"Oh mija," Dad murmured and I heard his chair scrape across the floor. A second later, I felt his gentle hand on my shoulder. "You're so much like me, so fiercely and stubbornly independent."
I looked up to see him giving me wan a smile that morphed into a small frown a second later.
"I don't want you to end up alone because of it, like me." He shook his head. "I don't want that for you." He huffed out a breath and knelt next to my chair. "You have so much love to give, niña, and you deserve to be loved too." He wrapped me in a fierce hug.
"But...but what if he doesn't feel the same way I feel about him?" I asked with a frantic edge to my voice as I laid my cheek on his shoulder. "Or..or what if it doesn't work out?"
"What if he does feel the same and you never even give it a chance to find out?" he said gravely. "What if instead of losing yourself, you find your other half instead?"
I tensed at his words as fear spiked inside me, and leaned away to meet his gaze. "But what about all of that stuff in the file?"
"What about it?" he asked. "As far as I can tell, it looks like he's left that all behind in the past, and so should you."
"But-"
"But nothing," he cut in abruptly. "All that file proves is that he was strong enough and brave enough to overcome all that bullshit before it destroyed him. That's a good thing, isn't it?"
"I guess," I answered dubiously.
"You know I'm right, Luisa. And you need to talk to him about how you feel, about how he feels, and about what's going on between the two of you. I know you're brave enough and strong enough to conquer your own fears and give this man a chance, regardless of his past or the risk to your own heart." He hugged me again and kissed the top of my head. "Don't squander this chance. Okay?"
I didn't want to let this chance slip away. I wanted to try. Even as fear and doubt still clawed at me, I wanted nothing more than to be the strong and brave person my father thought I was, so I pushed past it and spoke from my heart.
"Okay."
CHAPTER
THIRTY-TWO
____________________
Lu
Was I looking at the face of a killer right now?
I watched the man, who'd just entered the club, covertly from the low couch that I was currently occupying with Scott, his hard body pressed close with his arm around my shoulders. Scott was also watching the man as he strode through Désir Dangereux toward the bar.
Luke Prescott was gorgeous. He was six feet tall, in his late thirties, and leanly muscular with short-cropped dark hair and a hint of sexy beard stubble on his strikingly handsome tanned face. He carried himself like a Dom with an authoritative confidence that was tempered by a charming and debonair quality that drew the attention of every woman nearby. He didn't seem like a murderer, but I wasn't going to assume anything just by looking at him since he was our only suspect left.
As soon as he took a seat at the bar, he was swarmed by a group of flirty and effusive women, who I assumed were vying to be his submissive for the night. Prescott ate up the attention and seemed to revel in it with a cocky self-assured grin that was sure to get him laid.
"Someone's getting lucky tonight," Scott said in amusement as his lips brushed my ear. His fingers caressed my bare shoulder as his eyes drifted down to my cleavage where it was displayed in my skimpy strapless white cocktail dress. "Several someones," he added in a lascivious tone.
His words would have normally set my libido off, but only filled me with guilt. Most of it was because of the background check that I had yet to tell Scott about, and partly from the fact that I had yet to even attempt to talk to Scott about how I felt about him either. I was terrified of either conversation, and I was letting both Scott and my dad down with my cowardice. Brave and strong my ass, Dad. I felt like a fucking joke.
"Are you okay, babe?" Scott asked as his eyes narrowed in concern.
"I'm fine," I replied, but his eyes said he didn't believe me.
"What's going on Lu?" he asked with a frown. "You've been really quiet tonight."
Shit, now I was put on the spot, but this wasn't the time or place for me to explain, even if I wasn't scared to death to do it.
"Excuse me, sir," came a deep rumbling voice in a familiar lilting British accent.
We both glanced up to see Pete standing in front of us with an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry to disturb you," -he grimaced apologetically- "but there's a problem with the security feeds. They're cutting in and out, and we can't figure out why."
Scott sighed harshly before looking at me. "I gotta take care of this, babe."
"That's okay," I replied as relief swept through me at Pete's interruption, followed by more guilt that I tried to ignore. "Prescott's still holding court by the bar, so I'll just keep watching him."
I gave him a smile that I hoped seemed genuine, but from his slight frown, I was pretty sure that I'd failed. I'd only succeeded in putting off the inevitable. It was only a matter of time before Scott questioned what was going on with me again. The fear spiked once more to flutter around nervously in my belly.
"I'll be back as soon as I can, babe," he said, and leaned close to kiss my cheek. Warmth flooded my chest at his sweet display of affection, and made the fear fade a little. Maybe he did feel something for me, like I did for him. Maybe I could ask him about it. Maybe I'd like his answer.
"Hurry back," I told him with a genuine smile this time.
He nodded with a huge grin and soft eyes, then turned to follow Pete across the club. I watched him head for the door next to the bar that led into the back rooms, and disappear inside. I sighed and turned my attention back to Prescott, who appeared to have chosen his sub for the night. All his attention was now focused on a curvy redhead with enormous tits. The other women looked disappointed and sullen as they slowly moved away.
Prescott rose from his bar stool and escorted the redhead away from the bar with a possessive hand at the small of her back. They began crossing the club, heading straight for the double doors of the public dungeon, and I panicked for a moment. I'd never been in there alone, and I wasn't sure how I felt about going in there without Scott, but it was looking like I didn't have a choice. I steeled myself, then stood and smoothed my dress down before following after Prescott.
Halfway there, a familiar woman suddenly stepped in front of me. I halted in my tracks just before plowing right into Mistress Nadasdy. She towered over me in all her commanding and intimidating glory, dressed in a sleeveless leather shift dress in blood-red and eying me intently.
"I need to speak to you," she said in a serious tone that caught my attention immediately.
It was the first time she'd ever spoken to me or even paid any attention to me beyond a few cursory and dismissive glances. I was too startled by her appearance to do anything but stare up at her in surprised shock. I didn't think she even knew I existed beyond being Scott's submissive.
"Now," she added sharply with a dour expression when I hadn't responded to her words yet.
"Um...okay," I finally managed to reply.
Her eyes narrowed in disapproval. I think it was because she wanted me to call her ma'am, but that wasn't happening. I might be submissive with Scott, and only while we were playing, but I wasn't willing to be with anyone else, let alone call her an honorific she didn't earned. I met her gaze fearlessly with a stubborn expression that let her know that wasn't going to happen.
Her frown deepened and her jaw clenched, but a second later, she huffed out a sigh as her eyes flooded with irritated resignation. Good. I was glad she didn't escalate the situation, because I wasn't going to give in.
"Let's find a quieter spot to talk," she said, then spun on her heel and walked away with her head held high.
Her long legs carried her away quickly, and I practically had to run in my stilettos to keep up with her. I scowled at her back, thinking this was her way of punishing me. Part of me wanted to turn around and leave her hanging, but my curiosity as to why she
wanted to talk to me was too great to ignore. I was sure Prescott would be in the public dungeon for a while anyway, and I'd catch up with him soon enough.
I followed her to the back of the main club room where she approached a small almost secluded seating area that was tucked away in a corner. The dance music was less intrusive this far away from the speakers, so we could have a conversation without yelling at each other to be heard.
Nadasdy lowered herself gracefully onto the low sectional sofa near the corner, and I took the seat diagonal to her so we could face each other more easily. I gave her a questioning expression, calmly waiting for her to get to the point.
She gave me a thoughtful expression as she leaned forward and slowly rubbed her palms together. "It has come to my attention that Vincent approached you outside the club yesterday," she explained.
I widened my eyes in surprise that Vinnie even told her.
"My Vincent keeps nothing from me," she said matter-of-factly. "I apologize for his rude behavior, and I assure you he's already been punished as I saw fit."
Yeah, I bet he was, and the little fucker probably enjoyed it.
"But he also told me some other things that concern me, and by extension, has me concerned about you."
"Me?" I blurted out in surprise. "Why would you be concerned about me?"
Her eyes flashed irritably at my tone, but she merely sighed before speaking again. "Not so much about you, but about your relationship with your master." She leaned forward and steepled her long elegant fingers together, her long blood-red nails capturing my attention for a moment. "My Vincent is a recovering addict and has a checkered past."
Holy shit. I remembered Vinnie telling me how alike he and Scott were, and now I knew it was true. A sinking feeling fell open in the pit of my stomach as she continued.
"He's doing better now under my care, but when we met he was an out of control mess. If I hadn't stepped in to manage his addiction, I'm sure he'd have died by now since it was only a matter of time before an overdose or his own reckless behavior finally ended his life."
Fuck, that made him sound even more like Scott.
"I'm aware of the animosity Vincent holds toward Scott, and by extension his fixation on you, but until yesterday I didn't know why. He told me last night that Scott was the one who introduced him to the drugs and depraved lifestyle that hijacked his life and nearly ended it on multiple occasions, including an overdose Scott witnessed, but did nothing to help him. It was one of their multiple and shared sexual conquests that night who called 911 and saved Vincent's life, not his supposed friend."
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, feeling the first inklings of panic hit me because I knew I wasn't going to like the answer. What kind of person did that to a friend? If it was true, then no wonder Vinnie hated Scott so much.
"It's one thing for a submissive to be a recovering addict. It's quite another for a Dominant to be one, especially one that may very well be a sex addict too. From what Vincent has told me, their reckless behavior was just as often of a sexual nature as much as the drugs, especially for Scott. Considering I asked around and found out that he hasn't set foot in this club for years until he began bringing you here, I can't help wondering if he hasn't relapsed into a sexual addiction."
What? Scott never mentioned the fact that he hadn't been here in years. No, the sex addict thing couldn't be true. Who did this woman think she was? I shook my head in denial as anger began to bubble up inside me.
"I'm sure you're wondering who the hell I am to say these things to you, but I do it because I feel I have an obligation to warn you as a psychiatrist. I've seen this kind of behavior before, and I fear that as a Dom, your master is in a position of power that could easily be abused and cause harm to you. I couldn't in good conscience not tell you my suspicions."
She was a psychiatrist, and she thought Scott might be a sex addict? I instantly thought about the public indecency charges on his criminal record for having sex in public, and the pit in my stomach began turning into a huge gaping black maw. What she suggested was suddenly beginning to ring with truth.
"How...how do you know Vinnie isn't lying?" I asked in soft desperation, grasping for anything to prove that she was wrong. "Addicts lie all the time," I added, then realized I was hammering the final nail in the coffin that held my now fracturing heart, because Scott was an addict too. Was he the liar here? Had everything between us been a lie?
"He may very well be, and if that's true, then I'll make sure his punishment is severe, but what if he didn't?" Nadasdy asked with a disapproving frown. "After all, he's not the only recovering addict in this scenario, is he?" she added, unerringly voicing my very thoughts from mere seconds ago.
I gaped at her, unable to form words as my heart ached in my chest at the thought that I'd fallen for some kind of sick monster who was using me. A moment later, she rose to her feet and began to walk away.
"Wait!" I blurted out as I lunged forward and grabbed her wrist to pull her to a stop.
She glanced down to where I was touching her for a beat then met my eyes with a hard meaningful glare. I instantly jerked my hand back.
"I don't know what to believe," I told her in a plaintive tone that shamed me with its weakness. I stared up at her in desperation. "I...I don't know what to do."
"I can't help you with that," she said in a stern and clearly dismissive tone. "I've told you what I know and what I suspect. What you decide to do with the information is up to you." She turned and strode away without a backwards glance.
I stared after her, feeling lost, terrified, and without a clue what to do next. The tiny cracks that had already formed in my vulnerable and fragile heart began to splinter further apart, and I knew it wouldn't take much more to shatter it completely.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE
____________________
Scott
"This makes no sense, Pete," I said in bewilderment as I stepped away from the computer I'd been looking at. "Everything appears to be in working order. The cameras just keep randomly freezing, and not all at the same time or in the same areas either. It's weird."
"Aye," Pete agreed with a nod as he stood next to me looking at the large bank of monitors in the club's control room. "It's happened a bunch of times over the last few months, but it's never for long, and it always resolves itself. We can't figure out what's causing it either."
At the moment, several of the feeds from the main club room were frozen, but everything else was working just fine. I'd set up the wireless surveillance system myself several years ago, and it had worked flawlessly up until this problem cropped up. Frankly, I was annoyed that no one had mentioned to me before now. I scowled in irritation.
"I informed Mr. Rennen about it," Pete said as if reading my mind.
I nodded in reply. Calder must have forgotten to tell me. It wasn't like him to do that, but he'd been understandably preoccupied with his new bride and Violet's lengthy adoption process for the last few months.
Suddenly, the frozen monitors started working again.
"There they go," Pete growled out.
"Well," I said in frustrated resignation, "all I can suggest is to reboot the system completely after you close tonight, and I'll come in and take a closer look at everything tomorrow." Fuck, it was going to take hours to check all the cameras, but what choice did I have.
"Thanks," Pete said in a relieved tone. "Sorry to pull you away from your woman."
My woman. I frowned. Last night, I really liked the sound of that, but now I wasn't so sure Lu was my anything. She'd been so quiet when she left my penthouse this morning. She'd been the same tonight since I picked her up, but also preoccupied and then evasive when I finally worked up the guts to ask her if she was okay. Something was bothering her, and for some reason that I couldn't fathom, I feared it was my fault. Maybe she sensed I had deeper feelings for her, but she didn't. I didn't like that thought one damn bit, and it made my stomach clench and swirl with unease
. Fuck, I hoped I was wrong, and it was just her trying to wrap her head around our changing relationship. I didn't want to consider any other possibility, but not knowing either way was killing me. I needed to get to the bottom of this, even if I ended up not liking what I found out.
"No worries," I told Pete as I slapped a hand on his massive shoulder, then turned to leave the control room. "I'll probably be in around noon tomorrow." I didn't want to come in early since I was hoping Lu would spend the night with me again. Maybe this time we could spend the morning together in bed. Maybe it was wishful thinking since she was acting so odd tonight.
"Enjoy your evening, mate," he called after me as I walked out the door. God, I hoped so.
I made my way back out to the main room and walked past the bar, scanning the room for Lu. I didn't see her anywhere, or Prescott for that matter. I was really doubting if he was our guy. The man didn't seem like a killer from his background and from what I'd observed. I didn't know what Lu was going to do if this whole undercover operation was a bust, but she'd definitely be devastated about it. Maybe that was part of the reason she wasn't acting like herself tonight. I decided to circle the large main room to see if I could find her, and pushed my way through the crowd with a distinct feeling of dread weighing me down.
I didn't find Lu until I'd reached the back of the room. She was sitting all alone in a small seating area in the corner. She looked shell-shocked, hunched over with a lost and confused expression, and it made my heart ache worriedly for her. It made me want to pummel whoever did that to her too. I immediately rushed over to squat in front of her.
"Lu?" I asked as I reached up to touch her face, and she flinched. She fucking flinched away from me. What the? I pulled my hand back and frowned as she gave me a wary expression. The obvious distrust in her eyes made no sense and fucking hurt. "What's wrong?" I asked even though part of me didn't want to know.
Tempting Calm Waters_A Blood Brothers Standalone_Book 2 Page 27
