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Ari shook her head. “How do you think I came that fast? I faked it so I could get the hell out of there.”
Dylan’s eyes lit up with joy, and she let out a sigh of relief. “Maybe I don’t have to protect you as much as I did.”
“Protect me? What are you talking about?”
Dylan’s facial expression turned sour, as if the cat ate the canary.
Ari’s chest rose when Dylan said nothing. “Were you protecting me this past week? Is that why I spent every night chained to some wall or chair?”
There was a hesitation as Dylan nodded. “I paid clients to keep you off the floor.”
“Why?”
Dylan gulped and squared herself toward Ari. “I freaked out. Maxi wanted to give you to someone who would mistreat you.”
Ari took in Dylan’s words while smoothing her hand over her short hair. “What about consent? I could’ve used my safe word.”
“With most of the BDSM community, yes. With the clientele at Adytum, they are nonexistent.” Dylan’s eyes flicked away, and she seemed to be carefully choosing her next words. When she continued, her eyes shifted to Ari’s. “Don’t go back to Adytum. It’s not safe for you. And after last night, the fallout will be ... not good. I’ll take the brunt of it, but that’s the only way I can protect you.”
Ari’s chest tightened at Dylan’s words. It was exactly as Terry explained it. Consent meant nothing. Safe words be damned. Dylan confirmed that, and she needed to get back inside to break the story. “I don’t need your protection, Dylan. I need the job!”
Frustrated, Ari sank onto the bed next to Dylan, who took Ari’s hand. “Move in with me. I’ll take care of you. I make more than enough to support us comfortably.”
Ari pulled back as if Dylan had thrown cold water on her. First, it was way too soon to be U-Hauling to her place after one amazing fuck. Even if it was a typical lesbian move. And second, Ari would never again allow herself to become dependent on someone else. Through her mother’s death, Ari discovered the strength of resilience. “I can’t do that! It’s way too soon to even think about moving in together.”
Dylan dropped to her knees as if proposing. “Then I’ll support you! Ari, don’t go back to Adytum. It is not safe. Women don’t just quit.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Ari’s eyes widened as Dylan seemed ready to spill the beans on the entire underground operation.
Dylan’s fingers sifted through her hair, contemplating the right words. “No one quits. They are simply never seen again. I never thought about it before you, but ... it’s odd how some girls just go away. The Delacroix family is powerful, Ari. They must run these women out of the city or something. Do not go back to work! Please!”
Dylan’s words landed hard and though Ari wanted to heed her warnings, she didn’t have a choice. Her eyebrows furrowed as her fingers caressed Dylan’s cheek. “I have to go back. I know you don’t understand, but I have no choice. And besides, you just said I can’t quit.”
Dylan jumped, redness coloring her cheeks. “I am telling you— No, demanding that you do as I say. It’s for your own good!”
“My own good? That may be, but you don’t own me, Dylan!” Ari shot off the bed and gesticulated to emphasize her point. “Just because you could dominate me in bed doesn’t mean I’m your possession!”
She spun around and started collecting her clothes. Dylan grabbed her wrist, tugging her back. “Ari. No, wait. I’m sorry.”
Ari pulled away, tugging her arm back. She couldn’t wait to get out of the house. Even though Dylan pleaded, they were useless words. Ari had made up her mind. She was leaving.
Chapter 18
Dylan arrived at work the next day, ready to face the inevitable blowback for last night. She puffed out her chest as she exited the slowest elevator known to man and headed to the double doors, which opened to a cacophony of noises filtering through the ballroom coming from La Prizonye.
Her abrupt departure last night did not go unnoticed, at least not by Maxi. While there would be drama, it wasn’t enough to send a tidal wave of commotion flooding the corridor. Despite being late arriving, Dylan trekked toward the evening’s meeting with her mind replaying the events of the previous evening.
The sight of her loved one being touched by another woman was too much for Dylan’s heart to bear. The blame rested on her shoulders, and none of this would have happened if she had not hired Ari. This was just another example of poor decisions that riddled Dylan’s past. A life of minor crime marked the start of those choices. Ida was always there to bail her out of trouble. It occurred to Dylan that Ida’s refusal to give up on their relationship might be the reason behind her testing of it, as if daring her to walk away.
Thoughts of Ari and Ida were not the only targets of introspection. At twenty-one, Dylan tended the bar at The Pendulum. It was a different scene back then. As the only lesbian bar in the city, it was a safe place for women to have fun and explore their sexuality. She had a personable way that could soften even the angriest woman, and her natural charm drove the ladies to return night after night. Once Maxi learned of the young Dylan’s talents, she offered her a job.
“Come to Adytum and work for me,” Maxi said.
Dylan remembered being swayed by the unreal amount of money offered, so of course she accepted. Who wouldn’t want all the sex in the world plus be drenched in a waterfall of cash? She signed a nondisclosure agreement in blood, which signified her loyalty and the start of her relationship with Adytum.
Much like Ari, she needed the job. Therefore, she turned a blind eye to many immoral activities. The feeling of having the world at her fingertips made Dylan determined to protect her way of life. Once naïve and hungry, she placed her trust in Maxi only to have it shattered. It was foolish to cross her. She and all the Delacroix family held power. Power over the city. Power over Dylan.
But for all its sins, she loved Adytum. After all, she spent most of her twenties within its walls. The image of life without it, or Maxi, was unimaginable.
