Chapter 21
Twenty-One
T he dawn rose on us, our bodies swaying as gentle as a lake lapping at a pebbled shore. I didn’t want to stop, not ever, and in the end, it was Alfie that pulled away.
“I should take you home.”
I looked up at him. He looked so content. It was an expression I wasn’t used to seeing on his face. “You’re volunteering to end this?”
“Trust me, I could stay here all day, but you need time to process. So do I.” He cupped my face, his touch gentle.
His tenderness surprised me now. Before he was full of so many sharp edges, and many of them were still there, that deep intensity would always remain, but he had a vulnerability about him now that wasn’t there before.
A vulnerability he seemed comfortable with in a way I had never seen.
The Alfie I’d known fought every revealing moment, kept me at arms length like his life depended on it.
Now, he seemed okay with me seeing inside him.
As if he had nothing left to lose, no reason to keep me out anymore.
I’d seen the worst of him and I was still standing here, even if it was only for a little while.
“Yeah, I’m pretty tired,” I said, barely stifling a yawn.
“You can sleep here, if you’d rather not wait till you get home. Or, we could go to my place, it’s closer than yours.”
I considered it for a moment before shaking my head. “No, I need some space. Besides, I should probably check on Keira and Maia.” My eyes widened then. “Are they still here? Oh my god, I left them alone all night.” Guilt settled in my stomach. I was a shitty friend.
“They weren’t alone, my Tellers took care of them.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket, checking it. “They both left a while ago. Marx and West sent me a text when they removed their collars. Elliot drove them home. They’re fine. Stop worrying.”
Hopefully, they wouldn’t be too angry with me for ditching them.
He stepped away, pressing a hand to my back as he guided me to the door.
The Never Tell Clubhouse was a snoring monster sleeping off a night of drunken debauchery.
Strewn everywhere were half-clad bodies, leftover remnants of alcohol, drugs and sexual props I couldn’t even begin to name.
A few giggles still echoed here and there, the last people standing winding down their night just like us.
We reached the stairway of the entrance hall and I moved to go downstairs to the front door but Alfie stopped me. “We aren’t leaving that way?” I asked.
“We have to find Kal first. Unless you want to keep that thing on?” He nodded at my collar. I pressed my fingers to it, I’d forgotten it was there. And Kal had the key. “Come on, I know where he’ll be.”
He led me down another hallway, turning me in circles until finally he stopped at a door, laughter emanating from the other side. He stepped in and I followed, finding all four of his Tellers gathered round a snooker table in a dishevelled state.
Immediately, I thought of the article I’d read all that time ago, the first time I’d ever learned about the Never Tell Club. If I’d told past Lola we’d one day be standing in that room, she’d have called me crazy.
“Alfie!” Damien lifted a half empty whiskey bottle. He slouched in a chair, one leg thrown over the arm, his trousers undone and his shirt lying open, revealing an impressive torso. “Come for a drink?”
“I came for the key.” He nodded at Kal who was bent over the snooker table, a sharp focus on his handsome face as he landed a shot perfectly.
“I’m surprised you made it till the morning.
” He smirked as he walked over, producing a key from his pocket.
He was about to unlock my collar himself when Alfie snatched the key out of his hand, much to Kal’s amusement.
“I half expected you to run all the way home in tears after that display with my little bunny last night,” he continued as Alfie freed me from my collar.
“You handled it better than I thought you would though.”
“You knew I wouldn’t like it?” I asked, rubbing my neck. I was disturbed by how bare I felt without it.
Kal chuckled, each of them echoing his laughter. They’d all known I would hate exhibitionism–was I that easy to read?
“Well…shit.”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. We won’t hold it against you.” Cas smiled at me. He sprawled in his chair, his trousers were unfastened too–had he and Damien spent the night together or had they just shared someone else? I decided I didn’t need to know and stopped that line of thought right there.
“That’s a relief. I am curious though why you thought the idea of Alfie with a ‘commoner ’ would be…what word did you use, Cas? Obscene?” I raised my brows at him, my voice light.
They stared at me, confused. Alfie stepped forward.
“She might have read an article from back in the day.”
“Oh, well, probably all of us thought that. Still do, to be honest.” Cas laughed. “Tell me, do you really have to share a bathroom? With other people?”
“Yes, it’s just awful! Daddy just cut my allowance to only a million pounds a month so now I’m practically living in squalor. I could only buy my poodle two new Gucci jackets this month, she was so depressed I had to send her to the spa and then?—”
“Alright, Lo.” Alfie cut me off, openly laughing. His Tellers looked between us.
“Can you stop making him laugh?” Damien said. “It's like seeing a dog walk on its hind legs.” Before I could bite back, Mr West straightened, commanding my attention. Unlike the others he was still perfectly put together, apart from his jacket which was neatly folded over a chair.
“Miss O’Connell, we’re wealthy bastards, but on the whole, we aren’t as ignorant as we used to be.” He gave me a stern look.
“Fair enough.” I shrugged and turned to Alfie. “I need to use the bathroom before we go.”
“There’s one right through there.” Damien gestured to a side door. I thanked him and followed his direction. I couldn’t help but feel their watchful gazes as I moved. I felt like a deer walking through a wolf den. Something caught my eye as I passed Damien.
“Someone got a hold of you, huh?” I pointed at the scratches down his neck, the bite marks on his ear lobe.
“Yeah. I think that friend of yours is part hellcat,” he said and Cas chuckled. I flicked my gaze between them, getting a whole new idea about who they might have shared last night.
“I so don’t want to know.”
“My lips are sealed.” He grinned, sipping his whiskey.
“Doesn’t matter. She’ll give me all the gory details herself, whether I want them or not.”
“Fine by me,” he shrugged, “but just for the record, she was the one driving the train. I just went along for the ride.”
“An unwilling passenger, I’m sure.”
I headed into the bathroom, grateful for a few moments of peace.
I found myself in a powder room, a row of mirrors and an array of toiletries lining a long dressing table.
I looked around and found another door that must be to the actual bathroom.
This place was like a damned maze. I reached the door and jumped back as it was pulled open from the other side, revealing a familiar redhead.
“Oh!” I stepped back, staring at Pollyanna Berry. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were in here.”
“I’m done,” she said, zipping up her dress.
A light steam in the air told me she’d just taken a shower, though I wouldn’t have known that from looking at her.
She looked perfectly pristine. She passed me and headed for the mirrors, reapplying her lipstick.
I was about to leave her to it, when she spoke. “So, how did you enjoy the club?”
“It was…interesting.”
“I’m sure. I can’t imagine someone like you getting to experience something like this very often.” She eyed me in the mirror, giving me a smile she didn’t mean. “Did you have to borrow that dress?”
“Alfie bought it for me.”
“Of course he did.” Her smile grew wider. “It’s so kind of him to help the needy.”
I had to stifle a laugh at her jibes. Two years ago they would have upset me, but now I found them amusing. My gaze landed on the love bite on her neck. She caught me looking and touched the mark.
“Those Tellers have quite an appetite.” Maybe I’d been wrong about Keira being the one they’d shared? I figured the culprit was either Damien or Cas. “I do enjoy them, but it’s so nice to have Mr Tell back. I can’t wait to get reacquainted with him.” She smiled again and turned on her heel.
“Yeah, you have fun with that,” I muttered as she walked out the door.
I relieved myself quickly before checking my reflection. Surprisingly, I didn’t look too bad. I washed my hands and stepped back into the room, unsurprised to find Pollyanna pressing herself flush against Alfie and him looking bored by it.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to step on your toes.
” She smiled wide at me. Every eye in the room landed on me, waiting for my reaction.
I didn’t respond. She blinked at my silence.
“Well…thanks for another fun night, boys. Alfie, I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.
” She pressed a kiss to his cheek before gliding out the door.
Alfie’s eyes darted to mine, clearly waiting for the explosion.
“What?”
“No cat fight?” He sounded slightly disappointed. I rolled my eyes.
“I can do personal growth too, you know. Letting petty bitches get to me is so two years ago.” I crossed the room to him.
“You should have had her clean her drool off your shoes though. That shit is gross.” I turned to his amused Tellers, smiling at each of them in turn.
“It was really good to meet all of you. Thank you for taking care of my friends.” The four of them stared at me before muttering various you’re welcome’s and goodbye’s.
Halfway out the door, Damien called after us. “Hey, Tell? Keep a hold of that one.”
I looked up at Alfie, who was smiling at his friend. “I plan to.”