Beast, as expected, soon has the girl outside my dungeon, and I give her an appraising stare before unlocking the door. Her eyes are downcast.
“Go in and take everything off,” I say and she stiffens, and twitches a look at Beast.
He huffs. “Go. I’ll explain it to him.”
Fury washes over me as she listens to him, and I turn a cold glare on him.
“Hard limits are she doesn’t talk. The mask stays on. No marking and no penetration, no fluid bonding.”
“Safeword.”
He shakes his head. “Northwest. She’ll give it if she needs.”
I see the concern in his eyes and I wait, patient, for him to offer up any more information.
When he doesn’t, I nod my thanks, and step into the room.
She’s standing with her back to me, naked and pale in the low lights of my room.
That dark fucking hair of her’s is pissing me off.
Still, she’s kinda perfection. She’s standing with this proud set to her shoulders that’s begging me to fuck with her, to break her, yet it’s met with the dip of her head, and the way she’s tensed and aware of me as I move through the room, waiting for my words or my touch.
I move, pushed by anger, and wrap my hand in that long silky black, tugging her head back and she makes a delicious little noise that hits me just right.
“Can you stand still for me, sweetheart?” I murmur and she nods as much as my grip will allow, making a quiet noise in her throat.
She’s fighting me, pushing back against where my body is holding her down, tugging against the hold I have on her hair, and I grin.
She isn’t Celeste, but I think I like her.
I let her go abruptly and she sways, a tiny moan filling the air as she scrambles to keep herself upright.
“Don’t move,” I order.
I’m not restraining her. I want to see if she can obey, the need for it buzzing along under my skin, and she huffs a laugh, and settles –
Celeste would move like that.
—on her feet a little, tossing her hair, and shooting me a smirk.
She’s a sassy little brat.
I smile and reach for my whip.
Chapter 11.
I wake up cold and alone, which makes no sense. I went to bed wrapped around the pretty warmth of a worn out sub.
She’d been perfect—so fucking perfect. I almost felt guilty, because she shouldn’t be able to slip under my skin like this.
I feel, absurdly, like I’m cheating on Celeste.
It doesn’t even matter because my masked sub is gone. I curse and drag myself up, looking around the room.
A pale blue collar is sitting on the top of my toy chest, next to those fucking heels she wore last night.
I grin, and roll out of bed. “Ok, Cinderella,” I murmur, “I can play this game.”
Mal, predictably, is waiting for me. The Audition is over. Tonight he’ll gather the members and announce my decision, so of course he’s waiting for me.
“How was she?”
I glance at him. There’s actually some interest in his voice, like this is a question he wants a real answer to, not just a question he’s asking because it’s required.
“She was…good.”
“As good as Celeste?” he asks, not bothering to dance around my feelings, and I grit my teeth.
“Sometimes I wonder why the fuck I’m friends with you,” I say blandly, and Mal flashes me a quick smirk, all cocky reassurance and, for a heartbeat, he looks like Wolf, then it’s gone and his eyes are demanding an answer. I give it. “No, but she’s close. I could see myself with her.”
He pauses and stares at me. In a serious tone, he asks, “Is that what you want me to tell the club?”
“Well we have a very small problem,” I say, almost apologetic. His eyes narrow. I sigh and hold up her very empty collar. “I have no fucking clue who or where she is.”
Chapter 12.
When I called Wolf, he just laughed at me and hung up to call Scarlet. Not long after, she showed up to my apartment, looking adorably lovely in jeans and an Imagine Dragons concert tee that I know she coaxed Wolf into buying for her. Trailing right behind her is Hunter.
He eyes Wolf for a moment as they walk into the room, and then refocuses on me. “What’s the problem?”
The problem is that the masked girl dressed in blue vanished, and no one knew who the hell she was.
And that wouldn't work for me.
"If she vanished, don't you think it was on purpose?" Scarlet asks, from where she's lounging in my chair. I give her a dirty look and she shrugs lazily. "I'm just saying, Charm. Most girls go out of their way to make sure you can find them. If she didn't, it's because she doesn't want to be found."
"Then she probably shouldn't have come last night," Wolf says.
Scarlet glances at him, and something shifts between them, somethi
ng tense and sharp.
They're both playing with fire, and I'm pretty sure when it blows up in Wolf's face, it's gonna be Hunter that hurts him, not Scarlet.
I'm just not sure if that hurt is going to be physical or emotional.
Hunter clears his throat. It snaps both of their attention to him, and he points at the computer. "As fun as our shit is, can we focus for a second? Scar, I get where you’re coming from—but I don’t think it’s that simple. I think she wants to be found, but she’s playing Cinderella. You know what Cinderella had?”
I tense, and he shrugs and goes on. “She had reasons for where she was and what she did. I bet our own Cinderella must have, too. You need to figure out what they are.”
"Did you see her?" I ask softly and Hunter nods, his gaze flicking to mine. It's blank and disconcerting, and I struggle to hold it.
"Dude, everyone in the fucking club saw."
I give him a dirty look, and Scarlet laughs, low and dirty.
Hunter shrugs off his leather coat and tosses it on the couch beside Wolf, then goes to the table, opening his laptop. I toss him the flashdrive with security footage from the club and he gives me a smile, before he goes to work.
Scarlet hums in her throat when Wolf finally gets annoyed with the seating arrangements and lifts her up, sitting with her situated like a living blanket over him, and I hear more than see the way Hunter pauses, watching them, before he huffs a sigh and returns his attention to the screen.
Hunter's real name is Cesar Sanchez. He only got the nickname in school when he took to hacking his way through any and every database he could. First it was because he was bored, and then it was in search of his birth parents, and then it was because Scarlet was demanding his help, and it just kind of grew, until that's what he was—a hunter.
Albeit, he’s a virtual hunter, but hey, the name stuck and here he is, a decade later, successful, still using the damn name we gave him in school, and damn good at his job. If anyone could find my mystery girl, it'd be him, which is why Wolf called him in the first place.
It takes less time than I thought, maybe four hours. It’s long enough for me to get lunch that they mostly ignore, and for Scarlet to fall asleep against Wolf's chest while he watches The Vampire Diaries, of all fucking things, and then Hunter huffs and stretches, pushing to his feet. "You got any beer in this place?"
He digs his way through my fridge and emerges with three beers that he passes to me and Wolf. A bottle of water is pressed into Scarlet's grumpy hands, and he gives her a stern stare. As usual, he pushes the healthier option, taking the roll of her Dom (and caretaker) to heart. She pouts but kisses him before she leans against him, smirking.
"Did you find her?"
"I couldn't miss her. She was fucking ballsy, dude. Your girl might be playing anonymous, but she wanted the club's attention while she did." He shakes his head, like he can't help but be impressed, and I fight the urge to grit my teeth.
"She's got her back to the camera the whole time, and she never takes off the mask. Even the morning after, I tracked her on the cameras all the way out of the club. She's not giving up her identity, and The Kingdom is too secure for me to get her member details."
He'd know. He built our system, made sure the damn thing was impenetrable. If Hunter says we're safe from hacks, we're very fucking safe.
"So..."
He hits a command and twists the computer to face me. He says, simply, "So you don't start with her."
I stare at the computer screen for a long minute, making the image come into focus, and then I swear.
“Holy shit.”
Chapter 13.
"You need to take a breath."
"You need to get the fuck out if you're going to stay stupid shit," I snap, glaring at Wolf.
He shoves his hands in his pockets and gives me a bored look. "You done? Because snapping and snarling is all fine and shit, but let's get this over with so we can do something productive."
"I'm going to kick his ass."
"You think so?" he asks, arching an eyebrow, and I snarl under my breath.
I step into the shower, shove the setting to as hot as I can stand, and try to see anything but what that damn computer was telling me.
"I'm not saying what he did was right, Charm, but you can't go in there pissed off and looking for a fight. He'll give you one," Wolf says, pitching his voice over the sound of the running water.
And he'll win, is left unspoken between us.
"Give me five minutes and we'll leave."
For a heartbeat, he doesn't respond, but then the door closes behind him and I'm left with the steaming water and my anger.
He's right, and I fucking know he's right.
It doesn't mean I have to like it.
The club is almost deserted by the time we get there. After the three night Audition, I think it’s to be expected. Everyone is exhausted, the subs are recovering, and there will be talk—in the Quiet Room and the privacy of homes—for days until I have made a decision.
I’ve already made a fucking decision.
Not that they need to know that.
"Charm!" The startled yelp comes from one of the bartenders and I flick a look at her. It’s not Celeste.
See, once upon a time, I was actually invested in my staff. I knew who the hell they were. Now what I know is who they aren't. Something is very wrong with that, and I'm pretty sure they know it too.
"Hey. Uh, are they here?"
Her eyes are wide and helpful, and she bobs her head quickly. "Yes, sir. Back in the office. Do you need anything?"
I shake my head quickly and trail Wolf.
"Dude, you ever consider you're too close to the damn staff?"
I roll my eyes because in light of my own personal revelation, his disdain is just a little bit too much.
"Shut up. We're here for a reason."
His gaze darts to me, cautiously assessing, and I nudge him with my shoulder. "I'm fine. I promise I'm not gonna punch him."
He nods, his eyes a little grim, before I follow him into the office.
Beast is lounging in my chair, and Mal is—as always—behind his desk, tapping at his computer with the air of someone who has all the time in the world and no desire to be bothered.
"Didn't expect to see you this early," Mal says, without looking up, but I ignore him. My gaze is on Beast, on my best friend, my brother, my partner in business and crime.
I thought that the four of us could always trust each other, because we always have, but he's sitting there, his gaze on his phone, unrepentant and unapologetic and I want, with a suddenness that startles me, to punch him.
"Where the fuck is she?" I snarl.
He blinks, slowly, processes the question, and then tries for fucking innocence. "Who?"
I clench my fists and can’t help the wordless growl that escapes me. Mal snaps my name.
"Fuck you," I spit, fury leading me to take a step toward him, and Beast surges out of the chair. I can’t help raising my voice as I speak. "Why the fuck did you do it?"
"Maybe you should tell me what the fuck I did," he snaps.
"I saw the tapes," I say instead and, so sudden it’s almost dizzying, I watch as all of the fight drain out of him.
"Charm."
"Explain this," Mal says, almost bored.
Immediately, I see tension grip Beast. He licks his lips and looks at me and then Mal. "I can't. Sir."
I make a harsh noise of disbelief and Mal sends me an annoyed look. “Shut up or get out, Charm.” He waits, long enough to make sure I am very aware he means it, before he refocuses on Beast. “What the hell is Charm so pissed about, James?”
Beast’s chin sets, and he crosses his arm defiantly.
Mal sighs. Wolf says, his voice low, “Beast got her out of the club—Charm’s mystery girl from last night. Beastie was waiting for her outside his dungeon this morning and got her out without anyone stopping him, before Charm could figure out who the fuck she is.”
&nbs
p; It still doesn’t make sense. I glare at him.
“Why?” Mal asks, his voice tight and furious, just the way I feel.
“Because she requested it, and the subs are mine,” Beast says. “I take care of them. You know that.”
“What I know is that we had a clear objective and now you’ve fucked it up. That girl—“
“Was never going to be Charm’s,” Beast says, interrupting Mal. Dark eyes narrow and Beast waves a hand, dismissing his anger before it can actually form. “She’s not staying, Mal. She was passing through and the Audition intrigued her.”
“Well, she’s the only fucking girl to intrigue Charm in months.”
“That’s not true,” Beast objects, and I do punch him for that. It’s not fair and I know it—know I’m just as pissed about losing Cinderella as I am about losing Celeste, and I don’t care.
I don’t really think about it, I just move, my hand balled and swinging before I consider that this isn’t ok.
Wolf’s arms are there, jerking me back as Beast falls into Mal, his eyes impossibly wide and hurt, Mal snapping my name, and I know I should apologize, say something to fix this because I can feel myself going off the rails, and I don’t know how to stop it.
“I’m gonna find her, Beast. Stay the fuck away from me until I do.”
Chapter 14.
“You need to take a breath,” Mal says, and I give him a look of sharp disbelief.
"Would you, if this was Briar he pulled this shit with?" I demand, and he stiffens.
It's a low blow. Briar is off limits, and has been for the better part of the past decade.
"You want the girl, so quit fucking whining and go get her," Mal snaps, "But being pissed that he did his fucking job isn't solving anything."
"I don't need you fighting my battles," Beast snaps.
"You shut the fuck up. What the hell were you thinking? We did this whole fucking circus to find a girl like her and then you hide her? Why the hell would you do that?"
"Because I was proving a point!" Beast snarls. "This whole thing is a fucking joke, and we all know it."
I go still, watching him through narrowed eyes. "What the fuck did you do?"
Wicked Charming (Wicked Ever After Book 1) Page 7