Page 73 of High Roller

She huffs. “I’ve got plans.”

“And I appreciate you giving me your time. You’ll be paid for three additional hours even if you only stay an extra thirty minutes. Grace just needs to handle something for me.”

“Fine.”

I leave the sandwich shop and pull my phone from my pocket to check in with Owen again.

“Any more information on our mystery vehicle?” I ask.

“Not yet. Looks like they are parked in a shopping center nearby and are just waiting. For what, I’m not sure. Are you positive that Lili didn’t bring any kind of tracking devices with her?”

“She was naked, and I tossed her shoes out of the car before we left the casino property. Didn’t even let her take her purse.”

“Jesus, Victor. What about implants? Would Phineas be crazy enough to microchip his own wife?”

“Don’t act like you haven’t thought about asking Bellamy if you can chip her. Especially after the last few months.”

Owen laughs. “Ask being the operative verb there, mate. Something tells me if this bastard did it, his wife would never know.”

“How do we find out?”

“I can bring a scanner in a few minutes.”

“Is that safe?”

“It’ll have to be. If they’ve followed us before, they know we frequent the shop. I’ll come in through the cigar bar.”

Over the past year, Zara has spearheaded the opening of several other businesses in the strip mall that we occupy. We only lease space to club members we trust. She opened a boudoir studio in one, another close ally opened a cigar bar, and Bellamy wants to open an accounting firm in another. We still have three empty spaces, but Zara is bound to be looking for good tenants.

Back in my office, I tell Grace that Owen is on his way in. She stands. “I’ll give you some space. Should I go out front?”

I shake my head. “Not yet. Harper can handle things for a little while longer.”

She twists her hands, and I drop to a knee in front of the chair she’s in. I pick up her hands and separate them, squeezing them in my own. “What is it, butterfly?”

“I just need something to do. Sitting here listening to you talk about all of this with Owen is going to make me more anxious.”

Harper is annoying me, so I want her to keep working the front. I kiss Grace’s knuckles and stand. At my desk, I rifle through the file drawer until I find what I’m looking for.

When I hand it to her, she looks up at me and blushes. “I’ve already filled this out.”

“Be honest, butterfly. Did you hide part of yourself? There are some things that have come out, like the blood play that I know aren’t in there. And even if you didn’t hide anything, you’ve seen and experienced a lot here in the last five years. If things have changed about your needs, I want to know. Especially if you and I are changing our relationship.”

She flips through the submissive questionnaire we have new subs fill out then looks back at me. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right,” I say with a wink. Then I cup her jaw and force her to meet my gaze. “Hold nothing back, Mariposa. If you’re going to be mine, I want everything. If I discover you’ve downplayed something, or left things out, you’ll answer for it, understood?”

She nods, her eyes wide. “Yes, Sir,” she says when I raise an eyebrow at her silence.

“Good. You can use Bellamy’s office.”

When she’s gone, I settle at my desk and try to focus on club business, but I keep thinking of her and what she may be putting in the questionnaire.

A half hour later, Owen strolls into my office carrying a scanner, forcing me to focus on more urgent matters.

“Do you want to do it?” I ask when he explains how it works.

“It’s up to you. Either way, I’ll come with you just in case it gives you any trouble.”

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