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"He's part of Ms. Monroe's security detail. We're gonna pass through to Runway. Can you have Jaxson meet us at the elevator to the private suiteinstead?"
"Of course. I'll call him now. Have a nice evening," Luis said, pulling the door open to reveal the well-lit stairs that would take them under the alley separating the building from Davidson'sproperty.
Khloe's heels clicked on the cement flooring of the tunnel and stairs at the other end until they reached the carpeted landing. To the right was the unmarked door leading to the very exclusive and private Black Light, but Ryder headed up the neon-lit stairs straight ahead, knowing they led to the open-to-the-public Runway dance clubinstead.
Ryder had never taken this path on previous visits so he was surprised and confused when he opened the door at the top of the stairs and found himself inside a dark broomcloset.
"Do you know where the hell you're going?" Trevorgrumbled.
To be fair, he really didn't, but he sure as hell wasn't going to tell the guy that. Instead, he barged ahead, pulling the curtain at the entrance of the closet aside only to nearly run into the back of a burly securityguard.
The guy had obviously not heard them coming over the music because he whipped around, looking ready for a fight, especially when he saw Trevor and Ryder. It was when his eyes landed on the petite Khloe he backeddown.
"Ah, Ms. Monroe. You surprised me. Blake told us we were expecting you. He briefed us on your unique security concerns. I must have misunderstood. I thought you'd be secluded at Black Light tonight where we can keep you locked downeasier."
Ryder wanted to deck theguy.
Security 101. Don't say more than you needto.
He tried to do some damage control before Trevor asked questions he didn't need answers to. "We're meeting Davidson at the elevator. He's loaning us the apartmentupstairs."
"Sure thing. Let me escort youthere."
Ryder could feel Trevor's distrustful glare on his back as they went down the long hallway, past the public restrooms where he had to shield Khloe again from being recognized by the long line of women waiting to pee. From the looks of things, they were backstage of Runway. Dance music pounded loud around them, gratefully making it hard to converse as they approached theelevator.
The guard used an electronic keycard to call the lift and a minute later, the doors opened and Jaxson, Chase and Emma appeared beforethem.
Leave it to Emma to welcome them first, bursting forward to give Khloe an excited hug. "I'm so glad you made it here safe and sound! That was so scary the other night at the theater." She turned towards Ryder, hugging him next. "You saved the day riding in on your motorcycle. It was so exciting andromantic!"
Jaxson stepped forward to peel his woman away. "I think that's enough hugging for one night, don'tyou?"
Emma grinned up at him, "Not quite yet." She shrugged out of her Dom's grasp to give Trevor a hug, too. "I'm so sorry we panicked you by arranging Ryder to pick up Khloe. I never dreamed you wouldn't know who hewas."
It was Chase who pulled her away from McLean. "All right, now that everyone got their Emma hug, I think you and I should head on downstairs and let these guys get settled, don'tyou?"
Emma looked like she disagreed, but Chase pulled her along behind him, stopping long enough to place a platonic kiss on Khloe's forehead and say, "You look good, kiddo. I'll talk to you later. Come along,Emma."
Jaxson stepped aside, waving his arm as an invite for them to board the elevator. "I'll take it from here, John. Let's get your bagsupstairs."
Once the lift was in motion, he pulled an envelope out of the inside pocket of his designer suit jacket and handed it toRyder.
"These keys will allow you to get off the elevator on any floor as well as gain entry to the apartment. The master key to the suite is locked in the security office safe. Chase, Emma and I enter with a biometric retinal scan, so unless you give someone this key, you're one-hundred percent locked down. In addition, the entrance to the safe room is through the master closet. Once inside, if you engage the locks, it will call 911 and put you on generator backup so even if electricity is cut to the building, you're safe with supplies for up to oneweek."
"Jesus Christ, are you expecting Armageddon?" Trevor seemed impressed. In truth, Ryder wastoo.
"Naw, not really, but the world is getting scary. I need to know that I can protect the people I love." Jaxson's passion wasadmirable.
"Well, let's hope we don't need that extreme. Based on the threats so far, Khloe's stalker isn't nearly that sophisticated," Trevorobserved.
Ryder didn't comment. The safe room may be overkill for her stalker, but it might be the only kind of fortress to keep them safe from the Volkovs if they were to catch up tothem.
I'm not going to let thathappen.
An opulent foyer greeted them as they exited the elevator. The security pad for the key and retina scan was mounted on the wall to the right of the thick double doors. Davidson leaned down to provide his scan, and the sound of the lock disengaging told them they couldenter.
The suite was stylishly elegant, the modern decor in almost all white with colorful pillows providing occasional splashes of color. The walls were lined with shelves that housed a combo of what looked like expensive artwork, hardback books, and dozens of candid photos. Fresh cut flowers in crystal vases were interspersed throughout the space making it smell like a springtime garden, and despite the warming weather, a welcoming fire roared in thefireplace.
But it was the huge round bed that was the focal point of the room. It had to be custom made. Ryder had no trouble at all imagining the debauched activities that took place on that bed between the trio, particularly when he noticed the mirror on the ceiling above it and tucked-away rings every few feet around the base he assumed had been used to tie down Davidson'ssubmissives.
