Sophie Oak - Siren Beloved

He said it in an even voice that set her teeth on edge. He was calm and collected, cool and attractive, while she looked ghastly from crying and drinking—over him.

“I am not your sub. I am Lucas’s sub.”

Aidan just stood there, an immovable object. “And Lucas belongs to me, according to our contract. He signed over rights to top you. Or are you going to give up your rights to The Club and force Lucas to find someplace new, someplace less safe? Perhaps you can convince him to give up BDSM all together, and he can live a half-life. Is that your choice, Alexis?”

“That was rough,” Lucas muttered under his breath.

Aidan turned slightly toward Lucas. “Yes, I believe I mentioned this would get rough. She won’t have it any other way.”

Lexi pushed away from Lucas. It sounded like the two of them had been talking. She damn straight didn’t like that. “What are the two of you talking about?”

“It means that Lucas and I are of the same mind. It’s far past time you got yourself together.” Aidan held up a small white piece of paper. Lexi’s blood went cold as she realized what it was. “You overpaid, angel. A shot of Patron at The Club only costs twelve dollars. And this is far inferior. Though it looks like you bought in bulk.”

Lucas turned her back around, and his face had flushed, his brows coming together in a V. “You promised me.”

She shook her head. She ignored the way her heart had clenched when Aidan called her angel. That had been his pet name for her. “No, I didn’t. I promised Jack, but it’s not a big deal. I’m fine. Jack is overreacting.”

“Jack is scared for you, and so am I.” Lucas dropped his hands, and his jaw tightened as he turned from her. “I’ll pack a bag for her.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Lexi said as Lucas brushed by Aidan. He didn’t stop, but Aidan moved back into his place, his broad shoulders forming a wall she couldn’t get around.

“Are you going to make this easy on me, Lexi?”

“Not on your life, asshole. You get out of my apartment, and maybe I won’t tell the cops that I think you did this.” Lexi felt overwhelmed. He took up all the space in her tiny bathroom.

“You’re welcome to try. Let me give you the lowdown on how this is going to go. You’re going to be given one of two choices. As always, it’s up to you. You can come back to the ranch with me and spend the next few weeks drying out and dealing with your issues, or Jack is prepared to have you committed to a rehab facility.”

Lexi felt her eyes go wide. “He can’t do that.”

“Oh, I assure you that with your stepfather’s money and Julian’s influence, we can get just about anything done. If you make the wrong choice there is a very nice rehab center in Malibu. You’ll be on a plane tonight, and you won’t see the light of day for twenty-eight days. Lucas will be miserable. Your mother will be heartbroken. Are you willing to be the cause of that?”

She was willing to be the cause of his broken nose, but she doubted that he would take that well. Frustration welled up in Lexi. She took a step back, but stumbled, her balance fleeing in an instant. Before she could hit the tiled floor, Aidan scooped her up in his arms.

“Damn it, Lexi. This is serious. You can’t go on like this. How many?”

“You snooped through my purse.” She didn’t like the way the room was slightly off-kilter, or the way his arms held her so securely. She felt delicate against him. He was so much bigger than he had been. Aidan had been gorgeous before, and the scars had taken some of his beauty, but whatever he had been through had left a solid alpha male in the place of a lovely boy. This new Aidan could prove just as dangerous as the last.

“I just read the amount. With the tab as big as it was, I figured it was more than one. Now, I want to know how many.”

“Three,” she admitted.

“This ends, Lexi. One way or another, this can’t go on.”

“That is not for you to say.” But the words sounded stupid coming out of her mouth. She knew she was on the edge of something really bad. She was hurting the people she loved. She was acting irrationally, but it didn’t matter. She couldn’t tell him he was right. “You can go to hell, Aidan.”

“Already been there, angel. I have the T-shirt to prove it.” There was a little smile on his face, the dimple she’d always loved on display. How had she missed it? His hands tightened on her as though he didn’t want to even contemplate letting her go.

“Lucas won’t let you do this.” Lucas had his own money and his own connections. They were nothing like Jack and Julian’s, but he would fight for her. The thought crossed her head that maybe he shouldn’t. Maybe he would be fighting for her by laying down his arms. Maybe he should force her into a situation where she had to face her problems. She didn’t seem capable of doing it on her own. She hadn’t even really wanted the tequila. She’d just wanted to shoot everyone the finger.

Aidan’s mouth turned down. “Don’t do this to him. I’m begging you, Lex. Don’t make him choose. It will kill him.”

It would. Lucas had already made hard choices for her. He’d kept her secret even though she knew it had cost him. Ever since that terrible day in the hospital after her accident, Lucas had been lying to everyone around him. And she’d seen this man who was her best friend, her soul mate, die a little every day because Lucas wouldn’t let her down. She, on the other hand, had been dragging Lucas down ever since that day. She was on the ledge, and all Lucas could do was jump with her. What if Aidan could pull them both back?

And yet she couldn’t lie down.

“Fuck you.”

He started to walk out of the bathroom with her nestled in his arms. “Oh, angel, I assure you, that will happen.”

Lexi felt her pulse jump. “Let me down.”

Her feet thudded to the floor. Aidan didn’t let go until she was balanced. She settled on the carpet, hating the fact that she was cold without the heat of his body against her.

“We’ll stop by The Club before we leave.” Aidan looked down at his watch. “It’s only nine-thirty. We can be in Deer Run by one.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she said, stubbornness settling over her like a warm blanket.

His eyes narrowed to strips of deep brown. “I’ll be on the plane to California with you, and I’ll be waiting when you get out. I know I walked on you once, Lexi, but I won’t do that again. I’m here, and I’m going to be here as long as you need me.”

Fine words and ones she’d once prayed she’d hear. But she couldn’t trust him. Not again. “I don’t need you.”

His arms crossed over his ridiculously muscular chest. She couldn’t help but remember how defined that chest had been. “You need me. Lucas needs me. And god knows I need the two of you. This is the way it’s going to be, angel. I’m the Dom, you and Lucas are the subs. We’re going to my ranch, and we’re spending the month there.”

She laughed out loud. “Not going to happen. I have a job, you idiot.”

“Take a sabbatical. This is too important, Lexi. Everyone who gives a damn about you has signed off on this plan. Do you really want to let them down?”

“I’m not going to do something just because you say I should.” How dare he? Lexi found herself getting in his space, puffing herself up. She wished she hadn’t worn flats because she was way too short to do what she wanted to do, which was to spit in his eye. He wanted to put her in a corner? He would find out that she fought her way out. “And don’t you try to guilt me into anything, you motherfucker.”

“No, I can proudly proclaim I never did that. Now, I have fucked a guy. It was amazing, and I wouldn’t take it back for the world. He’s the love of my life, along with an incredibly obnoxious raven-haired beauty. They’re my whole fucking world.”