Page 85 of His Toy

EPILOGUE

some months later

Heather

You would think that after a few months of spending almost all hours of the day with someone, there’d be no way they could keep a secret from you. But you should try living with Zaid.

But it was a secret I could accept. For now. It was more of a surprise, anyway.

A black sash covered my eyes, but the leather seat on my palms, the lights blurring through the fabric—I knew we were driving somewhere. Zaid kept his hand on my thigh the entire way.

After parking the car, Zaid opened my door and helped me stand. The laughter echoed down to us, but I could hear water too, sloshing back and forth in an even, soothing rhythm. When he removed the blindfold, I blinked my eyes. A sprawling modern house, romantic like a villa, was lit up, people waiting on the porch, smoking and talking, in various stages of undress. My jaw dropped.

“A party?” I asked.

“I figured you’d want to see Lake Mead,” Zaid said.

I took his arm, nuzzling his side. Though he had been an entertainer when it came to business relationships, Zaid wasn’t a social person by choice. So when it came to potential surprises, a party wouldn’t have been my first guess. But a trip to Lake Mead? That, I could understand.

“Zaid, you made it!” a man in a top hat said. He looked vaguely familiar. Maybe he was from Club Hades? “And I see you brought the shining star.”

“This is Heather,” he said. I cautiously touched my collar, then stuck out a hand.

“Pleased to meet you,” I said.

“What’s this I hear about Veil Security Services being sold?” a woman in a broad collar asked. Her legs were sprawled over an adult-sized tricycle, decorated with leather.

“I’m back to community work,” Zaid said.

Among the coos of surprise at the business decision, a voice cut through.

“Dr. Evans has been asking if you arrived.”

“Thanks. We’ll find him,” Zaid said.

Inside, the house was decorated with extreme care. It had a modern, rustic feel. A man with salt peppered dark hair, trimmed like his facial hair, offered a hand to Zaid. He was tall, a bit taller than Zaid, and was toned.

“Dr. Evans,” Zaid said, taking his hand.

“Glad you could finally make it to one of these Afterglow events I get roped into hosting,” he said.

Zaid grinned at the words. “How is it?” he asked.

“What do I have to complain about?” Dr. Evans said. He turned to me. “You must be Heather.”

Zaid squeezed my hand. “This is Dr. Evans, one of my oldest friends,” he said.

“I’m only ten years older than him. Don’t let that ‘old’ talk fool you.” Dr. Evans smiled, then said, “I can’t believe someone finally shacked you up. A collar?” He gestured at the metal around my neck. “He’s a lucky man.”

“And you, Dr. Evans?” Zaid put an arm around me. “Do you have any partners as of late?”

“I’m up for tenure review this year,” he said. “No time.”

“You’ll get it.”

“I better.” But then Dr. Evans paused, looking off, as if he could see into the distance behind us. “There is a woman though. Mara. She’s...interesting.” Before Zaid opened his mouth, Dr. Evans added, “A student though. Nothing more,” he said with finality to his words.

After some mingling, I went to the kitchen to get us drinks, skipping the scotch, finding a bottle of wine. Taking two stemmed glasses from a hanging rack, I rummaged through the drawers and finally found a corkscrew.