“No, said something about having to kill me if he told me.” Nisey slumped lower into her chair. “Dammit, Kalinda, this should be my choice, my decision. Just because there’s some shaman or whatever in our class, I shouldn’t be forced into telling before I’m ready...”
Kalinda gave an exasperated sigh. “Well, then don’t blame me when you find yourself over Caelan’s knee because you kept it from him, if not worse.”
Grabbing another fry, Zhenya shook her head. “No, for something like this I doubt he’d put her over his knee. He won’t want to risk the baby. No, I bet he’ll send her to the spare room in their apartment.”
The color left Nisey’s face. “Ah shit.” It was as if that possibility scared her more than a spanking did. “I’ll tell him. Tonight before the demonstration.”
Zhenya covered Nisey’s hand with hers. “All this reluctance. Do you not want a baby with Caelan?”
Nisey’s eyes grew moist. “I’ve been dreaming about it since I found out you were pregnant, Zhenya. I just didn’t want to steal your thunder, or put pressure on Caelan…Dad will expect us to get married and…”
“Puleaze…” Kalinda snorted. “You’ve been with Caelan for over four years now. That’s like a record for him. He loves you - he wouldn’t have given you that collar if he hadn’t.”
Nisey toyed with the silver choker at the base of her neck - a habit Zhenya noticed the other woman did when she was unsure of herself.
“Some say that collar means even more than a wedding band does, Nisey,” Zhenya pointed out as she polished off another fry. “I can’t see Caelan giving you that if he wasn’t a hundred percent committed to you.”
“Besides…” Kalinda stole a fry off Zhenya’s plate. “Why wouldn’t he want to have kiddos with you? You’d be the perfect mom…” She glanced over at Zhenya. “No offense meant…”
“…and none taken.” She slapped Kalinda’s hand. “But I will shoot you if you try that again. I’m still eating for two, Kalinda.”
“Is that you, Zhenya?”
The softly accented female voice behind her had Zhenya freezing. Not now…not after I’ve made my home here. I don’t want to have to run again.
“I…” She finally managed to turn and face the person. Her eyes widened as she took in the familiar form the woman she’d been foolish enough to trust before she’d left Greece, Corella Ceccarelli. As usual, every hair was in place, her makeup was perfect, and she had the cover model image down to a tee. From the tip of her ebony hair to the exquisite red heels on her feet, she was beauty personified. And with her post pregnancy weight, she made Zhenya feel like a ratty housewife, in her pencil legged jeans and sloppy t-shirt “Corella, how are you?”
The wafer thin model slid into the open chair next to Zhenya. “Good. I’m in town doing a photo shoot with Nordstrom’s.” She placed a hand on Zhenya’s arm. “I’m so sorry about Ossie. I was shocked when Sebastene and Anastassia told me he’d died in a horrible accident. Not that for a minute, I blame you…you can’t help being you…although I’m sure your friends will agree your whining gets old. ”
Zhenya shrugged her shoulders. It never changed. She was to blame for everything that happened in her previous life in Greece, or at least according to everyone else involved. She’d come to terms with her marriage, or lack of one, shortly after she arrived in America, but she wasn’t going to fight with Corella about it.
“It was what it was, but where are my manners? Nisey, Kalinda, this is Corella Ceccarelli, an acquaintance from back home. Corella, these ladies are my friends. I met Nisey when I went back to school to get the remaining credits
I needed for my degree. She’s currently getting her business degree and runs a shop over on…”
She only hoped if she bored Corella enough with dull facts the woman would leave peaceably before Sophia woke. As the daughter of Lucia, her former mother-in-law’s best friend, Corella was always looking for dirt on Zhenya. So perhaps if she didn’t give the woman any, she’d leave. Zhenya didn’t want to chance Anatassia Sikkenga finding out. She’d never told the family she’d been expecting Ossie’s child when she’d fled Greece. She’d been too scared to chance them trying to lay a claim on Sophia. She’d do anything to keep her safe.
“Well, not everyone can have the jet-setting life I have…” Corella interrupted Zhenya.
Nisey nodded to the woman, but looked to be on the edge of decking the model. “Hello, I guess I should say it’s a pleasure to meet you, Corella.”
“Of course, everyone usually is glad to be seen with me. I’m a cover model, after all.” Her fake laughter grated on Zhenya’s nerves.
“So what brings you to our fair city?” Kalinda finally asked, as the tension grew around the table.
“A modeling shoot, of course,” Corella said in a breezy tone. “I was just walking down here to get what passes for a cappuccino before going back upstairs to finish the shoot. I wasn’t expecting to run across Zhenya here in the food court. The last thing I remember hearing, you were still in Greece, living in some cheap hostel after Ossie’s father kicked you to the curb…but I’m sure you can understand his position...”
Zhenya gave her a tight smile. “Well, obviously I’m not there. After everything that happened I decided to use my dual citizenship to come here. I figured America would be a good place to start over. A place that wouldn’t remind me of Ossie…”
Corella smirked. “Of course.” The chime of the clock in the middle of the food court had a couple of things happening: the baby giving a startled cry and Corella glancing towards the baby stroller in annoyance. If she thought it would work, she’d have Nisey soothe her daughter, but there was no way her pale, red-headed friend could ever think to pass Sophia off as hers. The dark hair, and olive skin were Ossie’s. The only thing she’d gotten from her mother was her gray eyes and her dainty upturned nose.
Sighing and realizing the cat was out of the bag, Zhenya picked up her daughter, murmuring soft words to Sophia as she lifted her to her shoulder.
“Dear Lord, she looks just like Ossie.” The whispered words sent fear skittering up Zhenya’s spine. “Does Sebastene know about this?”
Zhenya’s heart sank. “No, and he’s not going to, Corella. She’s my daughter, not his.”
“But she’s the spitting image of Ossie. He’s going to want to know…”
Zhenya looked over at Corella. “I’ll see you in hell first.”
“Well, I never would’ve expected you to treat such an old friend this way…”
“You were never anything more than a snitch, Corella, getting by on your good looks and nothing else. I may have been a fool once but never again. Do what you will but it’ll be a cold day in hell before either Sebastene or Anatassia Sikkenga lay a hand on my daughter.
* * * *
Unlocking the door to her apartment, Zhenya took the sleeping baby from Nisey. “Thanks for taking me out, Nis. I wasn’t expecting that bitch to cause the scene she did.” In fact, if someone had told Zhenya she would threaten violence against another woman in a public mall, she’d have told them they were smoking crack cocaine. She was one of the least violent people around. Obviously the old adage about a threat to a child provoking even the most even-tempered of mothers was true.
“It was nothing. I enjoyed the afternoon off from work, and the company. It’s so rarely Kalinda, you and I are able to get together anymore.” Nisey, who was now allowed in the upstairs apartment since the birth of Sophia, followed her in and set the diaper bag down on the counter. Zhenya told her to make herself comfortable as she carried Sophia back into the nursery. After tucking the little bundle into her bassinet, she made sure the monitor was on, before gently shutting the door behind her.
She wasn’t surprised to see Nisey sitting on her couch when she came back out. This is the moment she’d dreaded. She’d been able to brush off the confrontation at the mall as nothing more than an unpleasant confrontation from a woman from her past to Nisey and Kalinda, but s
he knew both women hadn’t believed a word she’d said. There had been too much emotion on her part for it to anything other than the beginning of trouble for her and Sophia.
“You want to talk about it?” Nisey asked, her arm across the back of the futon.
“Not particularly. It’s in the past.” Zhenya wandered into the kitchen. “You want a drink? I have some orange juice and Pepsi.”
“O.J. is fine, but I’m not letting you off the hook,” Nisey warned, as Zhenya returned with two glasses of orange juice.
“I know. I have a past, Nis, and not one I’m proud of, but I thought I left it behind when I came to the States.” She joined Nisey on the futon.
“I can understand your need for privacy, but I need to know if whatever happened is going to follow you here. Who is this Sebastane?”
Fear had Zhenya’s heart speeding up. “My husband’s father. After Ossie died, he kicked me out…”
Nisey gasped. “Did he know about Sophia?”
Zhenya shook her head. “No, and if I have my way he won’t.”
Understanding crossed Nisey’s face as she set down her juice on the coffee table. “So that’s why you were so rattled earlier. You think he’ll try taking Sophia from you. I have news for you, sweetheart. She’s an American citizen. Little Sophia was born right here in Chicago, and some old Greek tycoon won’t be able to whisk her out from under our noses.”
A bubble of laughter escaped Zhenya at the fierce look on Nisey’s face. Her friend was a little pit-bull when it came to her friends and family. Zhenya was lucky to be considered as one of the chosen few.
“The offer is sweet, but I doubt it’ll come to that. To Sebastene Sikkenga, only the male of the species is important. Since Sophia doesn’t have the correct sex to inherit, even if he hears about her, it’s unlikely he’ll bother to leave the south of Greece to come here.”
Nisey eyed her. “Be that as it may, I’m going to let Caelan know about this ass, so we can be prepared. Máister doesn’t take kindly to others threatening our family. He’d be on the phone with Jackson and Jude in a heartbeat if we even got one whiff of him hitting Chicago. And once Olivia knows….” Nisey shuddered. “Then you’re going to have every Dom and submissive in Chicago on the lookout. That man won’t be able to make a move without someone reporting back to Olivia.” She patted Zhenya on the shoulder. “Which is the basically the same as coming to Caelan,” Nisey said, referring to the close brother-sister relationship Caelan had with the owner and Mistress of Olivia’s, one of the premier BDSM clubs in the greater Chicago area.
Suddenly the weight Zhenya had been carrying since Corella’s unexpected visit lifted, and she could breathe again. Tears of gratitude filled her eyes. “Thanks, Nis. I don’t know what I’d have done without you and Caelan.”
Nisey smiled, drawing Zhenya into a hug. “What are friends for? You take care of little Sophia, and we’ll leave the rest to Caelan. He’ll make sure you’re safe.”
Chapter Five
A sinking feeling in the pit of Gabriel’s stomach increased as he and Caelan drew closer to Olivia’s. Shifting against Caelan’s leather seats, he wondered what his friend would think if he bailed out of the SUV at the next stoplight. When his friend had basically blackmailed him into coming, he thought he’d be able to handle walking into the club. After all he’d been a member for years and it used to be his home away from home, even when he and Sara weren’t demonstrating or playing. It had been a place for him to talk with like-minded men and women. Sometimes he’d simply gone just to annoy the petite owner by asking for a Coors. As if Olivia’s would carry such a substandard beer.
“Relax, it’s just dinner. You’re acting as if I’m taking you to your demise, Gabe.” Caelan clicked on his turn signal as they exited down the ramp not too far from where the club was located.
He never should’ve agreed to have dinner at the club with Caelan and Josh, but somehow he didn’t think Caelan would let him get out of it now. If he hadn’t been so damned lonely at home, he’d have refused just as he had in the past. As they pulled into the parking lot next to the building housing Olivia’s, Gabriel had to shove down his panic. He hadn’t been back to the club since Sara’s death. In fact the last time they’d been there, he and Sara had helped Caelan with one of his bondage classes. He continued to sit in silence, staring at the building even after Caelan shut off the vehicle and exited it.
He was finally prodded out of the vehicle when Caelan tapped on the hood. It was obvious his friend wasn’t going to let him slide. Sighing, he unfastened his seatbelt and opened the door. Dragging his feet, he joined Caelan. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
Caelan clapped a hand over his shoulder and squeezed gently. “You can. It’s been nearly a year. Sara would be appalled if she knew you were moping around the house. It’s just dinner. Jude is grilling steaks in the atrium. Think about it. Those mouthwatering slabs of meat rubbed with his family’s secret blend, seared to perfection. Damn, my mouth has been watering since he invited us.”
Despite his unease, Gabriel’s stomach rumbled. Jude’s steaks were the ultimate ‘man food’. He’d tried begging, borrowing and stealing the recipe, but the man refused to give up the goods.
“Steaks, you say?” He licked his lips. “That’s almost worth the trip.” He focused on his friend’s face. “I just don’t know if I’m going to be able to face seeing all those couples…”
Caelan’s expression grew shrewd. “Which is why we’re eating upstairs, and I’ve managed to convince Olivia that Jude and Micah needed a guys night out, so it’ll just be us. There’ll be no Doms, no subs, no women at all - just us guys, hanging out, eating some steaks and drinking some cold ones.” He leaned in. “I even managed to sneak in some Coors for you.”
A rusty chuckle escaped him and the pressure eased inside. “Okay, you win. I would’ve gone in for the steaks alone, so the right beer is just icing.”
* * * *
After making it through the security checkpoint at the entrance, where he was greeted with obvious delight by the ever-present Carlos, Gabriel barely had a chance to look around to see if there had been any changes before Caelan dragged him up the stairs to the atrium. The smell of charcoal and sizzling steaks reached his nose. Damn, it smelled good up here. He was immediately happy he’d given into Caelan’s demand he join them for dinner.
When he and Caelan entered the atrium filled with the flowers and other plants in full bloom despite the cool temps outside, a wealth of memories washed over him. This had been one of Sara’s favorite places ever since Nisey and Caelan had their collaring ceremony here a few years ago. He’d even managed to convince Olivia to give up her inner sanctuary for a night to celebrate Sara’s last birthday. But before he could sink back into the lingering depression, his constant companion of late, Josh spotted them and headed their way.
“You got him to come, I see.” Josh joined them, handing Caelan a beer. “What did you have to do? Hogtie him and shove him into the cargo hold?”
Caelan shook his head. “Nope. But it came close. I thought he was going to bail out a couple times.”
Gabriel rolled his eyes. “You’re too funny. You got one of those for me?” He nodded to the beer as Micah, Olivia’s other sub approached. Tall and slender, the black man was an enigma to many in the lifestyle, but there was no doubt of his devotion to his mistress. He’d been Olivia’s long before she’d ever collared him.
“It’s good to see you this evening, Master Gabriel…it’s been too long since you’ve visited.” Micah spoke softly, a trait from his mixed heritage.
He stiffened at the honorific but forced himself to relax. “I thought you said there’d be no formality tonight, you Irish prick. Lying to me already. Sometimes I don’t know how Nisey puts up with your ass.”
Caelan snorted. “There’s the Gabriel I know. You can’t expect Micah to turn it off on a whim.”
Micah shifted, unease easily readable. “I forgot. I’ll try to remember…”<
br />
Gabriel shook it off, he needed to get this back on equal footing. He didn’t need the poor Gabriel looks tonight. He wanted what was promised…a night out with the guys. “No big deal, Micah. You’re forgiven if…” He let his voice trail off, waiting to see how easily the other man would rise to the bait.
“…if what?” Micah looked a bit uneasy, as if he thought Gabriel was going to tie him up to the nearest spanking bench.
Gabriel decided to put the man out of his misery. “…if you can convince your buddy to cough up the recipe to his secret blend…”
A stunned look crossed Micah’s face before he glanced over his shoulder at Jude, who was manning the grill. He scurried over to his partner’s side. Gabriel’s jaw dropped as the two men spoke.
“Hey, it looks like you just might get that recipe after all.” Josh took a long swig off his beer.
“I wouldn’t count your chickens before they hatch, Gabe.” Caelan retorted. “Jude’s been bogarting that recipe ever since he came up North.”
Gabriel shrugged. “I wasn’t expecting him to actually go ask. Why don’t we go find me one of those?” He nodded to the beer Josh was holding.
“They’re in the cooler next to the koi pond.” Josh offered, not moving.
Rolling his eyes, he followed the path to the small pond. A cold Coors sounded good about now. He was just opening the cooler when Micah joined him, with a grim looking Jude. Not that you could really tell when Jude was pissed or wasn’t. The giant, dark haired ex-ranger had a poker face that wouldn’t quit. Combined with his massive physique, and the slight limp leftover from his time in the Rangers, many grown men avoided him at all costs, sensing the ever-present danger which was second nature to the man. But not Gabriel. He’d seen the man kneeling at his mistress’s feet and knew the softer, more approachable man.
As the man’s shadow fell over him, Gabriel grabbed the neck of the bottle and pulled it out of the ice. “Yeah?” he asked as he straightened.
Gabriel's Light (Doms of Chicago) Page 4