Saved by Submission

by Laney Rogers

  The two men talked for a couple of minutes, and then Mat put down his cell. “He’s already on his way to Louisville. I figure the mood he’s in, and the way he drives, he might even get there before her.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  When Megan arrived at her old place, she parked quickly and ran up the steps to her apartment. She put her key in the lock, but found the door wouldn’t open.

  “Shit,” she muttered, remembering the instructions she’d given Nicky to put a chair up under the handle. “Nicky, it’s me,” she called out, her heart pounding. “It’s okay, open the door, Nicky, its Megan.”

  There was silence, and then she heard scraping, and someone pulling the bolt back. The door was thrown open, and Nicky appeared. She wasted no time, and pulled Megan by the arm, into the room, slamming the door, and bolting it, then replacing the chair.

  Megan’s breath caught in her throat, when she saw the state her friend was in. Her face was pale and drawn, and she had lost weight, just in the short space of time they’d been apart. The most worrying thing, however, were the purple and black bruises on her arms, and the gash above her eye.

  Nicky saw the anger on Megan’s face, and then began to cry.

  Megan rushed to her friend, gathering her into a hug, and holding her while she wept. After a minute, she led Nicky to the couch and settled her back against the cushions. Then she rushed to the kitchen and got a bowl of warm water and a small towel.

  It was all she could find to clean the wound on Nicky’s head, and she dabbed carefully, managing to clean most of the blood away.

  “Are you hurt anywhere else?” Megan asked, wondering just how many times that bastard had abused her friend. Or had it been the “clients” that had hurt her. God, what a mess.

  “Just some scrapes, nothing bad, and some more bruises on my legs.”

  Megan stared at her friend. “How the hell did you get away?”

  Nicky tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace. “The guy I was with at the hotel could see I was about to break down. I was crying and pleading with him not to touch me. I couldn’t believe it when he actually helped me to leave. I think he was probably scared out of his wits, being landed with a hysterical woman and just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. He didn’t want me in his car, but he gave me some money for a taxi, and promised he wouldn’t say anything to AJ.”

  Megan sighed. “Well, there’s a first aid kit in the truck. I’ll go and get it, and then we’ll grab anything you want from here and be on our way.”

  Nicky nodded, and laid her head back on the couch.

  * * * *

  Outside in the parking lot, AJ sat in his car, watching the young woman walk over to the truck that was parked a little way down from him. She rummaged around for a second, and then appeared with what looked like a first aid kit.

  “Look who it is,’ he muttered to himself. He waited until she had gone back inside the building and then got out of the car, closing the door quietly. He didn’t want to attract any attention, and after he’d made sure there was no-one else around, he walked silently over to the swing doors and then made his way up the stairs.

  * * * *

  Megan dressed Nicky’s forehead properly, and then smiled at her. “I don’t think it needs stiches. Do you want to go and get it checked out, or shall we grab what you want and head out of town?”

  “You know, the only thing I really want is the Betty Boop clock,” Nicky replied. “Isn’t that pathetic?”

  Megan gave a sheepish grin. “Not really, seeing as I already took it and it’s at my new place.”

  They both laughed. Then Nicky’s laughter turned to a shriek as the front door crashed open and hung, half off its hinges. There, in the doorway, was AJ.

  “I don’t remember giving you permission to take time off for a family visit,” he sneered.

  Nicky was frozen to the spot, her face white. Megan took one look at her friend and then stepped in front of her.

  “She’s done, AJ. She doesn’t work for you anymore, so if I were you, I’d just turn around and walk away before I call the cops.” Megan sounded strong and confident, but her insides felt like jelly; standing there, confronting the bastard who had hurt her friend so badly.

  He laughed, pulling a knife from his jacket. “You don’t get to make the rules, bitch, I do. In fact, why don’t we all go for a ride downtown? With a little breaking in, you could do quite well. We’ll just have to get rid of that stuck up streak you have. It shouldn’t be difficult.”

  Nicky stepped out from behind Megan. “Please AJ, just leave Megan out of this. I got scared, that’s all. I’m no good at doing…what you wanted. Can’t you just leave? We won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

  “Stop whining,” he said, taking a step forward. “Just shut the fuck up and get moving.”

  He strode over to Nicky, and putting the knife against her side, he grabbed her arm. Then he turned to Megan, the same sneer back in his voice. “On second thoughts, one of you is enough for now. Just watch your back, cunt, because when you least expect it, you’re going to find a knife pressed into your side, and then you can come and join your friend here and earn me some money.

  Panicking, Megan took a step towards him. “Please, please don’t take her, she doesn’t want to…”

  AJ swung his fist round, the knife losing contact with Nicky’s side just for a second as he hit Megan, sending her flying backwards.

  Nicky screamed.

  Suddenly a large fist connected with AJ’s jaw, and sent him sprawling across the room.

  Jacob grabbed AJ by the throat until he was standing upright, and then he punched him again, this time in the stomach. Jacob stood still and watched AJ on all fours, gasping for breath. Then he calmly walked over to Nicky, took her hand and led her over to Megan.

  Megan had picked herself up and was standing by the couch.

  “Are you alright, sweetheart?” Jacob asked, his eyes traveling over her body, checking.

  She nodded.

  Then he returned to AJ, and stood over him, more than ready to take him down again, if necessary. He looked over his shoulder. “Take my cell out of my pocket, Megan, and call the police.”

  Fifteen minutes later, AJ was in custody, and the three others were each giving their statements.

  As far as the officer in charge was concerned, that was the end of it. AJ was known to them, and with their statements, and Nicky’s evidence, he would be off the streets for a long time.

  After taking names and addresses, the officer turned to Nicky. “Would you like us to take you anywhere, Miss Thornton?”

  She looked up at him. “The only place I really want to go is to my mom’s house. I can’t stay here.”

  “We’ll take Nicky back home,” Jacob said to the cop. “That way, Megan can spend some time with her and she can work out what she wants to do next.”

  The police officer glanced at Nicky and raised his eyebrows. “That okay with you?”

  “Yes, thank you,” Nicky said, and smiled, shyly at Jacob.

  After the police had left, Nicky went off to see if there was anything she wanted to take with her, and Megan and Jacob were left alone in the living room.

  His voice filled the small room. “I spent hours on the road, imagining the worst possible scenarios, Megan.”

  She nodded. “I’m so sorry, Sir,” she said, not caring if Nicky heard the title. “I thought I could handle it. I tried to call you, but all I got was voicemail. I thought I could be back by the evening, and then I could…”

  Jacob interrupted her. “You thought you could get away with me never knowing where you’d been?”

  Megan shook her head furiously. “No, I planned to tell you, honestly I did. It was just that, after last night, and the way I stormed off and everything; well, I didn’t think I should land all this on you. Not when we’d only sorted out the last crisis, a few hours before.”

  Jacob put a finger under her chin. “Megan, it doesn’t matter
how long it’s been, since the last upset. It doesn’t matter if they run, consistently, back to back. You tell me, and we sort it out.”

  She nodded, Jacob’s finger going up and down with her chin. When he took it away, and cupped her cheek, his look was serious. “What I should be doing is putting you over my knee, and punishing you until you can’t sit down after worrying me like that. But, it’ll have to wait; now is not the time.” His expression softened. “I don’t know what I’d have done if anything had happened to you, little sub.”

  She rubbed her cheek against his hand. “I truly am sorry for trying to do this on my own.”

  Nicky walked back in, but took a step back when she saw them, together.

  “Oh, I’m sorry; I’ll wait in the kitchen.”

  Jacob took his hand away. “It’s fine, Nicky. Are you ready to leave?”

  Nicky nodded. “Oh yeah, more than you’ll ever know. I just called my mom on your cell, and you’ll never guess, M. She’s been in rehab, I mean properly, this time; stayed the whole thirty days, and she’s going to a meeting, every single day. She cried when I told her I was coming home.”

  Nicky wiped her eyes, and Megan got up and gave her a hug. “It’s going to be okay, I know it. And when things have settled down, maybe you guys can come out to Tennessee and stay for a while.”

  Nicky grinned. “All that fresh air? I don’t know if I could take it.” Megan’s phone, still in her hand, began to vibrate, and she glanced at it. “Oh, it’s mom again.”

  Megan went to Jacob, who was standing by the door, talking on his cell. When he hung up, he smiled at her. “I was arranging for the truck to be picked up. One of my drivers is going to pick up the spare keys from Mat, and take a buddy along, who can bring it back.”

  “You take care of everything, don’t you, Sir,” she said, and reaching up, she kissed his cheek. “You can’t believe how glad I am that Nicky’s mom has got her act together. Nicky had it harder than me, and…”

  Jacob was looking over at Nicky and frowning, and Megan swung around. From the look on Nicky’s face, something awful had happened, but Megan couldn’t think what it could be. She’d only just got off the phone from her mom a few minutes before.

  The three of them waited, in silence, while Nicky’s mom was talking. When Nicky finished the call, Megan felt a stab of fear in her stomach.

  Megan walked back over to her. “What is it?” she whispered.

  “It’s your mom,” Nicky replied. “She’s in the hospital. My mom was so shocked at me calling, and saying I was coming home and everything, she completely blanked.”

  Megan could tell Jacob had moved and was standing right behind her. “Tell me,” she said to Nicky.

  “Well, mom went to visit her today; they’ve become good friends since the two of us left. Apparently, your mom suspected that Carl was fooling around, and she followed him, a couple of nights ago to a hotel on the edge of town. He met a woman there, and your mom decided to confront them. There was a big argument, management got involved, and your mom decided to leave. She had a car accident, driving back, M. The roads were wet, and she was upset, and lost control of the car.

  “She’s going to be alright, but mom said that all she could talk about was you. How she’d failed you, because she hadn’t believed the things you’d said, about what an asshole Carl was.”

  Jacob put his hands on Megan’s shoulders and pulled her to him until her back was resting against his chest. Then he kissed the top of her head. “Even if things happen back to back, remember? We’ll sort them out together, so let’s get going.”

  Megan swung round, tears falling down her cheeks. “Thank you for being here,” she said, wiping her eyes.

  “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, sweetheart.” He grabbed her hand, picked up Nicky’s bag, and the three of them left the apartment.

  They stopped only once, to use the drive-through of a restaurant, and then ate, while they traveled. Thankfully, the traffic was good, and Jacob’s powerful car ate up the miles until, a few hours later, they finally pulled up outside Nicky’s house.

  “Wow, it’s weird, being back here, isn’t it,” Nicky said as both women stared out of their windows at the familiar scenery.

  Nicky sounded happy, though. This was what she wanted; to be back with her family, safe and secure. Megan, however, had left all this behind, and being back made her nervous and apprehensive somehow, like she wanted to take the wheel of the car, and drive, hell for leather, till all this familiarity was far behind her.

  Nicky’s mother came rushing out of the house. She had obviously been keeping watch of the driveway after Nicky had borrowed Megan’s cell to let her know they were almost there.

  Nicky got out, and after just a second’s hesitation, rushed over to her mom, and threw her arms around her.

  Megan and Jacob glanced at each other and smiled.

  “Looks like she’s in the right place, to me,” Jacob said, watching the two women smiling and holding each other.

  Megan nodded. “Nicky’s mom put her through some really tough times, but I’ve never seen her look this good. I’d better say a quick hello.”

  She got out of the car, and Jacob followed her, at a distance, not wanting to intrude. However, Nicky had different ideas. Stepping away from her mother, she grabbed Jacob’s hand and dragged him forward. “Mom, this is my savior, Jacob West. He’s Megan’s boyfriend, and if it hadn’t been for him…” Nicky’s words dried up, unlike her eyes that did the opposite.

  Jacob shook hands with Nicky’s mom while Megan put her arm around her friend.

  “She’s had a tough time, Mrs. Thornton, but now, the two of you can look after each other.”

  “We will, Megan. Now, you should get to the hospital, and make amends with your mom. I know it would mean the world to her.”

  * * * *

  It was rush hour and the traffic had picked up. When they finally arrived at the hospital, they walked through the corridors, following the instructions Nicky’s mom had given them.

  “When did you last speak to her,” Jacob asked, his hand holding Megan’s tightly.

  “I gave up trying to talk to her about a month ago,” she replied, looking close to tears. “She wouldn’t believe anything I said, and she was so angry when I told her what Carl had done.”

  She was pale and her hand trembled, in his. “If I’d called again, tried to talk to her…”

  Jacob stopped and turned Megan to face him. “None of this is your fault, do you understand me? It wasn’t your mom’s fault, either. She was lonely, and she got sucked into this whole relationship, believing everything he told her, because, in her mind, it was better than being alone.”

  He hugged his submissive, wishing he could take some of the worry from her shoulders. “Come on, let’s find the room, and then the two of you can make your peace.”

  When Megan tapped on the door, there was no answer, so she tiptoed in, finding her mother fast asleep. Her face was bruised, and her arm was in plaster.

  Megan sat on one of the chairs, by her bed, not knowing whether to wake her or not.

  After a couple of minutes, however, her mom opened her eyes, and then they widened, when she realized who it was sitting by her bed.

  She held out her good arm and took Megan’s hand in her own. “I’m so sorry, baby, I’m so, so sorry that I didn’t believe you.”

  It was all Megan needed to hear, and any apprehension that had been there slipped away, as she carefully sat down on the bed and gently hugged her mom.

  The two women talked for a while. Megan explained why she was in town, and how Jacob had come to hers and Nicky’s rescue, and her mom told her, in detail, what had happened with Carl, the only reassuring thing being that, when Nicky’s mom had checked on the house, the day before, Carl appeared to have moved out.

  There was another knock on the door. Jacob had told Megan he’d wait outside for a while so they could talk privately, but when the door opened, it was a nurse, wanti
ng to check on her patient.

  Megan stepped out into the hall, and when she returned, Jacob was with her.

  “Mom, this is Jacob West. Jacob, this is my mom, Sue.”

  Jacob walked over the edge of the bed, and shook her hand. Then he took a seat, and the three of them chatted quietly. It was clear to Jacob, how pleased Megan was to have made her peace with her mom, and after a while, Sue put her hand over Jacob’s.

  “You have no idea how thankful I am that Meggie has someone like you, to take care of her.” Then she smiled. “She’s always been more than a handful, but you look like someone who can handle her.”

  “Oh my God, I can’t believe you would say that,” Megan spluttered, and Jacob laughed.

  “Oh I agree, she’s trouble, there’s no denying it,” he said. “But I never could resist a challenge.”

  “Okay, it’s obviously time to go. That concussion must be more severe than I thought,” Megan said, standing up and leaning over the bed to kiss her mother gently on her cheek.

  “Can you stay, just until tomorrow? It would be so good to see you again, before you go back to Tennessee.”

  Megan glanced at Jacob, who smiled, reassuringly. “Of course, and we’ll stop by your house to check everything’s secure.”

  “Well, why don’t the two of you stay the night there? It makes more sense than paying for a hotel.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  On the drive to her old house, Megan wandered if they would take up the conversation that they’d begun at the apartment. She was so angry at herself for not having called him before she left. It was basic submission 101, and she had let him down.

  Now everything else seemed to be taken care of, thanks to Jacob, the guilt of disappointing him gnawed at her, and at the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but worry that he might decide he didn’t want the bother of a submissive who just couldn’t follow the rules.

  The house smelled a little musty, and even though it was cold outside, Megan opened a couple of windows to let in some much needed fresh air.