Page 2 of Ruin Me, Daddy

Not a fan then, which was both a relief and a disappointment. “Well, I’ve heard such good things about this club, I figured it was safe enough to come in alone.”

That much was true, at least. Everything she’d heard about Club BDE had been absolutely glowing, other than the whispers of an underground sex auction that had been illegally run out of the club up until a couple months ago. But that had apparently been done without the knowledge or consent of the club owners, and the Elliott brothers had shut the whole mess down rather quickly.

Other than that minor hiccup, the club had a spotless reputation, so Silver hadn’t even thought twice about showing up without an escort. She’d also spent the last few years occasionally playing with strangers at her club back in California, and she’d learned a thing or two during that time about dealing with unwanted advances from overeager Doms.

“Of course you’re safe here.” A hint of insult colored Lottie’s voice, as though she couldn’t believe anyone would ever imply otherwise. “My Daddy would be absolutely beside himself if he thought a woman didn’t feel safe in his club.”

Daddy. That was the other thing she’d heard about BDE. Nearly all of the Doms in this club identified as Daddies of one type or another.

Was Ice a Daddy now? The thought had her stomach twisting in a not-altogether- unpleasant way. Though she’d never heard him refer to himself that way, it was oddly fitting. He’d always been looking out for her, taking care of her, even when she’d been with Ace. Forcing her to eat before shows, shoving water at her between sets, making sure she got at least some sleep while they were on the road.

She hadn’t realized how much she’d come to rely on him constantly checking up on her until he’d disappeared. And it was a bit of a kick in the ass to realize the man taking care of her like a proper Dom should wasn’t the man she’d been in an on-again, off-again relationship with her entire adult life, but rather the man she considered her best friend.

That probably should have been her first clue that her relationship with Ice was more complicated than she’d realized.

“Your Daddy?” Silver asked, her brain belatedly catching up with what Lottie had just said. “Braden Elliott is your Daddy?”

Everything about Lottie seemed to light up from the inside. “He is. He’s probably wandering around somewhere if you’d like to meet him.” Lottie glanced from side to side before leaning in and dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “He and The Viking are good friends, if you want me to get you an introduction.”

Jesus, how long had Ice been here? According to the Horsemen, he’d spent a week at Club Apocalypse right after he’d left California. Had he gone straight from Arizona to South Carolina? How had he even heard of this place? She hadn’t known Club BDE existed until a few days ago, after she’d spent a solid two weeks on the phone calling around to every kink club in the country trying to find her wayward bandmate.

The answer to at least some of her questions seemed to be standing right in front of her. “Really?” Silver let her eyes go wide. “So he comes here often? The Viking, I mean.”

That mischievous twinkle sparked in Lottie’s eyes again. “Every night since I started working here, and I’m pretty sure he was a regular before that.”

Before Silver could push for more information, a man stepped up to the table, the sharp lines of his face softened only somewhat by the warm smile curving his lips. She recognized Braden Elliott from his picture on the password-locked website for the club, but if she’d had any doubt who he was, it was put to rest when he slipped an arm around Lottie’s waist and pressed a kiss to her cheek before returning his attention to Silver. “Miss Sterling. I hope you’re enjoying your first visit with us.”

“I am.” A lump formed in her throat when Lottie dropped her head onto his shoulder in a gesture of such easy affection it made Silver ache to watch. “You have a lovely club, Mr. Elliott.”

“Call me Braden, please. And thank you. Vivian told me you turned down a tour. Is there anything specific you’re interested in that I could assist you with?”

“She’s interested in your friend,” Lottie whispered loudly. “The hot Viking sitting with Mr. Stone.”

The disapproving look Braden sent Lottie’s way nearly had Silver shrinking down in her seat. She’d been on the receiving end of that look before and it never boded well for the recipient.

“Charlotte, you know better than to gossip about our patrons.”

Lottie’s bottom lip puffed out in a pout. “It’s not gossip! It’s… intel.”

“Whatever you want to call it, you know better. Don’t you have other tables that need your attention, little girl?”

“Yes, but none that are as interesting as this one.”

Despite his attempts to look stern, Braden’s lips twitched with clear amusement. “Go, unless you’d rather spend your shift with your skirt up around your waist so everyone can see how pretty your bottom looks in pink.”

With a quick glare for her Daddy, Lottie hurried off to the next table. Braden took the opportunity to slide onto the bench across from Silver, his expression shifting from playful to serious in a way that had butterflies dancing in her stomach. “You’re here for Ice.”

It was a statement rather than a question, so she saw no reason to deny it. “Yes, Sir.”

“Since you’re hiding out in a dark corner instead of sitting with him, it seems safe to assume he doesn’t know you’re here.”

“Yes, Sir. And I would like to keep it that way for at least a little bit longer, if it’s all the same to you.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, and she had to fight the urge to squirm in her seat. Being on stage in front of thousands of fans was nothing compared to how exposed she felt with Braden Elliott staring her down.

After what felt like a short eternity, he gave a single, brisk nod. “For now. But I should warn you, Miss Sterling. Ice is not only one of my best patrons, but someone I consider a friend. If you’re here to cause trouble for him, I have no problem throwing you out on your ass. Am I understood?”

“I’m not looking to make trouble for anyone, Sir. I just need to talk to him.”

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