After one crazy night of mind-blowing sex, in the comfort of their room, curled up tight together, spent and deliriously sated, once they'd finally fallen into a bone-tired sleep, Heath couldn't believe his damn cell phone going off and waking them, especially when it felt like they'd just fallen asleep. Blinking his eyes open, grumbling about being woken up, he flung his arm at the bedside table and made a grab for his phone. "Yeah," was all he could manage when he answered, rubbing at his eyes with the heel of his hand.
"Hi, Heath, it's Jerry. Sorry to call so early but I thought you might want to know that the body of a young woman was found floating not far from The Club. Her family identified her as Kassie Michaels and said she had a management job there. Did you know her?"
His heart nearly leaping out of his chest, Heath sat up in bed and clutched his head in his hand. "Oh, shit. Yeah, of course I knew her. I've been looking all over for her, and was hoping she'd just taken a few days off."
"No, unfortunately not by the sounds of what happened to her; right now the police are looking into whether it was suicide, or foul play."
Heath knew there was no way she would have taken her own life, and told his friend, "I'd bet money she was murdered." Then he explained how she'd helped him get a look at the auction records, and about the cryptic note she'd given him right before she disappeared, about being careful. And now it was probably his fault she was dead. If he hadn't gotten her mixed up in his investigation, she'd probably still be alive.
Then Jerry got his attention again when he said, "Seems she had a younger half-sister who was brought in there a sub, and she disappeared, too. But no one's ever found her. And now the cops are wondering if Kassie might have gotten a job in the club to look into what happened to her sister." As his friend's words sank it, it had Heath thinking twice, as he realized that he and Kassie had something in common that he never would have suspected. If she'd lost a sister to this place, too, it made sense that she'd been so willing to help him. Heath closed his eyes, and shook his head. God, she was such a nice lady, and he felt terrible that she'd been done away with, just for trying to find out what happened to her sister.
But since Lila had gotten up as soon as the phone rang, and been in the bathroom for most of their conversation, Heath decided to keep what he'd heard about Kassie to himself. No point in worrying her - at least until he had to.
After he'd finished his call with Jerry, when Lila walked out to join him, looking as smoking hot as she always did in nothing but her short black silk robe and heels with her long blonde hair loose around her shoulders, despite what he'd just heard, as Heath raked her over, thinking how amazing she looked, he couldn't help but smile. That was until he noticed she had her collar and leash in her hand, which had him rolling his eyes and shaking his head - one more day after today and then they'd be free of this place, and all the ridiculous play acting. And it couldn't come soon enough for him.
As they headed to the playroom, passing a few other Doms and subs in the hallway, as they always did, the Doms just gave him a quick nod, but every sub they passed gave him the eye, while flashing teasing little grins - which had Lila staring hard at his broad back as they entered their preferred room, telling him as she disrobed, "So I'm guessing part of you is going to be sorry to leave this place tomorrow."
He turned around mid-stride and looked at her like she'd grown two heads. "Why would I be sorry, when I can hardly wait to get us out of here?" Especially after what had happened to Kassie - which he still couldn't wrap his head around.
Still a little miffed, Lila shrugged as she tossed aside her robe. "Just thought with all the attention you get around here, you might miss it."
Fat chance - a lot of the women in here, like Shar, he'd found down-right scary. And now that he had Lila in his life - at least he hoped he did - he wouldn't care if he ever looked at another woman again. Not really caring who was watching, he pulled into his arms and pressed a kiss to her lips, gently cupping her face in his hands as he held her gaze, trying to tell her without words that she was the only woman for him now.
But as good it felt to stand and just hold each other, aware he still had to go through the motions for the camera with his delectable little