Domination (Explicitly Yours 2)

13

Back on the sixteenth floor, Lola and Beau went about their tasks. It was time to return her to Johnny. Her rightful owner. She showered again to rid herself completely of the man with the gun and gathered her things while Beau changed. When she was ready, she sat on the edge of the bed.

Beau hung up his phone and set it on the nightstand next to her. “Warner’ll be here in a few minutes,” he said, looking down at her. “I’m not coming with you.”

He was having seconds thoughts. No—she had to trust him. She took a deep breath. “How come?”

“I want you back here tonight.” He rubbed his forehead with tense fingers. “Warner will sit out front until you’re ready while I take care of things here. I have the suite as long as we need it. Leave whatever you don’t need there. We can figure the rest out once this is done.”

“I don’t think I can just walk in there, get my things and walk back out,” she said.

“That’s why I can’t go. Warner will wait as long as it takes, though. I don’t want you staying overnight there, Lola.”

He was shifting back into business mode as the night dissolved into dawn. Lola bit her bottom

lip. “Are you sure about this?”

He didn’t answer right away. He reached out, fingered a piece of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. With his thumb and forefinger, he lifted her chin. “I’m not Johnny. I don’t waver in my decisions. I don’t backtrack. I don’t put anything on your shoulders if I can help it. If I could do this part for you, I would. Yes, I’m sure.”

She drew on his strength, lengthening her spine and holding his gaze. “I can do this part myself. It won’t be easy, but I can do it if you’re waiting for me.”

He smiled. “There’s the girl on the sidewalk I had to have. The one who kicks cars and doesn’t apologize.”

She nodded, but hard as she fought it, her mind was creeping ahead of the moment. It was in her apartment, waking Johnny up from a dream to plunge him into a nightmare. “I think it’s best I call Johnny to let him know I’m on my way.”

“Why?”

“He should be completely awake for this conversation. I’ll tell him to have coffee ready.”

Beau raised his eyebrows at her. “You’re telling me he’s asleep right now? While you’re here with me, he’s asleep?”

If things went like they had her first night with Beau, Johnny would be sleeping off his drunkenness. She shook her head. “It’s a good thing. He’d drive himself crazy otherwise.”

Beau sighed and pointed at the nightstand. “Your cell phone was in your purse?”

“Yes.”

“Use mine. Also—” He paused, hedging. “The other half of your money’s in the closet. I was also going to give it to you in cash.”

“Was?” she asked.

“Like I said, I’ve never broken the terms of an agreement, but I’m making an exception on this point. Understand me when I say—I don’t have many regrets in my life, but making you feel worthless is one of them. This money does not belong to you because you did not earn it. You are not this money. Understand me?”

It was all she’d wanted to hear since this thing had started, she just hadn’t realized it until then. That she, her love, was worth more than any dollar amount. Lola’s chest ached. “I don’t want it.”

“Good.” He put his hands on his hips and dropped his forehead toward the floor. After a deep breath, he opened his mouth. “There’s something else—” He shook his head. Paused. Cleared his throat.

“What else?”

“Nothing. Never mind. We can talk later.”

It was a rare thing to see him nervous. It could’ve been because of what they were about to do, but it almost seemed like something else. “Talk about what?” she asked warily.

“Everything. There’s a lot to figure out, but now you’d better go.” He walked away. “I’ll grab shoes and walk you down.”

She had to make the call. Lola’s body was a tornado of emotion. Her heart beat so hard, it practically reached for Beau as he disappeared into the closet. Her stomach, on the other hand, was in knots. It was not a conversation she’d ever pictured herself having with Johnny, but now she couldn’t imagine not doing it. She’d made the decision to leave him so quickly that she wondered if it’d been waiting just below the surface, and if so, for how long.

She picked up Beau’s phone. As she dialed Johnny’s cell phone, a text message from Brigitte popped up.

* * *

Good luck this morning. Remember what I said last night. Stick to the plan. The bitch is just getting what she deserves. Can’t wait to hear all about it tonight. See you downstairs. xo

* * *

Lola read it one more time before the screen went black. Bitch? Deserves? Her throat closed. Her hand had begun to shake. It was possible the text wasn’t about her at all, yet it was even more possible that it was—unless Beau was giving someone else what they deserved this morning, and Lola doubted that would be much better. Just moments ago she’d told herself to trust Beau, but that was already crumbling. She stood up in one jerky movement.

Beau emerged from the closet. “Ready?” he asked, patting his pockets. “Oh, I left my phone—” He glanced up at Lola, who’d raised the phone in front of her with the screen toward him.

“What is this?” she asked.

Beau’s expression cleared as if he knew instantly. “Lola.” He held out his hands, either to placate or reach for her. “What did you see? What does it say?”

“A text message from Brigitte.”