Lex let out a big breath and groaned, “Careful, if you say her name three times in a row, she appears like Beetlejuice.”
Knox snorted, and Hannah giggled, but I just listened.
“What do you want to know, exactly?” Lex finally followed up, figuring out that Hannah wasn’t that easy to brush off. Her investigative journalism nature ran strong inside of her.
“You two were together?” Hannah asked as I stared up at the ceiling.
“In a way.” Lex admitted, “I met her shortly after I moved here at an—” She paused, “event.”
“A kink party?” Knox guessed, and Lex groaned again.
“Yeah. I went for the fun of it, not expecting much.”
“And found Syndey.” Hannah finished, “What happened?”
“She sank her claws into me so far I never saw the blood until it was too late.”
I could hear the pain in her voice as she spoke, but couldn’t understand why exactly she didn’t hide it. Maybe it was from her tiredness, or maybe she just felt comfortable sharing secrets in the dark.
Maybe there was hope after all.
“She’s an abuser, isn’t she?” I asked, surprising everyone, I was sure.
“The worst kind,” Lex admitted. “She alienates you and keeps you all to herself until you have no one left in your life but her. The entire time you’re so enamored and engrossed, that you don’t see how dangerous it is until she gets bored and throws you away like trash. And by then, you have no one left in your life to pick your pieces up. I was an easy target, being that I just moved here and was all alone except for people from Twisted Ink. I made it too easy for her to get away with.”
“She was your Domme?” Knox surmised.
“Yes,” Lex admitted, and again, I was sure it was only the darkness that gave her the bravery to open herself up. I couldn’t admit it, but something inside of me snarled, imagining that woman abusing the relationship between a Domme and a sub. “And my last. I promised I’d never give control away to anyone else, ever again. I can’t.”
Me. She was talking about me.
She’d never give herself to me because that woman destroyed the sacred relationship built on trust and understanding. Once again, as soon as I imagined that bond between us actually being possible, even if it wasn’t sexual, she closed it. Locking herself away behind more walls and armor.
I kissed Hannah’s forehead and gently got out of bed.
“Where are you going?” She asked and Knox turned on his bedside light as all three of them looked at me.
“Work.” I sighed, walking into the closet. “I forgot I have something to take care of today.”
“What is it?” Knox snapped. “I don’t remember there being anything on the books so pressing that you can’t get a few hours of sleep before dealing with it.”
“Don’t worry about it, Knox.” I got dressed, but I could feel their eyes on me with every piece of clothing I put on. “Go to sleep, you all need your rest.”
“You’re running.” Hannah sighed, sitting up in bed and bringing the sheet with her, suddenly hiding herself from me.
Just like I was hiding myself from her. From all of them.
Because I was the problem in the mix, keeping Lex from giving herself to them freely.
I was too dominant for her and for the second time in my life; I hated how I regretted the very core of my being. Like I should be something different.
Like I should just turn it off.
“Stay.” Lex tried sitting up. “I’ll go.”
“No.” I held my hand up, and she instantly stopped moving. “It’s fine. Knox can take you back to your car later.”
I didn’t stick around to hear anything else they had to say as I walked out of the bedroom and through the dark house. I got on my bike and tore out of the driveway as everything weighed down on my shoulders like it had so many years ago when I walked away from everything I ever knew for something I wanted more.
Years ago, the thing I’d wanted most was Hannah and Knox. However, this time, I was the very thing standing in the way of them getting what they wanted most.
Lex.
Chapter 23 – Hannah
“This is fantastic,” I whispered in awe as the film crew and photographers set up the scene for the shoot inside Twisted Ink. “I can see it coming together already.”
“It’s going to be amazing.” Reyna rubbed her palms together excitedly as we lurked from the side as the magic came to life. “That is, if Lex ever shows. Have you spoken to her?”
“Uh—” I stammered, the conversation took me by surprise, making me feel as if I had been caught red-handed. “No, why would you think I’ve spoken to her?”
Reyna scowled slightly and shook her head, “Because you orchestrated this entire shoot for her—” She faced me and crossed her arms as a blush built over my face at the obvious answer she was looking for. “Unless you thought I meant—”
“No!” I shook my head, cutting her off. “The shoot. Duh. No, she hasn’t reached out today about that. I told her to be here at eight.” I stammered and avoided eye contact at all costs.
“Interesting.” Rey mused, staring right into my mind. “You thought I meant because you were sleeping with her.”
“Reyna!” I hushed and pulled her further away from the men and women I worked with all the time. “I am not—”
