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“Rebecca, I appreciate what you’re trying to do. And I’m happy that you’re happy. But as we’ve discussed before, my situation is very different. Do I want to be with Lainey? Of course, I do. I missed my shot.”

“I don’t believe that. But,” Rebecca continued, surrendering her argument. For now. “When you’re ready to fight, I’ll be here to support you.”

“You are…”

“Stubborn?”

“Annoying.” Eve winked. “Now, can I tell you why I asked you here?”

Since Rebecca knew she was getting no further with this topic, she nodded in agreement. Besides, she was curious as to why she was summoned to the gallery.

“You came to me months ago asking me to help you sell the club. I have sent you countless potential buyers and you’ve denied all of them. Do you really want to sell?”

Rebecca blinked. “I—um, yes?” The question caught her off-guard. So much had happened between the time she decided to sell and now. Miranda, the gallery opening, getting engaged, Ellie’s accident, Hunter and Ellie’s wedding, the trial. Selling the club was never a top priority. She still wanted to sell. Right? She lifted her hand to scratch her head and was startled when Eve caught it.

“Something you want to tell me?” Eve asked staring at the engagement ring.

“Oh!” Rebecca had forgotten that she and Cassidy had kept their engagement a secret. The night that Cassidy proposed to her was the best night of her life. Then they found out that Hunter and Ellie were having problems with Susan. After that, one thing after another kept happening and it never seemed like the right time to be ecstatically happy. Recently, things had settled down and Rebecca decided it was time to wear her ring. The thing she kept forgetting to do now was actually tell people. “Cassidy asked me to marry her.” Rebecca smiled broadly, turning her hand this way and that to give Eve a better view.

“Congratulations!” She gave Rebecca a quick hug. “When did this happen?”

“Months ago,” Rebecca laughed. “But…”

“But you’re a good friend and you kept your happiness to yourself during challenging times,” Eve guessed.

Rebecca lifted a shoulder. “There’s that. And we were being selfish, wanting to keep it to ourselves for a while. A while just turned out to be much longer than we expected.”

Eve chuckled. “Well, it’s a beautiful ring. I’m happy for you and Cass. Is that why you’re hesitant on selling?”

“Not hesitant, really. But with everything else, it sort of slipped my mind. Which is why I thought it would be best to let you handle it.”

“Alright. Well, it hasn’t slipped mine. I received an offer a few days ago. It was a fantastic offer.”

“I see. Do you have the offer? I can take it to Cassidy and we’ll discuss it.”

“No need. I made an executive decision and accepted the offer.”

Rebecca’s jaw dropped. “You did what? How? Why? That was not your decision to make! I don’t care who you are, Eve Sumptor, this is my club. I…” She stopped cold when Eve practically shoved a paper in her face.

“Read, Mistress.”

Rebecca snatched the papers from Eve’s hands and flipped through them angrily. Her eyes snapped up after she read the name on the papers.

“Is this a joke, Eve?”

Eve shook her head. “No joke. There are conditions which are listed, but I don’t think you’ll have any objections.”

“You should have talked to me.”

“Perhaps. I’m an extremely good business woman, Rebecca. My track record speaks for itself. It’s why you came to me in the first place. In situations like this, it’s better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.”

Rebecca gave her a cunning smile. “Be glad I’m not your Mistress.”

“I’m counting my blessings,” Eve grinned with a wink.

SHE TOOK IN her surroundings as she walked into the club. Posh leathers in red, black, and white shared the space with lace in the same color scheme. Men and women who work here are donned in leather as well. Masks hid their identities, but not their intentions. They chose their subs for the night—or an hour at a time—by handing them a color-coded card.

She dodged all of them and headed straight to the VIP area. Settling in on the plush leather couch, she continued to watch those around her. The men in masks carried themselves with an air of arrogance. She imagined it was needed to be a good Dom. But it was the women, as usual, that caught her attention. It wasn’t arrogance for most. It was a confidence that couldn’t be denied. She wondered if the masks helped and if they were vulnerable when the masks came off.