Tribal (5 page)

Chapter
7

Ash

I
heard the tinkling of the bells at the front door and when I looked back, I had
to bite off a groan.  Cyn sauntered in as if she owned the place.  I
knew Devi put up with her because they were cousins, and everyone else did
because of Eli, but it didn’t change the fact she was an uppity bitch most of
the time.  She walked up glaring daggers at me and I couldn’t figure out
why, then I remembered X had his arm around my shoulder.  For some reason
X kept Cyn around.  He said it was because she was always willing to help
scratch his itch.  Though when she looked at women like she was looking at
me when he flirted with them—and X flirted with every woman—I don’t think she
got the memo of his intentions.

I
ducked out from under his arm and headed towards Sam; I didn’t want to be in
the line of fire of her and X.

She
walked up and ran her hand from his chest to his groin.  “Hi X,” she
simpered and I rolled my eyes.

“Hey
Cyn,” he said then went back to talking to Sam and Seth, ignoring her.
 She ducked under his arm so it was around her shoulders then snuggled up
to him.

“So
Ash,” Cyn said glaring at me, “isn’t it weird dating a guy that at one time was
engaged to your boss?”

I
sucked in a breath.  “What are you talking about?”

“Oh
you didn’t know?  I’m sorry.  I just thought that he would have told
you, I’m sorry.”  Her tone sounded contrite but I could see it in her
eyes, she’d meant to hurt me. 

I
looked around the group and all of them were staring at Cyn then at me, “Devi?”
I asked quietly.

“We
were never engaged,” she said between gritted teeth.  “Before Seth came
home, Cris did ask me to marry him; he wanted to help me take care of
Jaks.  I told him no and nothing was ever said about it again.  Which
Cyn fucking knows.”

I
was pulled into a hug by X who was glaring at Cyn.  “It was nothing,” he
whispered in my ear.  “It meant nothing.  She’s just a backstabbing
jealous bitch who’s trying to hurt you.”

I
nodded my head slowly, but if that was the case, if it meant nothing, why
didn’t he tell me?  Why would he tell me he cared about me, then keep
something that everyone else knew, and someone would have eventually told
me?  I would have made sure I told him something like this first so he
wouldn’t be sucker punched later.

Cris
walked up and I glared at him, I knew then after lying to me now this that he
never looked at me as anything more than a plaything.  I turned and smiled
tightly at everyone. “I’m going to head out, night ya’ll.” Then I spun on my
heel and marched out of his shop.  I refused to let him know how badly he
hurt me, humiliated me.

Cris

I
walked up as Ash was slamming out the front door.  I wanted to chase after
her and find out what the hell was wrong but first I needed to know why she was
so pissed off.

“You’re
a fucking idiot, Crispin,” Devi said between gritted teeth then she spun
looking at Cyn.  “And that was a bitch move.  I’m done; I don’t need
this stress right now.” I watched as she pushed through everyone while carrying
Cait and bulldozed out the front door with Seth and Jaks chasing her.

“Uhm…someone
want to clue me in?”

X
glared at me then turned and glared at Cyn before he shook his head at her in
disbelief.  Then he took off in the direction of Max’s station I was even
more confused.

“Jules?”

“Prick,”
she muttered then spun around and flounced off.

“Sam?”

“Well,
you screwed up.”

“I
got that, but how?”

“It
might have been helpful if you’d told the girl you’re dating that at one point
and time you’d asked her boss to marry you.”

I
closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.  “How?”

“Cyn
told her, in a not so nice way.”

My
eyes snapped open just in time to see a pissed off Cyn walk out the door.
 I looked around and found X staring at Haven and sighed.  Of course
she wouldn’t be pissed or upset that she’d just fucked me up the ass sideways,
no it’d be because X.

“I
was going to tell her.”

“Shoulda,
woulda, coulda, it’s all a little too late now,” Sam said.

I
nodded knowing he was right.  “How do I fix it?”

He
snorted.  “I have no fucking clue.  I’ve got my own problems I can’t
work out.”

I
turned and nearly ran into Haven.  “Uhm, sorry,” I mumbled then headed to
my office quickly.

I
grabbed my cell that was sitting on my desk and dialed Ash’s number, it went
straight to voicemail.  So I decided to text her instead.

CRIS:
I’M SORRY YOU FOUND OUT THAT WAY I WAS GOING TO TELL YOU.

I
waited for half an hour with no response.  I let my head drop to my desk;
I had really fucked this up.

Chapter 8

Ash

I
stormed into the house slamming doors behind me.  I wasn’t sure who I was
more pissed at—Devi for not telling me or for Cris for the same reason; you'd
think that someone would have told me.  Then again, it wasn’t exactly
Devi's place to tell me that my boyfriend had once fucking asked her to marry
him.  No, that was all Cris.  He should have told me, a long time
ago.

I
marched into the kitchen and started grabbing things; I needed to do something
before I drove back to Pin's Ink and beat the crap out of Crispin.  What
was that idiot thinking keeping something like that from me?  I mean how
stupid did he think I was?  Then again, he let me look stupid in front of
everyone, especially in front of that conniving bitch, Cin.  I wanted to punch
her in the throat.  I wanted to kick Cris's ass.  I wanted to fucking
scream.  Why do men feel the need to do this to me?  Did they look at
me and think
hey, here's an easy mark, let’s just fuck her over.

I
went about banging things around the kitchen then focused on doing something, I
lost myself in baking.  I always went to baking when I was upset.  It
was safer than finding the person who pissed me off and beating the shit out of
them.  Instead, I took it out on dough, piecrust, and cookie dough. 
I don’t know how long I stayed in the kitchen baking, but soon Devi walked in
and watched me like I was a caged feral animal.

"So
you're baking," she stated.

"Yep."

She
sighed.  "He should have told you.  I didn’t realize he hadn’t
told you."

I
jerked my head up and down and continued rolling out dough for cinnamon rolls.

"I'm
sorry; I don’t know what to say."

"Not
your fault, you didn’t propose, you didn’t knowingly keep it from me. 
I've had a lot of time to think, and it’s all on Cris."

She
let out a breath.  "Good, I'm glad you don’t hate me.  About
Cris—"

"Don’t."

"But—"

"No,
he fucked up."

She
nodded.  "He did."

"He
could have told me anytime over the past nine months, but did he?  No
never, and it’s not the first time he’s kept shit from me.  I am done with
it, if he can’t trust me to tell me simple things about his life, how can I
trust him with larger issues?"

She
nodded again.

"How
can I trust him to tie me up and take a flogger to my skin?  How can I
trust him to fuck me without a condom?  When he can’t even look at me and
say hey so I once asked Devi to marry me.  She obviously said no, and it’s
in the past now."

"Yeah,"
she said quietly.

"But
no, I didn’t get anything; instead I was humiliated being told something I
should have known, by her no less."

"You
really don’t like Cin, do you?"

I
shook my head.  "No, but I get it, she’s your cousin."

"She
is."

"Cin's
not even the point of this, it’s Cris.  We fought earlier that day about
him lying to me, now this?  What else will I learn?  I don't want a
relationship where I learn his secrets, fears, likes, everything by other
people.

She
nodded.  "I can understand that."

"So
I'm done, finished, no more."

"Uhm,
if that’s what you want.  Just a small piece of advice?"

"Sure."

"Don’t
say never.  Something may happen to change your mind; I've learned along
the way to never say never.  Also don't close the door until you at least
hear him out, because if you do, it could be something you regret later
on."

She
stood up and swiped a Mayan Chocolate Cookie off the counter.  "Oh.
My. God, these are amazing," she groaned after taking a bite.  I
watched as she made her way around the kitchen trying out the different things
I'd made in the past few hours.

"God,
we're going to have to have people come over and help eat all this, or I am
going to become the size of a house," she said then popped a shortbread in
her mouth and moaned.

"Just
not Cris."

"Yeah
no Cris, not until you're ready to listen."

I
snorted.  "So never?"

"What'd
I say? Never say never." Then she skipped out of the room.

I
sighed, and looked around the kitchen, I had gone a bit overboard with the
baking, but it would all be eaten.

Cris

I
stormed out of the shop in search of something.  I wasn’t sure what until
I ended up at the bar.  It may not have been my most brilliant idea
ever.  After I don’t remember how many shots and beers, I was seeing
double.  So when two Xavier's showed up on the barstool beside me, I was a
bit confused.

"So
you fucked up," X said.

"That
I did."

"Why
didn’t you ever tell her?"

I
sighed.  "I don’t know if I can explain it."

"Well
try, because if you ever want to get her back you'll have to explain this shit
to her."

"Fine,"
I grumbled.  "So Ash likes to play."

"Okay,"
he said looking at me confused.

"Like
my kind of play."

"Oh,
okay got it."

I
nodded a little too vigorously nearly knocking myself off the barstool.

"So?"
he asked making a continue sign with his hand.

"Oh
right, so I've never been in an actual relationship with one of my subs."

"And?"

"I
don’t know how to be a boyfriend and a Dom."

"It's
different how?"

"Uhm,
I can’t show weakness."

He
laughed.  "Yeah, let that go immediately."

"I
can’t, a Dom can’t show weakness to their sub.  It…it demeans our ability
to take care of the sub."

"Uh
huh, if you say so."

"So
I tell her, hey I suck because I can’t keep my business afloat so the girl who
once upon a time turned down my marriage proposal is digging my ass out of the
hole.  Yeah, that invokes strength.

"Or
maybe Ash is with you for more than your Dom abilities, and you confessing
that, though not that way, would bring you closer together in both parts of
your relationship?"

"When
the fuck did you become Dr. Phil?"

"Eh,
there isn’t much to do on a tour bus."

I
snickered.  "I can see that, you guys sitting around drinking beer
and watching Dr. Phil."

"Nah,
more Sex with Dr. Drew."

"That
makes sense."

"Let's
get you home, lush boy," he said clapping me on the shoulder and my head
slammed down into the bar.  He chuckled, "You're going to hate yourself
in the morning.”

“I
already hurt,” I slurred, “Ash left me.”

Chapter
9

Ash

“So
Devi, why are you hanging out with us?  I thought Seth leaves tomorrow for
his tour,” Jules asked.

“He
was supposed to, but they rescheduled shit.”

“They
rescheduled the tour?” I asked gaping.

She
giggled.  “No, they rescheduled the meetings he had.  They’re going
to L.A. to meet up with their old label before going on tour, only the meeting
was rescheduled.  So now he’s here until Monday.”

I
looked around the room at the amazing women that were hanging out with me on a
Friday night eating baked goods and watching Pitch Perfect all for me.

“So
Mags, how’s married life?” Jules asked.

She
groaned.  “It’d probably be better if he wasn’t injured, but Drake’s been
a whiny bitch lately and to top it off, he’s bored, so all he wants to do is
have sex.”

“Hey,
no sex and Drake in the same sentence!” Devi yelled throwing a pillow at
Mags.  She looked over at me.  “So what now?”

“Hmm?”

“So
what now?  Are you going to just sit around watch movies, eat cookies
until you’re ass expands?  Or are you going to for lack of a better term
get back on the horse?”

“I
haven’t really thought about it.”

“Well
tomorrow is Saturday.”

“Uh
huh.”

“So
you and Jules need to go out, go to a club, get drunk, get laid and have some
fun.”

“Hey
why am I being volunteered?” Jules yelled.

I
looked over and pouted at Jules.  Over the past year and a half, Jules and
I had become close.  I knew she had some stuff going on with her ex, but
she just wasn’t willing to share what that was yet.

“Sorry
Ash, that’s not what I meant.”

“Well
Devi and I can’t go,” grumbled Mags. “Devi’s stuck at home all weekend with
Seth.  Drake needs me here, and someone has to watch the kids.”

I
sighed.  “I’m not really in the mood to go clubbing.”

“It’s
actually not a bad idea, Ash,” Jules said looking over at me.

I
groaned.  “Fine, which club?”

“There’s
that new one that just opened up, what’s it called?”

“The
only new club I’ve heard about is… Oh hell no, you’re not going there.”

“Why
not?” Devi fluttered her eyelashes at me.

“Because—”
I was interrupted when my cell started going off.  I looked at the screen
and quickly declined the call.

“Cris
again?” Jules asked.

“Yep.”

“You
ever going to talk to him?” asked Devi.

“Not
sure yet.”

“More
reason to go out.  Come on, I’ve always wanted to go to a BDSM club,”
Jules whined.

“Fine,
we can go,” I pointed a finger at Jules, “but you do not leave my side.
 You don’t go off with anyone at all.”

She
nodded.

“So
I’ve been wondering how’d you get involved with that stuff?” Mags asked around
a brownie.

“Don’t
know, was just interested in it so I did some research, eventually went to a
club and watched.  When I was like nineteen, I did my first scene.  I
had a good Dom; he was patient with me and helped me through it.  Never
came so hard in my life, it was amazing.  I just knew it was for me.”

“So
it’s not something Cris got you to do?” she asked.

“No,
I was into it before Cris.  We actually found out about each other at a
party.  We’d actually been dating for a while and it came as a bit of a
surprise.”

“Hold
on, you’d been dating and neither knew the other was involved in that, yet you
were at a party for that?” Mags asked her eyebrow quirked up.

“We
weren’t exclusive or anything, but you can do a scene with a Dom or sub without
sex being involved.”

“Then
what’s the point?”  Jules asked.

“The
endorphin release, it’s an amazing high.  The orgasm after all the
endorphins have flooded your system is amazing, I won’t lie, but that doesn’t
have to come from your Dom.”

“So
what does the Dom get from this, I mean is it just being able to boss people
around?”  Mags asked.

“No,
well not usually, they get their own high from it, as well as it just turns
them on.”

“Huh,”
she murmured.

“So
does Cris have a dungeon stashed someplace in his house, cause I’ve been there
and I don’t remember ever seeing anything?” Jules asked.

I
giggled.  “Not sure I should tell you about that, he’s your boss.”

“Ah
come on, that’s not fair,” she whined.  “I won’t say anything to him.”

I
stared up at the ceiling.  “His entire house is his playroom.  He has
things rigged all around the place.  You’d just never know unless you know
what you’re looking for and in some cases unless he showed you.”

“Seriously?”
she asked gaping.

I
nodded.

“Huh,”
she mumbled.

“Okay,
time for Pride and Prejudice, and not that long ass BBC version you like, Ash,”
Devi declared effectively changing the conversation, which I appreciated.

Cris

I
hung up my cell; I’d tried calling her and texting her last night and today and
still nothing.  I didn’t know how to get her to talk to me, to let me
explain.  I sighed and banged my head against my desk.  I needed to
fix this.  I missed Ash.  I missed her random texts throughout the
day, coming home on her days off to find her in shorts a tank top dancing
around my kitchen.  I just missed her.

“You’re
going to bruise your forehead doing that,” Devi said sitting in the chair
across from me.

“When
did you come in?” I mumbled against my desk.

“After
the first
thunk
.”

“Ah.”

“You
need to apologize and tell her what was going through that head of yours.”

“I
would do that, if she’d answer her phone.”

“You
can’t do that over the phone, you need to see her.”

“Yeah,
if she won’t answer the phone, how do you expect me to see her?”

I
watched as she put a card on my desk.  “She’ll be there tonight, now I am
going home.”

I
watched her walk out the door before pulling the card towards me.  My jaw
clenched when I saw where she was going.  There was no way in hell I was
going to let her do anything while there.