Chapter Nine #4
“That’s because you’re made from Teflon, little tiger.
” Grit kissed her hair, then gave her high blonde ponytail a tug.
“Just remember Tamsyn’s circumstances. Things around here have been pretty calm for a little while.
This is a huge upheaval for her when everything was just settling into normalcy. ”
“So we’ll have visitation. What’s the big deal?”
Oh hell, Violet thought. Maybe a group gathering hadn’t been the best idea after all—so far, she’d reduced two Littles to tears, devastated Tamsyn, and raised Tabitha’s hackles.
Reaux chuckled. “We’re going to be in New Orleans, not prison.”
The temperamental blonde gave him a look so cold from those icy blue eyes, it was surprising the air didn’t freeze in a six-foot radius. “I haven’t determined if you’re worthy of her yet. I might be paying a visit for an entirely different reason, one much more pleasurable than you can imagine—”
“And that’s enough from you,” Grit said lightly, sliding his hand over her mouth quickly. “You’ll have to excuse her, Reaux. She’s been a lot faster to ignite recently, and her temper’s volatile on a good day.”
Obviously, Grit wasn’t ready to reveal their own pregnancy concerns yet, or perhaps his pint-sized assassin wasn’t prepared to accept the possibility.
That was probably to be expected; Tabitha had been born and raised to be independent, killing people solo, relying on herself for everything.
Divulging secrets and personal weaknesses weren’t in her genetic makeup—they sure as hell hadn’t been in her parents’ handbook.
Rocking Tamsyn slowly, Violet arched her brow in Tabitha’s direction, conveying her disappointment. All she got in return was a cold, unimpressed glare.
“Before we drown in doom and gloom,” Mack interjected cautiously, casting a wary glance around the table, “I think we should take a minute to realize the enormity of Violet’s decision. Liam?”
The Viking nodded in agreement. “Leaving Phoenix was one of the hardest things Sierra and I have ever done. When you step away from everything you know and love, especially if you’re not fully committed…
it’s a unique feeling. Excitement and trepidation about what lies ahead; a burning, sickly pain at the thought of breaking away. ”
Sierra sniffled and reached for her juice. After taking a sip, she gave Violet a watery smile. “We like going back to Avalon. Our family is there. It doesn’t feel like home anymore though, not really.”
“We’re lucky to have two families,” Liam stated solemnly. “New Orleans is what, a twenty-hour drive?”
“Three hour flight,” Elias added.
“There you go. See, anytime we want to visit you or you feel an unescapable desire to come back to this part of your family, one short flight and the gang’s all together again. Maybe we don’t like the idea of you being so far away, Vi, but three hours is nothing.”
Tamsyn cried harder into Violet’s throat, her back shuddering with sobs. The most awful part was she wasn’t making a sound; when someone cried this traumatically, they should be wailing, screaming, expressing their pain.
Merrick’s little mute was back, and he wasn’t going to be pleased.
Shit.
Violet stroked and petted, trying to calm her.
“If you keep crying this hard, you’ll make yourself sick, sweetheart.
Everything’s going to be okay, Tamsyn, I promise.
New Orleans really isn’t that far.” She knew that, from Tamsyn’s perspective, a three-hour flight was akin to a trip to the moon; the woman had come down from the mountains she’d been raised in and, as yet, hadn’t even been to the city.
“Goodbye isn’t forever, sweetheart. It’s just for now, and we’re not going for another couple weeks. ”
Okay, maybe she should just not say anything, because that only made Tamsyn cry twice as desperately.
“I’ll take her home, Vi.”
Reaux glanced at Merrick. “Would you mind if I talk to her first?”
All the muscles beneath the big guy’s shirt tensed; Violet knew Merrick’s feelings toward his sub ran deep—center of the earth kind of deep.
He’d saved her, sacrificed for her, become a one-woman man for her.
If he thought she was in danger from Reaux…
well, her lover would end up with a broken face.
“Why?”
Nonchalantly, Reaux lifted his shoulder in a Gallic gesture.
“I can’t stand to see a woman cry, not like this.
This is… painful. I have a way with such things, yes?
Give me a few minutes with her, if she’ll come.
We’ll be just over there,” he added, gesturing to the far corner of the room where nobody was occupying the tables. “Always within sight.”
Hard green eyes pinned Violet in her seat. “He understands what’ll happen?”
She sighed and rested her chin on the trembling head beneath it, guilt swamping her. She’d caused this and wasn’t sure how to fix it. “As much as it galls me to admit he’s right, he does have a way with dealing with emotional distress.”
The overprotective Dom’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t leave the room. For God’s sake, don’t let her run. If she bolts in this state, we might not find her for a week.”
With an incline of his head in acknowledgement, Reaux rose. “She will not bolt. Don’t worry, Merrick, all will be well.” He moved the table a few inches, then held out his arms. “Come to me, little pixie. Time for us to have a chat, yes?”
Tamsyn burrowed deeper into Violet, but he was not taking that as an answer. Grumbling to himself in French, Reaux simply plucked her off Violet’s lap into a bridal carry, maneuvered around the table, then shifted her onto his hip like a child.
He strolled away, talking to her as though she was capable of conversation. Before he even reached the quieter area across the room, Tamsyn was clinging to him just as fiercely as she’d done with Violet.
“I’m sorry, Merrick.”
“Can’t be helped. Life doesn’t stand still around us, does it?
The people in our lives move on, they die, they change.
Nothing remains constant forever.” Merrick’s mouth twisted into an impression of a smile.
“It’s the first major shift in her reality since she came here.
She loves you, so it strikes where she guards most closely. ”
“Lay on the guilt,” she muttered.
“You can’t take that on. Circumstances have changed for you, Vi.
The path that brought you here is leading you away again; we just have to be grateful it guided you here in the first place.
Maybe one day, it’ll bring you back.” His gaze winged across the room, locking on Reaux.
“Then again, maybe it won’t. Are you ready to be BDSM royalty? ”
“Just because he calls me his queen doesn’t mean I am one.”
“Amatory is a big deal in Southern circles, Vi. I did some digging; when he said he was building you an empire, he wasn’t joking.”
She rolled her eyes. “One thing Boudreaux doesn’t do is lie, even in a humorous fashion. It’s one of his core values, just like he won’t promise something if he doesn’t believe he can follow through.”
“A crown would suit you,” he said thoughtfully. “He suits you.”
“How fortunate, considering it appears I’m stuck with him now.”
Merrick laughed. “Such a hardship.”
“Bite me.”
They sat for a few minutes watching Reaux walk the floor with Tamsyn.
Having been in that position only a few days ago, Violet knew how it felt to be safely contained in those arms, to soak in the quiet strength and calm control.
It might not be exactly the same for Tamsyn—they were not the arms she knew best, and the shape, scent, power of the man holding her were significantly different to Merrick’s—but she would gain some benefit from them.
Idly answering questions from around the table as the conversation ebbed and flowed, Violet sensed the group energy shift. The usual vibrant hum that permeated the room whenever everyone was together had already dimmed, replaced with a dull, uncertain whine.
Would she ever find this again?
Reaux’s circle would welcome her back—those who remembered her, anyway.
He kept it tight, small, but much like Evander and Elias, he was a man whose presence sucked people in.
Perhaps she would be able to cultivate some new friendships, but one thing she’d already learned as being the sub of a club owner was adversarial enough; being the wife, the significant other?
That might cause problems of a higher caliber.
When a man looked like Reaux, possessing not only phenomenal good looks but strong genetics, physical stamina and renowned dominant skills, he became an idol for a lot of subs, ones who would do anything to have their shot at him.
Add in the bank account, the clubs, his personality, and every other damn thing going for him, jealousy and betrayal quickly got thrown into the mix.
Backstabbing, lies, rumors… anything to throw distrust into the relationship.
She’d witnessed it before with other established couples in the lifestyle; like a train wreck or car accident, it was impossible to look away as tragedy struck. When someone wanted what someone else had… it was astounding what lengths they would go to in order to claim it for themselves.
Some of those couples survived the disaster, a little bloodied, a lot bruised, but they’d healed and carried on with determination.
Some continued, adamant the damage was minimal, but over time the weaknesses caused by lies and sneaky whispers in the wrong ears proved to be their downfall.
The rest simply shattered at the first hint of mistrust.
How would she fare, Violet wondered, when the club bunnies came for her? She was going to be an easy target—two years away from home gave them ample time to fabricate whatever they believed they needed to drive a wedge between her and Reaux.
Hell, she already had proof it was easy enough to do—they’d managed to drive one between themselves, hadn’t they?
“Well I’ll be damned,” Merrick murmured.