Page 11 of We Own Each Other

I had only one question left, but this one would determine just how much longer I’d have to be stuck in the room with this man. Usually, it marked the end of an intake, and I could call the guard back for him to be escorted out, but every once in a while, that wouldn’t be the case, and I had an inkling that it would be the case this time. Regardless, I had to ask. So, I did.

“Is there anything you want to discuss?”

He looked up, those golden eyes stunning me into silence.

I swallowed, nervous that he could see the sweat beginning to bead up along my hairline.

“My partner, my Sub, is out there alone right now, and I don’t know if he’s okay. Can you help with that?”

I instantly deflated. All of the tension and fear that had been steadily building up in my gut dissipated, leaving me feeling a bit like melted jelly. If a Dom was willing to ask about his partner in this situation, I was pretty confident I was safe, regardless of how powerful he was.

Unfortunately, because of his charges, I was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to speak to his Sub for a long time, and I was also pretty sure the Sub in question was the victim. Still, if it could provide him some comfort, I was willing to give it a try.

“I can try and see. What is his name?”

There was a twitch in the corner of his lips and a misty look in his eyes. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking about or remembering, but it must have been something beautiful.

“Anthony Griff.”

My hand stilled. Anthony Griff? The Anthony Griff? I had been seeing some things on the news, rumors about him being shipped off in an arranged partnership to the Abbotts, but I was pretty sure that was a different Abbott than the Dom before me.

Was that the issue? Was there an affair involved with this Dom and Anthony Griff? A power struggle among heirs? My heart was pounding in my chest, sending all of the blood in my body rushing up into my ears. I was burning inside from all of the potential gossip that I could never tell anyone else outside these four walls.

All of the information and data I’d be privy to that no other person in my field could be.

Fanning my face, I flipped the questionnaire over so I could take down more detailed notes, including a reminder to reach out about his Sub.

“Why are you worried about him? Is he in imminent danger?”

His brows furrowed as he intensely stared at the floor.

“I’m not sure. But he’s my fated partner, so he needs me.” He winced, frowning down at his hands. “I need him.”

This was a rare situation. With Doms and Subs, we had ways to satiate them with dedicated play partners who provided platonic play to keep them healthy while incarcerated. But people in fated pairs couldn’t play with anyone but their partner.

Of course, it could be a lie, but we had ways to find out for sure. Still, if there was a Sub out there without his fated partner, that could be deadly. As I was writing this down, Noah’s gaze suddenly shifted upward. I stopped writing immediately. There was something so dangerous and worried in his face that it made my heart still.

“But he can’t go back to his previous Dom or his parents. No matter what.”

“And why is that?”

His eyes narrowed as he glared down at the floor.

“They’re all monsters. All of them.”

It was clear that what he and his partner had gone through was traumatizing, and in his situation, it was only going to get worse. I had heard plenty of horrific things in my time here, and though I didn’t know the specifics, I was sure that if this man spent any length of time here while he waited for his trial, I would certainly hear all about it.

But that would have to wait. Admittedly, his rage was beginning to permeate my small office, and though his glare wasn’t directed at me, it wasn’t making me any more comfortable with it directed toward the floor.

“I understand. I’ll get as much information as I can and call you back in. Do you have any further questions?”

Noah didn’t seem to believe me, as his head fell further, hiding his face from my view while he slowly shook his head. My heart lurched. Sure, he was a Dom and an inmate, but he was still a person. He had no reason to trust anyone right now, including me.

I fully intended to prove him wrong.

So I called out to the guard, who scanned his badge and, once again, let himself in with no issue. He took hold of Noah’s arm and quietly told him to stand, which he did with no complaint. But before the guard could leave with Noah in tow, I asked:

“Do we already have him recorded as having a fated partner?”