Open Doors (Suncoast Society #27)(26)

A very quiet and subdued Tilly had helped Loren come up with most of the party games.

“I don’t know,” Loren said. “I think we outdid ourselves.”

“Is Tilly doing okay?” Derrick asked. “Between just us?”

Loren shrugged. “How okay is anyone after something like that? Her world as she knew it ended.”

“But it’s been a while. A couple of years, hasn’t it?”

“Three, and the * was her life,” Loren shot back. She gentled her voice when Ross reached out and touched her shoulder. “Sorry. I’m just…I still want to kill that sonofabitch. God help that bastard if I ever get my hands on him.”

“There will be a line for that pleasure,” Marcia assured her.

Gilo twisted his neck side to side. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m liking the new and improved Tilly. She packs a mean wallop.”

“I think it’s because you were the only one stupid enough to let her near you with implements,” Loren said.

“You call it stupid, I call it smart.” He grinned. “I was a masochist in need of a good beating, and she was a submissive in need of giving a good beating to someone.”

“No,” Marcia said, “I don’t see her submitting to someone again anytime soon. If ever. That’s the sad thing.”

Most of the men, except Gilo, looked at her with questions in their expressions.

“I mean, Cris destroyed her trust,” Marcia said. “I’d be willing to bet, especially after tonight, that Tilly explores her toppy side. I watched her playing with you. I know it wasn’t a formal scene, it was more you two screwing around, but I saw a glimpse of the real Tilly for a few minutes. Not that mask she’s been wearing for our benefit.”

“You might be right.” Loren looked at Gilo. “You didn’t have to goad her.”

Gilo grinned. “Hey, I was trying to get her to laugh. It worked. You’re welcome.”

Only after he’d tormented and teased Tilly and generally made a pest out of himself, and handed her a paddle and said, “Tag, you’re it!”

Then he let her catch him and beat the crap out of him.

Marcia suspected she was the only one, besides Gilo, who’d spotted the tears in Tilly’s eyes when she’d given Gilo a long, strong hug before leaving, whispering something into his ear before she hurried out.

She also suspected whatever it was Tilly had said, Gilo wouldn’t reveal it, even under threat of death.

Now Leah was staring at Kaden. “You know, Sir, I’m going to call it a night. You look as exhausted as I feel.”

“Then I’m not going to argue with you, sweetheart.” He slowly pulled himself to his feet. “Good night, and see you all next week.”

After good-byes were said and they had left, Marcia noticed everyone else staring after them, too.

“It’s not just me, is it?”

She didn’t need to explain. “No,” Loren said. “Something’s…off. I’ve never seen him look this tired all the time.”

Gilo stood and stretched. “Well, I’m going to take myself home and put myself to bed, unless anyone else wants to beat me again first.” He smiled.

“Thanks for distracting Tilly tonight,” Ross said. “Seriously. Yesterday was the anniversary of her mom’s death. Well, okay, Friday was. Technically yesterday is Saturday, now, since it’s nearly three o’clock Sunday morning.”

Gilo waved it off. “I could tell she needed a distraction. Maybe someone should suggest she take a side gig as a pro-Domme.”

“She’s already a nurse,” Loren said.

“Well, that’s perfect, then,” Gilo said. “Aren’t nurses usually pretty sadistic?”





Chapter Twelve


Tony made it to the club first. Ed would be along shortly. While Tony wasn’t sure he agreed with doing things this way, this was the plan as it had been laid out in advance by the person whose opinion mattered the most.

The only person whose opinion mattered.

And Tony had already given his word months earlier that he would follow whatever instructions Ed gave him…after.

Fuck.

He sat in his car for a moment and stared at the door, rolling the keys to the club around in the palm of his hand. Seth and Leah were now in the Bahamas on a private honeymoon after having been married at his house just yesterday afternoon.

Today…

Today was for the rest of them. Today was the private memorial for Kaden’s kinky friends. While many of them had also attended the public memorial service held five days after his passing, this service was specifically for them. Kaden hadn’t exactly been leather, but his friends who were, along with some of his other kinky friends, had attended his public memorial dressed in vanilla suits or other nondescript clothes that didn’t allow them to honor Kaden the way they’d truly wanted.

Tony finally opened his car door and got out, taking his time shutting and locking it.

He didn’t want to do this. What he really wanted to do, now that Leah was alone in Seth’s hopefully capable hands and no longer his responsibility, was head home, stop somewhere along the way to buy a bottle of something with a very high proof percentage, and get himself stinking drunk in a way he hadn’t since college.