Red Handed (21 page)

By tomorrow, she'd be gone.

Chapter Twenty-Two

T
ICK-TOCK
.

Tonight was the night.

He paced the length of the cabin, the sweet scent of blood making his mouth water.

He didn't want to wait any longer. He couldn't. His needs had grown bigger than him. Soon he would no longer be able to control the impulses raging through his blood. The voice in his head whispered it was time to make someone scream. And right now it took every bit of strength he had not to kill the woman asleep in the bedroom.

She'd never see it coming.

He picked up the shovel and headed toward the backyard.

The others had patience. After all, they'd waited all these years. But he was ready for it to be over. He wasn't a man who enjoyed being told what to do, and the more they denied him, the stronger the urge to show them who was really the boss.

Yeah, they had him by the balls, but he was smarter than them. He had stayed one step ahead of them the whole time. Soon he'd have Danielle, and when he was done with her, he'd finally have a clean slate.

A man like him shouldn't have to bow down to anyone. He wasn't a fucking slave.

He was a god.

He decided who lived and died.

He glanced at his watch, then speared his shovel into the snow and hoisted the icy precipitation over his shoulder. It was time to clear the ground and dig another grave.

Beside all the others.

Chapter Twenty-Three

D
ANIELLE GLARED AT
herself in the mirror. On the outside, she looked fine. Her makeup was impeccable thanks to Gracie, who had helped her get ready.

But on the inside, she was a mess, knowing that sometime tonight, she'd have to drug Cole, find this mysterious account, and give the information over to the kidnappers.

Then what? Would they release Tasha? Would Danielle leave Benediction and walk out of Cole's life forever? Did she tell Cole the truth and risk retaliation from the kidnappers? And what if they didn't release Tasha? There was nothing to keep them from killing her once they had what they wanted. Or Cole. Or Danielle for that matter.

The image staring back at her from the mirror was the face of a liar. After tonight, she didn't know how she'd ever look in the mirror again and see anything else.

She opened the locket, confirming the pills were still there. Cole would forgive her. Once he realized she hadn't any other choice, he'd have to.

What she still didn't understand was why Cole would be the trustee for an account in her name or why he hadn't told her about it.

She picked up her perfume with the intention of applying it when she suddenly remembered the scent on the note from the kidnapper. Shivering, she dropped the bottle in the trash, no longer wishing to associate herself with it.

A light knock fell on her door. She opened it to a mouthwatering Cole, who was wearing his tight leather pants and a black T-shirt with the name Benediction across the chest. He eyed her hungrily.

She wasn't wearing much since she assumed he wouldn't allow her to remain dressed for very long tonight. The sleeveless black cotton dress hugged her curves and left most of her back bare.

“How was your meeting with the bank?” she asked once she found her voice.

He snaked his arm around her waist and tugged her into him. “I'm not sure. I couldn't pay attention with your scent all over me.” He pulled her out of her room and shut the door, backing her up against it. “You have a good day?” He didn't let her answer, taking her mouth in a bruising kiss she felt down to her toes. She sighed into him, treasuring his rich taste.

At the sound of a few excited trainees chattering down the hall, Danielle broke away from his mouth and turned to lock the door, although God knew it was a pointless endeavor.

Wondering what Cole had in store for her as he brought her to the dungeon, she nervously toyed with her locket. He brought her to the dungeon stage, where Adrian and Logan were laying out rope onto a small round table.

“Danielle, you know Adrian and Logan.” Cole grasped her hands, rubbing them between hers. “Logan's going to introduce you to
Shibari
and at the same time instruct Adrian on it. While Adrian is my slave, he's also a switch, meaning he's willing and able to take the Dominant role sometimes. One of those times is now. You are to submit to both of them Danielle. As always, you have your safe word. Do you understand?”

She opened her mouth, and nothing came out. Adrian winked at her, probably remembering how she'd done the same upon her arrival a few days ago. She glanced around the room, catching the crowd's interest in what was going on upon the stage, and realized Cole was fulfilling several of her fantasies at once. “Yes. I think I do.”

She panicked as Cole removed his arm and stepped back. “Master Cole? I'd feel more comfortable if you stayed . . . and watched.”

“I'm not going anywhere,” Cole promised, kissing her cheek. “I want this for you, and it will please me at the same time. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

Cole was her mirror.

The voyeur in him would enjoy watching her receive pleasure, and she'd enjoy herself knowing he was watching. He wouldn't get jealous. He wanted this for her as much as he wanted it for himself.

He brought her to Logan before taking a seat in the chair at the back of the stage.

“What is your safe word, Danielle?” asked Sir Logan, using the same voice he'd used when doing the verbal exercise to identify her fantasies. She suspected Logan and Cole must have discussed it and come up with this scene together.

“Red, Sir.”

Adrian inched closer. “Are you familiar with rope bondage, Danielle?”

“Very little, Sir.”

“Adrian, take off Danielle's dress and her wristband,” Logan said. “You can keep her locket on since it won't interfere with the ropes.”

She peered over her shoulder at Cole, who sat as still as a statue, his spine rigid and his hands resting on his thighs. Adrian removed her wristband and her dress, leaving her completely naked on the stage.

What were the members thinking? Were they disgusted by her body? Several club members and a few trainees gathered in front of the stage, ready for the demonstration to begin. Tonight, she was the headliner.

Whispered words of the crowd reached her ears.
Brave. Exquisite. Submissive.

Logan spun her around so her back was to the audience, then circled behind her. “I'm going to place a blindfold over your eyes.” She sucked in a breath as he tied a satin sash around her head, submerging her in total darkness. “I want you to relax and breathe slowly. Like this. In and out. In and out.”

She focused on following his command, rhythmically inhaling and exhaling until all her muscles loosened and the sounds of the room melted away.

Her body betrayed her arousal. Exposed to the air, her nipples puckered, the tightness of them almost causing pain, and she grew slick between her thighs at the notion that everyone, including Cole, was watching.

Did it turn him on to see her helpless? To see other men touch her?

Without the use of her eyes, her other senses took control. The heat of both men seeped into her, enveloping her in a safe cocoon where she could surrender to their ministrations and turn herself over to a new experience.

“I'm going to start by binding your wrists together over your head and then creating a harness around your breasts. If you feel any discomfort, tingling, or numbness, I want you to let me know,” the voice she recognized as Logan's said.

“Yes, Sir.”

Logan proceeded to speak in low tones to Adrian, instructing him on proper knot technique as he pulled her arms up straight and tied her wrists together. A hand stroked her back, up and down, each time moving closer to her bottom. She squirmed, rising up on her toes, wanting those fingers to trail down her crack and cup her pussy.

The hand spanked her behind. “None of that.”

Grinning, she recognized the voice and the slap as belonging to Adrian. “Sorry, Sir.”

She wasn't.

Adrian tugged her ponytail. “You've gotten cheeky since you've gotten here.”

If he thought that would deter her, he was sadly mistaken. She'd take cheeky over wallflower any day. In the last couple of days, she'd become more confident in both her body and her sexuality. No one here would judge her for her desires. She was free to be herself.

The weight of the rope slid between her breasts, its soft texture surprising her. She'd expected it to be rough against her skin, like the rope on a sailboat.

New hands worked the rope underneath her breasts, and they inadvertently brushed her nipples. Without her having sight, they felt more sensitive than normal.

Logan continued to speak to Adrian in a hushed voice, but Danielle zoned out, their words not making much sense to her and becoming simply background noise.

She swore she could feel Cole's gaze on her. That invisible tether bound her to him stronger than any rope. Her entire body buzzed, and her limbs felt sluggish.

Hands caressed her flesh. Her shoulders. Her ribcage. Her thighs. Two, four, a dozen. She didn't know. In her mind, they all belonged to Cole.

Rope pressed between her legs, spreading her open wide. Logan whispered something in her ear, and suddenly she was airborne, floating on her back as if lying on a cloud.

Fingers swept across her cheekbones and feathered down her neck. A warm wet tongue teased one nipple as a rougher tongue licked the other. Then two strong mouths simultaneously sucked those nipples into their heat.

Pressure built in her pussy, her clitoris throbbing. She tried to close her legs, but the rope kept them open. She couldn't move. All she could do was lie there and take it.

“Has she ever taken a plug?” one of the men whispered.

A gasp slipped from her chest. No, she'd never had anything other than Cole's finger in her backside. A frisson of fear passed through her at the thought of it, but since they'd discussed anal plugs last night, she trusted Cole would keep her safe.

She didn't hear the answer, but warm fluid dripped down her crack and a finger worked it inside. There was a burning. A stretching. But it didn't hurt.

The moan that fell from her lips sounded foreign to her ears.

Another finger rubbed circles on her clitoris, and it began to warm. To heat. Like cinnamon or mint. The more he touched, the hotter it got, until tears pricked her eyes. Not from pain, but from pleasure and from need.

Something thicker than a finger entered her behind and she knew instantly it was the plug. As he worked it in deeper, the odd sensation of being filled made her writhe and struggle against the ropes.

She knew the moment Cole moved to her. Her heart beat faster, and her hands tried unsuccessfully to reach for him. Then he was there, kissing her cheek and whispering in her ear. “You're so beautiful like this. I'm so proud of you.”

That's all it took for her to relax her muscles and surrender. The plug slid in easier, and all the discomfort disappeared, leaving behind overwhelming arousal. More fingers massaged her clitoris and slid inside her pussy, rhythmically thrusting. A tongue laved her nipple. Hands pinched and tugged.

Her body shook, and tension coiled tight in her belly, making her toes bend and her hands clench. In the darkness, she saw a brilliant white light as the tension snapped, and she splintered into a million pieces, calling Cole's name over and over.

Her muscles went lax, and hands supported her weight. She felt the cold stage under her feet, and yet at the same time, it was as if she were still floating in the air.

Cole murmured words of praise, but each one was like a knife to her heart. He'd given her so much, strengthened her confidence, and shown her a world where she didn't have to hide. For the first time in her life, she truly believed she was beautiful on the outside.

But she was rotting on the inside, her soul darkening as she realized these would likely be their final moments together. Hot tears dampened her blindfold. Soon he would hate her, and even if he didn't, what kind of life could they build on a shaky foundation of lies and deceit?

Cole was a fantasy, a naïve girl's dream of love. Even if he forgave her and she forgave him for his part in her father's imprisonment, he'd made it clear a wife and kids were not in his future.

Benediction was Cole's life. His one true love.

Not her.

“Shh, let it out. I've got you,” Cole said, holding her to his chest and rubbing her back.

The weight of the blindfold was gone, and so was the anal plug. She opened her eyes and blinked away the tears to clear her vision. Cole had her on his lap, and they were sitting on a couch at the side of the room. Someone had dressed her, and her wristband was back on her wrist.

She rested her head on his shoulder and choked back a sob. “Where did Logan and Adrian go? How did I get unbound?”

“We got you out of the ropes a few minutes ago. Logan went upstairs, and Adrian went to get us water. How do you feel?”

Remorseful and frightened.
“Good. Fine.”

“I thought you'd feel better than that.” He tipped up her chin. “Did it bother you to have other men touch you?”

She flinched, the intensity of his gaze too overwhelming, as if he could see straight to her weary soul. “Obviously not.”

“I'm not talking about your physical reaction.” He placed one hand on her head and one on her heart. “I want to know what you felt in here and here.”

She took a deep breath. “At first, I was apprehensive. I worried about how I looked. Then I got over it and enjoyed myself. But I'm confused. I didn't think you'd let anyone else touch me if you wanted me for yourself. You said we were exclusive.”

He growled and took her mouth, slamming his lips over hers and stealing the breath from her lungs. Then he pulled back, rubbing his cheek against hers. “We are. Tonight's scene didn't change that. Sexuality is a difficult concept even in the vanilla world, but it becomes more complex in alternative lifestyles. Although Logan and Adrian were the ones touching you, it was under my direction and my control, and I got to grant you one of your fantasies. The voyeur in me found it incredibly arousing.” He cupped her face in his palms. “But I'd never allow anyone to go any further with you. You take my cock and no one else's. Your mouth, that gorgeous pussy, even your ass are mine and mine alone.”