Cardinal's Rule (32 page)

yadda. I made an executive decision to call him.”

“True.” He finally cracked an eye open and looked at her. “I’m a lucky man to have both of you taking care of me.” He turned his head toward Cris and tugged his hand. Cris leaned in and Landry kissed him. “I’m all right, Cris. You can fly back out. I suspect I’ll be in here for a few days at least.”

Cris looked at Tilly, indecision painted on his face.

“If you want to go, it’s okay,” Tilly assured him. “I’ll bring a riding crop in to keep him in line.”

Cris laughed. “Lan, you do realize she’ll be more of a hard-ass than I am in terms of your care, right?”

Landry met her gaze. “I hope so.”

* * * *

Landry made Cris call the airlines and find out when the next flight was back to L.A. There

were seats available on a flight that night, leaving in four hours.

Enough time he could drive back to Tampa, where he’d flown in, return the rental car, and make it through security.

Landry squeezed his hand. “Go. I’m okay.”

Tilly knew Cris didn’t want to go. She couldn’t blame him, either. When Cris looked to her for her input, she couldn’t bring herself to overrule Landry. She had promised to abide by what he did, and it wasn’t worth stressing him out just to make Cris feel better.

Cris finally nodded and booked the reservation.

With a smile, Landry held up his hand to Cris and pulled him in for a kiss. “I love you, Cristo.

After all we’ve gone through, you still risk your ass being shredded to come to my side.”

“Yeah, well, what can I say.” He smiled. “You’re irresistible.”

Landry winced as he suppressed a laugh. “Go on. Don’t miss your flight.” He looked at Tilly.

“You too, love. Go home and rest. It must be close to dinner time. I’ll be all right. I’m going to sleep all night, I suspect.” He hit the button on his pain pump.

They both kissed him good night and Cris silently walked her downstairs to her car. She didn’t fight him when he pulled her in for a hug. “Thank you, Tilly,” he quietly said. “From the bottom of my heart.”

She didn’t know what to say, so she opted for, “Do you have time for a quick dinner? There’s a sub shop right around the corner.” She paused as she laughed. “You know what I mean.”

He smiled. “That sounds nice. Thank you.”

He followed in his rental car and wouldn’t let her pay as they staked out a table in the back of the small restaurant. They were the only eat-in customers, even though the take-out business appeared brisk that evening.

He kept his voice low and his eyes on his food. “Thanks again for calling me. I don’t expect you to go to bat for me with him though. I’ll take whatever he dishes out. I disobeyed him.”

She reached across the table and brushed her fingers across the back of his right hand. He wore his ring. She suspected he’d never take it off.

She didn’t begrudge it.

“I didn’t feel right keeping you in the dark. I know you love him. He’s just being stubborn.”

Cris smiled before his gaze rose to hers. “You think he’s stubborn now, wait until he’s home.”

They bid good-bye and she didn’t mind that he pulled her in for another hug. It felt comforting.

She watched him drive away before she started her car and headed for home.

She didn’t bother turning on the lights in the living room, using the glow from the light over the stove in the kitchen to guide her. The house felt more than empty.

It felt lonely.

Even Cris’ presence would have been welcomed.

She showered, changed, and made herself a cup of hot chocolate. Rather than trying to sleep in her bed alone, she settled on the couch in front of the TV and fell asleep.

Chapter Seventeen

Landry was finally discharged a day after Cris returned from California. The plan was once he healed from the surgery, his chemo would start. Tilly even volunteered to pick Cris up from the airport.

Their belongings and cars were in transit and would arrive early the next week.

After the first couple of days of taking primary charge of Landry’s care, Cris pulled back to focus more on work and let Tilly take over.

Reluctantly, but he did. Tilly recognized the signs, how he still hovered, jumped to attention every time she asked him a care-related question as if worried something was wrong with Landry. By the time the movers arrived with their things, the three of them had settled into something resembling normalcy.

Tilly was surprised to realize she liked it.

Landry was asleep when the movers arrived with the batch of boxes and furniture that wasn’t

earmarked to go into storage. Tilly helped Cris coordinate moving everything into the garage until they could sort it out later. The movers had no sooner left than the car transporter showed up. Finally, an hour later, and with an Acura sedan and a Mercedes unlike anything she’d ever seen in her life sharing her driveway, she was alone with Cris.

She walked around the car. “What the heck is this?”

He smirked. “Master’s toy. His four-wheeled toy,” he clarified. “Mercedes-Benz SLR

McLaren.”

“Expensive?” She nervously looked for any signs of birds in the trees over her drive. The

transporter had delivered the cars in an enclosed trailer, not an open truck like she’d seen dealerships use.

He smirked. “Til, let’s just say the insurance on this car for a year usually runs more than most people pay to buy an average mid-priced car.”

“I’m guessing it needs to be in the garage when we finally get the garage cleaned out again?”

“Wouldn’t be a bad idea. You look pretty nervous.” He grinned.

“Bite me.” She mentally winced as soon as she said it, but he didn’t totally rise to the bait.

“No comment,” he said with a mischievous smile.

She swatted him on the arm. “Be nice to me if you want my help.”

They sorted and unpacked boxes all afternoon. When Landry awoke, she immediately nipped in

the bud any protests to her helping Cris. “I volunteered, and I don’t mind doing it because it was either that or stare at you sleeping. I want this house put back into some semblance of order as soon as possible.”

Landry laid back against his pillow and smiled. “Yes, dear.”

Cris brayed with laughter. “I should mark this date down, the date hell officially froze over. He said ‘yes, dear.’”

They were back out in the garage when she spotted a few old boxes in the far corner, ones she remembered packing and while upset, had never had the heart to dispose of. Over the years she’d forgotten them.

She walked over to the shelving units, where they took up all the top shelves. “Hey, Cris?” she softly called.

“Yeah?”

She pointed. “You’ll want these, too.” Then she turned, hurried into the house, and locked

herself in Cris’ bathroom for a few minutes to regain her composure. She didn’t dare go to her bedroom, knowing Landry would immediately spot her tears.

When she returned to the garage, Cris had pulled all the boxes down and opened them. He sat

cross-legged on the floor, shirtless and in his collar, as he slowly sorted through them.

He didn’t look at her when he softly spoke. “I can’t believe you kept all this.” Mementoes,

family pictures, miscellaneous odds and ends. The books, CDs, and DVDs she left in the house. He finally looked at her. “Thank you.”

She nodded, struggling to keep her composure. “You’re welcome.” She cleared her throat.

“Anything else I can help you do out here?”

“Um, yeah, if you want, there’s a few boxes of his clothes over there. They’re marked. And the wardrobe box. I sent most of our winter clothes to storage until I can go through them later.”

She took over doing that, grateful to blame her red eyes on dust and heat when she carried the first box into her bedroom and started unpacking it.

Landry watched from the bed. “I’d offer to help, love, but I suspect that will earn me grief from both you and slave.”

“Got that right, buster. Just sit there and look pretty.”

He smiled. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

She stopped and looked at him. A few weeks ago, she’d been alone. And now…

She smiled. “I love you, too.”

* * * *

By the end of the next week, Landry felt a little perky and wanted to go to the club. Both Tilly and Cris tried to talk him out of it, but that only seemed to cement his determination. Rather than fighting him, they caved. On Friday night, with Cris behind the wheel and already wearing his formal collar and cuffs, they drove to the club.

Loren glared at Cris, but gave Tilly and Landry a hug. Whenever Loren stopped by the house,

Cris always disappeared into his bedroom, the only time Landry told him he was allowed to close his bedroom door without asking permission first.

“I hope you’re beating the shit out of a certain someone tonight,” Loren said to Landry.

Tilly intervened. “No, you can’t help.”

Loren pouted. “He’s right. You are a spoil sport.” She started to say something else, but Ross was ready for her and hollered at her. “Oops, gotta go.” She grinned at Landry. “I’ll catch up with you later, when Tilly is busy.” She stuck her tongue out at her friend and flounced off to join her husband.

Tilly couldn’t help but notice how Cris gave her the slightest of smiles when he caught her eye.

He couldn’t outright tell her thanks in front of Landry, but when Landry turned his back to reach into the toy bag, she did give Cris a wink.

That drew a full, albeit brief smile from him.

Other than the brief glimpse the very first night she encountered Landry at the club, she’d never watched him scene with Cris. He hadn’t felt well enough. Another friend she hadn’t seen in a while caught her attention, and when she returned a few minutes later, Landry had Cris stripped and bound to a bench with wrist and ankle cuffs.

Landry had picked a bench in the corner, and she stepped around behind them, to the wall, and 

took a seat on the floor next to their gear. She’d opted for slacks and reasonable heels with her corset instead of ridiculously high stilettos. She wasn’t Mistress Cardinal tonight, she was Tilly LaCroux, and she didn’t feel like being dressed uncomfortably.

Landry slowly stroked Cris’ back. He’d been blindfolded, instead of hooded. Tilly watched

Landry’s strong hands as they caressed the other man’s flesh and a flare of heat roiled in her belly.

She wished it was her.

Stop that. Forget it. You’ve got more than you should ask for to start with.

After a few minutes, she realized this Landry, sensually dominant, was a far different man than the vicious sadist she’d witnessed just a little of. If this was indicative of their normal relationship, it eased her mind and conscious marginally, that he could express that kind of tenderness for Cris.

It didn’t last.

Once he had Cris settled into a mindset she guessed probably wasn’t quite subspace, Landry

started spanking him with his bare hands. She watched Cris tightly grip the handholds on the bench and wiggle his ass into Landry’s swing, making him laugh.

She also noticed Landry spoke French. “My slave feels playful tonight. That pleases me.” He

switched to a riding crop, immediately raising welts on Cris’ ass and thighs. It surprised her he didn’t start with a flogger, but she wouldn’t question it. He obviously knew what he was doing.

From that point on, Landry’s sadism took over. She watched him skillfully stagger the level of play, building up and stepping down, taking the level of pain up a notch each time, until he switched to a cane, then a singletail.

Tilly smoothed her hands over her arms as she watched, fascinated and terrified at the same

time. She’d seen heavy play before, plenty of times. Been the top in countless heavy scenes. Landry’s skill took it to another level, calculated strikes that left Cris’ body red and welted.

He paused and stepped around to Cris’ head, grabbed his hair, and roughly hauled his head up so he could speak in his ear. She couldn’t hear what Landry said to Cris, or the reply, over the loud music rolling through the dungeon space.

Landry smiled and released Cris, then picked up a heavy mop flogger.

He swung it, nailing Cris squarely in the balls and making Tilly wince in sympathy.

She didn’t miss how Landry ordered him to come, in French.

Three more hard strikes and he did, his body convulsing on the bench until he collapsed, spent 

and exhausted. Landry unhooked his ankles first, rubbing his feet for him before unhooking his wrists and helping him sit up.

The feelings swirling through her as she watched them together caught her by surprise. Landry stood there, eyes closed, holding Cris. Cris, no longer blindfolded but with his eyes also closed, wrapped his arms around Landry’s waist and sat there on the bench, leaning against his Master’s body.

There was something heartbreakingly tender in the way he held Cris. The bond they had, she

knew, could never be usurped by her.

While they were distracted, she carefully slipped away to the bathroom and splashed water on her face. She’d opted for no make-up other than lip gloss, even her hair, now starting to grow out and dyed its old color, wasn’t gelled or spiked.

She loved Landry, and he loved her, without a doubt.

But where did she fit in?

* * * *

He went through his first round of chemo. Over the week before his second round started, even

though Landry still made love to Tilly, she caught him in intimate situations with Cris as well. One morning she finished her work out to find Landry sitting on Cris’ bed, with Cris on his knees in front of him, going down on him, his fingers tangled in Cris’ hair.

Another time she walked in from grocery shopping to catch Cris on the tail end of giving

Landry a blow job on the living room couch.

Cris didn’t meet her gaze when Landry sent him out to help her unload the rest of the groceries.

Another time Landry stepped into the shower with Cris, and when she listened at the bathroom door they’d left cracked open, no doubt purposefully on Landry’s part, she heard Landry letting Cris beat off and Cris’ familiar moan of pleasure as he climaxed.