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Silence remained in her absence.
Sarah had told him about the pictures a half hour ago, and Dmitri had yet to accept it. Conflicted by his personal feelings and his responsibility to Club Sin members, he examined the twelve pictures on his desk. The faces staring back were of himself and his submissive, Presley, plus the Club Sin Masters and their submissives, along with the lone bachelor, Miles.
The only Master not pictured was Sawyer Quinn, which told Dmitri that the pictures had been taken sometime in the last year. Sawyer had left behind Club Sin and the BDSM lifestyle before marrying Chloe Nash five months ago. A frown pulled on Dmitri’s mouth as he also noted images of a well-known heart surgeon who was a Dominant and a couple of submissives who had high-powered jobs.
While the pictures didn’t show anyone inside the dungeon, all of them showed women in a vulnerable moment, with wind catching coats or skirts and revealing a garter belt or lacy panties beneath. Dmitri didn’t doubt that someone had spent a lot of time staking out his house, waiting for the perfect moment to capture the damning pictures.
Aidan rose from his place on the couch and approached Dmitri’s desk. Brows drawn together over his gray eyes, he picked up a picture of himself and his wife. In bold writing it was captioned Aidan and Cora McKnight. “What the fuck is this?” he growled.
“Believe me, I wish I knew.” Dmitri gripped the arms of his chair, staying put as the other Masters positioned themselves around Aidan to see the pictures. Waves of anger ignited in the room, making the air thick.
Porter’s hazel eyes blazed when he saw the photo of his wife, Kenzie. “Does Sarah have any suspicions of who’s behind this?”
Dmitri shook his head. “Her boss is keeping the person’s identity a secret.”
Miles grabbed one of the photos. “Is Sarah in any of these pictures?”
“No.” Dmitri understood the implication. “But she brought the information forward. I doubt she’s involved.” He drew in a long breath, settling his rage, not wanting to accuse anyone who didn’t deserve it. “In fact, I can’t imagine anyone in Club Sin doing this to the members.”
Nods followed.
Porter cursed at the photo in his hand and then dropped it on the desk. “What about enemies? Anyone piss off someone lately?”
Of course the private investigator went straight to the motive of vengeance, Dmitri thought. As Dmitri watched each Master shake his head, even he couldn’t come up with a suspect. “The casino brings some heated conversations with my competitors”—that went hand in hand with being the president of one of Vegas’s top casinos—“but that said, I don’t imagine anyone would feel threatened enough by me to do this.”
Aidan brushed a hand across the stubble on his jaw and nodded in agreement. “I can make enemies in my line of work. But nothing that warrants this defamation.”
Kyler crumpled the picture of himself and his wife, Ella, before tossing it in the garbage can. “We all piss off someone in some way every day.” His lips thinned. “Christ, this could ruin us all.”
Aidan returned to the couch and dropped down on it. “If this gets out, Cora’s employer will fire her.”
That weight landed on Dmitri’s shoulders. He scraped a hand across his eyes, trying to ease the helpless feeling. He was well aware that Cora’s employer wouldn’t understand her BDSM lifestyle—she was a social worker and worked with teens. He was certain that many of the parents of those kids would object to Cora’s continuing to counsel them. Many in the vanilla world didn’t understand the BDSM lifestyle. Perhaps some people turned a blind eye, but others passed judgment. Hence the reason Club Sin members kept their lifestyle a secret.
No one needed a scandal.
“This will hurt us all,” Dmitri said. Including his submissive, Presley. Her parents didn’t need to know about her sexual preferences. “But it will also complicate my professional life.”
Miles frowned at Dmitri before he returned to his chair. “This won’t affect me on a personal level or a professional one.” Dmitri knew Miles had no ties. He’d recently sold his construction company to free up time for a personal life. Both of his parents had passed away many years before, and he didn’t have a submissive to protect. Miles crossed an ankle over a knee, his stern eyes focused on Dmitri. “If there’s a way to place this on my head, go for it.”
“I appreciate that.” Dmitri rested his elbows on the desk. “But I hope this doesn’t land on anyone’s head.” He steepled his fingers under his chin, considering his options. His members put their trust in him to keep Club Sin a secret and to maintain the club as a safe place to play.
Porter let out another curse and returned to his chair beside Miles. “We’re lucky that Sarah managed to get us some time.”
Dmitri nodded. “Let’s come up with some ideas about how to handle this mess. How about we meet tomorrow at the casino? Let’s say nine o’clock.” Once he received nods of agreement, he added, “At the moment, the safety of our members must be our priority.”
Kyler cocked his head, his eyes searching Dmitri’s. “What are you suggesting we do?”
“The only thing I can, to ensure that no other photos are taken.” Burning with anger, Dmitri pushed away from his desk and rose, facing the men he respected above all others. “Club Sin must close.”
—
“What’s going on?”
Presley Flynn frowned at her best friend and fellow submissive, Cora, who stood beside the black leather couch in the dungeon. Cora rubbed her round belly, only partly concealed by a purple teddy; she was in her sixth month of pregnancy. “I don’t know.”
Presley knew that Cora, too, felt the odd energy throughout Club Sin. The dungeon seemed darker somehow, as if it were in a state of confusion.
Most nights Club Sin opened its doors on Fridays and Saturdays. This Sunday night Dmitri had allowed attendance in order to celebrate a few birthdays of Club Sin members. Now Presley wondered if that had been a mistake, though she couldn’t figure out why.
