Shane

by Linzi Basset

  “According to Remy, her uncle never had aspirations to become a White House resident. He prefers the challenges his position at the DOJ offers and the success he achieved over the years. Becoming president has never appealed to him.”

  “Where is President Grayson at the moment?” Billy glanced at Danton who returned his gaze broodingly.

  “He’s safe.” He waved away Stone’s questioning look. “It’s better that no one knows where he is but we better find those bastards quickly. Grayson is chomping at the bit to see his family and let them know he’s alive.”

  “That goes without saying.” Shane looked at Ace. “How sure are we that Eckard Duke can be trusted? For all we know, SPEONUS got to him before the raid.”

  “We all know him, Shane. He’s an honorable man. I for one can’t believe he is corrupt.”

  “Maybe, but you know as well as I do that everyone has a price and it doesn’t have to be money. None of us believed Sheila Maddern was corrupt either. She played her part so well that we would never have known she was one of the top leaders of the syndicate if Billy hadn’t told us.” Shane looked at Stone. “From what you told me, the Secret Service isn’t having any success interrogating her. How about we take a shot at it?”

  “I already arranged for us to talk with her tomorrow.” Stone scratched his chin. “What do you think, Billy? Do you believe she is ignorant of the leader’s identity as she claims?”

  “If she’s not, she’s one hell of an actress. The masked fuck always arrived all covered up.”

  “I don’t believe for one moment she’s noble enough to keep his identity secret. That bitch is only interested in saving her own ass.” Danton shifted before he jumped up and started pacing. “What about that fucking bank magnate and supposed best friend of President Grayson? Has he said anything?”

  “David Yale has turned mute. He hasn’t said a word since his capture,” Hawk interjected.

  “I’d like to have a go at the bastard,” Danton sneered. “Grayson is devastated at his betrayal. He still believes that Yale is being blackmailed, that he would never be a part of such a devious plan to murder him.”

  “Yeah, I guess it’s a catch twenty-two situation,” Kane said as he sipped his latte. “They’ve been friends since they were young boys. I can only imagine how torn up Grayson must be.”

  “Apart from Evans and the leader, who else managed to escape?” Shane frowned at the possibility that there was more danger lurking than they believed.

  “Everyone who was at the two sites was captured, but Billy since established that they worked in three shifts,” Ace said in a dark voice.

  “Which means what?” Danton stopped to stare at Billy. “And how the hell didn’t you know it before the raid?”

  “I was aware of two shift changes and they were all supposed to be present on the day of the raid. I assume because Alan Kezzler shared the fact that I had lied about assassinating Taylor with them, they were cautious and pulled most of the staff. I only noticed there was skeleton staff present at the time of the raid.” Billy ran a tired hand over his eyes. He hadn’t been sleeping well, not since he now had a bright red target on his back. “What it means is that SPEONUS has a fully operational staff compliment to continue with their plans.”

  “With only one leader?” Shane tapped his fingers on the table in deep thought. “At the very least that is going to put him on the back foot and upend the plans he had to take over control of the country.”

  “True, but we have no way of knowing if there are others involved. That is why we have to find wherever they set up their new operational hub.” Stone looked at Parker and Zeke. “I want the two of you to check every property transaction Alan Kezzler was involved in over the past eight years. Dig as deep as you need to. I’m sure he has many shell companies where he could hide ownership. If they have another hideout, he would’ve been the one to buy it.” Stone paged through a folder in front of him. “I also want you to do in-depth background checks on every cabinet member, senator, and governor of the United States.” He held up his hand as Parker opened his mouth. “I know you’ve already done the majority of them but you need to dig deeper. There were too many of the ones you checked previously who were involved with SPEONUS. The bastards are clever and know how to hide their tracks. If there are any others involved, I want to know. Find them.”

  “I’ll instruct the team to get on it right away,” Zeke said as he typed instructions to his team on the cloud.

  “We need to put an end to this and soon. I’m fucking tired of all the corruption,” Shane growled.

  “We all are,” Kane seconded.

  Shane glanced up as the door opened. His eyes darkened as he caught Alexa’s look when she entered carrying two trays of snacks. He smiled as he watched her biting her bottom lip. She was all bravado but it was a sure sign that he unsettled her.

  It pleased the hell out of him.

  His cock stirred at the memory of her juicy cunt clenching his shaft as he plundered its depths—ruthlessly—while watching with sadistic pleasure as she pleaded and cried for him to allow her to come. His eyes sharpened as they trailed over her body to settle on the pert breasts as her nipples hardened under his direct stare. Her body was as taut as a wire. He’d taken his pleasure over and over again during the long hours of the night, denying her the same. It pleased him to know that she had taken his warning not to masturbate seriously. The feverish look in her eyes as she looked at him was proof enough that sassy Lady S was desperate to climax.

  He might be inclined to accommodate her.

  On the other hand … he might not.

  Not if the beast purring inside him at her obvious suffering had any say about it. Of course, none of that mattered until she was ready to sign a permanent Dom/sub agreement with him. There would be no repeat of the carnal pleasures he’d claimed the previous night, nor would he pay her any attention if she didn’t commit to him.

  Brilliant, Mr. Sadist. What’s your plan if she refuses?

  Shane’s heart missed a beat at the sardonic voice echoing through his mind. It was a concern he’d been mulling over since he’d left her sleeping in his bed early that morning.

  Then nothing. I move on and find a true and seasoned masochist.

  Like hell, you will. She’s the one I want! Don’t you fuck this up, Master Fox. Get Alexa. She’s mine.

  Shane wasn’t surprised at the vehemence of the beast inside him. He’d found his female counterpart, had subtly been priming her for years … there was no way, no matter what he made himself believe, that he would allow her to walk away from him … from them.

  “Fill it up, snip.” His voice sounded gruff as he tapped on the plate she’d placed in front of him.

  Her nose inched a little higher as she stared haughtily at him. “What? Are your old hands suffering from arthritis this morning that you can’t select your own food?”

  “Hmm … correct me if I’m wrong, Kane, but is she openly sassing me?”

  “Nope, sounded like an outright insult to me,” Kane accommodated him with a wide grin. It was rather enlightening to watch a woman challenge the feared and sadistic Master Fox. Then again, it wasn’t a surprise. Alexa Silver was a strong woman—of body and mind, without a scared hair on her head. They had all been waiting for the moment when she’d had enough of the game their cousin had been playing with her. It seemed the time had come.

  “Why am I not surprised that you’d side with him,” Alexa snipped as she shot a reproachful look at him, which he rewarded with a wide grin.

  Since he’d found happiness with Rose, he’d seen the yearning in Shane’s eyes for a love like that for himself. After the disaster of his first marriage, Shane had encased his heart behind a wall of steel and concentrated on keeping his family safe. Now that everyone had found their happiness, it was time he settled as well. Kane would do everything in his power to help him achieve just that.

  “Just telling it as I see it, squirt.” Kane winked at Shane. “W
hat say you, Master Fox? It’s not too late for an ornament on the boardroom table.”

  “Gmphf, as if!” Alexa cast a wary eye at Shane who watched her with amusement. Well, no surprise there! He suddenly seemed to take great pleasure in openly taunting her. The little devil on her shoulder spurred her on to retaliate, which she did without a second thought. Leaning over the wide table, she picked a selection of savories from the tray and placed it on Shane’s plate, ensuring her cleavage was on display and in his face. She bit back the smile as his eyes dropped to stare.

  “There … enjoy.” She heaved in a deep breath which caused her breasts to strain against the restrictive blouse, beaming at the success as his breathing hitched. It went without saying that the Dom in him would punish her for taunting him later but the feminine pleasure she felt at the effect her charms had on him was undeniable.

  Why the hell not? If you’ve got it, flaunt it, I say!

  Which she did deliberately, knowing he was a breast man. All shapes and sizes. If it was attached to a female, he found pleasure in them. She pulled her shoulders back and his eyes narrowed briefly before he looked up.

  “Brave little snip, aren’t you?”

  Alexa didn’t miss the darkening undertones in his voice. It was time to retreat but she’d be damned if she did so hastily. No, the beast could suffer a little longer. Another deep breath. His eyes dropped. She brazenly pushed her breasts outward as she started to straighten.

  His finger hooked in the V of her blouse held her in check. Her breathing quickened as their eyes met.

  “Don’t tease the beast unless you’re ready to be devoured, little one, because once fully awakened, last night would be an appetizer in comparison to the hunger he’ll have to feed off you.”

  “Are you attempting to chase me off, Master Fox?”

  “No, Alexa, I’m giving you a fair warning.”

  “I thought last night would’ve proven that I don’t scare easily.”

  “Believe me, my pet, it’s no threat. It’s a straight-out fact.” His eyes dropped to her heaving breasts.

  “Oh!” she gasped as his fingers tightened and with one quick yank, he tore open her blouse and broke the front clasp of her bra.

  “No.”

  She looked up and dropped her hands to the table. One word and it was enough to warn her to keep them at bay. It was a lesson she’d learned over the years at Castle Sin. Never cover what a Master had uncovered for his pleasure. The gleam in his eyes stole the protest that this was the workplace and totally inappropriate action—since she was helplessly basking in the appreciation he showed for her nakedness.

  “As entertaining as this little tête-à-tête is, we still have a lot to cover. How about you continue this afterward, Shane?”

  Alexa felt her face burn with embarrassment as Stone’s dry voice registered. Still, she didn’t move. She might be sassy and cheeky as a sub and confident and demanding as a woman, but she was a natural submissive, with the desire to please her Dom. They might be in the work environment but the dynamic had shifted.

  He was the Master and she the submissive. Until he gave permission, she wouldn’t move.

  “C’mon, big brother! It’s so much nicer to drool over Alexa’s tits than discussing criminals.” Everyone around the table chuckled at Parker’s protest. Her face bloomed hotter.

  “Please,” she mumbled under her breath.

  “Hmm.” The deep grunt washed over her and found resonance deep inside her to spark a flash fire of heat inside her loins. He flicked his finger over one nipple and once it turned taut, he repeated the caress on the other. “Very well.” He pinched a hard nub and pulled, forcing her to all but crawl over the table closer to him. She whimpered as his grip tightened painfully. His breath brushed hotly against her lips. “Be at your desk when we’re done, Alexa. If I have to come and look for you …”

  The way his words hung in the air caused a shiver to run down her spine. It was a warning she had no intention of ignoring. She’d seen a different side to Master Fox the previous night and although the thought of what was to come in the future excited her … she was equally scared.

  Equally? Like hell! She was fucking terrified.

  “Go.”

  She scrambled off the table. Without thought, she clamped her hands behind her in pure submission and trotted through the door. Her body trembled as she closed the door. Leaning against it she clutched the tattered pieces of her shirt together.

  “I am so fucked,” she whimpered as she heaved in a calming breath. Her legs were rubbery as she stumbled to the ladies’ room where she always kept an extra set of clothes. She was used to being aroused and played with publicly in the dungeon, but she was stumped that she had totally forgotten about the other men watching them. For those couple of minutes, it had only been the two of them … as she lost herself in the dark promise the beast inside him vowed to unleash upon her.

  “Holy shit, Alexa. What the fuck are you doing? You’re no match for the true sadist in him. He’s going to eat you alive.” She heard the tremor in her voice as she took off the torn blouse, shivering at the frightening prospect.

  The question was whether it was with fear or anticipation.

  Chapter Five

  “Have you made your decision?”

  The low rumble of his voice was comforting as it wrapped around Alexa and carried her off to a place where sound was the power that could fix everything wrong in the world. It was low and deep; powerful enough to send chills through her body. He fixed her in a serious gaze—waiting.

  The way he watched her said it all. Whatever her answer was, it would mold their future. Instinct warned her that if she walked away from him now, there would be no second chances. It would be the end. He would move on. It was a sobering thought as much as it painted an empty and lonely road ahead. One devoid of happiness and an all-encompassing fulfillment she intuitively knew she’d find only with him.

  Whether or not she was ready for the beast that would form part of the foundation of their relationship, she already knew what her answer was. She wanted Shane Sinclair, had been in love with him for years, and sadist or not, she had no intention of fucking up the chance to get what she had been dreaming about.

  Him as the Master of her body.

  Him as the man who held her heart.

  Him as the one she yearned to be loved by.

  “This is hardly the time and place to discuss personal matters such as that,” she hedged, glancing at the rest of the team piling out of the boardroom and heading their way.

  His eyes narrowed at the same time as one eyebrow crawled higher. Alexa in turn pitched her nose an inch higher as she returned his glare.

  Okay, I might want the damn man but I never said I intend to turn into a meek little yes, Master, no, Master kind of sub!

  “Hawk has our Dom/sub agreement ready. I’m going to his office at Castle Sin to sign it, Alexa.” He started walking towards the elevator. “If you’re not there by the time I’m done, I’ll have your answer and tear it up.”

  “Just like that?”

  He stopped to look at her. “If you want to play games, you’ve chosen the wrong Dom to do it with. This is serious, Alexa. You need to decide whether you’re ready to commit to what I want, knowing that I have no intention of changing. In other words, you accept me for who and what I am—sadistic beast included.” He stomped off, only to spin back. “Know this: I might take pleasure in your pain, humiliation, and complete submission, but one thing you never have to doubt is that I will be fully committed to you … to us. I will care for and protect you with all the power in me.” He leaned closer. “You may fear the sadist but you are the only woman with the power to …” He hesitated. His eyes flashed darkly. “You, Alexa Silver, have what I need to make me love again.”

  It took a couple of breaths before she managed to drag oxygen into her lungs. She stared wide-eyed at the closed elevator doors through which he’d disappeared, leaving her stumped and utterly confuse
d … and filled with such joy she had difficulty compartmentalizing the conflicting emotions.

  “Holy shitting seagulls … did he really say what I thought he did?”

  “I’m afraid I didn’t hear that last part but I did hear him warning you he’d tear up that contract if you’re not … ah, and there she goes,” Kane chuckled as she jumped up and raced towards the elevator. She smiled at him as she rushed inside and pressed the button.

  “Thanks, Kane. I owe you one.”

  “Don’t think I won’t take you up on that, squirt.”

  Alexa was too intent on getting to the Castle in time to pay too much attention to Kane’s promise. It was more important to get to Hawk’s office before Shane tore up their contract. She knew him well enough to know it wasn’t an idle threat.

  Hawk’s voice penetrated as she approached his office on the ground floor of Castle Sin. “Are you sure you don’t want to give her another minute or two?”

  “You should know better than to ask that, Hawk. I’m not the kind of man to makes idle threats. No, she’s had enough time. Tear it up. On the other hand, give it here. I’ll do it myself.”

  “Don’t you fucking dare,” she snapped as she walked up to him and snatched the document from him. The look she cast at him chilled the temperature in the room. “I would suggest that you shouldn’t be so stringent, Master Fox, especially with something as important as this … but I would never dare to be that forward.”

  “Good. At least you seem to understand the dynamic of our future relationship.”

  “May I have a pen please, Master Hawk?”

  “Not until you’ve read every word in that agreement, Alexa. No.” He held up his hand as she started to protest. “Within our community, that contract is legal and binding. With it comes repercussions, and I for one, wouldn’t be doing my duty if I didn’t ensure you fully grasp the kind of relationship Master Fox is proposing.”

  Alexa looked at Shane who watched her broodingly.

  “I suggest you do as Hawk says. I don’t want you to cry wolf the first time I push you past your boundaries.”