Protecting it All: Dark Romantic Suspense (Punishment Pit Book 6)

by Livia Grant

  "This isn't right. I have the blueprints on file for that building and there was no mention of a basement or an elevator," Cameron came through over the speakerphone.

  Lukus was relaying the information to his contact on his phone. Dylan's dread grew stronger. He kept his eyes on the screen, watching as Hannah exited the elevator and stepped into another corridor, this one dark, with only a few small sconces on the walls lighting the way. As they passed an open door, Hannah tried to slow down, looking inside quickly.

  "Good girl, Hannah," he whispered. He was so proud of her for holding it together the way she was. He swore he was going to make this up to her when they got her out. And they would get her out. He refused to think otherwise.

  Hannah's glance inside the room had been quick. Dylan hadn't seen what was inside, but Derek exploded. "What the fuck? Was that what I think it was?"

  "What? I didn't see!" Dylan didn't like the alarm in his brother's voice.

  Derek yelled to Cameron. "Cam, back up the footage and investigate that last room. It looked like a row of barred cells for holding captives."

  Lukus countered, "Maybe it's just another set for filming," although Dylan heard the concern in his voice.

  "And maybe it's not. Cam, check it out," Derek barked the order.

  "I'm on it." Dylan liked the techy kid. He kept calm, and was good at his job.

  Meanwhile, Hannah continued to be pulled alongside Davenport until they came to yet another security door.

  "Fuck. It just keeps getting worse." Dylan didn't like the dread in Z's voice. His partner was as hard-nosed as they came, so having Z on edge freaked him out.

  Two armed guards stood in front of the door, blocking their entry. A new anger overcame Dylan knowing these men were gawking at a naked Hannah, predatory glares on their hard faces.

  "Everyone we were expecting has arrived for the party, Mr. Davenport," one of the guards said.

  "Excellent. Thanks, Mario. And how about our other guests? Any news on their arrival?"

  "Yes, sir. Everything is on schedule. The last car is en route from the airport. We should be able to start a few minutes early, and all transportation is arranged for after the event."

  "Like clockwork. Well done. I'll have a bonus envelope for you and Tony after the event if all goes off as planned."

  "Thank you, sir."

  They watched Jake look at his watch. "I think I have thirty minutes to enjoy the party before I need to head back. Come retrieve me if our final guest arrives ahead of schedule."

  "Yes, sir. Enjoy yourself."

  "Oh I will, Mario. I will."

  The guard turned to unlock the door behind him. The sights and sounds that hit them through the surveillance footage almost knocked Dylan on his ass. The debauchery in progress made the previous scenes in the warehouse look like a children's movie. What was happening in the room Hannah stood at the doorway of was nothing short of fucked up.

  "Holy fuck." The Dom's Dom, Lukus Mitchell, was surprised. This was not good.

  At least a dozen naked women and men were suspended; tied in all kinds of convoluted contortionist positions, all aimed at presenting one or more parts of their body for penetration or, in the case of more than a few, severe punishment. Groups of people in various arrays of dress mingled as if they were at a cocktail party, only the 'refreshments' being delivered on small trays were instruments of pain, lubes and huge dildos meant to tear innocent victims.

  In the center of the room, a collection of women were tied together, arms and legs bent and secured in a spaghetti tangle of limbs, making it unclear where one body ended and another began. They were displayed on a slightly raised platform, as if they were a piece of rare art. Party-goers gathered around to watch the center attraction while others took a more active role in the scene, stepping up with paddles, crops, straps and electro-wands to torture the bodies displayed for their entertainment.

  They had a front row view to a plump bottom being beaten with a wooden paddle so hard—and for so long—that deep red bruises covered the ass of the victim, where blood could be seen pooling under the skin. This was not playful BDSM; this was hardcore discipline, and the screams in the room confirmed it was nothing short of torture. Dylan was shaking with fear for Hannah, and it only got worse as the man with the paddle threw it to the ground and stepped up to bury his oversized cock into the hopefully lubed asshole of the bottom he'd just roasted.

  Their view of the scene was gratefully blocked as a rounded man in a three piece suit, his small cock protruding from his unzipped pants, approached Jake and Hannah. He wore a mask over his chubby face, his piss-poor attempt at anonymity. "Another excellent party, Mr. Davenport. The only thing missing is that virgin you promised me last month."

  "Ah, Your Honor, I've told you that virgins are extremely hard to come by these days. Did you try out Rena over there? She's an anal virgin. I told Mohammed to be sure to let you take her first," Jake said.

  "Yeah, he saved her for me, but you know that wasn't what I've been waiting for. She's enjoying herself too much, if you know what I mean." The man leaned in closer to talk more softly. "I've heard rumors you have another, more private, party going on later that might have the kind of merchandise I'm looking for."

  "Now sir, you've made it clear you weren't in the market for anything permanent. Only those ready to take possession of their property tonight are invited to the private party."

  "Damn, I'd never be able to handle your merchandise long term without my nosey wife finding out. I'm gonna have to give divorce some serious thought." The asshole chuckled, actually fucking chuckled, as if he'd told a funny joke.

  Dylan pressed the men. "What the hell are they talking about?"

  He couldn't see Derek's face, but he heard anger in his voice. "I'm not sure we want to know."

  Jake continued to pull Hannah farther into the room. As they moved forward, the screen in the truck began to flicker before the men's eyes. The sound was cutting in and out, too. Within thirty seconds, the monitor went dark and the only sound over the wire was a scratchy hum.

  "FUCK! What the hell happened to our feed?" Dylan reached for the mic, calling out, "Hannah! Hannah! Can you still hear me? We're losing our feed. I can't see or hear you, honey." He turned frantically to his brother to ask, "What the hell happened? Did he find the camera on her and rip it out?"

  Derek reached out, trying to calm him. "I don't think so. It seems more like the room they're in has scramblers to prevent any transmissions in or out for security reasons. That fucker Davenport really does have all the top-end toys."

  "Toys? This isn't a goddamn game!"

  "Calm your ass down. To be honest, I'm not surprised. With the high-end equipment he has, I'm kinda surprised this didn't happen sooner."

  Dylan didn't even try to stop his fist from connecting with his brother's jaw. Derek had fifty pounds on him, but anger gave him the edge. Derek fell backwards, losing his footing and slamming into Z who stood behind him, barely keeping them both on their feet. Dylan knew he'd hurt his brother because his own hand hurt like a sonofabitch.

  "You asshole! You sent her in knowing there was a chance this would happen? Knowing we'd lose our connection to her?" He lunged forward to put his hands around his brother's neck but was held back by Mitchell's arms keeping him back.

  "That's it. You're out of control. You need to remember we're not the enemy here, junior," Lukus said calmly.

  "The hell you're not! I could have had her to the California-Arizona border by now!"

  Lukus's voice was low in his ear. "And then what? Look over your shoulder every day for the rest of your lives? She had to give the journal back. You know it. Davenport was never gonna let her leave with it."

  "We could have mailed the fucking book to him." A wave of nausea hit Dylan. "We sent her in there. We're responsible for her. I'm responsible for her." His vision blurred as emotional tears threatened to flow.

  The hell if I'm gonna cry like a pussy. I need to stay strong
to get her out of there.

  Cameron's voice interrupted them, defusing the situation. "Hello? Can we get back to work? Now that I know there was a link between Davenport and Hannah's father, I was able to do some cross-referencing of their known contacts. You guys aren't gonna like this, but I think I know what the private party is all about. It looks like the only perps who managed to get out of the hot water a few years ago when the shit hit the fan were several high-powered sheiks and businessmen from the Middle East and Eastern Bloc countries that didn't have extradition. My guess is that the raids shut down their market for young flesh and Jake was all too happy to fill the void with his own auctions. I sure as hell hope it isn't underage victims. Adults are bad enough."

  The men in the room were silent; unsure what to do with this new information. It made sense that the event they were talking about could be an auction. All this time, he'd been tracking a real-life human trafficker. Never had Dylan wished more that he'd just killed Jake Davenport when he'd had the chance. He'd have been doing the world a fucking favor.

  I won't make that mistake again. I don't care if I spend the rest of my life behind bars. Killing the bastard will happen the next time our paths cross.

  He heard Lukus on the phone behind him. Apparently, his boss felt exactly the same way. He was shouting into the phone at his contact at the FBI. "I had you guys on high alert. I told you things were gonna move fast. You need to get your asses over here or we won't wait." He quieted while someone on the other end screamed at him loudly enough that Dylan could hear the muffled yelling through the cell phone. He couldn't hear the words, but he had a pretty good idea of the gist when Lukus retorted, "Thirty minutes. You have thirty minutes to get your asses to our rendezvous, or my team and I are going in without you." He waited again before replying. "Then I guess you'd better hang up and haul ass."

  Lukus ended the call, but immediately made another. Whoever he was talking to at the other end of the line picked up fast.

  "Hey, it's going down. You're at the loft, right?" He waited before adding, "And Aiden is there, too?" More silence. "Good. Call Ethan. Have him close the club until further notice. Don't let the girls out of your sight. I'm not gonna relax until Davenport is in a body bag. And Markus... watch your back."

  When Lukus had hung up, Dylan couldn't help but dish him shit. "So your women are tucked away safe and sound with armed guards thousands of miles away from here, but you'll send my woman into the lion's den without any protection? What a fucking hypocrite you are."

  Lukus stepped up to look him in the eye. Dylan could see his genuine concern for Hannah in his eyes, and remembered that Lukus Mitchell wasn't his enemy. "Since when is Hannah Martine your woman?"

  Dylan didn't hesitate. "Since right now."

  The men squared off. Lukus looked conflicted before finally answering. "We wait thirty minutes. If the FBI can't get their shit together by then, we'll go in. Let's get our bulletproof gear on and load up. We're going in hot."

  Chapter Eleven

  Hannah

  "Dylan... please... talk to me... please... " Hannah was running out of time as she frantically whispered, hoping the small microphone in her earring would pick up her voice over the loud din of sex and punishments surrounding her.

  Luckily, Jake had parked her in a quiet corner of the room ten minutes before so he could mingle with the other depraved partygoers enjoying the plethora of carnal opportunities displayed so vulgarly before them. He'd pressed her to her knees, making sure to tie the leash attached to her collar to a ring protruding from the wall as if he were tying a dog in place. She'd been tempted to stand up and untie herself, but knew she'd never escape the guarded room anyway.

  Instead, she'd used her time in relative seclusion to try to talk to Dylan, praying for an update on how much longer it would be before he rescued her. Knowing the men would be coming for her was the only hope keeping her from spilling over into a full-fledged nervous breakdown. The fact that she hadn't been able to connect with them had Hannah devolving into a panicked mess.

  "Oh God, if you can hear me... please hurry. I don't know how much longer I can hold it together in here."

  Like a soldier returning from a war zone, PSTD-like flashbacks of her life in Columbus were closing in on her. Wounds she'd worked so hard with Dr. Henderson to sew together were being split open, filling her with the kind of bone-deep dread she hadn't felt since her father had been hauled away by the SWAT team in the middle of the night on her seventeenth birthday. The sights and sounds of the helpless victims displayed throughout the expansive space were too-close reminders of the painful humiliation she'd witnessed—and worse, lived through—in her childhood home.

  As she caught sight of Jake heading back towards her from across the room, Hannah gave herself the internal pep talk Dr. Henderson had helped her develop during her years of therapy. At the time, she'd made up her mind to no longer allow herself to be anyone's victim. She just hadn't known how hard her resolve would be tested.

  She took a deep breath, working hard to slow her pulse and keep her wits about her. As Jake walked her way, his predatory gaze penetrated her and she shivered in the cool room. She refused to cower as he stopped, crouching down in front of her to be at her eye level.

  "Are you having fun at the party, Hannah?"

  It wasn't a question he needed an answer to. The smirk on his face gave away his sick glee at her obvious distress.

  Jake rose to his feet, pulling on her leash to drag her up beside him. As soon as she was on her feet, he reached his hand behind her neck, pinching her hard and forcing her to face the sexual depravity all around them. When she tried to flinch away, his grip tightened.

  "Look at them good, Hannah. I suggest you be a good girl, or you might find yourself working a hole party next month."

  Despite her fear, she blurted out her question. "A hole party?"

  Jake's ugly grin enhanced the evil in his eyes. "Yeah. Holes. That's all they are to the patrons. Holes. Mouths—Pussies—Asses—Holes. That, and targets for punishment."

  Just as those words left his mouth, the sound of a heavy bullwhip snapping nearby was followed by the guttural scream of a woman in pain. The man responsible didn't even wait for her first cry to settle before hitting her with a second and then quick third lash. This was no playful scene portrayed by actors. This was the real deal. Hannah saw droplets of red collecting across the lower back of whipped woman, the leather implement having sliced into her flesh.

  She shuddered, but Jake held her in an iron grip, moving to stand behind her, pressing his athletic body into her back, his hard erection rubbing against her naked ass. "Look at it, Hannah. Watch the artistry of the scene."

  "You're delusional. All I see is barbaric pain and humiliation. What I don't understand is how you keep these women from going to the police to file complaints against you after they leave."

  Jake's chuckle seemed genuine, which pissed her off. "Are you kidding me? I have a waiting list for the next three months already."

  "Are they that desperate for money?"

  Jake's voice lowered in her ear, speaking with a passion she wished she couldn't hear. "Money is only part of the story. Most are submissives to their core, feeling unfulfilled unless they are servicing others. Many of them are pain sluts, unable to get off without the dual sensations of pain and pleasure together. I've groomed them; taught their bodies to crave the pain."

  Hannah was skeptical. "No one craves pain."

  "Come now. You've been exposed to enough freaky fetishes in your life through your father that surely you aren't that naïve."

  Jake's voice trailed off as they watched the man in front of them throw down his whip and thrust his erect cock into the sobbing submissive. There was no mistaking the woman's instant orgasm, her shriek of ecstasy overpowering the cries of pain within seconds.

  "Fuck." Hannah didn't understand Jake's sudden agitation until he spoke absently, as if he'd forgotten she was even there. "I could make Brianna so
happy if only she'd let me. She'd be the masochistic queen of this party each month, experiencing the best sex of her life, but no. She'd rather playhouse with her asshole husband, thinking she's safe hiding at the loft. Like I couldn't break in there."

  Hannah felt him tense up as if he'd realized he spoken out loud. For a few seconds Jake acted as if he were disoriented, lost in thought, before he moved away from her, yanking on her leash to pull her along as he started walking towards the door. She dug her feet in. As much as she hated the sights and sounds surrounding her, she knew it was best to stay with a crowd rather than be alone with Jake Davenport.

  Jake stopped, turning his frosty blue eyes on her. "We're late. I suggest you behave. You won't like the consequences if you don't."

  She was desperate to stall. "Where are we going?" she challenged.

  His icy eyes flared with a fire that scared her. "As fun as this is, we have another, more exclusive party to attend."

  "What kind of party is more exclusive than this?" Her voice sounded as incredulous as she felt.

  Jake's evil grin chilled her to the core. "The kind where the subs won't be going home again after it ends."

  His words jarred her, distracting her so he was able to pull her forward by her leash. Her mind raced as she internalized his words, while Jake stopped to say goodbye to some patrons on their way out. One man carried on a short conversation with Jake as if nothing was happening, in spite of the fact that there was a naked woman on her knees in front of him, sucking his cock down her throat as if it were a precious lollypop. As they moved away, Hannah watched him grip the woman's head, weaving his fingers through her hair on either side, and began face-fucking her so deep she gagged.

  As horrible as the hole party had been, Hannah was almost frantic as Jake pulled her out of the room and into the almost empty corridor. The two guards were still diligently on duty, nodding to their boss as he sauntered by. Almost as an afterthought, he asked, "Did our last guest arrive yet, Mario?"