But once Alec and Nick were on board, the decision had settled into place. Nick pulling back wasn’t permanent—just a pause. He’d come around.
“Is her dad still kicking around?” I asked.
“I dropped in on him,” Nick said, shaking his head.“I doubt there’s much of a liver left.”
“Good riddance,” I muttered.
It wasn’t always about shitty parents. Alec had a stable, middle-class upbringing and somehow turned out more sadistic than either of us.
“Still,” I added, opening my laptop,“a girl with daddy issues could work in our favour.”
“Mm,” Nick said noncommittally, then looked up from his phone.“What are you planning to do with her at Dominion?”
“Front-facing role first,” I replied.“Customer service. Then gaming positions. She’ll rot if she’s stuck at home—and now that her notice is done, we can go back to our usual night shifts.”
Nick studied me.“You’ve given her a lot of thought.”
“You brought her to my attention.”
“That was research,” he said, arching a brow.
“So you didn’t check out her swimsuit photo?”
“Ugh,” he groaned, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling.
I didn’t add anything. Alec was already pushing him.
???
Alec passed the plates to me, and I set them on the table one by one. Nick had gone to call Ella down for dinner.
“You’re spoiling her,” Alec muttered.
“Remind me again what kind of dessert you made for us tonight,” I replied dryly.
Ella had mentioned—casually, like it didn’t matter—that berries were her favourite fruit. Alec had taken that information and gone completely overboard, producing a layered strawberry cake drowned in cream and precision.
“She’s only getting that because I know I won’t be able to contain myself,” he said irritably.“Fuck. The things I’d do to those pretty pink nipples—”
“Try to tone it down for the first night,” I warned.
Eventually, we’d all end up in the communal bedroom. She’d have to adapt to our individual tastes and limits—learn where one ended and another began—but tonight still mattered. First impressions always did.
I finished setting the table, checking the cutlery and drinks out of habit more than necessity.
Nick returned first, Ella a step behind him.
She moved carefully, like she wasn’t sure where she was allowed to exist in the room. As we ate, the conversation stayed deliberately normal. We discussed her new role at Dominion—front-facing, learning the rhythm of the floor.
Nick even offered advice, explaining how to deal with drunk patrons and men who didn’t understand boundaries.
I caught Alec’s eye across the table.
We both knew exactly how ironic that was.
Chapter 15
Alec
