Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Rex
An hour and a half later, Lila—or whoever she was—and I were back at Athena’s place. Trevon was there, too, though he and Athena both were giving us some privacy.
Trish and her Daddy, along with the Daddy Guard and their Littles, were all at their places.
It was just me and her in this conversation.
While she sat on the couch, I stood in front of the big window in the front parlor, looking out on the dark West Hollywood street.
A lone car drove slowly by and disappeared into the night. There would be more soon. L.A. never really slept. Not fully.
Finally, I said, “All right. Let’s hear it from the top, please. I think you owe me at least that much.”
“I owe you more than that.”
Turning, I shook my head at her. “This isn’t about me holding something over your head. Or a grudge for that matter. I just want to know the truth. Please.”
After taking a sip of her water, she nodded.
My heart broke seeing her look so alone and vulnerable on the couch. Part of me wanted to cuddle her tightly against me. But part of me was angry. I’d been played, and it didn’t feel good.
Yet I could never be harsh with her.
“I worked for Lila Merriman. I was her?—”
“How about we start with your name?” I smiled, letting her know I wasn’t over-the-top mad. She needed to still feel safe and know I’d never fly off the handle.
“Oh. Yeah. Sorry. Kira Maddox.”
I walked closer and extended my hand. “Rex Sterling. Nice meeting you.”
She smiled for a moment as she shook my hand but that look of shame and vulnerability came right back.
I took my place in front of the window again and watched the street. A couple of more cars passed.
“Lila is a social media influencer. I worked for her. But she laid me off the other day with one final task—let all of the guys she was chatting with online know she wouldn’t be around any longer.”
“Break things off. Why?”
“She was going to England.”
I nodded as I stared at the road some more. “You’re not a Little, are you?”
“No. I mean, I didn’t think so. Now… Rex, I don’t know.”
“Did you know Lila was?”
“No.”
This all tracked. Made some stuff make sense.
“I knew you were different than the lady I’d been talking to.” My back was still to her as I spoke. “But I thought it was the difference of someone talking casually over an app versus hanging out in person.” A chuckle followed before I added, “Some detective I am.”
“Rex! This isn’t your fault. I should have told you the truth. I was just… well, I’d had some wine the night I accepted your invite and the next day I was excited and… it all just sort of got away from me.”
I heard her get up from the leather couch and could sense her presence approaching behind me.
“Where does this leave us? I haven’t lied about anything while I’ve been here.”
I half-turned and raised an eyebrow. “Other than who you are.”
Hanging her head in shame, Kira said, “My name. Yeah. But who I am is the woman you’ve gotten to know. I promise.”
Looking out the window again, I thought how I wasn’t sure how much a promise from her meant.
My gut, though, was telling me that she was honest about that. The woman I was falling in love with—as crazy as that sounded with how little time we’d known each other—was exactly the person she’d portrayed herself as. Just under a different name.
But I still felt betrayed.
In truth, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted right now, but I knew one thing.
“Look, I don’t know what to do moving forward.” I saw the hurt in her eyes. “I’m just leveling with you.”
The way I wish you would have leveled with me, I almost added. But I kept that little dig to myself. I had no desire to hurt Kira.
“We’ll figure all that out. Our first priority is finding out who tried to attack you tonight and why.”
“They’re in jail, right?” The desperation in her voice was obvious.
“I don’t know,” I told her, placing a calming hand on her arm.
“They didn’t brandish a weapon. They looked menacing, sure, but as many calls as the cops get in one night and as backlogged as the justice system is, I wouldn’t be shocked if they weren’t already out.
If they were even booked at all. We didn’t hear what story they fed the responding officers.
But also, when you told your story to me and the cops, you said the guy said we and our.
I’d lay a paycheck down that those three idiots were not the only ones.
Lila has gotten in trouble with some folks. And I’m going to find out who.”
A look of sheer horror was in her eyes. “And you think they will keep coming after me since they think I’m Lila?”
There was no reason to sugarcoat things.
Kira needed to understand how dangerous a situation she was in.
“I do. Of course, they don’t know where you’re at.
You’re safe here at the nursery. The gates and walls.
Plus, the doors have special locks. This is basically Fort Knox.
But more than that, Trevon wouldn’t let anyone through.
” I chortled. “Neither would Athena, for that matter. I’d pity the idiot that tried to test her. ”
She looked at me with tears welling in the corners of her eyes. “Will Auntie still want me here? I understand if I have to leave.”
Shaking my head, I answered, “We’ve already discussed it. She’s quite fond of you and wants you here. But even if that wasn’t the case, there’s no way she’d turn you out on the streets. Ever. But especially with folks after you.”
Relief registered, but I could tell she was still shaken.
“I’ll be around some. But tomorrow, I’m going to work with the Daddy Guard and try to get this all straightened out.”
“It’s my last day here,” she said quietly. Then, lowering her head once more, she said, “I’m going to pay you back for everything. The meals. The flights. All of it. You, uh, were expecting Lila and you got me. I’m sorry.”
I wanted to tell her she was perfect. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and never let go. I wanted to carry her to bed.
But the betrayal still stung a little too much and those other feelings wouldn’t quite let me do all that stuff.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “Look, we’ll worry about us later. Right now, just get some rest and you can play with the Littles tomorrow. If that’s something you even want to do.”
I didn’t mean that as a jab. But she had said so herself that she wasn’t a Little. In all honesty, she might hate it at Athena’s nursery.
“Thank you,” she said.
There was that awkward moment where we didn’t know if we should hug or kiss or shake hands or what.
But we turned away without another word.