by J. D. Chase
“The next minute, she was dancing with this burlesque dancer and began removing her clothes. I don’t know what came over her. Then Christie, the drag queen, lifted her up on the swing and I can’t get her down. You’ve got to help me, Issy.”
I smiled and put my arm around him. “But look at her, Chad. Look how happy she is. She’s not hurting herself or anyone else. Just relax. If she starts removing her panties, I’ll help you—although I can assure you that nobody in here will bat an eyelid. You’ve seen what goes on. In here, you can be yourself and lose your inhibitions. That’s all she’s doing. Let her be. She won’t come to any harm.”
He turned to me, his face conveying his disbelief. “Come on,” I said, tugging his arm. “You look like you need a drink.”
I took him over the bar and got us both a beer. When I tried to pay, the barman waved my hand away saying that Mr. Hunter would take care of it. We took our drinks over to Scott, who looked very uncomfortable when I sat down next to him. I didn’t really want to discuss Lucas and Ava and how Scott had gotten it wrong in front of Chad so I did my usual trick of talking about the imminent tour. I knew it was a safe topic of conversation and guaranteed to get the guys’ attention. They were so keen to get on the road, and with just one rehearsal at Lucas’ bar later that night, it was within touching distance.
We were talking animatedly about the band they were supporting and the venues they would visit when I saw Lucas and the Hulk advancing towards us. Lucas’ expression was murderous and for some reason my mouth dried up instantly. But then Scott noticed him and, even in the dim light, I could see the color drain out of his face. I wondered fleetingly whether Lucas had worked out it was Scott who’d put the idea in my head about him cheating on me with Ava. I silently prayed that there wouldn’t be any trouble and we could all go somewhere private to discuss it.
Then I noticed that the Hulk had left Lucas’ side and had gone over to the small crowd watching Angel. I saw him say something and they all hastily got up and made their way to the exit. Perplexed, I looked back to Lucas who’d almost reached us. I almost recoiled when I saw his face up close. His rage was barely contained. Those black eyes were boring into Scott’s as he demanded that Chad take me and Angel home. Before Chad could move, I turned to him and told him to take Angel but I was going nowhere.
I felt Lucas’ glare before I saw it. I turned to face him, determined that I was not going anywhere and about to tell him so but I heard Angel shriek. I whipped my head around to see the Hulk lifting her off the swing. Chad shot to his feet in indignation but then seemed to reconsider taking on such a massive adversary. Instead, he trotted over to where Angel had discarded her clothes and picked them up. Seeing the giant set her down, Chad then hastily ran to her and gave them to her. She quickly pulled the black dress over her head and shoved her feet into her pumps before marching over to me, eyebrows raised questioningly.
I looked from her to Lucas, who was still pinning a motionless Scott to his seat with that murderous glare. Chad joined her, followed by the Hulk. Nobody spoke for what seemed an age. Eventually, I said, “Chad, take Angel home please.”
“I’m not leaving until I know what the hell’s going on,” she said, indignantly.
“Angel, please. Just go. I’ll explain later,” I replied.
She looked torn as she tried to decide whether to obey. My wide eyes and insistent, and my pleading expression must’ve convinced her. “Come on, Chad,” she said, her eyes not leaving mine. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Issy. I’ll see you at home later.”
I nodded but Chad muttered, “We can’t go. We came by cab.”
Angel turned to the giant behind her and politely asked him to call them a cab. He didn’t move a muscle until I saw Lucas nod his head slightly. He motioned for them to walk in front of him towards the exit. Angel gave me one last questioning look over her shoulder and I nodded. She walked through the door into the reception area, closely followed by the Hulk.
For a couple of minutes, nobody spoke. The tension was becoming unbearable. I looked around and realized we were totally alone in the huge room. Even the barman had gone. I wondered why the palms of my hands were damp, why my throat was dry, and why my stomach was lurching yet my feet felt immobile. Then I mentally berated myself for thinking of trivial things when I should be more concerned with Lucas being so mad at Scott. Surely Scott telling me he thought Lucas was cheating on me with Ava wasn’t enough to make Lucas so angry. And I couldn’t understand why the Hulk had cleared the place or where Ava had gone. If she was the manager, surely she should have been keeping an eye on the proceedings.
I sneaked a look at him and could almost feel his silent rage radiating from him. I knew it was barely controlled and I think Scott knew it too because he was looking down at the floor and keeping very still, presumably to avoid engaging or antagonizing Lucas. I began to feel very uncomfortable. I should have trusted Lucas more and not listened to Scott. Just as I shouldn’t have listened to Joel, although I doubted that Scott was being malicious as Joel had been. I genuinely thought that Scott had seen Ava and Lucas being so close and had assumed the worst. Hell, even I’d thought the same when I saw them. But I knew that Lucas believed Scott was jealous of him and our relationship so I didn’t think Lucas would believe Scott to be totally innocent. Either way, I reasoned I was at the center of it so I should help to smooth things over.
“Lucas,” I whispered, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “Could I have a private word with you please?”
I waited but he seemed not to hear. I tried again, speaking a little louder but he ignored me or was too angry to respond.
I stood up and I saw his eyes flick in my direction before settling once more on Scott.
“Lucas, please,” I begged as I tried to force my unsteady feet to walk in his direction. “I can see you’re angry but Scott didn’t mean anything. It was an honest mistake, I’m certain of that.”
Abruptly, his head turned and that stare, so full of loathing, almost made me recoil in fear. His mouth sneered contemptuously before he looked back at Scott. My heart sank but I couldn’t give in. I closed the small space between us and tried to hold his hand but he shook me off without a second thought.
“Lucas, this is stupid. I know you’re pissed with me for overreacting and not giving you chance to explain but now you’re doing exactly that to me. Listen to me, I know Scott, and I know he didn’t mean anything by it. Give me a chance to explain properly, please. There’s no need for this. What are you going to do? Trade insults? Start fighting like school kids?”
Lucas turned to me and said in a voice that made my blood run cold, “No, Issy. I’m going to break his fucking neck.”
I gasped and grabbed Lucas’ arms and was about to hold him and plead for him to calm down when a thud sounded nearby. We both whipped our heads around to see that Scott had jumped over the back of his seat and was running for all he was worth towards the exit. I heard a low growl and then Lucas was off in pursuit. Oh fuck!
Chapter Eight
I cursed my heeled boots as I tried to run after them. Scott had slipped through the door to reception and Lucas had almost reached it when I was only halfway across the room. I finally reached the door and almost howled in frustration when I realized I didn’t have a key card to open it. I banged my fists on it and yelled but I knew it was a thick, solid steel door and nobody was likely to hear me. I paced up and down but nobody came. Eventually, I walked over to the bar, grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels and poured it down my throat until it burned and I coughed and spluttered.
“I hope you’ve paid for that,” a voice said suddenly. It was the kind of husky voice that could be sexily seductive and I’m sure I heard a trace of an Italian accent but it held a disdainful edge when it spoke to me. I didn’t turn around; I just knew I wouldn’t like whoever it belonged to and that they wouldn’t like me.
“That’s a little tricky when the barman appears to have deserted his post,” I
muttered.
“So you just help yourself? That figures,” said the voice scornfully, and I instantly knew who it belonged to . . . Ava. And she was jealous of my relationship with Lucas, of that I would bet good money.
I plastered a huge smile on my face and turned to face her. “Ah, you must be Ava. I’m Issy Prince, Lucas Hunter’s significant other. How delightful to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Her usually breathtakingly beautiful face was contorted as her eyes and lips narrowed. Bingo! She’s definitely jealous. I couldn’t understand why, she and Lucas were ancient history because he couldn’t give her what she wanted . . . but she still wanted him.
“Yes, I’m Ava and I’m the manager of this club. I’m afraid that it is a members only club so I’m going to have to ask you to leave the premises immediately.” She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Nothing would give me greater pleasure but I can’t open the security door,” I said, returning her fake smile.
“Well, let me assist you with that,” she replied, waving a key card in front of my face.
“Oh thank you, I don’t enjoy being held captive,” I said drily and then, for pure devilment, I added, “Except when Lucas restrains me to inflict all manner of pleasure and pain on my poor body, of course.”
Her eyes narrowed again and her jaw muscles worked furiously. I’d bet anything that she was resisting the urge to slap me. Abruptly, she turned on her six-inch heel and spat over her shoulder, “I think you should leave.”
“With pleasure,” I muttered as I followed her to the door.
As we reached the exit, she waved her key card across the wall-mounted panel and the door clicked open. Immediately, Lucas’ angry voice reached my ears and I rudely pushed Ava out of the way to see what was happening. I’d been distracted by her and now my thoughts were once again on Lucas and Scott.
I pushed the door and hurried into the inner reception lobby. The scene that met my eyes was beyond belief. Lucas had the Hulk up against a wall, pinning him with one hand around his throat, as he called him every name under the sun, berating him for allowing Scott to escape. Two other guys wearing black shirts and pants were standing motionless nearby, clearly trying to be invisible, presumably to avoid Lucas turning his attention on to them. I assumed they’d probably already received the sharp end of his tongue and were unwilling to experience it again.
I still couldn’t understand why he was so angry about Scott telling me about him and Ava—it was a ridiculous overreaction in my opinion. I decided I’d wait for Lucas to notice me, rather than risk upsetting him even more. He virtually had his back to me so I slid sideways a little, keeping my back against the wall. I could feel my heart thumping in my chest. Something told me he wouldn’t be pleased that I was witnessing his outburst.
I looked across at Ava, who was still standing in the open doorway. Her face was white and her eyes conveyed her fear. I wondered if she’d seen Lucas’ temper before and whether that was why she looked so scared. It made me question just what he was capable of in that state. Just as I started to look away, I saw her slowly and quietly tiptoe backwards into the club until the door closed with barely a sound. I couldn’t blame her for wanting to keep out of the way. Much as I wanted to know what exactly was going on, I also wished I was still inside the club with my friend, Jack Daniels, to keep me company.
I became aware that Lucas had stopped ranting and the room was totally silent. I looked over and saw that he’d let go of the giant’s throat but hadn’t moved away. I was glad that I couldn’t see his face; I’d seen it contorted with rage and it was enough to make the bravest man’s knees tremble. A beep sounded and I thought for a moment that Ava was back but it was the door to the outer reception that opened, and a very harassed Carter walked into the room. He looked to Lucas and simply shook his head. I saw Lucas clench his hands into fists at his sides. Then he turned, running his hand through his hair, a gesture I knew was born of frustration.
His eyes locked with mine for a second before he abruptly turned to Carter and barked at him to get every member of his team out searching. Then he turned to the Hulk and ordered him to make himself useful and go with Carter. The Hulk muttered something about the club and Lucas shouted that it was closed then demanded to know what they were all waiting for. They quickly filed out, leaving us alone. Lucas remained standing with his back to me for what seemed an age. I could see the tension in his frame and wanted to walk over and wrap my arms around him in an effort to relax him, but it was too much of a risk.
I saw his head fall forwards a little and heard him sigh deeply before he said, “I’ll take you home.”
I couldn’t read anything into his tone; it was pretty expressionless. “It’s okay, I can see you have a lot going on so I’ll call a cab.” My voice was tiny and he immediately turned around, his face the image of concern as he walked towards me.
“Oh Issy, please don’t be scared. I’m sorry you had to see that. I didn’t know you were there, honestly. I’m not angry with you, just that lowlife,” he muttered as he folded me into his arms.
I sank into him gratefully and resisted the inexplicable urge to burst into tears. I think it may have been relief that he wasn’t angry with me too, although he had every reason to be after I’d misjudged him again. Or it could have been sheer relief that the horrid situation had passed. I’d never seen him like that before and frankly, I never wished to again. It was pretty awful to witness but to be on the receiving end must be terrifying. I still couldn’t believe that a man so huge and obviously able to take care of himself would stand there and just take Lucas’ onslaught without batting an eyelid, never mind retaliating.
It occurred to me then that Lucas had just declared the club was closed and he’d ordered its staff to do his bidding. Several questions ran through my mind. Just what power does Lucas wield at this club and why? Is his connection to Ava that strong? It couldn’t be easy for a woman to run a club on her own, especially a BDSM club. Perhaps he helped her out occasionally with security issues at Odyssey, loaning her his security staff from the Orion Building. Something flared in the back of my mind but try as I might, I couldn’t grasp it. It was annoying, like trying to remember the name of something and failing.
Lucas squeezed me a little tighter for a moment then released me. “Let’s get you home,” he whispered. “I just need to let Ava know what’s going on. I’ll only be a moment.” He smiled before waving his key card over the wall panel and heading back into the club. I thought I’d wait until we were home before I asked him to fill me in on exactly what was going on. Then it occurred to me that he might take me back to Angel’s apartment because he might not want me at his now. I knew I deserved it after misjudging and mistrusting him yet again.
A few minutes later, I heard the beep of the door release and a very irritated looking Lucas emerged. “I can’t find Ava. She wasn’t in her office and, when I checked, her car’s gone from the car park. I’ve tried calling her but her cell’s switched off. I haven’t told her I’ve closed the club for the day so she should be here. It’s very unlike her.”
I almost shivered when I recalled her pasty, scared face as she silently withdrew from the room earlier. But I didn’t want to point out that it might be because she was frightened after his outburst. “She’s probably running an errand or something, or perhaps she’s grabbing something to eat. I’m sure she’ll be back soon,” I said, sounding more confident than I felt.
He ran his fingers through his rock star mane and sighed with annoyance. “Maybe. My gut tells me that something’s wrong. And now I’ve sent the security team off to track down your friend and I don’t have the keys and codes to lock this place up properly.”
I almost winced at the sneering way he pronounced the words ‘your friend’. I decided to ignore it but I needed to know why he had so much power over the club’s security detail. “Lucas, I don’t understand. I know that this must be the club that you used to frequent when you wer
e . . . well, when you were in a relationship with Ava, but you told me that you haven’t visited a BDSM club in years.”
“That’s true,” he interjected. “Until recently, I hadn’t.”
“So when and why did you begin to frequent the place again? And how are you able to bollock the staff and order them around?”
He cocked his head to one side. “You know why. That reminds me, I meant to ask you how you found out. Not that I was deliberately withholding it. Well, I guess I was but . . .”
“Lucas, I have no idea what you are talking about. Seriously. What are you deliberately withholding?” I cried, my irritation building.
He frowned and then I saw comprehension dawn and his face relaxed. “I’ve just remembered . . . when we talked earlier, it appears we both had our wires crossed. Come on, let’s have a comfortable seat and perhaps a drink or two whilst I explain.”
I still had no clue what he was referring to and I could feel a headache building in the front of my head, probably from all the drama and tension. A drink or two sounded good. “Perhaps you’ll be kind enough to explain exactly what’s going on with Scott too. And what, pray tell, are you going to do with him when he’s found?” Despite Lucas’ sarcasm, Scott was my friend and I was growing increasingly concerned for his safety.
“Come,” he said, firmly. “It’ll all become clear.” He held up his key card to release the door and I followed him over to the bar.
“Where’s the barman?” I asked.
Lucas shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. The car park’s empty except for my car. Maybe he’s done a runner too, though God only knows why.”
