Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
“I think Gabe is one of the problems.” He hated causing trouble when it wasn’t necessary. Drama tended to be a thing he avoided, but this was wrong. He’d seen how hurt Dee had been. “He was one of two tops I saw make her uncomfortable.”
Aidan stopped as though the thought didn’t quite make sense. “You’re telling me you saw Gabriel Lodge abuse a sub?”
He was stepping in it now, but he had to speak up. “Well, he wasn’t physical with her. I’m not saying he hit her or wouldn’t honor her safe word. They were on the dungeon floor. I was watching from the lounge, but I know whatever he said hurt her feelings. And when we went up to the privacy rooms, there was some weird interaction with the monitor. Like he wasn’t going to let her go back or something. I couldn’t hear everything she said to him, but it felt like she had to force him to let us go back. Again, I feel like whatever he was doing hurt her.”
Carys put a hand to her forehead like she had a headache. “Or maybe it was a misunderstanding.”
“What kind of misunderstanding could there be?” Aidan was scrolling through his contacts. “I assure you Gabe knows how to communicate, and I know who was working the desk last night. Hunter is about to get a hearty fucking lecture.”
“Please don’t call him,” Carys said, the tight set of her jaw proving she wished she wasn’t having this conversation.
A suspicious brow rose over Aidan’s eyes. “Why wouldn’t I, baby?” His voice had gone Dom deep. “Are you trying to tell me my friend is lying?”
Damn. When Aidan wanted to top a girl, he knew how to do it. Nate felt a little bad for Carys. “I’m not lying.”
Carys took a long breath and turned Nate’s way. “No, but you also don’t understand what’s going on. I do know the sub, and she’s got a reputation.” She shook her head. “Not one she’s earned.”
“She was being slut shamed?” It was enough to make him see red, but he was going to hold it together because he was so close to finding out her name.
He would go to Dee and ask her why she’d left. He would ask if he could hold her. He would prove to her he wasn’t like those other blokes, and they wouldn’t step foot in The Hideout again. Even if it cut him off from his only friend.
“No,” Carys said quickly. “It’s not like that. Look, I can’t say who it is. I can only tell you from what I understand every Dom there tries to watch out for her.”
“Watch out for who?” a sweet voice said from the kitchen. “Did someone already make toast?”
Aidan sat straight up at the sound. He leaned over, his voice going low. “That’s my sister. We’ll talk about this later. I promise I’ll get Carys to tell me what’s happening, but not around Daisy. If Daisy finds out some sub is in trouble, she’ll decide to intervene and then the club will burn down.”
“I’ll help you, Daisy.” Carys stood very quickly.
“She means well, but… She can be a lot,” Aidan whispered.
Then Daisy O’Donnell was standing there looking adorably sexy in a pencil skirt and flouncy top. She was not the awkward girl he’d known years before. She’d bloomed.
And she was also Dee.
“It’s okay. I think I’ll get breakfast at the office. Aunt Charlotte always has something in the break room,” she said, and then seemed to realize he was there. Her eyes flared with recognition, and he watched as her breath hitched and for a mere moment there was longing in her eyes. Then her expression cleared, and she obviously chose her path. “Hello. You must be Nathan. It’s nice to see you again.”
It was odd. There was anger simmering below his surface, but there was also something else. Excitement. An edge of danger.
Damn. He kind of felt alive. He wanted to see how far the little liar was going to take it. “You, too, Dais. Although I will admit, it feels like yesterday.”
“Oh, shit,” Carys said under her breath.
“Really? It feels like forever to me,” Daisy said with a smile. “So you’re working at MT now?”
Aidan seemed happy he wasn’t pushing it. “He is, but he’s going to be on a different floor. Hey, since you’re going to the same place, do you mind driving her in? It would save Carys and I twenty minutes.”
Daisy’s eyes went super wide. Like he’d only seen those eyes on Pokémon before. “Oh, I wouldn’t want to bother him.”
“Of course.” He would love to get her alone. “We’re going to the same place.”
She just didn’t know the place they were going was right back to bed. Or a desktop. Or a broom closet. He was flexible.