I smiled as I finished off my drink and felt along the area to my left until I found what I thought was the desk. I set down my empty glass. “Yes.”
“Why?”
I grabbed my cane from under my arm and moved it to my side, just in case I needed to swing it, preferably not at Madam Winters. She would sooner shoot me than hit me.
“Because he wasn’t taking care of himself. You told me to do something, so I did something.”
“By abducting him?” The slap across my face was sharp and hurt like a bitch, and apparently I’d been wrong; she did get physical when she wanted.
I winced at the agony that throbbed in my cheek. “I’ll have him back in a few days.” My cane hit a body on the floor. “Sorry about the mess. The guards had to go down, but at least it was only with Tasers, right?”
“You’re lucky they didn’t use their guns,” she hissed out, poking me in the chest.
“My men are trained to expect that. You know me, I have experience at the Courtesan. I taught them what would happen as soon as they entered the hotel.” Smug didn’t begin to cover how I felt right now.
“Then maybe we need to hire your services to make sure this doesn’t happen in a real scenario.” She touched my cheek where she’d slapped it and petted her fingers over my skin, almost as if she was apologizing. Madam Winters didn’t say sorry, at least not to an average person like me, so this was as close to it as I was getting.
“We should definitely discuss it.” I smirked.
She chuckled gently, a touch of irritation still lingering there. “Get out of here, Brooks Sutherland, before I put my heel up your behind. Nothing better happen to Darcy.”
“Madam.” I grinned at her and bowed dramatically. “Lemonade, out.”
Lemonade led me from the hotel, and the sound of a familiar rushed stride as shoes slapped on cement told me Levi wasn’t far away. When he touched my arm and led me to the car, I nodded in thanks.
Darcy was going to hate me for this, but he hadn’t said the safeword when we talked. This time I wouldn’t take him too far away. A house on Lake Ontario with a Jet Ski wouldn’t hurt him for a few days. And if he wanted to escape once again, he knew what he had to say. For now I would keep trying to get him relaxed until he finally did.
