Reborn as Bree [The ShadowDance Club 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Avery Gale

  “I’m twenty-four.”

  “Okay. Just so you know, Master Creed is twenty-nine and I am twenty-eight. Now, what is your occupation, love?” None of her reactions had been a big surprise until now. When her eyes filled with tears and sadness swept over her in visible waves he’d been shocked to his core. Of all the questions he’d ever asked a sub, he’d never had one react like this to an inquiry about what they did for a living. He waited, never letting his eyes move from her, and in his peripheral vision, he saw that Jamie was watching her also.

  They watched as Bree took a couple of deep, steadying breaths and then said, “I do not have a career at this time. I had to give up something I loved very much recently and I haven’t found…I haven’t decided, well, I just don’t know what to do now.” When she finally brought her gaze up to theirs there were tears racing down her cheeks and the bleakness that surrounded her had them both wrapping their arms around her.

  “We’ll be exploring that more later, but for now, up you go.” Ethan helped her to her feet and turned her to face Creed. “Now, you’ll want to shower and get ready for dinner. We’ll lay out your clothes on the bed while you are in the shower.”

  Jamie stepped forward and cupped her cheek in his hand. “Wear what we lay out for you, nothing more and nothing less. Is that clear? We’ll be back in fifteen minutes to get you. Do not leave the suite without us. Now, let’s get you into the bathroom and into that shower.” Ethan watched as he turned her and kept his hand pressed to her lower back. Maintaining physical contact whenever possible was critical at this stage, not only for the Dom, but for the sub as well and Ethan knew Jamie recognized Bree’s need for contact was greater because of her feelings of vulnerability. Ethan had known Doms who used denial of touch as a way to “manage” their sub’s behavior and time and again he’d seen that plan fail miserably.

  Continuing in the same matter-of-fact tone of voice, Jamie said, “After dinner, we’ll come back up here and play for a bit. During dinner, you are going to meet a lot of people, but don’t worry about keeping everyone straight at this point. What you do need to remember is that we will be touching you during the meal. When we sit down you’ll spread your legs apart and leave them that way, hooking your legs on the outside of the chair legs. If we move your clothing aside, you will leave it as we’ve positioned it. Oh and, sweetness, don’t expend a lot of energy worrying about what the others will think, because I can assure you, every submissive at the table is going to be experiencing much the same thing or more.” Both Ethan and Jamie chuckled and Ethan was relieved to see her panic fade a bit as Jamie directed her into the suite’s beautiful bathroom and shut the door.

  Ethan couldn’t have agreed more when Jamie sighed, “She’s ours, you know. There is something about her that calls to me and I can see that you feel the same. Let’s go get ready. I haven’t looked forward to dinner this much in a very long time.”

  Chapter 9

  Bree was busy in the kitchen helping Selita. Catherine had been right, the small woman was an absolute hoot to spend time with. Bree had never really learned to cook in a real kitchen because her family had always lived in relatively primitive conditions. And except for her time in college in London, she hadn’t even lived in a place with indoor plumbing until moving to Denver. As she had looked around the kitchen, she’d been amazed, it was incredibly beautiful and there were so many gadgets. She’d laughed and told Selita that she didn’t even know what most of those interesting little appliances did.

  Helping set the table had been an experience in itself. Mercy, did they really feed this many people? And when people had started to congregate in the open dining area she’d been introduced to so many people she feared she’d never learn all their names. Alex and Zach Lamont’s wife Katarina had blown into the kitchen just a few minutes after Bree and had immediately made her feel like an old friend rather than a guest. The little whirlwind had insisted Bree call her Kat and had promised to arrange a “Girls’ Night In” margarita party in the near future. Kat had barely whispered the words but had still received a scathing look from Alex while Zach had stood behind his brother and winked at his wife. Their easy interaction had helped Bree feel at home and she’d been sure that had been their intention.

  Alex’s easy command of the room was clearly evident when he’d moved to seat his wife and everyone else had immediately taken their seats. Bree was carrying the last tray into the dining area, struggling a bit under its weight. She looked up to see Jamie stand and she knew he’d been speaking to her but all that had registered was the one word that had haunted her dreams for a past year, “Chère.” Suddenly it was like she was an observer, watching herself from the outside. Somewhere in the back of her mind she realized that she’d frozen in place and dropped the tray to the floor, shattering the serving dishes and sending food in all directions. But it was as if she was watching the events unfold as an observer and everything was happening to someone else.

  Bree felt people surrounding her and heard the sound of voices, but they sounded so distant she wasn’t able to make out their words over the roaring in her ears. She had no idea how she’d gotten from the dining room into an office where she now found herself sitting on Jamie’s lap. He was so tall that even cradled in his care her head easily fit under his chin. She felt like a child, small and fragile, but safe.

  Feeling the small prick of a needle in her arm, she looked up to see Zach Lamont’s concern and knew he’d spoken to her, but she had no idea what he’d said. Bree tried to reengage, suddenly realizing that she’d done it again. Damn, I haven’t had a panic attack in months, I thought I was past it, these people must think I’m a lunatic.

  Oddly, it was Kat’s voice that finally made it through the fog. “I know that look, girlfriend, and no we don’t think you’re nuts. You just knock that shit off right now and come back to us, you hear me?”

  “Katarina, language.” Bree knew that voice belonged to Alex Lamont. She felt like she was swimming to the surface, slowing making her way through a dense haze. It was like trying to swim through Jell-O—God, she hated swimming through that. Her counselor had made the analogy and for some reason it had seemed bizarrely perfect.

  Looking up into Jamie’s face she saw how worried he was, she finally managed to lick her lips to force out the words. “You called me chère. It’s really you, isn’t it? You’re my Cajun Angel, aren’t you?” She saw his stunned expression and the confusion in his eyes. “You rescued me. You carried me out of hell and you called me chère.”

  * * * *

  Jamie’s heart had nearly stopped when he’d seen the stricken look on Bree’s face just before she’d dropped the tray. Then she’d fallen ass over teakettle, as his mama had always said, into what appeared to have been a full-blown flashback. He was sure she hadn’t even been aware that he’d scooped her up in his arms and carried her out of the chaos that had followed the explosion of food and china from the tray hitting the floor.

  Zach Lamont had been the medic for their Special Forces team and he had snagged his med bag immediately. When they hadn’t been able to bring her back from what was obviously a dangerous psychological ledge, he’d suggested they administer a mild sedative. Jamie and Alex had both nodded their approval and Alex had stilled Ethan when he’d started to voice a protest. As Alex spoke in soft tones to Ethan off to the side, Jamie had only caught a few of the words, but enough to know Catherine had warned them that this might occur, so the Lamont brothers hadn’t been as surprised as everyone else by Bree’s reaction.

  When his little blonde beauty had finally started to come back to the present, Jamie been completely leveled by her words. Bree Hart was Sabrina Gillette? A part of him was shocked to his core, but on another level, it made perfect sense. It explained why she’d seemed so familiar, and why he’d felt such a deep connection to her.

  Hell, it even explained the sense both he and Jantz had shared that she was either a spook or in some kind of witness protection program. Perfect ba
ckgrounds are almost always created and when Mitch Grayson had shared the details of hers with them, they had both started watching for any signs of deception indicating she used Catherine Lamont as a way to get in to ShadowDance. They hadn’t seen anything to indicate she was anything but sincere, so the next logical conclusion was she was under the protection of some alphabet agency. And it was glaringly obvious that agency wasn’t doing a very good job.

  Jamie lifted his palms and placed them gently on both sides of her face, his thumbs stroking her cheeks with feather softness. “Oh, chère, I can hardly believe that it’s you.” He had to stop and take several deep breaths in an effort to maintain his composure. “They told me you’d died from the injuries you had sustained. How could they make such a mistake? How did that happen? Where have you been? How did you end up here?” When he noticed hesitance flash in her eyes he added, “I need to know, sweetness. I have to know just who to thank for the fact you are now safely nestled in my arms. And I want you to know, I’m not letting you go so easily this time, chère.”

  Ethan had moved to his side and had pulled one of her trembling hands into his own. Jamie kept her securely in his arms as he slowly turned her so that they all three faced Alex and Zach Lamont who had taken up their usual positions on either side of the fireplace mantel.

  The natural rock fireplace took up the largest part of one wall in the brothers’ massive office. Two walls were floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the drive leading to the mansion and The Club. The other window looked over the gardens and back deck. When Katarina had been injured twice in their home, the brothers had replaced all the windows in the mansion with bulletproof glass and installed a security system that rivaled Fort Knox. Smiling to himself, Jamie was pleased to know that Bree would be behind those same protections. It was obvious if she’d had to give up her former life and change her identity. But it was the fact that Catherine Lamont evidently felt Bree continued to be in some kind of serious danger that sent shards of icy-cold fear through Jamie’s heart.

  Ethan was gently tracing invisible circles in her shaking palm, but Jamie knew the move would begin to calm her soon. The palms were particularly sensitive to the little bit of massage therapy and Jamie was grateful his friend had thought to use it. Katarina Lamont had moved to speak with Alex, and Jamie watched as one of the most Dominant men he’d ever known looked down at his tiny spitfire of a wife with nothing but tenderness.

  Both Jamie and Ethan had been on the same team with Alex and Zach. And had you told either of them two years ago that Alex Lamont would be completely taken with a diminutive woman who let both of her husbands believe themselves to be in charge, they’d both have laughed you into obscurity.

  Seeing Alex and Zach with Kat had been eye-opening for several of their teammates. Most of them would readily admit to being envious of the love their friends had found. Jamie knew he and Ethan had recently talked extensively about finding their own woman and settling down. It warmed Jamie’s heart to know he and Ethan agreed that woman was the one he was now holding gently in his arms.

  Jamie had a new appreciation for the tenderness he saw as he watched Alex reach up and trail the back of his knuckle down Kat’s cheek before he turned her toward his brother. Alex then faced the three of them and said, “Our sweet wife has suggested that we all return to the dining room and finish our meal before we discuss this situation. I think she has a valid point, her hope being that Bree will settle a bit. And with the medication Zach administered, Bree is going to need to eat quickly so the ‘horse dose’ she believes her new friend was given doesn’t ‘flatten her.’” They all chuckled when Kat received a swat on her lush ass from Zach.

  “Kitten, I did not give her a large dose and you are going to pay for those remarks later.” Zach’s harsh tone was softened by his smile and the tender kiss he placed on the end of Kat’s nose. “I do agree, though, food would be in Bree’s best interest. Let’s eat and then reconvene here with the rest of the team. Colt and Jenna were planning to join us for dinner weren’t they? And I’ll call Dylan and Mia and see if they can’t make it in time for dessert.”

  Moving back to the dining room, Bree’s face turned bright red when the room went silent when they entered. Kat stepped in front of her and gave Bree a fast hug before pulling back and speaking directly to her. “They are friends, Bree, they are just worried about you. Please don’t be embarrassed. We take care of each other, we are family. Now come on, I’m starving and I don’t get to eat until you eat.” Kat smiled again and then grinned. “So you, girlfriend, need to just suck it up and sit down so I can eat my dinner and enjoy my husbands’ hands on me when they think you all aren’t watching them make me come during dinner.”

  “Katarina, I swear, you would pull a lion’s tail just for the entertainment of the chase. Sit down. Now!” Alex’s sharp words made Kat grin even bigger, then with a wink to Bree, she quickly moved to her seat. As they walked by her, Jamie leaned down and whispered his thanks to Kat. She had, with a few simple words, defused the situation. God, you had to love her. Kat, you just earned yourself one “Get out of jail free” card.

  Chapter 10

  Bree felt somewhat lethargic from the sedative Zach had given her, but she still managed to thoroughly enjoy the pandemonium the Lamonts referred to as dinner. Sitting between Jamie and Ethan she noticed that at least one of them had a hand on her at all times. They had quickly reminded her how they expected her to sit and Bree found an odd sort of comfort in the fact that they were still doing the things they had said they would do. In some weird way it was as if they hadn’t all just discovered she was not who they’d been told she was and that Jamie had been the hero who had rescued her. Shaking her head at the irony of it all, she felt Jamie lean over and brush his lips up the side of her neck and whisper in her ear, “Mon chère, what are you thinking about? And I caution you, tell me the truth, I don’t want to have to punish you during your first meal with us.”

  Bree looked up into his eyes and was immediately lost in their intensity and color. How will I ever be able to have any secrets from these men? They see my soul. She had taken so long to answer, Jamie leaned forward and nipped her earlobe, bringing her back to the question he’d asked. “Um, I was just thinking how much I appreciated that you were both still touching me. That you, well, you seem like…maybe, you are still interested in helping me learn about this lifestyle.”

  She sighed and stiffened, hoping Jamie wouldn’t know she was holding back something. But he wasn’t fooled. “And? Out with it all, sweetness. We’ll have no secrets, understand?” Pickle fudge, I should have known it was too much to ask for that I could retain a sliver of my dignity.

  Bree knew she stuttered her answer, “Y–y–yes, Sir. Well, I was just thinking that it’s as if I get lost in your eyes and I know you can see clear into my soul. It’s a bit unnerving, you know?” Jamie watched her for so long that she started to fidget and she just concentrated on her hands as she rolled a small section of fabric between her fingers. Just when she thought she might wear a hole in the semitransparent dress, Jamie grasped her fingers in his own and slowly pried the fabric from them before flattening her palms on her spread thighs. When she looked up she saw Ethan watching them intently and she wanted to groan because she was sure he’d heard the entire conversation. Yep, my humiliation is now complete.

  * * * *

  Sitting in the Lamonts’ office, Bree glanced around the room and was astonished to see how many people had made their way inside. She noticed that the only other woman in the room was the pregnant woman they had introduced as Mia Marshall. Ethan had explained that Mia and her husband were both former DEA agents and that Dylan Marshall was now the Climax County Sheriff. Bree had wanted to hide behind Ethan when they’d been introduced, the man was huge. But the minute he smiled his whole demeanor changed and watching him dote on his wife had won Bree over in a matter of minutes.

  Alex stepped forward and spoke to her first. “Bree, I see you have noticed
that there are quite a number of people in this room. I’m guessing there are more than you had expected. I also want you to notice that Katarina and Jenna were not allowed in since they do not have the appropriate clearance levels for this conversation. Rest assured, everyone here has or recently had a clearance level far above whoever you are working with in your protection program.” She watched as he visibly stiffened then added, “And I use the term ‘protection’ loosely because it took Grayson about ten minutes to find out your identity was created and another thirty minutes until he had your real name.”

  Bree’s gaze snapped to the man who had been introduced to her earlier as Mitch when he stepped forward and laid a file folder on the sofa table in front of her. Sitting down, Mitch spoke directly to her and even though she could tell he was a Dom, there seemed to be an underlying compassion in his look and voice. “Bree, this is everything from several different agencies that have or are still tracking you as well as a fairly extensive dossier on your parents.” She knew he had to have heard her gasp, it was humbling how quickly they’d been able to gather information she’d been assured was secure. He refocused her attention when he took her hands in his own before continuing, “Did you know they put a tracking device in you?” It felt like her entire body had suddenly been encased in ice. She started trembling and shaking her head back and forth, even she didn’t know if it was in denial or in answer to the question. “It’s just under the skin on the back of your right shoulder. Do you experience a tingling sensation in that area?”

  Stunned that he would know about the tingling she regularly experienced, she nodded then said, “Yes, how did you know about that? Is it in my medical records? The doctors said it was the consequence of some minor nerve damage stemming from the beatings.” When her mind finally caught up, she looked frantically from Mitch to Alex and Zach before turning her gaze to Jamie and Ethan, she needed the reassurance she found in their strength.