Dominque (Knights to Remember) (33 page)

He could see Krane felt more confident with the crop and left him holding it while he tucked the pretty flogger under his arm.

“Yeah, I imagine the ride is slightly different nowadays.”

Jacob nodded with a wave of the hand in the direction of the other end of the store. “We need to be down there. I could spend all day in here.”

“Yeah, see, another
inside
place where the sun doesn’t shine and no fresh air can get in, and you were just complaining about being stuck in the hospital.”

“Ah, but that place doesn’t house wonderful things such as these.”

“I dunno. I’ve spent enough time in there to know it can be torturous.”

Jacob sighed. “This doesn’t have to be torture.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Krane looked around them again before his eyes connected to the items Jacob were really interested in. “What the fuck are these? Now, I know you said this isn't about torture, so why does everything in this section look like it belongs in some serial killer’s basement?”

“First… serial killer?” He lifted a brow. “Secondly, these aren’t that unusual. Surely you can guess what they’re for.” Jacob walked slowly around him, again giving him time to take in the information in a more thought out way, eventually smiling when Krane turned to him.

“It’s something you sit in, a swing sort of thingy.”

“Good boy!” Jacob slapped Krane’s arse with a laugh.

“I'm seriously finding this sort of contact between us disturbing now.”

“Oh, is that your first hard limit?”

Krane ground his teeth together. “I guess so.”

“Excellent. I was wondering when you’d tell me that. So…” He turned to the intricate looking sex swing before them, which was all chrome and leather, and just itching for Jacob to convince Krane to sit in it while he unknowingly took pictures to post on Facebook. Yes, okay, so he now spent way too much time on there, but who knew it could be so much fun, and that he could find such like-minded people on there in those fantastic secret groups. “So, fancy giving it a go to test the weight?”

“I'm pretty fucking sure I weigh more than any man
you'll
get in there, dickhead. I'm not doing that! Have you lost your mind?”

“Hmm,” Jacob mused as he turned away. He would give Krane five minutes and he’d be laid in that leather harness, and he’d also be much more inclined to imagine Bailey in it the next time he saw one because of that. “You’re right, of course, though they’re designed for larger men too. Someone of let’s say… Bailey’s weight, for instance, would barely register on the frame at all.”

Krane slid his eyes to Jacob. No words were needed, he just held that unemotional deadpanned look he enjoyed using. “Had him in one, have you?”

Jacob had his back to him, one knee pressed to the ground while he read the weight limit on the base of the frame. This was the moment he knew would come. It was either him or Bailey who would have to deliver this news, and he’d requested Bailey not disclose their history just yet. He knew Krane well, and even though Krane liked to think Bailey was just some fuck he could allow to come and go as he pleased, Jacob knew it was much more.

“Jay…”

Would Jacob need to know if he was in Krane’s position? Of course. Could he live with lying to Krane for however long this relationship with Bailey went on? No. With a slow, steady movement, Jacob rose, standing to face Krane, their eyes holding the other’s gaze.

“I knew it,” Krane said softly. “I knew you’d been with him.”

“Krane, please.” Jacob took a step forward, but Krane took one backward, leaving them in the same place.

“I can't give him what you can. I can't give him this, Jay. I just can't.” With that, he stormed off, leaving Jacob tightly gripping the steel frame.

The truth had to come out, but Krane was wrong. He could give Bailey what he needed. He needed to take that first step, and hopefully, Jacob had opened his mind a little and not forced it shut. It was a gamble, but if Jacob had learned anything through the last months’ of his life, it was to take chances, and to go for what you want no matter how afraid you are of it.

Both him and Dominque had taken that leap into the unknown. It could have ended up being a huge mess. However, even if they’d failed, Jacob would have known his life was empty without someone there to come home to, and he would have continued the search for that person. All he wanted was to give Krane that chance.

D
ominque and Angie stood side by side in the now empty sitting room, casting their gaze over the space. Dominque had never seen it so void of furniture or life, and it appeared bigger.

“I can't believe how much space there is.” Angie’s voice echoed as she spoke, causing them both to look around the room again.

“Well, we’ve never seen it like this. Even when Mum redecorated, it had all the big furniture left in it, just covered up.” Most of the furniture had been too big to go with Angelique and it really was out of date, but they had found a charity which was willing to collect everything they didn’t want to take with them, and so the day before, a lot had gone. “It’s not like we’ve given everything away. You know the important things will be waiting for us when the time comes.”

They’d decided to keep the antique pieces and all of their mum’s art work, and it was now held in storage for when one of them had a place to use it. Not everything could be simply given away, it meant too much to them both and it felt good knowing they were able to use some of the most loved items from their old home later.

“So, I guess we should get going.” Angie hugged herself, trying to hide the wetness filling her eyes. She’d been brave, they both had, but now was the time. “I don’t want to go.”

Dominque took her into his arms and rocked her as she wept on his shoulder. “I know it’s hard, and I won't lie and say there’s a part of me which wants to stop this and stay, but I know that’s the fear inside me forcing me to think that. Everything important, the memories, the pictures, the furniture she loved, it’s all there in our hearts, and it will always be there for us. This is a place we came to love because all of our lives this was all we knew.”

They had spent so much energy packing and thinking of where they were going, they hadn't had time to think about this moment. It weighed heavy on Dominque, he felt his shoulders aching with the force of holding them so tightly, but he was strong, like he had always been, for Angelique. He would no doubt break down, but not now, not yet. Not in front of her.

“We should go,” he whispered into her hair. “Let’s not prolong this any more than we have to. We’ve said our goodbyes, staying here and reminiscing over what’s gone by won't change how difficult it will be to walk out through the front door.”

Angelique sniffled as she stepped back. “I know. It’s just this is the last time we’ll be in here, the last time we can call it ours.”

Dominque hadn’t thought of it as theirs since the furniture began leaving and the house was filled with boxes. It was just a shell now, everything which had made it their home was gone, they would take it with them. It eased him a lot, but he felt that line being drawn in the sand too. Before, every time they left, every time another box went out the door, they could always turn back around and be in the house. Now it was going to change. When he locked that door and handed over the keys to the estate agent, there was no coming back.

He took her hand, leading her through the empty house, their shoes clicking on the tiles in the hallway and echoing up the large staircase. He felt a pull to do one more walk around, one more check, but he knew there was nothing left here they’d missed and it was only the fear keeping him within the walls which had cocooned them since they were born.

Angelique looked around with him before tugging on his hand. “Let’s go, Domie.”

They both stood outside the front door, his sister watching as he turned the key for the last time, both letting out a deep breath and stepping back. It was done.

A wave of relief spilled over Dominque as they both looked into each other’s eyes, and he saw that same light in Angie’s eyes which he felt in his own. A good feeling, one which removed a lot of the tension from their bodies and let them smile.

“I thought that would feel worse than it did.” Dominque looked back to the front door and smiled. “You okay?”

“Yeah, ready to start living.”

“I know what you mean.” Dominque grinned at her. “A new start. One which maybe I should have done a long time ago for the both of us.”

“It wasn’t just you, it was me too. Every time you mentioned moving, I said no. I couldn’t deal with it. I never thought you would feel like you were caged in here.”

“I wasn’t caged.” Dominque walked down the front steps with a sigh. “But I won't lie to you and say it didn’t feel like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.”

“I had no idea it cost so much to run.” Angie took hold of his hand and kissed him gently. “I know I don’t show it all the time, and maybe I haven't ever said this out loud, but I always feel it. I'm proud of you, more than proud, I'm… Without you, I would have lost everything. All I wanted was to cling on to you and keep safe because you were the only thing in my life which survived. The only family, the only friend I had. I was so scared, Domie. I was selfish, but all I could think about was losing you. That this would all get too much and you'd leave me, hand me over to someone else and just fly away. You never left, no matter how much I tested you. You stayed.”

Dominque hugged her tightly. “Not wanting to be alone isn't selfish, and being scared, and being a child, I understand completely. I knew you were holding on so tightly because you thought we would get split up, but me leaving you by choice? No way would that happen.”

“And now?” She looked into his eyes, the same look she had in them when he told her they were on their own after their mum died.

“You know you're welcome at Jacob’s any time. Any time, Angie. Oxford is only about an hour away, that’s way closer than Leeds. We’ll see each other more because of it. I'm not leaving you, I'm not abandoning you for him. I'm always going to be right next to you whenever you need me no matter what.”

After a long hug and one last look at the place they’d called home forever, Dominque ushered them toward the moving vans waiting for them. There was two, one going to Jacob’s, one heading to Oxford and the apartment Dominque had heard so much about where Angie would be living. He had yet to see it, and he was travelling with her to settle her in before Jacob picked him up in the evening.

They checked over the vans one last time, Dominque making sure the right stuff was going to the right places, then they watched them start up in silence.

It was Angie this time who took his hand and tugged him. “We’ll miss our train.”

Dominque checked his watch. “We have time. Let’s get going.”

They walked to the taxi waiting for them, both sitting together in the back and holding hands as they watched intently through the windows, the house disappearing into the distance behind them. When the last inch of the roof slipped from their eyesight, they turned to look at each other and smiled sadly. All they could do now was look ahead to what was waiting for them, and Dominque felt that heat run over him, the nervousness and excitement mixing as he thought about Jacob and what awaited them in their future.

A
ngie and her friend were high pitched squealing monsters the whole time they supervised the furniture being moved into the apartment. Dominque spent the time downing headache pills and talking to Jennifer’s dad who’d also driven over to help out and make sure they were settled in. Dominque doubted all of the furniture and many suitcases of clothes would actually fit in the place, but it would be fun watching them try to do it.

It was six and Jacob would be there soon. The apartment was a mess of unpacked boxes and random pieces of furniture strewn around. It would take hours to get it looking like a home, but so far Angie and her friend were more concerned about getting the internet connection up and their clothes in the wardrobes so they wouldn’t be creased. Priorities, Dominque mused quietly with Jennifer’s dad.

Between them all, they managed to get the sitting room set up, the TV and sofa in place and food in the kitchen. It was sort of okay, but Dominque could see them living out of boxes for a couple of months before everything found a home. He slumped down, relaxing for a bit and closing his eyes while the two girls said goodbye to Jennifer’s dad.

He was about to fall asleep when he heard Jacob’s distinct voice drifting in through the hallway outside the apartment. He jumped up, walking to him, finding him chatting with the girls as they walked back in. Jacob looked into his eyes and grinned, opening his arms and allowing Dominque to run into them, holding each other tightly.

“Another two weeks without you which felt like years,” Jacob whispered against his neck.

“At least it’s the last time we’ll be separated for so long.”

“There is that.” Jacob kissed him quickly, both now conscious the two girls were staring at them, Jennifer with a huge grin on her face and Angie with that sullen scowl she seemed to always have when Jacob was around. “So, let’s see this place then, shall we? Jennifer was telling me you’ve not had time to eat, so I was about to suggest we head out for dinner together.”

Angie’s scowl lessened as she showed them inside. She was starving, he could tell, because she always got grumpier when she needed feeding. “Food sounds good and leaving all this crap for tomorrow sounds even better.”

They had a couple of weeks before the girls actually started their university courses, so Dominque hoped they would actually put some effort into the place and not spend all their time getting dolled up and heading out of the door for parties.

“Won't that mean you driving us home late?” Dominque looked to Jacob. He’d been working from the early hours of the morning so he could have the afternoon off to be home for Dominque’s belongings arriving, and so he could have the weekend off without causing too many delays to his patients. The idea of him driving while being so tired worried Dominque.

“I booked a hotel for the night. Everything at our place is fine. It needs unpacking, but I didn’t want to do that without you being there, so it will wait. Oxford’s a place I love, and I thought we could see some of the sights tomorrow. I include you girls in that too, of course, if you’d like to join us.”

Angie folded her arms across her chest, ignoring her friend who was nodding already. “I think we’ll be busy sorting this place out tomorrow.”

“That’s true, but it can wait.” Jacob held her stony look.

When she eventually broke their stalemate, she looked to Dominque. “It would be nice spending a bit more time with
you
before you left.”

“I'd like it too.” Dominque took her hand and gave her a quick kiss. “I’ve not seen much of Oxford, so it will help me while I try to imagine what you're up to and where you are if we walk around together.”

“I'm starving.” Jennifer interrupted. “Can we get going now?”

“Of course. I'm ready when you are.” Jacob looked at his watch. “Don’t take hours primping. It’s just dinner. I don’t want to be waiting too long.”

“Okay,” Jennifer breathed out, looking dreamily at Jacob for a second before rushing off.

Angie sighed. “I don’t like to be rushed.”

Jacob held his hand up, soft smirk playing on his lips. “Oh, I'm not rushing you. I was just stating I wouldn’t wait. So, if you'd like to take an hour or two messing around, then that’s up to you. We’ll be at the restaurant eating. You can join us any time.”

Dominque bit back a smile as he watched Angie’s face turn a darker shade of pink. She had a habit of taking her time and making people wait. Jacob had figured that out the first time they’d met when she deliberately made sure to take as long as possible before they went out to eat. It was her way of controlling a situation when she felt out of control, and though Dominque understood it, he’d failed to correct it. Jacob, of course, hadn't.