Page 41 of At Their Mercy: Part I

It was okay to hide sometimes.

I hadn’t escaped to the cabin either, ’cause I wasn’t stupid. That was the first place they’d look. Instead, I’d snatched up some strawberries from the unguarded dessert station in the kitchen, and I’d snuck up to the third floor.

I threw a strawberry into my mouth and just leaned against the wall between two playrooms.

Guests had started arriving, and three PM was right around the corner.

These were the good strawberries. Real flavorful and sweet.

My head snapped up when I smelled that someone was smoking nearby. That was a party I could join, partly because I knew the attendees. It was likely Kingsley. If not, then the occasional smokers, Lucian and Penelope. It wasn’t Shay. The whole reason I’d been able to sneak off was because he was blowing Reese in the office.

To take the edge off, I presumed. My brother needed it. He was always trying to be everywhere and do everything.

After opening a few doors—and unfortunately finishing my strawberries—I hit the jackpot in one of the few guest rooms that had a bathroom. The door was ajar, and I spotted both Kingsley and Lucian in there.

The little window was wide open, and they were huddled close with their smokes. Nice suits, ties, hair styled.

“I didn’t get an invitation?” I asked.

Their heads whipped around, but they were quick to relax.

“Oh, it’s just you.” Lucian breathed out.

I smirked and joined them, making sure the door was closed. ’Cause you didn’t need bloodhounds to sniff out smokers.

I brought out my own pack and lit one up. “Who am I right now? ‘Put that shit out—it’s gonna kill you.’”

They chuckled.

“Greer.” Lucian shook his head in amusement. “I’d smoke in front of Cam before I smoke in front of Greer again.”

Legit. I wasn’t terrifying enough to scare off Greer. Nobody was.

I wasn’t a fan of that part.

“So, who’re you hiding from?” Kingsley asked me.

I exhaled some smoke. “People. More than three people is a rave.”

Lucian laughed.

“What about you two?” I asked.

“I just needed a breather,” Kingsley replied.

“Subs who are acting like they own the place,” Lucian stated. “Macklin and Tate, for the most part. God forbid I wanted to try a fucking snack.”

“Right?” I couldn’t believe it either. The mouths on those bossy shits. “Macklin nearly bit my head off for liftin’ the damn lid to the crab cakes.”

Kingsley shook his head. “That’s not right. As if anybody would notice if a few samples went missing.”

Exactly.

“Unfortunately, Tate warned me,” he went on. “Or asked, rather. If we could forgo our M/s dynamic today.”

Lucian nodded once and flicked ashes into an empty coffee mug. “Cam did the same with me.”

I hummed. Went to show how different our dynamics were. I was enjoying exploring a more high-protocol structure with Shay, but we were way more fluid. We incorporated new things slowly and here and there, and we let things evolve naturally—because we didn’t have a goal in mind or kinks we wanted to unlock. In the beginning, for instance, he’d only called me Owner. To reflect on my nickname for him, pup or li’l pup. But at some point, he’d included Master, and the chemistry had changed a little. The title of Master carried more formal authority in my eyes, so I’d reacted physically. I’d automatically straightened up and squared my shoulders, which was funny to think about today. Now, it was just another title for me, and Shay used them interchangeably. I didn’t react differently to them either.