Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
“He means a lot to her. She freaked the fuck out when she thought he was in trouble at that school. The kid is her kid, even if she didn’t give birth to him. That means we have to tread carefully with both of them. I’m not real good at treading carefully, we both know that. So I’m going to need your help.”
Ordinarily, he’d give Steele whatever he asked for. But in this instance, he wasn’t sure that he could help Steele hold back.
“I’ll try. It won’t be easy, though. I want her out of there. Both of them.”
Steele grunted, but he was clearly deep in thought. He hit the privacy screen button, lowering it. “Take us back to Pinkies, Raul.”
“You bet,” Raul replied.
He raised the screen again before turning to Grady. “She’s definitely a Little.”
“Yes, she is.”
“You’re not a Daddy Dom.”
Grady frowned.
“I wasn’t going to say anything bad about that. Just feeling you out . . . are you all right with her Little side? You know I’ll take care of her. You don’t have to do any of that.”
Grady tapped his fingers against his thigh, thinking. “I know that. But if this happens again. Or if she needs to regress . . . I want to know how to take care of her.”
Steele shot him a startled look. “Yeah?”
“Yes. Perhaps there is some Daddy Dom in me after all. I’m not sure how it will go, though. Perhaps I’ll fail at it.”
“Thomas, you’ve never failed at anything in your life.”
Steele using his first name hit him hard. Like a dart aimed at his heart. Which had long ago been surrounded by a fence of concrete and barbed wire.
Which only Steele could ever infiltrate.
“That’s not true,” he murmured. “There was that algebra test in sophomore year.”
“Fuck, all of us failed that. That asshole teacher had it in for us.”
Yes, and Grady had arranged a small surprise for Mr. Ryland later on that week. When his wife had gotten a letter at her work, containing images of Mr. Ryland . . . taking a strap-on up the ass.
One attached to his girlfriend.
He smiled to himself. He might not be obvious when he threw his weight around. Or intimidate and scare like Steele did just by being Damon Steele.
But he had his own way of getting even.
“We need to move forward,” he said. “With Effie. This can’t be allowed to happen again.”
“And we start with lunch tomorrow.” Steele grinned at him.
Right.
When they got back to Pinkies, he immediately went to his computer to check the cameras. Steele followed him into the room.
It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for since he had the time frame already.
“That. Mother. Fucking. Bitch.”
“Show me.” Steele watched the feed, and Grady could feel the anger emanating from him.
Fuck.
“I’m going to fucking kill that bitch! She knew. And she gave her vodka? What the fuck was she hoping to achieve?”
“To make a fool out of Effie? To make it seem like she was drunk on the job? Maybe to get her fired?” he guessed. “Likely all three is my guess.”
“I’ll teach her to mess with our girl.” Steele straightened.
“Wait.” Grady grabbed his arm. Christ. He liked touching the other man.
He liked it far too much.
“For fucking what?”
“To calm down.”
“Why would I want to do that?” Steele demanded.
“Because if you go out there and confront that bitch right now, things could get carried away. Let’s get someone there with us. I’ll call Lex in. Get him to bring her.”
“Fuck it. Fine.”
Ten minutes later, Lex arrived with Lucy. She smiled at them both. Christ, did she think that smile was sexy?
It was the sort of smile that would give you nightmares. With lots of teeth and little soul.
Lex planted himself at the door, giving nothing away. But he was there as a witness and to get rid of the bitch if she went psychotic.
“You want to tell us why you put vodka in Effie’s drinks?” Grady demanded. He wasn’t in a mood to play with her, as gratifying as that might be.
That smile dropped. Although she didn’t keep the shocked look for long. Smart. She was intelligent. Even if she was a bitch.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t put any vodka in her drinks.”
“No?” Grady asked, leaning back in his chair. He didn’t have to look behind him to know that Steele was there.
Backing him up.
Always backing him up.
“No. And if that’s what she said then she’s a liar as well as a pill pusher.”
“What makes you think she’s a pill pusher?” Steele asked.
She turned her gaze to him, obviously liking his attention.
Okay, he was going to revise that thought about her being intelligent.
“When I got her handbag, a bottle of pills fell out. I picked them up. They looked like some strong painkillers.”