Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 106065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
I still felt bad after apologizing. Sometimes I was so damn blind and stupid.
I’d wanted to make up for it after our second session; I’d illustrated something for him on my iPad and ordered the design on a knitted beanie. Because he made me feel warm and fuzzy inside, and beanies were warm. But then Marcus had told me Greer was sick. So I hadn’t shown up.
I hated lies.
Lies tilted my world sideways.
The next time I’d seen Greer was the night Marcus had beaten one of his other Littles in front of me. A night I wanted to forget. I’d had to share a bed with Marcus and that guy. Ugh.
The only good thing about that night was when Greer had come over to me. Over and over, I replayed the memory of his stare. From the second he squatted down in front of where I’d been kneeling, to the moment he’d risen again to confront Marcus. Greer’s warm, rich voice calling me a good boy had still been swimming in my head when he threatened my Daddy.
“Corey will show up tomorrow, Marcus…”
That “tomorrow” part had been in reference to a fun event, a brat boot camp. Marcus hadn’t tried to get me to cancel. I’d been there. At the bottom of an old rock quarry, a bunch of our Sadists had hosted an obstacle course for brats, and I’d had so much fun. Until toward the end, when I’d confessed to Greer that I was leaving for Denver the next day. He’d hugged me hard and rubbed soothing lotion onto my new marks and beaten flesh, and I’d had his low, soothing voice in my ear.
“I hope you don’t leave, little one.”
I hadn’t seen him since that night. Hadn’t talked to him either.
Near the end of a long, winding dirt road lined with tall trees, House Mclean appeared in the bright lights of the spotlights on the lawn. The last traces of daylight glowed on the horizon, and the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere took over completely.
Seeing those spotlights was one of two signs of the new season too. When fall arrived, the pool was covered, and the spotlights didn’t attract any summer insects.
Someone shared that story at least once every fall. “Remember the year we turned on the spotlights in August and moths covered the entire house?”
“…and every brat screamed bloody murder,” a Sadist would add with a laugh.
I released a breath and pulled in next to the big carport that was already full. Plenty of cars had to park on the grass.
This place was just packed with memories and stories, and it made my stomach hurt when I thought about leaving.
Hell, this community, House Mclean, meant more to me than my own home. This house had to stand forever. I felt so welcome here. And dammit, if I was moving to Denver, I was going to visit DC often! Maybe even once a month. I wanted to see my mom and Lane anyway.
With my overnight bag in tow, I left Froggy behind and made my way across the large lawn in front of the house. The music wasn’t too loud yet, and people were still arriving. Some would have dinner here; some had already eaten. I could usually smell the barbecue the minute I stepped out of my car.
People would use the grills in the dead of winter too.
Just as I climbed up the porch steps, I heard a bunch of shouting and cheering from the other side of the house. It was followed by Noa yelling, “Wait for us, please! Cameron and I are just gonna eat! We will hurry!”
A rush of anticipation surged through me, and I started hurrying. They obviously had plans, and I didn’t want to miss anything! Past the lobby, through the nightclub area, and then I reached the patio doors right behind a group of members who were clearly planning for some hot tub time. They had drinks, towels, and swimwear. Very skimpy swimwear.
Plenty of cute butts in this crowd.
As they aimed for the hot tubs, my view cleared up and revealed a patio full of friends and acquaintances. It stopped me dead in my tracks, and I was suddenly hit by a ball of nerves. Don’t be in the way; don’t take up too much space. Most of my friends were partnered up. Cam and Noa were with Master Lucian and KC. Kit was with Colt and Mr. West. Shay was with River and Reese. Ivy was with Master August—and Ev. I’d heard Ev was back in the area. He’d finally been granted his wish to be stationed at a local Air Force base, which was a big improvement over Okinawa.
I suspected Colt had something to do with Ev’s transfer, ’cause Colt was a bit of a fighter pilot legend and had earned a set of strings he could pull every now and then. According to Kit.