Page 19 of Trust in Me
15
Brax
Allavailableunits,1500N Sycamore Street, apartment fire, multiple casualties reported. Fire and medical en route.
Shit. I was on my way back to the precinct, done with my shift. I couldn’t ignore an all-hands call, though. I sat up straighter in the cruiser as I listened to the dispatcher. That address. Wasn’t that near Avery’s place?
I reached for the radio. “Unit 191, en route for backup, Code 3 response.” I flipped on the lights and siren indicated by the Code 3 and sped that direction.
Was Avery at home in her apartment right now? I’d told her I wanted to see her at Blackstone tonight. But work had gotten in the way— again— and I hadn’t been able to tell her that I wouldn’t make it to Blackstone on time tonight, if at all. Her phone had gone straight to voicemail. I’d asked Drew to look out for her, just in case, but she was still new to the club. If she got there and didn’t see people she knew, I wouldn’t be surprised if she turned around and went home.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel as I neared the address. I pulled the cruiser to a stop on the street opposite the building. Avery’s building.Shit.Smoke was billowing out of several first and second floor windows. My heart thudded in my chest as I realized where the smoke was coming from. It was right by Avery’s apartment. Was that her window that flames and smoke were pouring out of? Fuck, was she in there?
I jumped out of the cruiser, scanning the crowd as my pulse rushed in my ears. Lots of tenants had been evacuated already. Some were already in pajamas for the night, some dressed as though they were about to go out. There were a few people who seemed to be just lookers-on. No one that seemed to need immediate medical attention, at least. And no one that looked suspicious, although it was a well-known fact that arsonists often stayed at the sites of their crimes to watch. We’d question every person here before we packed up for the night. There were several police crews sorting out tenants and gathering information, while the fire department worked to put out the blaze. One ambulance was already pulling away with lights flashing and sirens blaring. I didn’t see Avery among any of the gathered crowds. Was she in that ambulance? My stomach twisted, thinking of her being hurt.
I walked up to the nearest officer. “Any information?”
The officer, a guy I’d worked with briefly in the past, nodded at me in acknowledgement. “Looks like it started in a single apartment and spread. Fire investigators should be here soon. A few burns and smoke inhalation, but no fatalities that we’ve found.”
I let out a sigh of relief. No fatalities. I looked through the crowd again. Still no Avery. I surveyed the scene, double checking to make sure things were under control before I stepped away. I pulled my phone out and hit the main number for Blackstone.
“Club Blackstone, this is Cody. How can I help you?”
“Hey, Cody, Brax. Avery there right now?”
“Hey, Brax. Yeah, she’s here. Looked a little lost when I peeked in there a few minutes ago, but we’ll take care of her. You going to come join us tonight?”
Another sigh of relief. Thank goodness she was there and safe. It didn’t escape my notice that I was more concerned about Avery than about doing my job right now. “I’m tied up at work right now. Just got called to an apartment fire. I’ll be there in a couple hours. Just…keep Avery there, okay?”
“Sure thing. Anything she needs to know?”
I thought for a moment. It was probably best to just have her stay away from the scene for now. That would be the safest. I’d figure out what to do later. “No, nothing yet. Just let her know I’ll be there as soon as I can and I can fill her in when I get there. Drew should be keeping an eye on her.”
“You’ve got it. Good luck.”
I ended the call and slid the phone back in my pocket, then turned back toward the scene to help. I didn’t have time right now to think about why my heart hurt at the thought of Avery getting hurt. Or about why I missed her, even though I saw her this morning. Or about the fact that I wanted to scene with her in the club, but also spend time with her outside the club. And I really, really didn’t have time to think about what would happen if I fell for her.
16
Avery
Drewsettledmeonthe couch next to a fair-skinned girl with long brown hair. She looked like the quiet type at first, but then she smiled and thrust out her hand.
“Hi! I’m Paige. What’s your name?”
I recognized her as the girl I’d watched playing on my first night at Blackstone. I’d been awed by her ability to trust her Dominant, to get lost in the moment. I took the girl’s hand, smiling back. “I’m Avery. New here, and feeling a little lost right now, to be honest.”
Another girl, one with deep umber skin and rows of tight braids laughed from the other couch. “Ah, so that’s why Drew adopted you. He’s like a shepherd for little lost subbies. I’m Alexandra. Most people call me Alex. Fellow sub, just like Paige.”
I grinned, feeling more at ease with the friendly welcome. “Nice to meet you guys. Not sure Drew’s adopted me, though, just keeping an eye on me for a friend.”
Paige bounced in her seat. “Ooh, you have a Dom already? Details, please! Us single subbies need to hear all about it.”
“Well, I don’t know if he’s my Dom. I mean, we haven’t talked about it. What do you think it means if he scened with me twice? He drove me home the other night, and…”
Drew’s deep voice interrupted. His tone was serious as usual as he raised one eyebrow. “Best ask him those questions, little one.”
I swallowed and nodded. “Yes, Sir.” I looked around at the other women. Their eyes were also fixed on Drew. At least it wasn’t just my attention that he commanded. It seemed that he commanded attention from every submissive in the room.
