Chapter Twenty-Four
Cannon
My meeting ran way later than expected. I’d wanted to take Makayla to dinner, but it’s already close to eight. I try calling her but keep getting her voice mail, so I call my sister.
“Hey,” she answers on the second ring.
“Where’s Makayla?”
“Well, hello to you, too.”
“Hello, little sister. Do you know where Makayla is?”
“You told her to meet you at Veil,” she replies in a tone that implies I’m asking a stupid question.
A sense of unease rolls down my spine. “I haven’t spoken to Makayla all day.”
“Then who sent her the gift and the note?”
“What note?”
“Someone sent her a scarf and panties with a note to wear them tonight. She thinks it’s from you.”
Fuck! “I’ll call you back.”
Ending the call, I turn around and head to Veil.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Makayla
I’m lying in the middle of the bed, arms down at my sides, wearing the red satin panties Cannon sent me this afternoon with the red silk scarf secured tightly around my eyes.
There’s a shift in the air the moment he enters the room, but the energy I normally feel from him is missing. Maybe he had a bad day. The tapping of his dress shoes against the wood floor gets closer until it stops and I can feel him standing close by. Goose bumps prick my skin, but not in anticipation. Something entirely different this time.
Awareness.
The bed dips under his weight as he covers my body with his. The buttons of his dress shirt press against my skin. Grabbing my hands, he pins them above my head, and panic settles in my chest.
“Cannon?”
Suddenly his lips are on mine, and instead of mint, I taste alcohol.
“You look beautiful, kitten.”
The sound of Victor’s voice sends a chill up my spine. My eyes pop open behind the scarf, and I draw in a sharp breath through my nose.
“Victor.” I struggle against his hold, but he’s too strong for me. Taking a deep breath, I force myself to relax. “What are you doing?” I ask in a steady voice.
“You always did look good in red,” he says smoothly, trailing his lips over my jaw.
I force myself to stay calm and keep him talking. “You sent me these?”
“I did.” He pulls my earlobe between his teeth before pressing his lips to my neck. “He dresses you in black, but you belong in red.”
I gasp. “How do you know?”
“Because I watch you.” He pauses. “With him.”
My body stiffens. “Why are you doing this?”
“You were mine first,” he growls, grinding his erection against my center.
“Victor, don’t do this. Please let me go.”
Suddenly, my body is jerked violently and I’m sliding across the bed. There’s a growl, a grunt and the distinct sound of flesh meeting flesh.
“Cannon, stop,” a female voice screams. Desiree.
It takes a moment to register what is happening as I reach for the blindfold and shove it away from my eyes.
Desiree is standing between Cannon and Victor. Her back is to Victor, arms extended, palms flat on Cannon’s chest.
“Get him out of here before I call the cops,” Cannon yells.
Victor’s cheek is red and swollen, and there’s blood at the corner of his mouth. His angry stare flicks between Cannon and me and I hold my breath anticipating his next move.
A humorless chuckle pushes past his lips as he shakes his head in disbelief. Then he turns and storms from the room with Desiree chasing after him.
Cannon turns to look at me, and when his gaze drops to the red satin panties, then moves to my chest, I realize I’m practically naked.
“He’s been watching us,” I say with a shaky breath. “How?”
Cannon gestures to the floor-length mirror. “It’s a two-way mirror. There’s a small room on the other side.” My brows dip in confusion. “It’s for those who liked to be watched,” he explains.
“How did Victor get in there?”
“He probably stole the key from Desiree.” Cannon walks over to the bed and pulls me into his arms. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I nod against his chest. “I thought it was over after the other night. I never thought he’d pull something like this.”
“Victor has always been a spoiled asshole.” He kisses my lips. “Come on. I’m taking you home.”
Epilogue
Two years later…
Makayla
I lie in the middle of our bed, arms at my sides. A silk sleep mask covers my eyes, but I don’t need to see to know he’s close. My heart pounds in my chest as I work to keep my breaths steady. Goose bumps prick my skin in anticipation of his deep, velvety greeting before he grabs my chin and presses lips to mine. I part my lips, and he slips his tongue into my mouth. He tastes like mint.
He pulls away from my mouth to pepper kisses over my jaw and down to that sensitive spot just below my ear.
He pushes the mask away from my face. “Were you a good girl today?” He smirks.
“Yes,” I whine.
After the incident with Victor, Cannon was officially done with Veil. The next day, he reached out to a detective friend of his. He met with us, took our statements, and a restraining order was put in place. Not for just Cannon and me, but for Desiree, too—she dumped him that same night and banned him from the club, but she was afraid he would come back. Cannon sold Veil to Desiree for a fair price, and now she and her new husband run it together. Last we heard, Victor was working for his family in Dubai.
Cannon and I have been married for a year now. We dated for six months before he proposed. The first time was in bed after a round of mind-blowing sex. The second time was at dinner in front of my parents, his mother, Heather, and Jesse. Each was special and intimate in its own way, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
Since neither of us has a lot of family, we decided on a small wedding in Key West. Heather was my maid of honor, and Ryan
