by Livia Grant
Markus wasn’t sure his friend wanted the raw truth, but he was gonna give it to him. “Truthfully? I know the club is profitable. Maybe it’s time to take a back seat, as a silent partner. You could make appearances to keep close to the members, but hell, even if Tiff understands, you’re gonna need to find someone to help. Even I’d think you were an asshole if you wanted to spend five nights a week playing with someone other than your own woman.”
Lukus ran his fingers through his morning-messed hair. “Hell, I know that. I’ve been on autopilot for years. These last few weeks are the first in years where I took time off. It’s been good. I just want a balance.”
“Try to steer her that way, but you need to start looking for a replacement. It’s not gonna be easy. You’re a natural.”
“Derek is doing fine,” Lukus said.
“Yeah, but with the baby on the way, he isn’t gonna want to do it full-time either.”
“I know. He’s already given me warning. Damn.” Lukus looked at his phone to check the time. “Where the hell is Derek, anyway? I asked him to be here by now. We have a lot of shit to do today.”
“I know you have a lot on your plate, but I want this Jake thing moved into a higher gear. If you’re too busy, let me know and I’ll find—”
Lukus cut him off mid-sentence. “Fuck you if you think you’re gonna hire anyone else for this case. I have a personal stake in this. Just back off, will ya? I’ll figure something out.”
Markus took a deep breath. “Fine. I’ll back off, but not forever. I want that prick in jail.”
“And I don’t? Tiff had another Goddamn nightmare last night.” Lukus’s agitation was growing.
“All right, so you have as much skin in this game as I do.”
They were interrupted by Lukus’s ringing cell phone. He smiled as he saw who was calling.
“Hey, Dylan. We were just talking about you. What’s happening out there?”
Lukus put the call on speakerphone, laying it on the counter between them so Markus could hear.
“I need a damn raise, that’s what’s happening out here. The asshole never sleeps,” Dylan said.
Markus looked at his watch. Eight-thirty in Chicago meant it was six-thirty in the morning in California.
“You been up all night?” Lukus asked.
“Yeah. I’m calling you from the car outside his house in Palo Alto. He just came home.”
“Where was he all night?”
“Well, he started at the office of his day job yesterday. Then I followed him on a sales call in downtown San Francisco. Then he met a shady looking pair for drinks after work. I sent photos to your work email. Derek said he was gonna have some guy named Cameron do facial recognition on them. Haven’t heard back yet, but if I had to guess, I’d say they looked like union mobsters. The kind whose specialty is breaking kneecaps, if you get my drift.”
Markus asked the next question. “He didn’t stay out until six-thirty in the morning with those guys. Where did he go next?”
Dylan yawned. “He drove out to some industrial park on the outskirts near the airport. There’s a guard shack, but I was able to get past easy enough with a fifty. I’ll just put that on my expense report. He parked outside a building with no windows. Just a keypad entry. We got there around ten-thirty last night. I don’t know exactly what was going on in there, but I saw women going in and out all night long.”
Lukus dug for more info. “What kind of women?”
“That’s the thing. It was all kinds of women. A few looked like real knockouts; slutty model types. But there were a few old enough to be my mom. A couple were dressed like they were going to a club, and others looked like they just rolled out of bed. There was one that even… never mind. That’s not important.”
“What did they say they were doing in there?” Markus wanted more info.
“Hell if I know what they were doing. I didn’t talk to any of them. Bossman there made it very clear that I was ‘too fucking new’ to do anything more than observe. So, I observed. Now I’m calling to check in, and then I’m going to bed. It’s Saturday. I’ll head back over to his house later and if he’s not there, I’ll go back to the warehouse and stake it out again. Do you want me to try to talk to someone going in or coming out?”
Markus said “Yes” as Lukus said “No” simultaneously.
Lukus shot Markus a dirty look before instructing Dylan clearly. “The orders haven’t changed. I’m sending Derek out tomorrow. Once there are two of you, get a bit more aggressive. Just keep an eye on things until he gets there.”
“Fine. I’m gonna choke down some food and hit the bed for a few hours. I’ll check in if anything changes.”
The call was disconnected without any goodbyes.
Markus was frustrated. “That didn’t tell us much. You need him to interview those women to figure out what’s going on in there.”
“He’s worked for me for a week. Yes, he’s had military training, but no recon training. Hell, I’d never ask anyone on the team, except Z, to do personal interviews in this situation without backup. Just be patient for a few more days.”
“Fine. But you need to let me know if you need anything from me.”
Lukus was agitated, anxious to get to work. “I will. For now, just let me shower and get to the office. I have a ton of shit backed up to handle for both businesses. Derek better get his ass here soon.”
“Okay. I need to leave anyway. I’m meeting a building contractor at the house in an hour. I’m having part of our basement built out into a playroom/dungeon. Call me.”
Lukus
Lukus was not happy. He’d spent as much time as possible with Tiffany over the last few weeks and, looking at the pile of paperwork on his desk, it showed. He was behind on everything from payroll to membership requests, invoicing, and liquor inventory. He’d spent the last hour just digging through the pile of mail Derek had left for his attention.
I seriously need to invest in a good admin. We’ve been getting by without it, but I don’t have time for this paperwork bullshit anymore.
Thinking of Derek reminded him how unusual it was that his number two hadn’t checked in. An hour ago, Lukus had been pissed at his absence. Now, as his third call went straight to voicemail, he was starting to worry.
That thought was hanging in the air as his phone rang. Caller ID confirmed it was Derek.
“Where have you been, man? You better not be late because you’ve been fucking your wife again. We have a lot of work to do.” Lukus’s words may have been harsh, but his tone showed his relief.
The relief dissipated as he heard Derek’s voice. “Sorry. I should have called earlier. Rachel is sick.”
“I think we can rule out a hangover. Is it morning sickness?”
Derek sounded worried. “I don’t think so. It’s different today. She’s having slight cramping. We called her OBGYN. The nurse said to just lie down and keep her feet up. What kind of bullshit advice is that?”
“I have no idea, man. Not something I have much experience with,” Lukus admitted.
“Like I do? How the hell am I going to be a good father to an infant? I don’t even know how to take care of my wife anymore.” Derek’s voice betrayed how helpless he felt.
Lukus chuckled, trying to lighten the call. “Being a bit melodramatic this morning, eh? Listen. You called the doctor. Follow their directions. I assume they know what the hell they’re doing.” He hated it, but he knew what he needed to do. “Listen. I can keep things under control here today. You stay home and take care of Rach. Get her feeling better. I can cover today, but I need you here tonight in time for the show. You know I don’t have anyone else who can take that over this late in the game.”
“Thanks, man. I was hoping you’d say that. I know I need to be there tonight. I’ll see if I can have one of her sisters come stay with her while I’m at the club. Until then, I’ll just baby her.”
Lukus laughed. “All right, but don’t think I don’t know what’
s going on over there. We both know how much you love to baby her.” He was relieved he’d made his friend snicker under pressure.
“Hey, today is different. She really needs it,” Derek said.
“Yeah, right. Let me guess. You already broke out the diapers, stuffed animals, and her binkie.”
Derek sounded defensive. “The nurse said to keep her on complete bed rest. Those diapers are gonna come in handy.”
“Fine. Go take care of your baby. Tell her Uncle Lukus hopes she feels better soon. Check in if anything changes.”
“I will. Thanks, man. Bye.”
Lukus
Six hours later, Lukus was starting to feel in control. With the exception of the liquor inventory, which he’d complete later with Ethan, he had almost everything else caught up. He was just leaving to head up to the loft when his cell rang. It was Derek again.
“Hey. Glad you checked in. How’s Rachel doing?”
“We’re at the hospital. Her cramping kept getting worse. When I went to change her diaper, there were spots of blood. I freaked and called an ambulance. What if something is wrong with the baby?” The sound of the hulking Derek near to tears gutted Lukus.
“Damn. Just stay calm. Is the doctor there yet? What did they say?”
“So far she’s only been seen by the ER doctor. Her OBGYN is in route. She’s crying so hard, man. I’ve never seen her this upset. It’s breaking my fucking heart. What the hell was I thinking? I can’t do this.”
A few weeks ago, Lukus wouldn’t have really understood his friend’s melodramatic rant, but courtesy of one Tiffany O’Sullivan, he now found himself in touch with his deeper, emotional side. By the sounds of it, the baby had had the same effect on Derek.
“Stay calm. Until her doctor gets there, we don’t know what’s happening. Thanks for calling, but you need to buck up and get back in there and be her Dom, man. I know you’re afraid, but she needs you to be strong.”
“Right.” Lukus could hear Derek taking a deep breath. “Well, the main reason I called is to give you as much warning as I could. There’s no way I’m leaving Rachel to do the show tonight. I know you’re gonna have my ass, but I can’t do it. You can fire me—”
Lukus cut him off. “Derek. Stop. Of course, you can’t do the show tonight. Your wife and child are in the hospital. Take care of them and let me deal with the shit here, okay?”
“Well, what are you gonna do? You know Tiffany will have your balls if you do the show, right?”
“Let me worry about that. You have enough on your plate. Text or call with updates. I’m gonna be worried about you guys. Give Rachel a hug from me.”
“Thanks for understanding, man. Good luck tonight,” Derek said.
“You too. Don’t think about the club. Just keep Rachel calm and safe.”
Lukus sat in his chair for five long minutes, letting the news of Rachel’s hospitalization settle in. He eventually pushed down his concern for his good friends enough to run through the planned shows for the night.
I have to come up with a solution that doesn’t include me on stage with someone other than Tiffany.
The early show he could get Mistress Nanci to lead, since the planned recipients of punishment were her two male submissives. The threesome were frequent patrons, and Mistress Nanci preferred to participate in her own brand of harsh, humiliation punishments. She and her subs were exhibitionists, often signing up for center stage. Yes, she could handle the nine o’clock show.
It was the eleven o’clock show that was problematic. Hell, he’d cancel if there weren’t already grumblings among the membership over the frequent club closings. First, the last-minute cancel two Saturdays ago for Markus and Brianna. Then, last night’s early closing for the collaring ceremony. He couldn’t consider canceling another show without losing members. For the hefty monthly fee they were paying, he’d be pissed, too.
Complicating matters was the scheduled punishment recipient. Were it a couple, he’d ask the Dom to take the lead and just participate in a supervisory role himself. But tonight’s late show was the real deal. Trisha was a single submissive member. Her Dom may have moved to the west coast without her, but her former Master made sure to leave her well off financially. He’d asked Lukus and Derek to look after her until she found a new Dom. That was how Derek found himself picking her up at the police station last week after she’d been booked for a DUI.
Trisha was out of control. Lukus was counting on the combination of her arrest and the harsh punishment she was going to receive tonight to teach her an important lesson. Derek had planned a heavy-duty paddling and belting for tonight to get her back on track. There was no way Tiffany would sit by and let Lukus carry out the plan he and Derek had worked out for the single Trisha, especially if she caught wind that Trisha had made it clear she wanted Lukus as her next Master.
A surge of frustrated anger overtook Lukus. He was the Master Dom, for Christ’s sake. It was ridiculous that he should have to ask permission from his girlfriend to do his fucking job. To do what he’d done hundreds of times before and would do a hundred times again. It wasn’t personal.
It’s business. She’s just going to have to suck it up. I’m her Dom, and I’ll just tell her how it’s going to be.
He pushed down the guilt. He’d let her decide. She could come and observe, or she could wait upstairs, but she wasn’t going to have the choice to say no tonight. That wasn’t going to happen.
His bravado lasted until his phone rang and he looked down to see Tiffany’s name and picture pop up on the screen. He considered letting it roll to voicemail, unprepared for the argument that was sure to erupt between them, but answered it at the last minute.
“Hi, baby. I hope your day is going better than mine.”
“Hey. Well it hasn’t gone bad, I guess. I’m exhausted. We’ve been so busy we had to order in a pizza for lunch, and we all took bites in the thirty seconds we had between clients. I’m not used to being on my feet non-stop like this. My back hurts.”
“Poor baby. It sounds like you need a warm bath and a deep-tissue massage.”
“Honestly, I’m dreaming of a hot bath and a nap. You kept me up half the night last night. I need sleep. I know I promised to drive downtown tonight, but would you be mad if I head to my place for a nap first?”
Lukus felt like a shit for thinking it. He felt like an ass for saying it. It didn’t stop him. “You know I don’t want you driving if you’re sleepy. Of course, you need to go home and sleep. We have a lot going on down here tonight, or I’d come out to you right now. How about I come out to you after the last show? It’ll be late, but you should be rested up by then.”
He heard her stifled yawn at the other end of the phone. He contemplated telling her the real reason he needed to stay at the club, but when she didn’t ask, he decided to tell her after it was over so she could see that it wasn’t that big of a deal.
“Thank you so much for being so understanding, honey,” she said. “I was dreading driving into the city tonight. I’m glad you have a key. Just let yourself in. Try to get out of there as early as you can, okay?”
“I will. Go home, Tiff, and I’ll see you later tonight.”
“Bye, Sir.”
Problem solved.
So why do I feel like such a shit?
Chapter Seventeen
Tiffany
The pounding music from her neighbor’s garage outside her bedroom window stirred Tiffany awake a few hours into her well-deserved nap.
Damn teenagers.
Even as she thought it, she forgave them. It was, after all, Saturday night. She peeked at her bedside alarm clock—holy shit. She’d slept for four hours. It was just after nine. Time to wake up and get ready for Lukus’s arrival. She sprung out of bed, heading to the bathroom to take that hot bath.
Anxious to know how far away he was, Tiff picked up her cell and phoned him. She wasn’t surprised it went to voicemail, since it was hard to hear when he was out on the club floor. Glancing
at the time again, she realized he probably didn’t want to answer while watching Derek run the show.
She let her thoughts drift to the naughty submissives on the receiving end of a Derek punishment tonight. Was it wrong to hope that the scene got Lukus revved up? As much as she loved the gentle Lukus, Tiff had to admit she was in the mood for the Master’s Master. Lukus was never more Dom-like in the bedroom than after an intense center stage show. She couldn’t say she blamed him, since seeing the edgy scenes brought out her submissive tendencies in spades.
When she tried his cell again thirty minutes later, she was less understanding. The center stage show should have been over, and he should have been watching for her call.
By ten fifteen, she’d called again. No answer. She was worried.
By ten thirty, she’d called again. No answer. She was anxious.
By ten forty-five, she’d called again. No answer. She was pissed. She was also dressed and heading to her car.
I have to check in with him all the time or he worries, but he gets to drop off the face of the earth without so much as a simple text that everything is okay.
Tiffany suspected that she might be overreacting, but she had a funny feeling in her gut that something was wrong. She’d learned to listen to her gut.
She continued to try to reach him during her drive, worried they were going to pass each other on the highway. When she got all the way to the club without him returning her call, she was back to being pissed.
It was after eleven, and only now did she realize this was the first time she’d arrived at the club without Derek or Lukus meeting her in the alley to park her car. There wasn’t even a bouncer standing in the alley, like usual, which seemed strange for a busy weekend night.
She had no choice. She would have to park her own car in the garage at the end of the block and then walk back. The wise little voice in the back of her head told her she was making a mistake. Lukus was going to lose it if he found out she walked by herself in the dark alley on a Saturday night.