Page 5 of Midnight Dissonance

Lexi shot him a glare. And in her eyes, he noted her fury, like she was wishing every injury upon him. She spat, “Don’t even think about touching me.”

His lip curled in scorn. “I would sooner touch a barracuda. But I think a one-month suspension from the club would satisfy me.”

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes.

And if she had shown any remorse, he would have left it at that. But she’d messed with the wrong Dom and had pushed far too many of his buttons. “I wasn’t finished. And a six-month suspension from participating in singles night events.”

She opened her mouth to argue. But then shut her mouth and cast a steely glare in his direction. “Fine. Can I go now?”

Gabe stared, asking him wordlessly if there was anything else. He shook his head in the negative. Those two suspensions should be enough. And he doubted any Dom at Eros would want to scene with her once word spread. She was young. She would recover or not; he didn’t really care.

But Gabe turned to Lexi and said, “At the end of your suspension, before I will readmit you to the club, you must come see me.”

“Why? So we can talk about our feelings?”

Josh bit back a smile. She’d be fun to argue with in a courtroom. At every comment lobbed her way, she fought back, never backing down or changing her stance. In any other setting, it would be admirable. But not here and not tonight.

“Lexi, this is nonnegotiable. If you don’t contact the office and set up an appointment, your suspension won’t be lifted. Do I make myself clear?” Gabe growled with his hands on his hips. She’d even pushed his stalwart cousin to the breaking point.

“Perfectly.” She clenched her hands into fists.

“You’re free to leave. Colin will escort you to grab your belongings and up to your car. Your access code to the parking garage and club will be disabled within the hour. You will not be welcome back until you meet with me. I hope you take this time for some serious self-reflection. You need to decide whether this is the place for you.”

“Lexi.” Colin held the door open for her.

She sailed on past him with her head held high.

“Come on, I’ll take you up,” Colin said sternly.

“Enjoy your suspension.” Josh smirked, needing to get a final dig in before she vanished. She’d ruined his damn night.

She gave him the finger and sailed out the door. Colin closed the door the moment they were out of the room.

“Mind giving me a full rundown of exactly what happened here?” Gabe asked him with exasperation in every line of his body.

He blew out a frustrated breath and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, but let’s head up to your office. I need a drink.”

“You and me both.”

He followed Gabe out of the room in shock. In the two years since he’d become a member, he’d never had a night like this at the club. He’d never met a sub who was so violently opposed to him. And while he was rather cavalier with his dating life, in that he didn’t date and only scened at the club, that was his business.

But her refusal and slight added to the hollow emptiness his life had become.

Lexi couldn’t believe it. Gabe had thrown her out of one of the few places she felt at home, where she felt like herself. She couldn’t help it if she’d been saddled with Mister Fuck Anything With Tits.

“That wasn’t nice,” Colin murmured on their trek down the hall.

She shrugged. Her entire night had gone to shit. She didn’t care whether it was nice or not. Maybe she just wasn’t a nice person. “Maybe not, but it was well deserved. I know he’s your cousin, but he’s an asshole.”

In the elevator, Colin stood with his muscular arms crossed in front of his chest. With a dark frown, he said, “Josh respected your wishes not to touch you by asking for the suspension. Most subs would have been punished publicly in the Pit. Keep that in mind the next time you call him an asshole.”

She ground her teeth. He didn’t understand. But then no one did. No one understood what her ex had put her through with his narcissistic tendencies and inability to remain faithful. He’d been her first Dom, and a piss poor one at that. No one realized she’d walked away from everything and that the only thing that mattered to her anymore was her music. She couldn’t even consider what would happen if she lost that too.

Colin walked her all the way to her car. “It’s only a month. Do as Gabe asked, and you will be welcomed back when your suspension ends.”

“Who says I want to come back?” At that quip, she climbed into the fifteen-year-old tan Corolla that belonged to one of her bandmates without looking at him. She didn’t want him to see how close to tears she was. Because she was no sniveler when there was an audience present.

And she would never give another man the satisfaction of knowing he made her cry.

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