Whatever was between them was growing and taking on a life of its own. The progression was instinctual and felt entirely natural. Now as he slid in and out of her, taking her into a daze of rapture again, she could only wonder where they would end up.
Chapter Thirteen
Being allowed to choose her own clothes was something of a novelty. Dax had become increasingly distant since they’d made love here in the closet and during their time getting ready for the day. He made no noise about selecting her wardrobe today, so she went on and did it herself. She was used to him not being Mr. Chatty Small Talk, but there was something different about the frown on his face this morning.
‘What’s expected of me today?’ she asked, sliding on her shoe. ‘If Rita is here to take care of the chores, what is it that you want me to—‘
‘I have to show you the operation,’ he said.
‘How are you gonna do that? Is there a secret meth lab bunker somewhere on the property that I haven’t yet seen?’
‘We’re going out,’ he said, fastening the buttons on his jeans then departing the closet.
The concept of leaving this house stunned her and for a few minutes she didn’t move or speak while she processed the idea. Now that she was being let out she would have a better opportunity to run, to escape. Doing that, achieving her goal of liberty, would mean forfeiting all prospect of a future with Dax. Unless she could convince him to come with her. If he was open to joining her then they could leave here today, without raising suspicion, and just never come back.
Rushing out of the closet, Ivy was ready to put the possibility to him, except Bruno was in their bedroom and the two men were engaged in conversation. This space was becoming a common room and she didn’t remember either her or Dax authorising that, but maybe she hadn’t been privy to that conversation.
‘Morning,’ Bruno called to her as though she was a hundred feet away instead of ten. ‘You’re going on an adventure today.’
‘So I understand,’ she said, clasping her hands behind her back and taking her foot off the floor to curl it behind the other. ‘I’m a little… nervous.’
‘Dax will look after you,’ Bruno said, slapping his shoulder. ‘He’s done right by you so far, hasn’t he?’
‘Yes,’ she said, trained to respond to all questions.
Bruno and Dax whispered to each other, then Dax reached behind him toward her, outstretching his hand. Ivy crossed to take the offering and went with the men out of the room. In the living room there was no sign of Rita. Bruno went off towards the back deck without saying goodbye and Dax took Ivy straight toward the front door and out they went. He led her across the drive to the convertible awaiting them in the covered car port.
He opened her door, but didn’t wait for her to enter the car, he just left the door swinging and rounded the hood to get in his own side. He’d got in, turned on the engine, and donned his sunglasses, and she still stood on the driveway, staring into the open car. Stretching an arm along the back of the seat, he waited.
‘What?’ he asked.
‘I… I don’t know, but…’
‘What?’ His impatience was showing. ‘Do you think I’m gonna run off with you? Don’t worry, we’ll be back before dinner.’
The very idea that he was laughing at was the one that she was going to suggest to him in their bedroom earlier. It was laughable now, because if she struggled with the idea of getting into a car, how would she survive on the run?
‘It just feels… peculiar.’
‘It will,’ he said. ‘You’ve been in that place for nearly two months.’
Had it been so long? Yes, as she considered it and all she’d been through, it had been that amount of time. Ivy had believed that she’d been spared from the brainwashing that Bruno and Dax were supposed to visit on her because Dax hadn’t applied the same stringent rules as Bruno did. That window Dax provided gave her a reprieve; time to centre herself again when she was in his company. But a part of her knew that she wasn’t allowed to leave this place, and that part of her overwhelmed her now.
‘I’m not going to get in trouble, right?’ she said with an awkward and very self-conscious laugh.
‘What kind of trouble?’ he asked. ‘I’m your Master, remember? Your owner, or did you forget?’
‘Ok,’ she said with a stunted smile, but no moisture returned to her mouth. With shaking fingers she took hold of the door and with one wavering step she slid into the warm leather of the seat.
‘Are you nervous about being punished for leaving here? Or worried about what will happen to you out there?’ he asked, bobbing his chin in the direction of the great wide world, without taking his attention away from her.
‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I didn’t realise that I felt this way.’
‘It’ll all come back to you. No one will punish you for leaving here, I’m the guy in charge and you’re with me.’
‘And out there?’ she asked.
‘Nothing I haven’t faced before,’ he said. ‘Like I said, you’re with me.’
That did actually make Ivy feel better because he wouldn’t abandon her; as much as because she was still needed for something, though she hadn’t figured out what yet. The journey started off quietly. Breaking the silence, Dax began to fiddle with the stereo until he found a tune he wanted to hear.
‘It will take about an hour to get into the city,’ he said, putting both hands onto the wheel. ‘Just relax and enjoy the ride.’
‘You are a good ride,’ she said and he afforded her a smile then handed her another pair of shades that he produced from somewhere on his door side. The sun was shining but the breeze was cool, this was a perfect California day. She let him get into his groove with the driving and the music before she tried to probe him. ‘Have you got any more fights lined up?’
‘You are not coming to see me fight. Mauri would never have it.’
This gave her the perfect opener. ‘Am I going to meet him?’
‘Today? No. Today I’m taking you on my rounds. It’s about time things got back to normal.’
‘You don’t usually do rounds,’ she said. ‘Do you?’
‘Before you I did,’ he said. ‘I do actually have a job, I don’t just sit around holding women prisoner all the time.’
‘That’s reassuring,’ she said. ‘So what do you do?’
‘You’ll see today,’ he said. ‘Have you ever been arrested? Any probation or outstanding warrants I should know about? Have you been involved in anything criminal?’
‘Nothing serious,’ she answered. ‘Have you?’
‘Don’t be surprised if Mauri knows everything that there is to know about you when you do meet him.’
He hadn’t answered her question, but his statement about Mauri was enough to make her forget about her concerns relating to Dax’s exploits. ‘How would he—‘
‘Mauri’s family have made a lot of money doing what they do, so he has the resources to do pretty much anything he wants. If you filled out information for that phony job, they’ll have your full name and social security number. The rest is just leg work, and most of that can be done at a desk these days.’
She hadn’t considered the personal information that this family had about her. ‘Why would they want to know about me?’
‘Because they chose you,’ he said. ‘And Mauri is particular about knowing everything about people he welcomes into his family. He’ll want to know if you’re bringing any trouble with you.’
‘The only trouble I’ve been around recently is you.’
‘And they know all about that,’ he said, squeezing her thigh then sliding his hand further up under her sundress.
‘Just how much do they know?’ she asked. ‘They know that we’re sleeping together, but do they know the details of that? How does Bruno fit into all of this?’ It was great to finally feel free enough to ask all of the questions she’d been too afraid to ask while in the environment of her captivity.