Her heart twisted as fresh concern for himcoursed through her. Aiden had assured her he’d be safe, but shecouldn’t stop worrying about him when she knew what those Savageswere capable of doing. Absently, she scratched at her arms as herskin seemed to stretch too thin over her bones.
“Get it together,” she muttered at herreflection. “He’s okay and you willnotbe this dependent onsomeone else.”
Taking a deep breath, she threw hershoulders back and strolled out of the bathroom. Vicky had herhands in the air as she cheered loudly. The dozen or so peoplegathered around the bar were all giving her the death stare.
Vicky went from happy to confused as shegazed at the irritated patrons. Maggie craned her head to see theTV before scowling at Vicky too.
“What?” Vicky demanded of her. “They hit theball over the wall, and the men are running around the, ah… thesquare thingies.”
Maggie gawked at Vicky as she glanced at theTV to confirm all the men were indeed running around the squarethingies because the Yankees’ batter had hit a grand slam. Then,she hated herself for calling them square thingies even if it hadonly been mentally.
“Have you never seen a baseball gamebefore?” Maggie asked.
“Not willingly, and I certainly didn’t payattention to it,” Vicky replied as she lowered the arms she’draised while cheering.
Abby nodded, and Brian snorted as he foldedhis arms over his chest.
“I swear you vamps really do live in caves,”Maggie muttered. “You’re cheering for the wrong team. We don’t wantthose men to hit it over the wall.” She felt like an idiot fordescribing a home run in such a way, but it was easier.
“Oh,” Vicky said.
“Also, they’re not square thingies, they’rebases, and if I see you cheering for the Yankees again, I’ll stakeyou myself.”
Vicky blinked at her before laughing.“Alrighty then, no rooting for the guys with the stripes.”
“We’ll stick to the drinks,” Abby said andnudged Vicky’s glass with her finger.
“Good plan,” Vicky declared and cheerfullylifted her margarita. “So, Maggie, while you were gone, we got towondering what your views on weddings are? Yay or nay on aceremony? Our family is a little unconventional after all, so we’reperfectly okay with a nay, but we do all enjoy a good party.”
Maggie had been swinging onto her barstoolas Vicky spoke. She nearly fell off before she could sit on it. Shegawked at Vicky as she settled herself unsteadily on the seat. “I’mnot going to the bathroom again.”
“That’s a good idea,” Brian told her. “Nexttime, you’ll be engaged before you return.”
• • •
“Carha,” Aiden greeted as he stepped intothe room where he’d spent a fair amount of time and shed a lot ofhis blood.
Chained to the posts, a naked man stoodbefore him with his head tipped back to gaze at the ceiling. Redmarks marred his back, but they were already fading. The man moanedas the other woman in the room, who was kneeling before him,gripped his ass and drew his cock deeper into her mouth. Neither ofthem acknowledged his arrival.
Standing behind the man, Carha’s arm fellbefore she could strike him again. “How did you get in here?” shedemanded.
“I have my ways,” Aiden replied.
“Brutus was instructed to keep youout.”
“He was, but he didn’t obey.”
“Get out!” Carha commanded and lifted herhand to bounce the end of the crop against her palm.
In the beginning, a crop had been enough tokeep his baser impulses under control, but that hadn’t lasted long.However, Aiden was unable to stop his visceral reaction to thesight of that crop as the flesh on his back tingled and his ballstightened.
Away from Maggie, he found himself thirstingfor the pain again. He should have gone to her or at least calledher before coming here. However, he didn’t want Maggie tainted bythis, and unreasonably he’d felt that talking to her on the phonewhile coming here, would somehow stain her. Now, the demon part ofhis DNA was rolling toward the forefront once more as it sought tobe released.
Carha spun and swung toward the man with hercrop. When it whacked his back, the man shouted and jerked againsthis chains. Judging by the other marks on him and his reaction tothis blow, it was far harder than he was accustomed to beingstruck.
“What the fuck?” the man shouted, and hishead turned toward Carha. He froze when he spotted Aiden standingin the doorway. “I didn’t sign up for any weird voyeur shit!”
“You’re getting sucked off while I watch,”Carha retorted.
