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It was probably my neighbor Ruby looking for the spare key to her apartment. She was forever locking herself out and losing her keys.
I pressed the intercom button. “Hello.”
“Ms. Peterson?” Unless Ruby had undergone a sex change within the last few days, she wasn’t the one ringing my doorbell.
“This is she,” I replied.
“I’m Max Hannity. Mr. McKenzie’s driver. He instructed I take you to him.”
Butterflies boogied around my belly. Maybe tonight my luck would turn another corner, and I would get to come until I passed out from exhaustion. I was too relieved at Kane wanting to see me to be mad about the past twelve days.
“Can you give me ten minutes?” I begged.
“I’ll be outside in the car.”
My clit gave a fluttery spasm. Kane had to take the belt off—he had to. So what if it was two days earlier than he’d said? Maybe he was suffering just as much as I was.
I glanced down at my clothes. I wore an extra-large Patriots t-shirt, no bra, and a pair of flannel PJ bottoms. This kind of outfit was something I would wear after a few months of being with Kane, but at this stage in our relationship—or whatever it was—he didn’t need to see me looking like a slob.
I scrambled out of my PJs and, not bothering with a bra, I threw on a black, long-sleeved t-shirt dress with a crew neck and draped a boho scarf around my neck to look somewhat dressed up. I pulled some tights over my legs and was pleased to see them fit over the belt.
I dashed into the bathroom, scrubbed my teeth and finger combed my hair to give it some beachy waves. I would have liked more time to get ready, but I would have to do.
To complete my thrown together look, I grabbed a pair of knee-high boots from the shoe basket in the hallway and shoved them on. I threw my cell into an over-sized tote and slung the bag over my shoulder. Before I left, I took one more quick look at myself in the mirror by the front door. I was disheveled but sort of cute.
Good enough, I thought. Whatever Kane had planned, I was ready for it.
Chapter Eighteen
Reese
A chill filled the air and stars sparkled as the night sky cleared. By the curb sat a shiny, silver town car with blacked-out windows. A middle-aged man dressed in a charcoal grey suit stepped out of the car and gave his head a slight nod. “Ms. Peterson.”
“Yes. You must be Max. Can you tell me where we’re going?”
He shook his head. “Mr. McKenzie instructed I tell you nothing.”
“Of course he did,” I mumbled.
Max opened the back, passenger door for me. I stepped inside and settled myself on to the soft leather seat. Curiosity ate me up. What had Kane planned and what did the rest of the evening hold?
The divide between Max and me slid up and mind-numbing elevator music drifted through the speakers.
From somewhere inside my bag, a beep alerted me to a text message. I rummaged around until I located my phone. The text was from Kane.
Are you ready?
I quickly typed out: For what?
For your initiation.
Am I joining a fraternity? ;)
It’s a night where you become one of us.
I wasn’t sure if his reply thrilled or terrified me.
What do you mean one of us? I might like kinky stuff, but I didn’t want to join a weird sex cult.
Wait and see.
Do I get to take this thing off?
No texting bubbles appeared at the bottom of my screen. He wasn’t going to answer. Questions about what I was getting myself into filled my head. What exactly did he mean by initiation? Was it the same as hazing? I reached up and stroked my star pendant, and a sense of peace settled over me. Perhaps using my necklace as a crutch was wrong and maybe it was a piece of metal and nothing more, but it made me feel better and ever since I’d started wearing it, I’d had more luck that I’d had for years, albeit sporadic luck, but luck all the same.
To pass the time and to take my mind off the initiation, I spent the rest of the car journey Googling Kane. It was something I’d done endlessly, and each time I did, I’d hoped to garner some new tidbit of information about him, but I never learned anything I didn’t already know.
There were no stories from bitter ex-girlfriends or bitter ex-employees, no kiss and tells or lawsuits. Everyone probably knew better than to cross him. The way he dealt with sleazy Simon showed me how intimidating he could be. When he wanted something done, he did it.
My mind wandered to the other pets he’d had in the past. I might have been naïve in a lot of ways, but I wasn’t naïve enough to think there hadn’t been anyone before me. I wanted to ask how long it had been since his last pet and what had ended their relationship. Was she the one who’d given him the hunted look in his eyes? The one who’d broken his heart? Melissa had hinted that he would tell me his story, but I wasn’t so sure he would.
