It took a second for Cabbie’s words to register and when they did, I looked down and got a huge eyeful of my perky nipples.
“Cabbie! Get out of here.” I crossed my arms over my chest and crossed a leg over my body to cover my woman bits, as Cabbie had so kindly phrased it.
“It’s fine. It’s not like I’m hungry for anything you’re serving. Now if one of your men here were in a similar state, then we might have a problem.” Cabbie picked up the corner of the covers, pulling it back to check out Egan’s attire.
“Boo.” His lips twisted into a pout. “Why are you naked and not them? Did you all do something kinky that required them to stay dressed?”
“The fuck?” He was the madam of the Pleasure House. What fuckery did he think we were up to where they stayed completely clothed? Especially since his threshold would have to be high to be considered kinky.
“I’m leaving. Don’t get your thong in a knot.” He said over his shoulder on his way out.
Nato rolled onto his back and crossed his arms behind his head. Potential imminent danger was on the street corner and I still found him sexy. Something was seriously wrong with me.
I dug out a clean dress from the mess of my trunk. All the articles of clothing was literally the same outfit, in the same color. There was no reason it should have been a jumbled heap, but it was.
“Aren’t you guys worried?”
When all my bits were covered I turned around to see what the guys were doing. I was at least happy to see them standing up and out of bed. Egan took the bathroom first, leaving Nato and me alone.
“If these followers are on the street corner, there’s no reason to rush around now. They know we’re in here. Cabbie has a good set up here, too. We can take our time and talk through a plan without making rushed decisions.” Nato walked up to me and cupped my jaw.
His dark hair was tousled over his forehead, stubble dotting his chin. I met him halfway for a kiss, and hummed in satisfaction when he took it further than a single press of the lips.
“I missed you, Isolde,” he said against my lips.
“I missed you, too.” I beamed up at him.
“You ready to go figure out a plan? It’s got to be in our favor now that you’re fully bonded.”
“Let’s do this, yo.”
Nato smirked and swatted my ass. We each had a turn in the bathroom before heading into the main part of the suite. This time, everyone was standing around the window that overlooked the street. I wedged myself between Cabbie and Sage, brushing against Sage as I did.
Sage delivered a heated gaze my way and my cheeks flushed. If he was thinking about our time in the bathroom, well so was I. That was such a different side of Sage I couldn’t quite reconcile it with the moody and sometimes petulant Sage I’d come to know. The way he controlled the bonding, it almost seemed like he was holding back. What would it be like if we had privacy and a decent amount of time together?
I shook off the thoughts. I was mad at him and I couldn’t forget that. He clearly stated we should bond because of his duty and his brothers. Maybe his feelings would change over time, but I needed to guard my heart until I knew unequivocally I meant something to him.
It was dusk outside and the lavender sky faded into a deep mauve on the horizon. On the street corner was a group of seven men doing a poor job of being inconspicuous. A street lantern hanging above their heads illuminated their every movement. If they picked that spot to have better light, they were idiots. We could clearly see each head turn that gazed our way.
“That’s them?” I pressed my fingertips to the cold window pane.
“That’s them. I recognize at least three of those men from the Rusty Nail.” Cabbie tapped the glass with his knuckles.
“What’s the plan then? We can’t sit here and wait for an attack. The best defense is offense, you know?” I turned around to face them.
“What do you take me for, a miff tickler?” Cabbie’s lips twisted into an incredulous pout. “I’ll have you know my Cherries have been busy little beavers.”
This time the room exploded in loud, uncontrollable, tear-streaming laughter.
Egan’s laughter simmered to a deep chuckle. “Mate, we all know your Cherries are busy beavers. You do run a pleasure house.”
Cabbie rolled his eyes. “You all have dirtier minds than I do. I was trying to be serious for once.” He ended on an exasperated smile.
“Okay,” I squeaked out while wiping a tear from my eye. “Go on. We won’t do it again. Promise.”
Cabbie waited until the merriment had settled down and then continued. “The Cherries were so pumped up from the rescue at the pub, they’re feeling liberated now. As we speak, they’re crouched behind that building, waiting on the signal to pounce. They feel all badass now.” His smile said he was a proud poppa.
“What?” My hair smacked Sage in the face as I whipped around to stare at the street corner. Sure enough, the women leaped from around the corner of the building across the street, streaming toward the group like rats out of the sewer armed with what looked like whips and canes. The faint battle cries from the women as they attacked filtered up from the street. One woman swung something from her hands that resembled nunchucks. She yanked on one end when it closed around a man’s neck, effectively choking him.
“Is that… chained nipple clamps that one woman is using? You see the one that has a nunchuck-like weapon?” I pointed to where the man was wiggling around on the ground, grabbing at his neck while the woman pinned him down with her boot, as she tipped her head back cackling. Note to self, don’t mess with that woman. She scared me.
“Oh Farrah? She loves the nipple clamps. Sex toys are the most dangerous things we had on hand to attack with.” He said that like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Me on the other hand, my eyes were wide and unblinking as I slowly rotated my head to look at him.
“What, doll? We had to use something to take them down.”
“What about what they used at the pub?”
Rand and Sage snickered. “My love, they had those there too. You probably were too occupied to notice.”
My mouth popped open. They weren’t carrying sex toys, were they?
A knock came at the door and one of Cabbie’s Stags burst through without waiting for someone to answer. He was gasping and pouring sweat.
“What’s going on?” Cabbie ran to the man, catching him with an arm around his shoulders.
“A representative from the Iron Guard is at the back door. They’re requesting the presence of the Mazza immediately at court.”
Where was this back door that he was out of breath that badly?
Nato stepped in front of me, but I wasn’t sure who he was protecting me from. Sage and Egan followed suit, forming a complete wall with Nato. Next to me, Rand took my hand and nodded at me reassuringly. What the hell was he reassuring me for?
“What’s the Iron Guard?” I whispered to their backs.
Sage looked at me. “It’s the military force of Louniva. Aamori’s son runs the Guard and he’s never been a fan of ours. He was in Nato’s grade during early school.”
That was right. They all went to school in this city for a time.
Cabbie half-carried him over to the couch where he collapsed.
“Is he okay?” I forced my way between Nato and Egan, but Nato grabbed my arm. He really didn’t want me to be away from him right now. Maybe it was because of our separation and the danger from the pub. I put my hand around his back and fit myself under his shoulder. I could be beside him as an equal, but I wouldn’t cower behind him. I couldn’t and be what they needed from me as the Mazza. The LL didn’t understand that yet.
“Ruan is fine. He’s a little dramatic and hates running. Right Ruan?” Cabbie practically sat on his lap. My eyebrows shot up my forehead. I think there was more than an employer-employee relationship here.
“Shut it, Cab.” Ruan sniffed.
“How many are at the back door?
And tell me exactly what they said.”
“There are five. They aren’t dressed in their grays so it makes me think this is a secret mission. Travon is with them and he said he’s under strict orders from Theon not to return without her.” Ruan nodded his head in my direction.
The temperature dropped ten degrees at the mention of Travon, and even Cabbie adopted a sneer at the sound of his name. I tapped Nato on the back to get his attention. He must have known what I wanted because he shook his head in a not now gesture.
“I hate to say it, but I don’t think you have any choice in the matter, doll. You have to go. Not to, would be an act of treason and no one wants to see you thrown in the dungeon. I would say with your station, you’re above that kind of treatment, but with Theon running hell and Travon driving the bus, it definitely doesn’t save you.” Cabbie got up and approached us.
“I have friends in the city. Sage, Rand, you two have been here the most and know my Cherries and Stags. They make private calls to court all the time. Catch one of them and ask them to send me word that it’s not going your way. I’ll figure something to get you out.”
“Cabbie, if it’s as dangerous as all that, I can’t let you put yourself out there like that.” I fisted Nato’s shirt in an attempt to control my rising anxiety.
It was a big deal when I was kidnapped and it was high stress for sure. But at the end of the day, they wanted my compliance more than to harm me. I didn’t get that feeling now. The mood of the room was somber and hung over us like a wet blanket.
Egan stepped forward and opened his arms for Cabbie. There was a moment of hesitation, then Cabbie gave Egan the hug he was looking for.
“Thanks, Cab. For taking Isolde in and keeping her safe. Not to mention saving their asses when they needed it.”
Sage grunted, and a smile tugged at the corner of my lips. From his signature look, he wasn’t a fan of needing saving.
A sly grin crept over Cabbie’s face as one hand traveled down Egan’s back. The pleasure house owner gave me a cheeky wink as he squeezed an ass cheek.
“All right, Cab. That was your one ass grab as thanks for taking care of my girl. No more.” Egan sighed.
Egan winked at me and I thought my panties caught on fire. I would never admit it to Egan, but that grabby grab was hot. It had all kinds of ideas running through my head.
“I’ll have one of my people bring your trunks to court. Don’t worry about taking any of that stuff with you.”
Nato heaved an irritated sigh. “Well that bit of peace was short lived. We better go. We don’t want to make Travon any testier than what he currently is. That wouldn’t be good for anybody.”
We hadn’t brought anything other than clothes so there were no personal items lying around anywhere. Not even any glasses on the countertop. With all of our trunks in the bedroom it was as if we were never here. Weird when so much had happened in such a short time.
Cabbie took the lead out of the room with an arm around Ruan’s waist. Miraculously, Ruan made a complete recovery and you’d never know he almost died a few minutes before. He bounced down the stairs next to Cabbie, nodding at every Stag or Cherry we passed.
When we hit the bottom of the stairs, there were five men in long black cloaks, standing in a quiet row at the end of the corridor. Their hoods were all pulled up, concealing their faces.
There wasn’t even a twitch as we drew closer. That wasn’t eerie at all.
Cabbie stopped three feet in front of who I assumed was their leader. He was in the middle and slightly more intimidating than the others. And by that, I meant he was a head taller and a foot wider than his companions.
Kind of reminded me of when Jason Momoa was sighted with his bodyguards who clearly weren’t going to guard him. It was ridiculous and hilarious all at the same time.
In impeccable synchronization, they removed their hoods. The man in the center surprised me with his feminine features. You could transplant his head on a six-foot woman and no one would be the wiser. He used a hand to swipe shiny golden locks out of his eyes and arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow.
“There is no reason you should have taken so long. Let’s go.”
Oh my god, his voice sounded like a woman’s too. I could see now why my LL was afraid of him. He was probably picked on incessantly growing up so he resorted to torture and other evil means to protect himself.
Travon threw his hood up and stalked through the door as his men fell into a neat single file line behind him. Cabbie pulled me away from the group and gave me a quick hug.
“Take care, Isolde. Don’t let anyone give you shit or I’ll come kick their asses.” He gave me a swift kiss on the lips and a pat on the backside. “Now run along before you get on the receiving end of his chains and whips.”
The guys herded me through the door, but Cabbie’s words paused my steps.
“Are you serious? Chains and whips?” I whisper shouted over my shoulder.
“Yas, girl. Whips and chains. So hurry. He would enjoy a reason to use them on the Mazza. It would be an adrenaline rush for him.”
My head toggled between each of the guys, but they weren’t looking at me. Their focus was on the steps as we descend into the night.
This ought to be fun.
The wind whistled down the alleyway, loose flyaway strands of my hair tickled my face. At the bottom of the steps, the Iron Guard immediately got into formation around us. Two guys to the rear corners, two at the front corners, and Travon front and center.
My nose and ears were numb from the cold night air and harsh winds. I flicked up my hood up and drew it low over my face to protect against the cold. There was a bite in the air that wasn’t there before.
My guys had also formed their own protective ring around me. Nato and Rand had taken up each side in the front. Sage and Egan took up both sides behind me. None of them raised their hoods, cautiously clocking their surroundings. They probably felt at a disadvantage by covering their peripheral vision. It almost made me feel guilty for staying warm. Almost.
A large wagon parked on the next intersection with two beautiful gray horses. This wagon had to be for commercial use because it was much larger than the one we rode in on and had different rows of benches. Travon tossed his hood back again and faced us once we came to a stop at the end of the wagon. He treated us like we were little soldiers waiting for his command, ready to scurry forth to do his bidding.
“Mazza, I will help you into the cart.” He offered a gloved hand.
I studied him, looking for any hint of dishonesty or malice. His eyes were steady, giving away exactly nothing. Cabbie made it seem like coming with them wasn’t exactly a choice, and the guys all seemed to agree by not disagreeing.
He didn’t appear to enjoy waiting on my internal debate because his blank expression quickly morphed into a scowl. Only, on his beautiful face, it reminded me of one of the salty sorority girls who would visit the diner. Fuck, I would make myself laugh if I kept it up.
My lips pressed firmly together to keep my amusement hidden. I gave him my gloved hand and he drew me forward. Egan growled behind me, but no one moved. Travon canted his head as if to get a better look at me. I mean, he was about six foot five at least. There was a lantern hanging on a pole behind him, but it was a very dim light. No way he actually saw anything useful.
Ha. Take that pout lips.
“Why do I not feel the effects of your powers?” He mused quietly to himself. He had to be talking to himself, because I sure as hell was not going to answer him.
“That’s the Mazza isn’t it?” One of the men behind me piped in.
“It definitely is. We were told she was traveling with Rainer’s son and that mutt there.” Travon jerked his head toward Sage. “Look how they stand protectively around her. She’s definitely the Mazza.”
I stiffened at his words. Hell, should we have played it like I wasn’t the Mazza? We might have been able to fool him, and I was miffed the thought never entered my mind.
Never mind, then. I guess we were screwed from the get-go.
“Which one do you think is her Janer mate? Surely she can’t have them both.” The man to the right on me spat on the ground. Gross.
Travon studied both Rand and Sage, searching for a sign as to which Janer mate I’d taken.
“If I had to bet, I’d place my money on Rainer’s son. Why else would he run away with her? He’s clearly trying to keep her out of his father’s hands. I don’t blame him either, not with a sweet piece like her.” His eyes raked the length of my body and I knew he was imagining what was under my loose, shapeless cloak. He must have had one hell of an imagination.
Travon whistled, his fingers tightening around my own. “Too bad I don’t like to share, or I would have made a bid for the Mazza myself.”
I yanked my hand out of his grip. The nerve of this man and his overgrown pout lips. What made him think I’d ever have given him a shot. Please. I had standards, and he had nothing I was looking for in a man.
“Are we getting into the cart, Travon? It’s almost freezing out and if we’re going to court, I’d like to get there before I freeze my nuts off.” Sage snarked.
I did love how he was our mouthpiece. He had a gift for making people feel like fools. It was fantastic when it was turned on someone else.
“Watch it, mutt.” Travon sneered.
That was the second time in so many minutes he’d called Sage a mutt. The condescending term grated on my nerves and I had the urge to slam his face into his nuts. Something flickered inside of me. The longer I focused on his treatment of Sage, the brighter that little light burned.
“Can we just go now?” Nato laid a hand on my back. Did he know my gut was churning?
“What’s the matter, Nato? Have you gone soft in the Earth realm? Surely you can stand a little cold.”
Bonds of the Mazza Page 14