“I’m sure you’re wise to keep it under wraps. It’s not a business I am familiar with,” Sir said.
“Me either,” Faelan admitted. “But ever since Brie mentioned her odd vision, I’ve been doing some research, just out of curiosity.”
“So you’ve been googling it?” Brie asked, giggling.
Although Faelan hadn’t been there when Brie first uttered those words to Sir during a practicum, the phrase “I googled it, Sir” had become a sub favorite at the Center. “I have been googling it. In fact, I’ve googled the shit out of it,” Faelan replied with a smirk.
Brie laughed with delight.
“I love the sound of your laughter, babygirl.”
She looked at Sir. They’d been so close to losing each other yesterday…
Brie wasn’t sure she could handle any more close calls, but she took solace in knowing they were safe and people like Faelan were looking out for her.
Turning back to Faelan, she stared at his eyepatch. It reminded her of what he’d done for them. “You are not allowed to say that you failed me. Not only did you keep Lilly far away from me, but you also saved Rytsar. You will never know the depth of my gratitude.” He tried to shrug it off, but she wouldn’t let him. “You are a hero, Faelan, and your sacrifice changed the course of all our lives. Don’t you ever forget that.”
Faelan looked at her sadly, his beautiful lone blue eye filled with remorse.
“May I take this off, Faelan?” she asked, lightly touching his eyepatch.
He furrowed his brow. “I…” he faltered. “It’s not pretty, Brie.”
“Please.”
He looked at her for several moments before slowly untying the leather straps of his eyepatch. It slowly fell from his eye, exposing a partially closed eyelid and the tender red flesh of the back of the eye socket.
“Does it hurt?”
“No,” he answered casually. “I’ve grown used to it. I considered getting a replacement at one point, but…the eyepatch does the job, so I haven’t seen a need.”
She noticed that he held his breath while she lightly traced her finger around the lid of his missing eye. “This is a testament of your bravery, Todd Wallace.” Brie met his gaze and smiled. “And I agree that you don’t need a replacement.”
Sitting back, she looked at him critically.
“What are you doing?” he asked with a crooked grin.
“Just taking in all of who you are now. I’m truly humbled.”
He laughed uncomfortably. “There’s no need to feel that way.”
“But there is, and you need to hear me when I say it. I am grateful and honored to call you my friend.”
“As am I,” Sir said, clapping Faelan on the back. “Never feel the eyepatch is necessary around us.”
Faelan actually blushed. “To be honest, I prefer wearing it. I like knowing the eye socket is protected, but thanks. It means more than you know.”
He then looked at Brie. “You have my undying gratitude as well. Even though you didn’t know it at the time, you saved my life when you tripped just outside the school that night.”
“But that was not an act of bravery. It was just sheer clumsiness.”
“Doesn’t matter. That encounter changed the course of my life. I was running on autopilot before I met you—my life consisted of just misery and guilt.”
Brie’s heart swelled with admiration for him. “I’m glad we came into each other’s lives.”
“I am too, blossom,” he said, smiling at her tenderly. “I am, too.”
Lea swung by the same day, desperate to see her.
The two did not even speak for the first ten minutes after she arrived, hugging each other tightly, grateful to be together again.
“Oh, Brie…” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“Lea…” That was the only word she could get out before her throat closed up again.
Sir nodded to Lea. “Ms. Taylor, are you okay?”
She shrugged, looking crushed.
Sir walked over and took her into his arms. Lea let out a strangled gasp as she accepted his embrace.
Brie felt so sorry for Lea. Not only had her life been in danger, but the man she had fallen in love with and had just agreed to marry did not even exist. What a terribly cruel thing for her to bear.
After Sir released Lea, he retrieved a tissue for her and then excused himself. “I’ll take care of Hope while you two talk. If you need anything, just say the word.”
Lea gravitated to the kitchen table, so Brie started hot water for tea, not really knowing what to say or do.
It broke her heart when the first words out of Lea’s mouth were, “I’m sorry.”
Brie turned around and shook her head. “Don’t. None of it is your fault.”
“But I—”
“If anyone should apologize, it should be me. Because of Lilly, I brought Liam into your life.”
Lea’s face crumbled with sorrow. She covered her face with her hands and started sobbing. Brie walked over and hugged her where she sat, knowing words could not make the pain go away.
When the water started boiling, she left Lea and poured them both a cup of hot tea. She had learned from Tono how comforting the drink could be.
She placed a cup next to Lea, along with a box of tissues, then sat opposite her, remaining silent as she let her friend release the tears that Brie knew she needed to shed.
When Lea came to the end of her sobs, she wiped her tears away and blew her nose several times. Picking up the cup, she held it in both hands, absorbing its warmth. After taking several sips, she met Brie’s gaze. “Thank you.”
Brie nodded.
Lea took a deep breath. “It’s like I can’t get my head or heart around this. I almost lost you, Brie.” She reached across the table to grab Brie’s hand. “When I think how close that was, I want to throw up.”
“Hope and I are safe, Lea.”
She nodded before taking another sip. “As far as Liam…if that’s even his real name…I’m all mixed up. I hate him on a level I can’t express. I feel so stupid and humiliated for having been duped by him. And yet…” She looked at Brie sadly. “My feelings were real. I loved him, and I thought we were going to start a life together.” The tears welled up, so she took a moment to calm down and breathe before speaking again. “In one fell swoop, I lost the future I saw for myself and the person I loved…” She shook her head, correcting herself. “Thought I loved.”
“I’m so sorry, Lea…”
“I keep running it over and over in my head, all the small things I missed and should have questioned—but I didn’t, Brie.”
Brie squeezed her hand. “I didn’t, either, and I was the one in danger. I really liked the guy. It’s just so weird to think the person we knew isn’t real. That we don’t even know the man.”
“I’m really struggling with that…” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. She took another sip of tea. “We didn’t just have sex, Brie. We made love. How can a person fake that?”
“I don’t know, Lea.”
She grabbed another tissue and dabbed her eyes. “I really suck at relationships. I seem to always fall in love with people who don’t love me. I’m fucking hopeless…”
“No, you can’t take responsibility for what happened with Liam. It was calculated and cruel. As far as Ms. Clark, that’s all on her. Don’t let that beautiful soul of yours get crushed by this.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know how to move on from here. I don’t want to love anyone…” Her face crumbled again. “But I desperately need it.”
Brie got up and hugged her again. “Sometimes the love of family and friends is all we have to get us through. I love you, Lea. I love you so damn much.”
Lea could only manage a half-smile. “You know what the kicker is?”
Brie shook her head.
“Mary knew. The first night they met, she knew not to trust him, and all I could think was that she was being a jealous cow.”
/> “Honestly, I thought the same thing myself. If I had just listened to Mary…” Brie started to cry. If she had just listened, maybe none of this would have happened. “I’m forever indebted to Mary because she spoke to Rytsar about it. Otherwise…” Brie had to shake the horrible thoughts out of her head.
“Damn it, Brie. Who would have ever thought that Mary would turn out to be smarter than either of us?”
Brie snorted her agreement through her tears. “I owe her, again…”
Lea looked at her strangely. “Again?”
Brie quickly covered up her accidental slip by explaining, “Yeah, remember when I screwed up and disobeyed Sir by reading his mother’s note? When he kicked me out, Mary took me in. But instead of telling me it was going to be okay, she suggested Sir might be better off without me.”
“Oh Lord, that girl…”
Brie chuckled. “Mary can be brutal with her words, but she says it like it is. I’m starting to appreciate that more and more now.”
Lea sighed. “Yeah. I guess I am, too.”
“What are you going to do now, girlfriend?”
She groaned. “I don’t know…maybe I should ask if I can have a session with Rytsar’s nines. I could sure use a little pain therapy right now.”
“That sounds like a good idea, actually. There are times when pain can bring relief.”
“You’re not kidding, and I could use some to combat this heartbreak. It’s going to take a fucking inferno.”
Brie got up to pour Lea another cup of tea. “We’re going to get through this and, someday, we will be able to look back and marvel at how strong we were.”
“I don’t feel strong at all, but I’ll drink to that.” She hit her cup against Brie’s. “And let me add another. Here’s to Mary Quite Contrary. Bless her heart, that bitch knows her shit.”
“To Mary!”
It weighed heavily on Brie—what Sir had shared about Lilly still being in isolation after all this time. In an attempt to deal with the warring emotions she felt, Brie wrote a letter that night.
Lilly,
I write this letter because I am feeling compassion toward you.
I understand that you carry demons borne of your mother, just as my husband does. However, I believe there is good in all of us, and it is my sincerest hope that you find that part of yourself and embrace it fully as Thane has.
I can never forget what you’ve done, but I hope you will be able to forgive yourself and move on.
I trust there will come a day when I will be able to forgive you and be free from this painful connection between us.
May you find peace in this life so we can finally be free of each other.
Sincerely,
Brianna
After writing the letter, she set it on fire and watched the flame consume the paper. Brie imagined the smoke taking the thoughts contained in her letter and releasing them out into the world.
Although Lilly would never read her words, it brought Brie much needed peace.
Her Christening
Sir came to Brie, wanting to discuss Italy. “Would you be up to traveling, babygirl? I know it’s sooner than we planned. However, I feel a strong urge to reconnect with my grandparents.”
“I feel it too, Sir.” Having their lives threatened had awakened the instinctual need to gather as a family.
“Then I’ll make the arrangements for the six of us.”
Brie was confused. “Six?”
“The three of us, Durov, and your parents.”
“Oh, that’s so thoughtful of you, Sir. Even though my parents aren’t churchgoers, it would mean so much to them to be there for Hope’s christening.”
“I would like us to spend extra time with my family, so Durov has offered his private jet. Your parents would take a different flight, if that’s agreeable to you.”
“My dad actually hates to travel. He never got over being separated from us when I was young and prefers being a homebody, so that would be perfect.”
“Since you are agreeable, I’ll start the arrangements.”
“I’m so glad we’re heading to Italy again. I want to be surrounded by your large Italian family, and I know they will fall in love with Hope.”
Sir looked down at his daughter and smiled. “When I look at her, I feel my father’s presence. It will be the same for Nonno and Nonna.”
“Yes. This trip is needed by all of us.” Brie stood on tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Now, I need to buy a christening outfit for her.”
“Let me go with you,” Sir insisted.
“No need. I’ll do it online. Gives me time to start packing. Having to travel overseas with a baby will require a lot more planning and equipment. But I’m not complaining. I can’t wait to see Nonna hold Hope for the first time.”
Tears welled up in her eyes just thinking about it. “This is exactly what my heart needs.”
Brie double-checked to make sure Hope was secure before the plane started down the runway. As she glanced out the window, she was overcome with a feeling of dread. Grabbing Sir’s hand for comfort, she found his was ice cold.
Looking up at his calm face, Brie would never have guessed he was terrified to take this flight, but she could clearly feel his terror rolling off him now. Brie squeezed his hand tightly to give him reassurance.
He glanced at her and nodded before looking ahead again.
The fact he was on this plane spoke to Sir’s level of courage and love of family. In all aspects of his life, he had never let unwarranted fears stand in his way. This, however, was different. He had every reason to fear flying, having almost died in a plane crash at this very airport.
And yet…
Here he was, quietly facing that fear so he could present their daughter to his father’s family.
As the engines revved and the plane started bouncing just before takeoff, Rytsar made an offhand comment. “Comrade, I don’t want to alarm you, but I heard that a small two-seater plane crashed into the Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills yesterday.”
Sir narrowed his eyes.
“Rytsar!” Brie cried out in protest.
Rytsar smiled at her and continued undaunted. “Search and rescue workers have recovered two hundred bodies so far and expect that number to climb as digging continues.”
Sir shook his head slowly, glaring at Rytsar as the plane lifted off.
Brie felt her stomach drop as they broke contact with the ground. Her nerves increased, along with Sir’s, as they rose higher and higher over the ocean, and then the plane banked sharply to the right, finally settling into its set flying pattern.
Sir suddenly let go of her hand and relaxed.
Raising an eyebrow at Rytsar, he said, “That joke was worthy of Ms. Taylor, but she would have the sense to wait until after the plane had taken off.”
“Ah, but that was purposeful on my part, comrade. If you are concentrating on being upset with me, you naturally would think less about the plane crashing.”
“Surely, there must have been a better way to handle it,” Brie insisted.
“Not for a sadist.” Rytsar smirked, adding, “I rather enjoyed myself.”
“I could tell,” Sir replied. He turned to unbuckle the baby, holding her against his chest as he closed his eyes.
Brie said nothing as she watched, knowing he needed that connection and peace that only holding their little girl could provide.
Rytsar gazed at Sir for several moments, a tender look in his eye. As cruel as he could be sometimes with his humor, Rytsar was a true and loyal friend.
“Must you hog the babe?” he finally complained after several minutes had passed.
Sir opened his eyes. “For that little stunt? I think a timeout for dyadya is in order.”
“You wouldn’t,” Rytsar protested, turning to Brie for support.
Brie did not want to step in between the two Doms, choosing to say nothing about it as she stared out the window at the land racing by down below them. ??
?So amazing. Everyone is going about their lives, busy with their daily routine, but us…?” She turned to face them. “We’re headed to Italy!”
“And a christening,” Sir added, handing Hope over to Rytsar. “Not that you deserve to be her godfather after that joke.”
Rytsar gratefully took the babe into his arms. “You know you love me, comrade. Who else would be brave enough to jest with you in such a way?”
“No one, thankfully.”
“But it helped get your mind off the takeoff, did it not?”
“Barely. Like an irritating gnat.”
“Then it was worth your ire toward me,” Rytsar stated with satisfaction. Looking at Hope, he said, “Your papa doesn’t want to admit it, but he is extremely lucky to have me as his brother.”
Sir slapped him on the shoulder. “Actually, I’m well aware of that fact.” He placed his finger next to Hope’s hand and she squeezed it, wiggling happily in Rytsar’s arms while making cooing noises at her father. Sir then glanced over at Brie. “I wouldn’t be here today if you hadn’t come to the Collaring Ceremony, old friend.”
Brie’s interest was piqued as she looked at both men. “Tell me, please. I want to hear what happened that night.”
Sir gazed at Rytsar thoughtfully. “You know, looking back on it, I realize you specialize in provoking people to get what you want.”
“It is the duty of a sadist.”
“Well, you were in rare form at the Collaring Ceremony,” Sir said, chuckling lightly.
“I’ve always wondered what you talked about that night,” Brie confessed.
Rytsar snorted. “Your Master is a very stubborn man.”
Brie glanced at Sir and blushed. It was true, and she could not dispute that, so she said nothing.
Rytsar smiled at Brie. “When I walked up to you that night, you were absolutely radiant, radost moya. The picture of perfection. And what was my comrade doing? Hiding in the corner, ignoring you.”
“That’s not exactly how it went,” Sir replied.
“But it was,” Rytsar insisted.
“It was my duty as Headmaster to remain impartial so my student could make her choice without any outside influence.”