Each Master—all of them dressed in black, all powerful, all strong—shook his head. The haunted expressions on their faces indicated the gravity of the situation. Presley felt the weight of it with each slow breath she took.
Dmitri lifted his shoulders and faced the crowd again. “Please gather your things and go home. I’ll be in contact with you as our investigation continues, and I will inform you of any new developments.” His voice warmed slightly. “If you have any concerns, please contact me. I hope you know that I’m here for you.” When he saw nods from the members, he continued, “I promise you I’ll handle this matter with the greatest care possible. It will be dealt with immediately.” Then he narrowed his eyes and, lowering his voice, gave a Dom order: “Please go home.”
It took a moment for the crowd to respond, but soon they dispersed. Presley, however, stood frozen, unable to grasp what this meant for the future. Club Sin was an extension of Dmitri. What would happen to him if the club he’d built to honor Charles was gone?
Presley was jolted out of her reverie when Cora reached for Presley’s hand and exclaimed, “Oh my God! I can’t believe this.”
Presley twined her fingers with Cora’s, squeezing tight in an effort to hold on to some sense of normalcy. “This is awful,” she whispered.
“This could be really, really bad,” Cora said, her blue eyes wide.
An icy shiver sped down Presley’s spine. She knew most members didn’t have to worry. While a few submissives had teaching jobs, many of the others had standard nine-to-five jobs. Of course they wouldn’t want their private lives shared, but Presley suspected the tabloid would focus on the men who stood out in the professional world in Las Vegas.
Dmitri, president of Aces Casino. Aidan, a respected defense attorney. Porter, Vegas’s top private investigator. Kyler, the police chief’s son and a police officer himself. Ella, Cora, and Kenzie would be exposed, too, because they had married those men. Presley suspected she’d be thrown into the mix as well, since she’d been dating Dmitri for almost two years.
Tears filled Presley’s eyes as those scary thoughts and more overwhelmed her. The room had emptied, but she couldn’t find the strength to move. Not because Club Sin had to close for the time being but because of Dmitri’s desolate stare.
I need you. Come close, her heart begged.
He stared right through her, though, his eyes glassy. He was so withdrawn into himself that for the first time ever, he’d become blind to her emotional state and needs. When he turned to leave the dungeon without coming to check on her, Presley’s knees buckled.
“Aidan needs me,” Cora said, dragging Presley’s attention away from her misery and Dmitri’s despair. “I have to go. Will you be okay?”
“Yeah.” No, her mind screamed. She wasn’t okay. Dmitri wasn’t okay.
For the first time since they’d started dating, Presley had the oddest sensation that things between them weren’t okay, either.
Love stories you’ll never forget
By authors you’ll always remember
eOriginal Romance from Random House
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Commanded Page 18
