Chapter Eleven
Miami watched theelevator doors slide together and released a breath she realized she was holding. Returning to the party after the meeting did nothing to dispel her unease. All she’d been able to think about was how everyone celebrating her rescue was now in danger because of her presence. Sitting at the glass-topped patio table surrounded by laughter after the meeting, she’d felt oddly disconnected from the entire scene.
“Where are you, Miami?”
She blinked several times, trying to bring the world around her into focus. Essex was holding the door open while Giles looked at her expectantly.Leaping leopards, when did they move?
“Miami? When we ask you a question, we expect an answer. Immediately.” Giles’s voice shifted to the unmistakable tone of a Dom. His question was no longer a simple inquiry. He’d shifted directly to command.
“Everybody at Prairie Winds is in danger because I’m here.” She hadn’t meant to blurt it out, but now that she’d started, there wasn’t any way to hold back the tidal wave of emotion. “Before you say, ‘It’s what we do,’ I get it. I understand you are highly trained, and I’m not trying to take anything away from that, but….” Pulling in a deep breath, Miami felt the familiar burning at the back of her eyes and blinked several times to push the tears back. Damn it. Crying wouldn’t help anything. She’d shed tears over the loss of her mother and then her father, and it hadn’t made a damn bit of difference. Crying never solved anything, and she was damned tired of wasting the energy.
Giles hadn’t moved, and now Essex was standing in front of her as well. Their expressions were still stalwart, although the frown lines around their eyes were slowly disappearing. When Miami got her emotions under control, she continued.
“Being trained doesn’t mean you can’t be hurt. And what about Tobi and Lilly? They are in danger as well. If anything happened to them because of me, I’d never forgive myself.”
Giles used his thumb to brush away the tears she hadn’t noticed escaped despite her best efforts to hold them back. The feather-light touch of his calloused pad against her skin was such a stark contrast she couldn’t hold back her contented sigh. Miami was self-aware enough to recognize how powerfully she reacted to both men. It was humbling yet undeniable.
“Your concern for others speaks volumes about your kind heart, Miami. You put your life on hold to care for your mother, then again for your father. Don’t you think it’s about time you let us take care of you?” Giles leaned forward to press a soft kiss against her forehead as if the tender gesture would emphasize his point.
Miami wasn’t sure she knew how to let go.
“We know it won’t be easy for you. You’ve spent so much time taking care of others, it’s hard to imagine someone wanting to do the same for you.”
Essex was right. Her head understood she couldn’t manage this situation alone, but her heart was having trouble accepting the need to let go of the control.
“Don’t be afraid to talk to the women you met today. Most of them have been in similar circumstances. Not to say their stories are exactly the same as yours, but there are enough parallels to be helpful.”
“When Tobi, Lilly, and CeCe can sit comfortably again, I’m sure they’ll be happy to share their stories with you.” Giles’s smile was fleeting, making it obvious he wasn’t pleased the women had listened in without an invitation.
Miami flinched, unconsciously giving away the fact she’d known the three were huddled behind the bar eavesdropping. She’d hoped the trio had escaped detection… obviously, they hadn’t.
“Don’t worry about them, baby. Their men will make their point without pushing their wives too far.” Essex always seemed to tap into her concerns and address concerns before she’d even had time to put them into words. Giles nodded in agreement.
“Safe words are always honored, Miami. Nothing will ever make any Dom at Prairie Winds ignore a submissive’s safe word. Safe, sane, and consensual isn’t a phrase we throw around arbitrarily—it’s the guiding tenet we all live by.” Giles gave her a minute to sort through everything they’d said before continuing. “The point we need to get back to is your worry about putting others in danger. We won’t deny there is an added element of concern. What we want you to remember is… every member of the team has dealt with people like Cruz.”
“We aren’t underestimating the father or son. No doubt they are dangerous men. They are also desperate, which makes them unpredictable and careless. The team will plan for every scenario we can and prepare for anything unexpected.” Essex pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting hug Miami hadn’t known she needed. When she finally stepped back, her worry hadn’t fully dissipated, but she was able to take a deep breath.
“I just want to know you are taking every precaution. People who have everything to lose… well, that’s a whole new level of desperation.” Both men nodded their agreement. She appreciated them not filling the silence with empty reassurances. Miami looked around her, taking in the luxurious surroundings, and smiled. “This is beautiful. I wonder who they used?”
“Used?” Essex’s question shouldn’t have surprised her. He didn’t seem like the type of man who had a designer on speed dial.
“Who designed the space? Architects make the space work structurally, but designers focus on function and aesthetics.” Miami had dealt with teams of renovation experts when she helped both her mom and dad with their homes. She’d loved helping the contractors. She learned a lot during her mother’s renovation, but the physical exhaustion of hard work when she’d helped her dad was nothing short of therapeutic. Falling into bed each night, weary to the bone, had helped keep the memories of her time with Giles and Essex from overwhelming her.
“Kent told me they’d hired a designer when they first converted the top floor into their home, but after they saw Tobi’s work in the new house they built nearby, they let her take the lead on remodeling this floor to create two large guest suites.” Essex grinned as he pointed behind them. “That door leads to a smaller suite. They called it a studio apartment, but the damned thing is huge.” Giles unlocked the door in front of them and stepped inside. Holding the door open, he motioned for her to enter. Miami wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but she was unprepared for the luxurious space she stepped into.
“Holy Hannah, this place is amazing. I’ve been in five-star hotels that pale in comparison.” Traveling with her parents when they were touring taught her about the finer things in life. When she’d started becoming what her dad called a food snob, he’d taken her to local diners. When she’d protested, he laughed and told her someone else wouldn’t always be footing the bill and that she needed a lesson in living humbly.
During her time in Belize, Miami lived in a small cabin behind the dive shop, and her furniture had been purchased at a local thrift shop. Nothing matched, yet it was comfortable and colorful. She hadn’t had a television, so she’d spent her time working on the dive shop’s web page. Her former bosses were thrilled with the hours she spent developing their marketing campaign. The young couple she worked for would reap the rewards for years.
Giles took her hand, the warmth of his hand pulling her out of the memory. She followed him into the kitchen, trying to imagine what it would be like to live above a kink club. It was easy for her to see why Kent and Kyle wanted to live close to their work when they were starting their business. She wasn’t sure what made them move because someone would need a crowbar to pry her out of this space.
“Are you hungry? I know the meeting interrupted your meal.” Miami blinked several times, trying to refocus her attention on the man standing in front of her. Giles gave her a fleeting smile shaking his head. “We’re going to work on your focus, sweetness. Until your safety issues have been resolved, we need to make certain you don’t leave the secured perimeter of the compound alone.”
“As distracted as she is, it might not be wise for her to leave the apartment alone.” Essex was probably joking, but his voice also indicated an underlying concern. “Situational awareness is something we plan to help you develop, baby. Being alert to your surroundings is always important, and until Victor and Alonzo Cruz are no longer a threat, it’s critical.”
She understood their concern and hated that she was acting so disconnected.They probably think I’m an idiot.
“We don’t think you’re an idiot.”