EPILOGUE
EDGE
“If you really wanted to check out Brax’s cookin’, we could’ve gone to the restaurant next weekend,” Cav teased as we walked up to Zeke’s front porch. “It’s the grand opening, and I happen to know we snagged an invite.”
“We did,” Jamie agreed with a huge grin. “And we will be going on Saturday night. But I promised Zeke we’d come by here before the restaurant opened.”
I noticed Cav’s frown.
“It’ll be fine,” I assured him.
“I’ve heard that before,” he mumbled when the door opened and Brax appeared.
There was something in his expression that raised the hairs on the back of my neck. “Something wrong?”
He shook his head quickly, motioned for us to come inside.
“Where’s Zeke?” Jamie asked.
“He’s … uh…” Brax glanced at me. “He’s downstairs in the basement.”
“Then we’ll make ourselves at home,” Jamie said with a strained smile. “Wait for them to join us.”
“I’ve got wine,” Brax announced, making a beeline for the kitchen.
Cav glanced over at me. “Somethin’ happen in the basement that I should know about?”
“It’s his torture dungeon,” Jamie said simply, leading the way to the kitchen. “He doesn’t think I know that, but I’ve been on to him for years.”
Brax’s gaze swung over to her. “Really?”
She waved him off. “Of course. Don’t worry. I won’t go traipsing down there to greet them. I can wait.”
A sigh of relief came from the man. “Thank God for that.”
Jamie laughed. “Is that why you’ve got your panties in a twist?” she teased.
Brax laughed, a strangled sound that had me smiling.
“Somethin’ like that.”
“So, are you excited?” Jamie asked as she took a seat at the bar when Brax passed over a glass of wine. “T minus seven, right?”
For the first time since we walked in the door, a genuine smile landed on the man’s face, reaching all the way to his eyes. “Yeah. Can’t wait.”
“I bet. This is a big deal.”
“Huge,” Brax agreed, looking over at me. “Wine or scotch?”
“Scotch,” I said, relieved that he’d offered something stronger.
While Zeke and I were still friends and there was no animosity between us, I was still uncomfortable being in the man’s presence.
Jamie had breakfast with her brother every Friday like clockwork, so I knew the Sadist was in the know as to how her life was going, but I still got antsy when I was around him.
“A torture dungeon?” Cav asked, clearly still stuck a few minutes in the past.
I laughed, relaxing somewhat.
“Not for the faint of heart,” Brax stated, passing over one glass to me, another to Cav.
“Can I get a tour?” he asked eagerly, his attention swinging to the basement stairs. “When they’re done, of course.”
“I’m sure it can be arranged,” Jamie promised.
A thundering cry sounded from down below, and Brax’s eyes swung between the three of us.
“Relax, man,” I told him. “Nothing we haven’t heard before.”
“He had a client over for dinner a couple of months ago,” Brax explained. “Left me up here to entertain while he took Case down there for a discussion.” He used air quotes on the last word. “Not easy to explain away that sort of noise.”
“You know he does it on purpose, right?” I asked, taking the barstool to Jamie’s left. “Probably more of a mind fuck for you than anything else.”
As though he hadn’t considered that, Brax’s eyes widened.
I grinned. “That’s Zeke for you.”
“Don’t worry,” Jamie added, “he tends to tone it down when I’m here.”
“Way down,” Brax agreed, turning toward the oven.
Cav leaned in, lowered his voice. “He really has a torture dungeon?”
“He really does.”
Jamie spun around on her stool to face him. “Does it interest you?”
“God, no. But I’m curious as to what’s down there.”
“Lots of stuff,” she said, a gleam in her eyes. “But that’s nothing. Brax and Case have been known to sleep in the cage under Zeke’s bed.”
Cav’s eyes widened.
That was news to me. Then again, I didn’t need to know the intimate details of Zeke’s relationship with his submissives.
A knock sounded on the door, and Brax’s head snapped up.
“I’ll get it,” I said, setting my glass down and making my way to the door. I pulled it open, grinned.
“You’re not Zeke,” Ian Stokes noted.
“Not today, no,” I joked, shaking his hand when he stepped into the house, his twin brother right behind him.
“How are you?” Isaac asked. “Haven’t seen you at the club in a while.”
“I’ve been busy,” I told him.
Before I could close the door, something stopped it. I pulled it open to see Talon, a wide grin on his face.
“Didn’t see you there.”
“Hard to miss,” Talon said, shaking my hand. “Zeke said you’d be here.”
“I’m here.” I glanced out the door, ensuring no one was behind them. “Didn’t realize it was a party.”
“There’re a few more comin’,” Brax informed me when he appeared.
Politely, Brax greeted the newcomers, invited them in, and offered drinks. When asked, he explained where Zeke and Case were, then went back to preparing dinner.
“How’s work?” I asked Isaac and Ian as we stood around, waiting for the host to join us.
“Good,” they said in unison.
Ian deferred to Isaac.
“As you know, we’ve joined Ransom’s security team.”
“I heard. Didn’t realize you were in town.”
“Time off for good behavior,” he joked. “After the last assignment, Ransom ordered us to take some downtime.”
“Last assignment?” Cav inquired.
“Yeah. Actress. Death threats. Spent the past two months in Los Angeles. Took some time to find the jackass, but we finally did. She’s safe and sound.”
“Good to hear.”
“Yeah,” Ian said. “Just glad to be back. Looking forward to spending some time at the club.”
“I have to say, Edge, Ximena is doing a hell of a job with the training class.”
“Yeah?”
“Oh, yeah. She makes you look like a teddy bear.”
“And Chaos? How’s he handlin’ the club?”
“Very well. I actually saw him smile a time or two,” Isaac said with a grin.
Although we hadn’t spent much time at Dichotomy in recent months, I’d stopped by on occasion to chat with Timothy. He’d taken over as though he was born for the role of head Master. According to Trent, he didn’t balk at the offer, either.
Zeke’s deep voice boomed from behind me.
I turned in time to see him pointing toward the sofa, barking the order for the pretty boy—as Zeke referred to him—to sit.
The big man then turned to the four of us, grinned. “Glad you could make it.”
“Thanks for having us,” Ian said, shaking Zeke’s hand.
Zeke’s dark eyes slammed into my face, cut over to Cav’s. “You taking care of my sister?”
“You know we are,” I said simply.
He grinned, then held out his hand, shaking mine first, then Cav’s. He smacked Cav on the back, then headed over to the bar, where Jamie was talking to Triton.
A soft moan sounded from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, noticed the way Case vibrated.
“Let’s just say the Sadist is fond of all torture,” I whispered to Cav before he could ask.
“Ahh.” Cav chuckled. “No explanations necessary.”
Jamie
We hadn’t been at my brother’s long before the place filled up. Dominants, submissives, me. It was an eclectic mix of people, most of whom I knew, some only from an introduction or two.
“So, why are they all here?” I asked Zeke when I cornered him in the dining room.
“You don’t know?” His eyebrows lowered, his intense gaze centered on my face.
“What should I know?” I glanced around, scanning the area.
“I’ll be right back,” Zeke snapped.
“Wait.” Before I could grab his arm, he was heading for the door.
When he opened it, a woman stepped inside, another right behind her. I couldn’t quite see them over Zeke’s enormous frame, so I moved closer for a better look.
“Everly?” I whispered, recognizing her from the submissive training class. “Oh, my God. What happened?”
Her eyes were red-rimmed and terrified, not to mention, one was puffy and already bruising.
“Back up,” I ordered my brother. “Everly? Talk to me.”
A woman who looked eerily similar to Everly stepped up, drawing my attention. They were both petite, with dark hair and light eyes, but upon closer inspection, I realized that was where the similarities ended. From a distance, they could’ve passed as twins.
“Everything all right?”
I turned to see Cav standing behind me, his eyes assessing the situation. When his warm hand curled over my shoulder, I relaxed a little.
“I’m sorry we’re late,” Everly said softly.
The woman beside her put her hand on Everly’s arm. “Don’t you dare apologize.”
“And you would be?” A deep, gruff voice sounded, causing the three of us to look over.
Ian Stokes was standing there, his twin beside him, their full attention on the scene playing out in Zeke’s foyer.
“My name’s Heaven,” she said softly, her eyes instantly dropping to the floor. “We’re roommates. She said she was supposed to be here. Begged me to bring her.”
Isaac stepped forward, his hand curling beneath Everly’s chin, tilting her head back. “What happened?”
Tears filled Everly’s eyes. Her left eye was puffy and slightly discolored.
Isaac’s hand dropped instantly, as though he knew on some level that she’d been through a traumatic experience.
“Are you scared of Isaac?” I asked, not sure what the hell was going on.
“No,” she said quickly. “Not at all.”
Isaac seemed to relax, but he didn’t reach for her again. However, it was clear he was going to take over the situation with his insistent, “This way.”
“I’ve got this,” I assured him, placing my hand gently on Everly’s arm. “There’s a guest room upstairs,” I supplied. “Let’s go where we can talk.”
Everly nodded, peering over at her roommate. “Give me a minute, please.”
Heaven looked tortured by the request, but she finally agreed. “Of course.”
“I’m going with you,” Isaac insisted.
Knowing I wasn’t going to shrug off the commanding Dominant, I simply nodded, then signaled for Everly to take the stairs to the second floor. She was silent, even when we stepped into the room I’d used when I used to stay at Zeke’s.
Rather than direct her to the bed, I pulled out the desk chair, asked her to sit. I crouched in front of her, ignoring the Dom standing directly behind me.