Switched (Sin City Fets Book 1) Read online

  Candace,

  I’m sure you don’t remember much from the previous night, don’t be alarmed. I made sure that you got home safely. I hope you enjoy your “breakfast”. Please make sure to drink plenty of fluids. Your car keys are on the counter and your car is parked in your reserved spot in the garage.

  Take the day for yourself and relax.

  I will see you tomorrow night at the Bellagio in the lobby at nine p.m. for dinner. Wear a gold dress and curl your hair.

  All my best,

  Drake

  I eat my “breakfast” as Drake so called it in his note slowly, not wanting to upset my stomach any further. I can’t believe that he demands my presence at dinner tomorrow night, but at the same time I can believe it. It’s just like him, the very essence of his nature.

  I go back into my room, somewhat ready to respond to the abundance of text messages that I know I have, but the second I go to open up my messages my phone begins to ring. Miss. Sharpe is calling, and I wonder what my Dad’s lawyer wants to talk about now.

  I’m sure it has something to do with what our next steps are to get him out of that hell hole.

  “Hello, Miss. Sharpe.” I greet her, “I know you’re probably calling to go over our new game plan, but I really think it would be best to discuss it tomorrow.”

  There’s a short pause on the other end. “Candace, that isn’t why I’m calling. The jail just notified me that your father has been shanked and is in the jail infirmary.”

  I thought this week couldn’t get any worse, turns out it can.

  Chapter 11

  Drake

  I lean against the bar in the parlor at Club Crimson containing my anticipation to meet Candace later tonight at the Bellagio as I directed in the note I left her. I know she will not disappoint me and I’m very curious to know if she’s following my instructions on drinking plenty of liquids and recuperated from her drunk blackout moment. When I got home, I had to do some maintenance on my raging desire to have Candace. I closed my eyes to bring the images back of her looking up at me that night. Her glossed over eyes showing her vulnerability, her need for me to fuck and claim her as my own.

  I puff on my cigar, feeling very relaxed as Thomas and Jackson share a drink with me. Jackson lost a good amount again earlier today, betting himself broke on Roulette at the Venetian.

  “Bring us up to date Drake. How are things with you and Candace? Is my luck going to pan out with you?” Jackson gives me a side grin.

  A slight feeling of guilt hits me in the gut. I forgot all about this bet I made with them. “It’s not about the bet anymore Jackson. It’s about Candace.” My voice is a little gruff.

  Jackson chuckles “Is that doubt I sense in you Drake? Didn’t you tell us all here, in this very same parlor, that you will switch Candace?”

  The guilt in my gut changes to anger. My pulse picks up speed, and my muscles tense as I grip my glass of bourbon. “I’ve wanted Candace way before we all made this fucking wager! I’m doing everything in my damn power to make her mine.”

  It starts to feel tense in our little circle. Thomas pats the lapel of my suit jacket. “What’s gotten into you Drake?”

  I fist his jacket, watching as his eyes go wide. “Fuck this, Thomas! All bets are off.” I let go of him and he takes a well thought out step back. “If you or anyone breathes a word of this bet, you’re all done. I have all your dirty deeds tucked away in a little flash drive and I will ruin you! Everyone within a hundred square mile radius of Vegas will know all the hidden skeletons in all of your closets. No one will ever work with you again. That I can guarantee.”

  I swallow down the last of my bourbon, slamming the glass on the bar and walk away. There’s a light sprinkle of rain, which is very rare in this sinful desert, as I step outside the back door of the club. I need to calm the anger and guilt nagging the back of my throat. I comb a hand through my hair, and puff on the cigar. Admitting the fact that I’ve always wanted Candace and speaking it out loud to Thomas and Jackson is the sobering truth.

  Memories of Monica come flooding back. I loved her. But betrayal is a hard and serrated pill to swallow. I’m going to tear down those walls around Candace, but that also means my walls, to protect my own heart will have to have to come down too. But I’m not ready for that. Maybe I never will be.

  She’s had to call the shots in all aspects of her life and she won’t give up any control until she realizes she can trust me. I need to be patient but firm with her. Then doubt rears its ugly head, which is very rare for someone like me. But what if Candace cannot give herself to me completely? Her mind, body and soul. Because yes, I want all of her.

  I toss the cigar and climb into my Porsche. I shift it in first gear, spinning tires on the slick pavement. I speed my way outside the city into the desert, to the Baptist Missionary, where my brother, Samuel lives and works at a to help and feed the poor and homeless.

  I greet Samuel as I step into the Missionary and he gives me the same guaranteed look of bewilderment. The only similarities we have is the dark hair, but other than that, we are complete opposites. Where I am tall, he is average height. I keep my emotions in check, where Samuel wears his heart on his sleeve. He is the good son in the eyes of our parents, helping the needy and outcasts of society, where I am the devil himself, with money, and sinful appetites of the flesh.

  I sit down in one of the rickety wooden chairs, feeling cramped because of my tall frame. Samuel approaches, with his kind smile and sits down beside me. “Drake, it’s good to see you. How are things in the sinful city that you dwell in?”

  I chuckle. “Oh, Sam. Do you really want to know the gory details?”

  “Well, not specifics on the gory. But I hope all is well with you. It’s strange to find you here when you like to be out at night in the city.”

  “I just needed a moment to shift gears, check on you. How are Mom and Pop? Are they well?”

  “Mother is doing well. Pops is… well… you know how he is.”

  “Yeah. If they ever need anything you let me know. They hate me so -”

  Sam cuts me off. “No, they don’t hate you Drake. They just feel they failed in raising you properly.”

  I chuckle again. “Well they got it half way right. Look at you. They couldn’t be prouder in a son. It’s okay if they hate me. I’m past that.”

  “Is that the only reason you came all the way out here brother? To talk about our parents?”

  I run a hand through my unruly hair. “Have you ever been obsessed with a woman?”

  Sam’s brows shoot up, and he chuckles so lowly that I almost don’t hear it. “This is not like you Drake. You have women bowing down to you, on their hands and knees. Literally!”

  “Well yes. It’s what I do best as a matter of fact. But this woman I know. She’s a... very... similar... to me. She’s almost exactly like me.”

  Sam leans away, “Remember Drake, I don’t understand some of what you say to describe people and relationships in the lifestyle you live.”

  “I call the shots in everything I do and with people I have relationships with. I’m a Dominant in all aspects of my life. She is the same as me. She’s a mystery and I’ve always been intrigued by her.”

  “So, you are pursuing her. But you have doubts that what grows between the two of you will not work.”

  “Yes. And I never have doubted myself before brother.”

  “Self-doubt is human nature. I think it’s more than just the pursuit of this woman. You are in love with her.”

  I groan out loud. “I don’t live and love in the vanilla world Sam. I dominate and control. I stay in control. I’m not willing to feel love.”

  “If you want something with her, then there will come a day when you both will need to bend a little at times. Compromise.”

  Even though Sam is the polar opposite of me, I’ve always felt at ease when I talk with him. I reach over and hug him “Thanks Samuel.” I pull away. “It’s good to see you.”

 
; “It’s good to see you too Drake.”

  Chapter 12

  Candace

  Here we are, with dinner approaching sooner than I expected. I stand in the lobby of the Bellagio, staring at the one person who I can never quite figure out. No matter how much I try, or all of the energy I use… he is nothing but an enigma. A puzzle that I can’t quite seem to solve.

  Shockingly enough I did exactly what he requested in his note. I laugh to myself, it wasn’t a request. It was an order – a test, one that I know I’ve very well passed, as well as failed. I’m wearing gold just as he wanted, but my hair is half up, half down. Something that he may not be too keen on, but Drake knows me. He knows what I’m like and he knows that I’ll constantly test my limits. I need control as well, and my hairstyle shows him that.

  I approach him, greeting him coolly. “Drake.” His eyes rake over my body, taking in the dress I put on. It’s simple, elegant and sinfully delicious. I chose not to wear a bra, for it would take away from the way it falls, complimenting my every curve from my breasts down to my ass.

  “Candace, you look ravishing. You little brat.” He smirks, taking my hand and kisses the top of it, much like a prince would to a princess. Before he says another word, he keeps my hand tucked into his as we walk down the corridor and into one of the many restaurants that the Bellagio has to offer.

  Drake chooses an intimate, dim lit bar and bypasses the hostess station completely. He takes me back to the corner of a restaurant where plenty of privacy awaits us, and I now realize that he planned it this way. He wanted us to both have the privacy we wanted. We’re in public, yet we’re alone. Funny how even after years of knowing him he still manages to surprise me. Drake pulls my chair out for me, “Miss.”

  “Thank you, Sir,” I reply back to him, catching the glimmer in his eye as the word sir passes through my very lips. He walks around the other end of the table and takes a long gander at me, before waving his hand up in the air, signaling the waiter to come and take our order. A young man in his early twenties approaches us, dressed clad in black. Drake rambles off an order of their best Pinot Noir and orders himself a steak and an Italian dish for me. “Before you think I’m a selfish bastard, I should inform you that I plan on eating both of these and we’re sharing tonight. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?”

  I giggle, rolling my eyes at the man who sits before me. “You of all people should know that I don’t have a problem with sharing. The more, the merrier.”

  Our waiter comes back and pours our wine, allowing Drake a moment to taste it, making sure that it’s up to his expectations. With a slight nod, the waiter continues to pour until we’re both served. He informs us that warm bread will be delivered in just a few moments and that if we need anything to please let him know before he disappears yet again.

  “I didn’t know you could find a quiet corner in here of all places.” I glance around, taking in the black and gold accents of the bar, seeing why Drake wanted me to dress as I have tonight.

  “I usually manage to find quiet when I need it.” Drake takes a sip of his wine and sets the glass before him. “How are you feeling today?”

  I wiggle my head from left to right. “I’m managing, given everything that’s happened.” Drake furrows his eyebrows and it makes me realize that I didn’t tell him about my father. “My Dad was shanked in the prison. He’s okay, in the infirmary, but it poses a problem with our legal issues.”

  “Hmm. What has Carly said to you?” There he goes, bringing up my baby sister. Carly, the real brat of the family. I haven’t seen her in almost a year and she doesn’t give a damn about what happens to our father. I’m the one who has to pick up the pieces and hold all the responsibility, so why should it matter? She was given the get out of jail free card. “She doesn’t know.” He figures it out before I manage to tell him. “You have to tell her. I know that your relationship isn’t the easiest, but it has to happen. He’s okay this time, Candace. You aren’t dumb, you’re quite the opposite and I know that you know your father well enough to know his behaviors and how something like this has an extreme possibility of happening again. In fact, you probably already know it will. I’m just wondering why you haven’t reached out to your only sister and told her.”

  Drake pauses, allowing the air to fill between us. Meanwhile, our waiter comes back up and brings over bread with butter. Both of us stay silent, simply staring at one another while our server walks out of hearing distance.

  I close my eyes, squeezing them shut as I start to feel tears welling behind my eyes. This isn’t easy, my relationship with Carly or my father. There are times where I truly believe that I was given the most complicated family on the planet. “What would you have me tell her, Drake? Should I start with the part where I’ve wasted thousands upon thousands of dollars on trying to get our untrustworthy, conman of a father out of jail? Or should I just completely avoid that part and tell her that he’s been stabbed and there’s a big chance that he’s not going to make it out of there alive, no matter what I do to try… Carly has always seen the good parts of him… you know that. She believes he’s done no wrong, and I don’t want to take that part from her. She’s innocent… a little naive, but innocent. I don’t want to rip that innocence from her and make her see the ugly truth, so fuck me for wanting to protect her.”

  Carly is ten years younger than me, her mother is one of my father’s con’s and even though her mother talks the worst shit about our Dad on the planet, she still loves him more than I can express. I wish that I could love the way that Carly does, there’s just something about her heart that refuses to give up on people. It’s a beautiful thing, but also crushes her from time to time. In the last year we’ve grown apart, but that could of course be because she’s chosen to take up some not so great habits and I’ve aired my unsupportiveness. I’m not the kind of bitch who holds back what she’s thinking.

  Drake forms his lips into a stern line. “Carly isn’t innocent anymore. She’s not a child. You know what she does for a living, fuck half of Vegas knows. She hasn’t been as innocent as you’d like her to for well over a year, but you don’t need me to remind you of that. Do you? So, let’s change the subject. We should talk about what you said to me.”

  With impeccable timing, our waiter brings out our dinner. A heavy, magnificent smelling lasagna for me and a medium-rare steak for Drake, topped with shrimp in a garlic butter and freshy baked red potatoes. Drake starts cutting the steak and potatoes, sliding the meat through his fork he offers it to me, reaching his arm across the table and placing it at my lips. I take the bite and revel in the tenderness of the meat.

  I’d been so caught up in my father and Carly that I’d completely forgotten about what I said to him. Of course, I know he wants to talk about it, if the roles were reversed and my sub had said something like that to me then I’d want to discuss it. But I’m not his submissive.

  Not yet, I think to myself.

  Shoot.

  I’m so conflicted in my feelings. I want to have the control. I need to have the control… especially when it comes to work. My job is being a dominant but is that what it is. Is it just a job? Or is it who I am? I’ve wondered this for years, eons it feels like. Deep down I know the answer, and right now is when I fully admit to not only myself, but to Drake what I need from him.

  I take the wine in front of me in my hand and have a sip, setting it back down on the table in front of me. Staring Drake in the eyes, I say what I have to before I chicken out. “I want something more than what I’ve been doing all these years. I think I’ve come to realize that I want a relationship. I crave it actually, and maybe the reason that my relationships haven’t worked out in the past is because I’ve been looking for the wrong thing. I’d always looked for a submissive, but what I need isn’t a sub. What I need is a Dom to come home to, Drake.” I take another sip of wine before I really lose my courage. “Who I need is you.”

  Chapter 13

  Drake

 
I watched Candace the moment she entered the Bellagio, like a lion stalking his prey. She obeyed my instructions on the note I left her, to wear the gold dress and she looked so delectable. But she also showed a little of her bratty side by wearing her hair half up and half down. I like how she will obey but do something a bit different in subtle ways. It’s to show me that she needs a dominant male to keep her in her place.

  Then those five words she just spoke shot through me, straight to my hardening cock underneath the table.

  I take her hand, pulling it to me and look her in the eyes. “Candace, you know deep down you can trust me. You don’t have to keep those walls around yourself and block me from what you are feeling. Let it all go. I want you to be open and honest with me and only with me.”

  I feel her pull back just a little, but I keep her hand in mine with firmness, which is what she craves. “I will be honest and open with you right here and now. I’ve always wanted you as my submissive. As for a matter of fact, I’ve wanted you for a very long time but because of my past relationship I didn’t want to admit it to myself. But now I realize I don’t want to dwell in the past anymore. I must move forward and live in the present with you by my side.”

  A fleeting moment of fear shows in her eyes. I squeeze her hand, bringing up to my lips to kiss it. “I’ll also admit that I’m afraid too, only because it didn’t work out for me in the past.”

  Her hands are soft. I reach across the table and brush my thumb across her luscious bottom lip. She closes her eyes, as I dip my thumb in between her lips. She wraps them around it and sucks. “I want you to belong to me and only me, Candace. I will protect you, and cherish you. We are the perfect match. I would be the best Dominant you could have ever hoped for. And you would be my most cherished submissive. I can offer you the type of relationship you truly want, sweet girl. One where I respect your dominance, as well as your submissive nature. Just don’t expect me to go easy on you when you’re being a brat.”