Gale, Avery - Katarina's Return [The ShadowDance Club 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

KATARINA’S RETURN

The ShadowDance Club 1

AVERY GALE

Copyright © 2013

Chapter 1

Alex and Zach Lamont usually used a pickup or small ATV to check the perimeter fence, but had opted to use horses today, hoping for a bit of stealth. There had been a security breach near the small lake at the back of their property the night before, but they’d been too busy at ShadowDance to check it out. The brothers had named their BDSM club after the ranch their father had built years before. Honoring his Native American ancestry, Daniel Lamont had called his mountain retreat and hobby ranch ShadowDance. The local elders told stories of their forefathers’ love of the mountain and how the spirits had loved dancing with the shadows in the forest that blankets the entire area. And despite their years traveling the world while in the military, the ranch had always held a special place in their hearts. The small lake’s remote location made it a rendezvous hotspot for local, young romantics and while they appreciated their need for privacy, they were getting tired of repairing the damage to the fencing and cleaning up the aftermath of the lover’s liaisons. It was just after daybreak, so with a little luck they just might be early enough catch their “guests” unaware and have a chance to discourage their future visits.

Since starting The ShadowDance Club seven years ago, it had become wildly successful, and its secluded location and reputation for discretion had made it a safe haven for BDSM enthusiasts from all over the nation. Weeklong training classes catering to both beginners and those in long-term Ds relationships had long waiting lists, and since those visitors brought a lot of business to the local hotels and restaurants, The Club, as it was referred to locally, enjoyed the full support of the community, most of whom were long-time members. Climax, Colorado, was a community like no other. Its residents were holdovers from another era. Most were either flower children of the ‘70s free spirits or their children, so “live and let live” was not just a motto but a creed the townspeople all lived by.

Hoping for a chance to enjoy the view and recharge a bit, Alex and Zach rode in silence. If last night’s alarm had occurred during a Club event, it wouldn’t have mattered how inconvenient checking would be, the safety of their members was always their priority. Background checks of all members and staff that rivaled those for top government posts, a military-trained security staff, and a top-of-the-line surveillance system all worked to make The ShadowDance Club a secure place to explore a sexual lifestyle that followed the “Safe, Sane, and Consensual” model for BDSM play. Club members ran the full gambit, from weekend players to 24/7 sex slaves, and that variety ensured there was always something interesting happening at The Club.

Putting the finishing touches on an upcoming “Beach Party” was taking a toll on Alex and Zach as well as their staff. The details for this event, which would showcase their extensive remodeling and additional play areas, had been staggering. The challenges had been mind-boggling, first several truckloads of pure white sand that would be the envy of South Beach, Florida had been stuck on a mountain switchback for hours before they’d been able to get experienced drivers in place that could to move the trucks safely up and over the mountain. Then, after a night on the town, the waterfall sculptor fell off the enormous stone structure he’d been creating. His broken ankle put him out of commission, and the search for a replacement that could pass their security checks and was willing to come sooner than the usual four-to-six-month wait had been mighty expensive. Their staff was top-notch, but dealing with outsiders had left them all feeling like they’d been scrambling for months.

Things had finally started to fall into place, and it looked like it would be smooth sailing as soon as they explained to the trespassing Romeo and Juliet that the lake was off-limits. Echo Lake, as it was known because of the rock walls along the backside of the water, was easily accessible from the house and The Club, but not many people knew how to make their way through the forests that covered much of the mountain, and even fewer would know how to do so undetected. And there were probably only a dozen or so who would be able to find the small brush-covered entrance through the rock wall along the small meadow by the lake. Figuring they’d be dealing with adults or kids they knew, both Alex and Zach felt it best to handle the situation personally. Even though they shared Special Forces military backgrounds with their security staff, they’d spent the majority of their childhood in Climax and understood the importance of handling certain situations with a bit more finesse than some of their staff.

Winding their way through the short canyon and moving along the edge of the river that fed the lake, they set a steady pace but enjoyed the early-morning sounds and didn’t feel any need to fill the silence. But soon the sounds of soft cries and muffled moans filled the air. These were not the moans of a submissive’s pleasure, these were sounds of genuine pain. Both Alex and Zach were experienced Doms. They could easily recognize the difference between a woman’s sounds of pleasure driven by erotic pain and the cries of injury-induced pain. Picking up their pace, they moved quickly through the trees, trying to maintain their cover while still looking out over the lake. What they saw brought them to a dead stop.

* * * *

Katarina McKay had managed to crawl out of the frigid water but just couldn’t get her abused muscles to move any farther. Moaning, she lay at the edge of the lake’s crystal-clear water, hoping the warm first rays of midsummer sunlight would soak in and ease her pain and exhaustion. She’d driven for hours, fighting with her last remnants of strength against the pain, knowing there was only one place she would be able to feel truly safe. Now she was fighting to stay awake, knowing she needed to get back into the hiding place she’d taken shelter in late last night. Staying hidden was a priority, but after the pain had finally overwhelmed her, she had crawled to the water, letting it sooth the deep lashes on her back and legs.

Kat had always planned to return home, but this was not the way any of those fantasies had played out in her mind. She was surprised but grateful that the Lamont brothers had decided to sand the edge of the lake. All her memories of the lake included its rocky shore. The jagged black rocks were always such a sharp contrast to the pristine crystal-blue water. Lying on the soft sand in the warm sunlight, Kat promised herself she would close her eyes for just a few minutes. With a sigh of exhaustion, Katarina let her eyes drift closed and let the pain-free darkness wash over her.

* * * *

Alex and Zach only paused for a heartbeat before taking off at a dead run around the lake. “What the hell?” Zach couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Is that a woman? And Christ Almighty, are those whiplashes? Get Colt on the phone. Get help headed this way.”

Zach had already spurred his horse and was skirting the lake’s sanded edge. He could hear Alex barking commands but was ignoring them because there was something hauntingly familiar about the woman lying on her side, facing away from the water’s edge. Even though she was angled away from his approach, he knew, just knew it was her, the one woman they’d let slip through their fingers. He leapt off his horse before it had even come to a full stop and was kneeling beside the naked woman when Alex approached on the other side. “Is she alive?” Alex asked, kneeling beside her while Zach picked up her wrist, checking her pulse.

“Her pulse is awfully weak, but it’s there. You make the calls, make sure they bring my bag, and have them get the paramedics and the sheriff headed this way. We’ve got to figure out how to get her out of here without doing any further damage.” Zach had been the medic for their teams in the military. He knew he was the logical choice to provide care, and Zach also knew that the minute Alex figured out it was Kat, everything was going to change, and Alex’s rational decision-making skills were going to be for shit. Alex was known for his steely, always-in-control personality. He was widely respected as the one who could always be counted on to make decisions based on facts. He carefully weighed options and calculated probabilities in the time it took most people to blink. But Katarina McKay had always been the one weak spot in Alex’s perfectly ordered world.

Brushing her matted hair back from her face, Alex paled and froze. “Oh my God, Katarina.” There was a split second when Zach thought his brother was going to go right over the edge into insanity. Alex’s eyes widened, his breathing stopped, and he looked as if he’d seen a ghost, but then he was in full boss mode, flipping open his phone, barking orders to Colt Matthews, who’d been their chief of security since they’d opened The Club. Colt Matthews had been their team leader during each tour of duty. There simply wasn’t anyone better at his job. The man was an electronics whiz extraordinaire, a master at anticipating every possible scenario and strategizing responses, and he was the closest thing they’d ever had to a best friend. They’d entrusted their lives to Colt too many times to count and would trust him with their younger sister’s life, if the two could ever stop bickering long enough to recognize their mutual attraction.

Finishing up his call and returning to Kat’s side, Alex asked, “Who the fuck do you think did this to her? And why is she out here alone in the middle of nowhere? Why didn’t she call us? Why didn’t she come to the house? Christ, how did she even make it this far?” Kat’s soft moan brought his attention back to her and the current situation. He ran soothing touches down her soft cheeks, murmuring to her to hang in there that help was on the way while Zach tried to assess her injuries. Zach covered her with a light foil blanket from the first aid kit he always carried in his saddlebags. In just a few minutes, Zach knew, there would be people everywhere, and the fewer people who saw what was theirs the better. Knowing they didn’t really have a claim to Kat yet didn’t matter, they would soon. She wasn’t slipping through their fingers again. Suddenly, the quiet was shattered as SUVs came barreling around the lake. Colt’s custom-built ATV slid to a stop, and the paramedics had jumped out of the enclosed unit before it even stopped rolling. While they worked to stabilize Kat, a backup team immediately began securing the area. Since no one knew the circumstances of Kat’s arrival, every precaution for her safety would be taken. In twenty minutes she had been stabilized, IVs started, and was being loaded into the ATV.

* * * *

Kat felt like she was lost in a thick fog. She could hear voices, but everything felt like it was just out of her reach. The sounds began to swirl closer until she heard a voice say, “What hospital are you taking her to?” That voice…she knew it…she was sure she did. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was the cool water. Echo Lake. She was by Alex and Zach’s family’s mountain lake. That was Alex’s voice.
Hospital? Oh God! No!

Kat came up fighting, struggling to sit up, she managed to scramble off the gurney while the paramedics were too startled by her sudden movements to stop her. Spinning around to see what the commotion was, Alex’s sharp voice sounded above all the others. “Katarina! Stop! Now!” In the deepest part of her mind, she recognized and responded to the authority of a Dom and froze. Even after all she’d been through at the hands of a ruthless sadist, her soul recognized the unyielding command. Kat froze, clutching the blanket around her. She swayed once then, and her knees gave out, and she collapsed just as Zach wrapped his arms around her battered body.

Scooping her up, Zach held her against his chest as she cried softly, pleading. “Please, please, please…”

“Please what, kitten? Tell me what you need.” Zach’s soft words whispered against her hair. He couldn’t know the calm his embrace brought to her. “Tell me who hurt you, baby. Let us fix this for you. Let us take care of you.”

Looking up into his face, she spoke in a broken sob. “Please, Zach, don’t let them take me. No hospitals, no doctors. He’ll know, he’ll find me. If my name appears anywhere, he’ll know, and he’ll come and finish what he started.” Kat knew her fear was reflected in her voice, but there wasn’t any way to avoid it. Her trembling started at her core and spread outward until Zach had to tighten his hold to keep her from shaking right out of his arms. Her eyes closed slowly as she let herself relax into the safety that had always been Zachary Lamont. He had always been her white knight, and she knew he would protect her with his life. With his warmth surrounding her, she let the darkness slide over her again.