Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 133213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
“I didn’t cheat, Mistress Kala,” Tristan said, standing in front of Carys’s cousin. “You should understand better than anyone D/s doesn’t always involve sex. I shouldn’t have to continue to say it, but I have had one and only one lover my entire life. Now will you go down to the bar or something while I talk to my subs?”
There was a bit of sympathy on Kala’s face when she shook her head. The set of glasses she’d put on seemed slightly too big for her and they moved with her head. He’d been surprised by the glasses. Kala had never worn them before, so they must be some kind of disguise. She’d toned down her usual gothness and changed into white denims and a flouncy top. It made her look more like her twin.
She did kind of blend now.
“No can do. I’m supposed to guard you and be ready to call in the troops if everything goes to hell, and my father would say I can’t do my job from a barstool. He would be wrong. Maybe he can’t, but he’s old and doesn’t have my skills.” She winced as though something hurt all of the sudden. “Look, Tris, my dad is already mega pissed about the whole leaving Parker behind to die thing. I can’t leave this room. You can go in the bedroom. There’s a door. I probably won’t be able to hear.”
“I’m not going in a bedroom with him,” Carys said quietly.
“Carys, will you please let me explain?” Tris returned. “I’m not going to attack you.”
Her chin tilted up stubbornly. “I would rather my cousin was here. She’s my bodyguard, after all.”
“Your cousin is currently wearing glasses that connect her to base. So it’s not merely your cousin. It’s Kala and probably Lou,” Tristan explained. “They’re smart glasses. Lou modified them in a very espionage-friendly way.”
It was cool. Aidan would like to examine those. He could think of several ways to use them. “So if, say, someone was in the field and wearing the glasses, another more experienced doctor could see what his hands were doing and walk him through the procedure?”
Kala nodded. “Absolutely. But dude, read the room. This is not the time to forward your career. And it’s not just Lou. She made a couple more sets of glasses, so we’re kind of on a four-way call.”
“So Lou and all my cousins,” Carys said. “Yes, I don’t mind if they listen in.”
Kala winced. “I mean not Tash because Dad stole Tash’s, and from what I can tell he got away from her and he’s barricaded himself in a bathroom. He’s dedicated to the drama.”
Tristan held up his middle finger right to Kala’s glasses. “Fuck you, Uncle.”
“That just makes him stronger,” Kala advised. “Since no one wants to talk, I will. So how did you end up at The Court, Tristan?”
“I don’t care,” Carys said. “He lied to me. Again.”
“I didn’t lie. It didn’t come up,” Tristan tried. “We’ve had more important things to discuss.”
“I think we should do this Kala’s way.” Yeah, Aidan was surprised the words had come out of his mouth, but it kind of made sense. Kala wanted to set up Tris’s reasons so maybe they were easier to understand and Carys could forgive him. Them. Because he couldn’t lie to her again. No way. “We’re going to be straightforward and to the point. Carys, I knew he was going and I didn’t have a problem with it. I understood why and what it meant to him.”
Carys stood, moving away from him. “Well, of course, you did. I mean why didn’t you take a little vacay and join him?”
“Because I got what I needed from The Hideout,” Aidan replied. “But I think what Tris got from The Court was different. He went with Zach, but he spent a lot of time with people who are influential at the Agency there. He told me Drake and Taylor Radcliffe are members.”
“Drake is who got me and Zach in,” Tris admitted. “I never touched a sub in a sexual fashion, but I did use the place for stress relief. I…I grew up around it. It’s a part of me. Sometimes I felt like it was the only place I could breathe.”
“You could have breathed at home,” Carys shot back. “But this isn’t your home anymore. DC is. When we’re done here, you should go back.”
“You and Aidan are my fucking home,” Tristan replied. “And Aidan’s right. We did a lot of business in the lounge there. It’s a safe place to talk. Sometimes it’s not even safe to talk in the office.”
“Think of it like golf for a businessman,” Aidan attempted.
Kala snorted. “Yeah, he actually said that.”
“Golf?” If Carys had lasers in her eyes, he would have been cut in half. “Spanking a woman is like fucking golf?”