Brie Surrenders her Heart (After Graduation, #8)

  Brie lifted her glass. “I’d drink to that.”

  “So…kind of going along the lines of what you did with Tono, I suggested a temporary contract. I’ve been kind of curious what full-time subbing is like.” She shrugged and smiled. “Besides, who wouldn’t want to be trained by the sexy jute Master?”

  “Me!” Mary stated emphatically. “I hate that weird rope crap.”

  “I take it Tono was agreeable?” Brie asked, still adjusting to the fact Lea and Tono were living together.

  “He was hesitant at first. But after a couple of days he came up with a contract for me to sign.”

  “How long is it for?” Brie pressed, wondering if Lea was pulling her leg.

  “Until the end of our classes together.”

  Mary snickered. “Just look at Brie trying to act all calm, but inside she’s boiling over with jealousy. Admit it!”

  Brie said coolly, “I’ll admit no such thing. I’m surprised, yes, but jealous? No. I want Tono to be happy.” She slid her hand over and squeezed her best friend’s. “And, of course, I want Lea happy as well. It’s just that I don’t see you two as a match. I would hate either of you to get hurt by this temporary partnering.”

  Lea giggled. “Not everyone falls in love with the Doms they work with, Brie. You’re just a hopeless romantic. I see it more as a business transaction. He gets a devoted sub— who can cook, by the way— and I get to be trained by a true master of the art. It’s quite exciting, actually. This twenty-four seven stuff is really demanding, though. It’s like you said, Brie—I’m learning new things about myself on a daily basis.”

  Brie nodded. “Isn’t that the truth…”

  Lea clicked her tongue at Mary. “You should give it a try. Might mellow you out some.”

  Blonde Nemesis snarled. “Me, tied down? Not going to happen even for a month. This is the time to fly free, girls. To experience the world while you can. No one controls me unless I want them to. I wouldn’t have it any other way. You are both idiots, but Brie’s the worst.”

  Brie huffed. “Just because you can’t commit doesn’t make commitment wrong. Stop belittling my choice.”

  Mary’s nostrils flared as she built up to an ugly outburst. John stopped by to check on them and noticed. “Looks like you could use another drink there, gorgeous.”

  Mary flashed him a fiery glare.

  “Yep,” he said nonchalantly, unfazed by her venomous stare. He hit the counter twice with his fist. “Looks like you could use a double.”

  As he walked away, Brie called, “You’re the best, John.”

  Mary’s ugly stare landed on her. It seemed like the perfect time to ask, “So Mary Quite Contrary, whatever happened to that note?”

  Surprisingly, Mary’s countenance completely changed and she smiled. “Faelan and I decided to have a little fun and froze it in a block of ice. We sent it back to that Elizabeth woman with a message. ‘Will deliver when hell freezes over.’”

  Lea laughed. “Funny, but harmless. Good one, Mary.”

  “Know what the cow did?”

  Brie suddenly got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. “What?”

  “She sent it back nestled in an ice chest, still encased in the cube of ice.”

  Brie frowned, sensing there was more. “Was that all?”

  “No. She included her own little note. ‘Hell may come sooner than you think.’”

  “Whoa…” Lea exclaimed. “That’s an ominous threat if I ever heard one.”

  Brie’s heart started racing as the hairs rose on the back of her neck. She imagined Ruth’s cruel but beautiful face, and felt a protective surge shoot through her veins. She would do anything to protect her friends.

  “Mary, I’m sorry she involved you and Faelan in her scheming. It’s not right, but nothing about that woman is right.” Despite her anger, Brie also felt a pang of sympathy for Sir’s mother. What if the crazy woman was truly dying and felt she had to resort to threats out of sheer desperation?

  “I would like the letter. If it is in my hands, she won’t have any reason to threaten you again.”

  “I’m big enough to care for myself, Brie,” Mary answered irritably.

  “I won’t be able to rest until I’ve destroyed the damn thing myself. Please, Mary. Do this for me.”

  Mary shrugged. “You’re a fool, Brie, but I’ll let you nail your own coffin shut if you insist.”

  Lea growled, “Why are you always so negative, Mary?”

  “Why are you such a ditz, Lea?”

  Brie could sense that they were all on edge. There was no point in prolonging their suffering. Besides, the sooner she got rid of the offending note, the better.

  “Do you mind if we go now?”

  “And end this lovely girl-chat?” Mary snarked.

  Lea stood up. “A minute less of you would be a gift.” She gave Brie a big hug. “If you need me for any reason, call. You hear me?”

  Brie laid her head against Lea’s large bosom for a moment, liking the feeling of being nurtured that flooded over her. “I will, girlfriend.”

  “Come on, Brie-a-licious. Let’s get this over with.”

  The two drove to Mary’s apartment, where Mary retrieved the icebox. She opened it and whistled. “Must be a high quality cooler—the ice has hardly melted.”

  Brie took it and set it on the passenger seat of her car, slamming the door shut. “The sooner it’s gone, the better for everyone.”

  Just before Brie drove off, Mary stopped her. She looked uncharacteristically worried. “I think you’re making a mistake getting involved in this.”

  Brie shook her head. “You don’t understand. I would do anything for Sir. Anything.”

  “I know bouncy boobs already said this, but I’ll say it anyway. If you need me, call.”

  Brie waved as she drove away. “Thanks, Mary.”

  While on the road, Brie kept glancing at the cooler. It reminded her a little of Pandora’s box. Inside were words Sir’s mother wanted him to see. Were they words full of hate or healing?

  She knew Sir was off meeting with clients for the day, which was part of the reason she’d asked to see her friends. Thankfully, that left her plenty of time to get rid of the note. She hurried up the stairs and turned on the faucet full blast as soon as she entered the kitchen. Brie slid the heavy block of ice under the heated water and waited, pacing around the kitchen. She became nervous when it seemed to be taking too long. Even though Sir wasn’t due back for hours she wanted the note, and any evidence of it, long gone by the time he came home.

  Brie, why did you bring it here? she chided herself as she watched the ice block slowly melt. But she knew why…

  She needed to know if the note held hope. Was it possible for Sir to make some semblance of peace with his mother before she died? It was Brie’s greatest wish to help make that happen if she could. No one is completely evil, she thought. Every person has goodness in them. She was convinced that the threat of death could bring clarity to the darkest of hearts.

  After what felt like forever, Brie got out a kitchen towel and laid what remained of the cube on the table. She searched through the pantry until she found the toolbox Sir kept there. She grabbed the hammer and started hacking at the ice.

  At first it seemed unbreakable, but once the cracks started the ice fell away in shards. As Brie got closer to the center, she noticed that Mary hadn’t covered the letter in any protective material. More likely than not, the letter inside would be unreadable.

  Maybe it’s for the best…

  But Brie’s curiosity was too great. She continued to hack away until the envelope was free. She stared at it for several seconds before grabbing the scissors and carefully cutting off the top. She felt like a criminal, but there was no stopping now. She had to know.

  Holding her breath, Brie drew out the folded note and opened it. It was smeared, but still legible.

  Thane,

  If my impending death means nothing to you, perhaps your father’s v
iolin will. If you do not consent to meet, I will destroy the violin. Yes, that damn instrument that has been in the family for centuries. It will cease to exist, just like your father.

  So you see, son, Mommy has you by the balls.

  Time to play by my rules.

  “What are you doing?”

  Brie jumped, her heart threatening to burst at being caught. She put the letter down by her side and turned to face Sir. “I thought you were out…”

  “I had a severe headache and decided to come home today to sleep it off. Little did I suspect my own sub would bang a worse headache into my brain. Now answer the question.”

  “I… I—” The tears started to fall.

  “Is that from her?” he stated in a deceptively calm voice.

  She nodded, her throat closed too tightly to allow speech.

  “I won’t even ask how it ended up in such a state.” Sir’s eyes bored into her with a coldness that stabbed her very soul. “You have betrayed me on a level I’d never thought possible.” Sir strode over and took the note from her, crumpling it into a wad before turning on the gas stove.

  Brie managed to blurt out, “She’ll destroy the violin!”

  He hesitated for a second before throwing the paper onto the flame. It took a while to catch fire, but soon the whole kitchen was filled with the faint smell of the burning paper.

  He growled darkly under his breath after the note had burned itself out, and then turned on Brie. His gaze was clouded with anger. “I commanded you not to have any contact with her and yet I find you here, seeking out her correspondence behind my back. I have purposely disregarded every attempt at contact and then you do this…”

  Brie was desperate to explain. “Sir, I wanted to destroy the note myself.”

  “The fact you disobeyed my orders on something so vital speaks volumes, Miss Bennett.”

  Brie whimpered, knowing the use of her surname was a bad omen. “Sir, she threatened Mary and Faelan for not delivering her message. I wanted to protect them and you from its contents. But before I destroyed it, I was overcome with hope that she wanted to make things right by you.”

  “Things will never be right between us!” he shouted.

  Brie fell to the floor, bowing in supplication. “I’m sorry, Sir.”

  He asked, his voice as cold as ice, “Do you realize what you have done?”

  She shook her head with her forehead still pressed to the floor.

  “You have forced me to react. Had you simply destroyed it, I would be ignorant of her plan and unable to stop it. I thought she had gotten rid of the instrument years ago. Now I am obligated to liberate my father’s violin from the beast.”

  She said in the barest of whispers, “You could pretend you don’t know.”

  “No, Miss Bennett. That is something I cannot do.” She heard the flip of his phone. “Yes, it’s me. Simply state where and when. No, I will not.” He paused for a moment, then snarled, “If it is a requirement then I must acquiesce.” He slammed the phone closed and threw it onto the table.

  “Get off the floor and clean up the mess you’ve made.”

  The apartment was full of a black rage that hung in every corner; there was no escaping it, even when Sir retired to the bedroom.

  After Brie had finished restoring the kitchen to order, she took the ice chest and went to the basement garage to throw it in the dumpster. It didn’t ease her misgivings, but she couldn’t bear to have anything of that woman’s near her.

  She clearly understood Sir’s intense rage, now that she had read his mother’s hateful words, but it gutted her to know his anger was also directed towards her now.

  As the rays of the sun disappeared behind the horizon, Sir emerged from their room. His haggard expression alerted her to the fact he was still suffering from a debilitating headache.

  “Miss Bennett, I think it best that you find a place to stay tonight. Call me at noon so I can pick you up. You presence has been requested at the meeting tomorrow.”

  “Sir, I never meant—”

  He turned from her to return to the bedroom. “I will need to meditate if I am to survive tomorrow. Goodnight.” She heard him quietly shut the door.

  With a trembling hand, she dialed and then sobbed into the phone, “Mary… I fucked up bad…”

  Confronting the Beast

  Although she had been tempted to stay with Lea, it had been Mary’s no-nonsense advice she needed. She’d warned Brie not to take the letter, but naturally, Brie had refused to listen. Well, she was listening now.

  Mary gave Brie no sympathy, even remarking that it would be good if Sir uncollared her. When Brie broke down in hysterical tears at the suggestion, Mary quickly changed the subject.

  “All you can do now is prove to Sir you understand you were wrong, and do whatever it takes to earn his trust back. If he wants to be done, then be a woman about it and leave with dignity. After all, you’re the one who screwed up.”

  Brie struggled to breathe, unable to bear the thought of losing Sir.

  Mary took pity on her. “But if he knows you at all, he’ll understand that you were only trying to help.”

  “I was, Mary! That was my only motivation,” Brie cried.

  “Yeah, yeah… Good intentions or not, the simple fact is you disobeyed him on something deeply personal. He has every right to be angry. You have to accept what comes, Brie, and deal with it. Don’t be a whiny baby about it.”

  But the idea of life without Sir killed Brie inside. “I can’t lose him! Don’t you understand that he’s everything to me?”

  Mary stared at her without a lick of sympathy. “If he would be happier without you, would you really deny him that?”

  Brie crumpled into a heap on the couch. “No…”

  “Then rest tonight. Be strong for your Master tomorrow. He’ll need your positive energy, even if he dismisses you after the meeting.”

  Brie looked up at Mary, a sureness of spirit slowly taking over as she sat up straight. “Yes, you’re right. I created this mess; it is my duty to see him through it.”

  Mary nudged her shoulder with her hip. “So go to bed and make me proud tomorrow.”

  Brie woke up, steeling herself for the difficult meeting. Ruth was a dangerous person—indifferent of others on a level that was terrifying.

  She called Sir at exactly noon, afraid to hear the displeasure in his voice. It only rang once before he answered. His tone was formal and distant. “Where are you?”

  “At Mary’s, Sir.”

  “Expect me in twenty minutes.” He hung up before she could respond.

  She looked at Mary. “He’s still pissed.”

  “To be honest, Brie, he probably isn’t thinking of you. All of his focus is centered on navigating this meeting with the bitch. I only have to imagine how I would be if I was meeting my father to know how Sir feels.”

  Brie found solace in that. “My job is to serve as his strength.”

  “There’s no need to wish you luck, then. You will succeed in that, I’m sure of it.”

  Brie felt only gratitude. “Thanks, Mary. You’ve given me exactly what I needed to survive this nightmare.”

  “A nightmare you created,” Mary pointed out, in typical Blonde Nemesis fashion.

  Brie waited for Sir outside. She had planned to jump into the Lotus when it pulled up, but Sir insisted on getting out and opening the door for her. It gave her some hope that he could find it in his heart to forgive her.

  The ride was silent except for a few simple instructions. “Do not speak directly to her.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Do not accept anything she says as truth. She is a master of manipulation.”

  “Understood, Sir.”

  “Keep out of my way.”

  “I will say and do nothing, Sir, unless you ask.”

  He turned to stare at her briefly. “I do not want you there. It is another power play I must endure, but it will not go unanswered.” He hit the steering wheel with a vengea
nce, but said no more for the rest of the drive.

  Sir pulled up to a high-end hotel and threw the keys to the valet without a word. He helped Brie out of the car and led her through the doors robotically. The vacant look in his eyes alerted her to the fact that his mind was elsewhere.

  Naturally, Ruth was staying at the penthouse suite. Sir grunted his displeasure when the bellman pressed the button. The ride up was tense—even the young man sensed the gravity of their mood and coughed several times to hide his discomfort.

  The elevator doors opened onto a small hallway and a two-door entry. Sir put his hand on Brie’s back and guided her out of the elevator, then rang the doorbell without hesitation.

  “Let yourself in,” Ruth called from inside.

  Sir waited until the elevator closed before opening the door. “Stay beside me,” he commanded softly. They entered the spacious loft and he shut the massive doors behind them.

  Ruth was lying on a red velvet couch in a flowing gown, looking every bit the part of a diva. “Right on time, like a good boy.”

  “Where’s the violin?”

  “No, son, not so fast. We need to talk first.”

  “Produce the violin or I will leave.”

  Ruth narrowed her eyes, studying him for a second before pulling herself off the couch and disappearing into the bedroom. She came back a few moments later, holding the violin away from her as if it were a piece of unwanted trash.

  She laid it on the end of the sofa, placed a pillow over it and lay back down, her body a shield protecting the instrument. “Now we will talk. Take a seat,” she said, gesturing to a small couch opposite hers. “Both of you.”

  Sir led Brie over and they sat down, facing Ruth, but Brie turned her head and stared at Sir’s chest. She concentrated all her energies upon his heart.

  “She’s a mousey little thing, isn’t she?” Ruth complained.

  “I’m not here to discuss Miss Bennett. Why don’t you just state your request and be done with the games?”

  Ruth’s laughter filled the room. “Request? It’s a demand, son. Make no mistake about it. Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

  Brie saw Sir’s lips twitch, but he said calmly, “Proceed.”