Rans’ eyes crinkled at the corners. “We had planned for her to break me in a bit later, yes,” he said, sounding about as safe and submissive as that tiger on a leash I’d compared him to earlier.
I rolled my eyes.
“Hmm,” Len said. “Well, I’m glad you’re all right, Z. I tried your phone a few times after you disappeared, but I’m guessing you had to change numbers?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I’ve still got yours, though. I’ll text you with the new one, okay? It’s... really good to see you, Len—strange circumstances not withstanding. The idea of trying to reconnect with anyone from my old life has kind of been freaking me out, honestly.”
“I can imagine,” he said. “Look—there’s no good way to say this, but the manager replaced you at AJ’s after the thing with the police. I’m sorry.”
Oddly, something that would have been life-shattering a month ago now struck me as completely unimportant. I smiled. “It’s all right. I don’t think I could step back into waitressing now, anyway. Not after everything that’s happened.”
Len nodded. “Understandable. As long as you’re okay, that’s the important part. Now, go have fun. Put that smokin’ hot latex to some good use, right?”
I couldn’t help it—I laughed and hugged him again.
“Yeah.” I shot him a quick wink. “Yeah, I think I will, actually. And let me know if you’re going to tie up your boyfriend later. He’s cute.”
Tristan snorted. “So’s yours.”
“I know he is,” I agreed, feeling lighter than I had since Dhuinne. “It’s the whole British bad boy thing, I think. Tell you what—you can come ogle him later, too, if you want. I’ll at least get him to take the coat off. Promise.”
“Excuse me,” Rans said, mock-glaring at me.
I grinned at him, wide and ridiculous. “Oy. Do I need to put the leash back on? And may I remind you that this whole thing was your idea in the first place?”
“So it was,” he allowed, fondness creeping into his voice and making me feel warm. His icy eyes moved to Len, a thaw visible behind all that glacier-blue. “I owe you one, mate, for taking care of her when I couldn’t. It was good to meet you.”
He and Len shook hands, and the four of us left the private room. I imagined whatever cleanup crew this place had on call would be equal parts confused and grateful upon seeing the lack of mess.
Hell, we hadn’t even rumpled the sheets on the giant bed.
* * *
Rans and I ended up hanging around the various ongoing BDSM scenes for another hour or so. I tried to get a better feel for the other people around us, spending as much time people-watching as kink-watching. I caught sight of Len and Tristan on several occasions, mingling and spectating as other people engaged in rope bondage.
I also noticed a group of half a dozen guys making the rounds, stopping every once in awhile to chat up unaccompanied women unwary enough to be caught alone. The vibe they gave off didn’t seem to match the easygoing one of most of the people here. I mean, sure—there were people whipping other people, so maybe ‘easygoing’ wasn’t the best word. But this felt different. Especially when I noticed how carefully the venue staff appeared to be watching the little group.
“Have you noticed—” I began, only for Rans to cut me off.
“As soon as they came in, yes,” he said in a low voice. “It’s not terribly unusual to get a few arseholes in a place like this, even with all the precautions in place. Just keep them on your radar, but try not to worry about it otherwise.”
I nodded, returning my attention to the rest of the room. There was one other person who’d caught my attention, though I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was about her that struck me as odd. She was of average height and average build. Her black lace bustier and black leather pants were far from the most outrageous attire here. Her features were striking, though perhaps not what you’d call classically beautiful. Something about her face seemed oddly familiar to me, though I was certain I’d never met her before.
“You sense it, too?” Rans murmured in my ear.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Something seems... off about her.”
“Hmm. Well, no one said we were the only non-humans in the place, I suppose. Keep her on your radar, as well.”
“Will do,” I agreed. One thing I was quite sure of was that the woman wasn’t Fae. I would have been able to tell, I was certain. With that in mind, I was willing enough to follow Rans’ lead on this. I squared my shoulders. “Tell you what. I’m not sure how many more hours I want to teeter around on these high heels. I see an available piece of sex furniture, and I think I’ve got a decent feel for things now. If you’re sure you still want to go through with this, that is.”
He shot me a look through his messy fringe. “That is why we came, isn’t it?”
I huffed. “Yes, it’s why we came. But now we’re here with a strange woman who’s maybe not human, half a dozen creepy biker guys, and my former coworker. Plus I still can’t guarantee I won’t lose concentration and end up feeding from you until you pass out.” I paused. “Which sounds way dirtier than I intended it to, somehow.”
“You’re right. That does, indeed, sound absolutely filthy,” he said, drawing out the words with that delectable accent.
I grit my teeth. “Not. Helping.”
He smirked at me, but sobered a moment later. “This will help, though. Your concern about weakening me helped you cut off the flow of my animus before. So take your worry about the people you just described, and channel it. I have absolute faith that you won’t drain me while you’re feeling protective about my safety. Which... is rather charming, by the way—in case I
