Afterglow: A Brother's Best Friend Romance, page 12
Once I’m back, I clean her up and get rid of the top blanket that now has a wet spot. After taking care of that, I pull the other blankets back, encouraging her to climb under.
“Sit up. You need to drink, baby,” I instruct as I sit on the bed with her.
Doing as she’s told, she gets into position and leans her head against my chest while holding her hand out for the glass. I give her the juice, and she sips the cold liquid. While she drinks, I run my fingers through her hair, loving that I get to take care of her like this.
“Are you still thirsty?” I ask when she gives me the empty glass.
“Just sleepy.” She yawns.
Getting out of bed, I curse under my breath that I forgot to shut the light off. By the time I climb back in, Izzy is almost asleep. A good orgasm or two will do that to a person.
“Sleep well, princess,” I whisper as I pull her into my arms.
Has anyone ever felt this perfect for me before?
I don’t think so.
We drift off to sleep, and my heart is full of the joy I feel every night I get to do this. I would go to the ends of the earth to make sure I never lose this amazing woman.
Chapter 15
Izzy
“What’s up, bitch?” I answer Caidance’s call on speakerphone as I clean the bathroom.
“Leo showed up today,” she says. I drop the sponge as my blood runs cold.
“Is he still there?” I almost whimper, my throat suddenly tight.
“No. Briana sent him packing, but he wasn’t happy. He was screaming for you to come out and talk to him. He also made a couple of threats.”
Gripping the countertop, I force air in and out of my lungs as my head spins.
“What did he say, Caidance?”
“Do you really want to know?” Her voice is unsure, which isn’t like her.
What the fuck did he say to get her all worked up like this?
“Yes. I need to know.”
“He said if you don’t return his calls, your entire family is going to find out what you’re into.”
I gasp. Would he really do that? Out me to my family and force me to have conversations I don’t think I’d ever be ready to have? Well, he did beat the shit out of me. I guess anything is possible at this point.
“You can just tell your parents he’s lying,” she says, but I know he isn’t going to just tell them.
“He has videos,” I state as tears prickle at my eyes.
“You don’t think he would share them, do you?”
I almost want to laugh. “What else did he say?” I ask, not answering her question because we both know he would.
“He was calling you a bunch of different names, saying he was going to destroy you. Oh, he also said something about how he was going to make you pay for getting him kicked out of Afterglow.”
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath.
What the hell do I do? Would calling him actually make him stop? I fucking doubt it.
“I need to call Dax,” I tell her, and we say quick goodbyes and hang up.
“Hey, beautiful. What’s up?” Dax answers. Hearing his voice makes me let go of the wall I was holding up and immediately break down. “Princess?”
“Leo showed up at Caidance’s. I’m scared, Dax.” I tell him honestly.
“Shit. I’m so sorry that happened, baby. I’ll try to move my schedule around so I can come home early tonight. Does he still think you’re staying at Caidance’s?”
“I’m not sure. But he was threatening to tell my family about the kinky shit I’m into if I don’t call him. He has videos,” I admit.
“For fuck’s sake.” He growls, and I know his anger is for Leo, not me. “You might have to tell them first.”
I hate the idea of that. “I don’t want to,” I whine, crying harder.
I trusted Leo when we were together, which is why I agreed to the videos. I never in a million years thought this would happen.
“You can charge him if he shares them,” he informs me, but I still don’t want to go to the cops.
“I’ll think about it.” Then I add, “I’ll see you later,” before I end the call, put my phone on silent, and go back to cleaning.
I need to focus on anything that isn’t the asshole who wants to break me. If I focus on him, I don’t know what I’ll do.
“Are you okay?” Dax calls out as I jog on the treadmill.
After a few hours of deep cleaning the entire apartment, I decided to go to the gym. If I let myself stop being busy, I knew I would panic, and I couldn’t do that by myself, so I couldn’t stop.
I nod in response but keep jogging.
“I brought takeout. I thought you might be too upset to cook.”
I nod again because I feel numb right now. I’m not sure if it’s the adrenaline or if my body is purposefully pushing away the emotions so I don’t freak out or have another panic attack.
“Princess, I need you to stop jogging and come over here.” He’s using his Dom voice, but it’s slightly tapered.
“I can’t.”
“Why can’t you?” he asks as he comes closer to me.
“Because if I stop, I’m going to break down.”
“Then break down. I’ll be here to catch you.”
I shut off the treadmill and walk into his arms. His embrace prevents me from losing my shit, and he holds me tightly as I cry into his shirt.
“I hate him so much,” I whisper while Dax rubs my back.
“I know,” he replies softly. “But he can’t hurt you here.”
“Not physically, but I don’t think he wants to beat me again. He wants me to suffer, but physical wounds heal. He knows what means the most to me. He knows how to hurt me beyond anything physical.”
We stay silent for a few moments as my tears slow, Dax never once letting me go. He pours his strength into me, and it helps me make up my mind about something I never thought I’d do.
“Can we go for a drive?”
He nods, agreeing without question. “Wherever you want.”
Not much else is said while I get ready. I manage to keep the tears at bay but only by his strength.
When I told him where we were going, he didn’t act surprised, simply held my hand on the drive, providing the comfort and support I desperately need to do this.
“You don’t have to come in,” I say as I stare at the house I grew up in.
“I know I don’t have to. But I want to.” Dax pauses and squeezes my hand. “As long as you want me there.”
I’m sure my heart would be fluttering right now with how much he cares for me, but the knot of nerves in my stomach is too large for any other emotion to take over.
“Fuck it. Might as well get it all over with tonight.”
I step out of the car, followed by Dax, who holds my hand, offering me all the strength I need.
“If you need anything, let me know,” he says as we walk to the front door.
“I will.” I give a quick knock on the door and go inside. “Mom?” I call out as we walk into the living room.
“Isabella? What are you doing here?” She comes out from the kitchen with her brows pulled together in confusion, but she cools her expression when she sees I’m not alone. “Oh, Dax, it’s nice to see you, but also, what are you doing here?”
“We need to talk, Mom,” I state.
Her eyes hone in on our interlocked hands, and she gasps. “Dax is the man you’re dating?”
“He is. There’s a lot that has happened in the past two weeks, Mom. Can we sit and talk?”
Her chest rises and falls as she inhales and exhales deeply.
“Of course,” she responds after a moment, giving her head a quick shake. “Your father should be home soon. Are you planning on staying for dinner?”
I turn to Dax, hoping he’ll answer for us.
“We’d love to,” he answers, and I squeeze his hand in thanks.
“Okay, why don’t we sit at the kitchen table? That way, we can talk while I finish cooking,” she suggests and heads toward the kitchen.
Dax and I follow her, my stomach twisting, turning, and rolling around. I’m not sure if I’m going to make it through this conversation without throwing up.
“When did you two start seeing each other?” Mom asks as she stirs something on the stove and Dax and I sit at the table.
“We went on our first date this weekend,” I answer.
“When did you turn into someone who keeps so many secrets?” She turns, her face a mixture of disgust and hurt. “You used to tell me everything. You are our little angel, and now it’s like I don’t even know you. First, you get abused, and instead of turning to your family, you jump into bed with your brother’s best friend.”
Her words hit me in the chest, and I gasp.
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Dax warns my mom as tears cascade down my face.
He wraps his strong, warm arm around my shoulder, offering me comfort.
“I’m not a little girl anymore, Mom, and I didn’t just jump into bed with Dax. I called him to rescue me because I wanted someone who would listen to my wishes and not force me to make decisions I wasn’t ready for.”
Mom’s face falls, and tears stream down her face. “I’m messing this all up,” she says. “I’m sorry, Izzy. You’re right. I shouldn’t have said those things. What else did you want to tell me? I promise I won’t be so disrespectful this time.” She takes a seat across from us.
“Leo showed up at Caidance’s house. He’s threatening me.”
She gasps. “I know you don’t want to go to the police, but isn’t this getting out of hand? I’m not trying to pressure you, but I want you safe. Do you know how much it would kill me if you died?”
“I wasn’t there,” I reply to ease some of her nerves.
“But you could be next time,” she says and bites her nails. She only does that when she’s stressed. Clearly, she’s panicking. “Please go to the police,” she begs. “I need you safe.”
Dax rubs small circles on my back, and I take a deep breath.
“I am safe. I’m not actually staying at Caidance’s.” I gaze toward the table, unable to look at her anymore. She already pretty much called me a whore. How is she going to respond to this news?
“Where are you staying?”
“With me,” Dax pipes up. “She’s safe there. There is no way that asshole could touch her at my apartment.”
“You’re living together already?”
“Mom!” I sigh. “It’s not a big deal. You know Dax. He’s amazing. Do you think he would ever hurt me like Leo did?”
I let her ponder my words. After a moment, she shakes her head and chews on her nails again before finally lifting her head to look me in the eyes.
“I’m sorry for freaking out. It’s just a whole lot of information.”
“There’s more,” I admit, making her eyes widen, but to my surprise, she doesn’t say anything. “Leo and I didn’t have a conventional relationship.” I pause and take a shaky breath. “We were both into a kinky lifestyle. He has some videos of us participating in those things, and he’s threatening to share them. He told Caidance if I didn’t call him, he was going to tell my family, so I thought I would beat him to the punch. If he does send you pictures or videos, please don’t look at them. You don’t need to see your daughter like that.”
Dax gives my side a little squeeze, and I’m so thankful he’s here right now.
Mom’s eyes are the widest I’ve ever seen, and her face is white like she’s seen a ghost. She presses her lips together, taking a moment before responding. At least she isn’t insinuating I’m a slut. Maybe her earlier words were a blessing in disguise. If Dax hadn’t told her to basically watch her mouth, this might have gone differently.
“What you do behind closed doors is your prerogative as long as it’s consensual. I’ll make sure to let your father know not to open any messages from Leo.” She reaches across the table to grab my hand and looks into my eyes. “I’m so sorry you’re going through all of this. I wish we would have found out sooner that Leo wasn’t the man we thought he was.” She pauses, turning her gaze to Dax with a smile. “But if I had to handpick a man for you, Dax would have been at the top of the list. We’ve known you for a long time, Dax. I know you will treat Isabella like the princess she is.”
Her words make my heart melt, erasing the pain she caused earlier as I blink my tears away.
“She’s an amazing woman. You did a great job raising her. Don’t blame yourself for not knowing who Leo really was. He’s a great actor and had a lot of people fooled. As long as Izzy is with me, she’ll be safe. I promise.”
The bang of the front door lets us know my dad is home.
“What are you doing here?” Dad questions as he enters the kitchen. His brows are pulled together in confusion before he offers me his signature smile that has always calmed me.
“I had to talk to Mom about a few things,” I answer while I stand to hug him. “I also wanted to let you both know I’m seeing Dax.”
His eyes go wide, and he casts a glare toward Dax.
“Don’t you think you’re a little old for my daughter?” he sneers, and I sigh.
“Daddy, don’t.”
“Eight years isn’t that much, dear,” Mom insists, coming to our rescue.
“Are you going to treat her right?”
His question doesn’t faze Dax. “Of course. I will never be the reason she cries. I promise.”
Dad and Dax continue their stare-off before Dad nods, and just like that, the conversation is over.
“What’s for dinner?” he asks Mom with a genuine grin, the awkwardness evaporating from the room.
“You did great,” Dax whispers into my ear.
I smile at him, but the feeling of unease doesn’t let up.
Whatever is happening with Leo isn’t over. I just don’t know what he’s going to do next.
Chapter 16
Dax
The past few days since Leo showed up at Caidance’s, I haven’t stopped worrying about Izzy. She’s so frazzled it breaks my heart and makes me want to smash Leo’s face in. She truly believes he’s going to try something stupid, and I can’t say she’s wrong. I have the same gut feeling.
Thankfully, the week is over, and we’re going to the Shibari class at Afterglow this afternoon. Izzy even hinted at wanting to stay afterward to play. It will be good for both of us to blow off some steam and forget about the chaos that has been Izzy’s life for the last two weeks. I’m also extremely excited to get to play with Izzy in public for the first time. We love being watched, and just thinking about it gets my heart racing and my cock paying attention.
“Are you ready?” I call out, grabbing the bag I packed for tonight.
“Yup!” Izzy comes out of the bedroom with her own little bag.
I smirk. “What’s in the bag?”
“An outfit for tonight.” She purrs, like a sex kitten, making me groan.
“I can’t wait to see you in it,” I tell her, my voice dropping a bit as I grab her hand and push the button for the elevator.
“Seeing you tied up like this is like a fantasy come true,” I croon into Izzy’s ear as I finish the intricate design we were taught today. “You’re such a good girl, letting me take control like this.”
She beams at me, looking so at ease it makes my heart swell. It’s almost like the rope is allowing her to let go of all the tension she’s been carrying, and I was the person she trusted to give this to her. It’s a heady feeling.
“Thank you all for joining the class today. You’ve done a wonderful job,” Cam, the Shibari instructor, calls out. “You can either slowly untie your partners, or you use the scissors that were handed out at the beginning of the class.”
“What would you like, princess?”
“Slowly untie, please, Sir.”
I get to work doing as she requested, loving how much I get to touch her while doing rope play. This is going to be a wonderful addition to our sex life.
Once Izzy is free of the ropes, I help her change and guide her to the front desk so we can continue our night in the club. We are greeted by Stacey, the front attendant for the night.
“Did you enjoy the Shibari class?” she asks as she hands us our colored bracelets.
“It was amazing,” Izzy says. “I’m really looking forward to watching Cam and his partner onstage tonight.”
“He hinted that it’s going to be something they haven’t done in public before, and I’m intrigued,” I add.
Stacey nods with a big smile. “Have fun tonight,” she tells us, and we walk to the change rooms together.
“I’ll be right back.” Izzy smirks as she steps behind a curtained-off area.
“You know I could just pull back the curtain.”
She laughs. “You could. But you won’t. You like the surprise.” She called my bluff.
While she’s changing, I do the same but out in the open, not giving a shit if anyone sees me.
I get dressed quicker than Izzy, but that’s not hard when I’m only wearing a pair of leather pants.
“Can you do the button-up?” Izzy asks as she steps out from behind the curtain.
My cock grows at the sight of this beautiful woman. It presses firmly against the zipper of my pants, and I fight the urge to press my palm against it, wanting some sort of friction.
She’s wearing a black lace bodysuit, the bottoms cut high on her hips with a thong in the back. I even notice buttons at the crotch, and I smirk. That will give me easy access later. The top of the outfit is like a choker around her neck, the front completely open, showing ample cleavage and dipping to her belly button. There is a small amount of material covering her nipples, connecting the chocker to the bottom of the outfit. Hot damn, she looks fucking amazing.
I let my fingers linger on her neck while I button the choker, loving the goose bumps that break across her skin.
