Page 29 of Their Ruthless Sadist

“You might as well bring all your shit, because once you leave the apartment tonight, I do not anticipate you’ll be coming back.”

He tried to speak, but I squeezed his jaw tighter, cutting him off.

“Once you arrive at the club, you have fifteen minutes to dress as I’ve stated and to meet me in the dungeon. If you’re even one minute late, everything’s off. Understand?”

“Yes, Zeke.”

“When you find me, you will kneel appropriately in the nearest corner, facing me, and you will not move until I tell you to. Under absolutely no circumstances do either of you have my permission to move. Understand?”

“Yes, Zeke.”

I narrowed my eyes, holding his gaze. “Tonight, you will learn what it is I want, what I expect from you, and what you’ll receive in return. Should you be inclined to accept my proposition, you will be going home with me. Both of you. This isn’t an either/or offer. It’s both of you or neither.” I squeezed again to reiterate my next statement. “This is only temporary. I don’t do permanent, and I don’t do long-term. You better consider that before you make a decision, because that’s my one main rule. I’m not in it for a relationship, I’m not looking for love, and I damn sure don’t intend to give either of you a commitment. Understand?”

He didn’t sound quite so confident when he said, “Yes, Zeke.”

Releasing his face, I took a step back and whistled. A second later, Tank was at my side. I glanced at the cowboy, ensuring we made eye contact. While I’d directed everything to the pretty boy, that had been a distraction, something to keep his mind off where he was and the panic that threatened.

“Do not be late. If you are … well, it was nice knowing you.”

With that, I turned and walked out of the apartment without a backward glance.

After leaving the apartment, I headed out for the errand I needed to run before I headed over to Dichotomy. I knew the club wasn’t open yet, but since this wasn’t a social call, that wasn’t necessarily important. Certainly not to me.

Stepping up to the oversized metal warehouse building, I pounded my fist on the door and waited. Someone was here. The cars in the parking lot were proof of that.

“We’re not open for another hour!” a disgruntled male voice yelled from inside.

“Open the goddamn door,” I grumbled, pounding on it again.

The clank of a latch being unhooked sounded before it squeaked open an inch.

“What do you want?”

“A word with the owner,” I told the sleazy fucker who stuck his head out. I pressed one big hand on the door and pushed, effectively gaining entrance.

“What the fuck, man? You can’t just barge in here.”

“Too late for that,” I told him, slamming the door. “Where’s the owner?”

The grungy guy studied me for a moment, as though weighing what answer he felt appropriate. “Razor’s a busy guy, man. He doesn’t allow walk-ins to meet with him. Plus, I’m not even sure he’s here.”

I peered down at the man, cocking one eyebrow so he could see my skepticism. “He’s here. Now, where is he?”

He slid a hand through his greasy hair, forcing it back. I hoped like hell the fool showered before he played because he looked as though he’d been rolling around in a vat of grease all morning.

“Fine,” he said with a huff. “He’s at the bar.”

I pushed by him toward the interior of the club. I’d never been to Razor Wire, but the club had a reputation in the kink community. Not a good one, either. A lot of shady shit went down in this place. Drugs, prostitution, numerous reports of sexual assault, some against the owner himself. They’d been accused of plenty of illegal activities, but none had been proven. Yet.

“What’s up, bro?” Tom “Razor” Miller looked cool and calm as I approached the bar.

“I’m not your bro.”

He snorted, but I noticed the concern in his dark gaze. “Hey, aren’t you Zeke? I’ve heard about you.” His smile was feral. “You interested in hanging out here? I’ll need you to fill out an application and pay the fee.”

“First of all, you don’t take applications and you don’t charge fees. And no, I’m not interested in hanging out here. I came to deliver a warning.”

He smirked. “You came to warn me? Do you even know who I am?”