“No. I’ve never seen her before.”
“Her name is Karen Lunsford.”
Charlie shook her head. “Don’t recognize the name. Sorry.”
“My deputies are talking to her now.”
“Your deputies?”
He smiled. “I’m the police chief here in Marshall’s Creek. They’re trying to convince her to press charges. But she is reluctant. Besides, based on what I’ve heard regarding your injuries, I think you have a much more compelling case against Mr. Bradford. The charges would have a much better chance of sticking if the two of you were to file a joint complaint.”
“Sorry,” Charlie said bitterly. “Been there. Done that. After I escaped from his house, I called the Richmond police station. The Sergeant who took my call could barely contain his contempt. He said it was my word against Perry’s and that no jury would ever believe me.”
Jesse Colter’s lips thinned. “What was this Sergeant’s name?”
“Mario Sanchez. Third precinct.”
“Mike Conover, the Richmond police chief is a buddy of mine. An honorable man. And a Dom. A real Dom,” he added, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. “Not a strutting popinjay like Perry Bradford, who hides behind the lifestyle in order to justify abusing women. I’ve already talked to Chief Conover about him. It seems he has a reputation for cruelty and brutality and the City Attorney’s office has been trying for years to gather enough evidence against him to bring him to trial. But so far all of his victims have been like Miss Lunsford. Too terrified to testify against him. He’s been kicked out of every reputable club on the east coast. I don’t know how he managed to get invited to our Open House, but, rest assured, he will never set foot in here again. Or any club with which we are associated.” He released one of her hands and fished a piece of paper out of his pants pocket. “Here’s Chief Conover’s number,” he said, handing it to her. “He said to give him a call tomorrow morning and he’ll be happy to take your complaint himself.”
Charlie shook her head. “No. I’m not going back to Richmond. And there’s no way in hell I’m testifying against Perry Bradford. I know I told him I was going to, out there in the hallway, but Sergeant Sanchez was right. He’s rich and powerful and I’m just a waitress in a sleazy diner. Or was, before they fired me for not showing up for work. Perry can be very charming. He can also be very convincing. He sure convinced me. He had me believing he was kind and caring and ethical, when all the time he was a sadistic monster trolling for his next victim.”
“We can charge him with kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, rape, and torture. We’ll ask for a high bail amount.”
Charlie made an exasperated sound. “Doesn’t matter how high you make it. He’s rich! He’ll make bail in less than an hour. And then he’ll be really, really pissed. At me. Uh-uh.” She shook her head again. “No way am I putting myself in that man’s sights again.”
“He’s a smug, arrogant bastard who already thinks he’s above the law,” Jesse said, a bit more testily than he intended. “If you don’t press charges, the next woman he does this to might wind up dead.”
“Yeah, and if I do press charges, I might wind up dead. No thanks.” She stood and bent to pick up her purse, slinging it over her shoulder. The smell of food from the ruined hors d’oeuvres wafted up to her nostrils. She’d have to toss it in the garbage can as soon as she got the chance. It was beyond ruined. Oh, crap. My keys are in there! Ugh. She tried desperately to project an image of calm control, but inside she was at war with herself. Tonight she had seen the best and worst of the D/s spectrum. The rapture that could be found in the type of highly charged sexual and emotional connection like the one between Sarah, Jesse, and Adam. And the deep trust that had been exhibited between Nik and Jay. That love and trust had been a palpable presence in the room. And the part of Charlie that recognized that she belonged in this dark, shadowy world also recognized the deep yearning that filled her soul for exactly that sort of relationship. On the other hand, the part of her that had experienced the horrors that came from placing her trust in the wrong person, was terrified of ever putting herself in such a vulnerable position again.
Coming here had been both a revelation and a huge mistake and the sooner she put this place behind her, the better. She rose from Nik’s lap and held her hand out to Jesse. “I’m sorry I created such a scene. If there are any damages, I’ll be happy to pay for them.”
Yeah, right. As long as it doesn’t cost more than twenty-seven dollars and fifty-nine cents.
“Charlotte.” Nik rose from his seat on the couch and stood behind her.
It was Nik’s voice. That deep, basso profundo voice that lifted the sound of her name from the ordinary to the sublime. That heavy, raspy voice that snatched the breath from her lungs and wouldn’t give it back. Compressing her lips between her teeth, she slowly raised her eyes, only to find herself drowning in the black, fathomless depths of his. They were like a physical touch, robbing her of her ability to think, obliterating brain cells one by one. This man was sexual kryptonite.
At six feet eight he was tall enough to make her feel almost petite. And he really was the most diabolically handsome man she had ever seen. With that long, shaggy hair, the scruffy, three-day growth of beard, the gold hoop in his ear, he commanded attention, even in a room full of sexy Doms. And she gave him that attention, wanting to turn away, yet unable to. Floundering, her hands fluttering as if she were reaching for a lifeline, she felt his much bigger ones close around hers, warm and sheltering, giving her the quiet, unspoken support she sought.
“You came here to eat, malinkaya. You have not done so. Allow us to bring you some food. You can sit here and eat while Master Jay and I talk with Master Jesse and Master Lucas. When you’re done, if you still want to leave, we will escort you safely out to your car and you can be on your way.”
“No, really, I’m not hungry.” Even as she spoke the words, her stomach growled so loudly that every one of the four men in the room quirked an eyebrow at her. “Okay, that’s a lie,” she said sheepishly. “I am hungry.”
“I’ll bring you a plate,” Jay gave her a cheeky grin and waggled his eyebrows. “If the goo all over your fingers was any indication, I know exactly which ones to pick out.”
She laughed, feeling a strange tingling sensation in her hand where his tongue had licked the cheesy residue off her fingers. Jay was like an eager puppy. But a damned sexy puppy.
Yeah? Don’t let that fool you. Perry Bradford was sexy, too. Look where that got you.
But the vision of Jay Gillespie bent over the spanking bench with Nik pounding away at his ass refused to be dislodged from her mind. And that plug! Oh. Migod! That had to be the hottest thing she had ever seen.
She watched Jay go, every cell in her body aware that Nik still held her hands in his. And that he was looking at her. The heat from his body engulfed her like a warm blanket. The heat from his gaze set her on fire. The way she reacted to these men terrified her. It was like she was in some sort of hypnotic trance. Oh, God, I’ve got to get out of here before I do something really stupid.
Yeah? Because putting your hand in a purse full of goo wasn’t stupid enough.
Fortunately Jay came back with a plate full of hors d’oeuvres. Taking her elbow, he turned her toward the couch. “If milady will have a seat.” He guided her down onto the cushion and snapped to attention. “If it please milady,” he said in a perfect, snooty, upper-crust English accent, “I would like to present this fine collation of succulent savories and delectable dainties from the buffet.” With a flourish, he bowed from the waist and presented the plate, balanced precariously on the tips of his fingers. Removing the linen napkin that was draped over his arm, he snapped it open and laid it on her lap. “Milady’s napkin.” With theatrical flair, he placed the plate exactly in the center of the linen square. “Milady’s repast.” He gave it a neat quarter turn before snapping back to attention. “And…” He snapped his fingers and a smil
ing waiter stepped forward, holding out a glass of golden champagne. “Milady’s beverage. For the delectation of your palate, may I present this fine French champagne of superior vintage, guaranteed to tantalize the taste buds and tickle the nose.”
In spite of herself, Charlie laughed and took the champagne flute in her hand. “Thank you, young man. I must say the service in this establishment is impeccable.”
He gave her a wink. “Service is our middle name.”
Nik hunkered down beside her leg while Jay went over and closed the blinds in the huge picture window behind her, shutting the room off from the curious stares of the passers-by. “Please wait here for us, lapochka. No one will bother you in here. Master Jay and I have an offer to make to you. We own the Passion Lake Lodge, a hunting and fishing paradise just about thirty miles up the road. We also own the Icebox Bar, which features live music and dancing every Friday and Saturday night. The boys in the band have been talking about adding a lead singer and since one of our waitresses left last month to move to Scotland, the others have been threatening to mutiny if we don’t hire a replacement soon.
“We would like you to consider coming to work for us instead of going to Charleston and taking a chance on auditioning for that unknown band. We’d double whatever they were going to pay you plus room and board. You would be paid a salary and, of course, you’ll keep your tips, both from waitressing and from singing with the band. I think you’ll find that the people of Passion Lake are very generous.”
Momentarily stunned, she just stared up at him trying to unstick her tongue from the roof of her mouth. This was it. The answer to all her needs. All she had to do was reach out and grab hold of it. “Nik, I-I—”
He took her head between his large hands. His eyes were gentle. Kind. Now that she looked back on it, she couldn’t recall Perry Bradford’s eyes ever looking gentle or kind. Even when he’d been smiling, his eyes had always been cold. And hard. Almost…soulless.
“Don’t answer yet, Charlotte. Just think about it. Please. And it’s Master Nik to you, little sub. At least as long as we’re here in this club tonight.” His smile robbed the words of any sting they might have had. “We’ll discuss it when Master Jay and I get back, okay? Please say you’ll think about it.”
“O-okay.”
His eyebrow hiked upward.
“Okay, Master Nik,” she corrected hastily.
“Thank you, little one.” He bent to give her cheek a lingering caress before releasing her. “We’ll be back shortly. Eat and rest. Then we’ll talk. Okay?”
She simply nodded, not wanting to lie. She had no intention of staying and talking with these men. As sexy as they were, as attracted to them as she was, when push came to shove, she was ultimately terrified of them. Okay, not of them per se. Of the force of the connection she felt pulsing between the three of them. Of being vulnerable to not just one, but two powerful men. Of the damage they could do to her without even trying. No, no, no!
Smiling, she lifted a bacon-wrapped, stuffed shrimp to her mouth and watched the four men leave. As soon as the door closed, she dropped the shrimp, shoved the plate off her lap, jumped to her feet and grabbed her purse. Damn! Swept by a sudden wave of dizziness, she sank back down onto the sofa and closed her eyes. Her headache was much worse. And it really is hot in here!
So, if that’s the case, then why am I shivering?
She could hardly wait to get into her car and crank up the heat.
Walking toward the sink, she hesitated for a second before plunging her hand into her purse and digging around for her keys. Ugh. As soon as she grabbed them, she dumped them in the sink and turned on the water. Then she fished out her driver’s license and threw that in the sink, too. Quickly she washed all the food off of them and her hands and patted them dry with a hand towel she found in one of the cabinet drawers.
Grabbing her phone, keys, and driver’s license, she tossed her ruined purse into the trash can and scurried over to the door. Opening it a cautious crack, she peeked out. No one was paying any attention. Carefully closing the door behind her, she took a deep breath and walked toward the main entrance, her strides long and purposeful, expecting at any moment to feel a heavy hand on her shoulder and to hear a deep, raspy, rumbling voice calling her name. Charlotte. It was a sound that sent tingles coursing through her. A sound she knew she would never forget. Thank God nobody spoke to her. Nobody approached her. Nobody questioned what she was doing or called for her to stop. Within seconds she was pushing the front door open.
By the time she hit the drawbridge, she was practically running. She didn’t release her breath until she heard the click of the unlocking door in her little red Ford and she climbed in. By now she was shivering so hard her teeth were chattering. She wasted no time hightailing it out of the parking lot and back onto the road toward Charleston. She didn’t even realize she was crying until the first sob ripped through her. And then she couldn’t stop. She cried for everything. For being stupid enough to get involved with Perry Bradford. For thinking she could come to a BDSM club and get away unscathed. For allowing herself to be so totally swept away by her inexplicable attraction to Nik Rostov and Jay Gillespie. For thinking that they would be any different.
What the fuck is wrong with you? You just barely survived one controlling asshole. How could you possibly have considered—even for a nanosecond— taking on two controlling assholes?
Hey, now, wait just a doggone minute. They were very nice to me. Very gentle. Even…sort of…loving.
Okay, so they aren’t assholes. But they are very controlling. In spite of the dynamic you witnessed in their punishment session, they’re both Doms, you idiot. You wouldn’t stand a chance! They would have taken over every aspect of your life!
By that time she was sobbing so hard she could barely see the road through her tears. Her foot lifted from the accelerator and for just one brief moment, she actually considered turning around and going back. Falling to her knees and begging their forgiveness for being such a coward. Begging them for a second chance.
But she didn’t. Instead, for that one brief moment, she grieved for what might have been if she’d only been able to find the courage to stay. For the very distinct possibility that those two men could have given her what she’d been looking for all her life. Acceptance. Encouragement. Stability. But most of all, love.
* * * *
“Where is she? I left her sitting right there. Where the fuck did she go?”
Jay edged past Nik, who had stopped dead in the doorway, and moved to the center of the room, where he stood, hands on hips, turning in a slow circle. The entire plate full of the hors d’oeuvres he’d so carefully selected was sitting on the couch cushion.
Uh-oh. His heart sped up. And she left the Z-pack. Why didn’t she take it with her? That bite mark on her thigh was definitely infected! He went over to pick it up and noticed her purse in the trash can. He picked it up gingerly, by one corner, and turned to look at his partner. “I think she flew the coop.”
“We’ve got to find her!” Nik looked around helplessly, as if looking hard enough would somehow conjure her up. Then he plopped down on the leather sofa, making the hors d’oeuvres plate bounce, nearly upending it. He bent forward and lowered his elbows onto his knees, letting his hands dangle between his legs. “I truly thought she might be the one,” he said in a mournful voice. “The way she responded to us…” His voice trailed off.
“I know,” Jay agreed.
For just a second, Jay thought Nik was going to cry.
“She’s in trouble, Jay. She’s ill and she’s scared. She had no business going off on her own like that. She needed our help.”
“Evidently she didn’t want our help,” Jay pointed out.
“She doesn’t know what she wants.”
“Well, she definitely knows what she doesn’t want. And that’s anything to do with the BDSM lifestyle. You heard her, Nik. She only came in for the food. She’s not in the market for one Dom, much less two.
”
“She may not think she wants us, Jay, but she definitely needs us. Thanks to Perry Bradford, her idea of D/s is so twisted, she may never trust anyone ever again. You saw what happened when she saw the exam table. She had a panic attack! Something horrible happened to her on one of those. You know as well as I do that that’s not something you just get over. You saw how she responded to us, to the comfort we offered. She soaked it up like a sponge.”
“Until she stiffened her spine and became distant and polite,” Jay pointed out.
Nik cast a speculative look at the younger man. “She can’t be more than ten minutes ahead of us. We could go after her. She needs us,” he repeated.
“Nik—”
“I know. I know. God damn it. Why couldn’t she have trusted us?” He put his head in his hands and just sat there for a minute. When he didn’t say anything else, Jay hunkered down in front of him and put a hand on his knee.
“You know why. Because right now she doesn’t trust anybody. And, after what she’s been through, who can blame her?” He laid the side of his head against Nik’s leg. “C’mon, Papa Bear. Let’s go home. Let’s take Jesse up on his offer and take the rest of the night off. We have a lot to talk about. And I need to be cuddled.”
Nik raised his head. “You’re right, malchik moy.” His smile was rueful. “I think we both might be in need of some comforting aftercare.”
Both men stood and left the room, Nik letting Jay go first. They said good-night to all the other DM’s, most of whom embraced them and teased them about how long it had taken them to figure out that they were truly partners, not just in business, but in every sense of the word.
Nik and Jay were astonished to learn that all of them had figured it out years ago. Finally making good their escape, they walked out the back door to the employee parking lot. As they opened the doors to their Humvee, Nik joked, “Take it easy going home, boy. Unless you want me to drive.”
Passion's Hope (The Doms of Passion Lake Book 3) Page 9