Chapter Two #5
“Ah, with regret we closed the Lake Charles location. The building suffered some structural damage and it simply wasn’t economical to continue.
We expanded to a second branch in Shreveport, and are trialing clubs in both Lafayette and Metairie.
” Reaux glanced at Violet, biting back a smug grin when he saw her visibly vibrating in hostile silence.
“We are fortunate to dominate the club scene in the five major Louisiana cities, an achievement I am immensely proud of on behalf of my staff.”
“I don’t blame you, I’d feel the same way if we ever accomplish with Serenity what you have with Amatory.
I’m sorry, we haven’t had a formal introduction.
I’m Evander Ledston. My husband and co-owner, Eli, is just handling a small problem with our wife, but he’ll be here shortly.
” Evander gestured to the chairs in front of the desk. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”
“No, don’t make yourself comfortable,” Violet said tersely. “Evander, this is a breach of security. We cannot allow guests to check in using false names. What good is a background check if people can weasel their way around it?”
“Either take a seat, Violet, or we can discuss what the housekeeping crew found in your cabin this morning.”
Hot, angry color leeched from her face slowly, her eyes going blank as she thought about whatever had been discovered. For a moment, Reaux thought she might faint, but she battled fiercely to recover.
Good girl, he thought with approval, then wondered, what was she hiding in her cabin that could provoke such a reaction?
“My cabin is my private space, Evander, and it is not open to public discussion. The issue at hand is him,” she continued with steel underlying her thickened accent, jerking her thumb at Reaux.
“Guests are permitted to use alternative names within the club for privacy and safety reasons if they wish; they are not allowed to fabricate false identities for membership applications or to deliberately subvert security measures. He broke a fundamental rule.”
“Violet—”
“If you won’t deal with him appropriately, I’ll wait for Elias.”
“Violet,” the owner said again with a little less patience, “I can assure you no rules have been broken. Mr. Fontenot contacted us several weeks ago to set up his account and request permission to sign in using the alternative name.”
It took a moment for that to process, Reaux thought, then barely refrained from smirking when it dawned on her she’d been played.
Yes, little beignet, I’m always at least one step ahead of you.
She didn’t splutter, she didn’t rage or throw the nearest thing to hand—which was fortunate, given that the closest item was the desk lamp.
“Now that you’re on the premises,” Evander continued, speaking to Reaux now, “we considered your proposal and we’re prepared to accept it.”
“Excellent. That makes me very happy.” Reaux turned the smirk on Violet when she tried to murder him with the fire in her eyes. “I’ll have the funds transferred over immediately once I return to my cabin.”
“What the hell did you do, Boudreaux?” she demanded in a hiss.
“Simply ensured that your time is mine, Bennie. Mine is, as ever, yours without strings.”
“Over my dead body,” she proclaimed vehemently. “I’d rather spend time with roadkill. Rotten roadkill. I can refuse any guest requests—”
“Only if you have a genuine reason for doing so. Unless you believe Mr. Fontenot poses a risk to your health or personal safety, we can override the refusal. Considering you’ve already blocked one guest from your services without providing an adequate reason, I’m not inclined to allow a second within a week. ”
Reaux swore he heard a tooth crack as she clenched her jaw.
“Then you’ll have my resignation on your desk by the end of the day.”
“Not a smart card to play,” a smooth, British voice said from the doorway. “Planning on leaving us in the lurch, Violet? I expected much more from you, I must admit.”
The stern admonishment brought color to her cheeks in a fresh wave, and an unbearable misery to her eyes. The soft heart of her was still alive, expertly hidden, and still susceptible to the emotions of others.
“The terms of your contract state that you are required to give us a month’s notice, Violet.”
“I’m still here, aren’t I?”
“But for how long, I wonder. I don’t appreciate being informed of imminent departures by the housekeeping crew—and before you curse out the maid, she did the right thing.
” Anger snapped in the new voice, seconds before a tall, dark-haired powerhouse of a man rounded the desk to stand beside Evander.
He wasn’t as tall or broad as the blond Dom; his power came from within.
“She wanted to know whether she should continue with her usual routine or wait until you’d left to do a deep clean ready for the next occupant. Can you imagine my surprise, Violet?”
The slight hesitation before she answered told Reaux she was lying. “I wouldn’t have left without honoring my obligations, Elias.”
“We both know that’s a lie. Why else would you pack up your entire cabin if you were planning on staying another month? My concern is what’s triggered your sudden unhappiness. Since the incident with Adrian, you’ve been curt and borderline rude, reclusive, fucking miserable.”
“She needs to be fucked,” Reaux stated simply.
Unamused blue eyes landed on him. “Oh? And who might you be?”
Evander stepped in. “Eli, this is Boudreaux Fontenot.”
“Ah. The ex.”
“Christ, you asshole. Did you tell them everything?” Violet demanded.
“Of course, beignet. It is hard to ask for assistance if they don’t know what they are assisting, no?
Lying is not my style, so when I am asked why I want to use a false name to check in, I tell them the truth.
” Reaux ignored her furious hiss, turning his attention to Elias.
“Violet is a curious creature. She has the biggest heart, the most giving nature, but if certain needs are not met, she becomes restless, angry, fractious.”
Elias scowled at her. “Are you not taking care of yourself, Violet?”
“Oh, fuck you, Eli. It’s none of your business, and Boudreaux needs to shut his mouth.”
“Fractious,” Reaux repeated solemnly.
“Stay out of this, you interfering, obtrusive jackass. Me and my life have nothing to do with you anymore; you severed the ties very effectively.” Dismissing him with a jerk of her head, Violet focused on the two men regarding her with a wise degree of wariness.
“My personal life is none of your concern. I work my contracted hours and more, I keep the clientele happy and coming back. Obviously, that’s not good enough for you, so as I said, my resignation will be on your desk by the end of the day. ”
Evander opened his mouth to speak, but the darker Dom set his hand on his shoulder, squeezing in an intimate fashion. They glanced at each other, sharing a wealth of thoughts and opinions without saying a word.
“That is your prerogative, Violet, although we would be upset to lose you.” Elias rubbed his thumb over his bottom lip thoughtfully. “However, I would be remiss in my duty to the club if I didn’t point out clause twenty-two B in your contract.”
She rolled her eyes. “Please, oh mighty one, remind me what that might be.”
“In the event of a non-emergent resignation such as a family emergency, urgent relocation, etcetera, we uphold the right to request that the resigning employee remain in our employ until such a time as an adequate replacement can be found and vetted.” Elias didn’t smirk, but his eyes lit with triumph.
“Finding a Domme of your caliber, with your experience and skills, won’t be easy, Violet.
We headhunted you for a reason—because there is only you who fits what we want for the club. ”
The low growl she emitted brought Reaux’s cock to full, throbbing mast again.
“We don’t want you to leave, Vi—we just need to understand what’s going on and made you so unhappy.”
“Well, for starters, colluding with my ex hasn’t brightened my mood, Evander.
A little heads-up from my friends would have been real nice.
” She tossed her head, sending her beautiful hair cascading over her shoulder.
“As for the rest, is it physically impossible for me to have moods? To be happy, unhappy, scared, excited, or God forbid, a fucking bitch if I want to be? Am I the only Domme here being reprimanded for being fucking human?”
“No, but that attitude is,” Elias fired straight back.
It was quickly becoming obvious to Reaux that, while Evander was a Dom, when Elias was in the vicinity, he was the more passive of the two. Unsurprisingly. Elias emanated a strong undercurrent of don’t fuck me with me that was both impressive and daunting.
When pitted against Violet’s own brand of dominance—equally as impressive and daunting in a much sexier manner—they clashed like two bulls locking horns.
Perhaps if their roles were more balanced and not that of employer and employee, Violet might have attained a stronger foothold, but Reaux knew how to read her and, however many times she threw her resignation into the fray, she didn’t truly wish to leave.
She was hobbling herself instead of cutting loose.
“Gentlemen,” he interjected quietly, “might I suggest we reconvene at a later time? Tempers are flaring, yes? Some time to let heated emotions settle might prevent a regrettable exchange of words.”
“What the hell are you even still doing here, Fontenot? You got what you wanted, now take your French accent and your fancy suit and get out of my goddamn sight.”
Magnificence, pure and simple.
Reaux simply shrugged, enjoying the show. “Actually, by the terms of the agreement between myself and the club, I’m now your shadow for the foreseeable future. Twenty-four hour, all access, quality time with my petite beignet.”
She sat abruptly, dropping her head in her hands. “I pray to every God the world worships that each and every one of your past subs, girlfriends, pain in the ass lovers come back and makes your lives misery. All the way back to fucking kindergarten.”
“She thinks this is a punishment,” Reaux commented, sending the Doms a wink. “For me, personally, a reunion would be pleasant—all my lovers leave as friends.”
Evander cleared his throat and shot Violet a meaningful look.
“Bennie was more than a simple lover. She will be a lot more by the time I’m done.”
The woman under discussion growled and rose swiftly, her face hard as stone.
“You have one month to find my replacement, Evander. That’s all I’m prepared to give you, whatever the contract dictates.
And as for you,” she said in an icy tone to Reaux, “I don’t want you near me for the rest of the day.
I don’t care what you’ve agreed with these two, you stay out of my sight.
If you insist on continuing this charade, be outside my cabin at nine a.m.”
“Of course, Mistress.”
Violet’s eyes lit with sinister glee. “Don’t be so quick to agree, Boudreaux. Playing with these two will only cost you money. Fucking with me is going to cost so much more than you can afford.”
The smallest shiver of trepidation trembled down his spine, not that he showed it. He was not one who felt fear, let alone offered it on display, and Violet would not change that. “As I said before, I don’t care what it takes.”
“You will.”
Firing that last warning over his bow, Violet flounced out without another word or fleeting glance, more regal than any queen in history. She commanded the room for several long seconds after the door slammed shut behind her, the scent of her perfume and her simmering fury lingering on the air.
“That is some woman,” Evander murmured appreciatively. “Maybe we should give this sucker a refund, Eli. She’s going to eat him up, spit out the bones, and build a mansion with them.”
“No. No refunds.” Turning his calculating gaze on Reaux, Elias smiled slowly—a masculine version of Violet’s sinister one curving his lips. “I’m intrigued as to how this will play out. Him and her together, twenty-four-seven? There might be romance in the air after all.”
“Or murder. Violet looked like she wanted to commit some—three to be exact.”
Reaux leaned back in his chair and grinned. “The money will be transferred, and I’ll refuse any attempt to refund it. My woman is worth every cent, trust me. Now, it is customary to celebrate a mutually beneficial deal with cigars and bourbon, yes?”
Elias laughed. “Van, you get the cigars, I’ll get the bourbon.”
“Callie is going to kill us.”
“She can try.”