Page 7 of Surrender

The cherry red light above door twelve is lit, so I knock on it gently. This first block of rooms is all sound proof, with no windows, so I don't hear footsteps at first and wonder if maybe she's napping. I pause for a moment more before the door cracks open a few inches. Dirty blonde hair and a single blue eye stare at me through the crack.

I give her my best smile.

"Hi. I'm Daniel. I think you met Declan earlier. Can I come in? I just want to chat."

She lowers her eyes and steps back, allowing me enough space to come in. And it all clicks. Why Cas was so cagey; why Declan has staked his claim.

"Thank you." I step into the room and sit on the corner of the bed. All of our sheets are black silk. It makes laundering them easier, gives a classy, classic look, and is gentle on the hair.

I take a moment to take in her body language. She's picking at her nails, eyes cast down, her lower lip pinched between her teeth, and she's shifting her body weight from one foot to the other.

"Can I get you anything, sweetheart? Water? Food? Have you eaten yet today?" Her eyes finally meet mine and I can see why Declan's so easily taken with her. She's his kryptonite. Beautiful, shy, submissive, vulnerable.

She shakes her head once. "Well, that won't do," I say, reaching a hand out to her. "Let's get you to the kitchen. Can't have you working on an empty stomach."

Hesitating, she reaches her hand to mine and pulls it back an inch, unsure. I wait. Finally, she decides it's alright and places her petite hand in mine. I wrap my large hand around her thin fingers and wrap her hand around the crux of my elbow. She falls into step just slightly behind me.

We walk in silence to the employees' entrance and toward the kitchen. I drag a chair over to the prep station and peek into the walk-in fridge.

"Any dietary restrictions? Likes? Dislikes?" She shakes her head 'no'. This poor child. I want to wrap her in my arms and give her everything she's ever been denied.

I set about making her a simple BLT. "Is this your first time here?"

"No. I came and interviewed for the server position yesterday."

"Ah. Before hours?"

"Yes."

"Are you nervous?"

"Yes," she whispers. "I've never been to a sex club... so I don't really know what to expect."

I nod thoughtfully. "I can understand that. It's hard to explain until you see it for yourself."

I set the simple sandwich in front of her and watch as she eats it. I try to project ease and calmness for her. She seems easily startled, and she is obviously in a vulnerable place at the moment.

She moans around a mouthful and closes her eyes as if she were eating filet mignon. I think there's a lot more to this girl than what she appears. I hope Declan learns to keep his cool around her because I imagine she'd be easy to scare away.

But she'd be good for him. He needs to learn how to control his temper, and so far, no one has pushed him to have to change. As CEO, his aggressiveness has kept us in business. In the bedroom, his anger is tamped down by desire and control.

After she's finished half of the sandwich, she sets it down, claiming not to be able to finish. I wrap it in parchment paper and hand it to her in case she gets hungry during her shift. Our employees have full access to the kitchen and can order whatever they like during their breaks, but something about her tells me she might not feel comfortable ordering from the kitchen just yet.

Now fed, I can already see she's more relaxed.

"The thing is, Serenity. This isn't a place for a girl like you to live." Her eyes widen in fear. I shake my head. "No, no. Don't look at me like that. We're not kicking you out. What I mean is that Declan, Harrison and I would feel better if you went home with Declan. He has extra bedrooms, and his house is really close to the club. I'm sure he'd be happy to drive you to and from work. And it's safer. We have security when the club is open, but not when it's closed."

She bites her lower lip as she thinks. At this rate, she's going to make it bleed. She looks like she's about to argue with me, make excuses, spiral.

On a gamble, I break into my dom voice. "It's a rhetorical question, Serenity. You will let Declan drive you home after your shift."

Her deep blue eyes find mine, and she releases her lip in a tiny gasp. She nods. "Oh-okay."

I smile. "Great. Now that that's settled, we've got about fifteen minutes before we open. Let's get you to Benji. He'll be training you today."

Chapter six

Serenity

---