Master of My Mind BN (6 page)

“Trevor, you’re awful. But oh my god, I love you so much!” I
laughed.

“Oh, that’s not even the best part, sister.”

“You mean you tortured that poor woman more?” I blinked.

Drake chuckled. “Oh yes, my little hellion was in rare form
today.”

Trevor blew Drake a kiss before inhaling a deep breath. “So
we’re still in the food line, and she’s trying to scoot as far away from me as
she can get.”

“Hell, I can’t imagine why,” Nick interjected with a laugh.

“Me neither,” Trevor gasped in feigned innocence. “So I
wiggled up close behind her, as she was checking out the desserts, and told her
that my lesbian friends made the brownies. She flashed that plastic smile and
said
“That’s nice”
in her snotty,
condescending voice. So I decided to warn her that she should be careful ‘
cuz
a lesbian bug may have accidently landed in the batter.
She looked at me like I was on crack. It was hard, but I kept a straight face.
Finally, she asked me what a lesbian bug was, and I told her…”

Trevor lost it to a fit of giggles. He was laughing so hard
we couldn’t do anything but join in with him. A long time passed before he
gained control, wiped his eyes, and continued.

“I told her a lesbian bug was an organism that worms its way
out of the belly and into the walls of her
cooch
. It
would turn her from a straight
shootin
’ heterosexual
woman to a drooling, wanton lesbian. And once it worked its way into her brain,
she’d spend the rest of her natural born days begging to munch on Sloane’s
muff.”

“Trevor! You did
not!
”
I gasped as howls of laughter erupted in the room.

“Oh yes, he did.” Drake shook his head in displeasure, but I
could see the pride dancing in the burly Dom’s eyes. “And that’s when I grabbed
a handful of my mouthy boy’s hair and shoved him in line, behind me.”

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you, Daddy, but rude, ignorant
people just piss me off.” Trevor pouted.

“You didn’t embarrass me, boy. I found it very…
entertaining,” Drake chuckled as he threaded his thick fingers through Trevor’s
blonde hair. A prick of jealousy stung as Trevor’s eyes glazed in contentment
and he leaned into his Master’s touch. I desperately missed that feeling of
absolute security.

“I liked the way Sloane nearly choked when you gave her your
evil Daddy-eye,” Trevor preened, gazing up at Drake.

“She’s a waste of good air,” the big Dom replied dryly.

“Drake, Sir?” I murmured timidly. “Can I ask what you said
to Sloane outside the church when I arrived?”

Drake flashed me a roguish grin. “You mean when she was
acting like the raging bitch she is?”

My face warmed remembering how utterly humiliated I’d felt.
“Yes, Sir.”

“I told her that Mika had hundreds of hours of video tape
depicting George in assorted and extremely compromising positions with you. And
if she didn’t shut her ugly cakehole and pretend like you weren’t there, I’d
make sure every television affiliate got copies of the films.”

“Are you serious?” My mouth fell open as I turned and looked
at Mika in shock.

“Of course,” Drake chuckled.

“Well, I wouldn’t say hundreds of hours, but I’ve got a few
tapes that would grab plenty of unwanted media attention.” Mika winked.

“It shut her up, that’s for sure,” Drake chuckled. “She
might be totally fucked in the head, but she knows better than to play hard
ball with us. We’d slam her right out of the park.”

I couldn’t help but smile. George’s friends would go to any
lengths to protect not only his memory but what he’d left behind as well…me.

“I’m almost afraid to ask, but did anything else happen?” I
arched my brows staring pointedly at Trevor.

“I didn’t get to have any more fun.” He stuck out a mock
pout as he peered up at Drake. “I would have liked to, but Daddy put the kibosh
on all my plans. Did anyone else get a dig in?”

From across the room, Dylan cleared his throat. A sheepish
grin adorned his handsome face and the dimple on the side of his cheek indented
deeply. “I,
ahh
, ran into Judge Bernard in the men’s
room.”

“Oh shit; this ought to be good.” Tony beamed.

I had no idea who Judge Bernard was or why he was important
to the shit stirring Dylan had done. So I sat quietly and listened hoping to
find out.

“Yeah, it was pretty funny. Of course he had no idea who the
hell I was which made it all the riper. You know how Sloane was crying buckets
of tears at the gravesite and again at the luncheon?” Nearly everyone’s heads
bobbed affirmatively. “Well, I ended up washing hands next to the honorable
judge.”

“Honorable? That’s a lie,” Mika scoffed.

“No shit,” Nick replied, wearing a cynical frown.

“Anyway, I happened to mention that poor Sloane wasn’t
taking George’s death very well. He agreed and flashed me a ridiculous look of
sympathy. What a tool. So I just had to add that it was such a shame to see
Sloane so distraught and that she still must have been head over heels in love
with him.”

“Damn, Dylan,” Mika laughed. “You’re almost as bad as
Trevor.”

“Thank you Mika, Sir,” Trevor piped up, flashing a lopsided
grin.

“What the hell did he say to that?” Tony asked. His dark,
hypnotic eyes had grown wide.

“Not a damn thing. He turned a little pale and gave a sharp
nod before he ran out of the bathroom. It was a damn good thing I’d already
emptied my bladder or I’d have pissed myself laughing.”

I couldn’t stand being left in the dark another minute.

“Who is Judge Bernard?” I asked Mika.

“You don’t know who Bernard is,
Leagh
?”
The dungeon owner quickly sobered.

“I don’t know who he is either,” Savannah interjected.
Grateful for her act of valor, I gave her a soft smile as the awkward attention
was drawn off me and onto her for a brief moment.

“What did George tell you about his divorce, angel?” Tony
looked at me and I could tell the smile he wore was a mask meant to put me at
ease. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect.

“Umm, just that Sloane wanted out of the marriage and that
he was happy to oblige. He said he’d grown tired of living with a shrew.”

Mika stared at me for a long moment as if trying to decide
what to say next. “Sloane is a shrew, of biblical proportions, but she’s also
calculating, manipulative, and probably one of the vilest women on the planet.
Money was her husband. George was simply the machine that dispensed it. Years
ago, one of the most newsworthy murder cases ended up on his docket. He worked
the case for months, putting in twelve to sixteen hour days. Then, out of the
clear blue the suspect plea bargained, and George headed home.”

I looked around the room as Mika told the story. Savannah
and I were the only ones clinging to his words. The rest were staring off into
space or gazing at the ground, their faces lined with something more than
sadness. Anger maybe?

“Sloane hadn’t expected George home for hours. And when he
walked into the bedroom, he found his wife and Judge Bernard fucking like
bunnies. Evidently they’d been having an affair for years, and George never
suspected a thing.”

Mika’s words slammed into me like a plow. George had never
told me the details of his divorce. I had no inkling that Sloane had been
unfaithful to him. I lowered my head and rubbed a finger and thumb over my
forehead. For all the time I’d known him, George had kept the humiliating
secret to himself. I felt slighted that his friends assembled in Tony’s living
room knew more about my Master than I did. He’d kept me in the dark, while
almost everyone around me was privy to his secret. It stung like a slap to the
face.

Anger quickly rushed in. I’d revealed every horrific detail
of my life in Atlanta to him, but he’d never reciprocated his darkest secrets
to me. Why? Why had he shut me out? Was he afraid I’d think him weak or, god
forbid, love him less? I wanted to scream and throw things. I felt betrayed
that our vow of honesty meant nothing to him. Fighting back my tears, I knew
this wasn’t the time or the place to come unhinged. I inhaled a deep breath and
wiped my eyes before raising my head.

“He didn’t want you to know,
Leagh
,”
Mika replied softly.

“Evidently not.”
I forced a weak
smile.

“He’d confided in a few of us, years ago. He didn’t want his
past to influence any part of his relationship with you. He was a prideful
man,” Drake explained.

“That’s what kept him from telling you,
Leagh
,”
Nick leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he pinned me with a
serious stare. “He made a deal with Sloane that if she kept the affair with
Bernard quiet, he’d grant her a divorce. All the other judges were good friends
of George’s. If they’d found out what Bernard had done, George knew it would
cause a lot of bad blood amongst them all. He didn’t want their sympathy, but
most of
all,
he didn’t want to taint the courts with
backbiting or animosity.”

“He was honorable;
Leagh
, but you
already knew that,” Dylan added with a reassuring nod.

“Yes,” I agreed. George was honorable, but he wasn’t honest,
at least not with me. The revelation hurt. Suspicions, like spots of tarnish on
silver, plagued me. What other secrets had George kept from me? What other
skeletons lingered in his closet that he didn’t want me to see? I felt cheated,
but there was nothing I could do with my anger. Sucking in a shaky breath, I
turned to look at Mika. “So what did Sloane do?”

“She raped him financially, of course,” he replied in a
bleak tone. “But she kept her mouth shut, for once.”

“What about Reed? Does he know?” I asked casting a glance at
all the
Doms
.

“No clue,” Drake replied with a frown.

“Reed was like a brother to him,” I murmured.

“He’s a judge, pet. I’m not sure if George told him or not,”
Mika added.

Maybe I wasn’t the only one George had kept in the dark. It
still hurt.

“Don’t go there,
Leagh
,” Tony
scolded from across the room. “He did it to protect himself.”

“I get that,” I replied, trying hard not to sound sarcastic.

The earlier lighthearted mood had shifted to an awkward
silence.

“I think it’s time we headed out,” Mika announced as he
turning to kiss my cheek. “If you need anything, I expect you to call. I mean
anything. From a tooth pick to a Rolls Royce, you got it?”

As Mika rose from the couch, so did my stubborn pride.

His offer was generous, but I had no intention of asking
Mika or anyone else for anything. I’d find my way, alone. I’d done it before,
and I could damn well do it again.

“Yes, Sir, I will.” I lied, convincingly. “Thank you, both
for everything. You’ve kept me sane through these horrible days.”

Minutes lagged before everyone had said their good-byes and
driven away. Tony and I were alone again. Anxiety sprouted like a spring flower
in the pit of my belly. It was time for me to leave as well. Get far away from
the temptation of him. My self-control around him was shaky at best.

Dashing up the stairs, I retrieved my wet clothes. When I returned,
Tony was standing in the foyer. He didn’t say a word, just stared at me.

 
“What?” I asked
unnerved by his silent scrutiny.

“You know they’re going to be pissed, right?”

“Pissed about what?” I asked, anxious and ready to leave.

He grunted. “Pull that innocent act on someone who hasn’t
spent the last three years studying you like a damn book. I know every nuance
about you, angel, and it won’t fly with me. Don’t think for one minute your
friends won’t be ticked off when they find out you needed something and never
called.”

“I don’t need any help. There’s nothing I can’t do for
myself,” I huffed.

”Stubborn, minx.
Come on. Let me
take you out to get a phone and some clothes that fit.” Tony extended his hand.
I took a step back, adamantly shaking my head. “Oh, I get it. I suppose my
offer falls under the category of things you can do for yourself right,
sweetheart?”

His sarcasm was like a steel brush up my spine.

“Exactly,” I snapped with a tight, irritated smile.

“Fine,” his Dominant tone rolled over me in a hot, silky
swell. “Look at me. Look into my eyes.
Promise
that you’ll call me if you need
anything.
”

“Tony…I…”

“Promise me, angel.”

“Okay, I promise.” I rolled my eyes.
“Happy
now?”

“Not even close,” he issued a low growl that sent a rush of
heat straight south.

“Tony,” I exhaled on a deep sigh. “I’m not a child. I have a
plan. I have money. I have a car. I definitely won’t be living under a bridge
or digging through dumpsters. I’ll be fine. You’ve gone above and beyond the
call of duty, and I thank you, but I need to go.”

“No, you’re not a child, and I have no doubt that eventually
you’ll land on your feet. But I also know you’ve been through a hell of an
emotional shock. You are going to crash, eventually. I don’t want you to be
alone when you do.”

“If and when I crash, believe me, it will be much easier if
I am alone. Honestly, I don’t want an audience when it comes time for me to
bawl my eyes out. You’ve already seen enough of my tears.”

“You haven’t even tapped the surface yet, sweetheart,” Tony
replied in a grim tone.

“Maybe not but I’ll deal with it, okay?” He wore an
expression of doubt. “Please, try to understand. It would be easy to use
you…use all of my friends as crutches, but that would only prolong the
inevitable. I want to deal with my grief in my own way.”

“I understand your need for independence, but before you go,
we need to discuss what happened upstairs.”