Arresting Dominance

by Cassidy Browning

  What the hell were they doing here? He couldn’t believe what he’d just seen. His and Jeremy’s corpses weren’t even cold yet and Ginny already had their replacements? No, that wasn’t fair. He had no proof that she had anything to do with them showing up, or even knew that they had. He didn’t believe in coincidence either, though. So how could he find out the score without making things worse?

  His mind spun in ever-tightening circles until he couldn’t take any more. He threw his head back, letting out a loud, primitive growl. His shout was cut off quickly, though, as the back of his head met the side of the house.

  “Shit.” Pain lanced through his already pounding head and he shook it, trying to clear the stars that flashed before his eyes. He rubbed the sore spot on his skull, realizing that his only option at this point was to talk to Allie. She had checked Rick and Cindy in, so she had to have some information. Then he could let Jeremy know what was going on and they could decide what to do next.

  He stood and continued around the side of the house toward the back porch. He knew the kitchen was his best bet for finding her alone.

  * * * *

  “Oh, shit! You scared me.” Allie stopped short as she stepped into the kitchen and saw Liam sitting at the counter.

  He gave her a serious look that made her feel like a suspect in a murder trial. “I need some answers.”

  “Okay,” Allie said cautiously. “I don’t know how much help I can be but what do you want to know?”

  “Did she call them?”

  Allie hesitated, but there was no point in pretending that she didn’t know what he was talking about. “I assume you mean Ginny?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t think so. I asked them what had brought them here and they said something about seeing an old friend and that it was going to be a surprise. So I don’t think she even knows they’re here. I’m sorry, Liam. I would have turned them away, but…”

  He nodded glumly. “But business is business. I understand and I wouldn’t ask you to do that for us. Thank you.”

  She watched in silence as he stalked out of the kitchen. A few seconds later she could hear his heavy tread going up the stairs.

  * * * *

  “Ginny, come out here please.” Carly called through the swinging door into the kitchen area of the diner.

  Ginny hurried out at the agitated sound of her boss’s voice. She didn’t often hear her sound so upset. “What’s wrong?”

  Carly was wiping down the counter with an agitated air. She pointed to the seats and began wiping harder, as if she was trying to take off the design on the tiles. “Sit down, please. We need to talk.”

  “Okay.” Ginny sat down slowly, her eyebrows furrowing together. “Now you’re really starting to freak me out.”

  “I did something terrible earlier.” Carly suddenly slapped the wet towel down and began wringing her hands.

  “What?”

  “Your friends from Redding came in here a little while ago and I didn’t tell you.”

  Ginny processed that in silence for a moment. “Rick and Cindy came in?”

  “Yes.”

  “When?”

  “A couple of hours ago.” Carly grabbed the towel and began wiping again, obviously unable to stay still.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?’

  “Because I wasn’t positive it was them at the time. Allie just called and said they had checked into Clifftop and that they ran into Liam.”

  Ginny felt her stomach drop. “Oh God, what happened?”

  “Nothing bad. Allie said Liam was very polite but that she could tell that he knew who they were. You have a very big problem.”

  Ginny dropped her head into her hands and quietly rocked back and forth. The tears building in her eyes finally spilled over and a sob escaped. “What am I going to do?”

  She was surprised when Carly didn’t offer the usual platitudes and reassurances that everything would be fine. Instead, her boss simply stood there quietly. Unable to bear the silence any longer, Ginny lifted her head. “Carly, what am I supposed to do?”

  “You are supposed to choose.”

  Chapter 13

  “I can’t believe we’re actually going.” Jeremy grumbled as he laced the boots he’d just finished polishing to a high shine.

  Liam poked his head out of the bathroom. “After the way you acted at the Crafty Dom competition, I’m not sure what kind of welcome we’re likely to get, but Allie asked us to come. I don’t know why but she was quite insistent.”

  “Fantastic. But if I see the couple that’s stealing Ginny away from us I may fucking explode.”

  Liam snorted. “Yeah, because that would be something new for you and oh-so helpful. That kind of shit is exactly what drove her away in the first place. Those people didn’t have to steal her. We handed her to them on a silver platter.”

  “So what am I supposed to do? Walk up and shake their hand and tell them congratulations on a game well played?” Jeremy began pacing up and down the length of the room.

  “That would be the adult thing to do.” Liam came out of the bathroom and leaned against the doorframe. “I don’t think they even know what’s going on. When I ran into them downstairs they didn’t have a clue who I was. Obviously Ginny never told them about us.”

  “Then maybe we should.” Jeremy spun on his heel and started for the door.

  “Bang.” Liam said the single word softly.

  Jeremy jerked to a stop and turned back to him. It didn’t take being his partner for four years to see the confusion written on his face.

  “Bang? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means you were just killed. How many times has Sarge yelled at you for rushing into things? For being reactive instead of proactive?”

  Jeremy scowled. “A million times.”

  “Well, this is just like those building-search exercises we did last month where you got half the team killed because you rushed the entry without ever thinking about looking up. If Darren had been a real bad guy with an assault rifle hiding in the rafters of that warehouse instead of our buddy with an airsoft gun, we wouldn’t even be here to have fucked this all up. Would we?”

  “No.”

  “Then let’s try to take Sarge’s words to heart for a change. If we’re going to start and lead this town’s SWAT team we have to start thinking more tactically instead of just reacting to things or it will be a disaster.”

  Jeremy threw his hands in the air with an exasperated noise. “Sure. Right. Whatever. What has that got to do with this at all? You’ve completely lost me.”

  “Okay, think of it like this.” Liam sighed. “If by some chance we haven’t completely fucked this up beyond all recognition and still have any chance in hell of winning her back, will causing a big scene with her long-time friends help us or hurt us?”

  Jeremy stared at him. “You think there’s a chance of her coming back?”

  “I don’t know. I do know that starting a fight with them is not going to be in anyone’s best interest.”

  “Yeah, I guess. See, this is why I never went for the negotiator gig on the team. All I need is a target and I can stop the threat. It’s all this talking that gets me in trouble.”

  Liam patted his shoulder and went back to getting dressed. “I know, but trust me. Talking is the way through this one. Now we just need to find a way to get the chance to talk with her, and I guess that couple, too.”

  “What? Why them?”

  Liam shook his head sadly. “Because then we will know her choice one way or the other. If she wants to be with us then they will hopefully back away and still be her friends. If it’s them then we do the same. We need to do what’s best for her.”

  Jeremy stalked to the window and stood staring. He was as unmoving as if carved in stone for about five minutes. Then he laughed suddenly. “Well, dip me in honey and throw me to the bears. It’s your lucky day, bro. She just showed up with Carly and Dennis. They’re walking into the
barn as we speak.”

  * * * *

  “Come on, man. Hurry up.” Jeremy stood in the doorway, shifting from foot to foot and watching impatiently as Liam finished snapping the last belt keeper on his uniform.

  “Relax,” Liam said, chuckling. “It’s only been twenty minutes since you saw her go in. She won’t have left yet. This is your idea, so let’s do it right.”

  Jeremy turned back to look out the window again. “I know, I know. I just don’t want to wait anymore. I have to make this all right.”

  “Okay, let’s do this.” Liam strode out of the room and led the way down the stairs.

  Jeremy caught up at the back door. Once on the porch, he took the lead. Each step closer to the barn saw his focus grow more intense. He pulled his cop face into place and by the time he opened the door he knew just how he wanted to play the next few minutes. He prayed his plan would work.

  Opening the door, he stepped into the dungeon with Liam only a step behind. Once again he thanked whatever fates had decided the two of them would be partners. He knew without a doubt that Liam would back his play, no matter the odds.

  From habit he took a step to the left just after he passed through the door and saw Liam do the same to the right. They both scanned the area before them for their target. Looking past the bondage tables, spanking benches, and St. Andrew’s crosses, they finally saw who they were looking for. Her back was toward them as she stood next to a couch along the back wall of the room. Jeremy could see a woman sitting at the right edge of the couch. She was wearing a simple black dress, and a cast covered her right leg from just below her knee down to encase her foot. He could see numerous bruises and small cuts on her arms, face and neck. As he watched, she fidgeted with the cane resting between her knees.

  On the other end of the couch was a man in equally rough shape. His neck brace could be easily seen poking out of the collar of his blue dress shirt. He had on black dress pants and dark loafers. It appeared that he had two black eyes and the clean white of the surgical tape that crossed the bridge of nose practically glowed in the dim light. He also had numerous small cuts and scrapes on his face and forehead.

  Ginny was standing in front of them with her back to the door. She had on black slacks and a short-sleeved black top. Jeremy was disappointed that she wasn’t dressed in fetish attire even though he had already seen her from Liam’s bedroom window earlier. He knew that Ginny wasn’t aware of them yet. Her focus was entirely on the couple on the couch. From where he was standing, her arm gestures and tense body posture led him to believe the discussion they were having was not a happy one.

  He glanced over at Liam and their eyes met. He nodded his head once and they started straight across the room for the woman of their dreams. As they walked, conversations stopped and people turned to stare. Jeremy suspected it was at least in part because of their outfits. They were cops through and through, so they enjoyed a uniform fetish. They were wearing replicas of their police uniforms made of soft black leather, complete with shirt and pants and even duty belts with handcuff cases and solid rubber replicas of their handguns. Their boots were highly shined and they had the officer presence down from years of professional practice. No one would ever believe they were anything other than what they were dressed as.

  He saw Liege striding toward Ginny and the couple and he guessed he had intended to ask them to move their conversation somewhere more private. Jeremy could now hear that the three people’s voices were raised and angry. Jeremy managed to catch Liege’s attention before he got to them and waved the man away. He was grateful that after a quick look at his outfit the other man did as directed and moved back to where he had been talking with Allie.

  Jeremy and Liam came to stop a few feet behind where Ginny was standing. They heard her saying, “I’m sorry. I just can’t. I love you both but I can’t get in the middle of this again. I know that this is just not the right relationship for me. I believe in poly but you two need to work on your relationship with one another without me in the middle of it. This would just end poorly again.”

  It became obvious from the furtive glances and then outright stares of the couple on the couch that they had been noticed. Ginny followed their eyes and glanced over her shoulder. Her words trailed off as she turned to face them.

  Jeremy stepped forward before she could say anything. He put on his most authoritative face and barked in a clipped and cold voice, “Ma’am, you are under arrest for disturbing the peace. Turn around and place your hands behind your back.”

  Ginny’s eyes got huge and her mouth dropped open. Suppressing a grin, Jeremy reached out and efficiently spun her around. In a practiced move he had both of her hands secured in a pair of bright silver handcuffs. The clicks of the handcuffs ratcheting closed could be clearly heard throughout the dungeon. It quickly became obvious that they were now the center of attention.

  He had known when the idea had come to him after seeing her walk into the barn that this was an all-or-nothing adventure. He knew they had to play their roles to the end and deal with the fallout after. So taking a deep breath, he continued in a clean and steady voice. “You have the right to belong to us. If you choose not to belong to us we will honor your choice. You have the right to advisors during our negotiations. If you do not have advisors, we will provide them for you. Having these rights as I have explained them to you, do you wish to be ours?”

  He heard several people chuckle at his twisting of the Miranda Advisement and hoped it was a good sign that they hadn’t taken this too far. He turned her back around so she was facing him and Liam, standing shoulder to shoulder.

  The confusion on her face was plainly evident. Her forehead was creased, her eyes were squinted and her mouth was held in an angry line. “What the fuck is going on? What are you doing? What are you saying?”

  Liam spoke up. “Honey, we’re trying to say we’re sorry for acting so poorly before. We want you to be ours, both of ours.”

  “And you thought this was a good way to show that? That this was good idea?” Incredulity fairly dripped from her lips.

  “Well, yeah…” Liam began before being cut off by Jeremy.

  “It was either this or we interrogated you to see if you really loved us or not.” He turned then to the growing crowd and called out, “Okay, I need a chair, a lamp, and a rubber hose.”

  The sudden surprise at being kicked in the behind had him spinning around in a lightning-fast move. He was crouched with his arms up in a defensive posture before he realized that it was Ginny who had kicked him. He straightened, grinning at her.

  “You’re an ass. You know that, right?” She chuckled and then softened her features. “Yes, you idiot, I love you. No need for the rubber hose. But if you don’t get me out of these cuffs right now, you may find that hose stuffed somewhere uncomfortable when you least expect it.”

  “Now, that isn’t any way to talk to your Masters, is it?” Jeremy snickered as he removed her handcuffs and returned them to the pouch on his belt. When she didn’t answer he stopped short and looked into her suddenly sad face.

  Her eyes flicked back and forth between his and Liam’s. Tears started crawling down her cheeks and her lips trembled. He could see that she was fighting an intense internal struggle and started to reach out to her.

  “How can I belong to you when you leave town tomorrow?” She asked in a choked rush. “Long-distance relationships seldom work out. I need partners that are here for me, not a couple of hundred miles away.”

  “We would be there for you,” Cindy said suddenly from behind Ginny. The other woman struggled to her feet with her husband’s help, stretching out a hand toward them. “Come back to Redding with us and we’ll make the family we talked about. I won’t be crazy this time, I promise. Please come home with us.”

  Jeremy opened his mouth to play the trump card that he knew would cinch this in their favor. Then he realized he couldn’t use it. She had to make up her own mind without any interference from him or Liam. Oth
erwise they would never know for sure.

  Ginny turned to look at her friend with an anguished expression. “Cindy, I’m sorry but I just can’t. I know you say you want this to work, but we both know deep down that it just isn’t right for you. You need Rick and he needs you and I would always be a third wheel. I’m sorry but I’m not moving back to Redding.” She twisted her head to look back at Jeremy and Liam before she continued, “I’m not moving to Fresno either. I’m sorry. I love you both so much it hurts, but I won’t take the risk that it will all fall apart in a few weeks and I’ll be left in a strange town alone.”

  “No problem,” Jeremy said without hesitation.

  His answer must have surprised her since she turned her whole body to face them with her mouth hanging open. Before she could recover or get angry, Liam took a half step forward. “We understand and don’t blame you.”

  “But…” was all she had time to say before he delivered his next line.

  “We anticipated that and only have to go back to Fresno long enough to pack up our apartments.”

  “What?” Ginny blurted, her face still scrunched up in obvious confusion.

  Liam chuckled, apparently enjoying her confusion as well. “Packing. You know, putting things in boxes and then coercing your friends into carrying them and other heavy things down three flights of stairs and putting them into a big truck.”

  She seemed to recover some of her senses then because she snapped, “Yeah, I know what packing is. What I don’t know is what that has to do with you.”

  Jeremy decided to put an end to the game and see where the cards landed. “Did we forget to tell you? Chief Roberts offered us jobs here. We’re moving to Grandpointe. Hopefully to be with you.”

  Ginny blinked once at him, then stumbled back between Rick and Cindy and flopped down onto the couch. As they watched she slowly started to cry, dropping her head down into her hands.