Page 45 of Redemption's Inferno

They danced and then found seats at the bar, whispering together as Chains finished his beer. He was much more interested in the woman leaning against him than anyone they might run into and he had to admit all he wanted was to take her back to the hotel and have his way with her.

“I don’t see anyone I recognize,” she said after a bit. “And to be honest, I don’t even know what we’re looking for.”

“The idea that someone was asking after you bothers me,” he said slowly. “But it could be anyone—even someone that knew you from your clubbing days, heard about you going to Cuddy’s and wanted to see you.”

She nodded. “Let’s not borrow trouble,” she said. “How about we just enjoy our time together instead of thinking about the past and everything bad thing that could happen. Look what dwelling on the past did to me.”

“All right, love.” He kissed her temple and smiled into her shining eyes. Maybe she was right. He’d been trained to be suspicious of everything but maybe it was time to stop all that and live like a normal person. He would always be cautious, but he didn’t have to be on alert all the time.

“What do you want to do now?” she was asking, yanking from his thoughts.

“Do you want to stay?” Chains asked, wrapping an arm around her neck. “I could put you up on the spider web and spank that delicious bottom of yours.”

She smiled but slowly shook her head. “It’s out of character for me to refuse, but I don’t think so. I’m pregnant. Doing that feels…disrespectful to the child. Can we just go back to the hotel?”

He pressed a kiss to her cheek, drawing her close to him. “Yeah. I didn’t think about the baby until after I’d said it. You know if I was to spank you, or anything else while you were pregnant, the baby would always be foremost in my mind?”

“I know,” she nodded. “It’s not about causing physical harm—almost impossible at this early stage unless we did something crazy—it’s about the perception. Even just in my head. If someday either this one or Simone find out about my kink, I want to be able to say, but never while I was pregnant—you and your siblings were always more important than anything else.”

He nodded. “I’ve never had any interest in becoming a father, but if I was to have kids, I think I’d feel the same. Maybe a little harmless bondage, a few swats on that luscious arse of yours…but at a club? No. Just me and you, in private.”

She narrowed her eyes. “So…you’re saying if you were to have children, it would be with me?”

“Sweetheart, there’s no one else I’ve ever even had an inclination to get serious with. Besides, you’ve already got a kid, and she calls me Uncle Chains—seems to me I’ve been saddled with a kid whether I want one or not.”

She chuckled. “Sorry?”

“You’re not!” He laughed, taking her hand as they left the club.

* * *

Having breakfast with Warren the following morning, he gloated without even trying to hide it. As they poured tea and feasted on fruit, cheese and a soufflé he’d whipped up, Warren’s smile was as wide as a house.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Chains groused, giving his friend a dirty look, “can you stop the bloody gloating?”

“Why should I?” Warren demanded. “I’m old enough to be your father and you did exactly as I predicted!”

“You’ve never been a father, so how would you know?”

He laughed. “No, but I’m an uncle and many of my friends are parents, so I know enough! Besides, you know I played you—admit it!”

Chains rolled his eyes. “Yeah—you put Emilie in danger so that I could help her! What if I’d been delayed or something had gone wrong?”

Now Warren rolled his eyes. “Cuddy knew exactly what he was doing—he’s a bit of a sadist, but he’s mellowed as he’s grown older, realizing not everyone is like that and he has to show restraint with some people if he wants to be respected in the community. I took him under my wing a couple years ago because he spiraled a bit after his mum passed. Now he’s learned control and also become my friend—it was Cuddy who sat at my bedside after the surgery, you know.”

“It would have been many others had you told us!” Emilie snapped.

He smiled. “You were in America with a new baby—darling, that was no place for you. But rest assured, you were never in any danger. Cuddy knows Chains and was keeping everything structured to my specifications; he knew not to block your airway until Chains was there and close enough to see what he was doing. Had Chains been distracted or for whatever reason didn’t react, he was ready to stop everything. He never would have harmed you, love. Please know that.”

Chains grunted but Emilie smiled. “I do, you manipulative old man!”

“It worked then, didn’t it?” He sat back with a satisfied smile and Chains gave him a dark look.

“This is a trial—we’re taking things one day at a time.”

“Well, that’s how everyone does relationships, now, isn’t it?”

“All right, enough of that!” Emilie shook her head. “Have you learned anything about Nate?”

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