Reveal Me, Sir (Doms of Decadence Book 9)

by Laylah Roberts

  “We still have a contract,” Connor warned. “She’s still under my protection.”

  “I’m her brother, she will always be under my protection.”

  What? Had Connor just said that they still had a contract?

  “You let me go,” she said.

  “You didn’t tell me everything about who you were,” he countered. “You broke the rules and put yourself in danger.”

  “And you pulled away from me.” The hurt still ran deep.

  He nodded. “That was a mistake. I’m sorry for that. It will not happen again.”

  “No. Because she’s no longer yours,” Freddy said. “She’s my sister. I’ll take care of her.”

  Connor’s gaze narrowed. “Been doing such a good job of that, haven’t you? She ran from you. She was out in the world with no protection. What if one of your enemies had found her?”

  “That was due to a misunderstanding.”

  “Okay, will the two of you stop arguing over me like dogs fighting over a bone.”

  “Ria, come here,” Connor ordered.

  The urge to obey him was so great, she actually took a step forward. But Freddy kept a tight hold on her.

  “You’re forgetting that my friends have your goons under lock and key.” Connor scowled at Freddy.

  “You won’t harm me or them,” Freddy said confidently.

  She grew tense. That hadn’t even occurred to her. That Connor might harm her brother.

  “Yeah? Why’s that?” Connor asked.

  “Because Ria will never forgive you if you do.”

  Connor sighed. “So what did you do that made her run from you?”

  Freddy was silent. Connor turned to her. “Ria? Want to explain?

  Oh, God. She couldn’t.

  “Don’t,” Freddy said quietly.

  “What?” Connor asked.

  “Don’t make her choose. Don’t divide her loyalty. She can’t tell you what happened because it would incriminate me.”

  “And if I was part of this family? Would I have that loyalty?”

  She sucked in a breath. What was he saying?

  “Ria told me that you wouldn’t accept who I am. What I do. That you’re very law-abiding.” Freddy spat out the last words like they gave him a bad taste.

  “So long as what you do doesn’t touch Ria, doesn’t hurt her, then I don’t need to know what the fuck you do. But whatever happened did affect her.”

  “I made a mistake,” Ria blurted out. She ran a hand over face, aware she was shaking. “I trusted the wrong person and he was only with me because he wanted information about Freddy.”

  “Your old Dom?”

  She nodded. “Yeah.”

  “So you ran?” He looked puzzled.

  “Ria thought I was angry with her. That I believed she’d betrayed me. She misheard a conversation. And left before she got the full story.”

  “Made assumptions, did she?” Connor asked.

  “Yes. That can sometimes be another fault of hers.”

  “Can we not stand here and go over my faults,” she begged. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”

  “What’s happening is your Dom realized he made a mistake and came for you,” Freddy explained. “Probably worried you were in trouble.”

  “What? Really?” Her heart melted. He was worried about her? Then she realized that just because he was worried didn’t mean he wanted her. “I’m fine. Freddy would never hurt me.”

  “What I want to know is, is it just her Dom that’s here?” Freddy asked. “Or is it the man who loves her as well? The Dom can punish her for disobeying him. But can the man forgive and love her?”

  She stared at Freddy with wide eyes. What was he doing?

  Connor stared at her through hooded eyes. “Yes. I can. I do.”

  She swallowed heavily, aware it wasn’t the declaration of her dreams. He wasn’t taking her into his arms. Wasn’t telling her he wanted to be with her.

  “Ria, tell me the truth. Why didn’t you tell me who you are?”

  “Because it would incriminate Freddy. And because I didn’t think you could handle who I am.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Because I wanted to protect you.” She licked her lips. “I thought Freddy believed I’d betrayed him. If he’d found me I thought he would kill me. And anyone with me.”

  Connor nodded. “And how do you feel about me?”

  “I love you.”

  “Then come here.”

  This time, Freddy let her go. She walked over to Connor and looked up into his face. “Can you ever forgive me, Sir?”

  She held her breath. Waited.

  He cupped her face. “Only if you can forgive me.”

  “What? What for?” His face blurred through her tears.

  “I waxed on about all my rules. Communication. Respect. Honesty.”

  “And I broke them,” she whispered.

  “You didn’t tell me everything,” he agreed. “Kept something big that could have affected your safety and that is definitely going to be addressed. But I broke the rules too. I promised to never withhold my affection. And at the first big issue, I closed myself off from you. I should never have said I wasn’t your Dom anymore. I certainly didn’t mean it.”

  “You didn’t?”

  “No, wildcat. I regretted it as soon as I said it. And if we hadn’t been interrupted, I would have done my best to convince you of that.”

  She glanced over at Freddy. “Do you think you could give us some privacy?”

  “Nope, don’t suppose I can.”

  She sighed. Connor pulled her over towards the door.

  “I lied to you. Just like Greta.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “Nothing like Greta. I thought that at the beginning. I was angry. And hurt.”

  She sucked in a breath. She hated that she’d hurt him.

  “But then I realized I was letting my past color my thoughts and decisions in the present. And that this was partially my fault.”

  “How?”

  “Because I did everything I could to protect myself. All of my rules, the fact that I insisted this relationship was for a short time, it was all to try to keep myself from being hurt again. And it kept you from confiding in me.”

  “I’m not sure I still would have confided in you.” She looked over at Freddy. “I’d never do anything to betray him. I also didn’t know how you’d react if you knew who Freddy was.”

  Freddy crossed his arms over his chest. “You going to judge her for who I am? For the fact that she was born into this family? With a father who treated her like she was less because she wasn’t perfect in his eyes?”

  “She is perfect.” Connor took a step towards Freddy, hands clenched into fists. “She is loyal, protective, smart, beautiful. And anyone who can’t see that is blind and stupid.”

  Freddy just smiled. “I agree. I won’t let her go to just anyone.”

  She sighed. “Freddy, I’m not a dog you’re giving away.”

  “No. You’re infinitely more precious. And I haven’t liked seeing you the way you’ve been lately. She hasn’t been eating. Or sleeping. She’s been doing a lot of crying, though. That’s not normal for my sister. She prefers revenge to tears. But not this time. You hurt her. I want to know you’re not going to be an ass like that again.”

  Connor nodded. “I understand. I made a mistake. It’s not going to happen again. But be aware that I will protect her. From anyone who threatens her.”

  Freddy’s eyes narrowed. “You won’t be keeping her from me. You won’t make her choose.”

  “No, I won’t. But none of your shit better come back on her.”

  Freddy nodded. “We can figure that out.”

  “Is she still in danger from seeing Trevor shot outside Indulgence or has that been taken care of?”

  “Of course it has.” Freddy just smiled. “That was never an issue.”

  She sucked in a breath. Would Connor be able to leave it there? Would he w
ant to know every detail? Freddy would never tell him. There was an unspoken “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule. This was life in her family. Could he handle that?

  “All right then. As long as she is safe.”

  Freddy looked him over. “She is. I still haven’t completely decided that you deserve her, but I’m willing to give you a chance. If she will.”

  Connor nodded.

  “You’ve got it the wrong way around, I don’t deserve Connor.”

  “No, you have got it wrong.” Freddy walked over to her. He cupped her face between his hands and kissed her forehead. “You are everything good in the world. You have qualities I one day hope to find in a woman. You are brave, loyal, strong, and loving. He’s the one who has to prove his worth to you.”

  Freddy turned and strode out of the room.

  She stared after him as he walked away. “Did what I think just happened, happen?

  “I think he gave me permission to be with you. Thing is, it’s not his agreement I’m looking for.”

  “You really want me?”

  “Baby, I’ve always wanted you. I’m sorry I was an ass. I pushed you away. I let you go without a fight. But I’m here now. And I’m ready to fight for you.”

  “What about who I am? Who Freddy is?”

  He took her hand and led her to the couch. He frowned as he looked her over. “You’re pale. Freddy said you haven’t been eating?”

  “Haven’t had much of an appetite.”

  “That stops now, hear me? I’m going to order some food and you’re going to eat it, even if I have to tie you down and feed you myself. And you’ll be getting sleep tonight.”

  She grabbed hold of his hand as he went to stand. Screw food. “Connor, do you want to be my Dom again?”

  She wanted it spelled out.

  “No.”

  Oh. Right. Disappointment flooded her.

  “I’m here because I want to be with you. Forever. I don’t want to just be your Dom. I want to be your man. Someday, hopefully your husband. I love you, Ria.”

  Oh my God. She wondered if she was dreaming. “I love you too.”

  “Thank God,” he whispered.

  “But are you sure you can live with who my brother is? And it’s not just him. There are cousins. And aunts and uncles. It’s a whole family deal. I made a stupid mistake, thinking that Freddy would ever hurt me. I was reeling from Martin’s betrayal. And I wasn’t thinking clearly. But I won’t cut myself off from him.”

  “And I won’t ask you to. I know you think I’m very black and white, but I haven’t always lived on the right side of the law, you know.” He winked at her.

  “Hard to believe.”

  “I broke the law for the first time when I was twelve.”

  Her jaw dropped open. “For the first time?”

  “Yep. I hacked into the FBI database.”

  “You did what?”

  “Yeah. They never found out. Wasn’t until I was fifteen that I was caught. By then I’d broken the law so many times, I’d lost track. My family was horrified. My mother still prays for my soul in church.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “I never did anything malicious while I was hacking into all those databases. Oh, I changed a few grades for my friends on their report cards. The principal wasn’t too happy about that. Neither were my parents. They have five kids and I created more trouble than the rest of them put together. The only other trouble they’d had was when one of my sister’s got caught smoking pot during her senior year of high school. She was pleased when I took the pressure off her and mom no longer mentioned her transgression every Sunday night during family prayer time.”

  She couldn’t help it, she started to giggle. He smiled. “I didn’t like causing them problems. Making them worry.”

  “What happened when you were fifteen?”

  “I got a choice. Work for the FBI or get arrested.”

  “What? You were fifteen!”

  “Oh, I didn’t officially work for them until later. But I did jobs for them. My parents didn’t fully understand what was going on. Neither did I, really. It was a game. Later on, when I understood that my actions had consequences, I discovered I didn’t like the work I was doing so much. I was a bit of a nerd. Didn’t have any friends. Didn’t really do anything except work. Then I met Greta. I thought I was so lucky that this gorgeous woman wanted me, when it turned out she was just using me to get information. I never told her anything, but the FBI decided I was a liability. In the end, it turned out to be a good thing because I went to work for Black-Gray and I made a life myself. So you see, baby, I’m practically a bad boy.”

  She grinned. “A bad boy, huh?”

  “Yep. I’m thinking about getting me a hog and some tattoos. Something that shows what a badass I am.”

  “You don’t need the tattoos and bike. I know you’re a badass on the inside.” The tight knot inside her eased with his teasing. “We don’t want to give your mother something else to despair over.”

  “Oh, I think she loves it.” He kissed the top of her head. “All teasing aside, I know who your brother is and what he does. That doesn’t reflect on who you are. You’re kind and brave and fiercely loyal. I’m not going to come between you and your family, so long as none of that shit touches you and I’ll make sure it doesn’t.”

  “I messed up, though. And I can’t guarantee it won’t happen again. If you reject me, I don’t know how I will deal with that.”

  “Sh, baby. I promise I won’t do that again. I won’t turn away from you.”

  She sniffled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you too, baby. And I’ll spend the rest of my life, making certain you know just how much I adore and cherish you.”

  17

  “That wasn’t a dog, it was a horse.” Connor stared in horror at the closed door. She’d just removed Butch from her room.

  “Poor Butch, he’s missed me. He likes to sleep in my bed every night.”

  “We’re gonna need a bigger bed.”

  “I can’t believe I have a boy in my bedroom,” Ria told Connor with a grin. “It feels so naughty.”

  “Naughty, huh?” He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. She never thought she’d feel him hugging her again. It felt so right. Like coming home. “You know what I can’t believe? That your brother eats that much and isn’t the size of a house.”

  “I know, it’s not fair. He got my father’s fast metabolism. It’s the only thing I would have liked from that bastard.”

  Well, that and for him to have accepted me the way I am. To love me no matter what.

  He tilted her face up. “What are you thinking about?”

  She shrugged. “My dad. About how he never accepted me.”

  “He was an idiot who didn’t deserve you. Because you are perfect.” He kissed her lightly. “I noticed you didn’t eat much at dinner.”

  She rolled her eyes. “My stomach has shrunk over these past two weeks. I’m fine.”

  “You’re going to be better than fine. I’ll see to that. I’m going to be watching you carefully. I know I was a bit over-the-top with all my rules, but I’m always going to be serious about your health and safety.”

  “I know. I shouldn’t have followed Trevor that night.” She trembled. “It’s a night I’ll never forget.”

  “Do you still have nightmares?” He sat on the bed and pulled her onto his lap, holding her tightly.

  “Yes.”

  “Me too,” he told her.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, and in every one of those nightmares, it’s your body lying there instead of Trevor’s. I came so close to losing you and it terrified me. I’m willing to compromise on a lot, baby. But never your safety, all right?”

  “I can live with that.” She smiled up at him then ran her fingers up his chest. “Don’t worry. I’ll get my appetite back.”

  “I might be able to help with that.” He ran his hand down her back.


  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah. Might have to find a gag for you, though. I don’t want your brother busting down our door once you start screaming.”

  “Do you know my brother has a dungeon?”

  “Yeah, he told me. Then he said I wasn’t taking you anywhere near it.”

  “Eew, like I’d want to play where my brother takes his subs?”

  “So you’ve never had a boy in here, huh?” he asked, looking around.

  “No.”

  He patted the mattress. “So this is a virginial bed then?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I guess so.”

  He winked. “That’s going to change, isn’t it?”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “I need to take a shower. I’ve had a long day. Do you mind?”

  No, she didn’t mind. Her heart raced. In fact, she had an idea of just what she wanted to do while he was in the shower. She climbed off his lap and he kissed her lightly.

  “I won’t take long.”

  She waited until he moved into the attached bathroom before quickly stripping. Then she removed her hearing aid and took a deep breath. All right. She could do this. She trusted Connor. He wanted to be with her. He loved her, and she loved him.

  She opened the bathroom door and walked in to find him stripping.

  He turned, facing her. “Baby? Everything okay?”

  “Yes,” she told him. “I want to shower with you.”

  His eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

  “I am.”

  “Have you taken your hearing aid out?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Baby. Are you sure?” He spoke slowly, clearly.

  She nodded. “I am. I want this. I’m a little nervous, though. Not because I think you’ll be horrified or that you won’t look after me. I just, I don’t know . . . I’ve never done this before. Made myself this vulnerable.”

  He cupped her face between his hands. “If you’re not ready we can wait.”

  “No. I want to do this.”

  “Thank you.” He kissed her. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”

  He turned on the shower then quickly finished undressing. He took her hand and led her into the shower. He washed her first. His movements slow and if there was an inch of her skin he missed, she didn’t know where it was. When he’d rinsed her off, he kissed her long and slow.