Read Online Flashback by Ella Ardent - Free Book Online

gaze, apparently overwhelmed.
    Athena caught her chin in her hand, and
forced the maid to look at her. “What is it?”
    “Don’t you know, my lady?”
    “Know what?”
    Anna swallowed. “The Plume is gone, my lady.
It burned to the ground last night.”
    Athena stepped back, her desire killed.
“What?”
    “It’s true. There was a fire, and it burned
to ashes.”
    “No!”
    Anna nodded.

    Athena spun away, sickened and shocked by
this news. “It can’t be true!” she said, but Anna’s expression told
her that it was. She paced the room, incredulous that she’d been
here, enjoying herself, when her life’s work was destroyed.
    “But how? But why?”
    “Rex did it,” the Count said. He’d appeared
in the doorway and was carrying a cup. Its contents steamed and
Athena smelled hot chocolate. He dismissed the maid with a gesture.
Anna curtseyed quickly and scurried down the hall, glancing back
once before she disappeared.
    “Rex?” Athena was incredulous. “Rex would
never destroy the Plume. He had as much invested in it as I did.
More, maybe.”
    The Count pulled his other hand from behind
his back, revealing the newspaper he carried. “I wasn’t certain
you’d want this reality to intrude, but maybe you need to see
it.”
    He placed the cup of chocolate on the
nightstand, the newspaper beside it, his posture protective. Athena
crossed the room immediately, needing to know. She picked up the
newspaper and stared at the lead story, shaking her head of the
picture of the Plume.
    In flames.
    The bottom dropped out of her stomach and she
sat down hard on the bed. The police had staged a raid on the
Plume, based on a tip from someone named Rex. Before they could
enter the building, it erupted in flames, and members had streamed
into the streets. There were some additional images of members
rounded up into paddy wagons, some of them in fetish gear, and
others fleeing into the night.
    Athena placed her finger over Rex’s name. “He
wouldn’t,” she whispered, no longer as certain of that as she
wanted to be. It was too reminiscent of their argument, when she
had accused him of putting his own needs ahead of his
responsibilities.
    And what exactly had she been doing here with
the Count?
    “He did,” the Count said with a confidence
Athena didn’t share. “Maybe it’s publicity for his gallery
show.”
    “No!” Athena protested, though she had to
admit it was possible.
    The Count sat down beside her, offering her
the chocolate as he lifted the newspaper out of her limp hands. “He
took care of himself, though, which shouldn’t surprise anyone.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Apparently his deal with the police included
a warning call to him, so he could get out before the raid. They’re
still looking for him. He wasn’t arrested. It was on the television
news.” The Count shrugged. “They don’t have a photograph of him,
but everyone from the Plume is too loyal to share one.”
    Athena could believe that. No matter what the
members feared Rex had done, they wouldn’t betray him. Athena could
believe that most, like her, couldn’t accept the official story.
“But what about the others? What about Rafe and Leya and Tony and
Amanda and...”
    The Count placed a fingertip over her lips,
even as her voice rose in consternation. “It’s not up to you
anymore,” he said gently. “They have made their choices. You made
your choice and so you’re safe.”
    “No!” Athena said, getting to her feet. “I
can’t just pretend this isn’t happening. I know these people.
They’re my partners, my customers, my friends. I have to find out
what happened to them. I have to help them.” She began to walk
across the room, but the Count grabbed her elbow and pulled her to
halt.
    “You can’t go!”
    “I have no choice!”
    “Which is why I’m making the choice for you.”
He spoke with force and she wondered whether he was even aware that
he was acting the way he did when he dominated. He