He’d given me so much. Perhaps it was time to give something back to him.
I could be technical and say that claiming the alias of Phoebe Snetsinger wasn’t a lie because itwasmy nameright now, but I knew it in my heart for what it was. And I couldn’t lie to Master Mal tonight, even a white one.
So instead, I reached behind my head for the pins that connected the string of my mask to my wig. Feeling my motions, he moved a step back.
Master Mal watched me in silence. He didn’t ask me if I was sure or if I felt pressured to do this. For some reason, his confidence in me that I knew what I was doing gave me even more assurance that I was doing the right thing.
He was about to discover who Holly Taylor Marteen was, but the girl I had been was not the woman before him now. Even if I took off the wig and the contacts, I wouldn’t look the same. The last identifying pictures of me were taken when I was sixteen and a gaunt, depressed version of myself.
Now I was full-grown and strong.
I lowered the owl mask, revealing my face for the first time. He stared at me for a long while, making me wonder what he saw, but then he stepped forward again. Taking my face between his hands, he kissed me softly.
“Thank you for this gift, Little Owl. It would be my absolute pleasure to hold you while sleeping tonight.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Mal
My phone ringingroused us the next morning. There were no windows in the private rooms, but I didn’t need them to know it was extremely early.
Cursing, I detangled myself from my little owl. Not having sex when meeting up for a session was a first for me, but I would be a fool to claim that that wasn’t the best night sleep I’d ever had in my life.
“What?” I demanded into my phone, not caring who was on the other line. They’d pulled me from my little owl and I wasnotokay with that. Maybe this was what Master David was referring to when he said some of the most intimate times he had with his wife and submissive, Nat, didn’t involve whips and chains.
“Mal,” Mira’s voice came across the line, “we got another one. And you’re not going to like where it is.”
A long string of curse words flew from my mouth. Whoever this bastard was deserved to be taken out back and shot for disturbing my sleep with my little owl.
“Text me the address,” I grumbled, reaching for my discarded pants. “I’ll be there soon.”
After dressing, I crawled back onto the bed. My little owl was awake, but still curled up into the pillow and blankets.I was impressed her wig stayed on so securely even in sleep. Then again, we’d barely moved. Once she’d gotten into bed, I’d stripped, climbed in behind her, and that was it. I don’t even think we spoke.
“You have to leave?” she mumbled, only opening one eye.
“Work,” I said shortly.
“What time is it?”
“Around quarter to five.” Technically, the club closed at five and the rooms were supposed to be vacated by four-thirty. Either they thought we’d already left or someone had seen us asleep and was generous enough not to disturb us. “I’ll see who’s downstairs and make sure they know not to wake you.” I might have to pay a pretty penny, but her sleep was worth it. “Do you need help getting back into your corset before I go?”
She shook her head into the pillow. “Thank you, Sir, but no. I’ll just wear my coat out to my car.”
I didn’t like the idea that she would be virtually naked out in public without me there to protect her, but I pushed aside that irrational feeling. “Text me when you get up. I don’t know what today will bring but I’ll call you when I can.”
Her lips cracked a smile. “Looking forward to it, Sir.”
I bent down to kiss the side of her mouth, but she craned her neck to capture my lips. It did not pass my notice that she was not submissive when it came to kissing, and I fucking adored it.
“Be careful, Sir.”
“Go back to sleep, pet.”
After leaving the room, I went downstairs to see Liam chatting with a few stragglers. It took some convincing, and calling my little owl ‘Dani’ left a sour taste in my mouth, but Liam agreed to allow her to remain upstairs. I also shot a text message off to Valentino, telling him to charge me whatever to make up for the inconvenience.
Once in my car, I pulled out my phone to look at the message from Mira. We still had to go through the lockbox from the former sheriff, but I’d needed a break. I couldn’t go through a third sleepless night in a row and be expected to function.
And I was so grateful that I’d called my little owl to meet up. Fuckingsleeping? I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. Who went to a sex club and justslept? Apparently, I did. But I’d needed it, and she’d recognized that.
