Queen (Mistress & Master of Restraint) (46 page)

Chapter F
ifteen

We ride back in silence. Sore doesn’t properly explain the toll Marcus put on me. I understand Cort better now. This violent frustration is usually taken out on him. My neck’s bloody and bruised from his teeth. My chin has fingertip marks in it. My hips, back, thighs, and buttocks are covered in fingertip bruises. I tried to put my thighs together and almost screamed in agony. I had blood on my thighs from the pounding I took.

It’s like I lost my virginity for the first time. I didn’t experience pain and bleeding with Grant. Marc’s semen was to my ankles before he gingerly cleaned me up. As soon as the release ebbed, Master fled and Marcus returned. I could tell he was grief-stricken over the condition I was in. He took his boxer-briefs and dampened them in the lake so he could dab the blood and semen from my legs. He redressed me and tucked me in the car with the heater blazing before he dressed himself.

He never apologized, though. He’s of the school of thought that actions speak louder than words and I tend to agree with him. He didn’t say it wouldn’t happen again because we both know it will. I look forward to it. It was the best sex of my existence. And by the look that’s trying to break through his shame, his too.

“May I ask you a question?” I ask in the quiet of the car.

“You just did,” he chuckl
es. “Yes, you may,” he offers.

“Is this Katya Waters the female from Ade and Ezra’s engagement agreement?”

“Yes,” he says in surprise. “I didn’t know you knew about that. I’m sorry.”

“So she’s real a
nd Ade is screwed,” I grumble.

“I’m sorry. Adelaide Whittenhower is a beautiful, intelligent female. She will be all right. I’m sure that her Master
will console her.”

“Master or girlfriend?”

“Am I your Master, lover, and equ
al?” Amusement fills his tone.

“Yes,” I say in confusion.

“There’s your answer,” he replies flatly.

“Oh,” I say still no
t understanding. “Who is she?”

“I can’t say and if you
ask her, neither will she.”

“Do you know?”

“Yes, I do. I want to tell you, but I’m trying to circumvent something she’s put into action. Please keep Adelaide safe when the fallout happens. Her Master is furious over many things. She will be more disappointed by the nullification of the engagement than Daniel Whittenhower.”

“Ade’s not
safe,” I whisper in the dark.

“What? Why?”

“Her Master can’t keep her safe.
The Bastard
has Power of Attorney over all of his children until marriage. I already thought of having Ade just marry someone for safety purposes. But that’s part of the Power of Attorney; he has to okay the marriage. If this Katya Waters comes to town and marries Ezra, Ade is finished. I won’t be able to help her and her Master won’t be able to either,” I sob. 

I start to cry out of nowhere. Great sobs echo from my chest and fill the car. All of the stress of the past few days spills from me, combined with the stress of my shit life. Ade is my best Friend. I know she’ll always be there for me. She has been beaten for me. She saved me from rape. She protected my unborn child and now keeps her identity a secret. She has taken care of my son. I can’t let her die alone in an asylum. No one deserves that, especially Ade.

Marcus veers off the road and yanks me into his lap. He holds me and rubs my back as I cry. I think I’ve scared him. I never cry in front of anyone. I went five years without shedding a single tear. The moment my mother died, I couldn’t cry. The moment Grant died, I couldn’t stop the flood. I’ve cried countless times, but always alone since Ade and
the Bastard
witnessed my breakdown.

“I wasn’t aware that it was so important that my son marry your friend. I didn’t know you were playing for the other team,” he says lightly. I can tell he’s joking.

“It’s not that. If Ezra really loves this woman then a love-marriage would be amazing. If Ade has a girlfriend then she should be with her and forget a business-merger marriage. I told her I’d take care of her. And she can take care of herself. She doesn’t need her father’s money. But I didn’t know about the POA at the time. I don’t know how much Grant told you of his father. I’m assuming everything.”

“He told me every
thing, I believe,” he murmurs.

“Daniel stealing my child was nothing compared to what he did. I don’t know if Grant put this together and told you. The night Grant died Ade brought me to the study so that Daniel could tell me what happened. He pretty much admitted that he had Gwen and then Cora murdered with poison and that Grant was an unfortunate side-effect. That it was my fault because Grant figured out some big secret and he was going to marry me the second we left Misery Castle and take Whitt and Niel with us. He went crazy with grief. He stoned me with his precious
Steuben Glass
paperweights. He was going to kill me, not knowing that I carried another Whittenhower. Ade pushed me from the house and I got in my car without anything and never went back. Fate and Kris were thrown out, too, and waiting at the apartment you commissioned for all of us. An hour later I was in the
ER
with a broken clavicle. I was so distraught that I didn’t know he broke a bone. He was aiming for my head. The second one would have hit, but Ade stepped between us and he curved it at the last second to avoid her. I know he’s capable of anything. He frightens me.”

“I knew he had murdered Gwen. Grant wouldn’t believe me and I had no proof. When Cora died the same way, it was obvious. I didn’t know he tried to kill you.” He squeezes me tighter and I feel the Whittenhower
Patriarch’s death in the air.

“I’m scared,” I whimper. 

“Don’t be. I’ll always protect you. Your son is safe, healthy, and happy. Adelaide isn’t the only one keeping track of him. Soon he will be an adult and he can find you,” he says reassuringly.

“He thinks I’m dead,” my voice breaks. “H
e thinks his mother was Cora.”

“Regina, you know better than that. Ade would follow her father’s orders, but Whitt never will. Niel knows your name and that you’re alive. He knows how much you love him. He’s biding his time, just as you are. He was four when Grant died. He still has memories of you both, I promise.”

“You’ve spoke to him about me, haven’t you?” My voice rises in curiosity and hope. Knowing that Marcus speaks of me with my son is more important than Ade doing it. I don’t know why, but I trust him in all things. I trust him to do right by me.

“Of course I do, you and Grant both. I see him a few times a week. He’s a lot like you. Once in a while, when he’s comfortable, Grant’s playfulness erupts and it’s cute. I can’t wait for you to see Whitt and him together. It’s interesting,” he laughs. “Regina, I promise it will be sooner than you expect. I promise you, you will have them both back into your life permanently.”

“I’m scared for Ade. He is going to have her committed to WinterCrest if she fails to marry Ezra. He was her only hope of escaping him. He won’t allow her to marry anyone else. She will be imprisoned,” I murmur despondently. 

“Oh, shit! I’ll do my best to circumvent that, too. You have no idea how many things I’m juggling. It’s maddening. Soon you can share my weight and help me. Not yet, though.”

He kisses me softly on the lips and I slide back to my seat. He pulls away and the look he gives me speaks volumes. More is coming.

“I’d love to take you home, crawl into bed with you, make love one more time, and go to sleep. I’ve never done that. I’ve never slept with my lover and woke up beside her. The closest I’ve come to that is holding the boys for weeks while they cried and screamed through their nightmares after their ordeal. It’s not the same. But it won’t be tonight, though. I have to check on the boys and make sure they’re both still breathing. Ezra has the propensity to choke Cort- often,” Marc snickers. 

There’s a joking lilt to his tone, but he’s being serious. I feel sad that he hasn’t experienced much intimacy. If he thinks caretaking traumatized teenagers is close to true romantic intimacy, I’m scared for him.

“Dalton Thompson isn’t Dalton Thompson.” He says loudly in t
he quiet of the dark car.

“I know,” I admit and he startles. “He’s disguised and young. He didn’t look right to me and h
e challenged me to look away.”

“Ah… You and I are perfect for one another. I should have known you’d see through it. He’s my daughter’s older brother. His mother sent him to spy on me. I know it, he knows it, and we’re both going to ignore it. His mother is a huge fucking menace. She’s the worst mistake of my life. I was intoxicated by her and she influenced me in a way that made me think it was love. She wanted a child and I provided one and then she kicked my ass back home the second she found out she was pregnant,” he seethes and has to gain his control
. He’s quiet for a few moments.

“Devlin’s a brother of sorts. We call ourselves brothers and sisters when you train under the same Master. You, Pretty Boy, Dexter, and Dalton are siblings as Devlin and I are. Or as Cort, Ezra, and Syn are under Dexter. Devlin allowed me access to Spyder a handful of times. She didn’t know I was her father, though. But Dalton knew. I could tell as he looked at Spyder
and then me- back and forth.”

“If it wasn’t for Spyder, I’d wish I never met Olivia Fontaine. She reminds me of a Black Widow Spider. She’s so gorgeous she could tempt the Pope and then she kills you after you’ve fertilized her eggs. Another reason the product of our union should be named Spyder. D
on’t trust Dalton,” he warns. 

“Do you know much about him?”
My voice rises in curiosity. 

“His name is Dalton Anthony Fontaine Marconi. He’s the head of two crime syndicates. His father was killed and he was placed into Witness Protection. His grandfather disappeared as did his associate; both were accused of his father’s murder. This just happened two months ago. Olivia sent him here to get him out of Vegas to safety. I know as much of him as I did you. I know everything before I train someone. I don’t like surprises,” he grumbles.

I laugh. What an understatement- Marcus not like surprises. 

“He’s an exquisite creature. Small and androgynous with huge green eyes, black hair, and pale skin. He will make someone a very lucky man someday. He’s more striking than his mother. I
t’s a shame he’s in disguise.”

“Why is he here?”

“He doesn’t know the part he’s playing. I will forgive his ignorance and turn him to our side. It’s the beginning of the end. Armageddon between his Master and Ade’s Master, against me and mine. Sorry, Lover, you’ve already chosen your side. No jumping ship,” he teases. 

Chapter
Sixteen

Queen erupts like a banshee the moment I walk in my front door. The rhythmic thumping and squishing noises should have clued me in. Queen’s furious with territorialism and surpri
singly not for what I’d think.

I stare in wonder at the firm, russet-skinned ass pumping into a bent over Kristal. Every hard thrust has them both moaning. Roman has a nice ass, but nowhere near the perfection of Marc’s chiseled marble.

“Don’t mind me- carry on.” I say as I sit on my couch- the couch they are fucking on. Kristal kneels on the cushion next to me with a stalled Roman standing behind her.

“Seriously, don’t stop. I figured you’d wanted me to watch since you’re in
my
living room, on
my
sofa, where I eat cereal and watch cartoons with
my
nine-year-old daughter. It’s not like I didn’t build you an entire house out back for your exploits. Fate lives here with Ella and me since she has the common decency to stay at her lover’s homes for the evening. I’ve never fucked on this sofa. Hell, I’ve never fucked on this property. But, by all means, fuck away while my daughter and Fate are sleeping down the hall,” I snidely hiss.  

Roman tries to pull out, but I stop him with a smack to the ass. He freezes. His eyes glaze over and he goes lax.

“I said, seriously. I meant it. Continue,” I command.

Roman aqua eyes look uncertain as he watches my face for an indicator. He starts to move slowly. His muscles bunch beautifully. I try not to have the sight di
stract me from what I must do.

“Now’s a great time to talk, don’t you think?” I smile sweetly and fold my hands in my lap.
“What’s wrong with you?” Kris asks me in amazement.

“Nothing.
Lately when I’m pissed, Queen comes out to play. Don’t you like her?” I taunt.

“She’s scary, like Master.” Kristal’s hazel eyes are huge and bugging out, albeit, a bit glazed looking. She may be scared of Queen, but she’s a naughty submissive. She likes a Master who can put her into her place.

“What happened to you?” Roman bashfully asks.

At first I think he means my demeanor, but then I realize I’m looking rather beat up.

“A jealous Master happened. Kristal, it seems that just this morning your boyfriend asked our Master for permission to fuck me. Did you know that?” I smirk at the lovers and I feel power course through my veins- addictive power.