He was stepping in it now, but he had to speak up.“Well, hewasn’t physical with her.I’m not saying he hit her or wouldn’t honor her safeword.They were on the dungeon floor.I was watching from the lounge, but Iknow whatever he said hurt her feelings.And when we went up to the privacyrooms, there was some weird interaction with the monitor.Like he wasn’t goingto let her go back or something.I couldn’t hear everything she said to him,but it felt like she had to force him to let us go back.Again, I feel likewhatever he was doing hurt her.”
Carys put a hand to her forehead like she had a headache.“Or maybe it was a misunderstanding.”
“What kind of misunderstanding could there be?”Aidan wasscrolling through his contacts.“I assure you Gabe knows how to communicate,and I know who was working the desk last night.Hunter is about to get a heartyfucking lecture.”
“Please don’t call him,” Carys said, the tight set of herjaw proving she wished she wasn’t having this conversation.
A suspicious brow rose over Aidan’s eyes.“Why wouldn’t I,baby?”His voice had gone Dom deep.“Are you trying to tell me my friend islying?”
Damn.When Aidan wanted to top a girl, he knew how to do it.Nate felt a little bad for Carys.“I’m not lying.”
Carys took a long breath and turned Nate’s way.“No, but youalso don’t understand what’s going on.I do know the sub, and she’s got areputation.”She shook her head.“Not one she’s earned.”
“She was being slut shamed?”It was enough to make him seered, but he was going to hold it together because he was so close to findingout her name.
He would go to Dee and ask her why she’d left.He would askif he could hold her.He would prove to her he wasn’t like those other blokes,and they wouldn’t step foot in The Hideout again.Even if it cut him off fromhis only friend.
“No,” Carys said quickly.“It’s not like that.Look, I can’tsay who it is.I can only tell you from what I understand every Dom there triesto watch out for her.”
“Watch out for who?”a sweet voice said from the kitchen.“Did someone already make toast?”
Aidan sat straight up at the sound.He leaned over, hisvoice going low.“That’s my sister.We’ll talk about this later.I promise I’llget Carys to tell me what’s happening, but not around Daisy.If Daisy finds outsome sub is in trouble, she’ll decide to intervene and then the club will burndown.”
“I’ll help you, Daisy.”Carys stood very quickly.
“She means well, but… She can be a lot,” Aidan whispered.
Then Daisy O’Donnell was standing there looking adorablysexy in a pencil skirt and flouncy top.She was not the awkward girl he’d knownyears before.She’d bloomed.
And she was also Dee.
“It’s okay.I think I’ll get breakfast at the office.AuntCharlotte always has something in the break room,” she said, and then seemed torealize he was there.Her eyes flared with recognition, and he watched as herbreath hitched and for a mere moment there was longing in her eyes.Then herexpression cleared, and she obviously chose her path.“Hello.You must beNathan.It’s nice to see you again.”
It was odd.There was anger simmering below his surface, butthere was also something else.Excitement.An edge of danger.
Damn.He kind of felt alive.He wanted to see how far thelittle liar was going to take it.“You, too, Dais.Although I will admit, itfeels like yesterday.”
“Oh, shit,” Carys said under her breath.
“Really?It feels like forever to me,” Daisy said with asmile.“So you’re working at MT now?”
Aidan seemed happy he wasn’t pushing it.“He is, but he’sgoing to be on a different floor.Hey, since you’re going to the same place, doyou mind driving her in?It would save Carys and I twenty minutes.”
Daisy’s eyes went super wide.Like he’d only seen those eyeson Pokémon before.“Oh, I wouldn’t want to bother him.”
“Of course.”He would love to get her alone.“We’re going tothe same place.”
She just didn’t know the place they were going was rightback to bed.Or a desktop.Or a broom closet.He was flexible.
Did she seriously think he wouldn’t recognize her?The maskhad barely concealed some of her face.It hadn’t covered her plump lips or thestubborn chin she lifted right before she said something bratty and sassy.Ithadn’t done a damn thing to cover all that fucking hair he wanted laid out on abed again.
“I don’t…” Carys began.
But Nate was already on his feet.“It would be a pleasure.I’m sure you two need to get to work, and it’s been an age since I got to talkto Aidan’s sister.The last time I saw you I think you were pretending to besomeone you weren’t.”
“Uh, I did a lot of pretending.I was a kid.”
“I do believe you and Elodie were pretending to be popstars.”The memory pierced through him.His sister was much younger, and Daisyhad been sweet to play with her.Daisy had been the kid who took care of theother kids, who organized adventures for the little kids at The Garden so theolder kids could play video games.
