Broken Bonds (Club Imperial Series) (20 page)

“You’re marrying her?” Franz asked.

“Yup.” Nathaniel smiled. He looked at the two of them. “If you have something to say, say it now.”

Franz slapped him on the shoulder. “You are one lucky motherfucker.”

Nathaniel’s face burst into a grin. “That I am.” He looked between his brother and Franz. “And how long you two been hittin’ it?”

“God, you’re crude.” Victor frowned.

“Who was the one warning my fiancée’s little sister about opening random doors?”

“Fuck off,” Victor muttered, sipping a drink.

“How long?” Nathaniel repeated.

“Three weeks,” Franz answered.

“Remember to lock the door, please,” Nathaniel said.

“Yeah, Emmy reminded us about that a half hour ago.” Franz grinned.

“Good.” Nathaniel looked satisfied.

Victor started to walk away. “I’m going to get some beverages. Coming, dear?”

“Fuck you,” Franz grumbled, following after him.

Nathaniel shook his head and laughed quietly. That was going to be an interesting relationship if it worked out. Victor’s preference for robust males had caught him a genuine Dom. Those fights were going to be like matter and anti-matter colliding. He hoped the honeymoon lasted at least until they could get them back to Galloping Ridge.

Nathaniel just stood against the wall of his mansion, staring at the woman who was going to help him really make this a home. She loved it, and he was excited to see what she would do with the rooms. He paused, and let his face light with a secret smirk. There was one room he really couldn’t wait to see what she did with it. He’d found the perfect room for her...their toys.

She was chatting up a storm with her step-mother, and he saw genuine caring for the woman. Emmy had her step-mother back, gained a brother, fought back the demons her step-father had created in her, and now she was going to make him one of the happiest men on the planet.

The sound of a crying baby caught his attention and he saw Laurel walk out of the doors at the far end of the verandah. Sylvia was on her shoulder crying, and he walked over to her. “Hey, what’s up?”

“She won’t settle, Mr. Nate.” Laurel patted the baby. “She’s just fussy and unhappy and I think she wants her daddy.”

He took the baby from her and settled her on his shoulder. “Lemme try for a bit,” he offered. “Victor’s with someone.”

“Franz?” Laurel asked, a hopeful note in her voice.

Cocking his head, he stared at her. “How’d you know?”

“Those two have been staring at each other for weeks.” She laughed. “I’m glad to hear it. I’m going to go back to the nursery and straighten up. It’s gotten a little messy since she’s been so fussy lately. You don’t mind?”

“Nope.” He rocked Sylvia gently. “Go on.”

“Thanks,” Laurel said, bouncing away.

Sylvia settled pretty quickly into his shoulder, calming down and staring at all the motion and commotion around them. “Someone likes to be the center of attention, don’t they?” Nathaniel asked the little girl currently fisting his shirt collar. He continued his bounce for a bit and then started circulating around the verandah. This was a pretty good chance to chat up a few people he hadn’t seen in a while about things other than lumber, steel and seed potatoes.

He walked slowly, letting the little girl he hoped would soon be his niece check out the surroundings. She sighed contentedly, and he had the feeling she was going to be sound asleep in a few minutes. He paid a visit to some of the guys from high school, the ones who’d stuck with him through all the crap. Winding up near the barbeque pit, he watched the crowd around him. He spotted Victor with a beer, chatting up one of his business peers and introducing Franz. Nathaniel wondered how he handled that kind of intro, considering who Franz was now and what he did for a living. He almost wished he was close enough to hear that.

“Hello, Natey,” came a voice from the left. He had to turn to see who it was since Sylvia was on that shoulder.

“Jillian?” he asked.
I don’t remember inviting her.

“Where’s your little girlfriend?”

“Uh…talking to her step-mother,” Nathaniel answered. His brain stopped feeling like Wile E. Coyote trying to get back on the cliff, and managed to get purchase. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s a party, isn’t it?”

“I don’t remember you being on the list,” he said flatly.

“She’s my guest,” came a new voice, walking up.

Nathaniel shook his head. “Lance Dayton, how did you get on my guest list?”

“Polite society and all that,” he drawled. “I see you know my girlfriend.”

“Your girlfriend,” Nathaniel repeated. “Well, you certainly did take me literally, didn’t you Jillian?”

“Say the word, Natey, and I’m yours again.”

Nathaniel’s eyebrow shot up. “You talk like that in front of your boyfriend?”

“We have an arrangement.” She smiled. “I’m gone if you come back to me, and he’s gone if he gets Tessa. Oops. I mean Emmy.” Her contrite look was in total opposition to the sarcasm dripping off her words.

Nathaniel’s stomached plummeted. He looked around quickly and spotted Albright standing near the doors, and caught his eyes.
Oh, God, please get Emmy out of here,
he begged silently. Albright casually stood from his lean and walked toward him. Nathaniel looked back at the two of them standing in front of him. They had smiles that made his skin crawl.

“Looks like he knows all about her extra-curriculars,” Jillian said.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Nathaniel seethed, and started to raise his hand to blatantly summon Albright over.

Before he got it very far, Lance stepped into him and the gun was very visible, pointed at his waist. “You don’t want to do that, Nathaniel.”

“You got balls pointing that thing at me on my own property,” Nathaniel whispered.

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” Lance bit the words out, stepping into him. “First, you’re going to hand the baby to Jillian here.” He poked Nathaniel in the ribs until he relinquished the baby into her arms. “Now, you’re going to follow us around to the front of your little house here, and you’re going call that whore around.”

“What makes you think—”

“The gun, Nathaniel. The gun makes me think you’re going to do exactly what I asked you to.” Lance motioned him to start walking.

He was grateful they had to cross a large portion of the verandah before walking out of the gate at the other end. It made it more likely someone aside from Albright would notice them going. The gate swung open and they walked around the side of the house toward the front.

“You’re going to take out your phone and hand it to me,” Lance directed. “No funny shit, Walsh.”

Nathaniel pulled the phone out. “What are you going to do?”

Lance snatched it and pulled up the texting function, sending Emmy a note. “I’m getting this whore out here. Then we’re going to barter for lives. Yours and that little dumpling on Jillian’s shoulder for hers.”

“Are you going to kill her?” Nathaniel asked, point blank.

“Eventually,” he admitted with a smirk.

Nathaniel wanted to throw up. “Eventually?”

“You don’t waste a kinky whore like her.” There was an evil gleam in his eyes.

“She’s not a whore,” Nathaniel rebuked him.

“Says you.” He laughed. “Bitch has been kinky as fuck for years. And I want her because she’ll go places others won’t. She knows how to take a whipping and keep on ticking. She knows about the nipple clamps and genital torture and the best way to get off from that. She’s mine, she’s been mine for years. I have owned her life. Pinned her in the corners she found herself.”

Christ
. This sick fuck was the one who’d spread the rumors about her. He twisted them and made it seem like Emmy was a cheap whore who would do anything for a buck. That was why she had never been offered the chair. That’s why Erlich had refused her. Rumors about her were thick and God knew the upper crust didn’t want to think about their baser needs.

Lance had put a wall around her to keep her unemployed in the world of classical music. He was using Jillian to get to Emmy in a very roundabout way. He was using Nathaniel to get to Emmy. He was using Sylvia.

“You are one sick fuck,” Nathaniel snarled. “You know that?”

“I revel in it, bro.” Lance punched the gun into his side. “I live my dream. I’ll take her, and bed her and fuck her five ways to Sunday. I’ll torture her, I’ll destroy her. Then I’ll kill her and take her one more time while the body is still warm.”

Nathaniel slammed his fist into Lance’s temple. Lance was caught off guard, and stumbled. It would have been the perfect opportunity to run if Jillian didn’t have Sylvia on her shoulder and a gun of her own in her hand.

“I don’t want you dead, Nathaniel,” she said. Sylvia began to wail. “Don’t make me pull the trigger.”

“You are both batshit crazy.” He weighed his options, quickly.

Lance turned around and kicked Nathaniel between the legs, hard. He grunted, his vision blacking out as he fell to the ground with his hands covering himself from another blow. Lance walked over and grabbed his hair. “Don’t you try that shit with me, Walsh. Don’t do it. I kick a lot harder than that on a good day and unless you want to taste your own testes, you won’t do that again.” He threw Nathaniel forward on the gravel and he felt his head hit the sharp rocks.

Lance placed his boot on Nathaniel’s side and shoved him over. “I own her, Walsh. I have since the day I walked into that club and saw the whore dressed up like the freak she is. I’ve stopped her life. I’ve kept her right where I could get to her when I was ready for her. And I’m ready for her. She’s mine.”

“No!” Emmy screamed, running toward them, rounding the building. “Lance, what are you doing?”

Nathaniel finally forced air into his lungs. “Emmy, stop! Stop!”

She didn’t listen and skidded over the gravel to where he was laying, dropping down next to him. “Are you okay?”

“He’s not your concern.” Lance pointed the gun to her head.

Nathaniel had to give her credit, she had nut. She turned her head and gave him the middle finger. He kicked her in the ribs hard and knocked her sprawling to the ground. Her eyes bugged and a wave of horror washed over her face as she wrapped her arms around her sides. Rolling to her knees, she stood up against what had to be horrible pain.

“You,” she hissed. “You! It was you! You came in and beat the shit out of me! You put me in the hospital! You asshole!” She lifted her arm to swing at him.

Lance cocked the gun and aimed it at Nathaniel. “One more move and he’s dead.” She pulled herself in, glowering at him. “Good. Now. Let’s get down to business, shall we? We have a bargain to strike. But I won’t bargain with in your dress-up clothes. You’re going to show all those people exactly what kind of whore you are.”

He gestured to someone, somewhere, and out of a nearby car climbed Eric. Greg.

Where the fuck is security?
His brain snapped at him.

Eric walked over and held out a bag. Emmy looked at it suspiciously, and Nathaniel could tell a thousand things were going through her head. Lance grabbed the bag and threw it at her feet. “Pick it up and put on what’s inside. Then you’re going to find out how to save Nathaniel and the baby.”

Emmy picked up the bag, carefully pulling the strings apart. He saw her eyes fill with tears, and she looked up at Lance. “Give me at least some dignity here, Lance. Let me change in the garage.”

He glanced at the garage and looked at Eric and Jillian. They were both non-committal. “Go. Make it fast. You have five minutes before I blow his guts out his back.”

Emmy clutched the bag and ran for the door.

Where the fuck were Albright and Dunham?!

Chapter Nineteen

Emmy stared into the bag. The missing club outfit. The one that had gone missing over a year ago. The one that was stolen right out of her locker without breaking the lock. Son of a bitch had been after her for years.

Why didn’t I realize this?
It was her fault her friend in college had fallen victim to the Yellow Bastard. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes. Sheer hate and anger for this disgusting thing in front of her, holding a gun to her fiancé, threatened to choke her. “Give me at least some dignity here, Lance. Let me change in the garage.”

“Go. Make it fast. You have five minutes before I blow his guts out his back.”

Emmy clutched the bag and ran for it. The garage was usually shut; she hoped to God it was unlocked. Everything was going to be easier if it was open. The knob caught and jiggled. It was stuck.

It popped open. Thank Christ. She ducked in and closed the door, moving out of view of the mess outside. She yanked the bag open, hoping it was all still in there, including the mace. She tilted the bag over and dumped it all out.

No mace. No pocket knife. Just the clothes, the crop and the whip.

“Fuck,” she swore, slamming her hand on the concrete floor.

“If there’s one thing I remember, Mistress,” came a voice from her right, “it’s that you are delightfully talented with a whip.”

She looked up to find Albright standing just out of view of the doorway on the stairs from the cellar part of the garage. “Holy shit,” she breathed, and leapt for him, greeting him with a crushing hug. “What the hell would I do without you, Bradley?”

“I don’t know.” He laughed. “When you said run, I wasn’t about to take that lightly.”

Emmy nodded. She had known something was wrong when the phone text alert went off at the table. Nathaniel wouldn’t text her knowing where she was sitting and knowing she was talking to Sarinya. He set it up, he wouldn’t have broken it off until he was ready to make the announcement. She pulled out the phone and found the text from him as Albright walked up.

Nathaniel W:
Hey, babe. Come around the corner. I want a quick fuck.

It was like someone had turned on the lights in Times Square in her brain. He could barely still ask her for a BJ, there was no way he would text her something as out and out as that. She looked up at Albright stood there and she knew he saw the terror on her face.

“What are you going to do?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know. We can’t let them off the grounds. Sarinya, I have to go...”

Her step-mother waved her off. “Go, go.”

Albright hurried with her to the corner of the building and peered around. He looked back at her. “Lance and Jillian.”

“Can you get into the garage? There has to be something in there we can use, or a phone we can call for help from,” Emmy said. “There’s a lower floor and you can get in that way. You need to run with me so they only see me running toward them.”

“Good idea,” he agreed. “I’ll see what I can find and keep an eye on you two.” She nodded and they ran around the corner.

Now they were in the garage with five minutes...four minutes, to figure something out. Emmy quickly started pulling on the outfit Lance wanted her to wear. “What do we do?”

“I’m serious about that whip.” Albright motioned to it.

“It’s the three-footer,” she noted. “Do you know how close I’ll have to be to do anything with it?”

Albright pulled his hand out from behind his back. “A gift for you from the tack and saddle storage down there.”

“Bullwhip!” she said, excitedly. “He’ll never know the difference when it’s on my hip! You’re brilliant.”

“So my wife tells me.” He smirked. “But what are we going to do? I have Wright and Perez on the cops and the gate, and Franklin is around front ready for action. The question is what the hell are you going to do?”

Emmy looked down at the whip in her hand. “We’re going to go with the flow. Nathaniel told me Franklin is an amazing shot, and I think if push comes to shove he could and would shoot whoever tried to take his charges.”

“Don’t be afraid of Lance, Emmy,” Albright said.

“I’m not afraid him.” She held her head high. “I’m afraid of what his depravity is going to make him do.” She pulled on the skirt in the bag, then adjusted everything she’d pulled on while they were talking, making sure her boots were tight. “I’m going to kick his ass with these.”

Albright laughed. “And I thought you were merciless in the bedroom.”

Emmy looked at him and she knew she had a smirk on her face. “Fuck with what’s hers, and you’re bound to find out what a woman will do to protect what she loves.”

“Spoken like a warrior.” He laughed. “All you need to do is cut off your right breast so you can aim better.”

“Fuck off.” She laughed.

“Better go,” he advised. “Sir Psycho is waiting.”

“He’s going to pay for Natalie as well,” Emmy promised.

“Good. Go.” Albright urged her on, stepping back into the stairwell.

Emmy shoved her clothes back in the bag and reset her emotions. She was worried about Nathaniel and it wasn’t hard to find the fear and fright he might be hurt. It rose up almost too much for her to handle and she choked on the emotion. Her eyes welled, and she knew those tears were not a show for anyone. They were very, very real.

She turned the knob and stepped out.

There were a dozen or more people peering around the corner of the building from a safe distance, just out of the line of fire.

The whole of Pittsburgh society found out then and there that she was a Domme.

Oh, God
. She set her feet. Save Nathaniel. Worry later.

Emmy walked toward Lance, as steadily as she could on the heels in the gravel. “This what you wanted?” she asked angrily. She was wearing the leather bustier, and a skin tight leather ultra mini with garter clasps. She had on fine mesh fishnets and the battalion boots with the gold buttons and the whip and crop at her hip, most of which she had counted lost.

“Oh, yes, baby, yes,” he purred.

Emmy held out her hand. “What’s the deal here, Lance? What’s going on? How do I make sure you don’t hurt him?”

“Easy.” He gestured with his gun-free hand. “You come with me. I own you body and soul from now until you take your last breath. You never see them again. You’re mine. Completely.” She knew his phrasing about her last breath was not random. Emmy opened her mouth to say something. “There’s no negotiating, whore. None. You’re mine, or they’re dead. Him and the baby.”

“In front of half of Pittsburgh society?” Emmy asked. “You’d shoot him?”

Lance looked at the crowd he couldn’t quite see. “Oh, how perfect.” He grinned. “Come on out, everyone! Come and see the whore Nathaniel has been dating!”

“You are a psychotic asshole,” Emmy growled at him.

“Come on!” he said, motioning to the people who were hiding. “Come on. She’s always willing to take on new clients. Get a taste of the mistress’ whip. She’s very good at dealing with you if you’ve been very bad.”

Emmy tried not to let him get to her, but it was impossible.
Nathaniel
. She refocused herself. “I am not a whore, Lance. I never was and I never will be.”

“You’re deluding yourself,” he said. “But then again, I guess I don’t really care since I’m taking you with me.” He looked down at Nathaniel. “Take a good look, Natey. Your slutty little delight is mine. And for good measure the whole of your friends and family now know she is a dominatrix who likes to beat and hurt men.”

“Isn’t that why you want her?” Nathaniel asked. “Isn’t that the whole reason you’re chasing her down and taking her with you? You want her to hurt you. And you know what?” He turned his head from his position on the ground and looked right at her. “Emmy, beat the shit out of him. Whip him. Flog him. Make him feel every ounce of pain you know how to give out. Drive him to the edge of insanity and never let him come back.”

Emmy inhaled sharply as he held her eyes. Lance looked horrified, and snarled. “She’s mine! She’ll never listen to you! She’s going to do exactly what I want her to!”

“She’ll never listen to you,” Nathaniel said, not letting her eyes go. “She belongs to no one.”

The gun twitched in Lance’s hand and Emmy caught the movement out of the corner of her eye. She knew that twitch. It was the one that happened just before he couldn’t and wouldn’t stop himself from pulling the trigger. He was staring at Nathaniel on the ground, and it was her perfect opportunity.

She yanked the whip off her hip, dropped it, and with a quick flick of her wrist, she snapped it out at him. Emmy aimed for his wrist, and knew she’d hit the target when the blood welled on his forearm near the wrist.

He whipped his head around and she snapped the whip again, wrapping the tip of it around the barrel of the gun he was holding. She pulled back hard, but before she could rip it out of his control, he pulled the trigger.

Nathaniel cried out and jerked on the ground.

Emmy felt cold hate run through her veins. She pulled the whip back and the gun popped out of Lance’s hand. She snapped forward and slashed him across the chest. Taking a step forward, she snapped again, this time on his upper arm. Another step, another snap across his thigh. She stepped closer and closer and flicked the whip around like it was an extension of her. The world closed in around, a great black tunnel, and the only thing there was Lance—and the cold hate he infused through her whole body.

“You fucking asshole,” she screamed.

“What are you doing?!” he yelled.

“You shot my fiancé! You beat me unconscious! You killed my best friend! You tried to kidnap my boss’ daughter! You have humiliated me! You are nothing but a fucking sick bastard whose depravity knows no bounds!” With every sentence she snapped the whip across him, driving him backward. “Your daddy has gotten you out of everything! How many women have you killed?! How many have you raped and killed and fucked after you murdered them? You’re accusing me of being a pervert. Fine! I like the lifestyle! But at least I don’t kill people or fuck dead bodies!” She snapped the whip up over her head, then down and wrapped it around his ankle. She pulled and he fell backward onto the gravel of the driveway.

Emmy felt a hand on her arm, gently pulling her back away from him. “Enough, Emmy!” She wanted to turn around and hit this person, but she found Franz standing there. “Enough. You’ve won.”

The black tunnel of hate disappeared. She gasped and stepped back, looking around. Lance was terrified of her, the white of his eyes showing like a spooked horse, and his lips drawn down in a terrified grimace. There were welts and open cuts all over him; there was blood all over his clothes and he was bright red because her foot was cutting off his air. Victor had Sylvia in his arms, Perez had Jillian down, Wright was waiting for Lance and Franklin was taking care of Eric. She looked over to Nathaniel, and he wasn’t moving.

“Oh, God.” She gasped, falling down next to him. “Nathaniel!?” There was no answer.

Someone shoved their way out of the crowd and tore up the gravel drive, diving for the unmoving Nathaniel. Victor was also trying to get over to him but Albright had appeared and was holding him back. The new arrival shoved Emmy out of the way, screaming, “Call an ambulance now!”

Emmy fell over to the side as a young woman leapt out of the crowd as well, and pulled out her phone, dialing the emergency number. The other man ripped Nathaniel’s pants wide open and there was actually pulsing blood from his leg.

“Mother
fucker
, it’s the femoral,” the man growled. “He’s bleeding out!”