“You mean Thalia, you stupid ugly whore.”
The voice came from behind her and it was sickeningly, crunchingly, familiar. She stiffened, froze, then spun so fast that she felt dizzy and almost fell.
And there he was: the living, breathing dragon-monster from her nightmares. The creature that she’d given everything that she’d had to as she’d tried to buy her freedom from him back in California. She’d failed, of course, failed miserably and repeatedly, and she’d spent untold aching and desperate hours working to save money for the next text from this jerk’s local lapdog. The asshole who had that video of her, the one that he wielded like a sword over her head, a constant threat about to drop and decapitate her whole life.
Fucking Callum ‘Dragon’ Decker. Jesus Christ. No way this can be good.
“Thalia.” Dragon gave her what would be a beautiful smile on anyone else’s face. She stared at him standing in a bright patch of sunlight, like he had some goddamn right to be there, and felt her hatred bubbling away. “Been a while, huh?”
“What –” She almost choked on the word and then somehow found her voice; she was astounded at the size of the rage tsunami rising inside her. “What the actual fuck are you doing here?”
“Now, now.” He shook his head in mock disapproval and Trish’s fingers itched to strangle him right where he stood. “That’s no way to talk to me, is it?” Those black eyes met hers and all she saw was cold, endless night. “Considering everything.”
She came back into her body with a thud. Considering everything. ‘Everything’ being that damn video.
“I – I’m sorry.” She swallowed hard, fighting what was now blind panic and terror. She knew with every atom of her being that whatever he was doing here was going to be both inevitable and horrible, but maybe she could hold it all off a bit longer. “I apologize. I shouldn’t have said that. I just – it was a shock.”
“No, you shouldn’t have… and a shock is exactly what I wanted to give you, bitch.” He turned and beckoned with one hand, the hand with the dragon tail that spanned the length of it. The black tail curved over and around his wrist, ending in the dragon body and head the whole length of his thick forearm. It was a stunning tattoo and on anyone else, she’d love it. “Come on then. This way.”
Numb, Trish followed him like a mindless sheep: if he was leading her off a cliff, she was going over, no doubt about that. She was always mere steps away from the edge anyway, and all that had happened in the past few seconds was that she’d just moved significantly closer.
She stepped into a sprawling space, the largest in the warehouse so far, and she froze yet again at the scene in front of her.
Cameras. Lights. An assortment of props and equipment: a spanking bench, a bed with heavy leather restraints for hands and feet, a St. Andrew’s Cross, a cage, a table with paddles and floggers and wax candles and rope and leather masks. And somehow worst of all, there stood Bulldog grinning at her, a cigarette hanging out of his filthy, smirking mouth.
Everything went dark and blurry. She reached for the wall that surely had to be next to her, found its cool and reassuring solidity, then blinked hard. The awful, terrible sight came back into focus so she shut her eyes, blocking it out, denying what she surely knew was going to happen.
“So,” Dragon said in a conversational tone. “Today, Thalia Flame gets back to work.”
“No,” Trish whispered, eyes still shut tight. “No, please.”
“Hey, that’s good,” Dragon said. “Because as you can maybe guess from the set, this little scene that I’ve planned for you is all about begging.”
“Dragon.” Trish opened her eyes and the hot tears leaked out immediately; she was helpless to stop them. “Please… please. You don’t have to do this –”
In less than two seconds, he’d crossed the room and gripped her face in one hand. His fingers squeezed her cheeks, then shook her head so hard from side-to-side that her teeth rattled.
“Don’t you fucking tell me what I can do,” he hissed in her face. “You act like you get to offer input or have an opinion, and you should remember goddamn good and well that you don’t. You’re nothing more than three holes to me, and that’s all you are and ever were to anyone.” He released his grip on her, his eyes boring into hers. “You used to understand your place, you pathetic little slut… but it seems to me that you’ve forgotten, huh? That’s what today is about.”
Trish shook her head, but more in confusion than in denial. “I don’t –”
“Today is about reminding you who and what you are… which is nobody and nothing. You’ve started thinking that you have value and mean something, right?” He paused, watching her face as he said, “And that’s pretty much all because of Keegan, isn’t it?”
That text came back to her now, the one about how Keegan made good coffee and croissants. Like a mack truck, two things of equal horrifying-ness suddenly hit her. First, that the texts from the unknown number summoning her here hadn’t been from Bulldog at all, but from Dragon. Second, he’d met Keegan, he’d been to The Cakewalk, he’d talked to him.
And that meant that somehow Dragon had found out about Keegan from Bulldog. It came to her that she’d been followed while with Keegan – and she wondered why she’d never thought about that before.
Because you felt safe with Keegan, just floating around in your little bubble of happiness. You fucking idiot. You were never going to be out from under.
Dragon small eyes watched her face avidly, hungrily. He saw the realization dawn and he smiled again, slow and malicious. Enjoying her visible distress.
“You’re as slow on the uptake as ever, but that’s why you got into porn, right? A dumb cum-dumpster like you was never going to be a doctor.”
“Keegan –”
“Ah, yes. Keegan.” Dragon shrugged. “Super nice guy, great little café.” His eyes glittered. “I so enjoyed watching him at work yesterday.”
“Did you – what did you –”
“Nah. I didn’t tell him anything, didn’t even speak to him. Didn’t show him anything, either.”
Trish blanched, then reminded herself that she’d just left Keegan’s place and everything had been totally fine and normal. If this fucking prick had said anything whist buying a takeout coffee, Keegan would have had plenty of questions for her ASAP and no doubt about that.
She breathed a bit more easily, but that lasted for all of three seconds because Dragon said, as casually as if he was ordering a latté in Keegan’s place:
“Get undressed.”
Trish froze again, knowing that she looked exactly like a deer in the headlights – then again, that’s precisely what she was. A deer about to be wiped out by a fucking tractor-trailer doing ninety straight at her.
“I – Dragon, please…” It was useless, it was stupid to even try, but she just didn’t know what else to do. She had to do something. “I just –”
“You just nothing. Nothing at all. You get your ass over there to the set and you strip and you wait for your instructions, like any semi-decent whore does.”
“Is this – are you doing this for you? Like – for you privately?”
“Ahhh.” He grinned. “Grasping at hope and straws, huh?”
“I just meant –”
“I know what you meant.” He looked over at Bulldog. “Do you know what she meant, Paul?”
Ah. So now dickhead has a name. A surprisingly boring and normal name for a hound of hell.
“Sure do,” Paul drawled, and Trish’s hatred of him went up a few more damn notches. “She’s wondering if Thalia Flame’s newest BDSM vid is going to go viral, or if it will be kept just for you, boss.”
Trish bit her lip, fought to stay quiet. If she said nothing, they’d get to the point quicker.
“Hmmmm,” Dragon said, as if those two options had never occurred to him. “Well. As much as I’d truly enjoy having a little tasty something to watch before bed every night, I also think it’d be great if Thalia was back
online, showing the world what she’s got. Seems selfish to keep something like that all to myself, somehow.”
Her stomach lurched and she really thought that she was going to throw up, right there. She decided that if it happened, she’d make a point of puking on Paul’s shoes.
But she had to admit that she wasn’t even slightly surprised. The second that she’d walked into this room and seen the cameras and props, she’d known what was what.
The threat was loud and it was clear.
If she didn’t do this, then Dragon would release the rape video.
It came to her that there was a possibility that even if she did do this, maybe he’d still release the rape video, but he’d held onto it this long, maybe he’d hold onto it a bit longer. If she appeased and placated him. Also, it was pretty terrific blackmail material, it was a serious ace up his sleeve – she didn’t see him relinquishing his advantage yet. Maybe not ever.
So if she did this, then he’d be back again and again; no way this was a one-time thing. But if it kept the rape video off the internet, maybe it was worth it.
Was it worth it?
Keegan.
He came to her mind’s eye now, just strolled on in carrying a cup of coffee and a plate of fresh-made brownies, all sexy and hot in his jeans and tight t-shirt. Tall and dark and strong, accepting so much about her past and her present without judgement or question. And all that he expected in return for that unbelievable faith was her honesty and openness. Those steady silver eyes gazed at her face and her body and saw her whole soul and being; they always had.
If she did this today and the resulting horrible video of her all tied up on the St. Andrew’s Cross and flogged erupted over the internet like wildfire, Keegan might see it. He didn’t watch porn, but still… there were a million ways to find out about things online even without directly searching for them or even being on the internet. Gossiping co-workers and friends, a quick glance at a passing cell phone screen, article links and prompts online for trending news.
Meredith.
She was suddenly in mind too, with her proper demeanor, the one that hid her funny and kind soul. Meredith had taken a huge chance on her, Trish knew: she’d gone against her sons’ wishes by hiring Trish, she’d taken her in when she’d been looking for a home and a warm place to land. She’d shown trust in an unknown young woman and Trish had worked hard to live up to that faith, to earn it and deserve it.
What if Meredith found out about whatever the hell Dragon had planned for her today?
Was that betrayal worth doing it, even if complying here and now kept the rape video locked up tight on a USB drive somewhere in L.A.?
Could she ever look Meredith in the face again?
No. No goddamn way.
She couldn’t do it. None of it and not anymore. She’d killed off Thalia two years ago and Trish wasn’t going to resurrect her today, not any day. Thalia Flame was dead and gone and buried in the ground, and that’s where that bitch was staying.
No matter what it cost Trish Montgomery to keep her there.
If saying ‘no’ now meant that Dragon released the rape video, and she had to tell Keegan and Meredith what had happened back in L.A. as she was dragged all over the goddamn internet – well. That was the price for her dignity and integrity.
It was a price that she was willing to pay. Her new life was worth it; being honest with Keegan and Meredith was definitely worth it.
She was just opening her mouth to say no to him, no to this porn shoot today and the blackmail carrying on, no to submitting to his twisted control for one heartbeat longer and to hell with the consequences that rained down on her and washed away her hard-won privacy… when for the second time in less than ten minutes, a familiar voice came from behind her:
“Trish? What the actual fuck is goin’ on here?”
Once more, Trish spun wildly, almost dizzy from the sudden movement. When she saw that her fears were fully realized, she shut her eyes again, trying to block out this awful awful new horror.
Oh God. Oh no. No no no.
“Ahhhh.” Dragon’s smug little tone snapped her back into herself and she opened her eyes again. It occurred to her that he was going to love every single second of this new development and she felt nothing but absolute panic. “Keegan. Welcome. Come on in. I’ve heard so much about you from Thalia here.”
Keegan was standing in the doorway, looking a combination of shocked and sickened as he took in the cameras and lights, the equipment, the bed. He stared at the two men, took in the dragon tattoo, the cigarette, the sneers. His gaze slid back to Trish now and her stomach turned into a block of ice as she saw that those amazing eyes were pure steel: cold and grey and distant.
“Keegan,” she said numbly, taking a step towards him. “Please – let me explain.”
“No, no,” Dragon said jovially. “Let me explain.”
“Shut up!” she flared at him, beyond caring what happened next with him. “Just shut the fuck up! You aren’t telling him anything!”
“You think so?” he asked, his voice silken. “Not even that you called up Paul over there and begged for us arrange this shoot for you to earn some fast cash?”
“I didn’t –”
“You sure did. You told me just yesterday that you missed the glamorous life and the fame, and that you knew that you could talk Keegan around to accepting it. After all, you have – what did you call it now? Oh, yes.” Dragon sneered. “I believe your words were, ‘I have a golden pussy that keeps him right where I want him’. You said that if he had any problems or qualms, you’d just fuck them out of him.”
“No,” she whispered. “I never –”
“Trish.” Keegan said her name in a way that she’d never heard before: he said it like he would a stranger’s. “Just what are you doin’ here?”
She looked at Keegan again. Oh God, the disappointment and doubt on that handsome face was too much to bear. She had to fix this and make it right, and she had to do it now.
“Keegan.” She heard the pleading desperation in his name, and she didn’t care what she sounded like. “I am begging you… believe me when I say that none of what this piece of shit just told you is the truth.”
He paused. “Like I’m gonna just take you at your word.”
“Why wouldn’t you believe me over him?” Trish said, appalled. “You have no idea what this guy is all about! What they’re both about!”
“You lied to me.” His words were still calm and disinterested. “You lied to my fuckin’ face.”
She blinked. “I – no I didn’t. Never.”
“No?” He narrowed his eyes. “Think back to no less than an hour ago, Trish. What did you say to me as you bolted out of my damn house?”
“Oh.” She stared at him in dismay. “That.”
“Yeah. That.” He looked around the room again, his eyes lingering on the spanking bench. “So, you lied to get away from me and come here. I figure there’s a reason for that.” He gestured at the camera closest to him. “This seems a pretty reasonable explanation for why you got a text, lied about what it was, then ran like the wind straight out here. You clearly want to be back in the porn life, and hey baby, that’s your choice.” Real anger flashed across his hard face. “But don’t fuckin’ hide it from me and then lie to me when I catch you red-handed. And really don’t expect me to be OK with you goin’ back to somethin’ that you’ve told me over and over ain’t you anymore, ‘cause I’m not.”
“I’m not going back to porn,” she said, stunned how just how bad this was; she’d thought that he’d believe her without question. “This isn’t what it looks like.”
“No?”
“No!” She took a deep breath. “Keegan, please. Let’s get out of here and we can sit down and talk, just the two of us.”
“Ain’t interested, princess.” He shrugged. “If you didn’t want to shoot a porno, why the hell did you lie and then come out to the middle of nowhere?”
“Good question,�
� Dragon commented. “Right, Paul?”
“Mmm-hmmm,” Paul said serenely. “Damn good.”
“Shut up!” Trish said to them both. “And I lied and came out here because I had to!” The tears were rising at roughly the same rate as her panic. “Keegan, look… these assholes have been texting me with demands for almost two years! If I don’t do what they say –”
“Wait,” he rasped. “Just fuckin’ wait. You mean to tell me that you’ve been in contact with these pricks for years? The whole time that we’ve been together? And you never fuckin’ breathed one word about it?”
“I – yes.” She wiped her eyes. “But not because we’re friends or work colleagues or we were planning this shoot or anything. It’s because –”
“You kept this huge, important stuff goin’ on in your life from me.” Keegan shook his head. “After everythin’ that we said about bein’ open and honest, about trust and bein’ acceptin’ of our pasts and mistakes… and you don’t tell me anythin’ about these guys, or this shoot.”
“There’s nothing to tell!” Trish insisted. “There’s nothing happening here!”
“Really?” Keegan looked around the set slowly, sarcasm somehow dripping from every move that he made. “Nothin’, huh?”
“Keegan… I know how this all looks, but I am begging you to please let me explain.”
“Nah, darlin’. I’m good, thanks anyway.” The finality in his words was heartbreaking. “I think I can figure it out on my own. I ain’t much for book smarts, but I know when I’m bein’ taken for a ride by a hustler.”
“No.” She shook her head wildly. “No, you aren’t…”
“Stop. Enough. I’m goin’ now so you can all get on with your work here.” Keegan turned, giving her his broad, gorgeous back. “I hope your return to porn makes you a rich woman again, gets you back into the glamorous life.”
“I don’t want the glamorous, fake, porn star life!” she exclaimed. “I want you! Keegan – please. Please.” Her voice broke. “You’re the best thing in my whole damn world.”
Keegan (Wounded Hero Book 1) Page 24