His Devil's Mercy

by Linzi Basset

  She knew then. Max was aiming to turn this into a seduction. She took a deep breath as another blow fell.

  Max cursed. He draped the flogger over his shoulder and walked closer. “This is me, baby. Close your eyes and concentrate on me, my heat and my emotions. You don’t need to see me to feel them. Keep your body relaxed, my pet. Don’t tense your muscles when you hear the swing of the flogger.”

  “I’m sorry, Master Jag. I guess it’s been a while,” Joanne puffed as she set out to do as he instructed.

  No punishing blows fell from Max’s hand. The strokes were more sensual than anything she had ever experienced in the past. Joanne had no defense against Max’s mastery as he aimed each strip of leather to connect with thrilling precision. She was left thrashing and gasping in delight. She lost count of how many strikes he landed. Her mind was spinning into a whirlpool of exhilaration.

  “Hmm, that’s better, luv,” Max praised her as he pressed against her back and kissed her nape. “Are you ready to feel the bite of my leather, my pet? Remember, if it becomes too much, I expect you to tell me. Now, baby, breathe in and relax.”

  The next blow fell hard. It stole her breath completely. A low scream escaped from her lips.

  “Beautiful, baby,” Max murmured as he watched how her ass rippled under every strike. Another strike and this time, the tails of the flogger fanned out to caress the roundness of her cheeks, leaving behind an enticing rosy tint that slowly darkened her skin.

  Joanne twisted under the blows, her mind spinning higher and higher, as he slowly elevated her from pain to a plateau of explosive passion. Her cries echoed to the roof, a melody of such sensual delight, it spiked Max’s testosterone.

  “Yes, Violet. Give me those husky pleas.”

  He aimed the blows higher, to wrap around under her arms as they bit into the tender sides of her breasts.

  “Oh, fuck!” Joann cried. She bit her lip as the pain intensified but instead of feeling alarmed, she lost herself in the rush of heat running through her veins. Her loins tensed with a need that she had no control over.

  “Beautiful, baby,” Max praised her. He pressed his body against her back. The roughness of his leathers grazing against the sensitive skin on her buttocks, caused her breath to hiss from her lips. He kissed the whorl of her ear while his hands traced the curve of her hips. He gently tweaked her nipples. “Still breathing, luv?” He asked softly as he pinched her nubs sharply and then ran his palm down the center of her body.

  “Oh god,” she moaned and began to tremble. The slow, teasing brush of his finger up and down her clitoris caused a flush of heat to surge through her loins.

  “Ah, such a tantalizing smell,” he murmured. He slid his finger inside her pussy. “So wet and eager, my pet,” he teased as he found her soaked. Her muscles clenched around his finger.

  “Master Jag, please,” she panted, overwhelmed by the increasing pressure in her loins.

  The next moment he was gone.

  Joanne’s scream resounded through the dungeon as the leather found its mark yet again. Each subsequent blow blazed across her skin, inflaming her cheeks and back, intensifying with each stroke. She was awash with white-hot pain throbbing in her nerve endings.

  “I need . . .” she whimpered as lust pulsed through her body with every blow, transporting her to a realm beyond her comprehension. It felt ethereal, like she was floating among the gods. Aftershocks wracked through her body. Her pussy clenched in spasms, spurred by her throbbing clitoris, demanding a climax.

  “I need to come. Please!” She cried out with the desperation raw in her voice

  “Had enough, my pet?” Max murmured behind her. His hand reached around her to massage her clitoris remorselessly. Joanne thrashed against his hand. Her head rolled back and forth against his shoulder. She was battling to stave off the intense pleasure that threatened to devour her.

  “Fuck me, Maximilian . . . please,” she begged. She pressed her face into his throat.

  Max smiled at her seductive plea. For once he didn’t complain about her using his full name. It felt right, in this moment. She inflamed his senses equally; whether she was an innocent enchantress, the sassy firebrand or the sexy submissive.

  He waited until Joanne drew a shuddered breath and then slammed his raging cock into her, driving her body against the cross.

  Joanne’s scream was one of pure exultation. Her world tilted in that moment as her loins surged and clenched. She splintered apart in a climax that stole her ability to breathe. Pleasure and pain merged into shocks of pleasure, flinging her on a cloud of euphoria.

  “Yes, baby, give it all to me,” Max growled as he pounded into her. Each thrust of his bulbous head against the swollen ganglia inside her pussy triggered more pleasure to rush through her. It didn’t take long. Max erupted strongly inside her as a wave of euphoria crushed him under. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her. He clung to her, unable to let her go . . . knowing that after this night . . . she would come to hate him.

  * * * * * * * *

  Joanne felt refreshed after the short nap and quick shower in the Devil’s Den room where Max had carried her after their scene in the dungeon. She’d been slightly disappointed that he wasn’t there when she woke up but brushed it off as she walked into the Entertainment room. Bruce was sitting at the bar. He waved at her when he noticed her.

  “Hm, this is very refreshing. Thanks, Master Wade,” she praised the Club Manager who handed her a drink when she joined Bruce.

  “I’m glad I see you, Master Goliath,” Joanne said with a smile. “Maybe you can explain to me why the women are being moved to another safehouse.”

  Bruce suppressed a sigh. He’d expected the question.

  She took another sip and looked around the club. “Where are Max and Jack?”

  “They’re on CM duty.” He glanced at his watch. For another five minutes or so.” He sighed when she looked at him expectantly. “Stop worrying, Joanne. In such a high-risk situation, witnesses or in this case victims, are often moved to different locations.”

  “Why didn’t anyone tell me they were being moved earlier?” She squinted at him. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “You’re imagining things. Relax, Joanne. Everyone needs a little fun to get their minds off all this stress and tension. We need to ensure the women are safe. Isn’t that the most important?”

  Joanne sighed and took another tentative sip from her cocktail. “I’m sorry. You’re right. We all need to relax.”

  Ethan, Paige, Keon and Lauren joined them with Richard wheeling behind.

  “I have to say, Violet, I love the outfit you chose for tonight,” Lauren said as she eyed her lace and chiffon dress. It was cut primly, with a high neck, full sleeves and a long flowing charcoal black chiffon skirt. It was completely see through, with bits of delicate embroidery hiding her girlie bits. Joanne wasn’t wearing a bra but couldn’t resist the black satin thong. A sleek belt cinched the extravagant creation at her waist. The dress was cut deep in the back, with the skirt draped over the curve of her buttocks. Black stiletto pumps were a perfect match for the outfit.

  “Me too and if it wasn’t for the two of you taking me to your favorite shops, I would never have found it.”

  Everyone was relaxed and soon the conversation soothed away Joanne’s concerns.

  “Enjoying yourself, sis?” Jack asked as he and Rhone joined them ten minutes later. He gave her a brief hug.

  “It’s a fantastic club. I love this place.” She looked around. “Where’s Master Jag?”

  Jack shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He took a long swig from his drink. Joanne’s eyes narrowed.

  “He’ll be along shortly. He’s been detained.”

  “Detained? What do you mean detained?” Joanne knew Jack well enough to know he was uncomfortable. He could never lie to her.

  Jack shrugged and chucked down his drink in one gulp. “One more, please, Wade.”

  A cold tremor be
gan to shake through Joanne’s body. She’d foolishly believed that Max had changed; telling her that she was his future had meant that he was committed to changing his ways. It seemed that she’d been naïve in making such an assumption.

  Before anyone could stop her, Joanne was walking down the staircase into the dungeon. Her stomach was twisted into a knot, already fearing what she was about to find.

  She found him in the harem room. He was sitting in a throne-like chair with a sub between his spread legs. Her head bobbed up and down as she swallowed his huge cock down her throat. Max’s face was taut with pleasure while his gaze scorched the four subs on the bed, in the midst of a sexual encounter, the likes of which she’d never witnessed.

  Joanne staggered to a halt. Hurt stung her heart with such force that she had difficulty breathing. Anger suffused her entire body. Its scalding effect turned her face red with a hot flush. She tried to expel the rage, but it was a futile effort. It intensified with the hurt that threatened to bring her to her knees. She curled her hands into fists by her side, trying to stay her quaking legs.

  “Ah, baby! Are you gonna join the ladies?” Max drawled as he noticed her in the doorway. She couldn’t keep her feet from carrying her closer, watching as his hips jerked in an age-old dance of lust against the sub’s face.

  “You’re not serious?” Joanne said in a voice turned hoarse with shock and anger. Her gaze strayed to the four women who thrashed and grinded against each other with sexual pleasure.

  “Why not, my pet? I love watching your face awash with pleasure when you climax. I promise you, these ladies know just how to give pleasure to the female body.”

  Joanne’s eyes moved back to him. His expression was one of utter indifference as he slouched in the chair. She could swear that he was smiling. A smile of utter enjoyment. She felt like she was falling through a rabbit hole. She couldn’t comprehend the change in Max. From the man who had, not more than an hour ago, shared an earth shattering experience with her, to this—dispassionate man. It shattered her heart to pieces.

  Max’s hand tightened on the sub’s hair. He pulled her off his cock. “Enough, my pet. I’d rather you continue with my lovely sub, Violet. She loves to feel a tongue wiggle deep inside her hot, wet pussy.”

  He grinned wickedly at Joanne’s gasp that echoed over the cries of the women on the bed. “While she feeds on your gorgeous cunt, come over here and finish me off, baby.”

  “You’re not serious?” Joanne knew she sounded like a stuck record, but she couldn’t seem to grasp the reality of what was happening. Max’s tastes seemed to have evolved even more over time.

  “Come now, Violet. Don’t be a prissy. This is only part of the kind of fun we’ll have together at the club. Now, sub. Come closer. Bend over at your hips. That way Celia will have all the access she needs to your fragrant pussy.”

  Joanne started to retreat. Step by slow step. One foot behind the other. She shook her head. Her heart felt like it was melting painfully in her chest.

  “I guess it was foolish of me to think you have changed. Fuck . . . I was such an idiot. I believed that you really meant what you said to me last night.” Her voice resounded raw, the hurt palpable.

  “But I did, baby. I meant every word. I just don’t see the need to change my urges because of it. Au contraire, my pet, together we can explore our mutual pleasures so much more.”

  “As long as all of this,” and she pointed to the women on the bed, “is part of our mutual pleasures, I assume?” Joanne’s voice cracked but she pulled her shoulders back and stretched her body to full height.

  “You know me, baby. The more the merrier.”

  “Of course, how foolish of me. Well, let me not stand in your away. Go ahead. Enjoy yourself. Fuck away, Master Jag, but I won’t be one of the hordes queuing up for your overused cock. I didn’t escape one harem, only to be thrown into a fucking new one.” With that, Joanna turned and walked to the door, head high, but her heart broken to pieces.

  Max cringed as the door slammed shut behind her. Celia knelt between his legs and reached for his flaccid cock. He pushed away her hands and offered a tight smile.

  “Not now, my pet.” He pointed toward the bed. “I’d much rather enjoy the view . . . for now,” he said at her crestfallen expression.

  His gaze was devoid of emotion as it followed her body climbing onto the bed. His eyes were unseeing. It wasn’t the twisting and jagging bodies of the women he saw, it was the hurt and disappointment in Joanne’s face as she’d walked out. He sighed with heavy acceptance.

  Life didn’t always go as planned. He should’ve remembered that and not have started raising his own expectations of a life filled with love and happiness. What he had done, had been unavoidable but he would’ve given anything not to have hurt her in the process.

  Again.

  “At least she’ll be safe. That’s all that matters.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Your time is up, Shaw.

  Max stared at the message that had just come through on his phone email. He breathed in and began typing.

  Where and when?

  His finger trembled as he reread the three words. He hit send.

  02:00 am. Corner opposite J. Edgar Hoover building. No wires and make sure you’re not followed.

  Max slumped lower in the sofa. He’d left the dungeon minutes after Joanne had stormed out of the harem room. He was hiding in Rhone’s office. He couldn’t face watching Joanne’s retribution. He expected her to hit back at him where it would hurt the most. By fucking another Dom under his nose.

  He glanced at his watch. It was 10:30, leaving him with too many hours to replay the scene in the Harem room.

  “Max?” Rhone spoke softly from the door, squinting in the dark. He switched on the lights. He caught the phone as Max tossed it at him. His lips pressed in a thin line as he read the messages.

  “I had hoped it had been a hoax.”

  “How is she?” Max couldn’t hold back the question.

  Rhone glanced sideways at him. He handed him back his phone. He dialed Keon’s number from his own cell before he responded.

  “It’s better for you not to know.”

  Max felt his gut fall through the floor. He had to force his legs not to charge downstairs and rip her from whoever’s arms she was in. He leaned back his head against the sofa and closed his eyes.

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “Keon, it’s time,” Rhone barked into the phone.

  Ruark, Bracus, and Quinlan, along with the security team leader, Jerry, joined the rest of the Precision Secure team. They’d arrived en-masse after Rhone had discussed best strategies with his brother earlier that day, to offer their assistance.

  “Max, are you sure about this?” Rhone prodded once again. He hated placing one of his best friends in danger.

  “We have to expose the fucker, Rhone. If it means we need to take some risks along the way, then so be it. Besides, it gives us the opportunity to get the women away safely and keep Joanne out of his claws.” Max got up and started pacing while Rhone and Ruark outlined the strategy.

  “Keon, Jack and I will be in the Sikorsky, hovering out of sight. Ruark, Bracus and Ethan will be in a black Tahoe SUV west of the rendezvous point,” Rhone’s voice droned deeply.

  “Quinlan, Lance and Jerry will be in another Tahoe to the south—out of sight, of course. Richard will be our eyes and ears in ops,” Ruark continued.

  “Your microchips,” Richard handed out the transparent chips that served as a two-way communication device as well as a tracking device. It was completely unnoticeable and placed on the inside of the tragus lobe of the ear with a self-adhering mechanism.

  “I’ve already preset the frequencies. We’ll do a check before you leave.”

  “We will be in full ops mode with complete radio silence. No one moves unless I give the order. Is that understood?” Rhone said with urgency in his voice that conveyed his concern for Max’s safety. He had a feeling of impen
ding doom that he didn’t like. His gut had never failed him before. He doubted it would this time.

  “Richard, are you any closer to finding the airfield where that plane had landed?” Rhone appeared calm and collected, like he always did during a major operation. It was what his team fed on.

  “I haven’t been able to pinpoint it. It seems like someone had scrambled the satellite recordings. I managed to track it as it passed over DC, heading north-west, but then it just disappeared from the radar.”

  “Jerry, I want you to have a hit squad locked and loaded heading north-west on Route 15. I doubt they’d land at the Dulles or Signature Flight Support airport. There are a couple of small airfields out that way apart from those two, but for a jet that size, it has to be one with a long landing strip. Start searching for that, Richard, and send the coordinates to the squad team leader,” Rhone barked.

  “I agree.” Max took a deep breath as he stared down into the Entertainment area of the club. Joanne was sitting with Lauren and Paige with her back toward Max. It soothed his frayed mind to look at her.

  “Bruce, I need you and the Fox team to accompany the women. Colt Fargo and his cousin Seth, are landing with their own plane in fifteen minutes at the Potomac airport. We’re moving them to a safehouse in Jacksonville, Texas, under their care,” Rhone continued.

  Max turned to face the team. His voice was raw with urgency. “Bruce, you make sure Joanne goes with. She’ll be safer away from DC. It’s what the bastard is banking on—that we’re going to leave her vulnerable.”

  “She’s already informed me that she’s going with them. It’s probably the best place for her to be, especially with how she’s feeling at the moment,” Bruce retorted.

  “Yeah, I know,” Max mumbled and sat down.

  “Once this is over, she’ll understand, Max. At the moment, she’s hurting,” Bruce tried to console him.

  Max stared at the large man with the kind heart. He knew that the risk he was taking was bigger than he’d led on. Deep in his heart, he knew that he wasn’t going to come back from this. He didn’t voice his fear, however. No one needed to know.