Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

KIERRA

A t first it felt weird sitting on Sin's lap while having dinner in the club filled with people. Other than Belinda, no one has batted an eye at us and there are a few other women sitting on their Dom's laps. He feeds me a bite of crème br?lée and I moan lightly because it's so delicious. Sin groans in response, "Careful, baby girl."

He sets his spoon down on the table and leans forward, and swipes his tongue over my bottom lip. "Delicious. I bet your pussy will taste even better."

I can feel the blush on my cheeks as he chuckles before turning serious. "Remember what I said before. I need to go make a speech, but I'll be watching. I'll always be watching."

Rising off his lap, he stands and wraps his hand around my throat. "The sooner I get a collar on you, the better."

He has mentioned this more than once tonight and I'm as confused as I was the first time he said it. Does he plan on putting a collar on me and walking me like a dog? I don't think I like that idea at all. I can tell this is important to him, so I'll talk to him about it later rather than throwing a tantrum in his club. He expects obedience and he'll get it to a point because if he plans to treat me like a dog, we will have a problem. But I'll try to not let my thoughts get carried away. One step at a time.

Sin kisses me softly before pulling away from me. "Be a good girl and you'll be rewarded."

"Yes, Daddy," I whisper sweetly.

He groans, "Fucking beautiful," turning away from me as he heads to the stage. I assume he's going to be simply thanking everyone for coming, but I don't know what to expect or anything about this charity, A Wish for Hope.

He steps to the podium and clears his throat. "I'm Sinclair Sutton, but most of you know me as Sin. I own Den of Sin and I am the founder of A Wish for Hope, the reason you all have paid a ridiculous amount of money for your dinner tonight. This charity is close to my heart. When I was just a boy, my mother got pregnant with my little sister, Hope. She lived for a brief six minutes once she was born with Trisomy 18. Trisomy 18 is a disorder in which babies are born with 3 copies of chromosome 18 instead of 2. While we know women over the age of thirty-five are more likely to have babies with chromosome abnormalities it can happen at any age. It happens at conception and its effects are devastating. Most babies born with Trisomy 18 will not live beyond their first two weeks of life. Fewer than ten percent will live beyond a year. The majority do not result in live births. Every year we donate money for research to try to find a way this can be prevented. While we still have no answer to that question, we have provided over one billion dollars for required surgeries for families with a suffering Trisomy 18 child. Last year we also donated half a million dollars in bereavement counseling for families dealing with the loss of their child, as well as genetic counseling.

Trisomy 18 occurs in one out of every five thousand births. Again, it's more common in pregnancy than even that, but many don't survive.

For my family, the devastation of losing Hope was heartbreaking and never really ended. My mother went into a dark depression after her death and never came out. When I was fourteen, she took her life. My father has never recovered from either loss. I tell you this not because I enjoy sharing my personal life, but because I think it's important. Had there been professionals to help my mom, she might be here today. This is where I request your generous donation to this charity that is dear to my heart.

Thank you. Now please, eat, drink, fuck and all that.

I'm stunned speechless as a tear travels down my cheek as Sin walks back over to me. When he spoke, his voice was drenched in pain, like it had just happened yesterday. I'm not sure you ever get over the death of a parent. And I think suicide brings with it a special set of circumstances. When someone is in so much emotional pain that they would rather end their life, it's simply gut-wrenching. Nobody ever wants someone they love so much to struggle like that. He said she was in a dark depression and my heart breaks for her as well as for Sin.

I throw myself in his arms. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

He chuckles, "Of course you didn't. I never told you. Now enough of that, baby girl."

I feel like I've gotten a glimpse of the man hidden beneath his controlled exterior, peeking into a vulnerability I never imagined.

Sin reaches his hand out as the lights lower and music plays, "Dance with me, baby."

It wasn't really a question, more of a statement, so I take his hand and he walks me across the floor and pulls me into his arms. I stare into his blue eyes as I place my hands on his shoulders and he places his on my lower back as we sway to the music playing. I smile when I recognize the tune, In Case You Didn't Know, by Brett Young.

Sin pulls me closer to him so our bodies are pressed together and runs his nose up my neck. "So fucking beautiful, and mine."

I'm in a sex club wearing revealing lingerie, and yes, I've seen men staring at me all night. Somehow, right now, it feels like nobody else exists. He snaps me out of my happy place and asks, "Ready to go?"

I smile softly, "Yes, Daddy. So ready to go."

He chuckles, "Good, because I'm done with these perverts looking at you. Go put on whatever you came here wearing."

I walk back to the locker room and grab the cornflower blue sundress I wore over the white lingerie tonight.

With a smile on my face, I put my locket back on. I have everything I could ever want right now. I'm not so delusional to think I'm completely safe, but I feel that way for the moment. For now, I am going to enjoy this dose of joy the universe has granted me. Life is short. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow, so we may as well enjoy it while we can.

A hand grips the back of my neck and shoves me into the row of lockers and I freeze as a cry escapes from my lungs. They've come for me. I've allowed myself to get caught up in Sin and pushed the danger aside like they'd never come for me. Now it's too late. He can't save me. No one can.