Page 183 of To Catch a Sub

Worry that how she submitted, and what she’d allow, were both irrevocably changed, bit at her, but she pushed it away for another time.

Rolf walked over, and he did look like he was ready to start whacking his head against a wall. “Mateus, this is Colette?—”

“You’re spoiling it,” she told him with a sigh.

Rolf stared at her, then shook his head. “Colette, this is Mateus.” Rolf looked at the other man. “I’d like to thank you again for taking care of the club last night while we were gone.”

“He’s one of the Doms in residence?” Colette asked.

“Prospective,” Landon said. “Though after this, you probably scared him off.”

“Not all the club subs are capable of verbally eviscerating Doms who need it,” Andrei said. “More’s the pity.”

Mateus shook his head. “I’m not scared off. She was right to point out what I was doing. I can be an asshole. That was…” Mateus looked at her appreciatively, but there was no threat in it. “Did you go to law school?”

Colette smiled and shook her head. “Far from it.”

“Ah, too bad. That sort of vicious verbal attack is hard to teach, and makes for excellent barristers.”

“Before we continue this conversation,” Landon said. “Rolf, we need to finish what we were doing.”

Colette started at the floor, dread sliding through her.

“I’ll go,” Mateus said.

“No, if you would just wait, maybe in one of the private rooms,” Rolf said. “I want to ask you what you heard about last night. And who told you.”

“Of course.” Mateus hesitated. “And if I could be of help...?”

“No,” Landon said immediately.

Mateus nodded, then headed for the door into the private hall, as Landon helped Colette back onto the stage.

Mateus stopped, turning back, his gaze on the floor. “Colette…what did you say your surname was?”

“Beaumont,” Andrei answered for her, smiling at Colette’s narrow-eyed look.

Mateus frowned, clearly lost in thought. Landon helped her drop the blanket—making sure he was blocking Mateus’s view—without it catching, then lifted her onto the bondage chair as she kept an arm across her breasts.

“Colette Beaumont, the art thief?” Mateus asked slowly.

Andrei started to laugh. Rolf sighed, and Landon looked like he was trying to decide if he needed to throw Mateus through a window.

“Thief?” Colette relaxed and smiled. “What do you think I stole?”

“Stop.” Rolf’s tone whipped with command. “Mateus, turn around and face the wall, but keep talking. Your job is to distract her.”

Landon bent to Colette. “If you don’t want him here…”

“I want to know what it is he thinks I stole. Hypothetically.”

“He’s dangerous,” Landon warned her, even as he helped her sit back and lifted her legs into position. “Well, powerful.”

“Oh?”

“He’s an investigator with the International Criminal Court.”

“Oh.” She looked over at Mateus, who stood with his back to them. The International Criminal Court prosecuted genocide and war crimes. Now she felt a little bad, because he really did need both the truth and his questions answered, for him to effectively do his job. She’d be pushy about getting answers too, if getting those answers meant stopping genocides.