But inside, his mind was still spinning.Who did I piss off?he wondered.Does it even matter?The feeling of being watched refused to leave him.
His pulse remained high as he walked back through the club, his eyes flickering over every member in the Club.It wasn’t just the health officer—it was everything that had been adding up over the past few weeks.The van.His office being rummaged through.
And now, this.He needed to talk to River Stone.
“It doesn’t matter who it is, we just have to deal with it.Don’t worry Zee, you and Ella have nothing to fear from the health department.We’ll take care of this.”
“I appreciate it,” Zee said.He wouldn’t have gotten Club Bandit off the ground if his friends hadn’t supported his idea.
If Logan Marrock and Quinn Walsh hadn’t signed up to be the first members, the idea of this upscale private club would never have gained flight.
In the centre of the busy club, Zee glanced to his right at a rope scene taking place where a Dom was tying beautiful knotwork, fastening their submissive to a pole.
Across the room, a Domme was putting a bridle on their sub.The intimacy of the moment took his breath away.
This is what it was about, having space that allowed these moments of connection to unfurl, to take place.
He and Ella worked hard to get Club Bandit up and running and he wasn’t going to let anyone take it away from him.
15 ELLA
“Howareyoustayingup with those painkillers?”Her oldest friend’s face leaned close to the iPad, and Nora’s brown eyes crinkled.
“I put off taking them as long as possible.I’m waiting for Zee.”
Nora clicked her tongue and raised her eyebrows.
“Doesn’t Zee have a job to go to tomorrow, or is he too busy keeping you cooped up here?”
Ella brushed off Nora’s comment with a shrug.
“Practice tomorrow isn’t until noon, and it’s not that late,” Ella grinned, laughing.
It was almost one a.m.
She shifted on the couch, trying to ignore the ache in her shoulder.
Other than watching mindless TV, she hadn’t done much all day.
“He’s burning the candle at both ends, still.”
“Oh, and you’re not?What time is your swimming class tomorrow morning?”
Nora shook her head, her blonde hair swishing, and laughed.
“Us athletes don’t know when to quit.I guess he’s not letting you out of the house then.I want you to come visit soon.”
Nora laced her words with a barb that was decades old.
She was the reason she met Zee, and though she hadn’t told her outright, it was clear she had strong opinions about Zee that were unfavourable.
“I’m going for another round of X-rays and then probably physio,” Ella stood, needing to move and trying to flex her arm as much as she could.
“The whole ordeal sounds terrifying, Ella.”
“I don’t want to repeat it again.”
Ella got up and grabbed a throw blanket from the back of the couch.
