Reveal Me, Sir (Doms of Decadence Book 9)
Page 23
“He doesn’t live in the gray?”
“I don’t even think he believes there should be gray.”
He continued to run his hand up and down her back. “Then fuck him. He doesn’t deserve you.”
She smiled sadly. “You’ve got that the wrong way around.”
“No, I don’t. You might have been raised in a fucked-up family, but you’ve always been a good person. You didn’t have it easy, but you rose above that shit to be a courageous, loyal, and loving person. I’m proud of you.”
Warmth filled her, soothing some of the hurt. “Thank you.”
“I know our fuckwit of an old man would never have told you that and that it doesn’t mean the same coming from me—”
She shook her head, placing a finger over his lips. “No, it means more. Because it comes from the only real dad I ever knew.”
“Jesus, I’m not fucking old enough to be your father.”
“You sure about that? I can see some grays slipping through.” She peered at his hair
He patted his head.
“Don’t worry,” she said, hugging him. “I hear silver foxes are the hottest thing right now.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not eager to start a new relationship.”
She squeezed him tightly, hearing the hurt he’d never show anyone else. “I never liked that bitch.”
He chuckled. “You want me to take care of the dickhead? One shot is all it will take.”
She stiffened and pulled back. “Don’t, Freddy. Don’t even joke about it. Please, just leave Connor alone.”
“You want me to take you back? You want to me to explain it all to him?”
She shook her head. “No. He made it clear he no longer wants me. Even before you came, he’d let me go. And I know he won’t come after me.”
“You don’t need him.”
Somehow, she wasn’t so sure.
“I do have another problem though.” She swallowed as she moved back to her seat. “I witnessed a murder and I think I could have a hitman after me.”
“Yeah, that reminds me. I need to call Vince and ream him out. What was his fucking hitman thinking to take that shot when you were close by?”
“What? You know who this Vince is?” She gaped at him.
“Of course. How do you think I found you?”
“I don’t understand.” How were the two things connected?
“That idiot who was shot blackmailed the wrong person.”
“Right. I guessed he pissed someone off since he ended up with a hole in his head.”
“Since when did you become a smart ass?” he grumbled.
“Sometime in the last few months. Being on the run will do that to a girl.”
Freddy shook his head and sighed. “Anyway, that idiot who got himself killed decided a few weeks ago to start blackmailing Vince’s sister, who lives in Waco. So, Vince sent one of his boys down to take care of him. He took a few photos of this guy and sent them back to Vince. To his surprise, there you were in one of them.”
She had been? The photos must have been taken in the club because she spent as little time as possible in Trevor’s company. “Wait, how did Vince’s guy know it was Trevor who was the blackmailer?”
“Ah, well, even though Vince agreed to let his sister move here to live her own life, he never completely left her unprotected. One of his guy’s was waiting outside of the club to follow her home one night and saw that little ass leave a note on her car. When Vince saw you in one of the photos, he called me. I sent a few photos of you to people I trusted so they could keep an eye out for you. Couldn’t tell just anyone or it might have gotten into the wrong hands. Didn’t want someone going after you to get revenge on me. I sent Carson and Louie out ahead of me while I set things up so I could leave the city. They confirmed you were definitely here and that you were involved with some guy. They put trackers on his car and yours and kept watch on you until I could get there. And still, you nearly got shot by one of Vince’s idiot men.” He frowned over at Carson, as though that was his fault.
“Freddy, who’s Vince?”
“Oh, thought you knew. Vincent Dragos. He runs the mob in Dallas. Gonna have words to say to him at our next AGM.”
She had to role her eyes at the idea of all the mob leaders meeting up for an annual general meeting. Sometimes her brother was an idiot.
“So this all came about because Trevor chose to blackmail the wrong person?”
“Yeah, dumbass didn’t even realize who Elise was.”
“Elise? Elise is Vince’s sister?”
“Yeah. How else do you think a painter can drive around in a brand-new Lexus? Her art is never going to sell. It’s really shit.”
His head throbbed so bad it made it hard to think.
“Fuck, I hate getting knocked unconscious. Makes me grumpy as hell,” Hunter complained. “And I’ve got rope burn on my wrists. Those fuckers know nothing about tying knots or what type of rope to use.”
“Somehow, I don’t think they cared about your comfort,” Gray Mathers said dryly. He handed Connor a glass of water and some painkillers.
Gray and Jaron had arrived a few hours after Ria left. They’d brought two of the new guys that Hunter had hired with them.
She’d left. With her brother. He hadn’t even known she had a fucking brother. What else didn’t he know about her?
“Was her name even Ria?” he muttered.
Hunter and Gray looked over at him. They’d already filled Gray in on what happened. Jaron and Micah were outside keeping watch. Although Connor didn’t expect any more problems.
“They called her Ria,” Hunter told him. “I’d say it was her name. Or a nickname.”
Not that it meant much. She’d lied.
“She never mentioned a brother.”
“You couldn’t have known she wasn’t who she said she was.” There was sympathy on Gray’s face. He and Hunter knew what Greta had done to him. But the last thing he needed was their pity. Not when he’d been so stupid. He’d trusted her. Believed what she’d told him. And he’d been a sucker again. He clenched his hands into fists.
“Hey, number three, do something useful and find me something to drink,” Hunter grumbled.
Finn Stewart had worked for Black-Gray for over a month now, but Hunter claimed he’d hired so many new people he couldn’t keep track of their names. So he numbered them.
He really was an asshole.
“You want to go after her?” Gray asked.
“No.”
Hunter nodded. “Good call. She was just going to waste resources, having us protect her from a killer. Now her brother can do it.”
Fuck. How had he forgotten about the threat over her head?
“We need to figure out who killed Trevor.”
Hunter groaned. “Do we have to? The guy was a douche.”
“Roarke’s going to want to know,” Gray told him dryly.
“Why? Trevor was the blackmailer. He’s gone now. Ria was in danger, but she’s gone now too. Far as I can see, job well done.”
Connor gave him an incredulous look. “This guy could still come for her!”
“And get through Frederick Cardello’s gang of goons? I think she’s safer than the president at this point.”
“What?” Connor turned to him. “You know her brother?”
“Well, I don’t know him personally. Don’t have much to do with the Chicago Mob.”
The Chicago Mob? Frederick Cardello? Holy shit.
“Fuck. I didn’t recognize him.”
“Not many photos of him circulating,” Hunter told him. “No reason why you should have.”
“Why would Freddy Cardello’s sister be working in a BDSM club in Waco?” Gray mused.
“How the fuck did I miss that?” Connor asked.
“She must have bought herself a pretty solid fake ID. And you ruled her out as the thief, you knew she wasn’t the blackmailer, so there was no reason to dig deeper,” Gray told him. “You trusted her. Y
He was a fucking idiot.
“She was my sub.” He should have known. “She lied to me the whole time.”
“Yeah. She should have told you she was a mobster’s sister straight away.” Hunter nodded. “You need to write that into your rules next time.”
Next time? Like there would fucking be a next time. He wasn’t getting involved with another sub.
Hunter pretended to write a note on his palm. “Sub must disclose whether she is related to a criminal, mob or otherwise. Even if sub is on the run and hiding from said criminal.”
“What? You think she was hiding from him?”
Finn snorted. “Dude, a mobster like Freddy Cardello doesn’t just let his sister work in some BDSM club and live in a crappy apartment with no security. He’d have her well protected and watched all the time.”
“Hey, number three. Don’t use the word dude unless you’re about to go surfing. And don’t ever go surfing.”
Finn just rolled his eyes.
“So why was she on the run?” Gray asked. “And could her brother be a threat to her?”
Fuck. Why had he let them take her?
Um, you didn’t have much choice.
No, but he had a choice now.
“I’d like to know how the fuck he found us,” Hunter said in a low growl. “This is a fucking safe house.”
“I never even knew you had this place,” Gray commented.
Hunter shrugged. “Man’s got to be prepared for anything.”
“None of this makes sense.” He ran his hand over her face. “She never indicated she was on the run. I thought she’d moved to Waco because of what happened with her old Dom.”
“What’s that?” Gray asked.
“He lied to her. Pretended to be someone he wasn’t.” He didn’t know a lot more than that. He leaned back with a groan. “Fuck. I was a crap Dom.”
“Yeah, well, didn’t want to say anything . . .”
“Hunter, shut up,” Gray said without heat. “Connor, I’ve never known you to do anything without thinking through all the ramifications first. You’re a careful person. You always do your research.”
“Not this time. I didn’t press her for more information about this Dom, about her past. I didn’t look into her thoroughly. You’d think I’d have learned after Greta.”
Hunter shook his head. “You have the fucking worst luck with woman. First one treacherous bitch then another.”
“I wouldn’t call Ria a treacherous bitch.” Connor frowned.
“She lied about who she was,” Hunter pointed out.
“She was obviously hiding from her brother,” he defended. “She couldn’t have just blurted that stuff out to just anyone. I held shit back about my personal life.” It wasn’t exactly the same thing, of course.
“She broke your rules,” Hunter added. “Put herself in danger.”
“And I did the one thing I promised I wouldn’t.” He should have talked to her. Should never have cut himself off.
“Sounds like you’re well rid,” Hunter said.
Connor glared at him. Gray shook his head. “Didn’t Cady warn you not to use reverse psychology on your friends anymore?”
“But he’s being a dumbass,” Hunter complained.
“What?” Connor asked.
“Come on, man,” Finn said quietly. “I don’t know you well or this girl at all. But it’s obvious some bad shit went down in her life. She’s not going to be a trusting person with a family like she’s got. She had to protect herself, and you, from her brother.”
Fuck. Fuck.
“Could she be in danger from him?” And then there was the guy she’d seen kill Trevor. “And what about this Vince?”
“Hey, I know how they found you guys.” Jaron walked in and put a small object down on the coffee table.
“Tracking device,” Connor said. “They were tracking me.”
“Must have been watching you guys,” Gray said. “Maybe Ria wanted out of the life and her brother wouldn’t let her go.”
“So she was running from a criminal. Who now has her back. Good thought. Let’s go for that. Who’s for some breakfast?” Hunter asked.
“We can’t just leave her there without knowing what’s going on.” Connor gaped at him.
“Why not? She’s a liar, right? You don’t want a sub who lies, who breaks your rules whenever she feels like it.”
Connor glared at him. “You’re an asshole.”
“I swear he gets worse as he gets older.” Gray sighed.
“I need to figure out what the hell went on between her and her brother. We also need to find out who this Vince is.”
Gray nodded. “You know we’ll help.”
“Why?” Hunter asked. “She’s not his sub anymore. He made that clear.”
“She’s more than my sub. She’s the woman I fucking love.” Even knowing she’d lied, he still loved her. Could he forgive her? Her deception hadn’t been to hurt him. Or to use him. More than likely it had been to protect him. Yeah, that made more sense. Damn woman wanted to protect the world. He needed to make it clear she did not protect him.
She’d soon learn he was serious when he had her plugged, spanked, and fucked. Maybe he’d just keep her that way most of the time. It was a nice thought.
“Ah, he’s got that look on his face. Already deciding how he’s going to discipline her. Cady hasn’t played up in a while. I miss that.”
Gray smacked Hunter on the back. “Don’t worry, after I tell her about all of this I’m sure she’s going to be so mad she’ll earn some punishment.”
“Something to look forward to.”
He’d been wrong. He shouldn’t have been so quick to let her go.
He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“I need to go get my sub.”
“Whoop!” Hunter did a fist pump. “Taking on the Chicago mob, now that’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
16
She felt completely lost.
It hurt so much. Losing him. How long would it take to feel better? These last four days, she’d felt numb. Bereft. Surely, she wouldn’t be like this forever.
He hated her. Thought she’d lied to him all this time. Well, she had. But she’d told herself it was to protect him. What would he have done if he’d known? Turned away from her in disgust? Or would it have brought them closer?
She’d never know now, would she?
“Ria, you need to eat.” Freddy stepped up behind her, cupping her shoulders with his hands. “Come on, you’ve barely eaten since you got home. You’ve lost weight.”
“I think I can spare a few pounds.” She winced. If that had been Connor standing behind her, she’d be in a world of trouble. But it wasn’t. He was in Dallas, moving on with his life. She should probably try to do the same.
“I am going to find you a new Dom,” Freddy announced.
She turned, gaping up at him. “What?”
“You obviously need a Dom’s steady influence in your life, and you won’t listen to your brother.” He gave her a ferocious look.
“I always listen to you.”
He snorted. “Once upon a time, maybe. No longer. Unfortunately, I can no longer take you over my knee when you’re naughty. But if you had a Dom, he could.”
“You’ve never once spanked me.”
“Maybe I should have. You wouldn’t so easily defy me now.”
“Defy you?”
“You must eat, Ria. I won’t have you getting ill.”
“I can’t eat.”
“Because of him.”
She shook her head.
“Don’t lie to me,” he told her in a low voice. “You miss him. You loved him. That is not easy to get over.”
“And yet you’re eager to go out and find me a new Dom.” That sounded like an absolute nightmare. What kind of Dom would her brother find for her? Eew, just thinking it sounded wrong.
“It doesn’t have to be a sexual thing,” Freddy told her. “But you’re going to fade away if you continue like this.”
“I don’t want anyone else.”
“Then I will have him sent for.”
“You can’t do that. You can’t make him want me. Love me. I don’t deserve him. He deserves much, much better.”
“Actually, you have that the wrong way around.”
She gasped at the voice, turning to find Connor standing there, in the interconnecting door between the living room and the study next door.
“Connor, what are you—” She quickly moved, standing between him and Freddy. She held her hands up to her brother beseechingly. “Freddy, don’t hurt him.”
“Are my guards all right?” Freddy said calmly.
“Well, Hunter is watching over them so that’s debatable. They’ll probably be ready to kill themselves after spending too long in his company.”
“I see I underestimated you, Mr. Maxwell.”
“Happens a lot. Call me Connor, I think we’re going to be spending some time together.”
“That so?” Freddy looked from her to Connor.
She was so confused. “Connor, what are you doing here?”
Had he come here to get revenge? Was he going to hurt her brother? She inched further in front of Freddy.
Connor sighed. “Still trying to protect the world?”
“Not the world,” she muttered.
“She has always been very protective of those she thought needed it,” Freddy commented, moving to her side. “However, she should know I don’t need her protection.”
“And yet she’s been protecting you this whole time, hasn’t she?”
“So you finally worked that out,” Freddy said. “Wasn’t just me she was protecting.”
Connor stared at her. “No, I understand that now. And I’m going to make certain that stops.”
“Not sure I like you for her.”
She looked from one to the other. “What are you guys talking about?”
“Ria, come here,” Connor commanded.
“I don’t think so.” Freddy reached out and grabbed her arm. “Not until I get some assurances.”
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