Kingston, Sara - Grace's Final Submission [Locks and Chains] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (20 page)

Taking Michael’s keys from the hook by the garage door she faltered when she felt a throbbing pain in her stomach.
God, not my endometriosis as well. I thought it had settled down a little over the past few months.
Forcing herself to keep going, she started the car and pulled out. If she didn’t get stuck in traffic, she should be able to see the doctor and get any necessary tests she needed done. And then be home in time to make dinner for the boys, and they would be none the wiser. Pushing her favorite CD into the stereo to distract herself from the pain in her stomach, she started singing along to her latest favorite song. She knew she had a voice not even a mother could love, but on her own in the car, there was no better way to pass the time than hollering, sorry singing to a great song.

Grace arrived at the doctor’s office in record time. She was most likely going to say that she needed another iron shot or maybe some vitamins. Although thinking about her diet over the past six months, she’d have to admit she’d never in her life eaten as healthily. She had even gained a little weight. Okay maybe a little more than a little, but her clothes all still fit, when she did wear clothes anyway.
Maybe it’s the healthy food making me sick. The doctor can give me a prescription to eat more junk food. “Grace, I am prescribing you to eat a chocolate bar a day…” Yeah right…I can’t even believe that fantasy.
Grace was still snickering to herself as she parked the car and entered the building.

Thankfully, Hannah, her doctor, was available, so Grace was able to go straight into her office for an exam. Hannah felt it was most likely that her endometriosis had flared up again. So she was given an ultrasound, and the nurse took some blood. By chance, a gynecologist friend of Hannah’s was visiting the practice for the day, and so Hannah asked Grace if he could take a look at her test results to give his opinions. Grace settled herself in the reception area to wait while they discussed her.

Grace looked from Hannah to the other doctor, a man she would remember for the rest of her life, although she would never remember his name. Looking at his face, she saw his mouth moving. Her ears heard the words he was saying, but her mind refused to listen. The meaning of his words was so shocking to her that her heart stopped beating and her soul was screaming for justice. She needed her men. She needed Michael and Jason. She needed their warmth and their love to hold back the tide of despair that was overtaking her. She had to go. In the back of her mind, she heard her doctor and then the receptionist calling her back, but her feet wouldn’t stop moving as they continued on a single mission to leave this place and the words that had been said here and get home to her men. She had to.

Starting the car and driving on autopilot, she headed for home. Michael and Jason would help her. They would know what to do. It started to rain, so she turned the windshield wipers on, but a sudden screeching from them moving on the dry glass brought reality crashing down on Grace. It wasn’t raining. It was tears that were clouding her vision. She pulled the car over to the shoulder of the road and turned off the engine. Her body shuddered with the heartbreaking sobs she could no longer hold in.
What on earth am I going to do? How can I possibly make a decision like this? There is no pros-and-cons list on a life, is there? I can’t do this. I can’t. What if Michael and Jason don’t love me enough to go through this with me? What if they ask me to leave? God please! Please, I need them so much right now.
All her dreams and fantasies of the future she thought she would have, had been crushed by the words of a doctor. She couldn’t remember his name. What was his name!
I can’t remember his name
…

Grace had always known there was no justice in the world, but hadn’t she suffered enough? Hadn’t she paid the piper? Obviously god, if there was one, wanted more from her. He wanted to take everything from her. She was going to be forced to make the hardest and most painful decision of her life.

Grace was startled by a rapping on the car window next to her. Turning her head, she wiped her eyes and saw Scott Kennedy standing beside the car, staring in at her. She rolled down the window so she could speak to him.

“Grace, honey, do you need help? Has the car broken down?”

“No I’m fine. I just, it was safer for me to pull over for a bit.” She felt Scott’s eyes evaluating her.

“You don’t seem fine. Do you need help?”

“No. No. Yes. Maybe, god, I don’t know.”

“How about I help you home?”

“No, I can’t go home yet. I need time. I need time to sort myself out, before I face Michael and Jason.”

“Okay, how about you come back to my place and you can tell me all about what’s troubling you. You know, it’s best to talk to someone outside the situation to give you a better perspective.”

Grace turned and looked at Scott. He was a friend of Michael and Jason, although she knew they didn’t really respect him, they felt he was immature and fickle. She also knew Craig saw him as a friend, and she respected Craig and his insights into people. Maybe it might be all right to talk to him and get his perspective. “Okay, can you help me with Michael’s car? I can’t leave it here.”

“No problem, sugar, move over and I’ll drive you to my place. We can pick up my car later.”

Grace moved into the passenger seat, feeling numb but already not so alone. She had no feelings or connection with Scott, but he would be a great sounding board. As long as he didn’t try and flirt with her. She was sure he only did that to piss Michael off. He loved watching Michael get possessive, and secretly so did she. Just the memory of her boys brought fresh tears to her eyes. Could they deal with this? Could their relationship survive? Would they still want her after they knew?

Michael couldn’t wait to get home. The day had been long and busy, but thoughts of Grace had filled every spare moment. “You ready to get out of here?”

Jason stood. “Absolutely, our slave awaits.” They both snickered. Tonight they had planned seduction. They had yet to play with food, and they wanted to use Grace as a serving dish. Jason had come up with a great idea for his favorite frozen chocolate-covered ice cream bar and Grace’s body.

They found the house empty, and Michael’s car missing, so they decided Grace must have gone to pick something up. They waited and waited and then started to worry. They tried her cell phone but after hearing it ring from her handbag upstairs, they really started to panic. Michael called the GPS service that was able to track his car and locate it. He was terrified something had happened to Grace. What if she was kidnapped or killed or had an accident? Why on earth wouldn’t she have called or left a note? His cell phone rang. It was the GPS company finally getting back to him. They had located his car and repeated the address to him which he recognized.

“Would you like us to notify the police, sir?”

“No, there has been a misunderstanding. The car is at a friend’s house. I’m sorry to have bothered you.” He snapped the phone shut. Why the hell was the car at Scott Kennedy’s house?

Michael stepped on the gas and sped to Scott’s place. He was going to find out what was going on, and now. Jason had stayed home just in case Grace called and needed help. Once he arrived at Scott’s, he saw his car in the driveway. He raced to the front door and was so impatient to find Grace that he turned the handle rather than knocking and was shocked to find the door open. It wasn’t locked. A flash of fear flooded him and he thought for a second that he should call the police, although his worry for Grace’s safety forced him on. In the living room, he found Grace’s shoes beside the couch, and a sense of dread flooded his heart. She couldn’t have done this. He rounded the hallway and opened what he remembered to be the Master bedroom door, and what he saw would be burned in his brain forever. Grace was lying on the bed with Scott, both of them fast asleep. The rage that flashed through him was so powerful he thought he might actually kill them both.

Using all the air in his lungs, he screamed, “What. The fuck. Is going on. Here!” Both Grace and Scott jumped at the sound. Grace looked at him, at Scott, to the bed, and then back at Michael.

“Michael, it’s not what you think,” she said.

“How would you know what I’m thinking right now, Grace?” Venom dripped from his words. “Get your things. You can follow me back in Jason’s car. I will drive my car, and, Scott, if you appreciate life, you will stay right there.” Michael quietly turned and left the bedroom, not looking back. He grabbed his keys that were on the front entry table and walked to his car. In the car, he started the engine and just waited. He couldn’t believe what a fool she had made of them. She was just like the rest, a money-grabbing whore. She had used them, conned them, and they fell for it. They had both fallen in love with her. He watched her leave Scott’s house and get into Jason’s car. On the way home, Michael called Jason and told him what had happened and to be prepared for their return.

Grace sat on the couch watching Michael. She could feel the anger radiating off him. She had to tell him what had happened. A part of her was angry that he hadn’t trusted her and had jumped to conclusions and the worst ones possible.
Be honest to yourself, Grace, if you found them in some woman’s bed, you would have reacted worse. You would probably be in a jail cell charged with murder right now.

“I can’t believe you did this to us!” Michael paced back and forth “Tell me, Grace, was it worth it? Was he that good of a fuck that you would throw what we had away?” He glared at her, seething in disgust.

“You don’t understand, Michael. I know what it looked like, but I didn’t betray you. You have to believe me. I didn’t have sex with him, it was nothing like that…please let me explain. Please, I need to tell you something,” Grace pleaded. She just needed to explain to them so they would understand.

“You expect me to believe you? I found you in bed with him for fuck’s sake,” Michael bellowed out at the top of his lungs. “You are nothing but a slut who opens her legs for any Dom. You are not worthy of love. Congratulations for making fools of Jason and I. Luckily for us we didn’t love the real person you are. We could never love this…what you truly are.” Grace turned away from Michael as though he had physically slapped her.

Grace was shocked. She didn’t know what to say. All the fear and emotions she had spent a lifetime trying to suppress came rushing forward. She looked toward Jason, hoping he would see reason. She wasn’t prepared for the pain and anguish on his face and the tears in his eyes.

“The contract expires tomorrow. How lucky!” he said when he saw her looking at him. He then stood and walked out of the house.

Grace felt like Jason had driven a knife in her chest as he walked out the door.
My god, he doesn’t love me enough to listen to me…To let me explain…This is really happening. This is no nightmare. This is really happening.

“Jason’s correct. The contract expires tonight at midnight. We are all required to go to the Locks and Chains club tomorrow morning. Go to the guest room now, and don’t leave the room until the morning.” Michael walked out, leaving her alone, utterly and completely alone. They had left her. She didn’t even get to tell them…She didn’t get to explain. She was still so shattered by what she had heard that her thoughts were all tumbled together. Couldn’t they see the anguish in her eyes? Couldn’t they see there was something wrong? The decision was now her own. She would have to pick up the armor of protection she had worn her whole life. The very armor she had left right outside their door when she walked through it six months ago. Steeling herself, she stood and walked to the guest room, holding her head high.
Never show weakness. Love brings nothing but pain. Dependence and need makes you weak. You need no one and nothing. You can survive anything.
Grace’s thoughts ran to the realization that again she had been stupid enough to weaken herself, to depend on someone. Hadn’t life taught her that people left? Everyone only cared about themselves? Well, some people were destined to be cared for but not her. She was not destined to be loved and cared for. She was destined to stand alone, strong, and proud.

After showering, she climbed under the covers, and nothing, she felt nothing. She lay there and would not allow her mind to focus on any one thought. She repeated over and over in her mind her mantra…
Strong and proud…Strong and proud
. She had to get through the next twenty-four hours with dignity, and then she could focus on simple survival. Finally exhaustion took her rigid body to the black void of sleep.

Chapter Eighteen

Grace slowly opened her eyes, and for a second she didn’t recognize where she was. She looked around her and then it hit her like a knife wound to her heart. The events of yesterday came crashing down on her as wave after wave of pain threatened to engulf her. She grasped her chest and felt her heart breaking.
No. No!
She had to make it through today. She just had to. She would not allow these feelings to enter her mind.
Strong and proud. Strong and proud!