by Julia Sykes
When the fog of lust began to clear from my mind, he pushed up off me, finally withdrawing from me. He cleaned up quickly and then returned to free my wrists. He rubbed them tenderly, bending down to press gentle kisses against my sensitized skin.
I shivered and sighed my elation. I’d never felt more at peace than I did in that moment.
He gripped my shoulders and carefully eased me upright, steadying me until I found my balance on my feet. He pulled my skirt down slowly, almost regretfully.
“I can’t wait to see you naked,” he murmured.
“Why wait?” I didn’t want our time together to end. My sex still ached from his rough fucking, but I craved more.
His jaw tightened as he struggled to master himself. He shook his head. “I have to go. It’s late.”
Sharp tendrils of rejection wound around my chest. He pulled me in for a reassuring hug.
“I want to see you again,” he promised. “This isn’t goodbye.”
Relief flooded me. “Really?”
He smiled down at me. “Really. I want more time with you, sweet sub.”
“Good. I want more time with you, too.”
“That’s settled then,” he grinned. “Tomorrow night? I’ll meet you here.”
“Yes, please.” I beamed at him, giddy excitement expanding in my heart.
His arm snaked around my waist. “Come on. I’ll walk you to your car.”
He guided me out of the private room and through the club. As I passed the bar, Mark winked at me. A smug, satisfied smile curved my lips. Ian glared at him, and his arm tightened around me.
Definitely possessive.
My heart skipped a beat. I could hardly believe the man who had left me so cruelly only the night before was now jealous of another man winking at me. Sydney’s plan had worked brilliantly.
All too soon, we retrieved my coat and purse from the locker where I had stored them and headed out into the night. We crossed the parking lot to my beat-up red Corolla. When we stopped beside it, I looked up at him, searching his face carefully.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” I asked, needing to hear him say it again.
Abruptly, he pulled me close, wrapping me in a tight embrace. My head tipped back, and his warm breath teased across my cheek. He leaned into me slowly.
Surely I was reading the signals wrong.
“I thought you didn’t want to kiss me,” I whispered, even as I fixated on his mouth.
“I’m a fucking idiot,” he growled.
He crushed his lips to mine. I opened for him immediately, and his tongue slid against my own. He took my mouth thoroughly, kissing me fiercely until my head spun. He only pulled away to allow me to suck in a single breath, then he came back for more. The feel of him possessing my mouth was exquisite, his dark chocolate flavor intoxicating. I shivered and sighed into him. He consumed everything I gave him and demanded more.
Just as my knees began to go weak, he released my lips. But his arms continued to hold me close, reassuring me that he truly wasn’t going to leave me.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he promised.
“Thank you,” I said, grateful that he had finally let down his walls.
One corner of his lips tugged up in a lopsided smile. “You’re welcome, little sub. Now, you’d better get in your car before I bend you over and fuck you on top of it.”
“Sounds good to me,” I countered breathlessly.
He shook his head ruefully. “Tomorrow.” He brushed one final, sweet kiss across my lips.
My fingers trembled from the residual rush of pleasure he had given me, but I managed to fish my keys out of my purse. He opened my door for me and held my hand as I got in.
“Goodnight, Lissa.”
I smiled. Goodnight was so much better than goodbye.
He closed the door, but he waited until I started the car and reversed out of the parking space. When I looked in my rearview mirror, I could still see him watching me. The sight made my heart swell with happiness.
The drive home passed in a blur, and it seemed only seconds went by before I pulled up at my house. I got out of my car and closed the door as softly as I could manage, not wanting to wake my mom.
Pain shot through me, making my back arch. A scream stuck in my throat as my muscles locked up briefly, then turned to water. Strong arms caught me as I fell. Although I couldn’t move, my eyes followed the strange man’s movements as he shoved the Taser back into his pocket.
Panic surged through my system as he lifted up my immobile body and carried me toward a black van.
Chapter 8
Ian
“What was so important that you needed me to come over here in the middle of the night?” I asked.
Burt smiled at me for the first time, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Got a surprise for you.”
“At two in the morning?” I questioned, but I stepped past him into Terry’s house. They might have decided to trust me. I could be minutes away from finding out more about their plan to make the building go boom. Right now, all I had to go on was those few haunting words from little Joe.
“You got something better to do?” Burt asked drily.
“I guess not,” I admitted.
Terry was waiting for me at the top of the stairs leading down to the basement. “Isaac,” he beamed. “Glad you could come on such short notice.”
“Mind telling me what I’m supposed to be doing here?”
“You’ll find out.”
Anxiety tightened my muscles, and my fists curled at my sides. I forced them to open again immediately, but Terry didn’t miss my little show of aggression. His keen eyes bored into mine.
“You say you want to be our brother. It’s time to prove your loyalty.”
The unmistakable sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed up the basement stairs, followed by a small, muffled cry.
Dread gnawed at my gut, and my feet moved without thought. There was no choice: I had to go down.
Fury consumed all rational thought when I saw her. Lissa’s gorgeous eyes were wide with fear, and her right cheek flared bright red where someone had struck her. Her gaze focused on me, and something unintelligible caught in the makeshift cloth gag that had been forced between her lips. She jerked against the ropes that bound her to the unyielding metal chair.
It took a few precious seconds for me to process what I was seeing.
Not again.
The world blurred around me as my body moved automatically.
“What the—?” Robby was cut off on a pained wheeze when I flung his body against the yellowed wall.
I flowed smoothly into my next attack, my fist driving into Leonard’s gut. He dropped with a low grunt.
“Stop!” The unmistakable click of a revolver being cocked punctuated the shaky command.
I stilled instantly, moving only my eyes to assess my changed situation.
Ernest pressed the barrel of the gun under Lissa’s chin, his hand fisted in her mussed blonde hair.
“I knew it,” Burt’s arrogant drawl sounded behind me. “He’s not one of us.”
“She has nothing to do with this,” I seethed. “Let her go.”
Terry stepped between me and Lissa, blocking her from view. His expression was heavy with overwrought disappointment. “Isaac. I’d hoped for something different from you. You say you want to be our brother.”
With Lissa’s terrified eyes no longer ripping into my soul, I was able to gather my wits again.
I’m Isaac Holloway, not Ian Holmes.
“A man has to put his brothers first,” Terry continued. “You just hurt Robby and Leonard for the sake of a piece of ass. We can’t have that in our family.”
“You’re right,” I agreed quickly. “She’s nothing.”
Terry clicked his tongue at me. “Don’t lie, Isaac. Ernest followed you. He saw you kissing your girlfriend outside that bar. You’re not like us.” He laid a comforting hand on my shoulder. It took everything in me to keep from tearing his a
rm off. “I’m sorry you can’t be part of our family.”
I read both of our deaths in his cool green eyes.
“You’re wrong,” I insisted, my brain working overtime to get us out of this. “She’s not my girlfriend. She’s my slave.”
Terry shook his head at me sadly. “A man doesn’t beat up his brothers if they hurt a woman he doesn’t care about.”
I squared my shoulders. “He damn well does. I’d kick your teeth in if you keyed my car for no good reason. She’s my property, and you’ve damaged her. I like how she looks. I have every right to be pissed.”
The feigned sympathy melted from Terry’s face, giving way to renewed interest. He glanced over his shoulder at Lissa, then back at me. I kept my gaze fixed on him. If I caught sight of her, my rage might take hold again. And then we’d both be dead.
“I wasn’t at a bar,” I continued. “Dusk is a BDSM club.”
“A what?” Burt demanded angrily.
“A BDSM club,” I reiterated, keeping my focus on Terry. “Kinky sex. I can take her there, tie her up and whip her in front of everyone, and no one will stop me. Because she’s my slave.” I drew on my contempt. “If you’d bothered to check her wrists before restraining her, you’d have seen my rope marks from our session.”
Terry stroked his mustache, considering. “If you enjoy beating her, why don’t you show us? Take a swing.”
Fuck, no. My stomach clenched at the thought.
“She’s had enough tonight,” I asserted. “I like her face pretty, not bruised. She’s nicer to look at that way.”
“He cares about her,” Burt argued against my case, appealing to his leader. “We don’t need him in Salvation if she’s going to be a distraction. He’s not a true believer.”
“I’ll show you.” I kept my tone as even as I could manage. “She’s my slave. Untie her, and I’ll prove it to you.”
Terry jerked his head at Burt. “Do it.”
“Terry,” he protested.
“Now,” he barked at his lackey.
Burt ground his teeth, but he followed orders. He stepped past me to roughly pull at the knots that bound Lissa. Steeling myself, I met her shining eyes again. They were clouded with confusion. Of course she didn’t understand what was happening. I prayed she would trust me to get us out of this. If she tried to fight her way free, she would be dead in seconds.
The ropes fell away from her body, and Ernest released her hair. He shifted the gun from her chin to the back of her head.
I stared into her fearful emerald eyes, imposing my will on her. I pointed at the floor in front of me.
“Kneel. Like I taught you.”
Please, I silently begged. Please don’t fight them.
She swallowed hard and stood on shaky legs. She managed to take five steps to close the distance between us before she allowed her knees to give way. I resisted the urge to wince as they banged against the floor; that would leave some nasty bruises.
Instinct got the best of me, and I reached out to run my fingers through her hair, comforting her. Tears slipped down her cheeks, and her whole body shuddered with a sob. I cupped her jaw and lifted her face so she had no choice but to look up at me.
“You’re okay,” I reassured her. “I won’t let them hurt you.”
“You see?” Burt said with triumph. “He cares about her. He’s not one of us.”
I speared him with my most scornful stare. “If you kick a dog, it’ll bite you. She’s loyal to me because I can be a kind master. I control her pleasure and her pain, and she serves me willingly. I don’t have to keep her on a leash to bind her to me.” I sneered at Burt. “If you’d ever had a beautiful woman beg you to fuck her so hard she screams, you’d understand the appeal of the Master/slave relationship.”
Terry’s abrupt laugh snapped through the tension building between us. “I like the way you think,” he declared. “You’ve obviously taught her where her place is.” He embraced me. “Welcome to Salvation, brother.”
I forced myself to smile. “Thank you. You won’t regret it.”
His gaze sharpened. “No. I won’t.” I read the warning, and I ducked my head in a show of attrition, indicating that he was the alpha. His amused grin returned, and he turned to address the rest of the men. Robby and Leonard had barely managed to struggle to their feet, but they were looking at me with respect rather than anger.
“Welcome our new brother,” Terry ordered.
They each approached me and shook my hand in turn. I gave them my best shit-eating grin, all the while planning a painful death for every one of them.
Burt was last, but one keen glance from Terry made him grasp my hand briefly. He still didn’t like me, but he would accept me.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll take my slave home and look after her injuries,” I announced. I had to get Lissa out of harm’s way. “I’m the only one who should leave marks on her.”
Terry cocked his head at me. “When you come back tomorrow, I want to hear more about how you trained her. I think I’d like one of my own.” His lecherous gaze roved over Lissa, and it took everything in me to stop myself from gouging his eyes out.
“Of course,” I promised lightly. “What time should I come by?”
“It’s been a late night,” he said. “Get some rest. We’ll meet up in the evening. Six o’clock.”
“I’ll be here,” I swore. “Thanks again.”
“You are more than welcome, brother. We’re glad to have you in the family.”
I nodded my gratitude and bent down to pick up Lissa. The tender act might give my feelings away, but I didn’t think she would be able to walk on her own. And she would need me to hold her close to keep her from crumbling emotionally before I could get her to safety.
Feigning unconcern, I didn’t look at her as I cradled her to my chest. I hated turning my back on my enemies, but I made my way up the basement stairs at a natural pace and carried Lissa out into the night. Once I was clear of the house, I half-ran to my car and hastily placed her in the passenger seat. I got in the driver’s side and slammed the key into the ignition before pealing away, desperate to put distance between her and the men who had hurt her.
But where should I take her?
Headquarters? I could debrief her officially. There would be no way for her to doubt my true nature if I took her to the Chicago unit of the FBI.
No. I didn’t want Parkinson to know about her. She would give Lissa two options: help us, or go into witness protection. The latter was out of the question. I didn’t want her to leave my side. If she did, Terry and the others would know I was full of shit. They might try to track her down if they found out I’d lied to them about our M/s relationship.
I would just have to keep her close until I took the bastards down. I simply needed to discover their plan, infiltrate their potential terrorist contacts, and take out the cell.
Yeah. No problem. My inner voice was heavy with sarcasm. It could take months to get that deeply embedded in Salvation. I hated the idea of Lissa being on their radar for that long.
I blew out a breath. There was only one right answer here. It had to be her choice. She could keep up the pretense of our M/s relationship, or she could go into witness protection until I took Terry and his brotherhood down.
“What the hell is going on?” She demanded shakily. I glanced over to see that she had finally worked the knot on the gag free and was able to talk again. “Where are you taking me?”
“Back to my motel,” I answered, my voice clipped with frustration. I hated the situation I’d put her in. I’d told myself I couldn’t let a woman get close to me again, but I’d let my desire for her to override my better judgment. Now she was in danger, and I didn’t have a solid plan to get her out of it.
My fists tightened against the wheel. Marie’s face, too pale and utterly still, flashed through my mind. Her open eyes had stared at me accusingly even in death.
“Let me out,” Lissa insisted, her tone high and thin. She fum
bled at the door handle. I quickly flicked on the child safety lock so she couldn’t unlock her own door and jump out of the moving car.
“Lissa,” I said her name firmly, hoping to calm her. “I need you to hear me out. I swear I won’t hurt you. Just give me a little while longer, and I’ll explain everything.”
“Stop the car,” she demanded. “I’m not going anywhere with you. You’re… you’re one of them.”
“I’m not. I’m working with the FBI to take them down.”
A beat of silence passed. “What?”
“I’m not an anarchist. I’m trying to infiltrate their organization to take them down. Tonight was their version of hazing me. I’m sorry you were involved.”
The apology was ridiculous in my own ears. “I’m sorry,” I ground out again, as though I could somehow erase the horror and pain she had been through with those two simple, stupid words.
“Fuck!” I shouted, losing control.
I ran a hand through my hair in frustration and took a deep breath. I had to calm down. Self-loathing was an indulgence, and she deserved better than that. “You have two options,” I told her, reigning myself in. “You can stick close to me and pretend to be in a Master/slave relationship, or you can go into witness protection.”
“What?” This time, the word was an angry demand. “I am not your slave. Let me go!” She jerked on the door handle again, desperate to escape me.
“No, you’re not my slave,” I agreed, keeping my voice even with great effort. “We would pretend. You’ll be safe from them so long as they believe you belong to me. I can protect you.” I would prefer that, but she needed to acknowledge her choice. “Or you can go into witness protection.”
“I don’t want to do that! I can’t just abandon my whole life because of you!” She buried her face in her hands. “This can’t be happening. This isn’t happening.”
“It is,” I said more harshly than I intended. I struggled to master my internal rage. It was directed at myself, not her. “You need to choose.”
“What I need is for you to let me go!” she shrieked.