by Avery Gale
Jen gave her a knowing smile, and Colbie felt some of her frustration fade. “I’d like to speak with Colbie for a minute while you all-knowing and powerful Masters plot against us poor defenseless subs.” Jen batted her lashes at the men surrounding them, and Colbie sucked in a breath at the brazen display. Good Lord, somewhere, a melodrama was missing their heroine.
“It’s a miracle you didn’t get struck by lightning with that nonsense, sweet cheeks.” Sage shook his head and kissed her before pointing to the other side of the room. “Stay where we can keep an eye on you. I don’t want weapons changing hands or anything. God only knows what you could cook up if you were out of sight.”
Jen stood with her back to the men facing the corner and pulled Colbie into a similar position. “Okay, spill. What were you so pissed about? Holy shizam, sister, it was coming off you in waves.”
Colbie told the other woman about the team making medical decisions for her without even consulting her and how angry she’d been when she’d found out. She didn’t hold back, and Jen grinned at her brutal honesty. When she finally took a deep breath, Jen turned and gave her a quick hug.
“Let all that anger sink lower and lower until it all seeps into the floor, girlfriend. If you get all wound up about the little things… and trust me, when dealing with two dominant men, this is a little thing, you’ll drive yourself insane. You have to choose your battles.”
When Colbie started to argue she should have been consulted, Jen held up her hand. “I get it, I really do. But ask yourself this, would you have done anything differently?” Colbie took a deep breath and when her shoulders slumped, Jen chuckled. “Damn, I really do understand that frustration. Just remember, their hearts are in the right place, even if they have their heads up their asses. And heaven knows that happens a lot.”
Colbie rolled her shoulders, trying to push the last of the frustration out of her muscles. The pinch of pain was a small price to pay for the calm it brought to her soul.
“Thank you. I would have really messed things up if you hadn’t stepped in. I just… well, I hope you don’t get into too much trouble.”
The flash of pain she’d seen in Jen’s eyes reappeared for a heartbeat, but was quickly masked.
“Don’t worry. My Masters are busy men, I’ll be surprised if they even remember I’m here.”
Chapter Fourteen
BODE WAS GLAD HE AND SAM had moved close enough to overhear Jen’s conversation with Colbie. He made a mental note to thank Jen for her help and let her know how grateful he was she’d headed off the runaway train of emotion Colbie had been riding when they entered the club’s reception area. Neither of the women had noticed the ornately framed mirror hanging nearby, letting the Doms monitor their facial expressions, something he found particularly helpful with Colbie. She was so new to the lifestyle, he needed every available piece of information.
Oddly enough, it was Sam who’d learned the most from watching Jen and Colbie’s reflections. They might have missed the faint thread of pain in her voice, but the sadness in her eyes was unmistakable. Jen masked her unhappiness quickly, but not before Sam caught it. Bode watched his friend’s expression change from loving indulgence to concern in the blink of an eye. Sam turned and gave his brother a quick hand signal that immediately brought Sage to his side. The silent communication that passed between the brothers had them both frowning as they turned to lead Jen from the room.
Sam gave her ass a quick swat. “Pet, we’re going to have a long conversation about your lagging communication skills.” Bode watched as Jen seemed to shut down emotionally, and he wondered how long it would take the McCalls to break through whatever wall she was silently erecting. He knew the three of them had worked almost continuously since their daughter had been born and wondered if their relentless schedules weren’t contributing to Jen’s unhappiness.
“She looks sad… she tries to hide it, but it’s not hard to see if you’re watching.” Colbie’s gentle voice brought him back to the present, and he pulled her into his arms.
“Yes, she does and her Masters are going to find out what’s going on and fix it. They adore her. I know they’ll do everything they can to give her whatever she needs.” And that was the absolute truth. Bode had seen the way both men looked at their lovely wife. They loved her, but more importantly, they respected her as a teammate. The sudden insight that observation gave him into Colbie’s earlier anger brought him up short. Before he and Liam led her into the first aid room, Bode turned her so she faced them both.
“Storeen, I want to apologize.” He hated seeing her eyes widen in surprise; the fact her Doms could make and admit to a mistake shouldn’t be a surprise. Some Doms didn’t believe in any show of weakness, but Bode didn’t feel that was realistic. In the end, if a submissive didn’t believe his or her Dominant would apologize when they were wrong, any love and respect between them would crack and eventually fall apart. “We should have consulted you about the appointment. We’ve asked you to trust us, but we didn’t offer you the same consideration.”
Liam nodded in agreement. “We’ve only just started on this journey together, Spitfire, but I promise you we only had your best interests at heart.”
“I know, I’m sorry if I overreacted.” Colbie’s eyes looked glassy with unshed tears, but she valiantly held them back. “Jen asked me if I would have done it differently, and I know I wouldn’t have wanted to go. So…” She let the rest of the thought hang in the air, and he breathed a silent sigh of relief. Admitting she would have acted in her own best interest was a huge relief. He’d seen submissives deliberately compromise their safety just to prove to the Doms they could.
Brilliant women didn’t submit easily, but when they did, it was the sweetest gift in the world because the Dom knew it was a carefully considered decision. Colbie had been making her own decisions for the past year; they’d known it wasn’t going to be easy for her to relinquish control. Well, she thinks she’s been making independent decisions. The entire team had kept close tabs on her, and Gus had kept them informed, but if she’d put that last piece of the puzzle together, she had yet to mention it.
Liam took one of her hands and held it between his own. “It pleases me that you would have made the same decision, but I agree with Bode, we should have discussed it with you. Trust is earned through shared experiences and over time. The only experience you had with us before a few days ago involved us handing you over at MI6 Headquarters and walking out the door. You had no way to know we’d watched you for hours—completely enthralled with your courage and resolve. I swear on all things holy, it took every ounce of my self-control to not march back in that room, throw you over my shoulder and make a break for it.” Liam might give outsiders the impression he was all about propriety, but Bode knew that wasn’t who he was at his core.
The door beside them opened and Regi, the Wests’ former office manager stuck her head out. “My Masters are waiting. They’ll take their frustration out on me during our scene later, so I’d appreciate it if you’d get your happy fannies in here.”
Bode heard Kirk growl, “Anoshi, that’s ten.”
She winced before continuing, “See? Doc and Happy have left the building leaving Grumpy and Grouchy here to torture me.” Turning her attention to Colbie, the little pixie grinned. “Grumpy Doc has a new violet wand, and I’d rather he didn’t use it on my pink bits, so if you’d cut the chit-chat, I’d appreciate it.” Much to his relief, Colbie giggled and nodded before following Regi into the best equipped club infirmary Bode had ever seen. Hell, a lot of hospital emergency rooms weren’t as state-of-the art as the area the Wests humbly referred to as a first aid station.
Kirk greeted them, and Bode noticed Brian seated in the exam room, typing furiously on his laptop. “Brian is trying to connect to our clinic, but isn’t having any luck. Micah and Phoenix can’t get in either, which means we’ve probably got a serious security breach.” Bode wasn’t sure which was louder, Colbie’s gasp or Brian’s cursing from
a few yards away. The computer problem might be a coincidence, but Bode doubted it.
“Colbie, come in here, sweetie. I want to take a look at your arm.” Brian looked up and frowned when he and Liam followed her in. “Sorry guys, you’ll have to wait outside. I was trying to print off the forms for Colbie to sign allowing you to be here but since I can’t get into the system…”
“What? We were in the E.R. with her.” Bode didn’t understand why is Brian was being a stickler for the rules now.
“Colbie?” Kirk stepped forward in an obvious attempt to mediate, and Bode was grateful to have an advocate.
She looked at Kirk and smiled. “I’d like for them to stay. I want them to know I’m okay. Or they’re never going to play with me.” Every man in the room froze, it was Regi who broke the spell with a soft chuckle.
“Oh, yes. She is going to fit in here just fine.” Regi stepped up to Colbie and gave her a high-five.
Bode felt like the weight of the world had just been lifted from his shoulders. She’d said when and not if; the certainty that he’d heard in her tone flooded him with relief. Somewhere deep in his subconscious, he’d still been worried she wouldn’t trust them to keep her safe and take off.
“Damn, I wish I didn’t have to work on your spa day. I hear it’s shaping up to be a great party.”
Regi gave Kirk a hopeful look and he shook his head. “Not a chance in hell, Anoshi. You are gas to Tobi’s fire. Besides, how would we ever function without you?”
Colbie looked at Kirk and tilted her head to the side in a move which reminded Bode how young she was. It was easy to forget because she’d been through so much.
“What does Anoshi mean? I’ve heard you call her that twice and I’m curious.” Her eyes suddenly went wide and she looked between Bode and Liam. “Feathers. Am I allowed to ask questions here? I mean… we aren’t really in the club’s main areas even though we’re in the building. But then we live in the building, and if I can’t ask questions anywhere in the whole place, I’m really screwed and like Jen said… not it a good way.”
Brian and Kirk were both chuckling and Regi’s eyes were wide in surprise, but she wasn’t speechless for long. “Wow. Are you and Tobi long lost sisters or something?”
Kirk stepped forward up to the exam table where Colbie sat and carefully removed the bandage covering her wound. “Anoshi is Navajo for my love. My lovely wife is a sassy sub and she deserved a unique name. I also wanted to honor my ancestors because she is a precious gift they sent to me.”
Ten minutes later the two doctors had assured them Colbie’s arm was healing perfectly, and they were nearing the entrance to the main club room. When they paused, she looked at them in question when Bode pushed her gently against the wood paneled wall. Liam pulled a black velvet bag from his pocket and smiled down at her. “We can’t have you walking around the club without something to keep the predators at bay.”
“Predators?” She might have phrased the word as a question, but Bode knew she’d spent enough time at Castle Masters to know exactly what Liam had been referring to.
“Yes, Pet. We don’t plan to let you out of our sight, but we won’t take any chances, either.”
Bode stood shoulder to shoulder with Liam as he reached forward to trace his fingers down the side of her face. He let a ghost of a smile tip up the corners of his lips and sighed at the shift in her body language. Bode could see the anticipation in her eyes, she was looking forward to wearing a sign of their ownership. “This is a temporary collar, Colbie. This is just something to let other Doms know you are not available.”
She nodded her understanding, but quickly corrected her mistake. “I understand. Thank you for thinking of my safety, Sir.” Bode was pleased she’d already been introduced to the basics of protocol—it was a relief to know she was much less likely to make a serious error which would subject her to a public punishment. He’d seen it happen to newbie subs before, and it was usually the last time anyone ever saw them at the club. He also heard the note of disappointment in her voice and shook his head.
“I won’t deny your safety is an issue, but I assure you that’s not the only reason we want you wearing a temporary collar. We may share, but we only share with each other.”
“You are ours, Pet. It would be bad form to get into an altercation if another Dom decided to test our resolve.” Liam’s words soothed something deep inside her, and she let a small spark of hope flair. Maybe she’d finally found a place she could call home… at least for a while.
“It’s exquisite,” Colbie gasped when Liam pulled a sapphire and diamond necklace from the velvet bag. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but it certainly hadn’t been the beautiful piece of jewelry he was holding in his hand.
“We’re glad you like it. We wanted something you could wear everywhere without drawing unwanted attention from those outside the lifestyle.” The snick of the clasp sent a shiver up her spine and she shuddered. Liam smiled down at her in satisfaction. “This will also remind you that your submission belongs to us. The weight laying against your feminine neck a constant reminder you are cherished and owned.
*
EMOTIONS RIOTING, COLBIE was grateful they’d given her a minute to pull herself together before opening the door to the main room. Her hand came up to caress the jewels and both men smiled at her indulgently. Stepping over the threshold, she was assailed by the sights and sounds of the club. It had been so long since she’d been inside a kink club, it all seemed new again. The Prairie Winds Club was larger than Deacon’s Castle Masters in London, the décor entirely different, but the pulsing energy of sexual desire radiating all around her was unmistakable.
Her godfather had never let her explore the darker recesses of his facility, restricting her to the most public areas where he and his staff could monitor her every move. It had annoyed her at the time, but now she realized, he’d had her best interests at heart and was grateful for his caution. Even though the sounds and smells were familiar, Colbie felt she was experiencing everything for the first time, thanks to the men standing beside her. Liam gave her hand a quick squeeze to get her attention, and she looked up at him in question.
“Ordinarily, subs aren’t allowed to gawk around the club. There are Doms who will take offense if you look at them directly.”
“It’s considered a challenge to their authority, and they’ll enjoy taking you down a peg or two.” Colbie had the feeling Bode was grossly understating the trouble she could find herself in, but she wasn’t going to tempt fate by asking.
“Since this is your first visit to the club, we won’t leave your side. It will be obvious to anyone watching you’re new and most will make some allowance for that. But you’d do well to look carefully tonight because things will be different after this.” Liam pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Breathe, Spitfire. If you hold your breath every time we’re explaining something about the club, you’re going to pass out before we’ve seen anything interesting.”
Colbie sucked in a deep breath and felt some of the tension drain away. Damn it, she knew these rules. Why was she behaving like a complete novice? Because Liam and Bode are important. Admitting how much she wanted to please them was startling, but it didn’t feel like a threat to her independence as she’d feared it might.
“Good evening. I’m happy to see you made it.” Tobi’s southern twang was endearing, and Colbie turned to see the feisty blonde standing between Kent and Kyle. The dress the other woman wore, if you could call it a dress, was so sheer she might as well have been nude. Her jeweled nipple clamps sparkled in the dim light. Feathers. They’d probably be blinding under bright light. Colbie was confused by the woman’s subdued behavior, and it must have shown in her expression because Kent laughed.
“It’s almost scary, isn’t it?” When she didn’t respond, he grinned. “When Tobi is quiet, it throws people off. It’s like that strange calm before a violent storm. Spooky.”
Colbie
worked hard to school her expression. She didn’t want to hurt her new friend’s feelings by laughing at her husband’s ridiculous nonsense. Tobi rolled her eyes and grinned.
“It’s okay, you can laugh at him. I know it’s weird when I’m quiet, but I’m trying to rack up some grace points before our scene tonight. And to be honest, I’m so far in the hole in the points tally, dead even would be a blessing and probably a miracle.”
“Pet, don’t set yourself up for failure.” Kyle’s lips twitched. Colbie found herself letting out a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding. Knowing the men weren’t actually angry with Tobi was a huge relief. Some of the Doms at Deacon’s club had been ruthless, and the one time she’d snuck into the dungeon, she’d been so frightened, she hadn’t ever wanted to go back. Colbie had nightmares about the crack of a whip for months. Served me right for defying Deacon. She shuddered, earning concerned frowns from the Doms around her.
Tobi seemed oblivious to the shift in the mood. In what Colbie suspected was typical Tobi fashion, the other woman continued as if Kyle hadn’t spoken.
“It’s not fair, you know. I was chatting with Lilly. She’ll be joining us for our spa day, which has been changed to tomorrow by the way. That takes Jen out because she’ll be playing war games with the boys, but maybe if she kills all her paper dolls, they’ll let her out of class early. Anyway, Gracie and I were making some special snacks for tomorrow, and I got distracted.” She waved her hand in the air when Kent snorted a laugh. “I know. I know. It’s hard to believe, but it happens.” Colbie watched as both Kent and Kyle gaped at their wife, the expressions so filled with utter disbelief it made her wonder about the stories behind those looks.