Morning Escape

POV Valerie

My eyelids fluttered open. The harsh intensity of the dungeon had faded, replaced by the soft light of dawn creeping into the private room. I fell asleep after experiencing that fabulous, mind-bending sex. The chaotic aftermath of my safeword had blurred into a haze of gentle aftercare and overwhelming physical pleasure, leaving me tangled securely in the duvet.

I lay still, holding my breath as I studied Sir. He was asleep right next to me, his broad chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. I took a long moment to map out his handsome features. His thick dark hair fell across his forehead, a stark contrast to the ruthless, dominant man who had ruled my body hours ago. Faint laughing lines creased the corners of his closed eyes, giving him a deceivingly approachable look. Then there was that sharp, tailored beard. My fingers twitched with the desperate urge to reach out and run my hands through it.

My heart hammered against my ribs. Looking at him in the quiet dawn, he looked like beautiful trouble. I knew with terrifying clarity that I could fall in love with this dominant man. He was everything I craved, but my survival instinct kicked in. I had to protect my fragile heart. I wasn't ready to be emotionally shattered again. Trent, my manipulative previous boyfriend, had cured me of trusting easily. He used me, pretending to care simply to get close to my father's immense wealth. I could not risk a repeat of that nightmare, especially with a man who could command my submission so effortlessly.

Before Cassio could wake up and start asking piercing questions about my real life—my name, my job, my family—I slipped out of the warm bed. The cold air hit my bare skin, sending a shiver down my spine and reminding me of the tender soreness across my back and thighs. I found my clothes folded on the couch and dressed in a rush.

I paused by the nightstand. The burner phone he had forced on me sat right there, mocking my hesitation. I left it untouched. Taking it meant a tether.

I tiptoed out of the room, ordered an Uber, and stepped into the rising Las Vegas dawn. I climbed into the backseat of the sedan and gave the driver my address. Staring out the window at the neon lights fading in the daylight, I executed a clean break before my feelings could get any deeper.

POV Cassio

I woke to a quiet room. The cold sensation of the sheets hit my bare skin first. The bed was empty.

I sat up abruptly, the sharp realization hitting me like a physical blow. She was gone. My eyes scanned the room and locked onto the abandoned burner phone sitting on the bedside table. I picked it up, feeling the cold, useless plastic in my palm. That sight pissed me off even more. Finding one specific girl in the sprawling metropolis of Las Vegas would be like hunting for a needle in a massive haystack.

I dragged a hand roughly down my face. I was so furious I considered buying the entire Sinner Asylum club outright. As the owner, I could force the management to hand over her private information. I needed to see her again. I wanted to sit down with her this morning, pour her a drink, and ask her to be my submissive for a trial month. Ever since my bitter divorce from my controlling wife, I craved order. My ex-wife managed to take half my legal assets during the split, but she remained oblivious to the vast illicit operations that truly funded my lifestyle. Now I was back in Vegas, and I was ready for a regular, structured BDSM arrangement to balance the chaos of my life.

Throwing on my clothes with sharp, jerky movements, I pulled out my phone and called my driver, Dane, for a ride home.

Walking through the empty corridors of the club, the heavy silence did nothing to soothe my irritation. I headed straight for the exit and bumped into the club owner.

"Morning Cassio, you had a good night I take it?" Kael asked politely, glancing up from a tablet.

"Yes, thank you Kael. You can't perhaps give me Tessa's real name and cellphone number?" I demanded, skipping the pleasantries.

"No, sorry Cassio." Kael replied, sticking to the club's strict privacy rules.

"I had to take a chance Kael. Nothing ventured, nothing gained." I muttered, walking away in frustration before I lost my temper.

I stepped out into the daylight and climbed into the back of my armor-plated Mercedes G-Wagon.

"Where to, boss?" Dane asked.

"Home." I ordered, staring out the tinted window.

Riding home, my mind spun with dark plans. She did not know who she was running from. I am Cassio Visconti, a man of immense, terrifying means. I own casinos, properties, exclusive clubs, and I am entrenched in the Italian Mafia. After wasting years in Los Angeles trying to save a doomed marriage, I am back to my dark roots in money laundering, drugs, and loan sharking. Vegas is my city.

She might have run away like a frightened rabbit, but I will not let this go. Whether I have to stake out the BDSM club every Friday night or unleash my men to tear the city apart to search for her. I have eyes on every street corner, every hotel lobby, and every underground venue in this town. I swear I will find her, and I will have her.

POV Valerie

It was late Saturday night. I spent the majority of the day sleeping, tossing and turning in my bed, trying to erase the haunting memory of him from my mind. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the phantom sting of the leather and the demanding heat of his mouth. The way he commanded my body, the way he tasted my skin—it was all etched into my brain.

My friend Bree called earlier, her voice loud and energetic, trying to drag me out clubbing. I just wasn't in the mood to party. Last night was too good. The painful realization that I would probably never see my perfect Dom again—by my own cowardly doing—left me feeling hollow inside. The contrast between the intense connection I felt in that dungeon and the quiet emptiness of my apartment was suffocating. I declined her invitation, making up an excuse about needing a quiet night in.

But I knew my relentless friends too well.

At ten o'clock, the apartment was silent. I was dressed in my comfortable pajamas, shuffling toward my bedroom to finally get some real rest. I just wanted to sleep until Monday morning and pretend Friday night had been nothing but a wild dream.

A loud, obnoxious knock echoed at my front door, rattling the hinges.

I froze in my tracks. I stood in the hallway, debating ignoring it. My hand hovered over the light switch. If I kept the apartment dark and stayed quiet, maybe they would give up and head to the strip without me. But I knew exactly who was standing on the other side of that wood, and I knew they wouldn't stop knocking until I opened it.

"Come on Val, we know you are in there!" Bree's muffled voice rang through the door.