Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Derek extricated himself from Angie with effort. The woman was like an octopus as she tried to hang on to him.
“Angie!” Derek snapped.
Big eyes welling with tears looked up to him, but Derek didn’t buy her innocent act anymore.
“What’s wrong, Daddy, aren’t you pleased to see me?” She pouted.
Derek steeled his heart. “No.”
Angie burst out crying and threw herself at him again.
“What’s going on, Derek?” Jackson asked behind him, seemingly alerted that something was amiss.
Derek was relieved he’d told Jackson about his former submissive before joining Club Indigo and said, “ This is Angie.”
Jackson didn’t need any more explanation, and after a few words with his companions, he stepped around and pulled Angie from Derek. The strong detective held her upper arms in a firm grip, and she started screaming.
Derek had to resist the urge to cover his ears, but instead, he nodded to Jackson. “Thank you!”
Molly and Will had sidled up to him, and he felt their support even before Molly spoke. “Angie,” followed by a louder, “Angie!”
When the woman kept screaming and fighting against Jackson’s hold, Molly took a step forward and put her hands on either side of Angie’s face. After a moment, Angie stilled. Molly nodded. “Better. Now can you behave like a human being and not some crazy banshee?”
“I’m going to sue you all! Let me go so I can call the police. You assaulted me.”
Derek heard a chuckle beside him and turned to see Will. He’d almost forgotten about the other man.
“Good luck with that; let’s make this official,” Will said to Angie. “The guy holding you is Detective Jackson Cagney and I’m Detective Will Tolbert. Enough police for you?”
“Daddy, do something about these people!” Angie begged Derek.
“No, Angie. I’ve been very clear with you since we broke up. We’re done!”
“B-but.”
“Let me escort this unwanted guest out,” Jackson said as he started to maneuver Angie to the exit. She began struggling again, and he growled in her ear, “Behave, or I’ll let Molly have another round with you.” Angie gave up her efforts, and Derek almost laughed at the glance she sent Molly’s way. The woman wasn’t tall but she was a Domme through and through.
Molly winked at Derek. “Let’s go enjoy the munch.”
Derek started when Will clapped him on the shoulder and rumbled, “Come on. It’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”
What? Derek had hoped for a bit more supportive behavior from his friends and the local police, but he hadn’t been expecting this!
Stunned by this turn of events, Derek let Molly and Will escort him to a booth where they would have privacy from the audience that had gathered at Angie’s disruption.
“So”—the way Molly stretched the word held a wealth of meaning—“who is Angie?”
Derek released a shuddering sigh and scrubbed a hand over his face.
Will chuckled. “Unlike Jackson, I have no clue who Angie is, but it’s obvious you weren’t happy to see her. By the way you’re looking right now, I think you need a drink.” The big man sauntered off to the bar without waiting for Derek’s reaction.
He wanted to get shit-faced, but that wouldn’t solve a thing. Besides, he didn’t want Sonja to see him wasted or have to deal with the aftermath. Wait a minute. Derek peered around. “Where’s Sonja?”
Molly shrugged. “I don’t know.” She scanned the room. “I don’t see her. Should she be here?”
“Yes, I was stuck at work, so she came on ahead.”
“You don’t think that she saw that stunt and ran off, do you?” Molly asked.
Derek closed his eyes in horror as he realized how it must have looked to a submissive in a new relationship, struggling with her Little identity and her own appeal.
Fuck! He wanted to roar and throw something. He wanted to go outside and?—
Will clamped a hand on his shoulder and pressed a tumbler into his hand. “Drink this. I recognize that murderous look. I’ve seen it multiple times when we had to let a criminal go because an asshole lawyer found some loophole. Calm the fuck down, before you do something stupid, and we have to book you. Now, tell me who Angie is.”
Molly slapped her hands on her knees and rose from her chair. “Excellent idea. I’ll find Sonja.”
Derek mouthed “Thank you,” to her and turned to look up at Will, whose grip was still firm. The guy packed serious muscle, and Derek couldn’t have moved if he wanted. “I’m cool.”
Will narrowed his eyes and studied him for a moment. Derek made sure his face was impassive, and his hands were lightly holding the tumbler with amber liquid. Will nodded and let go.
Derek sighed in relief then moved his shoulder and rolled his neck. “Holy hell, you have a firm grip.”
Will chuckled. “It’s more about knowing where to grip a person than real strength. I used pressure points and nerve endings to control you and not strength. Sorry about that, by the way.”
“You look more smug than sorry.”
“Maybe a little.” Will’s grin transformed his face from rugged to handsome. Derek would bet he’d charmed his fair share of ladies.
“Now, tell me about Angie,” Will said.
“She’s my former babygirl, um, submissive.”
“Okay, so you’re a Dom.”
“I’m a Daddy Dom.”
Will frowned. “Can you explain that to someone new to the scene?”
“A Daddy—or Mommy—but let’s not make this explanation more complicated”—Derek’s lips twitched despite his worry for Sonja and his stress over Angie—“is the Caregiver in a Daddy Dom/Little girl relationship or DD/lg. The Little girl is a submissive with the personality of a young girl who gets guidance, dominance, and discipline from the Daddy. It’s also called ageplay.”
Will nodded during Derek’s monologue. “So, you and Angie were a couple, but you split up?”
“Yes, I was with her for almost two years. Three or four months into the relationship, I realized Angie was playing a game. It was my first full-time BDSM relationship, and it took me a while to figure her out. I guess I should have listened to my sisters.”
“What do your sisters have to do with it?” Will looked nonplussed.
“Sophia and Maya hated Angie from the get-go. They saw through her theatrics right away and tried to set me straight, but I was too smitten to listen.”
“Okay, I can believe that. In my experience, women are better at reading people than men, especially other women,” Will said. “But that doesn’t explain why your relationship lasted almost two years.”
Derek sighed and scratched the back of his head.
Will he think I’m weak if I tell him she manipulated me by threatening to harm herself?
He drew a fortifying breath, but before he could take the plunge, Molly came back.
“Sonja was here, but she left in a rush. The others didn’t see Angie’s play for you, so they were baffled but not alarmed at Sonja leaving in a hurry.”
Before she even finished speaking, Derek had his phone out, his stomach twisting with a sinking certainty. Shit.
She’d seen.
Sonja had seen Angie’s stunt, and instead of sticking around to talk to him about it, she’d bolted.
He tightened his fingers around his phone as he hit call. Voicemail.
A muscle in his jaw ticced. He called again. Come on, babygirl, pick up.
Voicemail. Again.
His pulse pounded in his ears. Derek fired off a text. Then another.
Baby, talk to me.
Where are you?
No read receipts. No response.
His stomach was a knot of frustration and dread. She hadn’t even given him a chance to explain. Sonja wasn’t just upset—she was shutting him out. And that scared him more than anything Angie could ever pull.