“One second,” I tell her, holding a finger to my lips as I answer the call. “Hey. Everything okay?”
“Malakai. Sorry to bother you, but I have a favor to ask,” he says, and there’s an announcement of some kind going off in the background.
I run a hand over my mouth as I look down at Vivienne. “Sure. What’s up?”
“I’m about to board a five-hour flight to New York. It’s a work thing. I’ll be back tomorrow, but Sophie’s not feeling well. Would you mind going to check on her?”
Alarm bells begin ringing in my mind. “Is she okay?”
“I mean, she’s not going to perish imminently, but it would make me feel a lot better if you kept an eye on her.”
“Now?” I ask, checking my watch. It’s half past six in the evening.
“If you can. She’s not answering my calls, and I’m a nervous wreck. I left her in quite a state.”
There’s something fragile in Julian’s voice. I don’t know if it’s worry for Sophie or hesitation in calling me for help. Maybe both. But I can’t shake the flicker of relief I feel at being the one he turns to, even if it feels like standing on shaky ground.
“Okay. Yeah. I’ll be right over.”
“Thanks.” It sounds like he wants to say something else, but he just clears his throat. “Sophie doesn’t have that many close friends here, and Stella is styling a photo shoot in Santa Barbara, so…”
“Julian. It’s not a problem.”
He sighs. “Thanks. I appreciate it. I’ll call you when I land.”
We hang up, and when I look down at Vivienne, my priorities shift. “I’m sorry,” I tell her. “I have to go check on a friend.”
Vivienne stands up and straightens her dress. Smirking, she kisses me on the cheek. “I might have more confessions for you next Wednesday. Same time?”
I nod absentmindedly as I tuck my cock away. “Sure. Yeah. Text me.”
She turns to go, and I remember my manners as her Dom. “Wait. Sorry. Fuck. Are you okay?”
Her lips tug to one side. “We barely even got started. I’m fine. I promise.”
I take her hand. “Are you sure?”
She laughs. “Kai, I literally sucked your cock for five minutes. Last week, you held a knife up to my neck while you roughly fucked me on your desk, and the week before that was the blood play. I’m. Fine. Promise,” she adds, batting her lashes and kissing my hand. “Go be a hero.”
I nod and watch her unlock the door and walk out of my private room. I’m in a daze, and right now, all I can think about is Sophie and making sure she’s okay. Grabbing my things, I close the door and walk out of Inferno.It’s a ten-minute walk back to Saint Helena, where I left my car. Just as I pull the passenger door open to set my things down, another car pulls up next to mine. I quickly glance over, groaning internally when Rod Dumplant exits his Escalade and waves me over.
Plastering on a smile, I saunter over to the massive vehicle and wait for Rod to grace me with his presence. There’s something about him that I don’t like. Unfortunately, seeing as he’s a board member for the school, I have to interact with him more than I’d like to.
“Malakai,” he says, his teeth gleaming like he’s trying too hard to appear charming. His navy suit swallows him whole, hanging off his shoulders like he’s playing dress-up in someone else’s clothes, but he wears it with the kind of arrogance that makes it seem deliberate. He looks like he’s just walked out of a boardroom after crushing someone’s career, the kind of guy who’s used to firing people with a smile.
“Rod,” I say, shaking his hand.
“Do you have a minute?” he asks, frowning.
Not really.“Sure.”
He sighs, shuffling from foot to food. “You know I’m a man of God, just like yourself,” he says, his voice serious.
A man of God?Perhaps if God loved a man who used the money from his church for a luxury yacht.
I wait for him to continue. “I received two more complaints over the weekend from concerned parents regarding Bradleigh Evans.”
Instantly tensing up, I attempt to keep my face neutral. “What about her?” I ask, my voice calm but firm.
