Page 14 of Whips and Chains (Saint View Murder Squad #2)

VIOLET

N yah and I finished the rest of the houses booked for that afternoon without my entourage following us around. I had no idea where they’d disappeared to after I’d shut X down, but instead of feeling relief they had done as I’d said, all I felt was disappointment.

And a low dose of fear.

I’d gotten used to at least one of them being with me at all times, even if they were just watching my apartment from the street. Without that, I suddenly felt very alone and very vulnerable.

I hated that they were right. Hated that having them watch over me had made me feel safe.

Hated I’d realized it too late.

At least I had Nyah. She was sweet and chatty, and she’d worked hard all afternoon.

She was a couple of years younger than me and completely opposite in terms of appearance.

Where I was tall and fair, she was shorter and dark.

Her long hair was almost black, and her eyes matched.

We’d talked about all sorts of things as we’d worked, none of it very deep or personal, and she hadn’t pushed me to talk about why I’d had three men following me around, which I’d appreciated because I didn’t know what I’d say if she did.

She didn’t realize it, but she’d been the one thing to get me through a day I would have otherwise just spent lying in bed, crying over Toby.

I didn’t want that. Not yet. I didn’t have the luxury of falling apart, and I knew if I let myself start down that road of grief, I might never be able to pull myself out of it.

No, it was much better to focus on work.

Or the way I couldn’t stop thinking about how close I’d come to kissing X, or where all three guys had disappeared to.

I walked Nyah back to Clean Sweep and happily reported to Francine that Nyah was amazing.

I knew it might cost me shifts, but it was the truth, and I wouldn’t play down how great she’d been just to save my own skin.

If Francine was still harboring grudges over me losing clients, then there was nothing I could do to change her mind. None of that was Nyah’s fault.

But Francine was in a great mood, and she smiled at both of us before shooing us out the door and telling us to “go be young and have fun.”

I eyed the door suspiciously as it closed behind us. “She was oddly chirpy.”

Nyah glanced back through the glass door at Francine, who was smiling at something on her computer screen. “Maybe she has a hot date tonight.”

I smiled at the thought, Mrs. Sinterro on my mind. “I hope so. Francine can be a grump at times, but nobody deserves to grow old alone. I hope she finds someone who makes her happy.”

I suspected I was talking about myself as much as my boss.

Nyah nudged me with her elbow. “You see that place across the road? I hear it’s a secret sex club.”

I chuckled. “It is. I just started working there. Actually, I have a shift tonight.”

Nyah’s mouth dropped open. “Get the fuck out. Are the rumors true?”

I nodded. “Yep.”

“Holy shit. I really thought that was an urban legend.” She stared at the creepy clown mural like it was some sort of gateway to Narnia.

“You want to go? I’m sure I can get you in tonight if you want to,” I offered.

She clutched my arm. “Shut up. You cannot. I would die.”

I laughed. “I’ll be working so I might not be able to hang out with you all night or anything, but you can sit at the bar…or mingle…if you prefer.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Mingle as in…”

“Get naked and fuck a stranger?” I grinned. “Sure, if you want to.”

She shook her head fast. “I think that might be a bit much for me, but I definitely want to come and sit at the bar and watch…” She cringed. “Wait, that sounded bad, didn’t it? I don’t want you to think I’m some sort of perv…”

I gave her a quick hug. “I don’t think that. I get being curious. It’s definitely an experience. Go home and get changed. My shift doesn’t start ’til ten, and the place will be in full swing by then so we can make an entrance together. Meet me out front five minutes early?”

Nyah nodded, excitement dancing in her eyes. “I’ll be there.”

We parted ways, but instead of calling Fang for a pickup, like I’d promised I would, I caught a taxi back to my apartment.

The road in front was empty of ice cream vans, motorbikes, or silver sedans, and that sense of loneliness deepened. I’d been stupid to get so mad at them when they’d only been trying to protect me.

Because the alternative was this. Peering into the shadows nervously. Looking over my shoulder as I collected my mail from the box in the foyer and climbed the dingy stairs to my apartment.

I was completely alone, and if someone dragged me off to some new house of horrors, there would be nobody to hear my screams.

At my apartment, I paused, realizing something was different.

It took me a good moment to realize it was the lock. It was brand-new and shiny, a dead bolt that was a big upgrade on the flimsy thing that had been there earlier.

A piece of my heart squeezed, knowing it was Levi or Whip who had installed it. I couldn’t see X knowing one end of a toolbox from the other, but this had Levi and Whip written all over it.

Only problem was, I had no key to open it, but a quick search through my mail solved that problem. A yellow envelope had my name in the center, written in Levi’s messy scrawl that I loved so much.

I opened it, and a key fell into my palm.

But there was no letter. No note.

I fought off the disappointment and let myself into the apartment.

I wouldn’t stay here long. I couldn’t even let myself look in the direction of Toby’s bedroom.

I just needed the outfit I’d bought to wear at Psychos, since my dowdy black pants and blouse hadn’t really been the vibe last time.

In my rush to get out of the apartment that morning, I hadn’t even thought to pack it.

I yanked open the drawers in my bedroom and pulled it out, still not sure I would have the guts to wear it, but Toby’s voice was loud in my head.

You better put that on and wear it with pride, girly pop. Slay like the queen you are.

Emotion threatened to overwhelm me, so I rushed out, closing the door behind me.

Unshed tears blinded my eyes, so I didn’t even see Devin in the hallway until I walked right into him. He caught me, steadying me, his voice gravelly when he said my name. “Violet.”

One glance up at him told me he already knew. That my worrying over whether I would have to be the one to tell him had been in vain.

His expression was full of pain, and he swallowed thickly. “Is it true?”

I barely knew Devin. He and Toby had only been dating a short while, but the anguish on his face cut deep.

All I could do was nod and whisper, “I’m so sorry.”

He nodded, looking numb. Then he glanced down at me. “I’m so sorry, I can see you’re on your way out, but I left some things in his room I’d like to get…”

I nodded, quickly opening up the lock again for him. “Of course. Go ahead. I need to get to work, but just close the door on your way out, okay?”

I was sure he could use a moment to grieve alone and in private. He certainly seemed like he was battling to keep it together there in the hallway.

He nodded. “Thank you.”

He seemed so utterly broken I couldn’t help myself. I stepped in and wrapped my arms around him, squeezing him tight.

Then walked away, because his grief was so thick that if I stayed a second longer, I knew it would consume me.

I put on my outfit and did my makeup in the guest bathroom at my brother’s place. At nine, I called an Uber and started making my way downstairs to wait for it.

But Fang, asleep with his head on Wolf’s mattress, the rest of him sitting on the floor, caught my eye from the doorway of the little boy’s bedroom.

I stifled a laugh when Wolf waved his chubby hand at me.

“Go to sleep now, okay?” I whispered to him.

He squeezed his eyes shut and made an overexaggerated snoring sound.

I swallowed down my giggle so as to not wake my brother. He clearly needed the sleep, and with so many kids, I couldn’t blame him for getting some wherever he could. Wolf seemed quite happy to have one of his dads there with him, even if he was sleeping on the job.

Downstairs, I found Rebel, Vaughn, and Kian all curled up on the couch together, a movie flickering in the darkness, but all three of them gazing down at the baby in Rebel’s arms.

My heart gave a tiny squeeze, though I wasn’t one-hundred-percent sure why.

I didn’t want babies right now. Hell, I had nobody to have babies with.

I barely knew Whip, I was mad at Levi because we could just not get our shit together at all, and X was completely insane…

though he would make the prettiest babies.

I gave myself a shake. I was missing a whole bunch of steps I needed to take before I could get myself from where I was right now, to snuggled on a couch with a baby and three men who loved me as much as Rebel’s guys loved her.

Vaughn was the first to notice me. “Going to your shift at Psychos? You need me to drive you?”

“I’ve got an Uber on the way. I’ll be fine. But thank you.”

He nodded and went back to stroking his youngest daughter’s soft hair while she fed.

Rebel glanced up at me. All the hard edges she’d had in the car earlier that day when she’d been fired up and ready to fight on my behalf had melted away, and all that was left was the mom and partner who loved her family more than anything else.

“Have a good shift. I hear Dax from the tattoo shop is down there tonight, doing flash pieces.” She grinned, a little of her sass breaking through the mom routine.

“Do not come home with a tattoo on your pussy.”

I choked on that. “What?”

Kian couldn’t keep his amusement off his face. “At least get a good one if you do. Something pretty.”

“Not a guy’s name,” Rebel added.

Kian glanced at her. “You did—”

“And I think that’s my cue to leave. Pretty sure I hear my Uber outside. Have a good night, you guys.” I scuttled out of the room before I could hear any more about how Rebel may or may not have my brother’s name tattooed on her vag.

Outside, my Uber had arrived, so I got inside and texted Nyah that I was on my way.

I checked a few other notifications, but by the time I looked up from my phone, I realized I wasn’t sure where we were.

I peered out the window, but nothing outside was familiar, just dark houses in a suburban neighborhood.

I leaned forward to speak to the driver. “I’m going to Psychos in Saint View. I’m not sure we’re going the right way.”

“We are,” came back a deep voice. “This is a shortcut. There’s traffic on the main roads.”

A tiny alarm bell went off in the back of my head. “There’s traffic at this time of night?”

“Road work.”

I supposed that could be true, but a shiver ran down my spine anyway.

I checked the driver information on the app and then tried to catch a glimpse of his face from the back seat, but he had a baseball cap sitting low on his brow, and it cast shadows across the top half of his face, leaving me only his lips to identify him with.

I couldn’t tell if this guy was the registered driver or not.

And I really did not recognize this part of town.

It quickly dawned on me it didn’t matter. If this guy wasn’t going to Psychos, then he was taking me somewhere else.

Everything that had happened last night in that warehouse came rushing back in bright, vivid color, and my stomach churned in sick panic.

“Pull over please. Just here is fine.”

The man shook his head. “Relax. I’ll get you to your destination.”

I was pretty sure telling me to relax was the absolute least relaxing thing he could have said in that moment. “No, please, let me out.”

I hated that I was being so polite, but it was what had been drummed into me my entire life. To never rock the boat. To just be a good girl and go along with whatever I was told because otherwise my foster parents might send me back.

Now I just felt jammed up with fear.

My brain rolled through every fact I knew about kidnappings and abductions, the main one sticking in my head that you could never let them take you to a second location.

And here I was, willingly getting in the car so they could drive me wherever the hell they wanted.

I reached for the door handle, doing the mental math about how fast we were going and whether I could truly throw myself out of a moving vehicle. The point quickly became moot, since the door was locked, and no amount of flicking at the lock opened it. The child locks had been engaged.

With shaking fingers, I took out my phone again, praying that this time, unlike when I’d been locked in that warehouse, I would have enough signal to make a call.

My finger pressed down on X’s number.

“Here you go,” the driver announced as we made a turn out of a side street and onto the main road. “See? Your club is just up there.”

I’d never been so relieved to see a freaky, sharp-toothed clown in my entire life.

I quickly cancelled the call, hoping I had been quick enough it wouldn’t register on X’s end.

“This is close enough,” I told the man. “The parking lot will be busy, and I can walk the rest of the way.”

He nodded, steering the car over. “You have a good night.” The child locks clicked off.

I tried to thank him as I stumbled out into the darkness, just half a block away from the club.

The cool night air was the relief I needed to cool my hot cheeks.

The car drove away, and I closed my eyes for the tiniest of seconds, just melting into the relief that none of that had been what I’d thought it was.

But closing my eyes was a mistake.

Because it meant I didn’t see the man step out of the Saint View shadows.

I just felt his fingers wrap around my wrist and the sharp tug as he dragged me into the alley.