by Lexi Blake
It had been surprisingly easy to slip away. Of course, it had likely been easy because the Doms thought she was smart enough not to run. She’d totally proven them wrong.
“I believe you were told not to go anywhere without an escort,” Kai said forbiddingly.
“I had Sarah.”
“Ah, yes. Big Tag told me you would likely make that argument.” The violet wand cracked and he touched it to the sole of her foot.
He wasn’t playing around. She screamed out, her body tensing as the electricity fucked with her system. Violet wands had settings. The pain could go anywhere from a pleasant whisper along her skin to the feeling of a knife cutting through her. Kai was way closer to the knife than the butterfly.
Tears pierced her eyes as Kai pulled the wand away.
“Sarah is not a proper escort unless she’s some kind of super secret spy. Is Sarah an undercover spy? Has she had years of training I don’t know about? Can she defend you from a killer?”
Sarah was hell on heels when it came to taking care of sick patients, putting arrogant docs in their places, and being super bratty to Doms. And the woman could do Disneyland in four-inch heels, a classic vintage dress, full pinup makeup, and never sweat or complain once on Dapper Days, but she wasn’t so great with killers. Still, she felt the need to defend her bestie. “Hey, she managed to not die today.”
He growled, a low sexy sound that was immediately drowned out by her howl as he tortured her other foot. He stared down at her, watching her every expression so she gave it all to him. She squirmed and pleaded and watched his dick get super hard. It was tenting the slacks he wore admirably.
He flicked the wand off and moved to her right side. “That is not a proper response and she’s only alive because Jared and I figured out what was happening. You were told by a Dom I trust to stay put. Don’t you fucking argue with me. You knew damn well Sarah wasn’t an escort. This was about punishing me.”
This time he lit up her nipple and for a second she couldn’t breathe. Her body shook as the electricity flared through her. The burn felt so fucking good. It was a thing to be endured, a sensation that somehow filtered through her body as agony and thrilling pleasure. When he pulled the wand away she wanted to tell him she could take more. She could handle more. But she held back because what she wanted right now was him. There would be time to push all her boundaries. They had forever after all.
And he was right. Those tears that normally stuck in her eyes flowed down her cheeks. They wouldn’t stop. She could cry for him, cry with him. It all slammed into her, the last few weeks, all the lonely days before, the time with Morgan, and more. Her childhood, so precious and perilous. Her career, everything she’d wanted and still empty because she’d never been brave enough to truly claim it. Her fears that Kai couldn’t love her, that somehow she wasn’t worth it. They all slammed through her system, so much more piercing than the pain.
He was right. She’d tried to punish him, but mostly she’d spent years and years punishing herself for the mistakes of a child. Of a girl who didn’t know better. There, hung in a swing of ropes, she could finally let the past go. Finally forgive the girl she’d been and become the woman she could be. Tied up and bound, she could finally fly.
“That’s what I want.” Kai, the other half of her soul, seemed to know what she needed. He didn’t stop, didn’t throw down the instruments of his torture and ask if he’d done something wrong. He hit her again, keeping up the stimulation she needed to let loose. “I want you to let it all out. Give it all to me, baby. You’re safe with me.”
Over and over, he touched her with his light, scouring her flesh and setting her free. The tears seemed endless. There was so much pain stuck inside and it flowed like a volcano. So much heartache and anger that had taken up all the space in her soul. She released it, allowed it out because she needed that space for something more now.
It took a moment to realize Kai had stopped and put the violet wand away. She was still crying as he leaned over, his lips brushing the spots he’d hurt. His mouth moved over her, more tender than sexual. This was his promise to her, she realized.
It was safe to be open with him. It was safe to cry. He would do whatever it took to give her what she needed and then he would soothe her. He would ease her burdens. He would be there.
“I love you, Kai.”
“I love you, baby.” He worked her over with kisses, brushing her lips with his until he’d made his way around her body and down to the soles of her feet where he’d begun his torture. He kissed her there, too. Slowly he shoved his slacks off and freed himself. “Only you for the rest of my life.”
“Only you,” she said as he moved between her legs. There was something so sexy about being spread and open for him.
He touched the rope between her legs, pressing it down so she felt it scratch against her. Kori’s body, tired from the emotion, came back to life. He pressed again. “Tell me you want me.”
Because he was a man who needed to know he was pretty. Maybe not pretty, but it was sometimes so easy to forget that even beautiful men could need praise, too. Her Master needed more than her submission. He needed all of her. She finally got that. Kai Ferguson didn’t simply need a sub. He needed a smart and creative and stubborn brat who would love him with all her heart and soul.
He needed her.
“I want you more than I’ve wanted anything in my life.” More than her career. That should have scared her, but she’d finally figured out the right man wouldn’t cage her in. The right man wouldn’t allow her to sink into fear and doubt. The right man would set her free. Her Dom wouldn’t hold her back. He would fly with her.
“I want you. I want you every minute of every day, and don’t think I’ll be easy on you. You’re mine now. You’re mine to torture and tease and torment and love. Mine.”
It was easy to nod because being his meant he was hers. Hers to torture and tease and love. “Yours. I swear though if you don’t take what’s yours very soon I’m going to scream.”
His hand slapped down onto the rope and she did exactly that. “Brat. I’ll make you scream. I live to make you scream. And don’t think because you’re getting what you want this is over. We’ve got this place for the rest of the night, and I intend to see how far we can go.”
He sheathed his dick in a condom and shoved the rope aside. It bit into her, but she loved it. That bite of pain made her so much more aware of him. His hands gripped her, spreading her wide. His cock shoved at her pussy.
She couldn’t fight to get his cock, couldn’t move. She was helpless and all that remained was to let Kai have his way. His cock teased her, rubbing her clit and making her moan. The ropes scratched along her skin, lighting her up everywhere. She could still feel the burn from the wand in places, as though her Master could touch every inch of her skin, surround her with his touch.
His cock invaded as he thrust hard inside her. “We’re going to do this a lot. I’m installing a hard point at the office and when you’re a bad girl, I’ll put you in suspension and fuck you over and over and over again. You won’t ever run from me again. You’ll just sit there while I work and when I’m ready to fuck you again, I’ll step up and take my sub like I want. Any way I want.”
His cock pounded inside her. The ropes held her tight, but her whole body moved as he manipulated her. It was like getting fucked on a wave or on the wind. She was light and fluid and Kai tethered her, giving her pleasure and stability.
She watched as he fucked his way deep inside her, easing her up. He held the rope away from his cock as he thrust in and out, dragging her back every time. He angled up and brought his thumb down on her clit and she went sailing.
Vaguely she heard Kai call out her name as he held himself hard against her body, but her own pleasure seemed to never end. He kept up the pressure and she could feel herself clamping down, the vibrations sending her deeper.
Finally she relaxed back, completely spent.
Kai stayed inside her, a
crazy sexy smile on his face. “Stay here. I’ll be right back. Like I said, I’m not even close to being done. You have no idea what I have in store for you.”
He stepped away, kicking his slacks off and easing the condom from his cock. She watched as that beautiful backside moved back to the prep area.
Where did he think she would go? She was caught and by way more than his rope.
When he turned with a flogger in his hand, she couldn’t do anything but smile.
“Let’s have some fun, baby,” Kai said.
She could use some of that. Kori floated in his rope and let her Master take her where only he could.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Six months later
Kai held his wife’s hand as they walked down the hall toward the hospital room that was their destination. Their fingers threaded together and he could feel the ring he’d placed on her finger only three weeks before. To his surprise his wife had demanded and gotten her white wedding, complete with a church full of flowers and their hobbled together family around them.
The only thing she hadn’t gotten was Jared to attend. The day after Squirrel was killed, Jared had dropped out of the movie and left for Canada. He’d spoken to Kai briefly only to say he needed time and space and he’d call when he was ready.
Kai was back to watching his brother’s life play out in magazines and on television. At least Jared was still working on his TV show. He had that stability, but Kai knew his brother also had new demons to face.
“Hey, you two,” a familiar voice said. Case Taggart was walking out of Erin’s room, stretching his big body. “I thought you were coming up here later.”
Kori stopped. “Erin texted and asked me to bring her something for TJ to wear home. She’s getting out of here tonight I heard.”
“Yeah, Doc said the delivery went well. It sounded brutal to me.” Case went a little pale. “I don’t understand how she can scream and curse my brother’s name one minute and then be crying with joy the next. I’m so happy I’m a dude. Not that I’m ever planning on procreating, but at least we only have to do the fun part.”
“Wait until you’ve changed a couple of diapers,” Kori said. She went up on her toes and brushed a kiss across Kai’s lips. “I’m going to play with a baby. Pretty soon my writing partner will have a new one. It’s awesome because I don’t have to have one of my own. Winning.”
She flashed him a thumbs-up sign as she disappeared into the room with her stash of baby clothes and diapers.
“So now Serena’s her writing partner?” Case yawned behind his hand.
“They’re doing the screenplay for the next movie. Love After Death did shockingly well at the box office. Who knew so many women want to see that kind of stuff on screen. I have to admit, it was pretty fun.” And hot. It helped that it wasn’t his brother’s ass on display. That made it much easier to take, but the whole while he watched the film he couldn’t help but think Jared’s version of Big Tag had been better. “So Ship of Passion is going into production. I wonder if Damon’s going to be more self-aware than Tag.”
Kori and Serena were forming their own production company. They were taking it easy while Serena was pregnant, but they had plans for bringing their favorite romance novels to the big and small screen. His wife had dreams and he was going to love watching her fly.
Case shook his head. “Yeah, my brother’s smarter than that. I don’t buy his act one bit. He just doesn’t want anyone to know that he loves watching himself on screen. Even when he’s played by another dude. I swear after the film he talked about how anyone who played Pierce Craig should be bigger than that actor, more muscular. He was practically preening. I wanted to punch him. All I could think about the whole time was how much Theo would have loved that shit. He would have gotten a kick out of it.”
Kai looked around to make sure the door was closed. “Any news on that front?”
He was out of the action loop now that he’d done his job. He was back in the role he preferred, prepping to help heal. He’d spent the last six months studying the effects of memory loss and Stockholm syndrome. He wanted to be ready if Theo came home. He’d also spent time studying their new partners. The Lawless clan was fucked up, but they seemed to fit with Big Tag. The brothers had been working with a select group of McKay-Taggart operatives, but it seemed like Mia was out of the picture. While Drew, Riley, and Bran had shown up from time to time, Mia hadn’t been seen since she left about a week after that terrible day.
And Case never mentioned her again.
“Drew has a meeting scheduled. His connection has been cagey, but we think this time we might get something moving. I have to hope so because the last lead we got from the feds went nowhere. I’m almost at the end of my rope, Kai. I have to think if he was out there, he would find a way to let us know. Anything. I don’t know. I have to think that Theo’s gone.”
“The type of mind conditioning Hope McDonald is known for involves the complete suppression of the victim’s identity. Theo could be alive, but if he’s had enough of the drug she’s been developing, he might not know he’s Theo,” Kai explained.
“So we could get him back and he would still be gone?”
“I think with time and the right therapy, he could come back.” It was what he was prepping for. “But we don’t know a lot about the drug she’s using. It’s not something I can look up and find out the side effects.”
Case shook his head, seeming infinitely weary. “I don’t feel him anymore. I don’t know what to do. I have a nephew to think about now. I have to think about Erin, too. It’s what Theo would want. We’ve got a schedule to help her through the first couple of weeks, but eventually everyone has to go back to their own lives. I’m thinking of moving closer so I can be there.”
For months Case had done nothing but work. He’d even stopped going to Sanctum. And he never dated now.
“Have you thought of calling her?”
Case frowned. “I wouldn’t have to call her if I lived closer.”
“I was talking about Mia.”
A shadow slid over his face. “Why would I do that? Like I said, maybe it’s time to concentrate on the future. I’m going home to grab a nap and a shower. Tell Erin I’ll see her at the house later. Li and Avery are coming to pick her up. They’re staying at her place for a few days to help her get in a groove. I’m bringing dinner by if you want to come.”
“We’ll stay with her until they get here.” Erin would likely get far too much help and kick everyone out after a day or two. Once she’d made the decision to keep her baby, she’d calmed. Erin still had a rapier wit and used sarcasm as a form of affection, but some of her darkness had fled as though she’d known her child would need her light.
Would she have had that calm if she knew Theo might still be alive? Watching Erin grow into her role as a mother had made Kai believe Big Tag had made the right call. She’d needed some peace in order to do what she had to.
Case had no peace. It was there in the slump of his shoulders as he walked away. He was still haunted. He might not feel his brother anymore, but it was obvious he was still lost.
Kai walked through the door and found his reason to smile. Kori was cradling a baby wrapped like a burrito and Erin was looking through the clothes, holding up the tiny McKay-Taggart onesie Kori had specially made.
“Oh, thank god,” Erin said with a smile. “We can put him to work right away. He’s going to be so good undercover.”
Kori smiled down at baby TJ, who seemed to definitely be a Taggart since the kid had clocked in right at ten pounds and had a cap of sandy hair. “You can poop on the bad guys. That’s right.”
The way his wife was cooing at that baby it might not be too long before he had to deal with the baby bug that seemed to be going around. Serena was due in a few weeks and Phoebe had recently announced her pregnancy. Everyone was having babies. Everyone was looking to the future.
Kori and Erin began talking baby clothes and Kai took a seat, happy to l
isten in.
His future was already here.
* * * *
Case turned off the shower and grabbed a towel, running it over his hair to dry it. The hot water had done wonders for his aching muscles, but nothing for the weariness he felt.
The joy of holding his nephew for the first time was utterly drowned out by the misery that he hadn’t been able to bring TJ’s father home. Theo had missed the birth of his child and it was all because Case couldn’t find him. Theo had always been the smarter one. Once more he wished he could change places with his brother.
He stared at himself in the mirror, not quite recognizing the man who looked back at him. He could smile all he liked. He could go into work and pretend that he was the old Case, the Case who laughed and joked, but that piece of him was gone. When he was alone and there was no one to pretend with, he saw the hollow shell that had been left behind.
Theo had been shot, but he wasn’t the only dead man in the family.
A vision of a blonde with the sweetest smile ever crossed his mind.
He ruthlessly shoved it out of his head. Mia Lawless was nothing but a scheming brat who’d used him to further her own agenda. Mia Danvers. Her legal name was Danvers. Damn. That girl had more aliases than a super villain. Another reason to stay away from her. He wasn’t thinking about her. She didn’t get to fuck up his life a second time. She was the reason he’d stayed out of his brother’s schemes with Drew Lawless. They were currently trying to use Drew’s position as CEO of a billion dollar corporation to infiltrate The Collective and find information on Hope McDonald. Once that happened, Case would be called on.
He was nothing but muscle after all. Theo had gotten all the brains, all the charm.