by Julia Sykes
I hated that frown.
“Carter is being coerced,” I asserted quickly.
“Oh? And what evidence do you have to support that?” My boss’ cool expression was more than a little skeptical.
I could feel Reed’s uncertainty in response to my foolish words. I had fuck all to back that up, and he knew it. If I wasn’t careful, I would prove to Kennedy just how far I had fallen under Derek’s influence.
There’s more to it than that.
Yes, I wanted to believe in his innocence, but I had more to go on than lust for the man.
“He doesn’t feel in control of his own club. It’s killing him.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“No,” I admitted. “But I’ve spent enough time around him that I can read him. He hates working with Ortiz and Reyes.”
Kennedy peered at me over steepled fingers. “Men can work with people they dislike. Especially if there’s a big payoff as an incentive.”
“The Kings do seem to hold some sort of power over him,” Reed cut in. I had to stop myself from gaping at him. I hadn’t expected him to come to Derek’s defense. “Carter talked about a staff meeting last night, and he obviously wasn’t pleased about it. When he spent too long talking to Sharon, Ortiz called the shots on getting him back to his office.”
“So maybe Ortiz ranks higher than him in the tribe,” Kennedy equivocated.
I opened my mouth to snap at him for being willfully contrary, but he held up a hand, effectively cutting me off.
“I’m not saying you’re wrong, Silverman. I’m just saying that’s not enough evidence to exonerate Carter. I think it’s time for us to move in. You have visual confirmation of Ortiz dealing at the bar. We can arrest him and Carter for knowingly allowing it to happen on his premises. Once we have them in interrogation, maybe the truth will come out.”
“We suspect Carter has ties to the Westies,” Reed remarked.
I stifled my gasp, but not my glare. The traitorous bastard! He had said he wouldn’t reveal that to Kennedy. Was he trying to make me look bad? Was he trying to get Derek locked up?
Reed ignored my anger. “There’s more to this than just casual dealing. We thought the Irish Mob was wiped out. What if the remaining members are allying with the Kings? We could be looking at a whole new scenario.”
Our boss studied him with his most cutting green gaze. Reed didn’t so much as flinch. After a moment, Kennedy nodded.
“I’ll give you the weekend,” he allowed. “Report back to me on Sunday.”
Reed nodded, and we turned to leave Kennedy’s office.
“And Miller,” he called after us. “Try not to get killed.”
When I glanced back at him, I found his lips curled in amusement.
“I can handle Carter,” Reed assured our boss.
“It’s not Carter I’m worried about. Silverman looks like she’s ready to take your head off.”
It took all my effort to stop myself from stalking off like an angry teenager. As soon as we were out of sight of Kennedy’s office, I gripped Reed by the elbow and steered him to the elevator.
“Sharon.” He said my name sternly as the silver doors slid closed behind us. “Calm down.”
I slammed the emergency stop button, and the elevator jolted to a halt.
“Calm down?” I almost shouted. “What the fuck was that, Miller? We had an agreement. Now Derek’s going to end up in jail. Is that what you want? I thought you believed he’s a good man.”
“No,” Reed corrected me with infuriating calm. “I believe he’s a good Dom. That doesn’t make him a good man. But,” he forestalled me before I could rip him a new one, “I also suspect he’s being coerced. You heard Kennedy. He was going to end the op. Then Derek definitely would have ended up doing time. Think for a second, Sharon. This gives us time.”
A shrill ringing filled the small space as the elevator protested its forced stillness. Reed grasped my wrist and firmly pulled my hand from the stop button. We resumed our descent to the parking garage.
“Where are we going?” I demanded, my residual anger still burning hot in my veins.
“I’m taking you to lunch. You need to eat, and we need to come up with a plan. We’re going to break into Carter’s office tonight.”
I growled in annoyance as I twisted my arms behind my back, blindly searching for the corset’s laces.
The outfit I had selected for tonight – a burgundy velvet corset and a flirty black tutu skirt paired with fishnet stockings – was much more beautiful than the drab clothes Derek had become accustomed to. In the last week, I had worn a tank top and yoga pants at Derek’s request. He claimed it allowed for greater range of movement, but now I suspected he didn’t like seeing me dressed up like a Dominatrix.
Tonight’s outfit was meant to be an enticing distraction, an effort to seduce him into dropping his guard, but I thrilled at the thought of him seeing me in the corset.
If I could ever get the damn thing on.
“Need some help with that, hon?”
I heaved a sigh of relief at the sound of Clara’s voice behind me.
“Yes, please.”
I was a touch surprised to see Clara at Decadence after her argument with Derek only the night before, but then again, the woman didn’t seem to be one to scare easily. And she had her own agenda here. It was becoming obvious that Reed and I weren’t the only ones who were investigating Carter. Clara claimed to be his friend, but she had dropped enough hints about not trusting him that it was clear she knew something was up.
We seemed to realize at the same time that we were sizing one another up, and Clara gave me a rueful smile.
“I won’t ask if you don’t.”
She wanted to keep her reasons for keeping an eye on Derek to herself. And I certainly didn’t want to tell her I was FBI. I might like Clara, but that didn’t mean I trusted her. I hardly even trusted myself these days, much less anyone else.
I returned her smile. “Deal. Now, can you help me get into this damn thing?”
Clara’s laugh was high and tinkling. It was a sweet, pleasant sound that was at odds with her coolly controlled Domme persona. I thought about what she had told me about her husband, and again I wondered how she had managed to turn off her submissive side.
“Do you ever miss it?” I asked abruptly. “Submitting?”
“Not really.”
It was a lie, but her aggressive tug on my corset laces warned me not to pry. I kept my silence after that. I wasn’t sure if I could have drawn enough air to talk anyway. Clara knew what she was doing. She worked quickly and almost ruthlessly. By the time she finished, my waist was several inches smaller than usual, and my breasts threatened to spill over.
“Isn’t this too tight?” I asked on a shallow breath.
“You’ll adjust to it,” Clara told me with only a hint of empathy. “I can tighten it again in about twenty minutes if you want.”
“No!” I said quickly. “I’m good, thanks.”
She laughed again, that genuine laugh that was so much lighter than her darkly mysterious Dominant side.
“Okay. I’ll spare you this time.” Her hand slapped my ass lightly, and I gave a little surprised squeak. “Go get him, hon.”
“Thanks.” I turned to her with a warm smile. “Do me another favor? Don’t tell Derek I left the locker room.”
She gave me a conspiratorial wink. “You got it. You’re taking a while to do your makeup.”
I grinned and gave her a grateful nod before turning away. I wasn’t sure what her agenda was, but I had a feeling I had an ally. It bolstered my confidence as I stepped out of the locker room to stride down the long corridor that led to the private play rooms.
My heart beat a little faster with each step. Around the corner at the end of the hall was the entrance to Derek’s office. There would be just enough privacy in the alcove by the door to pick the lock, if I had to.
I hoped it didn’t come to that. I needed to get in and
out as quickly as possible. Reed could only distract Derek with questions about the BDSM scene in New York for so long before he came looking for me. I had managed to slip past him with an excuse about getting changed, but he would realize I was taking longer than I ought to to slip into my corset.
Thank god Clara worked so quickly.
The door to Derek’s office was closed. I tried the knob, but it didn’t turn. Locked.
Shit.
My fingers delved into my cleavage, searching for the pins I had tucked into the inner lining of the corset. I cursed Clara for doing her job so well. I was cinched in so tight that I could barely draw breath, much less fit my hand down the front of the corset.
I worked two fingers inside, and my fingernails found the upper edge of the pins. A fine sheen of sweat had broken out on my brow by the time I pulled them free, and I wasn’t sure if it was a result of my efforts or my nerves. Adrenaline hummed through me as I quickly picked the lock and ducked inside. The knowledge that Derek might catch me at any moment was terrifying and perversely thrilling.
The door closed softly behind me, but the dull click of the lock seemed loud enough to echo through the long hall and drift out into the bar.
I turned to assess the space for the best place to plant the bug, and I froze. In the space of a few heartbeats, I took in the wall of kinky implements that lined one side of the office. Crops, canes, and whips hung at various points in a decidedly artful arrangement. Derek had fashioned his office into his very own kinky haven. There was even a spanking bench beside the desk and chains dangling from the ceiling.
A moment of irrational sullenness struck me as I wondered why he had never brought me back here instead of using the private club rooms. But that was stupid. I already knew the answer, even though I was reluctant to admit it to myself. Derek used this office for more than just sex. He had met with members of the Latin Kings here. This was where they discussed their business.
I had wasted enough precious time gaping at the contents of Derek’s office. I had a job to do.
Thank god I had tucked the bug into the top of my fishnet stockings instead of stuffing it down my ridiculously tight corset. In less than a minute, I had it secured under the desk and activated.
“Okay. It’s done.” My voice was only just above a whisper, but the guys at the unit should be able to hear. The words picked up by the bug would be transmitted there, creating a permanent record of everything that was said in this office.
Reed had no means of hearing or answering me, so I hoped to hell he was still distracting Derek.
My task complete, I padded quickly across the room in my soft-soled black flats. I checked to make sure the door was set to lock automatically behind me and then slipped back out into the alcove.
My breaths were fast and shallow. I wished I could draw in more air, but the damn corset restricted me. Closing my eyes, I leaned back against the wall to gather my calm before I went looking for Derek.
“What are you doing?”
All the blood drained from my face at the forbidding note in Derek’s deep voice. My eyes snapped open to find him advancing on me, and I took an automatic step back. Only, I had nowhere to go. My back was already pressed against the wall.
“I was looking for you.” I tried to make my eyes wide and innocent, but I swallowed against the sudden dryness in my throat. The full force of Derek’s displeasure bore down upon me, magnifying with his every step. It was almost stifling by the time he stepped into my personal space.
His large body loomed before me, boxing me in. A little thrill of fear accompanied my arousal at his nearness.
“You knew I was at the bar. I told you to meet me there. What are you doing back here?”
“Clara said you might be back here.” I winced as I threw the Domme under the bus. Hopefully she would back my story if Derek asked her about it. Hopefully she truly was my ally.
Derek’s frown intensified. “You’re lying. I can always tell when you’re lying, Sharon. You know how I feel about that. I don’t tolerate dishonesty.”
“I…” I racked my brain for some sensible excuse. “I didn’t want to come out to the bar in this outfit.”
There. That was true enough. I had been dreading stepping out in front of everyone while wearing so little. I had dressed scantily as a Dominatrix, but this softer look made me more vulnerable.
His hands pressed against the wall on either side of my head, surrounding me in his heat. Slowly, he leaned into me, not stopping until his lips were less than an inch from mine. His gold eyes burned down into me.
“You look fucking gorgeous in this outfit. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. But even if you don’t know that, you’re not telling me everything.”
I did the only thing I could: I told the truth.
“I want you to touch me, Derek.”
Leaning forward, I caught his low growl on my lips before he could refuse me. Passion erupted within me at the touch of his mouth upon mine. I had craved him for so long, and the bliss of his kiss was a sweet mercy.
But Derek had no mercy for me. He instantly responded with a ruthlessness that took my breath away. His lips crushed to mine, and his tongue demanded entrance. I parted for him willingly, and his penetration mirrored the roughness with which he would fuck me. He didn’t sample or explore, he took. He had wanted inside me, and now he kissed me as though he would never free me from his possession.
I tried to turn my head away so I could draw breath, but his hands closed around either side of my head. His fingers tangled in my hair and his thumbs hooked beneath my jaw, tilting my face up so he could go deeper. His hard body pressed me into the wall, and he ground his thick erection into my belly. I wantonly rolled my hips against his thigh in response.
My head started to spin. I needed air, but I didn’t care. I was drunk on Derek.
He released me just as my knees buckled. In a move faster than my oxygen-deprived brain could follow, he bent and caught me around the waist. My world spun, and suddenly I was facing the ground. Derek had slung me over his shoulder. His hand gripped my hip to hold me in place, and his fingers curled into the soft flesh of my thigh just below my ass.
Instinctively, I struggled. The sound of his hand smacking my bottom was almost as shocking as the sting that flared on my skin.
“Don’t fight me,” he growled. “Not now. I’ve waited too fucking long for this.”
Derek strode through the door to one of the private rooms. His boot entered my vision when he kicked if closed behind us with such force I was surprised the wood didn’t shatter.
The man who held me now wasn’t the carefully controlled Dom who had trained me and teased me with the most innocent touches for weeks. This man was wild, a ravenous predator who had been starving. And he held me like I was his captured quarry. The beast was voracious, possessive. I had no hope of escaping him.
And I didn’t want to.
Mattress springs groaned as Derek’s considerable weight fell down upon it. My world flipped again, and when it solidified I found myself staring at the ground again. Only this time I was much closer. Derek’s hard cock pressed into my stomach, and my legs dangled over the other side of his lap. I twisted to look back at him, but his long fingers instantly ensnared my wrists, pressing them into one large hand to bind me as securely as an iron manacle.
“Don’t fight me,” he demanded again, his voice a low, feral rumble. “You’re going to accept your punishment like a good girl.”
Punishment?
“Derek, wait. I-”
His hand came down on me again, and I gasped at the sharp impact.
“You asked for this, Sharon. You asked me to touch you. I’ll touch you how I fucking want. And right now I want to punish you for making me wait.” Pain flared again as he reinforced his complete control over me. “And you’ve forgotten how to address me. Now, you’re going to be a good girl for me, aren’t you?”
The slap landed on my sensitive thigh. “Yes, Sir!�
�� I cried out.
He lightly stroked the enflamed area, and I shuddered at the contrasting tenderness. I had thought I was lost in Derek before, but our previous sessions had been nothing compared to this. There was a true connection in the pain he was giving me that had been absent even when he flogged me. His hand upon me was what I had craved, and my body didn’t care if his touch brought me pain or pleasure. It just wanted him.
When he spoke again, his voice was smoother, calmer. As he asserted his control over me, he sank into his control over himself. It was something he desperately needed, that control. I would give him what he needed. I would please him. The prospect awoke a glow in my chest that was hotter than the warm pulsing of my stinging skin.
“I’ll go easy on you this first time. You get ten for making me wait.” His tone turned sweet, caring, even as he prepared to give me pain.
The pain was caring. He cared enough to communicate his desires to me, and to correct me when I did something wrong. I didn’t have to guess what Derek wanted from me, and he would grant me immediate absolution if I ever did disappoint him. Fear of making a mistake or guilt over failing him would never haunt me. It was exactly what I needed. Stability, honesty, forgiveness.
When the first hit landed, I cherished my first taste of discipline. Things between Derek and me would never be the same after this. I would never be the same. I would be better, stronger, without the constant pressure of striving for perfection. Derek didn’t want my perfection. He wanted me to be my true, genuine self, even if that meant acknowledging my shortcomings.
By the time the fifth crack smacked against my flesh, sweet tears pooled in my eyes.
“Thank you, Sir. Thank you.” I didn’t realize that the whispered gratitude left my lips. All that registered were his low words of praise and approval as I took his discipline.
I only knew my spanking had come to an end when he pressed his hand against my ass at the final blow, holding the heat in so that it sank into my throbbing flesh.