Figure Eight (Celtic Knot Book 2) (14 page)

“Well, did you?”

“Did I what?” I asked snapping my head up to look at him.

“Did you lie?”

“I, uh…”

I couldn’t finish my sentence. Rownan was a nice person, to me anyway, but could I trust him? I thought I could trust Drake and look how that turned out. What if Rownan was working for Asher and went running back to him, telling him that I told him I lied? Everything I had done would have been in vain, and my friends would be in more trouble, or possibly killed. Then again, what if I could trust him and use his help to get myself, Dominic and Knox out of this mess?

I didn’t notice that we were pulled up in front of my apartment at first, until Rownan shifted in his seat to face me and I noticed he wasn’t driving anymore.

“Ashley, you can trust me. I hate that The Knot was closed; I had thoroughly enjoyed my time there. It had been a release for me that you cannot understand,” he said as he reached over to grasp my hand.

“Look at me. I am really glad to have met you. Believe it or not, this was the first date I had been on in over two years. I may not know you that well or at all for that matter, but I can tell that what has happened is not your doing.”

Tears stung the back of my eyes. Those were almost the same words that Kelly said to me the day after the club was shut down. I reached up to finger the necklace I wore around my neck. It had been in my possession constantly throughout the last few days.

“You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to, Ashley. But I want you to know you can trust me.”

I turned to look at him as the tears broke through and fell in tracks down each cheek. Rownan lifted his hand to my face to wipe away the salty water that fell from my sorrowful eyes and his thumb rubbed my cheek. I sniffled trying to fight back the tears as I closed my eyes, drawing in a large breath. If I was going to get Dominic, Knox, and Kelly out of this trouble, then I was going to need someone to help me. I was going to need a partner to help me fight the assholes who were behind it all, and manage to keep all my friends alive. I opened my eyes and looked directly into his. It was then that I saw past him out the window at Drake leaned up against the wall of my apartment building. He was in the shadows, so I couldn’t actually see his face, but I knew it was him. I didn’t want him to think anything was going on, or that I was spilling the dirt on Asher, so I reacted on instinct.

“I’m going to need your help,” I said to Rownan.

“Of course, love. I’ll do anything I can to try to help you.”

“Good because right now I need you to kiss me.”

He raised an arched brow at me before he grinned and reached up and cupped my face in his hands, sealing his lips to mine.

“Things are going according to plan very nicely,” my boss said.

“I know,” I replied as I tossed back my glass of bourbon before setting it down on the desk.

The satisfaction I felt when I witnessed the interaction between Kleinfield and Dominic was priceless. The fact that neither one of us had planned the interaction was even more satisfying.

“Did you tell Ashley that she is going to have to testify?”

“I did, however I don’t understand why you want that to happen.”

“Oh, Asher, you fucking idiot. The more we drive them apart, the better chances we have of him hating her forever. I will not let that bitch get in the way of the plans that I have for Dominic. Since the first night she walked into the club with her friends, he has been obsessed with her. She undid all the progress that I had made in the last few years, just by batting her fucking eyes at him. I don’t understand why he wants her so badly, why you want her so badly,” she sneered.

“I could say the same to you. Why do you want Michaels so bad? He calls himself a dominant? Look how much of a fucking pansy he became because of her. When I have her, I will make sure she knows her place. I will make sure she knows that it is her job to serve me.”

“Ugh, whatever. That is your prerogative,” she said waving a dismissive hand toward me.

“Just make sure she doesn’t open her mouth. We cannot risk her confiding in someone. I’m not afraid to get rid of her friend, or Knox. They mean nothing to me.”

“She knows better. Besides, I have Drake following her every move. If she does or says anything, we will know,” I informed.

“You better make sure, Asher. The only reason I don’t just get rid of her is because of you. It would actually satisfy me more to see her miserable for the rest of her life, but if she interferes in my plan, I will get rid of her,” she said before walking out of my office.

“There’s no way you are getting rid of what is mine,” I said into the empty room. My patience was wearing thin to have Ashley. I haven’t even had her yet, and already my body came alive at the thought. My boss just doesn’t understand the need I felt for her. Ever since she opened her smart little mouth at The Celtic Knot that night, I have wanted her; and I would have had her too if Dominic and Knox hadn’t interfered. Just thinking about that night when I had her tied to the bed in the Rapture Room, and the ball gag in her mouth had my dick hardening in my pants. I walked over to the chair behind my desk and sat down. Unzipping my jeans, I reached in and grabbed my cock, and gingerly began to stroke it. I closed my eyes and envisioned Ashley that night. The fear in her eyes, the struggle she put forth to try to escape from me made my strokes become faster and harder as I tightened the grip on my cock. I craved her fear, and her resistance. It only made me want her more. I couldn’t wait for her to be mine.

I will own her. She will be mine.
      

Cum shot out of my painfully hard cock as I imagined her being mine, being my slave, my pet. I will show Michaels what a real Dom was like. I couldn’t wait to train her to
want
to please me. The satisfaction that I would feel when I get to show Michaels her submission to me would bring me the highest pleasure of my life.

After watching Ashley leave the club with Rownan, I was on the brink of losing it. The only thing that kept me from doing so was Knox, Toby, and Vic. Kelly even tried to reassure me that everything was ok, but reassurance wasn’t what I wanted, even though I was thankful for her efforts. I assured all of my friends I would be fine as we left the club. I was no longer in the mood to try and have fun as images of what Ashley and Kleinfield could possibly be doing right now flashed on repeat in my mind.

I left my friends at the club with the promise that I would go directly to my apartment for the night. Knox said he would be over soon, but wanted to see Kelly safely home, while Toby and Victoria took separate cabs home. I told Toby he was more than welcome to stay at my place, but he refused because he had family in Chicago he wanted to stay with.

That is how I ended up taking a cab over to The Celtic Knot. I instructed the driver to wait outside as I used my key to let myself in. The place didn’t feel the same as I flipped on a few lights, illuminating the empty room around me. This place should be crawling with people living out their real life fantasies and desires. The stage should be lit up with me doing the nightly lesson. I stood staring at the empty, dark stage as the memory of the night Ashley first came into the club flashed before my eyes. I remembered how fucking painful it was to tie her up in the Karada. The vision of the ropes on her, even though she was clothed still made me hard just thinking about it.

I tore my stare away from the club and stormed my way over behind the bar. I reached for the bottle of Jameson, and not bothering to get a glass, tipped the bottle back and chugged the Irish whiskey until the burn in my throat nearly made me choke. Slamming the bottle down onto the bar, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

I sat down on the floor behind the bar, resting my forearms on my knees. With my head hanging, I thought about my mom. That must be what she felt when she pined away for my father—the pain that she felt every day for ten years as she wanted someone who had her coming undone. I promised myself I would never feel that grief; I would never know the pain of what it felt like to have your heart and soul ripped from your chest. What a fucking bust that was. The moment Ashley walked into my club, she owned me. I have always been a dominant. I have always had control over everything in my life, but that night, when she walked through the front doors and my sight set on her, I should have known then that she would be the one who owned me.

I sat there on the floor going mad with thoughts about Kleinfield touching her, kissing her, making love to her. Why was it so fucking easy for her to destroy me? How could one person annihilate another person so completely?

I picked myself up off the floor and made my way back out toward the waiting cab. I couldn’t stay in The Knot any longer with all the memories of her floating around. I knew I would never get to sleep tonight if I didn’t go see if Rownan’s car was at her house. I slid into the backseat of the cab and gave him directions to Ashley and Kelly’s house. Just what I thought I would do if I did find his car there, I wasn’t sure about, but I knew I had to go.

The drive felt like it took an eternity. My heart nearly ruptured in my chest as the cabbie pulled up behind Rownan’s car and the lights shined in to show Rownan as he held my Ashley with his lips sealed to hers.