The Masters of Falcon's Fantasies [BDSM Menage Fantasies 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (8 page)

“If you’re going to be staying here, you probably should know the situation. We’re filming a music video starring Daphne Monroe. You’ve heard that much?”

Decker nodded, taking a swig of his beer. He didn’t say that he had no idea who Daphne Monroe was, and it didn’t seem to occur to Finn to ask. He looked off into the distance, talking almost to himself.

“She’s such an amazing performer—an amazing person. She’s a talented songwriter, a great dancer and singer, a top-notch musician—when she’s focused. She seems to have decided lately that she doesn’t care about her career. I don’t know what’s bugging her. We worked for years to get this label to sign her. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. But all of a sudden it’s like she wants to blow it or something. She’s always either drunk out of her mind with Blaze or running away to meet that damn politician.”

“Politician?” Allie repeated, frowning.

Finn nodded miserably. “It’s going to get her into serious trouble. He’s a real up-and-comer, and he’s not going to tolerate her interfering with his career. She’s a plaything for him, nothing more. When he decides she’s not worth the trouble, she’s bound to get hurt. He’s been pretty careful, and we’ve kept it out of the papers so far, but—”

“Is that why the photographer was skulking in the bushes the other day?” Allie interrupted.

There was silence for a moment, and then Decker supplied, “Those things never end well.”

Finn stared at his shoes. “I know, but I don’t know what to do about it.”

“I’m so sorry that I didn’t see her leaving this morning,” Allie said suddenly, her eyes filling with tears. Decker’s head swiveled between the two.

“It’s not your fault. I actually heard them leave, but I thought it was Blaze coming back from a night on the town. She’d been so good this week, so disciplined. It was like she was finally getting over that stupid infatuation. Instead, she was just playing me. I’ve had it. I’m through with her.” He stood up and walked to the porch railing, looking out over the spreading vista.

Allie looked crushed and guilty. Karl and Brad exchanged looks, and then Karl spoke up. “Consider that carefully, Finn. You’ve invested a lot in that girl
,
and you’re probably her only chance to make it big. I don’t think you’ll forgive yourself for writing her off.”

“Well, what else am I supposed to do?” Finn’s voice was angry
,
but he stood absolutely still, as if listening for something. It was like he was waiting anxiously for someone to give him the key to his situation.

Decker took another swig of his beer, making up his mind to dig a little and see if he could be any help to the distraught man. “Let’s back this up a minute and leave the giant problem of the politician to focus on something you might be able to handle.”

“All right. Why not?” Finn’s voice was tired.

“Okay. You mentioned that she often gets drunk with Blaze. I am assuming this is a person and not a type of drink or something. Right?”

“Yeah, I suppose you could call him a person.”

“I take it you aren’t a fan, so who is he?”

“He’s one of the guitarists in the band, and a fucking waste of human flesh, but Daphne likes him for some reason.”

“And you can’t just fire him and get someone better?”

“Unfortunately not, at least not yet.”

Decker stood up and looked Finn in the eye. “Then I guess you only have one option.
Take control and m
ake her mind.”

Finn remained where he was, looking out over the backyard. Decker nodded to himself. “Sorry. I shouldn’t stick my nose somewhere that isn’t my business.” He smiled sheepishly at Allie. “If it’s okay, I’ll go grab my bag.”

She sprang to her feet, hastily setting her beer next to her chair. “Of course! I’m so sorry. Let me come show you to your room.”

They went around to the front to collect his suitcase, and then he followed her into the house and filled out the paperwork for his stay. Allie showed him around the ground floor briefly before leading him upstairs to what she called the “literary bedroom.”

“I think you’ll appreciate this more than any of the band members.” Allie looked around the room with a worried air, as if thinking that the room was too delicate for the Philistines that currently roamed her hallways.

“Thank you,” Decker said somberly, wondering what it was about her that made him feel like he should be dressed in armor and riding a white horse. It wasn’t a bad feeling, just confusing. And out of place. Maybe he was ready to rejoin the world. But he wasn’t sure he wanted to be. The thought felt disloyal.

He scrutinized the portraits of famous authors lining the purple and brown walls. In the middle there was a framed movie poster for
The Story of O
. On the dresser was a bust. It took Decker a few moments of scrutiny before he realized who it was—the Marquis de Sade. He found himself smiling as he scanned the row of BDSM books behind it. Allie followed his gaze.

“They’re all autographed,” she told him proudly as he looked through the titles.

She wandered through the room, touching things as if reassuring herself that it was unharmed by the influx of rowdiness in the house. “We allow nudity everyplace here except the front lawn. Obviously with the band and film crew here we’re not observing our normal rituals and protocols. There is a party at the local club next Saturday
,
and you’re welcome to go as our guest—oh, but of course you’ve probably been there with Dave before.”

“Not for a long time, but I appreciate the offer.” Decker felt a pang at the memory of the last time he’d been to a club. Sharon had been there with him. It had been the night before he’d left for that last flight, just before their big blowup. In fact, the argument had started at the club and lasted most of the night. He tossed the suitcase on the bed and opened it to distract himself.

“I—You’re welcome to go with us, if you like,” Allie repeated, sounding uncertain.

“Thank you.”

There was silence for a moment, then Allie said softly, “Lunch will be at one. Help yourself to anything in the fridge or cupboards if you get hungry, unless it’s marked for a specific meal. There’s a notepad on the counter. If you want to request something special, just jot it down. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”

Decker only just stopped himself from saying “Thank you” for a third time. He wanted to talk to her, ask her about the situation downstairs, offer his help in any way that he could, but he felt awkward. It wasn’t his place. She had two men already, one of whom was obviously the master of the house, and surely Finn wouldn’t want another man barging in on his relationship with the singer, even if he was floundering and unsure how to handle it.

He unpacked his clothes and spent a few minutes choosing a book from the shelf before going back to the front porch to sit on the swing to try to relax.

After about fifteen minutes, Finn came banging out the front door, talking on a cell phone. “I’m serious this time, Daph. Call me when you get this. If you’re not back here by midnight tonight, I am definitely quitting. You promised to stop this running away shit, and unless you want to throw away your career for the sake of some sleazy—Anyway, this is your last chance. You heard what Tom said. They’re getting impatient for the video. They may not work with us again if we take much longer. Do you really want that? If you value our friendship—” He stormed over to a black BMW and slammed the phone shut as he climbed in. He revved the engine before tearing down the driveway in what must have been a very satisfying cloud of dust.

The sound of the front door being unlocked jerked Daphne out of her doze on the porch swing. She sat up warily, rubbing her eyes and praying that it was Allie or Brad opening the house up, not Finn roaming around and ready for a fight.

“Daphne? What are you doing out here?” Allie’s head was poking out, her eyes wide. She must have heard the swing creaking.

“Fuck.” Daphne groaned and pulled herself to her feet. She was aware that she must look like hell. She didn’t know if it was worse to be seen like this by one of the men or by Allie, who obviously disliked her already. She decided she didn’t give a fuck what Allie thought and stumbled past her into the house.

“Don’t tell Finn, okay?” she mumbled as she headed for her bedroom.

“Daphne
.
” Allie was standing with her arms crossed, looking like a stern housemother. Daphne had a pang of anxiety, then an uncontrollable urge to giggle. It was all just so
stupid
.

“Pleeease. I’ll be good from now on. Promise. Cross my heart and all that shit. It’s the weekend, for God’s sake. What is this, Bible camp?” Daphne ignored Allie’s obvious intention to lecture her and hauled herself up the stairs, high heels dangling from her wrist. She didn’t mention that there wouldn’t be any point in running away again.
He
had broken up with her. It was time to take his career seriously, he’d said. He couldn’t afford to keep partying like a teenager. His wife would leave him if he didn’t straighten up, and where would his political career be then?

She stifled a sob as she pushed her door open, and heard a gasp behind her. She went on in, knowing Finn would follow. He did.

“Daphne, where the hell—”

She held a hand up. “Don’t bother. I know what you’re going to say.”

“Do you? So you don’t care that I’m quitting?”

“Don’t quit, Finn. I need you. I’ll be good.”

“Daphne, I told you if you weren’t back by midnight, I was done.”

“How do you know I wasn’t back by midnight?” She sat on the bed and gave Finn her best pathetic “please leave me alone now” look.

He frowned and crossed his arms. He’d been doing that a lot lately. “Let me think. Maybe because you’re just now coming in?”

“The door was locked. I slept on the front porch. Swear.”

He looked dubious. “Why didn’t you knock? Or yell?”

“I don’t know. I did knock—I think. It’s kind of fuzzy.” Not fuzzy enough. She should have had another couple of shots. Maybe then she wouldn’t remember that horrible ride back.

“I can’t do this anymore, Daph. I can’t watch you ruin your career and your health. You have so much potential. Why are you sabotaging yourself like this?”

“You don’t need to worry about that anymore. It’s over.” Making a supreme effort to look tough and unconcerned, she flopped onto the bed and tossed her shoes in the general direction of the closet. “I gave him up. I’m not—” She burst into tears.

In a second Finn’s arms were around her
,
and he was smoothing her hair and wiping away the mascara that was no doubt running down her face. If there was any left after last night.

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” he said, but she could hear the relief in his voice. “I can see you’ve had a rough time
,
and I feel bad about that. But I can’t pretend I won’t be really happy if that’s true. Still, you and I are going to have to come to a new agreement. You keep promising to straighten up, and then you run off. Is it Blaze? Do we need to replace—?”

“No, no.” She pushed away from him, wiping angrily at her face, ashamed that he was seeing her like this. “Don’t blame him. It’s my fault. I asked him to take me.”

“He encourages you. He’s a bad influence—God, I sound like your father. Why do you insist on keeping him?”

“I owe him. You know that. He got me my start in the business. If it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t even have gotten that audition with Silver Heat.”

Finn sighed. “I know that. But it was also him that started all of the problems that made you leave them and Shooting Star before starting Dark Epiphany. Just because he helped you in the beginning doesn’t mean that you have to keep living up to his idea of the rock
-
star life. People like him party hard and burn out young. You said you didn’t want that. Don’t you want a real career, a life that’s about more than drinking yourself into a stupor every night and blowing your money on drugs and parties? He’s a half-rate guitarist, where you could be a legend.”

Daphne grabbed a pillow to bury her face in. She didn’t care about the makeup that would be smeared all over it. She wanted him to tell him that what she wanted was
him
, but there was no point in that now. Obviously she was just a stepladder to him, a career choice—a bad career choice by the look of it. Any day now, if not today, he would throw in the towel and walk out on her, and that’s what she deserved. She’d managed to fool him this far, make him think she was worth his time and effort. But now he was starting to clue in to the fact that she wasn’t. Maybe Allie was making him see her for what she really was. No, that couldn’t be right. Allie was sweet and nice. Her brain was getting cloudy with despair and fatigue, and she couldn’t deal with Finn’s disappointment anymore. She moaned and refused to move when he shook her shoulder, trying to make her reengage in the conversation. She allowed the fuzziness to steal over her, willing herself into oblivion.

Finn stood up and walked to the door. “Go ahead and sleep for a few hours. If you’re feeling up to it tonight
,
we’ll brainstorm that new song. Tomorrow we have to start filming. There’s no more time for fooling around. I was hoping we could spend some time this weekend enjoying the area, but I guess you weren’t interested in that. Rest now, Daph.”