Julius rubs his jaw while he listens. “Damn.”
Roman sighs. “No shit.”
I nod. “Exactly. Recent events have caused me to increase my attention to Evelyn. Ensuring her safety is more important than catching the buyer when it comes down to it.”
Davis glances toward Julius and Roman. “He thinks someone else is following her.”
Both men furrow their brows in discomfort.
Davis turns toward me. “I spoke to Blade, my boss. He’ll do whatever he can to help. He’s a member here too.”
Wow. Okay. The world keeps shrinking. “Thank you. I’m still early enough in the investigation that I don’t want Owen to have a clue that I’m watching him. When I’m wrong about a suspect, it’s best if they never find out I was surveilling them.”
“I can understand that,” Roman states, “but I’m not comfortable leaving Eve in the dark if you think someone is tracking her, no matter who that ends up being.”
“I’m not either. I’d rather bring her into the inner circle. Besides, it’s incredibly hard to protect someone when they aren’t aware they need protection.”
“She’s done several scenes with Owen in the past month. They seem to have hit it off,” Julius says. “Do you have any experience in the fetish community?”
I shake my head. “Admittedly none.”
Julius nods. “Why don’t you come with Davis as his guest, someone new to the scene? That way Davis can pretend to be educating you while you keep an eye on Eve and Owen.”
I swallow the bad taste that idea leaves in my mouth. It’s inappropriate that I’m attracted to Evelyn. Beyond inappropriate. And the thought of watching her do whatever she does here with other men brings bile to the back of my throat. But I must remain professional. “That’ll work.”
Roman nods. “We can give you a crash course in BDSM 101 so you don’t end up looking suspicious as you wander around the club with your eyelids on the ceiling. Then we’ll have you observe.”
Davis leans back. “An evening at my house should bring him marginally up to speed. I’ll talk to Britney. Make sure she’s okay with it.”
I glance at him, wondering what an evening at his house would entail. Maybe he’s thinking he and Britney can do a demonstration of some sort so I won’t be shocked. Very little shocks me, however.
“When do we bring Eve up to speed?” Julius asks.
“I’d prefer to be the one to confront her, if you don’t mind. I don’t care who else is present. But sooner rather than later is best,” I tell them.
“She’s an accountant for a big firm,” Julius states, “so I’m pretty sure she’s not available during the day. How about if I try to get ahold of her and see if she can swing by here after work?”
I nod. “Perfect.”
Roman stands. “Sorry to run, but I’ve got an appointment.” He shoots a look at Julius and then Davis. “We’ve been tiptoeing around an important detail, but it seems like it would be better to wait until Eve is present to discuss her particular preferred kink.”
Julius nods. “I agree.”
I stare at them all, wondering what the hell I’ve gotten myself into. Not that I have a choice. My job is to protect Evelyn Dean.
I need to head back to the precinct and fill the captain in on all this. I already know what he’s going to say though. I’ve been working for him for five years. He trusts me implicitly. He will defer to me on this matter. If I say my primary goal is Evelyn’s safety, he will instruct me to see that she’s protected. After all, if Evelyn is truly being stalked for the purpose of human trafficking, then sticking to her like white on rice will be imperative.
I just hope she doesn’t balk at the fact that I’m about to become her new best friend.
Hell, more importantly, I hope I can remain professional when I’m in her presence. I’ve been following her for two weeks. Every time I see her, my breath hitches. Her smile melts me. Her laughter is even better.
Pull it together, Colton.
Chapter 4
Evelyn
I’m beyond curious as I enter Surrender. Julius called me in the middle of the day and asked if I could come by after work, so here I am, but why?
“Hey, Eve.” I’m even more confused and surprised when the man waiting for me just inside the club is Davis Marcum.
“Hi.” I glance around. No one else is here. The club isn’t open tonight. It’s only open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Today is Monday. “What’s going on?”
He nods over his shoulder. “It’s complicated. We’ll explain upstairs in Julius’s office.”
“Okay…” I follow him, but now I’m concerned. And who is “we”? “Should I be worried?”
Davis glances at me, hesitating. “Honestly, I’m not sure.”
Well, shit. I keep up with him, my heels clacking on the hard floor as we cross the main room and head up the stairs. When we enter Julius’s office, he stands. As does another man I’ve never met before.
I shake Julius’s offered hand, but the other man takes my breath away. The only way to describe him is tall, dark, and handsome. I wonder if he’s a member of the club I’ve never met before, or perhaps a new member. Either way, I’m intrigued as Julius releases my hand and motions toward the stranger.
“This is Colton.”
Colton… He holds out a hand, and his firm handshake makes my heart race. Or maybe it’s the way his gaze meets mine. Serious but friendly. “Evelyn.”
“Please, call me Eve.”
He smiles, and the initial flutter turns into something more like a tremble. Seriously. I need to get a grip. Then I melt a bit when he
