“She’s not,” Carys corrected.“She’s lonely and wants toplay tonight.”
“I wanted to play tonight,” Kenzie grumbled.“But no, I haveto go to work.Have to save the world.Just once I wish I could save the worldon, say, a Monday night.Yeah, Zach, he’s coming your way.Wow, that is a bigknife.You should avoid getting stabbed today.Lou, can you cut the lights tothe last room on the second floor in the east wing?”
“On it,” Lou said.
Yep, they were definitely working an op.Apparently Kenziewas excellent at multitasking.“I don’t have to play.”
She’d probably caused enough trouble for one day.
Carys shushed her.“Yeah, about that.Did you have what youwere going to wear in your locker?Dais doesn’t have any fet wear here, andit’s not like after today she can go out on her own and grab some.Did Coopfill you in?”
“Yes,” Kenzie replied.“He almost missed the plane.Zachgave him hell until he found out why.You know everyone loves you, Dais.Andyes, I totally have my costume.It should fit her.There’s a mask to go withit.I wish I was there.There are a couple of new guys I would love tointroduce Daisy to.Oh, shit.Uh, we’ve got a big problem.Yes, that’s a bomb.Guys, I’m going to have to call back.No.Not you, Coop.I’m talking to Daisand Carys.Zach, that is rude, and yes, I’m hanging up.The mask is on the topshelf.Dais, have a blast.Kala, do not cut the blue wire…”
The line went dead.
“Do you think they’re okay?”
Carys stood up and went to Kenzie’s locker.She put the codein and opened it, pulling out an angelic-looking corset and a white featheredmask.“They’ll be fine.They always are.It’s just Kala thinks she knows how todefuse bombs better than she actually does.Or so I’ve heard.A long time ago.”Carys frowned.“Maybe pretend I didn’t say anything.”
She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she also knew betterthan to ask about Tristan.The threesome seemed to have split up over somevague reason they weren’t talking about, but she was almost certain Aidan stilltalked to Tris on a regular basis.Instead she stared at the corset in Carys’shands.
Could she pretend to be someone else for a night?Someonewho didn’t screw everything up.Someone who could tempt a Dom into play for anight.
“Do you think it’ll work?”Daisy stood up.Kenzie hadexcellent taste.The corset was gorgeous.The mask would cover most of her faceand might look good against her dark hair.
“I think you’ll have the new guys panting after you,” Carysreplied.“Let’s get you ready.Daisy, you’re gorgeous, and you should know youdeserve to have a night of fun.I just want…”
Daisy groaned.“I’m on birth control.Haven’t needed itlately, but I’m on it.And I’ll use a condom.If it comes to it.Which itprobably won’t.But maybe it would be better if my brother didn’t know.I worryhe’ll try to vet anyone who wants to play with me.”
“They’ve already been vetted.”Carys started working thestays on the corset.“But you’re right.He will want to know who the guy is,and that’s not the point of tonight.So I’ll go out first, and then you canmake your grand entrance after I’ve distracted him.Though if he asks me, Ihave to tell him.”
“He won’t.”Her brother would think she was staying far fromthe dungeon.And he would take Carys to a privacy room most likely.It would bea free-for-all in the dungeon.He wouldn’t risk some other Dom touching hisprecious sub.
But it might be exactly what Daisy needed.
Things were suddenly looking up.
She really hoped the twins dealt with that bomb though.
* * * *
Nate stood at the back of the lounge staring out over thedungeon floor.The Hideout was one of the smaller clubs he’d played at, and itwas definitely the most stripped down.The Hideout, he’d been told, was a workin progress.It was open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, and on weekenddays a bunch of the members worked on the renovations they were making.
“How’s it going?”a deep voice asked.“You must be Aidan’sfriend from Australia.”
He glanced over, and there was a man in dark leathers, ablack mask on his face.Nate was wearing one of those himself.The face maskfelt weird, but he felt comfortable in leathers.Putting on a set of leathershelped him transition his mindset.It allowed him to let go of his everydayworries.
When he put on leathers and walked into a club, he felt likehe belonged.
So why hadn’t he found the familiar peace here tonight?
Nate held a hand out.“Nate Carter.”
“Seth Taggart,” the other man said, shaking his hand.
“Ah, you must be one of Ian’s.”Nate stepped back, settlingagainst the railing that demarked the lounge area from the dungeon.The loungewas on the second floor, so whoever was occupying the space could look out overthe dungeon.
A bloke could stare out over the sea of gorgeous subs andwonder why none of them called to him.
