Chapter 34
CHAPTER 34
SILVER
E very step, every shift of her weight reminded her of the plug in her ass, and by the time they parked in front of Club BDE her clit was pulsing with need.
It figured he’d start acting like her Daddy again after she’d put a plan in motion to all but force him to punish her. It was almost enough for her to call the whole plan off.
Almost.
Despite the plug nestled between her bottom cheeks, she wasn’t entirely convinced he’d follow through on any of his threats. And, if she was being completely honest, she was positively itching for a punishment that didn’t include a couple love taps on the ass and staring at a blank wall for ten minutes at a time.
Her excitement for the evening ahead ratcheted up even higher when they stepped into the club. Vivian—her hair now a bright shade of purple—greeted her with a hug and what she suspected would be the first of many tears this evening.
If she was lucky, some of those tears would be hers.
Since it was auction night, the club was already packed, and they were stopped no less than a dozen times on their way upstairs to the table their friends had reserved. There were more tears as the girls jumped up from the table, crowding around Silver and shoving Ice to the side, where he stood trying to hide his own smile with a glower as they all fussed over her.
“You made it! I’m so glad you’re here!”
“Holy crap, you look stunning . Way to make a comeback, babe.”
“You do look very pretty tonight, Sil. I’m so happy you made it.”
“Are you sure you want to go through with this? Your Daddy is already looking a bit stressed as it is.”
The last was from Cordelia as she wrapped Silver in a tight hug.
“I’m positive,” Silver whispered back. “I need this.”
“I understand. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She was then passed to Braden, who hugged her so tightly she thought her ribs might snap. “You were missed, Ms. Sterling.”
“Thanks. I missed you all, too.”
Beckett, the final member of their group for the evening, watched her from several steps away. And when she held her arms open, he visibly hesitated before stepping forward to wrap her up in a brief, stiff hug. “Welcome back.”
Before she could ask him why he was acting so weird, he’d all but shoved her back into Ice’s arms. “Are you okay?” Ice murmured. “You look… frazzled. We can go home if this is too much.”
Putting the Beckett weirdness out of her head for the time being, she smiled up at him. “I’m fine, you big worrywart. I could use a drink, though.”
“One glass of wine. I catch you with anything else but water in your hands after that, you’re going to regret it.”
Need washed over her, making her wobble a bit on unsteady legs when he stepped away to head for the bar. Cordelia, who was watching her from the table, narrowed her eyes.
God, she really needed to get it together. If Cordelia suspected she couldn’t handle herself tonight, she’d tattle to Ice before Silver even had a chance to put her plan into action.
ICE
He was torn between bundling Silver back into the car and going straight home, and seeing if one of the themed rooms happened to be free tonight. Being back in the club was reminding him, very strongly, of how much he loved being her Daddy.
But he still had her injuries to consider, so he took the walk to the bar as an opportunity to let his blood cool.
The bar wasn’t as crowded as he’d expected, which he supposed wasn’t that surprising after all. Plenty of bidders would be abstaining as they waited to see if they’d win some company for the evening. No doubt after the auction it would be busier.
A pretty brunette smiled at him from behind the bar. The fact that he didn’t recognize her, despite her looking so at home there, was another reminder of how long he’d been away. “What can I get… Oh my god, you’re Ice!”
It had been a moment since anyone at the club had fangirled over him, and he couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah, I am.”
“Ho-lee shit. My friends back home are not going to believe this.” Her smile cranked up from polite to dazzling. “Gah, I wish I could have my phone back here!”
“Would an autograph do in the meantime? Actually…” He glanced back at the table he’d just left. “Hold that thought.”
He hurried back to the table, where Silver pouted up at him when she spotted his empty hands. “What happened to my wine?”
“Slight detour. Come with me.”
Confusion twisted her features, but she let herself be helped to her feet and guided back to the bar. The bartender’s eyes went so wide he worried vaguely that they might pop out of her head. “Oh my god. I’d heard you two played here but… oh my god .”
“Silver, this is… Sorry, darlin’. I didn’t catch your name.”
Placing both hands on the bar, the woman closed her eyes, her head dropping down like she was trying to prevent herself from passing out. “Ruby. I’m Ruby.”
“Silver, Ruby. Ruby, Silver. I was just about to sign an autograph for our new friend here and thought she might like yours, too.”
Ruby’s head snapped up, her eyes popping open again. “No offense, um, Sir. But if I had to choose, I’d choose Silver.” Looking more than a little starstruck, she shifted her gaze to his babygirl, who was grinning wider and brighter than he’d seen in months. “Like, for real, you have no idea how obsessed with you I am. I drove my parents crazy trying to learn the drums growing up. You’re just, you’re a fucking legend . Oops.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief and just a hint of apology. “Could we keep that little slip-up between us? Master Braden has a whole thing about swearing at the guests.”
“Your secret is safe with us,” Ice assured her with a wink. “And you’re right. She is fucking amazing.”
“I, ah, heard about the whole thing with Ace.” Ruby’s smile dimmed a bit, and there was genuine sympathy in her voice when she spoke. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Silver. You didn’t deserve that.”
God, he could kiss her. If that wouldn’t have put her on the wrong end of his woman’s wrath, that was.
“Thank you. I’m trying to accept that might be the truth,” Silver said. “Now, about those autographs.”
They both signed napkins for her, and Silver sealed hers with a kiss that nearly had Ruby swooning on the spot. Ice added a generous tip to the bill as they scooped up his water and Silver’s wine.
Halfway back to the table, Silver stopped, tilting her head back to smile up at him. “Thank you for always knowing what I need, often even before I do.”
“Just part of the job description.”
Her smile slowly faded as her eyes searched his face in earnest. “If I ask you something, will you be completely honest with me? No bullshit.”
“No bullshit,” he promised, holding up three fingers in a time-honored gesture of sincerity.
“Do you really think I can get it back? What I had before? Not just being a drummer, but being who I was. Being the fucking best.”
“I don’t know.” It killed him to say it, but he’d promised her no bullshit, so that was what he was going to give her. “I want to say I think there’s nothing you can’t do. But I also know it’s not as simple as willing it to be true. What I will say is this.” Cupping the back of her neck, he lowered his forehead to hers. “The Amanda Sterling I know wouldn’t let ‘I don’t know’ stop her. The Amanda Sterling I fell in love with would work and fight with everything in her to get back what she loves. And that’s damn well what you’re going to do. You understand me, little girl?”
Tears slipped from her eyes as her lids shuttered closed. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Good girl. Let’s get back to our friends.”
“Ice, there’s something I need to tell?—”
“There you are!” Rushing up to them, Lottie grabbed the wine glass from Silver’s hand and shoved it at Ice. “Come on, we need to get downstairs.”
“Lottie, wait, I?—”
But Lottie was already hauling Silver toward the steps leading down to the pit.
What the hell was going on?
SILVER
Ice was going to murder her.
And the worst part was, she wasn’t even sure she wanted him to anymore. Part of her just wanted to tell Lottie she’d changed her mind and run back upstairs to her Daddy. To confess all her sins and swear she’d be a good girl forever and ever. Maybe if she called the whole thing off now, they could still have the fun he’d hinted at before they’d left the house.
But as she climbed the steps onto the stage, an old, familiar excitement kicked in. The thrill of knowing she’d done something naughty, and was certainly going to be punished for it.
It was that knowledge, that thrill, keeping her rooted to the stage as the auction began.
Just like the first time, her gaze immediately locked on Ice. But unlike that first time, his face wasn’t a mask of icy fury. If anything it looked like… Was he smiling?
Oh, shit.
Braden went through the same introductions as before, explaining that each participant would be given sixty seconds to introduce themselves before the bidding would start.
One notable difference was that Frankie was not up on the stage this time. She’d been rather adamant in the group chat that she was not taking her chances with Holden buying her again. Whatever he’d done to her that night, it had certainly stuck with her.
As the bidding started, Silver never took her gaze from Ice’s face. Maybe if she had, she would have noticed the remote in his hand before it was too late.
The plug inside her came to life, sending ripples of pleasure racing through her veins. She gasped just as Ivy’s bids opened, drawing the attention of everyone on stage and in the audience toward her.
Heat flooded her face. “Sorry, sorry. I, um, thought I saw… a bug.”
The horror on Braden’s face would have sent her into a fit of giggles if all her attention hadn’t been focused on the thing buzzing in her ass.
In the audience, Ice’s expression had shifted from a hint of a smile to a full-on smirk. Holding up the remote, he gave it a little shake, making sure she was watching as he pressed a button.
Holy shit.
Thank god she’d had a bit of warning this time, so she was able to swallow the moan that welled up inside her as the vibrations sped up.
And then, just as suddenly as it began, the buzzing stopped, leaving her empty pussy aching with unfulfilled need.
Someone was definitely getting murdered tonight. But it wasn’t going to be her.