15 Serenity
I glance at the phone when it rings again, my vision blurry as I lean over the toilet in my bathroom.
Fuck, my head hurts.
I push away from the bowl to lean back against the wall, kicking the glass Vienna left in here for me and cursing when it spills. I’ve got a raging headache that keeps making me want to vomit, and every time I close my eyes the evening plays back in my head.
I’m so goddamn stupid.
When I move to rest against the wall, wet spot be damned, my wrist screams in protest. I hiss, glancing down at the cut and bleeding skin. I thought I could get the damn thing off, but it turns out I don’t know how to pick a pair of handcuffs. It’s locked on tight, too tight, and when Chad grabbed for me he caught the cuffs and they dug into my skin. It’s been bleeding on and off since when I irritate the skin too much.
I can’t get them off. I should’ve had someone remove them at the club, but I’ve never wanted to get out of a place so fast in my life.
I could go to Sins and Secrets, but the humiliation of anyone there seeing me like this is too much. I could avoid most of the members if I go upstairs to grab a spare set of keys, but then I might run into Emeric. I’m pretty sure he’s blowing up my phone because I dropped the auction announcement on his head and bailed.
Now, he’s calling me. I know he’s texted because I’m blowing those off, and if I pick up I might do something stupid like tell him about the bad decisions I made tonight.
There’s a knock on the bathroom door, and I groan at the noise. The call rolls over to voicemail, and I set my phone down on the floor again. “Go ‘way V.”
“You sound drunk,” my sister calls unhelpfully through the door. She helped drag me into the house when I started going in and out of consciousness, but the nausea is enough to keep me awake for now. She didn’t have to come pick me up, but she did without question. “Should I call someone?”
“No, s’okay.”
“Serenity, you sound like ass.”
I chuckle, and the noise just hurts my head again. “Shut up.”
“What about that nurse you work with? Anita is it?”
“Anita is a radiologist,” I say, though I’m not sure it’s loud enough for Vienna to hear. Anita was worried enough when she told me about Chad, but I saw her disappear down the hall to get back to work before we left the hospital. There wasn’t much time between my conversation with Chad and our arrival at the club. I refused to drive with him, so my car is still someplace in the parking lot of the club, and he held the recordings over my head until I arrived.
Then he wanted to dance. Grind. He kept getting things I wouldn’t drink and I kept an eye on them the whole time, but I still think he slipped me something when I wasn’t looking. That’s a rational thought. And I think I danced with him too.
Straightening my legs, my ankles groan in protest. Did I twist both of them while I made a fool of myself? It’s hard to remember, but I know I almost broke one when I all but fell into Vienna’s car.
“Ser? You’re stressing me out.”
“Hmm?” I ask, looking towards the door again. I think she said something I missed. My phone starts ringing again, and I see Emeric’s name once more. He’s so insistent tonight.
“I don’t know what to do,” she admits, and I hear the doorknob jingle. Why did I bother locking it? “I have to call someone.”
“I’m fine.”
“If you were drugged…” her voice trails off. I didn’t just lose focus, she stopped talking. “You’re sick.”
“I’m getting it out of my system,” I reply, and smile to myself. There, that’s a full sentence.
“Ser, let me call someone. If Dad hears about this-”
“Don’t call Dad,” I all but growl. I don’t need to run off crying to my father tonight. He’ll think the worst and he’ll lash out at me for it. I don’t think I can handle any of that right now.
“Then you call someone.”
I glance down at the phone, listening to the doorknob shake again, and I wonder when Emeric will give up. I’m going to get so much hell for this tomorrow, but right now I can’t seem to care.
The door opens, and I turn my head to glare at Vienna. She’s holding something, but I can’t focus on it. “You’d pick the lock?”
She blinks at me, and I realize that sentence was messed up, too. “Yeah, I did.”
Holding up my wrist, I wince when the metal grates against my skin again. Thank god he only got one side done before I kicked him. “But you can’t pick this?”
“That’s harder,” Vienna admits, setting the thing in her hand on the vanity. I think it’s a lock pick kit. “Now let’s call-”
My phone flashes again, and she stops talking when Emeric’s contact flashes across the screen. I wince at the name I gave him.
“Ser, why is this person named Better-Than-A-Pole?”
“Don’t ask.” I press a fist to my lips, feeling the nausea return, but it’s not bad enough to make me throw up.
She kneels beside me, leaving some space between us, and I know Vienna has issues with smells. If I really do throw up she’s going to abandon me. “Who is that?”
I groan. “Emeric.”
“That guy you work with?”
“Yep.” I pop the p at the end, but Vienna’s eyes suddenly brighten.
“Oh, perfect.” She swipes my phone off the floor before I can protest, jumping back when I try to lunge and grab it. I’m delayed, and clumsy, and I fall over on my face as she moves out of reach.
“Hello.”
“Give me da phone, V.”
She waves me off, taking another step towards the door. “I’m Vienna. Her sister. Say, are you at work?”
“Don’t talk to him.”
“Oh perfect,” Vienna continues, shooting me a look. “She needs to come get something, that okay? Or I can come grab it.”
“You aren’t twenty-one.”
She rolls her eyes, but I get the feeling Emeric probably just told her the same thing. “Oh, it’s something she can only get at the club. We’ll be by soon, okay?”
Oh so proud of herself, Vienna hangs up and smirks down at me. The queasiness kicks in again, and I wonder if I can throw up on her shoes for that. “We’re going to the club.”
“No, we are not. I can’t show up like this.”
“You can’t wear that cuff all night either,” she points out. “I’d just go get the key, but Emeric would need to bring that out to me, and then I might tell him about tonight.”
I snap my head up, instantly regretting it. “You wouldn’t.”
“Bet, sis.”
Unfortunately, I know Vienna’s caught on that I have a thing for Emeric. I complain about him around the house, and since I’m always on her about getting through school she’s always around to hear me yammer.
But her graduation is coming up this next weekend. Then there’s no more nagging for school, and she has to decide what to do next.
“Get up,” Vienna continues, one hand on her hip. “I’ll fix your hair. You better look semi put together when you go in there or he will believe someone attacked you.”
I hold her gaze a moment before dragging myself off the floor. She’s more on the mark than she knows. But I let her redo my braid from earlier, my mouth dry as sand as I stare at my reflection in the mirror.
The woman staring back is a complete stranger. Tonight I don’t recognize myself.
~~~
“I’ll be back out in like five minutes so don’t drive away,” I mutter.
Vienna waves me off, holding her nose. We had to pull off the highway so I could puke, and somehow my sister doesn’t have perfume strong enough to mask the scent. I’m totally disgusting, and the self loathing is back in full swing as I pop open the door and step into the parking lot.
At least it’s late. Ungodly late. Technically no one is allowed entry at this hour so we can start getting people ready to go home, not adding more members into the club for the night. I have a key, so I don’t bother ringing the guard when I reach the door.
Throwing it open, I spot the last person I want to see. He’s casually leaning against the door, staring at something on his phone, but he snaps to attention when I open the door.
Okay, the second to last person.
“Woah,” Russell says, his nose wrinkling. That just tells me I’ve carried the smell inside with me, and concern causes his brows to knit together. “Are you alright?”
“Just here to pick something up,” I mutter, keeping my bag clenched in front of me. My voice is a little less wobbly since I got sick, and I’ve used the cooler temperatures in the evening as an excuse to throw on a coat with wide sleeves. One hand is casually stuffed into my work bag, hiding the cuff and the skin that’s broken. I’m worried it’s going to bruise, too.
He looks unconvinced, shoving his phone into his pocket. I wonder if he’s had it with him all night, but there’s no lanyard around his neck so I’m not sure if he’s here for play or work tonight. “Okay, are you sure? Do you want me to walk you upstairs?”
I blink at him, confused. “Why would I?”
Shaking his head, Russell looks away. He’s attractive with dark blonde hair and hypnotic eyes. The black glasses add to his look, and when I pushed Anita in his direction I knew the two of them would hit it off. “Alright, forget it. Emeric’s up there. Be prepared. He’s in a mood.”
That I believe, but Russell is still giving me weird looks as I nod and head for the stairs. He didn”t answer my question, but it doesn”t really matter since I”m headed up. The door at the bottom has a pin pad to enter in a code and then I’m locked into a space all by myself for a moment.
In the cramped little hall I wrap an arm around my middle, taking hurried breaths through my nose. My head is screaming, and part of me wants to vomit again even though I know there’s nothing in my stomach. None of that helps me, and none of it will look good in front of Emeric either.
I only allow the panic to settle over me for a moment before pushing it away.
Blowing out a breath, I hike up the stairs. The door is slightly cracked, making me paranoid after the recordings Chad played for me, and I push it open with more force than necessary.
Emeric is sitting upstairs like Russell said, but he is focused on the door instead of his computer. His chair is turned in my direction and everything. I straighten up, pressing a hand to my mouth again when the nausea comes back.
He’s up in an instant, and I don’t think he’s ever responded to me that fast before if he isn’t about to shove his dick inside me. “What the fuck?”
I don’t bother to pull back when he walks over, scrunching up his nose from the smell, and grabs my shoulders. His grip is grounding, and it helps me focus and fight off the nausea for a moment. “I need something.”
He’s glaring, and even though I’m balanced now he doesn’t move. “So do I.”
I frown. “I know you’re probably mad about the auction-”
“There’s that-”
“But I had something I absolutely had to deal with tonight. It took longer than necessary. Sorry.”
He frowns but doesn’t remove his hands. I don’t mind the physical contact, finding it comforting as he holds me in place. It’s the first touch tonight that’s brought me comfort.
He leans in, despite the smell, his green eyes seeming to cut right through me. “What were you out doing, little one?”
The nickname throws me for a loop, and I gape at him. “What?”
“What were you doing?” He lets go of my shoulders, and I sway a little on my feet. The damn nausea is really doing a number on me.
Instead of walking back to his desk, he circles me like a cat stalks its prey. “I asked what you were doing.”
“Something came up.”
“What was it?”
I scowl, and when he steps back into my line of vision again I glare at him. “It’s none of your business.”
“Anything that has to do with you is my business,” he replies, reaching out to stroke my chin. I catch sight of his knuckles as he moves, and surprise shoots through me.
“Oh, God, your hands! What happened?”
“I got into a bit of a fight.”
“What? We need to clean those-”
“They’re already clean, Doe Eyes.”
I frown, shifting on my feet, and the little spark of pain reminds me why I’m here. I dart my gaze towards the wall where I know the spare keys are kept. If I grab them he’s going to know something’s up, and I can’t say I’m taking them home without an explanation either. They belong here in case something goes wrong. Not in Vienna’s car because her idiot older sister got herself into a mess.
“What are you doing here at this hour?” Emeric presses, his unforgiving eyes meeting mine. “You reek, and it looks like you’ve had a night from hell.”
“How charming.”
“I’m just giving you the facts,” he tells me, continuing to watch. “Do you need help with something?”
“Not really.”
Emeric leans in again, and his perfect green eyes lock me into a trance once more. “If you ask, little one, I might be able to help you.”
The problem is he’s right, and something about him coaxing me to be good and listen shoots straight to my core. This isn’t the time to be thinking about how amazing his cock feels inside me, but the idea is a nice distraction from the rest of the night.
Subconsciously, I glance down at the bag. His knuckles might be busted, but at least he didn’t do this. “I just… need something.”
“Do tell.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I’m certain it’s Vienna. She isn’t exactly patient, and after the nighttime disaster I’ve given her tonight she’s probably debating leaving me.
Pride be damned, I want the cuff off. Admitting something’s wrong is hard, and asking Emeric of all people for help is harder, but this is something I need to do. “I need the spare keys.”
“Oh?”
I nod. “So I can remove the handcuff that’s stuck on my wrist.”
His frown deepens, and his gaze drops to the bag. Without a word he reaches out and grabs my hand, tugging on my wrist. I whimper and his eyes widen.
When he speaks again it’s close to a growl. “Tell me that’s not what I think it is.”
I give him a sheepish shrug, turning to set my back down on my desk. When I turn back he’s trying to glare a hole through me from the intensity of his stare, and I wet my lips before pulling up the sleeve of the coat.
His eyes widen, hands clenching at his sides. “Shit.”
“Yeah.”
“You’re stuck in that thing?”
“Yeah,” I say again, but more quietly this time. That part’s embarrassing enough.
“Fine, sit down.” I don’t need any convincing, falling into the chair at my desk. He paces across the room, grabbing the keys I had to pass when I walked in here, and is back in a matter of seconds before he kneels for me.
He shoves my legs apart before placing himself there. “Emeric-”
“You want me to do a good job with this, Doe Eyes,” he tells me, picking out the key labeled handcuff that’s supposed to work universally. He turns with it and grabs the cuff that’s hanging loose, keeping some of the pressure off of my skin as he sticks it into the lock and turns.
I let out a relieved gasp then cry when the cuff comes undone and falls away. It’s good for a split second before it falls away and starts pulling at the blood that’s stuck between me and it. It all pulls off, but in a couple spots it takes a bit of my skin with it.
Without a word, Emeric drops the cuff in my trash can. Relief rushes through me as I cradle my arm against me, the skin still angry and red.
At least it’s not being choked by that cuff anymore, and I gently rub the torn skin before I hiss.
“Stop touching it,” he says, eyeing me. “Let me clean it.”
I wait as he turns and grabs a bit of gauze and disinfectant, my mind racing as he returns. I didn’t ask him to clean it, or even take the damn thing off. I just wanted the key.
My phone buzzes, and I glance over as Emeric sits down in front of me with his chair. “Friend?”
“Sister.” I tap out a response before I whimper, snapping my head around. He just jumped right into it, getting my wrist clean right away. “She’s in the parking lot.”
“She drove you?” he asks curiously.
“Oh, um, yeah. I wasn’t…feeling…good.”
Emeric stays quiet as he finishes cleaning the wound and applies gauze. I don’t dare break the spell between us, unease settling in my gut.
When he’s finished, he leans in closer instead of away. “Want to tell me what happened?”
I wince. It’s not a surprise he asked, but I don’t think he’s going to buy a lie if I try it. “I put it on myself.”
“Serenity, don’t fucking play with me right now,” he snaps, leaning in to rest his forearms on my legs. It sends a shock through my body that surprises me, and I jolt at the contact. “What happened?”
Lie. Fucking lie. He’s going to be pissed.
But the fearful voice inside my head gets ignored. I tried to handle this on my own and look where it got me. Plus that audio Chad has includes his voice, so maybe he wants to know.
That doesn’t make telling him easier. He’s going to be angry. Rubbing my head where the headache is still bothering me, I drop my gaze. “Chad took me to a sex club.”
There’s a beat of silence, and none of the explosive anger I expected pops up. “And?”
“What do you mean and,” I snap, crossing my arms. He lifts an eyebrow as he watches me. “I went with him to the club. It got a little out of hand. The end.”
Shaking his head, he reaches over and grabs my wrist. It’s the gentlest he’s ever touched me and yet it still hurts. “A little out of hand?”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you bleeding?”
“Why are you,” I counter, lifting my chin. “You did something violent tonight.”
“Yes, that happens when someone hurts my woman,” he snaps, and my heart freezes.
I lick my lips. “Your…. Woman?”
“Yes. I’ve claimed you, little one, and you’re mine until we agree this is over. And he never should’ve been looking at you when you”re all mine.”
“Says who?”
“Says me,” he replies, unruffled. “Now what else happened?”
I shrug, rubbing my eyes. Damn drowsiness keeps popping up at the worst time. “Nothing much. Stop caring.”
He chuckles, but it isn’t a friendly noise. “That’s never going to happen, Serenity.”
I tuck my arm away from him when my phone buzzes again. “Vienna is going to have a fit in the car if I don’t leave.”
He shrugs. “So stay. I’ll drive you home.”
Somehow, that’s the scariest thing of the night. “That’s not a good idea.”
“Why? It’s a car ride, not a new sex club.”
I frown at his jab, wondering why he brought it up.
Then my delayed brain puts together what he said, and my jaw falls open. “Chad.”
“I really don’t like hearing that fucker’s name on your lips, Doe Eyes.”
“No,” I snap, pushing away in the wheeled chair. It works to put about a foot of space between us. “Chad. That’s how you got the busted knuckles.”
“You would be correct.”
“How…” my voice trails off. There’s so many questions screaming in my head right now that I don’t know what to say next. “Why?”
“Come spend the night with me, I’ll tell you.”
I snort. That’s a flip from what he said a moment ago. “I’m not going to your house.”
“Any reason why?”
Gesturing to myself, I can’t help wondering if he’s playing dumb. “Um, hello? I smell like barf and I’ve had a crappy night all because Chad has a damn recording of us. I’m nauseous and tired and cut up. I just want to go home and sleep.”
His head twitches, like he’s playing that detail over in his head a couple times. It takes me a moment to realize that I just mentioned the recording, and I have a feeling he’s going to ask what that means. “So sleep in my bed for one night.”
“Emeric,” I say, trying to put some force behind my voice. My eyes narrow for a moment, wondering why he isn’t asking, and the dread settles in my stomach that maybe he already has an idea of what I’m talking about. If he got into things with Chad…
Am I supposed to believe he saw him at Feel Good or did he pop over here, too? I didn’t even ask how he saw Chad, or how he knows I was hurt. Did that happen before I got out of the club or after?
Maybe the headache is affecting my memory. Surely he told me that. There’s no way he’d know that Chad did something to me tonight unless he’s watching me, and he was here at work.
I wet my lips. “That seems like a big change for us.”
“Well, going to a different club while you’re supposed to be on shift is a big change too,” he snaps back. “Besides, I really want to know what Chad said to make you so paranoid.”
No, he really doesn’t. My phone buzzes again and I sigh, glancing at the newest message.
Vienna: Okay, all of these men are ridiculously hot. Are you sure this place is only for twenty-one and older? I’d love to try to get any one of them.
There’s no time to respond. Her next message comes in when I’m barely finishing the first.
Vienna: They assured me you’ll be okay and Emeric’s going to take care of you. I knew you liked that one. Be safe sis.
I stare at the message for a moment before peering up at him. “Did you call my sister?”
“Me? No.” Emeric shakes his head, crossing his arms over his chest. “I did ask Russell to go out and let her know I’d drive you home. I know she’s seen him before around the hospital. I saw you coming in on the security cameras and texted him.”
Oh god, if Vienna met Russell they could talk about a bunch of things, including what happened tonight.
“You snuck behind my back to talk to her so I’d have to come back home with you?” I’m impressed by how solid my voice sounds. I don’t feel solid inside, though, quite the opposite.
“Well, you’ve done a damn good job tonight picking every unsafe option you can,” Emeric says casually, and it grates on my nerves. “So I did one thing to keep you from making any more choices. You’re coming home with me.”
“You can’t make me.”
He sighs, moving forward until he’s leaning over me. My body betrays me, my core heating up as I stare up at him. “Wrong. But I don’t have to make you. I think you’ll come all on your own.”
I think that might be a sex joke, and it should make me mad. But to be honest I’m exhausted and Emeric is actually one of the few people who makes me feel safe.
So what’s one more bad choice?
Slowly, I nod my head. “Okay.”