Page 47 of Rogue Royal

“We have a couple of streets to go before we get there.”

“Okay.”

“If anything happens, get out of there.”

Mav tensed. “You’re scaring me now.”

“I shouldn’t have brought you, but I don’t know how else to get you to believe me. Quinn’s Dom is at work on a night shift, but there is always the chance he’ll return early. If that happens, get out of the house as soon as you can. Don’t wait for me.”

“I can’t leave without you!”

Douglas stared at him. “Yes, you can and will.”

Mav sniffed, fidgeting with his coat cuff. “Okay.”

They exited the car and strolled down the street as if they were trailing home after visiting a pub. Douglas studied their surroundings along the way, as did Mav, then Douglas pointed to a house on their left. He knocked quietly, and a tall, slender man, who had a shock of red hair, immediately opened it.

They entered the house, and Douglas introduced him. “Quinn, this is Mav, who I mentioned in my message.”

“Nice to meet you, Mav.”

“You, too.”

“Come on in. I’ve made some tea.”

Quinn led the way through the modestly decorated house, indicating for them to sit while he fetched the drinks. They sat next to each other to allow Quinn to sit opposite when he returned.

Once they settled with drinks, Douglas said, “You know why I’m here?”

Quinn tilted his head. “I don’t know for definite, but I’ve heard some rumours.”

Douglas glanced at Mav with a frown, noticing he, too, wasn’t happy with the news. “Where are the rumours from?” It wasn’t Mav’s place to ask, but he couldn’t find it in him to care.

“Subs talk between themselves, as I’m sure Masters do. We know when to keep quiet.”

Douglas continued; he was already here. It wouldn’t make much more of a problem whether he left now or later.

He leaned forward, placing his cup on the table. “I wanted to check up on you and make sure you’re doing okay. As you said, subs know when to keep quiet, and it’s not always a good thing. I need to make sure you know you can talk to me or any other person if you’re having problems you can’t talk to your Master about.”

“I’m doing fine, Your Highness. Thank you for checking. Master is…” Quinn sighed. “Master is everything I’d ever dreamed he could be.” Quinn frowned.

“What is it?”

“While I’m doing okay, I don’t think Kendal is.”

Douglas threaded his fingers and rested his elbows on his knees. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve seen bruising that doesn’t appear to match the activities he says he takes part in.” Quinn returned his cup to his saucer and crossed his legs. “At first, I brushed it off, but last month, he was walking gingerly and refused to talk about it. He’s not been back to the club since.”

Douglas tried to bring the sub’s face to mind, but he couldn’t. “I know he’s on my list to check. I’m slowly getting through everyone.”

“And we appreciate it more than you know. I know you’ve helped several people remove themselves from unpleasant situations.”

Douglas didn’t confirm or deny the words. He couldn’t. Those subs would go through a tough time for several months or years to come because he hadn’t seen what was going on early enough. He wasn’t taking the praise when he wasn’t doing a good enough job.

“I’ll ensure Kendal is next on my list.”

“Thank you.”