City Of Need

21 ❤️‍🔥 Research

Roxy

I stare out the window of Jemima's apartment. This street is so damn pretty. The cobble stoned street and the pastel painted doors of the cute little brick houses that probably cost more than Freya's mansion back in San Francisco.

The guy from next door tumbles out of his house with three golden retrievers bouncing around him, signalling five pm. He's like clockwork that guy, so responsible. Me and Jemima call him, "The Hot Dog Dad." Because he's a dog dad and he's hot.

God, I'm bored. Bored, bored, bored. I've done nothing all day. Maybe I should get a job? But apart from being a criminal I'm not qualified to do anything.

I really should tidy up. The apartment is a mess since Jemima's sub walked out and stopped with his cleaning duties. The damn coffee machine keeps playing up and he was the only one who knew how to fix it. I asked him to come back, but he's already got a new Domme. Bloody subs - so temperamental.

It's a couple of days since I stayed at London's. The bruises on my ass have faded to yellow and purple, and it doesn't hurt when I sit down anymore. I hate it when the marks fade.

Hot-Dog-Dad smiles at a woman wearing black jeans and a hooded sweater as she walks past. So polite. The hood of her sweater is up and she's carrying an oversized black bag, splattered with paint. She stops in front of my door, pulls her hood down. She peers through the window and makes eye contact with me.

Fuck. It's Lilah. No pretending I'm not here now. She had to catch up with me at some point. A deal's a deal. There's no way around it.

'Hi Lilah,' I say, pulling open the door. 'I guess you better come in.'

'Hi Rox.' She walks in behind me and dumps her bag on the sofa. My mind flashes back to London spanking my ass on it. I shake my head to clear the memory. 'Nice place. Whose is it?' She says.

'Jemima's. I'm house sitting for the summer. Coffee?' I ask walking towards the kitchen.

'Sure,' she says, following me. 'Impressive coffee machine. Jemima must be doing well. What is it that she does online?' She raises a brow.

'Is there anything about my life you don't know?' I snap. Of course she knows everything about my life. It's what they do best in my family - scrupulous research. It's how they never fail at blackmail.

'If you would just talk to me I wouldn't have to research you,' she snaps back.

'If you would call me rather than turn up on my doorstep I'd be more likely to talk to you.'

'Too late. At this point the only thing I don't know about you is how to use your bloody coffee machine.' Her voice drips with sarcasm.

'For real? You don't know how to use a coffee machine?' Did I just find the one thing that Lilah doesn't know how to do?'

She shrugs, 'I was raised by wolves - as you've just experienced for yourself.'

It's true, our family is like a pack of wolves. Ruthless. Close. Predatory.

She continues, 'We're a feral family and we always had people to do that for us... after Mum went.' Her voice is sad and I remember how her mum died when she was still so young - and how she died by her own hand. I feel suddenly protective of my sister. It's a weird feeling. I've never had a sister and I've certainly never felt protective of anyone.

I place a cup on the machine, switch it on and say, 'I can teach you if you like. I'm kinda ok in the kitchen. I can teach you everything I know. I mean... if you want to learn.'

She looks as surprised as I am by my change in tone. 'I'd like that,' she smiles. 'Why did you run, Roxy? You know we have a deal. All I'm trying to do is help you. Do you have any idea the lengths I went to with my family to get them to cut you some slack?'