by Brooks, JB
“Oh, okay. I’ll send those numbers through to you now. But if you’re not with Mason, where are you?”
“I’m here in Brisbane. But I’m going back to the ranch this afternoon.”
“Well, I’ve obviously missed all the fucking action! Call me back when you can, and tell me what’s happening?”
“Sure, but send me those numbers quickly, Owen!”
“Will do. See ya, Evelyn.”
“See ya.”
She hung up and stared at the phone, hoping Owen would be quick and breathing a sigh of relief when his texts arrived almost immediately.
She tried Edna first, and her familiar voice answered on the first ring.
“Hullo.”
“Hi, Edna. It’s Evelyn.” She rushed on, too anxious for the usual courtesies. “I’m trying to get hold of Mason, but he’s not answering his phone. It’s really urgent. Can you help? Do you know where he is?”
There was a long moment of silence.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with that ugly letter ya gave him would it?” Edna’s normally cheerful voice was icy with disapproval. Mortification tinged with relief swept over Evelyn. How humiliating that he’d shown it to them, but at least she didn’t have to beat about the bush.
“Yes, it’s about that letter. Listen, Edna, it was a huge mistake. I didn’t realize it until I got back here, but I’m in love with Mason. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before! And I’m not going to the police, I’m coming back to the ranch. I need to fix this somehow. Can you help me, please?”
Her desperation must have reached Edna, for she sounded less censuring when she finally replied.
“I’m not sure anybody can help. He’s gone off to turn himself in at the police. I’ve never seen him so upset.”
“What? Oh god, why would he do such a thing?”
“Like I said, he was too upset to listen to reason. He’s hoping there’ll be less trouble if he owns up to it and cooperates. We tried to talk him out of it, but he was hurting badly and I think he’s decided that he deserves to be punished for what he did to ya.”
She wouldn’t have thought it possible to feel worse, but she did.
“Can you get hold of him, Edna? He’s not answering my calls. Maybe if he sees it’s you—”
“’Fraid not. His phone’s broken. There’s nothing we can do.”
“Can you go after him?”
Edna hesitated. “He’s been gone for nearly an hour. Must be in Rockhampton by now so there doesn’t seem much point.”
“Please, Edna… Please just go after him. Anything could happen! He… He could get a flat tire, or stop for fuel. You might catch up with him.”
He might just change his mind, or have second thoughts, but she didn’t say that to Edna.
“He won’t be happy if we interfere.”
“He won’t be happy if he turns himself in to the police for no reason either!” She let all her emotions, all her needs and regrets, creep into her voice. “When he brought me to the ranch, you wouldn’t help me get away, Edna. You said that he deserved a chance to fix his mistakes, and you made sure he got that chance. Now I’ve made a mistake. Why don’t I get a chance to fix things?” She took a deep breath and played her last card.
“He loves me, Edna. He sent me a text telling me that he loves me. He’d want to know that I love him too. It’ll break his heart if he finds out too late. It’ll break my heart.”
She held her breath, waiting for the reply. It was such a thin hope, but it was all she had.
“Oh, all right.”
Evelyn shut her eyes and gulped in a huge breath.
“We’ll leave now, but don’t get your hopes up.”
“Thank you, Edna. Phone me when you get to him.”
The call ended, and she sat slumped at the table. If Edna and George caught up with Mason in time and if he actually agreed to see her again—that was a big if—she would have to come up with some way to convince him that she was sorry, and that she loved him. After her Stockholm syndrome ploy, she’d have a hard time persuading him that her feelings were genuine. He’d probably never trust her again.
***
Mason sat in his Range Rover under a shady tree in the car park across the road from the police station. He looked at his watch for the umpteenth time. A quarter to two. He was waiting for Shane Colwell, his new lawyer, to arrive, before going in.
While driving, he’d ruthlessly subdued the hurt and calmed down enough to think through his plan a little better. He was still convinced that taking the initiative and going to the police before Evelyn pressed charges would allow him more control of the situation, but he decided it would be better to have a lawyer right from the start. Using the integrated satellite car phone, he called Bob White, who handled all the legal matters for his business and family trust, and asked him to recommend a good criminal lawyer. Obviously curious, Bob suggested Shane, who had an excellent reputation.
Mason rang him immediately. Not surprisingly, Shane was keen to take on a member of the Brady family as a new client and agreed to meet him outside the police station at two o’clock, the earliest that Shane could manage. Mason had killed time, dropping in for a quick workout and a shower at the gym where he was a member, and grabbing a meal at a nearby food court. He could hardly stomach the food, but anything to keep busy and not think about Evelyn.
A big white ute with a growling engine pulled up next to the Rover. Mason paid no attention until the driver got out and he saw it was George. His surprise doubled when Edna climbed out of the passenger seat and moved ’round toward the Rover. Now what the devil were they doing here, he thought with irritation. No doubt they wanted to try to talk him out of his plan again, but to follow him into Rockhampton was presumptuous. He got out of the Rover and squared up to George.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Looking for ya, Mace. And I’m damn glad we found ya. We’ve been searching for you for hours. This is the fourth police station we’ve checked. Ya haven’t been in yet, have ya?”
Mason ignored the question. “You just get back in the damn ute and go home, George. Don’t interfere.”
“We’ll go, but not ’til ya hear us out. Evelyn phoned Edna.”
“Yeah? That’s great, but I’m not interested in anything about Evelyn except for what she’s going to tell the cops.”
Edna grabbed his arm. “She’s not going to the police, Mace. She’s sorry ’bout the letter. She says it was a mistake, and she loves ya.”
“And you believe her, Edna? I don’t know what scheme she’s pulling now, but please don’t fall for it.”
“Even if ya don’t believe her, ya don’t have to go to the cops if she’s not gonna. And anyway, I think she’s telling the truth. I could hear it in her voice.”
Mason laughed bitterly. “Oh, she is an excellent actress! You wouldn’t believe how convincing she is. And I’m going to carry on with my plan, because otherwise she’ll keep this hanging over my head. Anytime the whim takes her, she could turn me in. It’s like blackmail! I won’t live like that!” He shook off Edna’s hand.
“Look, let’s just be reasonable,” said George. “Delay your plan for one day. Evelyn’s coming back this evening. Come talk to her and see what youse can work out. She’s not going to be reporting anything while she’s at the ranch, and ya can hear her side of the story.”
Mason’s jaw clenched, his face rigid with anger. “I’m not interested in her side of anything, George, and I don’t want her at my house. If she’s coming to the ranch then I’m staying here in Rockhampton tonight. You make bloody sure she leaves first thing in the morning!”
George and Edna exchanged glances.
“Surely ya can just talk to her, Mace,” said George, beginning to sound impatient himself. “Ya got your chance after you fucked up. Ya kidnapped her so you could have a chance! Why not give her a few hours?”
“Don’t throw that in my damn face, George! I made a genuine mistake. She’s been lyin
g and scheming! There is no way I’m going back to speak to her—I’ll probably strangle the little bitch!”
“Well, if that’s how ya feel… Oh, look over there!” George’s face lifted, his eyes looking past Mason’s shoulder.
Mason turned to look, and as he moved, distracted, George punched him. Mason was much taller and heavier, but George was wiry and fit, strong from the manual work he did every day. And he was fast. His fist caught Mason under the chin in a well-placed uppercut. Mason’s teeth snapped together, his head jerked back, and his eyes rolled up in their sockets. He teetered for a moment then slowly collapsed, his buckling knees giving way beneath him. He tried to make his legs obey his commands to no avail. George and Edna grabbed him before he fell and propped him up between them, staggering under his weight. He could hear them talking, faintly, as if through a closed door.
“Goddamn, that hurt my hand!” George swore. “I think I’ve broken something. And right outside the police station! Ya better be right ’bout Evelyn, woman!”
“I’m right,” muttered Edna. “But I can’t hold him much longer. Can ya get it open? Let’s get him in quickly before we drop him.”
“Or somebody sees.”
He felt them pushing and pulling, then he was falling, unable to so much as reach out and save himself. But he didn’t fall far. Pain washed through his skull as he landed on something padded, and the leather upholstery of the Range Rover seat filled his field of vision. Lots of little holes. Holes in the leather. Patterns.
“Watch his head,” hissed George. “I have to push his legs up or we won’t be able to close the door… There, that’ll do it.”
“We’re gonna have to tie him up with something.” Was that Edna? “He’s gonna be hopping mad when he comes ’round, and you’ll be driving.”
Who were they going to tie up? He was so confused. He fought to keep his eyes open. No, one eye. Other one lost…
“I’m hoping he’ll stay out ’til we’re back, but you’re probably right. There’re cable ties in the toolbox in the ute,” said George. “Bring the whole bag.”
More tugging and shoving. He wished they’d just leave him to sleep in peace.
“Looks a bit cruel,” said Edna, sounding worried.
“He’ll be fine. They won’t hurt him unless he pulls.”
“It’s Mace, George. He’s gonna pull!”
“Well, then he’s gonna bleed. Let’s get going. Here’s the keys for the ute.”
Doors banged and an engine started. Oh good, the visitors are going. A sense of movement. Was I a visitor? Don’t want to go, wanna sleep.
***
Evelyn paced her tiny apartment, burning with impatience to get to Mason. She needed to talk to him, to convince him that she loved him. She quailed at the thought of facing his anger and hurt. Would his temper run hot? Would he shout and rant, and refuse to listen to her? Or would he be icy cold, stare at her with expressionless eyes, and not say a word? Which would be worse?
And what would she do? How could she get through to him?
She thought about everything they’d done, looking for clues.
He was a Dom. He liked it when she submitted to him. She’d be willing to do so, as much as he wanted, but would that sway him?
She stopped pacing suddenly. There was one thing… Something so intimate, so submissive… Something she’d never done before. She closed her eyes and a shiver ran over her body, raising goose bumps across her skin like an illicit caress.
She knew what she could offer him. She knew, with a powerful, instinctive insight, that he’d want it. He’d want to take her like that, to be the first, the only. It would tempt him like nothing else could.
Two days ago, he’d spread her on the dining room table for his delectation, and he’d touched her there. She’d seen the desire raging in his eyes as he’d penetrated her with just his fingertip. He’d wanted so much more, but she’d stopped him, afraid of what he’d do to her, sure that it would hurt her.
She was still afraid, but entwined with the fear was a desire darker than anything she’d felt before. It swirled heat around the depths of her belly, and coalesced into a heavy, slow throb between her thighs. Like the lazy, simmering lava beneath a peaceful volcano, her hunger bubbled, the ultimate explosion a distant but inevitable conclusion.
Now that she’d determined her course of action, and established that she was, in fact, all right with it, her practical, planning nature came to the fore. There were things she could do to make this easier on herself, and to increase her likelihood of success.
She jogged rapidly down the street, dodging around slower pedestrians. She was on her way to a sex shop four blocks away from her apartment, in the opposite direction from the university. She’d looked at the yellow-painted exterior of Lulu’s Luv Land on many occasions because it was directly across from her favorite Thai takeaway place, but she’d never ventured inside. Shyness had always far outweighed her mild curiosity.
But today was entirely different. It was an emergency situation, a crisis, and there wasn’t time to be prudish no matter how nervous she felt. If she was going to offer herself to Mason in that way and actually see it through, she needed to do something to prepare herself, or he’d split her in two.
The shop had a double entrance to ensure that people in the street couldn’t catch a glimpse of the merchandise on display within. She pushed through the second door and paused, taking in the brightly lit interior in surprise. She’d expected it to be dark and dingy, but it was clean, with neatly arranged aisles, a slightly bizarre mélange of chemist and toyshop.
The middle-aged woman behind the counter greeted her in a friendly manner. “Can I help you with anything today?”
Evelyn looked at her watch. She had an hour and a half before the taxi she’d arranged would arrive at her apartment. Browsing would have to wait for another day.
“Er… I need to buy a butt plug,” she said, a crimson blush washing over her cheeks.
“Sure. We have some beautiful glass ones here in the display, or you can look down aisle three. Did you have any particular type in mind?”
“Umm, I need to wear it on an airplane,” she blurted. It was the first thing that came into her mind, and she cursed herself for making such a stupid declaration. But the woman didn’t seem to find it strange. Her mouth stretched in an attractive smile that made her look much younger.
“Well, then, you’d better not get a metal one! Can you imagine trying to explain that when you set off all the alarms at airport security?” She started to chuckle, which made Evelyn laugh too. It felt wonderful after the tension of the last few hours.
“Are you Lulu?” she asked the woman.
“No, I’m Sharon. I’m not sure there is a Lulu. I’ve been working here for three years and I’ve never met her.” They laughed again.
Sharon led her down aisle three.
“Here are all our anal toys.” She indicated a wide expanse of shelving with a sweep of her arm. “I’ll leave you to look around, but please call me if you need any help. And remember the pretty glass ones up front—they’re very popular.” She returned to the front counter, leaving Evelyn to stare at the vast array of toys.
Her eyes bulged. On the lowest shelf, there was a plastic thing shaped like a fisted hand, with a suction cup base. Next to it stood a giant torpedo-like monster that could just about be used as a traffic cone. Surely people couldn’t fit those…
The variety was bemusing—beads, balls, plugs, probes. Every box promised the finest quality, the best design, and the ultimate pleasure. She was conscious of time ticking by while she tried to make sense of the different options.
Eventually she narrowed down her selection to three possibilities, based on size. She was aiming for something that was about two thirds as thick as Mason’s cock, hoping to stretch herself just enough so that his penetration wouldn’t be too painful.
She had no idea what features made one type better than another, so she grabbed the boxes
and made her way back to Sharon.
“Wow, three!” Sharon beamed.
“No, just one. But I don’t know which one. I need advice.” She looked around, praying that nobody else would come into the shop while they were talking.
“Okay, let’s see what we’ve got.” Sharon lined up the boxes on the counter. “Do you mind my asking, have you used a butt plug before?”
“No,” admitted Evelyn, surprised she wasn’t blushing again. Sharon’s open, unembarrassed manner reassured her. “I’ve never tried anything anal.”
“Hmm, let me guess. Your boyfriend’s asked you to try it and now you’re getting worried at the last minute?”
“Something like that, yes.” There was no need to confess all.
“When do you think it’ll happen?”
“Tonight. It will definitely happen tonight.” She’d probably only get one chance.
“Okay. These are all quite big for a first timer. Definitely doable, but most people start out a bit smaller.”
“Well, he’s, you know, quite…umm…”
“I get it! And you said you’re gonna wear it on the plane, so it’ll be in for a while? That’s really hot, by the way!”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, I wouldn’t go for either of these if I were you.” Sharon pushed two boxes aside. “They both have big, round bases, and that’ll hurt your bum cheeks when you’re sitting in the plane. You need one with a long, thin base, like this. It kinda nestles in the valley, ya know?”
Evelyn nodded. She wouldn’t have thought of that, but it made sense.
“So I should get that one?” she asked, pointing at the last box.
“You could,” said Sharon, “but the neck is a little short, and that can make it a bit painful to leave in for a long time.”
Evelyn sighed. “So what do you recommend?” She should have just asked as soon as she walked into the shop.
“This.” Sharon placed a glass butt plug in a matte black box on the counter. “It’s about the same size as the ones you chose, with a slightly longer neck and a lovely, smooth, elongated base. It won’t hurt you even if you leave it in for a few hours. And glass slips in so easily.”