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“Madam, a guest has pulled up.” The maid disappeared from the doorway before Monique could give her any orders.Great. She hated these situations. Rarely did she run out of available employees, but this was such a weird night that she was kicking herself even harder.

I need. To replace. Sybil.No more falling into her pits of lovesickness. No more running off to get screwed in every orifice. Well, not until she took care of her other responsibilities first.By this time next week, I will have my fifth employee again. Until then, she would have to come up with some way to make this woman happy. Damnit, Yvette. Clients were impatient. They didn’t like being turned down in a house of pleasure. Especially when their only crime was having imperfect timing.

She went to the foyer and waited. And waited. Some commotion erupted outside. Nothing bad, but there was certainly some confusion, some misheard words, and a flippant comment that brought the doorman inside with a look of “we’ve got a live one” on his face.

Monique steeled herself. She wouldn’t dare. Oh, yes, she would. Yet it wasn’t Jacqueline who walked through the door. She doubted security would let her get that far anyway. Instead,she soon discovered that the reason her staff was so confused was because the guest gracing the foyer was one of the least likely to arrive, let alone…alone.

“Monique! I didn’t expect you to greet me yourself.” Eve Warner, dressed in a navy-blue Versace suit and wearing enough makeup to scare off a kick line, handed her coat to a maid and spared the madam another look. “Nice choker.”

Without thinking, Monique’s fingers went to the collar around her throat.The black one studded with diamonds.For a sub like her, it was basically a wedding ring. “Thank you.” She shook the strange thoughts from her head. “Can I help… what are you doing here?”

“I don’t know. What am I doing here?” Eve was so like her sister and yet completely different. They both could play long, coy games that must be how the Warners made all their money in generations past. Yet Eve was very open when she was playing a game. Helen liked to horde it inside her, only letting people in on her dirty secret when it was time to spring the surprise on them. So, Eve knew damn well what she was doing here… but she wasn’t telling Monique a damn thing until the time was right.

Well, Monique would not let anyone, least of all someone in Helen’s family, say she was not a competent hostess. After Eve secured her coat and large purse in the guarded closet, Monique led her to the Receiving Room, where she offered her Mistress’s sister a drink. Eve took a whisky highball, because of course she was the type of woman to drink one of the manliest drinks available. Monique wasn’t disparaging her. She was trying to figure her out.

“I must say I am surprised to see you here.” They were alone in the room, the door closed while Monique sorted out this situation. “I never thought I would…”

“Come on, we’re practically family now.” Eve crossed her legs and leaned back in a leather chair, her demeanor screaming“I own places like this.”Under normal circumstances, Monique would find this scene exciting, or at least a puzzle to solve, but given their relationship it was nothing short of confusing. “Be candid. I’m used to it.”

Monique didn’t even know what she would say that would classify as candid. “Why are you here, Eve?”

“Hmph. You know, I was always curious about this place, but a girl like me never knows how she’ll be accepted or treated. I’m a bitch, not because I’m kinky, but because I have to put up with the bullshit people around us hurl at me. It’s not easy… being like me.”

“Of course.” Although Helen hadn’t said anything, Monique pegged Eve as queer from the moment they met.Except Eve isn’t quite like her sister.Helen blended into any traditional crowd, whether they required her to wear a dress or silkily laugh to please a crowd of male businessmen. Eve? Everything about her exuded the idea that she bowed to no man, let alone wore adresswillingly.Amazing how two daughters could be similar yet so unalike.“You are the first Warner woman to come through here. Aside from your sister, of course. But she had a mission.”To get me.

“Oh? There have been other women besides Helen?” Evelyn didn’t wait for the details. “Do you know Kathleen Allen?”

“Not personally. I’ve certainly heard of her.” Kathleen Allen was one of the richest women in the country. Monique also had it on good authority that she took on both male and female subs. Ms. Allen was not shy around Midnight.

“I was hoping she may have come here before. She’s a good friend of mine.”

“I’m afraid I haven’t seen her around.”

“Damn.” Eve drank some of her highball before setting it on a coaster. “I actually have other reasons for being here. It’s about my sister.”

Monique perked up. “Has something happened?”

“Goodness, no. As far as I know she’s in Madrid scaring a business we own there. Someone has not been performing, and…” Eve grinned. “They’re getting the Warner treatment.”

Is that so?Monique was still interested in seeing how Helen worked outside of the bedroom.She must be effective at her job if she can manage so much.

“My sister is a subtle woman.” Eve cut into Monique’s thoughts like a knife through moist cake. “A subtle woman who gets her way. For God’s sake, how long did she chase you?”

Monique didn’t answer.

“Yes, yes, sorry. Keep in mind this is my sister we’re talking about. There’s something I need to make clear to you, however. It’s about… well, she told me that you knew about Jacqueline sniffing around our place.”

Monique squared her shoulders. “She explained it to me. I understand that your father owes her money.”

“Bit of a blunder, isn’t it?”

Laughter bubbled in Monique’s throat, but this was no laughing matter.

“Look, the two of us can’t control our idiot father. Likewise, she can’t control us. Helen and I have been doing a lot of talking about how to free our family’s name from someone like Love’s. Especially now that you’re in the picture.”

“I apologize for the inconvenience.”

“Don’t give me your submissive shit, dear. You don’t have to impress me.”