Saving Micah (Sequel to Conquering Jude) (22 page)

“Good. I expect you to use it if this is too much. Now count off.” He hissed as the first smack landed square on the padded part of his ass.

“One, Mistress.” Tears of relief streamed down his face as his Mistress continued to spank. By the time the tenth stroke landed, he was a sobbing mess. He was vaguely aware of Jude helping him up on the bed or the blanket being pulled up around them. All he knew was he was finally home as his Mistress cuddled him and whispered soothing words in his ear.

“Shh, it’s over now, love. You’re safe with me.” She pressed kisses against the crown of his head as she rocked him.

Chapter Nineteen

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Jude watched as their Mistress comforted Micah. He’d come back from the perimeter check to find Micah nailing Olivia to the bed. He hadn’t been able to make himself turn away. It was erotic as hell and it had taken everything he had to not yank his dick out and jerk off to the sight.

Then Olivia had climaxed - dragging Micah over the edge. He’d clenched his fists as she ordered the other man to cover her with his cum. His only thought was how beautiful Micah looked. He’d been lost to his own pleasure and the cry which had escaped him was one of homecoming. Jude knew without a doubt his friend had come back to them – especially Micah’s reaction when Olivia took him to task about coming without permission.

Micah had dropped over Olivia’s legs without a single protest and took the revised punishment like the sub Jude remembered him being. When it was over and Micah had collapsed onto the floor at their Mistress’s feet, Jude reacted without thought, helping the man up onto the bed with her, covering them both before heading to the kitchen for bottled water.

When he returned, he’d crawled onto the bed with them, offering Olivia the water. He’d helped her hold Micah as they managed to coax a few sips of water into the man. Now, he was dozing against Olivia’s breast, looking worn out but content.

“Thank you, pet.”

He smiled. “My pleasure. He’s ours and he’d do the same if the positions were reversed. I haven’t forgotten how he was there during my first scene.”

She ran a hand over Micah’s sleeping form. “He has a huge heart. One which has been a bit bruised and battered but still is beating strong. Never again will this happen – if I have to tie him to our bed, I will.”

Jude agreed. He never wanted to see Micah in the shape they found him in again. He was a strong man but he belonged with them – not going home with strange Dommes and their truly deranged subs. “And I’ll hold him down.”

“Like hell…” the drowsy protest drew Jude’s attention down to Micah. His eyes were open but slumberous.

“Who’s gonna stop me? Superman?”

Micah yawned. “Me. I’ll kick your white ass all over the place…after a nap.” Micah lifted his gaze to Olivia’s. “Can I take a nap right here, Mistress?”

She arched a brow at him. “On the bed or me?”

“Both?” he asked hopefully.

She sighed. “Let me use the bathroom first.” Micah grumbled but rolled away. As Olivia disappeared into the hall, Jude turned back to Micah.

“After your nap, do you feel up to going on a walk with me?”

“Why?” Micah asked around a yawn.

Jude shrugged. “I just thought you might enjoy getting out of the house and Lake Pontchartrain is less than a quarter mile walk from the house.”

“Thank you,
mal-chick.
” She wrapped an arm around Micah, before glancing over at him. “Is it safe for him?”

Jude nodded. “Yeah – since the lake is on the backside of the house, they will have to go past the front to get to the lake. I’ll have my cell with me, so if you see anything you can call me.”

Olivia gave a relieved look. “Good. It’ll do for him to get some fresh air.” She stifled a yawn with her hand. “You know there is enough room here for you too.” She patted the bed.

He shook his head. “I’m not tired at the moment, and I have to call White Hawk. He mentioned he was coming back out tonight with more supplies. Anything you want him to pick up?”

Olivia giggled. “I could say tampons just to embarrass the fool, but I have a feeling he’d buy every brand and size in the store just to make a point.”

Jude chuckled. “Yeah, he probably would.”

She glanced down at the softly snoring Micah. Her poor worn-out sub. “How about some strawberry ice cream. It’s his favorite.”

“Got it.” He moved to leave, when he felt her hand on his arm. Stopping he gave her quizzical glance. “Also have him pick up some Rocky Road for you. I know this has been trying on you.”

“You got it.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss on her surprised lips. “And it’s worth every minute of it if he ends up back where he belongs, Mistress.” Lingering for another moment, he finally pulled away. “Get some sleep. I won’t let you sleep too long. I’m going to get some work done before Micah and I go on our walk.”

* * * *

Rena cursed under her breath as she snuck into the backside of the
Lacroix residence. She was truly getting sick of running her fool head off. After talking with the guy Svoboda had given them, she’d found out Leland Lacroix was more than likely the culprit who had hurt Micah. Raymond was an old college mate of Leland’s and told a very familiar story of a sadistic son of a bitch who loved to knock around smaller guys while his bitch off girl-friend watched. He’d only given the guy an entrance into the Mistress of Sin’s playground, hoping the idiot would find someone who enjoyed that treatment instead of preying on innocents. Thankfully when she’d asked for his address, it hadn’t taken any Ike’s underhanded tactics. Ray had simply jotted down the address of one Leland Lacroix, resident of New Orleans, Louisiana before wishing them luck.

Too bad our luck ran out the moment we left the idiot’s house.
She still could see the horrified look on the assassin’s face when a dark spot soaked through the capris when her water broke. Unfortunately for Rena though, after calling Thomas, she’d had to wait for him to show up to take Ike to the hospital. The woman had flat out refused to go without her man. It had taken all of Rena’s patience to get through to the laboring woman that meeting Thomas at the hospital was best. As she’d driven to the nearest hospital, she’d gotten to listen to the curses the assassin flung at his head each time a contraction hit. Rena had wondered if the only reason Ike had wanted him was for support, or rather to get him with touching range so she could maim or torture the fool who’d gotten her pregnant.

Her bad day had gone from bad to worse when, as they’d pulled into the emergency room parking lot, the first person she’d met was Hannah. The girl had taken one look at Ike before accusing Rena of over-taxing Ike by dragging her all over Birmingham. Of course, that was after the little girl had made some comment about Ike pissing her pants. Rena had never been so relieved as she’d been when she turned the cursing Ike over to Thomas, and finally had been able to make her escape.

After texting Jackson about the situation, she’d checked out of her hotel and headed for the airport.
Thankfully the fool reserved me a direct flight instead of a connecting one. Otherwise, I’d have been in the air for five hours instead of three. .

Approaching the wrought iron fence, Rena cursed the bitch of a mother who’d refused to even entertain that her son could have possibly done what he had.
I can’t believe I’m doing this, but what else was I supposed to do when she threw me off the property?
Using a gap in the design as a toe hold, Rena nimbly climbed the fence. While she might be bigger than what society considered healthy, she was much more nimble than most thought. Throwing a leg up and over the curved top, she was so glad she’d continued her yoga. It allowed her to twist her body into positions that most wouldn’t think possible. Once on the other side she pushed away from it.

RIPPPP!

“Son of a bitch!” Twisting she saw a long ragged tear on the inseam of her jeans, running from the inside of her knee all the way up to her crotch. Face heating, she wanted to choke the suspect’s mother. These were her favorite pair of K-mart Blue Light special jeans. Stalking to the carriage house, she was so pissed she didn’t care if the woman happened to glance out her back window and spotted her. Rena MacCallister was done fucking around. All she wanted was to kick some ass and go home to her own bed for twelve hours of solid sleep before turning in her resignation to her boss. She was getting way too old for this shit.

“Hey you!”

Ignoring the woman standing on her patio with her hands on her hips, Rena gave her the bird before walking straight up to the carriage house.

“I’m gonna call the cops!” The woman rushed back inside.

“Go ahead, bitch. I’ll be gone before they even get here.” Yanking a pair of latex gloves out of her back pocket, she snapped them on, before turning the knob. A sigh of relief escaped her.
Thank God it wasn’t locked.
She wasn’t the greatest with lock picks but could do it in a pinch, but it would cut into her search time before the cops showed up.

Entering the carriage house, she jogged up the steps and walked into the biggest trash heap this side of the Mississippi. “Dear Lord. What a flippin’pig. If I were that boy’s momma I’d have boxed his ears for being such a slob.” Moving quickly through the apartment, she looked for something, anything that might tell her where Leland Lacroix might have gone too. She didn’t even know where to begin, but she lucked out when the phone rang and the answering machine picked up.

“Mr. Lacroix, this Andrew Phillips at the Lake
Pontchartrain Marina. I’m calling to let you know that your father’s boat will be ready to go by six o’clock. If you have questions please feel free to call me…” As the man rattled off the number, Rena heard the wailing of sirens approaching.

“Guess that’s my cue to leave.” She fled the apartment to slip into the dense wooded area behind the house. Flipping her phone open, she tried to call Jude but his phone was off. Resigning to calling Jackson, she made her way back towards her rental.
The things I do for friends.

Jackson answered on the fourth ring. His voice sounded off, but it barely registered. “Hey baby, if you’re calling for phone sex, I’m gonna have to take a rain check. I’ve got a bitch of a cold…”

“White boy….” She hissed as a branch hit her in the face. “I don’t have time for this shit. You need to get ahold of Jude. The suspect has figured out where he’s stashing Micah.”

“Fuck.” Gone was the half-hearted playboy. She heard rustling as if she’d gotten him out of bed, before a series of coughs racked him. Evidently he hadn’t been lying about being sick.

“You okay?”

A sniffle came through the line. “Yeah, I’ll survive. Just get your ass to the safe house. I’ll call them and let them know that you’re coming.” Another round of hacking was the last thing she heard before he hung up and she revised her plans. She’d make him some of her nana’s chicken soup and then she’d quit. It shouldn’t be said she was totally heartless.

* * * *

Taking a deep breath, Micah stared out across the lake. In the distance he could see speedboats pulling skiers across the lake, while other smaller boats were fishing. It was a beautiful evening and everyone seemed to be out enjoying the warm weather. Standing next to him on the pier, Jude was skipping smooth stones across the rippling water. The breeze brought up a hint of the salt water spray, so everything smelled clean and fresh. Standing out in the early spring air after his punishment and subsequent nap with Olivia, Micah felt almost like a brand new man. Other than the nagging thought that something wasn’t quite right between him and Jude.

“Here.” Jude pushed a handful of stones at him.

“I…” He frowned down at them. Being an Army brat, his entire family had followed his father all over the world. As a computer geek, he’d never taken the time to learn how to skip stones. “…can’t. Never learned.”

Jude looked at him strangely before giving him a smile. “It’s never too late to learn.” He held his hand up, showing Micah how to hold the stone. “You hold it like this, cock your hand like so…” Turning his hand at an angle, before releasing it with a snap. “…and let ‘er rip.”

Micah stared as it skipped five times before sinking below the water. “You make it look so easy.” Attempting it, he scowled as it sank beneath the surface after two miserable skips. Jude motioned for him to try it again. The next did only marginally better. Three skips before it sank. “While I thank you for the rock skipping lessons, for some reason I don’t think that’s the reason you brought me out here, Jude.” He turned to face his friend. “You’re not planning on drowning my black ass because I fucked her, are you?”