Violette's Vibrato [Golden Dolphin 3] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Skye Michaels

  “Let me talk to Violette about it. I think it’s a great idea.”

  “Why don’t you ask her to pack for just a few days and leave everything else aboard.”

  * * * *

  Violette was worried. They were relaxing over a second breakfast on their deck overlooking the Rio harbor. “Are you sure we won’t be imposing, Nik? I would hate to be a burden to Jamie and Anne. We don’t know what the accommodations are or anything.”

  “Vi, I asked Jamie that, and he says the rancho has a very large hacienda-type house near the beach with all the amenities right down to a pool and a dungeon. Apparently, Jamie’s dad was into BDSM before it was called that. The Devereaus keep a full-time household and ranch staff there.”

  “Really? That could be interesting.”

  “It’s apparently a huge ranching operation. They raise horses and cattle as well as some other different kinds of farming activities. There will be horseback riding and the beach and other stuff to do. But best of all, it will get us out of this current situation for a few days. When we rejoin the ship in Fortaleza, things should have settled down.”

  “Okay. If you and Jamie think it’s the best thing to do, I’ll agree. Actually, it sounds like a fun adventure.”

  “Jamie said to pack for a few days—casual clothes, maybe one dress for dinner. Leave everything else aboard. Let’s spend today sightseeing. What do you want to see in Rio?”

  “Casey, the purser, has arranged tours of the Christ the Redeemer Statue via the cogwheel train and Sugarloaf Mountain via the cable car. With limited sightseeing time available, those two can’t be missed.”

  “Okay, get dressed and let’s go, babe. Let’s see Rio.”

  * * * *

  Nik was glad that Violette had agreed to the side trip to Rancho Devereau with a minimum of arguing. He had expected some flak from her, but apparently the incident at the restaurant and then the additional attempt at the Sambradrome had frightened her into compliance. He knew he needed to get her out of a dangerous situation, and he didn’t feel it was fair to burden the ship’s crew with the additional protection duties. Jamie had assured him that the additional safety measures were going to continue whether they were aboard or not. Gregory Dempsey had already arranged to augment the ship’s team with professionals from an international security company with offices in Rio.

  The trip to the top of Corcovado Mountain on the famed cogwheel train was a thrill. The security detail from the ship, while inconspicuous, was ever watchful. They had lucked out, and the weather for their ascent was clear and sunny with no cloud cover from the Tijuca Forest National Park rainforest below the statue. The view was breathtaking. They had a panoramic view of the City of Rio de Janeiro including Sugarloaf Mountain and its cable car which was their next destination. The Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, Guanabara Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean shimmered in the distance. But the highlight was the awe-inspiring Cristo Redentor statue itself which the guide book revealed had been named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. The one hundred twenty-four foot statue with benevolent arms outspread that overlooked all of Rio from twenty-four hundred feet above the city had opened in1931 and had been restored in 2010.

  Jamie Devereau had arranged a private Mass at Our Lady of Aparecida Chapel located at the base of the statue for the passengers who wished to attend. The private service was limited to fifteen celebrants, and Jamie and Anne as well as Nik and Violette had elected to participate. When the service had concluded, they all took the time to ride the panoramic elevators up the statue and enjoy the fabulous view before boarding the train to descend the mountain.

  The trip to the peak of Sugarloaf Mountain on the cable car from Praia Vermelha, or Red Beach, had Violette gripping Nik’s arm like a vise as it soared out over the abyss, and he was glad for the excuse to hold her in the safety of his arms. The tenuous situation had caused ripples of apprehension to course through his body. The events of the past few days had shaken his confidence in his ability to keep her safe. They were far from home, and he didn’t have his personal security team to rely on. He knew Jamie’s people were top notch, and he and Violette would have to rely on them until they were at home again.

  “Vi, this cable car is considered one of the safest in the world. Relax and enjoy the view.”

  “I know. It just makes my muscles clench all the way to my feet.”

  The view was just as spectacular as the one from Corcovado Mountain, but now included a different perspective of the inspiring Christ the Redeemer statue that they had just visited.

  When they returned to the ship, Nik and Violette packed for the short trip to Rancho Devereau, and then they joined the other two couples in the lounge for dinner. Harper and Morgan were the only people aboard, except for the security officer and the captain and chief mate, who knew where they were going. After dark they slipped off to board the helicopter for the trip to Rancho Devereau together with the ABs, Tommy and Sam, from the security team. As they roared away from the ship the helicopter was swallowed by the black sky over the ocean. Nik was happy to be leaving the ship for a few days and intended to enjoy the respite from the pressures of keeping Violette safe.

  Chapter Ten

  Rancho Devereau - State of Bahia, near Salvador, Brazil, March 1, 2014 – Saturday 11:30 p.m., Day Eleven of the Cruise

  When they landed at the rancho, Violette was glad to get out of the Golden Dolphin’s helicopter and onto solid ground. A good portion of their flight had been over dark, open water, and that had made her nervous. She couldn’t see much of her surroundings as they approached the hacienda. It was very dark, and the sky was a blanket of bright stars that looked different from their perspective below the Equator. Once inside she was amazed at the heavy and opulent antique Spanish furnishings. The floors were highly polished dark wood covered by scattered, colorful woven rugs, and the walls were graced with what looked to Violette to be Old Masters’ paintings. She would have to check them out later to see if she could determine the artists.

  “Oh, Jamie! This is gorgeous. I really didn’t know what to expect.”

  “We don’t use it much, but Max makes sure everything is kept ready at all times. My father used to spend a lot of time here.” Violette could tell by the expression on his face that Jamie did not really want to talk about his father. What is that all about? She guessed she would find out eventually if she was meant to know.

  “So where are we exactly?”

  “About fifty miles north of Salvador on the coast in the State of Bahia. The rancho is about one hundred thousand hectares. We run herds of Nelore grass fed cattle, and also my brother, Justin, breeds some of his polo ponies here. Do you guys ride?” At her affirmative nod, he continued, “Great. We’ll take a trail ride tomorrow. You’ll get to see everything that way.”

  Once they had been shown to the beautiful and very spacious guest suite, Nik and Violette relaxed on a sofa in the living room while they had a glass of wine before bed. “Not bad. I have to admit I didn’t know what to expect either. I just wanted to get you away from the ship for a few days, given the current circumstances.”

  “I know you’ve been worried, baby. I’m sorry I’m such a pain in the butt. I just can’t help clinging to my independence—sometimes with both hands.”

  Nik grinned at her. “I will admit you are a pain in the butt most of the time, but I love you nonetheless.” He ducked as she lobbed a fat throw pillow at his head. “That’s going to get you into trouble, sub. Don’t forget this place has a private dungeon—which you can be sure we will be visiting.”

  “Oh, now I’m scared, Rossiter.”

  “Let’s hit the sheets, babe. I’m tired. This has been a long day.”

  Once they had showered and climbed into the huge, carved mahogany bed with tall posts and high head and foot boards Nik said, “If I wasn’t so tired, I could think of a few things I’d like to do in this bed.”

  Violette snuggled back against his broad chest. “Me, too. Hold
that thought,” she said as she fell into a deep sleep.

  * * * *

  Nik, although tired, did not immediately fall asleep. He had a lot on his mind. Most important was how to keep Violette safe not only for the rest of the trip but especially when they returned to New York. He knew he would face the same old challenges with her that he had confronted before. Once she was on familiar ground again, she would revert to her old, stubborn ways, and her Irish would definitely be up when he tried to curtail her activities or provide a driver. He knew she could only be counted on to be reasonable for a finite amount of time, and then she would feel “stifled.” The Dom card was only good for a limited number of plays before she would rebel against that, too. Even though she loved his dominant personality and the BDSM play in bed or at the club, she wasn’t about to put up with it in day-to-day life. He didn’t know what he would do if something happened to this beautiful, redheaded pain in the ass. She was everything to him—a good part of his past as well as his present and future. He couldn’t imagine a future without Violette, and of course Colleen, who rested in her case out in the living room of their suite.

  He knew he had to get the goods on Sokolov and find a way to neutralize him. It wasn’t going to be easy. Although it did not appear that he was high in the ranks of the Russian mob, Sokolov was connected and had access to some powerful backup. Nik knew he had to make him appear to be a liability to his Russian bosses, one that was going to cost them money. That was the one thing they respected and understood. He would discuss this with Jamie while they were here. If anyone knew about money, it was Jamie Devereau. The ease with which he accumulated money sometimes made Nik think he had his own private printing press. The man was amazing.

  Nik heaved a huge sigh, threw his leg over Violette’s thighs, and fell into a deep but troubled sleep.

  Chapter Eleven

  The two couples met for breakfast served by uniformed maids on the patio overlooking the beach. The view of the big, crashing waves was gorgeous. Violette was impressed. There was certainly no shortage of staff. Their bed had been made and the room straightened before they had gotten out of the shower they had taken together that morning—granted, they had played under the pounding water for a little bit. She was much more comfortable now that she realized their presence was not going to be an inconvenience to Jamie and Anne. Over strong Brazilian coffee accompanied by fresh-squeezed orange juice, baskets of pastries, fresh fruit, bulging omelets, and buttered toast, they discussed their plans for the day.

  “I’ll have the gauchos saddle us some horses. They will be ready by ten. Justin made me promise to check on all of his ponies, and Max wants me to meet with the ranch manager, Paolo Gonzolez, to go over some things while I’m here. There’s nothing like an unscheduled visit from El Senhor to keep the staff on its toes. Except for those chores, I’m free as a bird.”

  “That sounds about perfect. By then, I should be able to move again after this breakfast.” Violette smiled at Jamie. “This place is just stunning. I can’t believe you don’t want to come down here all the time.”

  “Well, if we had the time… You know how it is. Stuff happens. I don’t get up to Devereau Plantation outside New Orleans as often as I would like either. Although once we knocked down the old man’s dungeon there, Anne and I go more frequently—for holidays and such. Justin and Kelly want their son, J.J., to grow up on the plantation as much as at the farm in Ocala. We wanted the dungeon gone before he was old enough to notice. It’s crazy, but that little bug already has a Southern drawl. I can’t wait to hear him call the Steele and Redding girls ‘cher.’ That will be it for me.” He was grinning a mile wide. Apparently he greatly enjoyed his nephew’s antics.

  Anne piped in. “Jamie’s ‘N’lawins’ accent gets thicker every minute we spend at Devereau. J.J. is the most adorable child. He looks just like Justin and Jamie. He has that Devereau demon in his eyes already, and I know he is going to rival his dad and uncle in the Trouble with a capital ‘T’ department—and believe me, from what Max has told me, Justin and Jamie were Trouble with a capital T.” Violette knew that Anne was five years older than Jamie, and they did not plan to have children. She could tell by their apparent fondness for him that J.J. was like a surrogate child to the two of them.

  “Good old Max did have his hands full with us. Justin is two years older than I am, but I was the one who started most of the trouble. Justin was already involved in martial arts by the time I became a teenager and more serious than I was. Max Warwick is our property manager now, but in reality, he’s our father in everything but blood. He raised us from the ages of six and eight after our mother died. Our dad was not a prince of a guy and wasn’t around much after that, thank goodness.”

  “I’m looking forward to giving the dungeon a whirl,” Nik said with a grin in an apparent attempt to lighten the conversation. Violette just smiled at him.

  “Well, enjoy it. If you get down here again, it will probably be gone. I have a thing…”

  Anne reached out and took Jamie’s hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “Jamie has issues…it’s hard to explain.” Anne smiled at her husband with a look of sympathy. “Sometimes I really don’t understand it myself, but the mention of his dad brings up bad memories, so let’s just let the old SOB rest. He’s probably not at peace. I couldn’t care less, and I know Justin couldn’t either, if Jamie knocks the dungeon down.”

  “You know it’s not the actual building. I could build a dungeon of my own, and it wouldn’t bother me in the least. We have one on the ship, and I occasionally use them at the clubs. But anything connected to my dad just pushes my buttons—especially the dungeon at Devereau Plantation. I was glad to see that one reduced to a pile of rubble. It was built in the old slave quarters, and it just had bad vibes all around. The Louisiana Historical Society was none too happy with us, but c’est la vie.”

  Anne laughed. “Once it was gone, it was gone. There was nothing they could do about it. That’s why Justin didn’t bother to get a demolition permit. Well, honey, just forget about it. We’ll get around to knocking this one down, too, one of these days.”

  Violette couldn’t quite grasp that concept. She was as close to her family as it was possible to be. I guess I am just exceptionally blessed.

  * * * *

  Nik and Violette met Jamie and Anne at the coral where the horses were saddled and ready. They had all changed into jeans and cotton shirts, and Jamie provided large straw hats as protection from the strong sun.

  The four palomino horses were tacked up with large, comfortable-looking, heavily embossed, and silver-trimmed Spanish-style saddles with large saddle horns. After mounting the beautiful, well-groomed horses, the four started off down the dirt road away from the ranch. After they had traveled about a half mile, they left the road and crossed a pasture of deep, lush pampas grass that was populated by a large herd of cattle.

  “Don’t worry about them. They will just ignore us. The bulls are pastured separately. The Nelore cattle adapt well to both heat and cold, and they have a natural resistance to parasites and disease. They are really pretty easy keepers. The breed is descended from cattle that were originally imported to Brazil from India,” Jamie explained. “The beef market in Brazil has increased drastically in recent years as their standard of living has improved.”

  “They resemble Brahmin cattle with that large hump over their shoulders,” Anne noted.

  “I think their short little ears are cute,” Violette remarked.

  Nik just laughed at her. “Their horns are pretty cute, too.”

  Jamie spurred his horse and headed toward the tree line in the distance. The other three horses followed suit, and they covered the ground in an easy, loping canter. Nik saw that Jamie looked back to be sure his guests were not in any trouble before picking up the pace a little. When they reached the tree line he broke to a walk, turned north and followed the banks of a shallow creek that wound through the trees.

  When they had been riding for ab
out an hour, Jamie turned back and asked, “Ready for a break? We can stop up here. Maria loaded our saddle bags with snacks, drinks, and sandwiches for lunch.” The four dismounted, and Nik and Jamie loosened the horses’ girth straps and tied them to trees along the creek bank before spreading saddle blankets on the ground for the ladies.

  “We’re lucky the rancho has an abundant water supply, even in the winter.” He looked at the sky and continued, “We’ll probably have thunderstorms this afternoon, so that would be a good time for your visit to the dungeon if you still want to use it.”

  “That’s my plan. Are we near the Amazon Rainforest?” Nik looked around at the open prairie-like pastures. That was something he would really love to see.

  “The Amazon Rainforest is quite a way northwest of here. The Dolphin’s first official cruise was up the Amazon River. It was pretty spectacular from what I’ve heard. Although this is not rainforest land, we only use existing pastures for grazing cattle or planting crops. We won’t clear any more land. In fact, we have reforested some sections of pasture that we don’t need.”