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ChapterThree
Emerging from the shower after a lengthy semi-therapeutic cry, I spied the pile of clothes waiting for me on the chaise.If I let him, Tony would take care of me, at least for a while.But I was a smart girl and knew tending to an emotional cripple took a staggering toll.Not only was it taxing, but it drained you and claimed a piece of your soul.There was no way I’d put Tony through that shit.
Dragging the towel through my hair, I pulled on the clothes he’d left me.Staring at the socks on my feet, they reminded me of clown shoes.Glancing up in the mirror, I shook my head.I looked like a poster child for a thrift store.
The doorbell rang as I hung up my wet clothes.Wonderful.It was probably Tony’s girlfriend or a pain slut looking for relief.“Just my luck,” I grumbled under my breath.The thought of him explaining to anyone why he was babysitting an emotional wreck made my skin crawl.Why did I let him bring me to his house in the first place?
“Because the bitches of Rockford Estates changed the fucking locks,” I murmured in disgust.
“Enough is enough,” I scolded as I started digging through my purse.I needed to call Julianna and ask if she and Mika could pick me up or drop off my car.The need to get out from under Tony’s roof pressed in heavily.Plucking out my phone, I punched in Julianna’s number.Raising the device to my ear, I expected to hear her sweet hello.What I heard instead was a computerized message.
“We’re sorry, but your account is no longer in service.Please contact our billing department if you have questions regarding your contract.Goodbye.”
“What the hell?Who turned off my phone?”As the words spilled from my lips, anger began to pump through me.Sloane or Hayden.They’d been a couple of busy bitches while I was at Mika and Julianna’s crying my eyes out.
“Motherfucking whores,” I hissed, and I threw my phone back inside my purse.“Those motherfuck—”
“Leagh?”Tony tapped on the open door, interrupting my litany of un-ladylike curses.
“What?”I snapped.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hayden or Sloane cancelled the service on my cell phone.”
His expression of worry morphed into disgust.“Don’t worry about it.I’ll take you out so you can buy another.”
“No.I’ll do it,” I replied curtly.Closing my eyes, I exhaled.“I’m sorry, Tony.I know you’re trying to help, but I just need my car, so I can get out of your hair.”
“You’re welcome to stay with—”
“No.Don’t even say it.”I raised my hand and cut him off.“I’m not staying here.I appreciate the offer and the help you’ve given me today, but I can’t stay.”
Even as the words rolled off my tongue, I thought how easy it would be to let Tony take care of me.But I’d be a fool to ignore what the constant power struggle between us would entail.Me, needing time to heal and start a new life; him, exerting his dominance and taking control over every aspect of it.Not to mention the sexual temptation I’d be faced with day in and day out.It was a no-win situation.
“You could; you just don’t want to.”Tony smirked.His sexy brown eyes twinkled, and a shiver skittered through me.Yeah, it was much safer for me if I left.“We’ll discuss that later, but right now, you’ve got some visitors downstairs.”
“Who?”
“The gang from the club.Mika called to see if you got home okay.I explained what happened and told him I’d brought you here.So, he spread the word, and they came by here to see you.Come on.”With a nod toward the door, Tony extended his hand.I didn’t accept, for fear his touch would set off my precarious libido again.I needed to cling to what little sanity I had left.
As I followed him down the stairs, the familiar timbre of Drake’s and Mika’s voices hummed through the air.I imagined the two bantering, like always, and a roar of laughter all but confirmed my suspicions.The two Doms had been friends for years and loved to swap stories from their past.
I forced a smile before rounding the corner and spied Mika, Julianna, Drake, Trevor, Nick, Dylan, and Savannah, all seated in Tony’s cozy family room.Drake and Mika held everyone’s rapt attention.
“And I’d just finished uncuffing Trevor when Drake leaned in on the cross.”Mika’s eyes danced in delight as he recounted his story.“There was this loud crack of splintering wood, and the next thing we know, Drake is face-first on the floor, still gripping the top of the cross.I nearly pissed myself laughing once I made sure he was okay.”
“Hey,” Drake barked with a grin.“At least I didn’t enroll in a macrame class just to learn how to tie knots.”
“No, you enlisted in the Navy,” Mika jabbed.“Tell me something, bro.Was it for the seamen or the semen?”
“Both, fucker!”Drake beamed with a huge smile.
Laughter filled the room once again, and Trevor issued a forlorn pout.
“Awww, Trevor, don’t go getting your feelings hurt.It was long before he met you, boy.”Mika gave a gentle nudge to the blond man sitting between him and Drake.
“Here she is,” Tony announced as he slid his arm around my waist.All heads turned my way, and I felt like a mannequin on display at Macy’s.
