Page 30 of Theirs to Desire (Club M: Boxed Set)

brODY

I wake up early. Fiona’s still asleep next to me, but Adrian’s missing. I get out of bed and head outside, pretty certain I’ll find him on the dock.

I do. He’s sitting at the edge, his feet in the water, a cup of coffee in his hand. “I figured you’d be up soon enough,” he says. “Got you one too.”

“Thanks.” I take a sip. The two of us sit in silence, lost in our own thoughts, until the sound of a car draws me out of my reverie. “Someone’s coming down the lane.”

“After last night, my money’s on Xavier,” Adrian replies.

Sure enough, when the Range Rover pulls up to a stop, Xavier Leforte gets out and heads our way. “So,” he says cautiously as he nears us, “I brought a few bottles of wine as a peace offering. How furious are you?”

“Pretty fucking furious,” Adrian answers evenly. “Start talking, Xavier. No more secrets. Fiona was badly traumatized last night, and you better have a fucking good reason.”

“I didn’t know.” He kicks off his loafers and sits down on the dock. “I promise you, I had no idea.” He stares at the water for several long minutes. “I reviewed the tapes last night. I’m sorry. Had I known she’d react that way, I’d have never offered her the job.”

“Is the job even real?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

I open my mouth to tell him exactly what I think of that particular deflection, but before I can speak, he continues. “In February, Raymond Downing was in Thailand for a two-week vacation. He goes every year. Rents himself a mansion just outside Bangkok. Hires a few girls to pleasure him.”

“Prostitutes.”

Xavier nods grimly. “The girls are poor. They’re feeding their families the only way they know how. They don’t have anyone to complain to if Downing gets a bit rough.”

I draw in a slow, steady breath. “He got too rough?”

“Yes. One of the girls died. Of course, it got swept under the table. Downing bribed some cops, his father pulled a few strings, and everything was hushed up. After all, who cares if a poor prostitute gets killed?”

“Does the senator know?”

Xavier shrugs. “Maybe. Maybe not. Downing is getting his money from somewhere, and his father is the most likely source.”

“He goes every year, you said.” Adrian surveys Xavier steadily. “Was this the first time?”

The Belgian laughs bitterly. “Oh, I very much doubt it. This time though, something was different. Layla was there.”

“Your Layla?”

There’s a brief flicker of pain in his eyes, gone almost before I catch it.

“She’s hardly my Layla anymore,” he says, his eyes focused on the water.

“She’s working at a non-profit in Bangkok.

The dead prostitute’s younger sister worked with Layla.

She was crying one day. Layla asked why.

One thing led to another, and she found out. ”

The sharp, hot edge of my anger blunts a little. Xavier would walk through fire for Layla.

“She was planning to take matters into her own hands,” he says heavily. “If Downing died, his father would move heaven and earth to track his son’s killer down. The trail would have eventually led to her. And I cannot allow that. ”

“So you let Downing join the club,” Adrian says. “That’s why you wanted to catch him in something. To protect Layla.”

It’ll always be Layla Shleifer for Xavier Leforte.

“Yes.” Xavier takes a deep breath. “I owe Fiona an apology. To keep Layla safe, I risked her, and I shouldn’t have. I will pay her for the job, of course. I’ll find another way to deal with Raymond.”

Adrian sips his coffee. “You’re in luck,” he says, his tone dry. “She wants to go back.”

“She does?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” His lips twist. “If it were my decision to make, she’d go nowhere near Club M as long as there was any chance of Downing being there.”

“But?”

“But Downing controlled her every move and restricted her autonomy, and I don’t want to do that. As much as I want to growl and rage and forbid her from ever setting foot inside your stupid club again, I can’t.”

“My stupid club? Thanks.” He gives Adrian a direct look. “I’m going to put all my cards on the table. If Downing realizes he’s falling into a trap, he could get vicious. How do you feel about Fiona putting herself in danger?”

Sandy had thrown herself into danger all the time. She shouldn’t have been on the slopes that day in Vermont. The visibility had been poor, and she’d been out of practice, but she’d insisted she could do the black diamond slope.

The accident wasn’t Sandy’s fault. It wasn’t Adrian’s either.

Sometimes, bad things happen. It’s random and unfair and heartbreaking, but it doesn’t mean that anyone is responsible.

Sandy lived life to the fullest. It was who she was.

For us to curtail her activities would have been to deny her a part of herself.

How do you feel about Fiona putting herself in danger? I hear the question that’s buried underneath Xavier’s question. If something were to happen to Fiona, will Adrian blame himself?

Yes. As sure as my name is Brody Alexander Payne, I know that Adrian will hold himself responsible. It’s what he does.

“I don’t like it,” Adrian responds. “But it’s not my call. She says she needs to face her fears.”

Xavier rolls his eyes. “She’s not the only one who needs to do that,” he says, getting to his feet. “Are you coming back to the club tonight?”

“No,” I reply. Fiona needs some space first, and I have to admit, I really want to get to know her better.

Not Fifi the submissive, but Fiona Clarke, the woman.

“We’re going to hang out here. Eat some food.

Drink some wine. Take the boat out. It’s supposed to be a lovely weekend. I’m planning on enjoying it.”

“I’ll see you next week then.” A smile tips the corners of his mouth. “I’ll leave the wine on the porch. Enjoy your weekend.”