“Yes, let me double-check. Right here, strict instructions were given regarding your treatments. Choices are limited to this set, and there are parameters for your hair as well. Trim only, no length taken off, no bangs, and color is to remain the same.”
He can’t be serious. What in the actual hell? Why does he even care? Not that I was planning on cutting my hair or coloring it, but still.
“What’s wrong?” Sarah asked, sensing my unease.
“Nothing,” I replied calmly, not wanting to draw any more attention to the situation.
“Wow, grooming protocols?” Jenna chimed in, sounding surprised.
“Wait, what? Grooming? I’m so confused,” Sarah griped while the lady painted her toes.
“I thought you said this wasn’t your scene.” Jenna leveled her eyes at me like I was lying to her about something, as if I owed her an explanation.
“It’s not,” I stated as calmly as I could. She was overreacting and embarrassing me, to boot.
“I don’t know, maybe you’ll be able to accomplish what no other girl in Seattle has been able to,” Jenna said, fire shooting from her eyes.
“What’s that?” Sarah asked.
“Well, ultimately, what all the women who play with Alek want—a commitment. In our scene, that would involve a collar. I didn’t take him for the commitment type, but I suppose there is always a first. More power to you.” She toasted me with her glass of champagne.
We still had our hair to go. I swallowed hard, trying to think about anything other than what she’d said about Alek. I tuned her and Sarah out once more as she shared some of the Kings’ wilder stories.
I put my earbuds in so I didn’t have to listen to them. The stories held no relevance for me. Deciding it was probably a good idea for me to leave, I took several deep breaths to calm my nerves. After thanking Alek for today, I’d ask for that ride home.
Chapter 31
Aleksandr
An Unhinged Crow
The car door slammed shut, and a heavy silence descended. Each of us was in our own world. Today’s session at Graham’s had been intense, and the fact that it had to be dealt with immediately made it worse. When events were planned, it gave me time to prepare.
The look on Ivan’s face reflected his need to distance himself. Nik flexed his neck, the tension visible, and there was only one thing that would fix him. I shot Marcus a glance and then checked my phone.
“Shit, what time are they due back?” I asked, directing my attention to him.
I needed to shower. My head hurt like a motherfucker, and the last thing Kinsley needed was to see Nik like he was right now. Jenna would take care of him, but the wild look he always had after a kill could be frightening. Not to mention he hadn’t shut up about her tits.
“Around five thirty. Gives us at least a half hour over them,” Ivan answered, taking me by surprise.
He looked at me and then over at Nik. I could see the worry on his face as well. Nik’s eyes were closed, and his hand was squeezing his cock. The kill affected each of us differently; I always got a migraine, Nik became a carnal beast, and it quieted the internal voices inside Ivan’s head. Eventually.
I sighed, feeling weary for the thousandth time. Ivan’s eyes were full of pain. I hated what killing did to him, even though he’d be all right in an hour or two. It was the moments right after for him that were the hardest.
For him, each kill was a reminder of why we entered this business—a chance to relive that one moment when the world’s wrongs were made right, even if only for a brief moment. But it came with the actual memories of not being there when it counted the most.
All around us, horns blared, and irate drivers cut each other off as they fought for space on the congested streets of Portland. Marcus merged onto the highway, and our progress was halted by a sea of vehicles.Fuck.
“Looks like we’ve hit a snag,” Marcus muttered, his gaze fixed on the gridlocked road ahead.
My anxiety mounted with each passing moment. And as we inched forward, the need to get back before the girls did increased tenfold. But with the delays, we ended up arriving late. The door to the suite closed behind me, and before I could even see her, I smelled her. I let out a groan as my head throbbed.
Damn. She was wearing the sundress I’d gotten for her, looking like fucking dessert. Her skin was polished from her spa treatment, and she glowed.
Opening her mouth to speak, she said, “Can I talk—”
Nik took two steps toward her, and before I could get between them, he gripped her hair, angling his mouth down onto hers. His fingers dug into her hips hard. He went animalistic on her, sucking on her lower lip.
