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Although they came through in the end, Rae still blamed the police for allowing Cierra Martin and Thomas Highsmith to die and for the countless other women who were still missing. She was thankful the other missing submissive, Ashley Jennings, survived, although she had been badly beaten and had suffered multiple sexual assaults. Devon was recovering from her abuse too. She’d told Rae she was getting out of dominatrix work as soon as she finished her master’s degree to become a therapist, and Rae didn’t blame her. Once the media frenzy cooled down, Rae planned to apply to a couple of schools so she could get her associate’s degree. Maybe someday she’d be like Devon and try a different path. But her business with Angel was doing surprisingly well after everything. And she truly loved her work, even more so after almost losing it.
For now, she wanted to focus on making sure Lily was okay. Thankfully, Lily hadn’t been assaulted while she was being held at the mansion, but she had witnessed a lot in the short time. They had started family counseling, and so far, it was helping. They were learning how to talk about it and process it all.
There was no easy way to talk about Clint, though, and what he could’ve done to Lily. Many nights, Lily would climb into bed with Rae, like she used to do when she was little after having a nightmare. During those times, all Rae could do was hold her baby girl and let her know she was safe.
They both had a lot of healing to do to be whole again. Rae was trying to process her abandonment issues through her work with the therapist, but she had no intentions of reaching out to her mother. Maybe someday she would, if only to have resolution. She already had the family she wanted and needed in her life, and she wasn’t about to open herself to more pain and loss.
She held her silver watch up to her ear and listened for the soft, persistent ticking.I miss you. Every day.
Angel noticed and took her hand. “You okay, Rae-Rae?”
She nodded and squeezed Angel’s hand.
“There they are, Mom!” Lily said, pointing down the sidewalk toward Planet Dorshak, Rae’s favorite gallery.
Rae smiled, her heart lifting to see Dayton with Carli waiting to join them. The gunshot wound to his thigh was still healing, so he had a slight limp as he made his way over to her, his daughter close behind. Even though Carli was technically his first cousin once removed, Rae saw a lot of Dayton in her. Her skin was a darker shade, but she had his height, and her long dark hair had the same wave to it. And Carli was as beautiful as the photo of her mother, Tula, which Dayton had shown Rae.
They both knew it could be a long shot to pin Pearson to Tula’s murder, and it was something Dayton was struggling to accept. But there was hope. Some of the sex worker witnesses interviewed when his cousin was murdered were still alive, and Rae was helping him track them down to see if they could confirm Pearson as the man who’d picked up Tula.
She met Dayton halfway on the sidewalk, and he embraced her and gave Lily a side hug. He looked a bit nervous as he introduced Carli to Rae and then to Lily, Angel, and Klo. She knew this was a big step for him, for them both.
“Is it okay if I hug you?” Rae asked Carli.
Carli smiled. “Sure.”
Rae held her and whispered in her ear, “You know your dad is a hero.”
Carli pulled back from her, a shy grin on her face. “He said the same thing about you.”
“Can Carli come with us to watch Sam play?” Lily asked Dayton and turned to Carli. “Sam Kahre is an amazing cellist.”
“Sure, of course.”
Carli didn’t waste any time and ran the opposite way with Lily and Klo to see the young, attractive musician.
Angel touched Rae’s arm. “I’m going to go visit with my friend at Literati, okay?” She looked over at Dayton. “We’re going to have to get you a cool cane to go with that pimp walk you’ve got going on.”
“I know, right?” Dayton said at Angel’s joke. He had worked hard to get off crutches and was too stubborn to use a cane.
Dayton turned to Rae, a smile playing in his dark eyes. “I think this is going well. Carli said I was being stupid for being nervous about it. As usual, she was right.”
Rae cocked her head. “Is it going well enough that you’ve changed your mind about me doing sounding on you once you’re all healed?”
He laughed. “Sounding is still a big hell no times infinity. Metal rods shouldn’t be anywhere near cocks, much less inside them. Have you really done that to someone?”
“Not a client, but yes. I did a lot of training for it with a Domme from LA who was a former nurse, but I’ve never been with someone brave enough to try it.”
“Well, I’m fine with not being brave.”
“Okay, so no sounding. Flogging?”
“We’ll see.”
She playfully tugged his arm. “It’s like a massage. I promise.”
“In that case . . .”
They kissed, gently at first and then deeper, and she felt it through every part of her body, the need to be near him after she came so close to losing him. Whatever this was they were becoming, she welcomed it. He knew every hidden part of her now, just as Lily and Angel did. He was becoming her family.
She was ready to be with an open partner who knew all her secrets and still loved her and accepted the damaged, dark parts. She trusted him with her heart as he trusted her with his. It was all so new to her, but she was ready to shed her old skin and the shame and fear secreted away inside it.
She was ready to live with a new version of herself.
