Page 22 of Salacious Desires

My clit flutters, and my cheeks heat. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good girl,” he murmurs. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

CHAPTER 10

DRAKE

“Damn, that’s a whole lot of fucked up.” My brother stares at me, his expression haunted.

I scrub a hand over my face. I spent the last twenty minutes telling Easton about Lily’s past. Normally, I wouldn’t share her secrets, but I need his thoughts on how I should handle this. Because it will be handled one way or another.

“Is she in therapy?” Easton asks.

“I don’t think so. Although she mentioned needing medication. So, honestly, I don’t know. I’m really trying not to bulldoze her and take over. You know how I am. Once I’m set on something, nothing gets in my way. I don’t think I can take that approach with her. She’s just now found her independence for the first time in her life. It wouldn’t be fair for me to rip that out from under her.”

My brother snorts and rolls his eyes. “There’s a difference between what she experienced in her past and consensual submission. What she went through was abuse and servitude. What you would provide is completely different. She sounds like she’s a bit lost, so having someone like you help her navigate this new life of hers might be beneficial.”

I let out a deep breath, my chest tight. “What if I do what I did with Shay?”

Shay was the only woman I ever tried to date. I was only a year into this lifestyle when we met at The Playground and instantly hit it off. Within three months, we’d broken up because I’d been too controlling for her. Too dominant. Too possessive. Too much. I tried to tone it down, but I couldn’t. I need control.

Ever since, I’ve avoided any kind of relationship other than casual, no-strings-attached scenes. Lily isn’t a casual woman, though. She’s a get-down-on-your-knee-and-beg-her-to-marry-you kind of woman. Maybe it’s her innocence that intrigues me so much. I want to be the one to show her the world. To give her the happy and fulfilling life she’s never had. But I also want to give her the freedom and independence she deserves.

“That was nearly ten years ago. You’ve grown as a Dom since then. The fact that you’re aware of it means you won’t repeat it. Trust yourself, Drake. You were young, and we were still new in the lifestyle and learning.”

I sit back and pick up the cup of coffee Easton made for me when I came knocking at his door at ten o’clock this morning. I didn’t sleep most of the night. I couldn’t get the things Lily had told me out of my head.

She was abused. Forced to marry as a child to a grown man. And she’s walking around with a smile on her face every night. My girl. She’s strong.

“So, which route do you want to go? The legal route or the less than legal route?”

This is why I came to my brother. No matter which option I choose, he’ll have my back.

“I left a message with our attorney this morning. Once he calls me back and gives me an idea of how successful we’ll be doing it the legal way, then I’ll know which way to go.”

Easton runs his fingers over the short scruff on his chin. “Might be a good idea to call Cage and give him a heads-up.”

I study my brother. “You’re sure you don’t mind if I involve him with this?”

He shrugs and leans back against the couch. “Cage is…unconventional and, quite frankly, he might be a psychopath. He’ll help us, though. And he’d make sure all the women were taken to safe places to start their lives over.”

We met Cage Black years ago at The Playground. The guy is different. Smart, though. He has a higher IQ than either me or Easton. He’s also impeccable at what he does—whatever it is. All we really know is that he works with a team of men, and they’re one of the most dangerous units in the world. They also don’t exist in any database. I’ve checked. And that’s enough to tell me that whatever job they do, they do it without a trace left behind.

Cage has a membership at our club, but he doesn’t ever come in unless we’re having a special invite-only event.

“Yeah. I’ll call him. For now, I need to go and pick Lily up so I can spend the day spoiling her.”

My brother smirks. “I want to give you shit like you did to me when I got with Faye, but honestly, I like seeing you like this. You seem happy.”

Warmth fills my chest. Easton and I are close, but our usual kind of brotherly talks are us talking shit to each other. It’s rare that we get so sentimental.

“Thanks, man. You seem happy, too. Faye is good for you. I like her a lot.”

We stand, grinning at each other before we lean in for a quick backslapping bro hug.

“Cage, it’s Drake Riley.”

“I know,” Cage answers in a bored tone. The guy is a strange one.

---