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Despite Skye being one of Tiger’s regular Mistresses, Maryshka had hoped to have this discussion with all of them, or, if it needed to be just one, maybe Vera. How could she talk about something this complicated with someone who couldn’t…talk? Yeah, Skye used those voices pretty well, and Maryshka didn’t want to be that kind of person, but this was so hard to talk about as it was.
It didn’t matter. The decision had been made. Skye was sliding from the booth as Vera stood up to let her out. The booth next to theirs was unoccupied, and Skye pointed to it.
“Would you like to share a drink with us?” Ros asked Andrei. “You can keep an eye on her while she and Skye talk.”
Andrei glanced down at Maryshka. “That work?”
“Yes, Master. Thank you.”
His attention shifted to Skye. Safety was an elusive thing outside these walls. But within them, there were rock solid agreements of trust and care. It was here she’d learned what the wordhavenreally meant.
Andrei’s look toward Skye said Maryshka was his to protect, and he required Skye’s acknowledgement. It reassuredMaryshka, reminding her these weren’t newbie Dommes. They knew their shit. If any of the TRA Mistressescouldhelp, she could trust that Skye was the right choice.
Plus, ironically, Skye was TRA’s IT/Communications manager, which meant she was pretty damn good at her job.
Skye nodded to Andrei, a confirmation. Maryshka waited until the Mistress had slid into the booth before taking a seat across from her. The smaller booth was suitable for two people, the high sides buffering the club noise.
As Skye gazed at her, Maryshka felt herself falter again. Was she betraying Tiger’s trust? Then she remembered Nicole’s body flying through the air. Heard Aubrey screaming. Her fingers tightened in her lap.
“Do you need a drink?”
The Sigourney Weaver voice again. Smooth, a touch of compassion over a resilient core. It matched Skye’s expression. The voice app was obviously a good one, but Maryshka was impressed how Skye managed to modulate the tone so smoothly and swiftly, fitting the mood of the moment. Probably a skill she’d developed through long practice, like Maryshka often knowing what an engine needed by just listening to it.
“No, but thanks,” she said. “I just need to get it out. So you all heard what happened at the shop. The explosion. The shooting.”
“Yes.” Sigourney spoke the response Skye typed. “Tiger sent a club email, thanking everyone for their concern and saying he’ll be back in when he can.”
“Yeah. All’s good. He’s just busy figuring things out.” She raised her gaze as Skye said nothing. “Sound like a trained monkey, don’t I? I’ve said that so much the words make me nauseous.”
Members didn’t intrude on one another’s lives outside the club unless all parties expressly said it was okay. Hell, the only reason she knew as much as she did about Tiger was becauseshe’d worked for him before he’d figured out she was a sub and sponsored her membership with Progeny, helping her transfer over from the club she’d been driving to in Baton Rouge.
She’d about swallowed her tongue when she found out her boss, who could clear a table in a crowded bar with just a pointed scowl, was a sub. But him trusting her with that information? She’d never forget that.
Skye’s gaze flickered. She made an adjustment, and now the voice was different. An assured female tone flavored with a light Southern accent. Not recognizable as anyone else. Maybe it was the voice Skye used as “her” voice, when she didn’t want to borrow someone else’s.
“Abby has gone by the garage. But he hasn’t been there.”
Abby had been the exception to that “outside the club” rule for Tiger. Sometimes they’d met for lunch. On the days Abby picked him up from the garage, the male mechanics stumbled over one another to get a glimpse of her. The woman who handled Thomas Rose Associates’ financial operations had a Hollywood starlet body, catlike hazel eyes and long golden red hair.
But things had changed for Abby. Late onset schizophrenia had impacted her ability to Domme. She was also now married to another Dominant. An active Navy SEAL, Neil had served with Lawrence before Lawrence left the teams.
Neil and Tiger had worked together to help Abby fulfill her desires as a Domme, but over time she had eased out of doing club sessions, except as a once in a while thing.
“He’s there,” Maryshka said. “At the garage, I mean. Every day. I’m not sure if he ever leaves anymore, except to check on his place and shower.”
Three of the five garage bays and the front office had been badly damaged by the explosion, but the back offices were intact. That was where Tiger spent most of his time now.
Surprise gripped Skye’s expression, then sharpness. Maryshka had her attention. The Domme crossed her arms and leaned forward, cocking a questioning brow.
Maryshka took a breath.Forgive me if I’m fucking up, boss. But I don’t know what else to do.
“He was hurt, Mistress. He can’t hear. He’s deaf.”
Shock replaced surprise. “What percentage?” Skye typed.
“Full.” At her expression, Maryshka nodded. “Yeah, they said that’s rare. They also said he might get some or all of it back, but there’s been no change since it happened. So I guess every day that goes by…well, you know.”
She pressed her lips together. “He’s not the type to wallow. I’ve never known him to be like that. His niece Aubrey fell and scraped herself good once when she was at the shop with us. He’s a pretty protective uncle, so I expected him to get all crazy. Instead, he picks her up, dusts her off and tells her to go play. He didn’t let her get all traumatized by it. That’s the way he is. He doesn’t overreact about things or get bogged down.”
