“Where are you off to?” I asked, dressing myself as well.
“The club. Let’s go.” He finished pulling on his boots as I threw the shirt over my chest.
“Why are we going there now? Isn’t it a little late?”
“Nope. I need to talk to my business partners anyway.” He walked out of the bedroom, and I finished pulling on my jeans and shoes. Grabbing a sweatshirt, I joined him in the kitchen.
“Alright, ready to go.”
He nodded and we walked out of the door.
About twenty minutes later, we were walking through the back entrance of what I assumed was Devoured. I could hear the music blaring up front, and as we entered a door off the back entrance, I realized I felt out of place. The last time I’d been in a club, for non-business related matters, was with Devlin. Granted, I worked at one for Ashworth, but this was different.
In the office, Devlin sat behind a desk and typed onto the keyboard. I sat on the couch that was perpendicular to where he was sitting. A few minutes passed, and two men walked into the office.
“Devlin, good to see you back,” the first tall man said. Both men were dressed in black pants, black Devoured shirts, and each had a gold band on their arms.
“Thanks, Luc.” Devlin stood and walked in front of the desk. The two men looked at each other and then at me, before landing on Devlin.
“Marcus, I think you remember Aiden?” Devlin said as he crossed his arms.
Marcus looked at me and then extended his hand. “I do. Nice to see you again.”
“You, too.” I mumbled, standing up to shake his hand.
“Lucas, this is Aiden. Aiden, Lucas.” Devlin pointed to the first man that had spoken. So these were his business partners.
Lucas cleared his throat and extended his hand. “Welcome.”
“Thank you,” I offered back.
Devlin moved, and Marcus and Lucas turned to him. “So, the situation is a little more complicated than I had originally thought, and I had to bring him back here. I am going to have to fly back to London on Monday, and I need him to be watched.”
He was crushing me. His voice was full of disdain and coldness.
“What do you have in mind?” Lucas asked.
“Have him help Marcus out around the club during the day, work the bar on the weekends. I would have him help me out, but don’t want to draw attention to him. I’m not sure how far Ashworth’s reach actually is. One of my contacts already informed me that Ashworth has realized he is missing, and that I might be linked to it.” Devlin’s hand ran threw his hair. What the fuck?
“How is that even possible? You used an alias, and you weren’t in London more than two days.” Marcus sat in a chair behind what I assumed was his desk.
“The night the shit kind of hit the fan at the club…apparently his men were able to grab a photo of me um…” His voice trailed off.
“You what?” Lucas demanded.
“Well, I kind of was restrained to a cross while Kelsey played. Then, with the whole debacle of them knowing Aiden was at the club and coming after us in the dungeon - somewhere along the lines they figured out I was a part of it.” Devlin hung his head as Lucas took a seat as well.
“Fuck.” Marcus was twisting in his chair. It was about what I was thinking now too. How the hell were we not careful?
Lucas sat forward, hands crossing in front of him. “So, what now? Is that why you’ve been hiding for two weeks?”
“Part of the reason. I assume Ashworth has contacts over here. I just found this all out a few hours ago. The only way to solve any of this is to go back and deal with him.”
“You can’t. He’ll kill you on sight.” Marcus stopped twirling and sat up. “You’ve risked too much already. You can’t go back again. We can figure something out. Sloane and Mac can help.” Marcus was fidgeting with a pen, and I was completely lost.
“Excuse me? Um, what the hell are we talking about? What do you mean, Ashworth will have Devlin killed on sight?” I stood up, demanding to know what I was missing.
“Nothing. None of your business.” Devlin’s voice was curt, dismissing. “Sit down.”
“Fuck that. Tell me what is going on. It obviously isn’t just about me anymore.” I looked at the three faces, and settled in on Devlin’s. “Please, I know you risked coming back, but tell me what is going on.”
“Now is not the time.” Devlin’s face was stone cold, hard. The emotion that was there at the condo was not present anymore.
“Now is the perfect time,” I said, standing my ground.
“Conversation is over. I said it is not the time.” Devlin turned away from me and back to Marcus. “I’ve kept my distance from her. I saw her tonight on the monitors; she’s a wreck.”
“Emma mentioned something about it.”
“I need you to tell her, at least what you can.” Devlin looked at Marcus and Marcus nodded.
“So some mysterious chick can know and I can’t?” I was starting to lose patience. Devlin’s head snapped in my direction.
“You are half the reason I am in this situation. I will tell you when I feel ready to tell you. Understand?”
“Fuck you.” I understood, I did. Fuck him if he thought I would let him try and control me again.
“No, fuck you, Aiden.” Devlin turned back to Marcus and Lucas.
“You already did.” The comment slipped out in my haste of anger. Before I knew it, Devlin’s body was up against mine.
“Do you need to be reminded who is in charge? Shall I show you?” The three inches he had on me seemed like a foot. I started up at him.
“NO.”
“Good. Sit down and shut up.” He waited until I sat back on the couch. Fuck, I just completely backed down like a little pussy, in front of his business partners. Turning back to the other two again, Devlin continued his conversation.
“As I was saying, I have Kieran looking into something, and Ty assures me that Ashworth is still in London. But if he honestly figured out where I’ve ended up, and trust me, he has the resources - it puts everyone in danger, including Ally. He will use her to get to me.”
“What are you thinking?” Lucas asked this time.
“I don’t know. I’ll have someone watch Ally, Aiden can stay here during the day with Marcus, and I can have Seth guard him anytime Marcus is unavailable. The sooner I face this shit the better.” Devlin hunched over his desk. I could see the tenseness in his body. Tenseness I had caused.
“Maybe it is better if you explain things to Ally, Dev.” Marcus offered.
“She isn’t even talking to me at the moment.”
“She’s here tonight. Came in a little while ago.” I thought Devlin’s head was going to fall off with the intensity that he whipped around.
“What? She was just at Desire.” Devlin looked at Lucas, and then back at Marcus.
“She came over for the rope demo. She’s out front with Emma.”
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I’m not sure I know what to say to her. She’s barely speaking to me.” Devlin looked at Marcus.
“Start by telling her the truth,” I offered up. Devlin turned to look at me. “You could start by telling all of us the truth.”
“I told you to shut up. Be wise, man.”
“Devlin.” Marcus’ curt tone snapped his head back to them. “Why don’t you go home? Take him with you. I will handle Ally. When are you thinking of leaving?”
“Early next week. I’m just waiting on a few pieces of information.”
I watched as Marcus nodded. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Devlin nodded back and turned to me. “Let’s go.”
I stood and followed him out the door to the Tahoe. We climbed in and drove back to the condo in silence. It was close to midnight now, and I was exhausted from the events of the night. I headed to the guest room once we got back, stripped, and got into bed. I didn’t know what was going on with him and this Ally chick, but she obviously meant a lot to him. I could see it in his eyes,
the way his body tensed at the thought of her being in harm. The way he’d looked at me a little while ago. Maybe there was still some hope left. I just needed to get on board
.
I was still chatting with Emma in the main area of the dungeon floor when Marcus came out from the back. Lucas followed. Marcus sat next to Emma and looked at me. “Ally, do you have time to talk before you leave?”
“Yeah, sure Marc, but what’s it about?” I asked as a knot formed in my stomach.
His hand rubbed Emma’s thigh. “Devlin.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about him yet. Sorry, Marcus.” I looked away, but Lucas drew my attention back.
“It’s imperative that you do, whether you want to or not.” Lucas’ voice was stern, as it usually was while he was in “Dom” mode.
“Okay, but now you two are scaring me. Can we talk now?” I asked, looking at Emma and Chloe and then back to the boys. What the fuck could be going on?
“In a little while.” Marcus said as he nodded to another Dom on the floor.
“No, how about now. You are scaring the shit out of me. I haven’t heard from or seen Devlin in almost two weeks, except for a couple of texts tonight. He could be anywhere in the world, watching the cameras at the clubs. Obviously, he isn’t hurt, but if you know something, then you should tell me.” My voice was shaky at best. As much as I tried to convince myself that I didn’t care about him - that I could move on. I was only lying to myself. The last two weeks had been torture. I missed his voice, his touch. I missed him.
“I will tell you some of it, anyway. Most of it he needs to tell you.” Marcus linked fingers with Emma as they sat on the couch. The traditional D/s relationship between them seemed to be a little relaxed tonight. Marcus and Lucas seemed on edge, although they were really good at hiding it. They should be, they were Master Doms at Devoured - masters at other things, too, from what I heard.
“Then tell me, Marcus. Please, Sir.” I don’t know why I felt the need to add the Sir; hell, Marcus was going to be my brother-in-law, yet it just seemed to fit.
“Alright.” Marcus looked at Lucas and then at me. “Let’s go into the office. Ladies, you can come as well.”
All of us looked at one another, and followed Marcus to the back office. I sat on the couch, Emma and Chloe on either side of me. Lucas sat in his chair behind his desk, and Marcus stood in front of his desk.
“Oh fuck, where to begin.” Marcus ran his hand through his hair, a common thing for all the men to do, I noticed. “Devin is state side. He was actually here a little while ago.”
I couldn’t breath. The air was sucked from my lungs. “What?”
“I didn’t tell him you were here. But he came to talk to Lucas and I because he has to go back to London this week, and it isn’t for any good reasons.”
“I don’t understand. What do you mean, Marcus?” I asked, clutching my sister’s hand in some feeble attempt to not break down. Tears were threatening me. “He texted me tonight. You mean he was here when he did?”
“No, he was probably home. Anyway, listen. The shit he has to deal with reaches pretty far back into his past, and we think you might be in danger.” He was now kneeling in front of me. My mind couldn’t grasp a coherent thought.
“What do you mean, in danger? What does that mean?” I asked, gripping Emma tighter now. We had gone through so much shit in the last eight months or so. I didn’t want to hear there was more.
“Listen, that is for him to tell you.”
“Fuck you, Marcus. You can’t tell me that I’m in danger and then not tell me why!” The tears were falling from the corners of my eyes now.
“Ally, please don’t yell at him,” Emma said.
“No, she has a point, Em,” Marcus said to her before turning his attention back to me. “Listen, Ally, it is really his story to tell, not ours. But the reason he went back was that someone from his past needed help. Unfortunately, it extends much deeper than that.”
“You really are being vague.” I looked at Marcus, and his eyes darted away from mine.
“I know, Ally. I know. Devlin needs to tell you, put the pieces together for you. In the mean time, Seth will be escorting you home, and will be staying with you. Devlin is expecting you tomorrow at the condo. At least give him a chance to explain himself.”
“The reason I walked away was because he can’t tell me anything. Won’t tell me. Too many secrets, too much,” I said between sobs.
“Well, it’s about time that he tells you. He needs to tell you in order for us to keep you safe,” Lucas added from across the room. The only words he had spoken since we’d all convened in the room.
“How much do you know?” I asked looking at both of them.
“We know enough.” Lucas’ vague response hit a nerve in me.
“Enough that you can’t tell me? I want Seth to take me to the condo now,” I demanded.
“I’m not sure that is a good idea,” Marcus responded.
“Fuck you. It’s my life that is in danger, and I want to know why. Now have Seth bring me to the condo.” I stood up and headed to the door. “Now!”
“As you wish.” Marcus said, turning to the phone to call Seth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I arrived at the condo a little after one. My eyes were puffy from crying on the way over. I took the elevator up, and was greeted by Devlin at the door.
“Pumpkin.” He reached for me, and I sidestepped him, entering the foyer. He closed the door and looked at me. “I guess I deserved that.”
“You deserve a lot more. How could you be here and not text me or call me?” My voice was louder than I thought.
“Shh…calm down. Let’s go into the living room, and I’ll explain. I wanted to do this tomorrow.” Devlin placed his hand on the small of my back, igniting a fire in my core. The simple gesture set my hormones in action. What the fuck?
“Well, I don’t want to wait until tomorrow. Marcus said I’m in danger? Seriously, what the fuck is going on?” I turned to find myself smacked up against his naked chest. I didn’t pay much attention when he opened the door, but now I took a step back. He was shirtless, showing his sculpted chest, the piercings through both nipples, the tattoos that ran down both of his arms and over his back. Lower down, he wore a lose pair of sweat pants, showing that V that lead to his best asset. I took a few breaths to calm my hormones. I couldn’t fake the reaction I have around him, the way just looking at his body makes me want him inside places that were aching.
“What else did Marcus tell you?” He looked down at me. He was a good six inches taller than me.
“That this has to do with your past, and I’m in danger.” I looked at him and saw pain in his eyes. Black circles enveloped his eyes and he looked tired. “You look exhausted.”
“It’s been a rough two weeks. Sit down.” He motioned to the couch and I curled up in the corner as he sat next to me, bent over, arms on his thighs, head bowed. “There’s so much to discuss.”
“I’m not leaving until you open up. I need to know everything, Devlin. Everything. All of the secrets that you keep hidden from me. I need your honesty,” I said putting my hand on his bicep. Oh god…he feels so good.
“Where do you want me to start?” he asked, placing one of his hands over mine.
“The beginning. Why did you go to London? Why do you have to go back? Why am I in danger?” I waited.
“I received a call from someone in trouble. Needed my help. I haven’t been back to London in about five years. It was not something that I wanted to do, nor took lightly.”
“Why then? Why go?” I asked, waiting again. Devlin threw his head back and then bowed it again.
“Because I was the only one that could help him.”
“Him?” I asked hesitantly.
“Yes, him. A person I knew in my past. He was in, hell, still is in, serious trouble. I couldn’t figure out what to do over there. It was too dangerous, too much of a risk. I brought him back here.
At least until I could figure out how deep in trouble he was in.” Devlin turned to look at me as I removed my hand from him.
“Is…is he here now?”
Devlin nodded.
“What was he, just a friend?”
“You could say that.” Devlin was vague again.
“I could say that? No, you need to tell me. I need to know what he was to you, that you would risk whatever it was that you risked helping him. You vowed to never return there.” Confusion was running through my mind. I didn’t know what to say or do.
“He was in a relationship with me.” Devlin hung his head.
“What do you mean, ‘relationship’?” I asked, curling up into myself.
“A relationship. He was part of a relationship that included myself, him and a woman.”
I let the words sink into my head. Three people, relationship…oh!
“Oh my God, you mean, like a relationship, relationship?” I threw my hand over my mouth, the thought made my stomach slightly sick.
“Yes. I was part of a poly relationship. He and her were my subs, but we lived together as a couple would. Just more of a threesome.” He looked at me, his eyes begging me to say something. I stood up and began pacing the living room. “Pumpkin, say something.”
I didn’t know what to say. I was speechless for once. I just started crying, uncontrollable. Sobbing. Devlin started walking toward me, and as I backed away from him; I saw the door to the guest room open. A man, almost as gorgeous as Devlin, walked out.
“What’s going on?” he asked, looking at me, and then at Devlin.
I turned to Devlin. “Is…is this him?” Devlin nodded. I collapsed to my knees on the floor. The sobs coming harder, breaths came less and less. I heard Devlin tell the man that I was Ally. The man’s response proved some enlightenment on his part, yet none on mine.
“Pumpkin, shhh…calm down.” Devlin slid to the floor, pulling me into him despite my best attempts at pushing him away. “Calm down, and I can tell you the rest. Please, Alexia, you wanted answers, I’m trying to tell you.”
Dominate Me: A Devoured Club Novel Page 10
