Indulgence (369 page)

“What has gotten into you anyway?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I prefer the pleasure to the
pain, and—”

“And for some reason the pleasure’s the only thing on your
mind today?”

I nodded, pushing the baking sheet across the counter to the
stove. “Tomorrow is my birthday,” I whispered. “The more I hold on, the more
miserable I feel. I just want to let go and feel something else for a while.”

The oven beeped and Kirk slid the fries onto the bottom
rack. Then, he took my hand and pulled me closer. I felt the heat of the stove
against my side as he pinned me between himself and the counter. “Let’s get
through tonight, and I promise, I’ll give you a good day.”

“You sure you can promise that? What if Ross—”

He silenced me with a finger. “I’ve been dealing with Ross
and Gabe, and everything else in this building long enough to know it’ll blow
over.”

Kirk placed the pork chops in the hot oil and seared each
side, then turned down the heat, pulling me back against his chest.

A criminal with a soft side—a very thorny soft side, but it
was there.

“Even if this blows over, Alley said,” I swallowed, my mouth
felt like it was flooding from trying to hold down my emotions. “She mentioned
initiation.”

Kirk grunted and tilted his head back.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I didn’t think you were ready to know yet.”

I struggled out of his grasp, knowing that it was a mistake,
but Kirk let me go. “When would I have been ready to know?”

“When you can listen; when I tell you to calm down and come
back over here.”

My gut tightened, hands fisted at my sides. I wanted to
disobey just to show that I could. Choices. I took a deep breath and took the
two steps to close the distance between us.

Kirk wiped away the tear that escaped.

“What’s he going to do to me?”

“Hard to tell. I think he just comes up with it on the spot.
It’s not worth worrying about tonight.”

I bit my cheek, and as if he knew, Kirk lifted my chin. I
released the pinched skin and nodded. Even though I was still worrying.

“What if it is tonight?”

“He likes to do it during the weekend, when there’s a big
crowd, so you have at least a few days. Worry about it when I tell you to worry
about it.”

I scoffed. “You won’t tell me to.”

“Then, give me that.” He flipped over the meat and checked
the fries. “I just got into an elevator brawl over you. Don’t question
everything that I do or tell you to do.” He kissed my neck then patted me on
the ass, intentionally hitting the plug.

“Keep an eye on the food while I grab a shirt.”

I pulled the fries out of the oven when the timer went off
and put the sheet on top of the stove. Then I peeked through the cupboards
until I found the plates. I sat out two and divided the fries between them.

Kirk popped some pills into his mouth as he rounded the
corner and took a swig of water, leaving his glass on the corner of the
counter. “The pork chops should be done,” he said, removing the lid. He poked
one with a knife then turned off the burner, leaving me to plate them.

“They’re on their way down. Set the table and put out a beer
for Miles.” He disappeared into the living room again. Since he didn’t give me
a drink preference, I filled up his glass with water and sat out the food and
silverware, finishing just as I heard voices in the next room.

Miles stepped around the corner and smirked at the table.
“What the hell’d you do to the girl?”

Kirk rubbed the base of the plug and a breathy moaned
slipped through my throat. “Simmering misery looks good on you.”

I had to bite my lip as I knelt as his feet when we sat down
to eat. The position pulled my jeans even tighter against the butt plug. The
only comforting thing was that Miles could no longer see me from where he sat.
I leaned my forehead against Kirk’s leg. He pressed his hand against my neck
and traced my jawline with his thumb, winking when I looked up at him.

He really was enjoying every moment of my discomfort.

Who’s Your Master

After dinner, I finally got my reprieve from the butt plug.
Even though being sprawled over the kitchen table in full view of Miles and
Alley wasn’t my preferred method, at least it was done. And with little time to
spare, since he and Miles got a message from Ross to be in his office ten
minutes later.

Alley gave me a quick hug and half smile before following
Miles out of the room, so he could get her back to his apartment before the
meeting.

I wished she was going up with us. I was fairly certain I
wouldn’t have much to worry about with Kirk and Miles in the room, but around
here, being the only girl in a room of men never seemed like a good scenario.

Kirk skipped the leash, probably to show Ross that he
trusted me, although we’d been over half of the building today without it.
Before he opened the door to the apartment, he lifted my chin.

“Keep your eyes down and do exactly as you’re told. No
pauses, no second guessing. Walk behind me. In his office, stand just behind
me. Ignore Gabe.”

“Yes, Master.” I tried to lock my fear in some quiet place
in my mind, but I could feel my entire body quivering with adrenaline.

Kirk pushed me into the wall, capturing my mouth. Wrestling
to control my emotions, knowing I couldn’t, I opened my lips and his tongue
plunged inside, leaving me with the taste of him.

He led me to the elevator, not even taking my arm to keep me
behind him. It was up to me to prove my worth.

To prove that he owned me.

I wanted to grab his hand when the elevator opened on the
tenth floor.

“Breathe,” he whispered without looking back. We stood in
the hallway, and he glanced at his phone. A few seconds later, the elevator
dinged again.

Oh, god, what are we waiting on
, my brain screamed. I
imagined Gabe stepping off the elevator and beginning the entire confrontation
again, but Kirk was calm, and as the elevator doors opened, I saw Miles.

He walked past me, and he and Kirk walked side by side in
front of me until we reached Ross’ office door. They stayed close, flanking me
slightly as we joined the group already in the room—Ross, Gabe, Darian, the one
who’d aided in the elevator attack, and Alan, the blond from the security room.

Beyond accounting for the bodies in the room, I resisted
looking around, not only to stay out of trouble, but because I knew that I’d
just get flustered if I saw their faces again.

“Tell me,” Ross began, “why the hell I had to fly back here
when you are supposed to be in charge.”

“We had it under control,” Miles said.

“I can tell that from all of the bruised faces. We have a
breach, someone selling drugs, and all you can do is fight amongst yourselves.”
Ross knocked his chair backward as he stood. “You argued to keep her, Kirk. Was
it simply to piss Gabe off or put her to use, because frankly I’m tired of the
shenanigans.”

“I find her to be far more fun alive, and I didn’t feel like
having to clean up a murder, or deal with the mess they would have made even if
they left her alive.”

“And you still believe that after this morning’s
altercation?”

“Yes.”

Ross groaned. “Why is she even wandering around after she
tried to run?”

“She was punished, she learned her lesson, and she hasn’t
caused any problems since.”

“You don’t consider this morning a problem?”

“She wasn’t directly responsible.”

“I think you’re smitten. You don’t spend enough time with
the other slaves; you don’t understand the mindset or how to make them behave.”

“With all due respect,” Miles said, “I think he does. I
think he made better work than most of us would in training a strong-willed
girl.”

“And look who’s talking,” Ross waved off Miles. “I suddenly
feel like I’m surrounded by humanitarians.”

I heard Gabe snicker, and Ross’ head jerked in his
direction. “And you, fighting over a damn slave girl. You shouldn’t have
brought her here in the first place. If you want to have your fun, do it
elsewhere and make sure it doesn’t get tracked back here.”

Ross righted his chair then sat down. “Silver.”

Concentrate
. “Yes, Master.”

“Come here.”

I walked past Kirk, hoping that no one could see my body
shaking. Hell, I hoped they couldn’t feel it as I walked up to the desk.

Ross turned to the side, motioning for me to stand in front
of him. “Take off your shirt.”

No hesitating
. I pulled it over my head and held it
in my hand, unsure of what he wanted me to do with it.

“Turn around and kneel.”

As if being this close wasn’t bad enough, he had to be where
I couldn’t see him. I turned and dropped to my knees in front of him, gathering
my shirt in my lap.

He brushed my hair off my back, tucking it around my
shoulder, then he traced every single mark left from the beating he’d ordered
Kirk to give me.

I struggled to keep my breath even as he pressed the
still-sensitive skin hard enough to aggravate the deep bruises.

He was counting them, I’d realized. Making sure that Kirk
hadn’t gone easy on me. Making sure that every single one was exactly what he
expected.

“Turn around,” he ordered when he was finished.

I stayed on my knees but shuffled around to face him.

“You’ve learned your lesson?”

“Yes, Master.”

“And what is it?”

“To do as I’m told, Master.”

“And if I told you to crawl across the room and suck Gabe’s
dick?”

“Then, I would do as you ordered, Master.”
Breathe. It’s
just a test. Please let it be just a test.

Ross grabbed the shirt out of my hands. “Crawl over to Gabe
and undo his pants.”

My stomach turned into a ball of ice. I moved to hands and
knees and dragged myself across the room, keeping gaze glued to the floor. I
didn’t want to see anyone else’s face. I didn’t want to seek Kirk’s neutral
expression, or Gabe’s smirk, or Ross’ scowl.

When I reached Gabe, I sat back on my feet. His belt buckle
clanged as I released it. I popped the button free and slid the zipper down.

I already wanted a shower, a scalding shower to rinse away
the feeling of having to touch him. Even his clothes reeked of cigarettes.

A bulge grew just behind the blue fabric of his underwear.
But I dropped my hands to my lap. I’d done exactly as Ross had said.

Gabe grabbed my hair, but I wasn’t taking orders from him. I
waited for Ross’ next command. Seconds ticked by, and Gabe grew impatient as
his erection grew.

Ross chuckled. I heard his footsteps behind me.

He was going to force me to take Gabe’s cock, just like he’d
done with Kirk.

Instead, he dropped my shirt in my lap and patted the back
of my head, pushing Gabe’s hand away from me.

“You think I should reward you for everything? Kirk was
right to take her from you. To keep us all out of trouble and what could have
become news.”

Ross jerked my head back. “Put your shirt on and go back to
your master. And you,” he grabbed Gabe through his underwear, “stop thinking
with your damn cock.”

I pulled my shirt over my head and scurried over to stand
behind Kirk.

Gabe grunted loudly then stumbled backward. Served him
right, I thought, but then Ross approached Kirk.

“Now that we’ve taken care of the nonsense. Where do we
stand on the drug investigation?”

“He sold them to at least two girls. Caught him on video
passing a dime bag and we recovered the drugs.”

“How were the girls paying for it?”

“I doubt they were,” Gabe groaned. “Freebies get them hooked
then they’ll do anything for more.”

Ross nodded and sat back against his desk, I felt his gaze
on me again. “Unless the slave wants to service us all while we talk, her
presence is no longer needed. Gabe—”

My heart shot into my throat.

“—do Kirk a favor and escort her back to his apartment.”

Kirk’s back straightened, but as he’d told me before, he had
to pick his fights with Ross, and I suspected this wouldn’t be one of them. He
unhooked his key ring from his belt loop. Gabe held out his hand, but Kirk
handed them to me, holding up one in particular. “Lock the door behind you,
take a shower, and go to bed.”

“Yes, Master.”

I held onto the key he’d held up, thankful they at least
gave me something to claw Gabe’s face with if worse came to worst.

“Gabe,” Ross added, “be back here in five minutes.”

Gabe grunted and pushed open the door, he didn’t wait for me
to even catch up. There I was, sprinting after the man who’d kidnaped and
nearly raped me. The last thing I wanted to do was climb onto the elevator with
him, but there was no choice for me. I kept as much distance between us as
possible—still careful to stay close enough that he wouldn’t have an excuse to
say anything.

On the ninth floor, he led me to Kirk’s door and leaned
against the wall while I unlocked it.

“Don’t worry,” he said.

I made the mistake of looking up in confusion, and he
winked.

“I’ll have you yet, Princess.”

I jumped inside the apartment, slammed the door shut, and
locked it as fast as I could.

*****

I sat on the couch, checking the time every few minutes
while I waited for Kirk to get back. I turned on the TV trying to drown out my
own brain, but after Gabe’s threat I didn’t dare step in the shower where I
wouldn’t be able to hear if anyone came in.

Gabe was upstairs with the rest of them, so I reasoned he
wouldn’t be coming down to get me.

But, reason doesn’t always win in a completely unreasonable
situation.

Around one in the morning, I heard the deadbolt snap, and I
shot up from the couch, looking for something to grab.