13. Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Lili
It’s been a long night. The club was so full of people, and I was looking forward to seeing what Victor did with needles. But I lost my mind when I saw… him. Or I thought I saw him. It still seems impossible that it’s actually the man who attacked me.
It’s been an entire year since that incident, and I don’t even know if what I saw tonight was real. But that face is imprinted in my mind, so it seemed pretty fucking real.
When I noticed the first signs of a panic attack, I tried to stave it off with a cold shower, and it backfired, and I went completely numb instead. It’s happened before. Usually when I’m in bed with Phineas. Gracie coming to check on me pushed me over the edge for reasons I can’t explain, but when she came back with Victor and climbed into the shower with me, it pulled me back from the brink. It was a haze that I didn’t remember at first, but when the fog rolled back, the memories came back too. I’m grateful to both of them even if I’m still pissed about being kidnapped.
Now Gracie sleeps next to me, and I’m wide awake. I slip out of bed and try the door. It’s locked of course, but I try every time I walk past it.
I sit on the sofa and look around the room for something to read or count or anything to keep from going crazy. Time is a mystery right now, so I have no idea how much longer it will be before Victor gets back. But it gives me time to consider my situation and figure out what options I might have.
The door opens sometime later, and Victor walks in. His hair is a bit more unruly than before, and he’s carrying a plate of food and two cell phones.
“Gracie left hers in the staff lockers,” he says at my questioning glance.
“How was the rest of the party?” I ask.
He walks to the bed and kisses Gracie on the temple. It’s sweet, and my heart feels all fluttery watching him with her.
“It was uneventful. A typical weekend. We’re chatting with your ghost in the morning.”
My stomach lurches, and I jump up, ready to run to the bathroom in case I puke.
“Whoa. What is it, Spitfire?”
My stomach settles and I lower myself back to the sofa. “I’m sorry. I’m sure it seems like I’m making a big deal about nothing. It’s probably not even him. Right?”
“Right,” Victor agrees. Almost too eagerly. “Are you hungry?”
“Probably, but I don’t think I can eat.”
“Let’s try and get some sleep, then.”
“Can we have some music or something on? I don’t like the quiet.”
“I’ll turn something on. Now get some sleep. We’re going to do everything we can to get to the bottom of this.”
“Thank you, Victor. Really. I’ll help you. With all of it. Taking Finn down, any information I can give you. It’s yours.”
“What changed your mind?”
I can’t tell him it’s because Gracie got in the shower and hugged me or that he stuck around while I was still a mess, but that’s the only explanation I have for it. I saw something in the two of them tonight that made me want to escape my husband and his family for good. To escape my family for good, and even though he kidnapped me and I’m not sure I can fully trust him, Victor seems like a good man who just wants to protect the people he loves. Finn only wants to protect the people who are useful to him.
“Spitfire? Where’d your head go?”
“I’m sorry. Just lost in thought. I’m ready to be done with that man, and if helping you is the way to do it, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
He shoves a hand in his slacks and nods decisively. “OK then. We’ll talk tomorrow. Do you need something to help you sleep?”
I shake my head. “I don’t really like to take anything. They knock me out too hard and…”
“It’s not always safe to sleep that deeply in your own house?” Victor finishes for me when I trail off.
“Something like that.”
“You’re safe here, Liliana. I understand that it may not seem like it because of how you came to be here, but you are. I can get you something if you change your mind.”
“Thank you, Victor. I mean it.”
“Did Gracie leave me something to sleep in?”
I point to the bathroom. “She said she left it on the counter in there for you.”
He looks at the sleeping form in the middle of the bed and smiles.
“She cares a lot about you,” I say as he walks into the bathroom and picks up the black silk pajama pants and black t-shirt Gracie left for Victor.
“The feelings are mutual,” he says, pulling off his dress shirt.
The t-shirt goes on right away, giving me only a moment to see his gorgeous abs, but it’s a hell of a glimpse.
“Are you going to stand there eye-fucking me all night or are you going to get back in bed with Gracie and make me jealous.”
I glance at the bed and then back at him with a smirk. “If you move over about a foot, I can do both.”
He grabs the bathroom door in order to close it and points to the bed. “Go.”
Laughing feels good after the last few hours, and I slide beneath the covers next to Gracie with a smile on my face.
She snuggles closer to me in her sleep, and I don’t try to make her move. She’s soft and warm and I wouldn’t complain if she were in my bed more often.
When Victor comes out of the bathroom, his face is damp, and his hair is less disheveled.
“There’s room on the other side of Gracie if you want to join us,” I whisper.
He looks back and forth between Gracie and the couch and shrugs before climbing in the enormous bed beside the sleeping girl.
He brushes hair back from her face and kisses her forehead. Then he takes me by surprise when he leans across her and kisses my cheek. “Goodnight, Liliana.”
The lights go out and I slide further down and settle on my pillow, trying not to overthink the kiss.
The next morning I wake, and it’s hot. It takes a minute to realize why. Gracie is plastered to my side, and Victor has gravitated closer to her, and has one leg and arm draped around her, making her warmer and passing the heat on to me. I try to slip out of bed without waking either of them, but Victor grabs my wrist before I make it far.
“Morning, Spitfire. Did you sleep OK?”
“I’m sweating, but yes.”
He laughs and rolls away from Gracie who stirs and rubs her eyes.
“Did Victor come back yet?” she asks, trying to sit up.
Victor holds her down with a gentle arm around her. “I’m here, butterfly. It’s time to get up.”
“Get up? What time is it?”
“It’s almost seven,” Victor says, picking up his phone off the nightstand.
“Shit, I slept all night. Lili, I’m so sorry. I was supposed to be keeping you company.”
“You did, sweet girl. Don’t worry about sleeping. It looks like you needed it. And just having you here was nice.”
Gracie pokes at Victor’s arm with a teasing smile on her face. “I thought you were going to sleep on the couch.”
He rolls completely on top of her and cups her face in his hands. “You were snuggled so close to Lili that there was plenty of room for me, so Lili invited me to join you. Wasn’t that nice of her, butterfly?”
The way Gracie blushes makes me grin.
She looks at me with a shy smile and moves her hand to touch my arm. “Very nice. I hope you slept well.”
“Much better than I have the last couple of nights. Thanks to you.”
“And you, butterfly? Did you sleep well?” Victor asks.
“Yes, Sir. Very well. You?”
“Look at us. All sleeping well. Maybe we need to share a bed more often.” Victor plants a noisy kiss on her cheek and rolls off of her and out of bed. “I have to leave you ladies alone again for just a little while. When I come back, we’ll figure out breakfast.”
When Victor is dressed and gone, Gracie sits on the edge of the bed and finger combs her hair.
“What happened with you last night, Lili? You kind of scared me.”
“I’m sorry about that. It was a surprise to me. But between the stress of being kidnapped and then seeing someone who reminded me of an awful day in my life was just too much and triggered a panic attack.”
“Oh, Lili. I’m so sorry.”
Gracie looks conflicted, like she’s wrestling with something.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“It’s complicated. I hate what Victor did to you. But at the same time, I understand what drove him to it. I’m also grateful to have met you, because you seem like a wonderful person I would very much like to get to know better.”
Her explanation of it is exactly how I feel, so I sit next to her and tell her as much.
“I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m a mess. Victor is a complex human full of emotions just like the rest of us. Something tells me he’s a little angrier than the rest of us, but overall, I think he has a good heart.”
Gracie smiles. “The best heart. And he has reasons for his anger.”
“But I can’t decide how much to trust him since he pulled a gun on me and forced me out of a casino stark naked.”
“It’s extreme for sure,” Gracie admits.
“But even with all that, I’m grateful to have met you, and no matter what happens, I hope we can be friends. I would say I hope we can be more, but I feel like Victor would not be comfortable sharing you, and you might not even be attracted to me.”
Gracie blushes, and for a moment I wonder if I’m being too forward. But she puts a hand on my thigh. “I would love to be friends. As for more. My feelings are just as complicated as yours, and now things are getting complicated between me and Victor, so I’m not sure what to say. Other than I am indeed attracted to you.”
I squeeze her hand. “Don’t say anything. Let’s just spend the day that we have together talking about our newfound friendship.”
Victor
Waking up with Lili and Gracie in the same bed was a strange, wonderful experience. I wanted to take turns fucking both of them, and since that wasn’t possible, I made excuses to leave the room earlier than I really needed to. Now it’s almost eight-thirty, and I’m waiting for Jacob to meet me in the dungeon for a cup of coffee at the bar.
He walks in looking strong and put together, with his arm around Amarjit. No one would ever guess that Amarjit was stepping on his dick last night while he cried and begged for mercy.
“Everything OK, Mr. Serrano? Amy says you wanted to talk to me about something.”
“I should get going, I’ve been called into the hospital. I just wanted to see to it he found you,” the doctor says, rubbing her hand up and down Jacob’s back.
After they kiss goodbye, I motion Jacob to the bar where I’ve got coffee waiting.
“Jacob, I’ve got a couple of strange questions for you. There’s no wrong answer. I’m just looking for some information.”
“Of course, Mr. Serrano.”
“I’m aware that you do… work for hire. We don’t have to talk particulars. But are you ever hired for work that isn’t… final?”
I hope he gets my drift, but he’s looking at me like I’ve grown horns, so I’m not sure he will.
“Come on Jacob. Don’t make me spell it out.”
“Are you asking if I get paid to hurt people but not kill them?”
“In so many words, yes.”
He swirls the coffee in his mug and drums the fingers of his free hand on the bar top. “I’ve taken a few less than final jobs. Sure.”
“Does the name Phineas Draven mean anything to you?”
He stares blankly, not giving anything away.
“I’ve had contact.”
I’m hoping that our pull over him is stronger than whatever pull Phineas might still have.
“Would you say the nature of your work for him has been more personal or professional.”
Jacob rubs a hand over his forehead, and I can tell he’s hesitating.
“I’m not asking to cause trouble. We’re just trying to decide on a direction for some business of our own.”
The explanation seems to soothe him because he takes a drink and straightens on the bar stool “It was extremely personal. Surprisingly so, and it was a scare job more than harm, but the broad was feisty and a lot tougher than I was expecting and I may have taken things too far.”
I want to pull my knife out and gut him slowly and painfully right here in the middle of the dungeon. Matteo is usually the one who holds me back, and it’s knowing he could walk in any minute that keeps me from doing exactly that.
I keep my face as impassive as possible as I clap him on the shoulder. “Let’s keep this conversation between us, Jacob. Go enjoy your day.” Because it might be your last, I think to myself.
Jacob gives me a lazy smile and slips off the bar stool. “You got it, Mr. Serrano. Have a pleasant week. I’ll be out of the country the next couple of weekends, but Amy and I will be back soon.”
Amy aka Amarjit Singh will be back before him because she doesn’t miss a party, but I don’t know if Jacob knows that, and I’m not making trouble for the doctor if I don’t have to. She’s proved to be a valuable resource for us in the past, and if I’m going to burn a bridge, it’s going to be with Jacob.
As Jacob is leaving, Matteo rushes in. “Sorry I’m late. Did you get what you needed out of him?”
“Yes, and you’re lucky I didn’t fucking gut him right here.”
Matteo closes his eyes. “Of all days for my alarm not to go off. And Skylar was up and at rehearsal at five this morning, so she wasn’t there to wake me. Why are we killing Jacob?”
“He fucked with Lili.”
“When?” Matteo asks, his eyes narrow with confusion.
“According to Lili the incident happened a year ago.”
“So why does that matter?”
“Because she had a god damn panic attack at the very sight of him last night, which means he took his job way too far. Phineas apparently hired him to scare her a little. He didn’t just frighten her, he traumatized her. We need to ban Jacob from the club. I don’t want any members here who have any connections to Phineas Draven.”
“Make sure you tell his wife that,” Matteo says dryly.
“Well, hopefully she won’t be his wife for much longer.”
“And then what? She’ll be your wife? Last night, it looked like you were starting something with Gracie.”
“It’s complicated and new, but we’re figuring it out. Lili is part of that complexity. Please don’t make a big deal out of this. Just back me up on keeping Jacob out of our club.”
Matteo runs a hand through his hair and leans over the bar for the coffee pot. “It’s not that simple and you know it. We sign membership contracts, and so far, he’s done nothing to break his. And if we boot him, how do you think that is going to impact our relationship with Amarjit? We need her, Victor.”
He’s right. I know he is. But I don’t know how I’m going to be in the same room with that bastard when I know he touched Lili.
“The question I have is why did her husband hire someone to scare her? You need to go in there and find out. Don’t let your feelings get in the way. This is serious, Victor. If I need to question her because you can’t be objective, I will.”
I put a hand on his shoulder. “Matteo, I’ve got it. Trust me. I’ve got a soft spot for Lili because of the abuse, but I’m capable of doing what needs to be done.”
“Good. Call me as soon as you have answers. I’m going to do a couple of things in my office and then head back to the Strip so I can be there when Skylar gets done with rehearsal and training.”
When Matteo is gone, I go back to the suite and find Gracie and Lili sitting in the middle of the bed laughing about something.
They both look at me and smile.
“Everything OK?” Gracie asks, slipping off the bed to hug me.
“Fine, butterfly. I need to chat with Lili for a few minutes. Would you want to run up the street and bring breakfast back?”
“Absolutely. I’ll go borrow something from Bellamy’s office. My dress is still wet.”
I kiss cheek and tuck her phone into the shirt pocket of her silk pajamas. When she’s gone, I invite Lili to join me on the sofa.
“What’s wrong?”
“It seems you were right about who you saw. I have some questions for you, and I need you to answer as honestly as possible.”
Lili’s face is pale. This is going to be hard for her, but hopefully I can ease some of the discomfort.
“I’ll do my best.”
“When you were attacked, had something happened with you and your husband? Was he especially angry at you about anything specific?”
Lili closes her eyes. “I threatened to leave him. It was the first time I suspected cheating.”
“And after you were attacked, what was his demeanor?”
“He was the epitome of a perfect husband for about a month. It was very strange. But he convinced me I was overreacting about my cheating suspicions, and after what happened, I wanted to believe him. And I guess he started being more careful after that because I didn’t find anything else that made me suspicious until I found irrefutable proof a few weeks ago.”
“I can’t give you details because I don’t have them. What I can say is Phineas hired someone to scare you and that’s all they were supposed to do.”
“They succeeded. I was terrified to be alone in public for a very long time, and even had a security detail.”
“There’s never anything wrong with having security, Spitfire.”
She leans forward and puts her face in her hands. “How did I get here? None of this was supposed to happen.”
“It wasn’t, but it did, and now we have to face it.”
“I want him dead,” she says, her voice a hoarse whisper.
“That makes at least nine or ten of us,” I say jokingly.
She scoffs. “That’s a drop in the bucket. Finn is hated by all, but for reasons I’ve not yet figured out, he’s also feared and powerfully connected. The people who hate him still fawn over him when he’s around, and they’ll publicly support him as if he is the second coming of Christ embodied.”
Her revelation doesn’t surprise me. Phineas Draven has a reputation, and Lili is only confirming the validity of that reputation.
My phone buzzes, and I pull it from my pocket. “Everything OK, butterfly?”
“No. Someone slashed my tires while I was inside ordering food.”
I leap into action, heading for the door. “Stay put. Don’t call the police. I’m on my way.”
“The store manager already called them. They’ll probably beat you here.”
Fuck.
“OK. Stay put. Cooperate but only give them the bare minimum for answers. Don’t talk about me, this place, or anything else. Especially not Lili, understood?”
“Understood, Victor.”
“What’s wrong?” Lili asks as soon as my phone is away from my ear.
“Someone slashed Gracie’s tires. I’m going to pick her up.”
“Be careful.”
The worry in her voice pulls at me, and I want to hug or kiss her goodbye. But much like with Gracie, I’m confused about what is going on between us, so I resist.
I run into Matteo as I’m heading for the exit.
“Are the police coming?” he asks when I tell him what happened.
“The shop manager insisted on calling them.”
“I’ve got a better relationship with law enforcement in this city. Let me go pick her up.”
It’s true, Matteo is the more even-tempered one, and he has developed relationships with a lot of important people, including several key members of the police force. It’s useful, but I hate not going to get Gracie.
“I’ll follow you and stay back.”
Matteo sighs, but he clearly sees the futility of trying to argue with me, so he doesn’t.
I hop in my car and let him pull out of the parking lot ahead of me. Two police cars are in the bakery and coffee shop parking lot when we arrive. I park near the opening for the drive through and scroll on my phone while Matteo gets out and heads for Gracie who is standing next to her car talking to police officers.
I roll my window down hoping to hear some of the conversation, but the wind is strong today—one of the curses of this city—and I can’t make out anything meaningful.
Matteo laughs and drapes an arm around Gracie, and for a moment I’m jealous and want to cut his hand off. Which is completely irrational because I hug Skylar, Bellamy, and Zara all the time. I wonder if this is how the other guys feel when I do.
I wind up going through the drive-through because I don’t want to attract attention, and because something tells me Gracie never got food. So I order enough for all of us. When I get my order, Gracie is handing a clipboard—likely holding her witness statement—back to the police officers questioning her. I drive to the next parking lot and park where I can still see them and wait for the police to leave.
When they are gone, Matteo points Gracie to his car and drives her over to me. She climbs into the passenger seat next to me and lays her head back against the seat. “That was exhausting. Fuck.” She sits straight up. “I never got the food. I came out to throw some trash away that’s been piling up in the back floorboards while I waited for my order, and that’s when I saw what happened. It had to have happened less than ten minutes after I parked, because I was only in line for that long.”
Matteo leans in through her door to talk to me. “Tow truck is on its way. Get her back to the club and I’ll handle the car.”
Gracie wipes at her eyes and I realize she’s holding back tears.
“What is it, butterfly?” I ask, picking up her hand.
“I can’t afford new tires.” She sounds so sad and small, and I realize I haven’t paid enough attention to her since we’ve lived in Las Vegas. She should be better off than she is financially, and I could have been doing something about it this whole time.
Matteo squeezes her shoulder as he stands. “Your tires will be fixed at no cost to you, Gracie. You were technically on the clock when it happened, so the club or the sandwich shop will cover the expense of fixing them for you.”
She blows out a shaky breath. “Thank you, Matteo.”
He stands and shuts her door, and I reach over and squeeze her hand again. “And don’t worry about the food. I thought you might not have gotten it, so I went through the drive through and ordered a few things. Might not be exactly what you wanted, but I think it will do just fine.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry I failed so miserably at getting breakfast.”
My brows come together, and I turn in my seat so I can look at her head on as I pick her hand up and kiss each of her knuckles. “Grace, you didn’t fail. You’re really hard on yourself, you know that?”
She sighs. “I know. But I like pleasing you. I’m a submissive, for crying out loud. And I’m the kind of submissive who likes being good and obedient. I don’t like getting punished for things I’ve done wrong. I like the fun kind of punishments.”
“Gracie? Do you think I would punish you for getting your tires slashed? You didn’t do anything wrong. You followed my instructions and came to get breakfast. And then when something went wrong, you handled it exactly as you should have. You’re an exceptionally good girl, Gracie. I’m appalled you think I would be angry over something like this.”
She sighs. “I know it’s dumb. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Just don’t be so hard on yourself. I prefer fun punishments, too. But you and I haven’t had a lot of chances to explore that side of things. And you’ve only been on the receiving end of a handful of proper punishments because you are a very good girl. I’ve always admired the way you conduct yourself at the club and the way you represent me. I’m proud to have you wearing my pin. And I know we haven’t even talked about us yet, but if it ever came to that phase in our relationship, I would be proud to put my collar around your neck.”
It’s not a confession I was prepared to make, but it’s out there now and I’m surprisingly grateful for it.
She gives me a soft smile and her hand goes to her throat, which makes imagining locking my collar around her neck even easier. “Let’s go. I can’t sit here and look at my poor car anymore. I worked so hard to be able to afford her, and she’s just pitiful now.”
Her voice is so sad, that all I want to do is fix it for her. I squeeze her shoulder. “We’re going to get her back to perfect again soon, butterfly.”
We pull out of the parking lot and head back to the club, which is only a couple of blocks away. Inside, we bring breakfast to Lili, and we all sit and eat it.
“I’m sure you were a wonderful demo bottom last night, Gracie. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay to watch.”
Gracie blushes. “Thank you. And I’m sorry you couldn’t stay too. But I understand. Still, you need the opportunity to see needles sometime.
Lili nods. I’ve been thinking about that, and I just have to ask. “What on earth could be sexy about needles?”
I can’t help but laugh at the incredulity of her question.
“What’s so sexy about paddling someone’s ass or leaving scratch marks on a body?” I ask, “Needles cause an entirely unique sensation and there is usually a bit of fear and adrenaline involved as well as trust.”
“I would love to see them done sometime because you make it sound fun.”
“They are also beautiful. Victor did a gorgeous design on me last night. He took a picture on his phone if you want to see it. I’ve only done them a handful of times and I’ve enjoyed it each time.”
“Now I definitely have to see this in action,” she says when I pass Lili the phone with the image pulled up.
“I’ve got a kit here,” I offer. “But only if Gracie is up for it. She’s had kind of a rough morning.”
Gracie smiles. “Thank you. I think I’d like to wait for some other time. Not sure if I’m in the right headspace for any kind of edge play today.”
I squeeze her hand. “I’m proud of you for being honest about that.”
“Well, one of the few times you’ve punished me for real was for not being honest about what I could and couldn’t handle in the dungeon.”
“So, you’re saying punishments are effective for you. Good to know.” I wink and kiss her cheek, so she knows I’m teasing.
It’s been fun to sit and talk with Lili and Gracie, but I have to leave for work soon.
“What was your plan for the day, Gracie?”
She picks up a napkin and wipes her chin. “I was going to go to the university bookstore and get my books and then I was going to meet Bellamy for lunch.”
“Why don’t you stay with Lili today? Between two incidents with your car and the weird flowers, Gracie, I’m not comfortable with you running around alone. By the time I get back, we might have a better plan for the next few days. Bellamy can bring you both some lunch here.”
“Yes, Sir. I can do that. Not like I have wheels to go anywhere anyway.”
“I’m excited to have company. But I’m a little worried now that I know my attacker is a member here. Can he get in outside of parties?”
I shake my head. “Nope. We change the codes every night we are open, and you have to RSVP in order to get the new codes which get sent out four hours before opening, and they change again when the club closes.”
“OK. I’ll trust you.”
“My gut is telling me we need to move you soon anyway. We just have to be smart about it. Right now, your husband isn’t making a fuss about you being missing, and your lack of attendance at social events has only been picked up by a couple of small-time local blogs according to Owen. We want it to stay that way until we figure out exactly what our next move should be.”
Lili twists the hem of her pajama shirt. “Trust me, he is looking for me. It will be quiet and under the radar, but he’s looking.”
I believe her, which is why I want to put an end to this situation as soon as I can.
“Gracie, walk with me to the front?” I ask after cleaning up our meal.
“Are you OK?” I ask as we walk.
She nods. “I’m fine. Just a little shaken and sad about my car. Maybe you’re right about the incident the other night. And the flowers.”
At least she’s willing to consider that I might be right.
“Stay here and keep everything locked up. We’re closing the shop today. I already texted the person on the schedule and told her not to come in.”
We’re at the front door now, and I’m not sure what else to say. We haven’t exactly defined the new boundaries of our relationship yet. So I pull her into a hug.
“Be safe at work,” she murmurs against my chest. “Text me if you have time and are thinking about me.”
I caress her cheek as she pulls away. “Promise.”
And then I’m driving away, more unsure of which way life is taking me than I’ve ever been before, but at the same time, more certain that the girl watching me through the window of a sandwich shop that hides a sex club is going to be a part of that path.