“Thank God!” Brandon rushed Kurt and Liam and delivered high-fives and slaps on the back.
Brandon, normally composed, grabbed her then. He embraced her with a hug she wouldn’t soon forget. “You okay?”
“Yes,” she replied, locking her arms around his waist and sighing in relief. Over his broad shoulder, she shifted her focus from Liam to Kurt. They looked on with weary expressions.
She and Brandon parted ways and she went to her sister. Zak and Brandon slapped backs and gave one another those manly half hugs. “Dude, I was worried about you for a minute. You were right next to the shooter.”
“And I got a good look at him, too,” Brandon said, scanning his phone.
“What is this place?” Drina asked, repeating the question she’d asked in the hallway and turning around to take in the surroundings.
Decked out in contemporary furnishings, the living room was at least a thousand square feet with marble floors, four large three-cushioned black leather sofas, oversized chairs, two big screens, a wet bar with full service appliances, an air hockey table, and more. Beyond the living room, there was a spacious master suite with two king-size beds, a few nice appointments like a spanking bench and other fetish furnishings, a large master bath with steam shower, and a spacious deck with an eight-person hot tub and an oversized lounger in the corner.
All these things, these furnishings had been part of who Coco had been with Brandon—the sub, the entertainer, the girlfriend, and even the hostess. For a split second, Coco saw the Brandon she knew better than anyone—the Dom, the man who had introduced her to his mother and brothers and taken her into his family as if she’d always belonged there.
Perhaps catching on to the meaning behind their temporary gaze groping, Drina muttered something along the lines of “never mind” and walked across the room to stand at the floor-to-ceiling window. “Wow. Wherever we are, I bet in the daytime this is God’s view of the North Carolina Mountains.”
The elevated and extended porch was boxed in and apparently constructed after the original club had been built. The design featured patio “drops” which were clever and uniquely designed at an angle stemming from the main club. The contemporary design offered suite occupants additional privacy due to the rock formations between each suite. And Drina was right. They had a pretty awesome view.
“We’ll have to make sure you see it for yourself sometime,” Zak said. He glanced up from Brandon’s phone long enough to shoot her a smile. Then, the four brothers went through Brandon’s images again.
Kurt said, “I don’t recognize any of them.”
“Me either,” said Liam.
“Makes three of us, man.” Zak took a step back.
Brandon turned to Coco. “Come here su—Coco.” Catching himself in what he probably deemed the nick of time, Brandon thrust his arm forward and handed her the phone.
Coco reluctantly took it. “What are we looking for?” She realized then how much she sounded like them, how much their lifestyle had rubbed off on her, how her response could possibly alarm her sister.
“Anyone familiar? I kept the video rolling upstairs, but the still images before and after the video may be helpful.”
Coco shook her head as she scanned the photographs and recent footage. Drina peered over her shoulder. “Mind if I take a look?”
Zak said, “Go ahead.”
Brandon wasn’t as eager to grant permission, but he was sure quick to say, “I don’t know why you would recognize someone if Coco doesn’t see anyone familiar.”
“There.” Drina tapped the phone facing. “Coco, look.”
Coco turned her full attention to the image. She used her thumb and forefinger to bring one of the gunmen’s faces into focus. “Oh my God.”
“Somebody you know?” Liam asked, stepping closer as if to offer her support.
Coco felt as if she’d taken a dagger through the heart. She searched Drina’s eyes. “That can’t be.” Her stomach ached. She wanted to scream out now in true pain.
“What is it? Damn it, sub! I need to know now!”
Wheeling around on her heel, Coco said, “I am not your sub. You dismissed me and lost several privileges when you did. Now this doesn’t concern you.” She tapped the man’s still photograph. “This is family business.”
Brandon snatched his phone. “Oh yeah? Well until you decide to tell me why your family business has a machete and an automatic weapon, you won’t have access to my phone!”
“Oh God, here we go,” Zak drawled, flipping on the closed circuit television.
“You’re really watching television now?” Liam asked.
“Club member or not, you still have a lot to learn,” Kurt said, apparently sore because Liam now had a private membership to a club he had yet to join. “Even I have this figured out. Casinos use the trick, too. They want their players gambling so their television channels showcase clips from the gaming floor. Here, they probably don’t want their patrons in their suites when they could be upstairs buying drinks so they give you live action to lure you back to the club.”