RockYourSoul

by Sara Brooks

  * * * * *

  The bars of the cage that Beth laid eyes on the first time she’d stepped into the room at Sanctuary pressed against her skin. The cold, unforgiving surface chilled her to the bone. The fact this cage belonged to Ryan offered no comfort because of the man who’d locked her away.

  Confined in the tight space, her legs had started to cramp. She’d managed to push away the pain, using her training on how to process pain. At least she had a choice. With Murdock’s temper, that freedom could change in the blink of an eye.

  It surprised her one of Ethan’s flunkies had been following her and not Ethan himself. Then again, it wasn’t as if her former Dom would care enough to come find her. With Murdock’s erratic and obsessive behavior, she should have known he would track her down. His personality leaned toward obsessive behavior.

  Then again, she hadn’t done anything to cover her tracks. She hadn’t thought there had been a need to. In a million years, she would have never thought he was so caught up in himself—in her—that she needed to worry about being trailed.

  After her departure, Murdock should have moved on and found some other Dom’s sub to terrorize. Instead, she sat here staring into the eyes of the man holding his favored cat-o’-nine tails.

  The lean man swung the whip tipped with metal points in an arc, taunting her as he allowed it to tap against the side of the cage. Her stomach flipped over as fear swelled. Her hands immediately began shaking as adrenaline coursed through her system. She tried to shrink to take up the smallest amount of space possible. Maybe he wouldn’t see her then.

  As the tails swung back and his lecherous grin widened, she remembered the inexperienced sub she’d been years ago. She fought against the wave of nausea threatening to take her, determined to not surrender to what she’d once been. She’d worked too hard to become who she was now to give Murdock the satisfaction of her surrender.

  When the metal hit against the lock on the cage, a wave of revulsion swelled in her throat. Despite the newfound strength she was certain she possessed, she still had to beat back the demons whispering in her ear.

  The ones she’d thought she’d locked away long, long ago.

  The ones who whispered she was worthless and didn’t deserve any joy in her life.

  The ones who insisted she was nothing more than a common whore.

  The very same ones who once convinced her she was better off dead.

  The item stopped its hypnotic arc. She pushed against the bars though she knew she was locked in and confined. Wood scraped over the flooring as she continued to tremble.

  “You’ve been busy.” He leaned over, the stench of his favored cologne making her gag. Old Spice. The disgusting taste filled her mouth as he pressed his face against the bars. As his unfriendly black eyes stared down at her. “Found yourself a new Dom even though I didn’t give you permission to leave.”

  He’d never been her Dom in the first place, but she knew pointing it out would just make him angrier. Better to remain silent.

  The key clanked in the heavy-duty lock and she jolted, fighting to take up as little space as possible. She trembled against the loud sound of metal grinding against metal. His clammy hand clamped over her forearm. She screamed as his dirty fingernails dug into her skin. The pain was so sudden she couldn’t push it away. She scrambled to pull herself out of the cage before he could do more damage.

  He jerked her chin around, clamping his mouth over hers. She fought not to retch when he shoved his tongue between her lips. She thought about biting down, but knew it would enrage him more. She wasn’t certain she could get away in enough time. She needed an escape plan and to do that, she needed more time. As stupid as it may sound, the longer she was here with him, the higher the probability someone would find them.

  If he didn’t kill her first. With the cold, unadulterated glee running through his eyes and his body, she had no doubt he would take that step without hesitation.

  “Get your cheating ass over there.” He pushed her forward when she didn’t move fast enough. The cat-o’-nine tails slashed across her thigh and she cried out from the bright flash of pain.

  She fell to her knees, folding her hands behind her as she lowered her head in penance. “I’m sorry, Sir. I should have more respect for you than to be clumsy.”

  “Damn straight, you cunthole. Get up on the board.”

  The only thought in her mind was to follow his orders as quickly as possible. She pressed against the cooler wood, grateful for the smoothness against her heated skin. He was rough as he tied the rope—Ryan’s rope—around her wrists and ankles, unconcerned with the fact he was scraping off layers of skin with his rough treatment.

  Murdock wouldn’t care.

  He wanted her to bleed.

  The more blood, the better.

  As he pushed her hair to the side and grasped the back of her collar, she heard the startling sound of metal sliding against metal. The collar tightened around her throat as he pulled. Her heart sank as she listened to the grating sound of the scissors cutting through the fabric Ryan had so carefully woven for her.

  It had been a mistake to go along with Murdock’s plan. She should have fought back, kicking him where it counted. But his brutal treatment in the past caused her to acquiesce to him now. She knew surrendering was the only way to prolong her life, but it also made her realize she might have just signed her own death warrant.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ryan strolled through the doors of Perfect Shot feeling lighter than he had in months. Everything in his life was just as it should be. He hadn’t felt this secure in the decisions he’d made in a long time. Agreeing to help Beth had been the life-changing moment he hadn’t known he’d needed.

  Now he wouldn’t change a thing.

  Dade sat in the far corner, reading the daily newspaper with a cup of java next to his knee. No doubt, he’d gotten so caught up in the paper, he’d forgotten the coffee. With this in mind, Ryan stepped up to the metal counter and tapped his finger on it to garner Patrick’s attention.

  His close friend turned, a wide smile causing the corners of his eyes to crinkle. “Glad to see you made it back in one piece.”

  “Good to be back.”

  Patrick’s eyes narrowed as he studied him. Ryan slid his hands into his jacket pockets, waiting until Patrick found whatever it was he was looking for. A few moments later he leaned over the counter, slapping Ryan on the shoulder. “Damn good to see you back.”

  “Yeah. Yeah it is.” Ryan returned the smile, positive he’d never felt this certain of anything in his life—ever. He looked forward to moving along with his plans, taking the next step. On the long drive back from New York, he’d decided he wanted Beth by his side and not just as his sub. He wanted the collar he’d given her to mean even more. He wanted her to go through life with him, not just as his submissive but as his wife. Even though he hadn’t been searching, he’d found his match.

  Life had given him a second chance.

  “Give me two cups, will you?” The bell jingled and a quick glance over his shoulder indicated Elena has just breezed through the door. “Make that three. Four if you’ve got time to join us?” It had been awhile since the four of them had a chance to sit around in the shop and catch up on their lives.

  Today seemed to be the perfect day to do so.

  Patrick’s sharp gaze made a pass over the customers in the shop. Evidently satisfied with what he saw, he nodded. “Sure. Two cups of the house blend for Elena and Dade. I’ll bring your double shot to you.”

  Ryan tapped Dade’s shoulder as he dropped onto the couch. Dade examined him with the same studious gaze as Patrick. Ryan shook his head at how observant his friends really were. Then again, that’s why they all got along so well.

  Dade simply smiled as he took the mug Ryan offered. “How was the trip?”

  “Hard, as it usually is. But it’s over now and I’m ready to get on with my life.”

  “And does moving on involve a certain ra
dio-station personality?”

  “Possibly.” He grinned, unable to contain his joy any longer.

  “How is she?”

  A small thread of unease slid through Ryan’s stomach. He immediately dismissed the sensation, equating the unsteady feeling to the fact he was simply being overprotective. “I haven’t talked to her since I left.”

  Elena’s eyes narrowed. “Not even a phone call?”

  “As hard as it may be to believe, we both have separate lives and managed to live them quite nicely. I don’t expect her to check in with me every moment of her day. I left her a message last night to tell her I was coming back home, but she didn’t return my call. I just figured she was too busy with work.” A thread of worry that wasn’t going to be easily dismissed grew larger. It wasn’t like Beth not to have her cell phone nearby.

  He turned to Elena. “Have you spoken to her?”

  “No, not since she met us at The Copper Nickel for dinner. She skipped the movies, said she was too tired and just wanted to sleep for a few days. Don’t think the flow of drinks she had helped her mood. I left her at the warehouse and that’s the last time I saw her. We’d made plans to have coffee when she surfaced again, but since I haven’t heard from her, I figured she’d just gotten too busy with stuff around the station or something.”

  Hearing she was exhausted didn’t come as a surprise. He had definitely kept her busy prior to his departure to New York. “Has she been on the radio?”

  “Sure. I caught some of the show on my way back from the club last night. She made a few jokes about the bed at Sanctuary being so comfortable so I didn’t think anything of it.”

  His worry vanished. He was simply overreacting. She’d come from a past where she’d been ruled by an overbearing Dom. He’d done his best to show her the complete opposite. He didn’t want her to think the same thing of him just because she’d gotten buried under a pile of work. Demanding to know where she was every minute of the day would violate the trust he’d worked so carefully to build.

  “She’s probably still holed up there recovering. I’ll head over or try to give her a call in a few minutes. I’ve got something I want to talk to the three of you about first.” They shifted in their seats, edging closer so he wouldn’t have to raise his voice. “Stockard will stay locked away for another five years.”

  “One less worry on your mind,” Elena stated with a firm nod.

  “For now. I’ll go back when I have to in order to ensure he doesn’t make probation. He doesn’t deserve to be free. Not after what he did.”

  Patrick folded his hands in front of him, tapping his index fingers together. “If you’re trying to justify why you went to New York, you’re preaching to the choir, Ryan. We’re aware of all the facts. Your unwillingness to see him walking free on the street is warranted.”

  “I know.”

  He didn’t know why he felt the need to reiterate his actions. His friends were the type who would stand tall with him no matter what. They were familiar with the details of the accident and the choices he’d been forced to make because of the man’s actions.

  “There’s something else I want to talk to you about. Since you all had dinner with her the other night, that means you’ve seen her collar.”

  Elena smiled as she smoothed her slacks over her thighs. “I did. And may I commend you on your taste and craftsmanship. Not as though I ever expected anything less from you.”

  “Thank you. Since Beth came into my life, things have been…different for me. I wasn’t sure how to handle it at first and I nearly blew everything I was working so hard to build.” He paused even though he knew what he had to say was what lay in his heart. He knew it was the right choice to make. “I want Beth’s collar to mean more. I don’t want her to just be my submissive. I want her to be my wife.”

  Elena clapped her hands together, wrapping her arms around his shoulders for a tight hug. He embraced her while Patrick slapped him on the back. “That’s wonderful news, Ryan. You deserve this kind of happiness after all this time.”

  “A few months ago, I would have disagreed with you.” He kissed Elena lightly on the cheek after addressing Patrick. “I have you to thank for this, you know. Your suggestion she come see me a few months ago started us on the path that brought us here.”

  “Never doubt my powers again.” She winked as she released him.

  He turned to face Dade. His oldest and dearest friend stood smirking while laughter danced in his eyes. “About damn time you came to your senses.”

  Ryan set his hands on his hips. “Is that so? Unlike you to keep your mouth shut as outspoken as you are.”

  Dade shrugged. “There was something you needed to figure out on your own. Us shoving it down your throat wasn’t going to help. Can’t do everything, you know? I noticed a few glimpses the first few times I saw you two together, but I wasn’t certain. It all but saturated the room when I showed up the night you asked me to. And then at Brogans? Man, I said you had it bad.”

  The bell tinkled, signaling a customer had entered. Ryan glanced over Dade’s shoulder, hoping to find Beth walking through the door. Instead, Allison breezed in with her laptop case slung over one shoulder. Her smile fell when she saw the four of them standing there talking. “What’s wrong? Did something happen in New York?”

  “Everything’s fine.” Patrick fit his hand around her nape, his thumb running over the collar he’d asked her to wear for him last year. Allison nodded, her face tipping up toward Patrick to receive his kiss. “Looks as though we’re going to have two weddings in Gatlin Falls this spring.”

  Elena choked on her coffee, narrowing her gaze at Allison. “Two?”

  Allison smiled widely as she pulled away from Patrick to make a beeline for Ryan, ignoring Elena’s question completely. He caught her, swinging her around with a laugh. In many ways, she reminded him of Beth. He was glad they’d bonded over video games and their silly tee-shirts. He knew they’d gotten together a few times to hang out in Tony’s comic-book store. They were even planning a trip to San Diego in July in order to attend Comic-Con.

  He suddenly felt the need to be with the woman he intended to spend the rest of his life with. “If you guys will excuse me I have a woman to propose to. But do you guys want to meet up later at Brogans? Think it’s time we throw a huge party.”

  His friends waved him away as they nodded, dismissing him. He stopped at the door before exiting, looking back at the people who meant so much to him. Allison and Elena had already fallen deep into conversation, undoubtedly conspiring about wedding plans.

  He was about to add someone else to their little group. He felt as if he was the luckiest man alive to have this kind of support in his life. Smiling, he pushed open the door and headed for Sanctuary.

  * * * * *

  Beth distanced herself from the pain. It was the only way to cope with each slash of Murdock’s cat-o’-nine tails against her back. She’d long ago stopped feeling the skin being laid open or the warm trickles of blood across her backside.

  At first, she’d thought of Ryan. How wonderful he’d been to her. How he’d pulled her back from the brink with a calm authority she missed. But she felt as though it was dirty to think of him during such a time. As if doing so marred their moments together. The memories were too precious.

  She knew she’d never see him again.

  Instead of thinking about him, she took every piece of the man she loved and locked it away where Murdock would never reach. A loud thud sounded in her head and she winced, waiting for the gut-wrenching pain that accompanied each strike. But it never came.

  Instead, the loud thud sounded again.

  She instinctively flinched against her bindings as she waited for Murdock to stop torturing her with the wait. Damn. Murdock liked to watch her struggle. She stopped as she was unwilling to give him any kind of satisfaction.

  The thud sounded again and this time the sound of splintering wood followed. Afraid Murdock had destroyed one of Ryan’s beautif
ul pieces of equipment, she glanced over her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Ryan standing on several pieces wood. Splinters of wood also dotted his jeans.

  He’d kicked in the door to get to her.

  Rage glowed hot in his eyes when her gaze met his. Her heart broke even as he started to move forward. She didn’t want Murdock to hurt Ryan. A man with this kind of unrestrained hate and anger would do everything in his power to destroy them both.

  Murdock swore loudly. “She doesn’t belong to you.”

  “And she has never belonged to you.”

  Murdock growled and swung out with the cat-o’-nine tails. Ryan ducked, punching out with his fist to land a solid hit on Murdock’s side. Stunned, Murdock dropped the device as he went to his knees. He recovered quickly, shooting out a leg to try to sweep Ryan’s feet out from under him.

  Ryan reacted, but not fast enough and he went down hard on one knee. Seizing the moment, Murdock launched himself at Ryan. Beth felt the force of their bodies hitting a few feet away.

  Anxious to help, she pulled at her bonds, ignoring the fiery burn as her skin tore. The men continued to struggle. She felt the rope give enough for her to exploit the weakness. Murdock could never tie a knot for shit. Not like Ryan.

  A few more hard tugs and Beth yelled in triumph as her wrist came free. She frantically worked to untie her other hand as a loud crash sounded behind her. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw the men had fallen on top of Ryan’s Berkley horse. The once opulent piece lay in ruin.

  Ryan took advantage of Murdock’s stunned state, bashing his fist into the man’s nose. Blood poured from the broken cartilage as Murdock howled in pain and curled into a fetal position. Beth wrenched her left wrist free, ignoring the pain and blood running down her arm.

  Ryan caught her just as she started to fall backward. Everything she’d locked away from Murdock came racing back. Her body trembled from the shock and the sudden onslaught of emotions, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes.

  “I’m all right. Just untie my legs so we can get away from this monster. I want to get out of here. Now.” Ryan pushed her against the board again, working on the knots around her ankles. He snorted and she looked down to see him easily unweaving the knots. Those fraying pieces of rope reminded her of the thing she’d lost that she’d held so dear.