Page 81 of Stripping the Sub
Half an hour later, Patrick came out of his office and barreled towards where Michael was sitting, chatting with Luke, athundercloud across his expression. The conversation between Luke and Michael died as he caught a glimpse of the approaching Dom, and Michael’s voice died out. What had caused Patrick to look like that?!
From the way Patrick was headed straight towards him, only two possibilities cropped up – Marquis or Ellie – and since Patrick wasn’t even glancing at Luke…
His heart squeezed, and fear and panic seized his body.
“Ellie emailed me a request to cancel her membership to the club,” Patrick said as soon as he was in earshot, his voice strangely flat. “Which voids the contract the two of you signed.She sent workups of all the graphics and logo options she’s put together for Marquis, said she was sorry she couldn’t finish working on them but if we liked them it would be easy enough for someone else to tweak them.”
Out of all of that, Michael only really heard one sentence.
Canceled her membership to the club.
A roaring noise filled Michael’s ears as pain splintered through the left side of his chest. He didn’t even realized he’d stood up until his knees collapsed and he dropped back into his chair feeling incredibly bereft.
She didn’t want anything to do with him, to the point where she was willing to leave the club.
“Don’t let her,” Michael said his voice strained. He stared down at the table in front of him, feeling horribly alone. “Email her back. Tell her I’ll stay at Marquis, I won’t come here… she doesn’t have to cancel her membership to avoid me.”
And she’d still be able to get her needs met and be safe while she was doing it. Still be able to see her friends.
To be honest, coming to Stronghold without Ellie there didn’t exactly appeal anyway.
“No.” Olivia’s voice slid through the rest of the club’s noise like the crack of a whip, drawing every eye around them. The Domme got to her feet, a steely look in her silver eyes. She pointed at Sharon, Kate and Andrew. “You, you, and you. You’re with me.” She looked at Patrick. “Don’t do anything with Ellie’s membership for now. I’ll be in touch.”
Then she strode towards the door to the lobby, a woman on a mission, expecting Andrew, Kate, and Sharon would be behind her – which they were.
Standing next toMichael, who was too stunned to move or say anything, Luke let out a low whistle. “Damn that was hot.” He clapped Michael on the shoulder. “Don’t worry buddy, I’m pretty sure Scarlet there is on your side and she’s not about to take no for an answer.”
It might be a little humbling to know he couldn’t take control of his own fate, but for the first time in days, Michael started to really feel a bit of hope.
Chapter 19
When Ellie’s doorbell rang, she froze in the middle of putting food into Watson’s dish. Was it Michael? The UPS guy? A neighbor worried about the fact that she hadn’t left the house in days?
Probably not the last one, people in her building didn’t really notice what their neighbors were doing, which was good because otherwise the super would probably be breaking down her door.
She was just starting to feel kind of normal again. Sort of.
Even though she still hadn’t called Dr. Amy or left the apartment, but she was feeling almost ready to do both.
Hearing her doorbell ring had triggered her flight or fight response but there wasn’t really anywhere to flee to and she definitely didn’t want to fight. So she just froze.
Waited to see what would happen next.
“Ellie? Are you home?” Sharon’s voice was full of concern. More knocking, a little more firm and insistent this time. “Everyone’s really worried about you. Are you there?”
Should she answer? She didn’t want everyone to be worried about her, even though the fact they still cared sent a trickle of warmth through her. By now they had to know about her blow up with Michael. Club gossip was fast, and gossip around the group of friends was even faster. Plus, she’d sent the email canceling her membership.
Which probably explained Sharon’s presence at her door. Although, she was still surprised it was just Sharon and not-
“Ellie, I know you’re in there. Open the door.” There he was. Andrew’s deep, firm tone, his Dom voice, a voice she was used to obeying, had her muscles working without thought.
As she moved to the door, a touch of relief trickled through her that the confrontation she’d been so afraid of was finally going to happen. No more fretting over what everyone else thought. No more wondering whose side they’d take. No more anxiety about what might happen when she had to face them. It was finally going to be over with.
That didn’t stop the trickle of fear going down her spine as she finally opened the door, and she automatically braced herself - emotionally and physically - for the worst.
Andrew was standing there, his face so full of concern, she almost burst into tears just looking at him. He was in his club clothes, leather pants and a leather jacket over what was probably a bare chest, and she knew just from looking at him that Patrick must have told them all she’d canceled her membership. Next to him, white-blonde hair in a high ponytail, Kate had her hands tucked into a bright blue pea coat, the same concerned expression on her face. Ellie didn’t get a chance to see what Sharon was wearing or what her expression was, because the other woman practically tackled Ellie in a hug.
“Don’t you ever stop answering your phone again!” Sharon’s voice was high and anxious, although not nearly as anxious as Ellie felt when she saw who else had come.
