by Maren Smith
Carmen laughed, the sound ugly and vicious. “Nice. We’ll use the owner’s card to kill Grace. I think I have enough explosive to wire the whole floor, too. We’ll blow the top right off this dump. Noon on Sunday, I think. Everyone will be in their rooms or packing up to leave. We just have to find a time when everyone will be away.”
Flint tried to keep the horror off his face, and let Carmen lead the way down the stairs. He needed a fucking drink and a chance to calm his nerves before he went back to Holly. And he needed to figure out how to prevent Carmen from doing what he intended. He could possibly cut the priming cord, preventing the explosive from detonating, but Carmen was sure to notice if he did too much.
They reached Carmen’s room first. Sliding his key card through the reader, Carmen said, “I’m going to make a key for each of us. Tomorrow, I’d like to try to catch the little bitch so I don’t have to waste all that explosive.” With a dark scowl, he added, “It would have been easier if there weren’t so many bitches wearing blindfolds. If I didn’t know better, I’d think someone knew I was coming.”
Not trusting himself to speak, Flint nodded and walked away. It was obvious to him that people knew Carmen would be here, but Carmen was too narcissistic to believe his plots would be discovered or guessed. Hell, Holly had figured it out and she hadn’t seen Carmen in two years.
Walking down the stairs, he made a beeline to the bar and sat at the polished wood surface. Too busy staring at the expensive bottles on the mirrored shelves behind the bar, he nearly missed the bartender’s greeting.
“What can I get for you, Master?” Her nametag said ‘Rhonda.’
Flint tried to grin but his face didn’t want to make the expression. “I’ll have a shot of that Macallan 30. Don’t suppose you could make it a double, could you?”
“No, sir. That’s against our policy.” Holding out an ink stamp, she asked, “May I have your left hand, please?”
Flint held out his arm and said nothing as she examined his skin under a black light, then put a stamped mark on the back of his hand before pouring his drink. She cocked her head and looked down as she added an extra splash of the expensive scotch to his glass. It wasn’t quite a double, but would be good enough for government work.
“Thanks.” He held up the glass and tried for another grin. “To Rhonda. The kindest bartender I’ve met in a while.”
“Thank you, Master.” Peering at him from under her bangs, she asked, “Is there a problem I can help with? If you need something specific, I can call one of the resident Masters to help.”
“No, thank you. The service has been impeccable. I just have some work issues to take care of.”
Rhonda smiled, revealing a sexy gap between her front teeth. “If you do need assistance, any of the staff will be happy to help. I’ll let you finish your drink in peace.”
He nodded and sipped from the rocks glass. It was rare that he got such excellent liquor and he wanted to savor it. While Carmen kept a good liquor cabinet, Flint rarely imbibed. Alcohol was not an undercover agent’s friend.
Finishing his drink, he signed the bill, leaving a healthy tip—at Carmen’s expense, of course. Carmen had been right about one thing; he needed to sleep, and he wanted to do it wrapped around his little kajira.
Holly sat on the bed, her knees drawn up under her chin. Though it wasn’t cold, she shivered, still terrified that Carmen had seen her. It had only been from the back, but it was too damned close for comfort. She wanted Flint back. She needed his comforting strength right now, even with the risk of Carmen coming to visit again.
She heard footsteps stop outside the door and pulled the pistol from the nightstand, its deadly weight comfortable in her hand. As she thumbed off the safety, she heard the telltale tapping of SOS on the wood. Her knees were weak with relief, but she kept them steady as she unlocked the deadbolt.
Flint pushed inside and, ignoring the weapon in her hand, swept her into his arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck. “Your hair smells like peaches,” he rumbled. “Better than the dye.”
“You smell like whiskey,” she whispered. “Better than Carmen.”
He choked out a laugh and plucked the gun from her nerveless fingers, then carried her to the bed. Setting her down, he stripped off his vest and kilt, tearing at the laces of his boots before kicking them off. In just a few seconds, he had her wrapped in his arms, her face pressed against his chest. His cock thickened, growing hard against her belly, yet he didn’t move.
“Master, do you want to—”
“No. I want to sleep with you in my arms. We both need to rest.”
Holly considered complaining. The feel of Flint’s thick cock and his piercing hitting her in all the right places was not to be missed. But enclosed in his strong arms, his heart beating under her cheek… The sensation of warmth and comfort was amazing. The last time someone had simply held her had been shortly after she’d arrived at the Castle.
She’d suffered from night terrors and panic attacks for months after Ashley’s murder. Master David and Meghan had taken her into their bed, spooning her until she could sleep comfortably by herself. There hadn’t been any play, of course. While Master David was willing to deliver orgasms to his kajirae to reward them, he used only his fingers or toys, or would have Meghan do the honors. It had been the comfort of friends, and she loved them both for it.
Drifting off to sleep with Flint was surprisingly easy.
Sunlight peeked through the closed curtains when Flint nudged her awake, his bristly chin tickling the skin under her ear as he whispered, “Rise and shine, sleeping beauty.”
Worming her way from the cocoon of his arms, she asked, “What time is it?”
“Just after eight. I want to get to breakfast early before Carmen wakes up. You’re going to spend the day getting pampered at the day spa while I deal with him.”
Holly grimaced. She didn’t want Flint anywhere near that asshole. “Is that going to be safe for you?” The minute she asked the question, she flushed in embarrassment. “Never mind. You’ve spent two years with the sick little fucker.”
Flint laughed and kissed her forehead. “You swear like a trucker, Ms. Dansen. I’m not going to punish you for it, though. Carmen would drive a saint to drop the f-bomb.”
“Yeah, I know. I was stupid enough to date him, remember?”
The smile faded from his face and he cupped her chin. “No, you weren’t stupid. Carmen is very good at pretending he’s not a sociopath. You got out when I gave you the chance, and you hid. That was very smart.”
Giving him a watery smile, she said, “Thanks. Let me get washed up and dressed, and we can go.”
Holly hurried through washing up and tied her costume in place. Flint was dressed and waiting with her leash and she allowed him to clip it to her collar. The corridors were nearly empty as he led her to breakfast. A few bleary-eyed guests picked at their food while swilling coffee. She smirked. Saturday mornings were always the hardest for new arrivals.
They went through the buffet line, each selecting a few choices. When Holly got to the omelet station, she asked, “Do you have any leftover—”
“Would I ever let you down, sweetheart?” Ray, the omelet chef, poured eggs into his pan, swirling it a few times. Reaching down, he pulled out a bowl filled with chunks of lobster on a bed of ice, tossing them on top of the setting eggs, along with cream cheese and tiny sprigs of fresh dill and spinach leaves.
While Holly’s omelet cooked, Ray turned to Flint. “What can I prepare for you, Master?”
“One more, just like that one.”
Ray winked and set up another pan. “Lucky girl, Holly. I like me a man with good taste in breakfast food. Go on and get your drinks while I finish these up.”
Flint barked out a laugh and led her away. “Do you eat like this every morning?”
“No, only on the weekends. I behave myself during the week so I can indulge.” She peered up at him as she spooned fresh cantaloupe into a bowl. “It’s usually oatme
al, or something else healthy.” Biting her lip, she added, “Although sometimes I make an exception on Mondays. Cook Connie does specialties. I love it when she does Greek.”
Flint groaned and rubbed his belly. “You’re killing me, woman.”
Leaning close to him, she whispered, “Gyros, with fresh tzatziki and spiced lamb, homemade pitas…”
He growled, then slapped her ass hard. “You’re a cruel woman, Holly Dansen, but I…” He stopped speaking and cupped her cheek in one callused palm. Lowering his head, he kissed her. The brush of his lips was too sweet, too soft. It was nothing like the feral claiming of her mouth he’d done last night.
It was almost as if he was saying goodbye.
Chapter 13
Flint took a bite of the fluffy omelet, nearly moaning in pleasure at the first taste. Hell, just the food in this place made him think about retirement. Instead of dealing with people like Carmen, he could eat like a fucking king and have a sweet kajira at his feet. Not just any kajira, though. He wanted Holly.
She leaned against his thigh, accepting morsels of food off his fork. He could do this with her forever. Though feeding her wasn’t sexual, it was deeply satisfying, easing something in his chest he hadn’t realized was stressed. For the first time in years, he felt… good. At peace with himself.
It wouldn’t last, though. They didn’t have very long before Carmen would be up and moving. He needed to have Holly safely stashed away in the day spa before the sick little creep woke up. When she’d eaten the last bite of her food, he handed her a cup of coffee.
“Finish up, Holly. We need to get you to the spa.”
She blew on the dark liquid and took a sip. “Should we waste that much time? We could be—”
He took her cup and touched her chin. He would not tell her the real reason he couldn’t be with her. It would only frighten her. “I have to spend the day with him, and I want you stashed away someplace safe.”
“Yes, Master.”
Her mismatched eyes met his. She might not know what was going to happen, but there was trust in those pretty green and blue orbs. His chest tightened and he slid from his chair to his knees in front of her. Touching his forehead to hers, he said, “I’m going to keep you safe, honey. Just trust me a little while longer.”
“I know.” She kissed the tip of his nose. “I trust you.”
He stood and helped her to her feet, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her close. On the way out, they passed Dane Morgan and his partner for the weekend. The dark-haired woman’s hazel eyes glittered and she frowned at Flint. She looked away when Dane tugged her hand. Flint had no idea what her problem was, but didn’t have time to worry about it. Thankfully, Holly kept her head down and didn’t see the glare Dane’s woman sent him.
Keeping her close, he led her up the stairs toward the spa. As they walked down the corridor past the pet area on the second floor, Flint hissed and pulled Holly back. With a shaking finger, he pointed through the open door.
Carmen sat on the floor with a large mixed breed puppy in his lap, grinning as the animal tried to crawl up his chest to lick his face. Picking up the squirmy mass of fur, he kissed its nose and said in a singsong voice, “Who’s a handsome guy?”
The puppy yipped, making Carmen laugh. “That’s right! You are!” He picked up a small rope toy and dangled it in front of the puppy’s nose.
Holly and Flint looked at each other, their eyes wide as they watched him play tug of war with the puppy. Littles of all ages surrounded him, giggling at the game as they cuddled their own adoptable pets. After a few minutes, Carmen got up and returned the puppy to the caretaker.
Flint grabbed Holly’s hand and they took off at a fast walk. “Let’s get out of here.” He shook his head and walked faster. “That was just… I have no words.”
“Yeah. Same here.” Holly trotted to keep up with Flint’s long strides. “Jesus, that was…”
“Yeah, no. I’m not meshing the idea of Carmen playing with a puppy,” Flint said.
“Not working for me, either. I’m just glad he didn’t hurt it.”
They both shivered as they scurried down the corridor. Neither one of them could afford getting caught.
Carefully scanning his surroundings to make sure Carmen wasn’t lurking, Flint led her into the spa. Cupping a palm around the back of her head, he leaned closer and kissed her. “I scheduled you for everything they have. Don’t leave this spa until I come get you, understand?”
Her eyes widened and she said, “Yes, Master. I understand.”
“Good girl.” Tilting up her chin, he kissed her again, enjoying the sweet taste of her plump lips. He pulled back and tapped her nose. “Behave and enjoy yourself.”
“Where will you be?” she asked. She chewed on her bottom lip and he gently tugged it out from between her teeth.
“I have to find Carmen. He’s going to want my help searching for Grace,” he whispered, careful to keep his voice very soft.
Holly grimaced then nodded in acceptance. “Be careful.”
Kissing her once more, just because, he left her in Stacey’s capable hands and went hunting for the sick little fucker. His mind kept returning to the scene in the pet area. The whole episode was surreal, like something in an Escher drawing. He stopped at the doorway to check on the playing Littles. A blonde with curled pigtails and a pink pinafore picked up the puppy Carmen had been entertaining.
Petting its head, she said, “Don’t worry, Sprout. The man is going to adopt you. I’m sure of it. He was so nice, wasn’t he?” She pouted, adding, “I hope he finds the lady he’s looking for, but so many grownups are wearing blindfolds.”
The extraordinary scene snapped back to normalcy and Flint breathed out a sigh of relief. Carmen had merely aped decent behavior for a chance to question the Littles. Smart, but disturbing, like watching Frankenstein’s monster play with a young girl.
Eventually, he found Carmen sitting on a bench in the hedge maze, a cigarette in his hand as he watched birds frolic in a fountain. He nodded once and tapped his ash as Flint approached.
“I’ve been waiting for you. I wanted to get started wiring the third floor while everyone is at supper, but we’re going to spend some time searching for the little bitch while we wait.” He scowled and spat. “We may have to wait until tomorrow morning. There are too many people roaming around. Who knew there were so many kinky fuckers willing to go to the middle of nowhere to get their rocks off?”
“Where have you looked?” Flint asked.
“I spent some time down in the Dungeon last night. No sign of her there.” He scowled and took a drag from his cigarette. “Not that I’d notice if I saw her with all these kinky bitches wearing blindfolds. I keep hoping someone will say her name where I can hear it, but no luck so far.”
Flint decided against mentioning what he and Holly had seen in the pet adoption room. “Okay, boss. You wanna look around here for a little while? It’s a beautiful day.”
Carmen shrugged and tossed his butt to the ground before stubbing it out with the heel of his boot. “Let’s try the Rainbow Room. I have some business to take care of anyway, and that’s the only place you can use a phone. I want you to wander the room and listen for her name.”
“You got it, boss.”
Holly followed another submissive out of the treatment room after her pedicure, feeling so relaxed that she thought she might collapse into a puddle for a nap in the middle of the lobby. Between the delicious lunch complete with a complimentary glass of champagne, and the hours of treatments, she was nearly boneless. The other woman left, but Stacey caught her attention.
“Hey, Holly! Let me check that kef since I’ve got you here. I’ll touch it up if it needs work.”
Smiling, Holly exposed her thigh to Stacey’s view. “I honestly haven’t even thought to look at it, but they usually stay for several days.”
Bending down, Stacey brushed the fabric aside and peered at her thigh. “It looks good, but there’s one spot
that’s gone a little faint. Give me a sec and I’ll touch it up.”
“Sure. Thanks.”
Stacey touched up the henna as Holly admired the pretty red polish on her toes. Though the spa day had been incredible, she still worried about Flint and what would happen to Grace Barnes. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much she could do about it without risking Flint’s job.
Soon, she was done, and hearing the sound of voices, she turned to see if Flint had arrived to pick her up. Instead of Flint, she saw Carmen sitting on a bench next to the submissive who had walked out ahead of her. Though she wished she could hear what they said, she knew better and hid behind a display of hair products.
Carmen sat with her for only a moment. When he stood, the woman shook her head, but smiled and said something Holly couldn’t hear. With a cheerful wave, Carmen walked away, vanishing down the corridor.
As he left, the submissive’s Master rushed up and grabbed her by the arms. Flint wasn’t far behind, and Holly breathed a sigh of relief as she went to meet him.
He stood by her, wrapping an arm around her waist as the other couple argued. “Are you all right?” he asked, his voice soft so the others didn’t hear.
“Yeah. He didn’t see me. I was still inside the salon.” Holly wondered if Flint would catch her in the lie. Every bit of relaxation and peace she’d managed to get from her time in the spa was gone. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she had to focus on her breathing so she didn’t hyperventilate.
“Good. Keep your head down and wait for me.” He kissed her softly and stepped aside to talk to the other Master.
The submissive introduced herself as Carlie, but Holly was too focused on the men to pay much attention. She managed to give the other woman noncommittal answers that seemed to satisfy her, though.
Flint and the other Master seemed to come to a decision and both nodded. Flint stayed behind to keep watch over them while the other man darted away. He came back after only a few minutes, shaking his head.