32. June 17th

JUNE 17TH

TB

Once at The Library,he checked them in, turning over his phone. It was a dummy phone, but they didn't need to know that. His watch had his actual phone in it.

Turning to Flame, he held out his hand. He saw her puzzled expression. "Phone. You can't have it inside the club due to privacy rules. It will be safe in my lockbox."

"Oh. Umm… I didn't bring it with me," she told him.

His eyebrows raised in disbelief. "You don't have your new phone with you?"

She shook her head.

"What if there's an emergency?"

"I'm with you. Why would I need it? You're better than a phone in an emergency."

He rolled his eyes.

"You know you do that a lot? One day, they're going to roll right out of your head."

He sighed loudly.

"Oh, don't act so put upon."

"Flame. Go nowhere without your phone. Ever. Especially with your friend looking for you."

After signing them in, he guided Flame over to the bar. He ordered her a glass of wine and himself a water. His stomach was rolling. He couldn't tell if it was because her stalker was here, or if he was nervous about tonight's questioning, or if because they'd been here less than five minutes and he already had a list of men to throat-punch for looking at his Flame.

When their drinks came, she took a sip of her wine while she looked around. Then she looked up at him, clearly concerned, as she was biting her lip.

He used his index finger to tap her lips lightly, reminding her to stop hurting herself. "What's wrong?"

"Why would something be wrong?"

"You always bite the left side of your lip when you're agitated. What's wrong?"

She raised a hand to her lips as if she could stop herself from doing it ever again by touching them. "Umm… I told you a fib earlier."

"And what would that be, naughty girl?"

"I do actually have my phone. I know they're not allowed inside, but I didn't want to give it up since, as you pointed out, my friend is looking for me."

He scowled. "Where is it? You don't have a purse on you. And that jacket is so tight, I don't see anything in your pockets."

"I have a special pocket in all of my corsets. I sew them myself. All the boning helps keep it safe."

"Why don't you carry it in your purse?"

"It always falls to the bottom of my bag, no matter where I put it, and then I can't get to it. Plus, sometimes a purse is bothersome, so my little pocket has room for my phone, ID, and credit card. That way, if I get stuck somewhere, I can get to it easily."

"Not that easily," he grunted. "You have to reach into your corset to get it. That's got to look weird."

"It's for emergencies. If it's a real emergency, I'm not going to care if anyone sees me feeling myself up to get to them."

You have to give her credit. In a weird way, it makes sense.

"Sometimes your logic defies my understanding."

She snorted. "Make up your mind. Mad I don't have my phone in case of an emergency. Mad I'm breaking club rules by having it hidden on my person. Amused by my hiding place. Besides, it doesn't have to make sense to you. It just needs to make sense to me."

He pulled her close, putting his mouth next to her ear. His hand dropped below her waist and gave her a quick swat on the ass. "That's for lying." He kissed the side of her head and quickly smoothed over where he'd spanked her, his fingers sliding deftly under the layered skirt to tease her skin just below the cheek. "And that's for being prepared. Good girl."

Over the next two hours, TB made sure to introduce Flame to several of the regulars in the bar area. As predicted, he noticed how many people saw her collar, glanced at his wrists with the wolf bands, and registered surprise. Doms and subs alike registered disappointment that both appeared to be off the market. At least temporarily. He managed to keep from rolling his eyes, but just barely.

Just after nine-thirty, he noticed the triad come into the bar and sit in one of the large private booths. The two Doms named Loki and Gilgamesh flanked their sub, Medusa. To the casual observer, nothing would seem out of place. But TB suspected there was something more going on with the threesome. He knew when people were casing a location, and these three were definitely involved in a surreptitious conversation, as well as watching the crowd with intensity, even if no one else knew.

TB double-tapped his watch to activate the communication device so that the others could hear the upcoming conversation. "Okay, Flame. This is a group I need to ask questions of. We're going to go and talk to this triad at the booth. Are you ready to be curious?"

"A real triad?" Her question was breathy. "I won't need to try to be curious. I definitely have questions."

He chuckled. "Something to put on your list for ‘research'?"

Ignore that pang in your chest at her answer. It's heartburn from the curry at dinner. Never mind, you've never had heartburn before.

She blushed and shook her head. "Well…" She considered. "Questions, yes. Do, no. I've all I can handle with one partner."

He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He ducked his head to whisper hotly in her ear, "Never say never. It's always the quiet ones who are the most adventurous."

"Is that…" She bit her lip, and he could tell what the rest of the question was, but he was going to make her ask it anyway. "Have you done that?"

Honesty or lies?

He tilted her chin up and in his direction so that he could see her eyes. "Yes, but I don't share well with others. And I would never, ever share you."

Her mouth opened as if to say something but then closed almost immediately. The blush on her cheeks stained brighter. Rather than make her glow a furious red, he put his hand on her back and steered her toward the booth.

"Loki. Gilgamesh." He nodded at the two men. "This is Flame. She's new here, and I thought perhaps she might like to meet Medusa."

"Lobo." Loki glared at the pair's sub. "I shouldn't allow it. She's in trouble."

Medusa looked at Loki with a cool stare, just short of defying him.

Loki was in what TB called CEO garb. Crisp white button-down shirt, sleeves rolled up, top button undone, dress pants, and dress shoes. He had obviously lost his jacket and tie somewhere along the way. One hand held a drink. The other was resting along the backside of the curved leather booth behind where Medusa sat.

Gilgamesh grinned at his partner. "A little over the top for stepping out into traffic, friend."

The language was lighthearted, but Lobo got the sense that Gilgamesh wasn't nearly as humored by what she had done either.

I wonder what kind of "traffic" she walked out into?

Gilgamesh was slightly older than his male counterpart. He was shorter than Loki and dark to his light. Not only looks-wise, they were opposites in terms of temperament. Loki was forbidding, and Gilgamesh was more fun-loving. He also was more of a playboy. His tight jeans, trendy purple button-down, and generous ink showing from his cuffs and neckline made him a definite favorite topic of conversation and lusting amongst the subs, both male and female.

It wasn't unusual for triads to be so opposing, especially if they were committed groupings that completed one another, but it was the woman who was the enigma.

Medusa was dressed in a tight black skirt and a brown lace tank top that cut off and showed a tight midriff with a pierced belly button. Her shoulder-length hair was a mix of browns, blondes, and reds, giving the illusion to different people what her hair color actually was, and the ends curled up in chunks in different directions. He supposed that was part of the nickname because the ends did look a little bit like forked tongues. For TB, the oddity of Medusa was her eyes. They were violet. It was clear they were colored contacts, but there was something odd about them even then.

And there was no mistaking it. All three of them gave off an aura of "Do not fuck with us," but of the three, he was sure she was the most dangerous of the triad.

She may be dressed like a submissive, but there is nothing submissive about her.

"Flame, this is Medusa. She is the submissive in the triad with Loki and Gilgamesh. They are relatively new to the club as well."

Medusa looked at Loki with exaggerated emotion, clearly requesting permission to speak.

Loki covered her hand on the table with his other hand, picked it up, and, after threading their fingers together, kissed the back of it. "Medusa, don't be like that. I only meant I was worried."

She turned her face from his, the simpering gone. The look on her face now was more natural because she smiled, but TB noticed it was only with her mouth. The eyes were deep and cold. "Flame. It's nice to meet you."

He felt Flame stiffen as she also recognized the lack of connection in the woman's gaze.

"You, also."

To break the tension, TB felt Gilgamesh redirect the conversation. "I don't believe I've met your partner before, Lobo." Gilgamesh stood and held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you." Gilgamesh smiled, raising her knuckles to his lips, where he pressed a kiss.

"Gil, back down," Loki ordered. "My apologies, Lobo. Apparently, his inner Lothario is out tonight."

"Mi scuso se ti ho offeso," Gilgamesh apologized.

"None taken. May we join you?"

Loki nodded, and TB gestured for Flame to slide into the booth on Loki's side. While he knew the three were a committed triad based on their play at the club, he wasn't one hundred percent sure Gilgamesh wouldn't continue to work his Italian charm on her despite the fact he'd never strayed since they'd arrived as members.

Gilgamesh was the one to cut right to the point. "It would seem the lone wolf has finally been tamed." His head gestured from her collar to the cuffs on Lobo's wrist, but his grin was all for Flame.

Lobo smiled. "It would appear so, wouldn't it? Sometimes, I wonder if it wasn't just that I couldn't bear for anyone else to have their hands on her."

It was a subtle warning, but it only made Gilgamesh's grin wider, and a laugh issued from his smiling lips. "A sure sign of a man who hasn't quite realized the prize he has."

Loki injected, "It's been some time since you've been here, Lobo. Thought you'd disappeared for good; you were gone for so long. Is this beautiful woman the reason why?" His eyes flicked over to Medusa quickly.

Odd. He clearly saw me the night I was here with Flame and the five nights after that.

Attention directed at Loki, he led in with a warning, "She definitely is a beautiful distraction. By the way, not that you aren't already, but be on your guard. A girl disappeared from the parking lot last night."

"Yes," Loki replied. "I heard about Fleur and Tripoli. Gil, Medusa, and I will be… watchful."

Interesting word choice.

Loki and Gilgamesh shared a look. Between the two of them and the coldness of Medusa, his skin was itching.

Something's off.

"I didn't know Fleur since this is only my second time here. Did you know her?" Flame asked Medusa.

The young woman nodded. "Yes, I did. She didn't strike me as someone who couldn't take care of herself, though. I would have thought she would have been difficult to coerce into a vehicle or even to take by surprise. Even so, I'm surprised the doorman allowed her out into the parking lot by herself."

"That does seem odd. I would have thought this Tripoli would have been more careful with his sub."

Good girl. Casting aspersions on his character quickly to start the gossip.

"Flame," TB warned.

She looked at him with innocent eyes. "Well, it isn't very safe to allow a woman to go alone into a parking lot. You've told me it's part of your job to protect me. He's not exactly been a ringing endorsement for protective Dom behavior."

"I believe Tripoli was only escorting her to her car. Fleur was uncollared, and I don't believe they had scened together," Medusa added.

Gilgamesh spoke up. "You should have no worries, Flame. Your Dom is one of the most protective men I know. Now that he has finally collared a sub, it would appear the wolf has been well and truly captured. And wolves do fight to the death for their mates, whom they take for life. Or so I've been told."

"Flame knows I would never allow her to be unprotected, don't you, princess?" TB put his hand around the back of Flame's neck and gave it a squeeze, making sure his gesture of reprimand was obvious. Then he whispered loud enough for them to hear, "Never be disrespectful to another Dom by making assumptions about their behavior. It's not done."