Page 43 of Whispers in the Dark

I knew it, so I would work on something the next day. While not good practice to fire someone on the first day of the new year, it was better than on the last day of the former year. Tonight, she’d be like all the others deep in celebration untiltomorrow when she reaped what she’d sown the moment she’d decided to betray me. I’d offer her a severance, but even without one, she would’ve fared better than others that we’d both had known.

Brynn wouldn’t pay for her duplicity with her life, at least if I could help it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t something I could control or promise. If it was, my life might be drastically different, or I could still be completely alone with my thoughts as I was right now.

I looked down one final time at the ornament, then walked into the kitchen toward the garbage can. The sooner I put the last month behind me, the better off I’d be. Only, I wasn’t the type to just forgive and forge on. I’d deluded myself in the waking hours believing it was possible, but when I’d go to sleep at night, my demons would take things into their own hands.Into my hands.

I clenched my fist, and as I did, I felt the pain as the glass shattered in my palm. I opened my hand, then tossed the broken bulb into the garbage and looked down at the two sharp pieces stuck in my hand. Blood seeped out around them, and it was only when I felt a warm drop or two on my bare feet that I moved over to the sink. I cleaned my wound, then applied some antibiotic ointment and a liquid bandage to it. After, I cleaned up the few drops of blood from the floor.

“What the hell am I doing?” I asked aloud.

I was basically causing myself to bleed, when I could be inflicting that upon someone else instead. It was then when I thought about Lotus. In recent months, I’d barely been to the club at all, and when I had, it’d been with her.

Again, Brynn haunted my waking and sleeping hours. I needed to find someone else to replace the void she’d left, and knowing the only place I felt safe enough to try was at that same club. It was far too late to find someone to join me there, but justa reminder of what my life used to be was just what I needed, especially because it was a reminder of all my life could be.

After showering, I got dressed, then drove to the place I knew well. While assuming it had been too late to find someone to spend time with here tonight, it wasn’t impossible. Had I have just logged onto Olympus, I could’ve found a submissive willing to drop any plans to kneel at my feet. The only problem was that I didn’t want just anyone there, I wanted Brynn.

Even after her betrayal, I still longed for the deceitful bitch. As unpleasant as the realization was, I knew I’d want her that much longer unless I reclaimed my life – the one I used to know... The only one I could ever have...

After parking my car, I entered the club and a familiar sense of peace washed over me. Lotus was the only place I could go and actually allow myself to feel anything, even if only for a few hours in time. It would take far less than that for me to sink my dick balls deep inside of another to forget Brynn. Or maybe, it would only complicate things.

Regardless, I wasn’t here tonight to partake in a scene. With the volatile anger still coursing through my veins, I’d likely strangle one of the submissives to death, not that it would be the worst thing I could do. Blair’s bloodied and beaten body flashed between my eyes, and I staggered backward where I encountered a wall of muscle.

When I turned, I saw another Dominant, Pierre, who was now looking strangely at me. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I muttered, then looked over my shoulder at the bar. Right now, there was only one other person sitting there. “I came for a drink,” I told him before walking away.

When I reached the bar, the other Dominant sitting there was Stavros. If I wanted to take my anger out on anyone for bringing Brynn into my life, it should be him, but as he gave a curt nod and went back to his whiskey, I decided it wasn’t worthit. The bartender moved down the bar to me, and he didn’t have to ask. A minute later, he slid a glass of scotch in front of me.

30.Brynn

“Ms. Davis? You can come on back now.” With my heart in my throat, and tears welling in my eyes, I went back to an exam room and waited for the doctor to come see me. This was definitely not how I had envisioned spending the last day of the year. Thankfully, the waiting room had been fairly empty, so it didn’t take long for the door to the room to open, revealing a man in scrubs.

“Brynn Davis? Hi, I’m Dr. Neeman. I wish I could say it’s nice to meet you, but we both know this is not where you wanted to be.”

I smiled slightly and nodded, shaking the doctor’s outstretched hand. “How is he?” I asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“The good news is that you caught things in time. The better news is that Lug Nut will be fine. We do want to keep him overnight for observation, though.”

My shoulders dropped down from my ears and it was in that moment I realized I had been tensed, bracing myself for the worst possible news.

Kevin had gifted me a beautiful flower arrangement for the holidays. I had seen lilies in the selection of flowers and thoughtthey were safe up on the dining room table. The blooms were gorgeous, but apparently, they were too gorgeous to resist. Lug Nut had decided the plant was good enough to eat and had managed to nudge a chair back far enough for him to hop up and get close enough to start chewing on them. I was in the laundry room moving clothes into the dryer and starting another load, oblivious to my dog chomping on a toxic plant.

I came out in time to see Lug Nut with the yellow pollen around his mouth and half of a flower missing.

I’d gone into panic mode, then, knowing I needed to find an emergency vet that was close and open on a damn holiday. By the time I got one on the phone, then got the dog in the car, he was whining. When I pulled into the clinic’s parking lot, he had started to seize.

I listened to Dr. Neeman explain what they had done for my sweet boy. A fresh round of tears started as I thought about how scared he must have been.

“Thank you for your help, Doctor. As you said, I would rather be somewhere else, but I am very thankful you were open.” Kind eyes crinkled upward in the corners as he smiled.

“Holidays are the busiest time for pet emergencies. You should see us on July fourth.”

After hearing him detail what the plans were for the overnight stay, I felt very hopeful there would be no lasting effects from the dog’s snack. I then had a decision to make about the flowers. I would place them on top of the fridge and if Lug Nut showed any further interest in them, I would just toss the whole arrangement.

“You are welcome to go back and see Lug Nut. He will be groggy, but I know he will be glad to see Mom.”

Nodding, I followed the doctor back into the room with various sized kennels. There were a couple of animals backthere, but it was strangely quiet. I spotted my boy stretched out in his cage in a corner by himself.

As I approached the kennel, I saw an ear twitch, then soulful brown eyes pop open. The slow thumpthumpthump of his tail was slower than his usual efforts, but I smiled nonetheless.

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