by Mari Carr
“Lately,” Mateo murmured, with the first smile Dimitri had seen on his face in hours. “Like the past week.”
Dimitri chuckled, but didn’t respond. Only the tiny spark of that desire had existed before meeting Cecilia and Mateo. In the last week, it had erupted into a wildfire that told him his place was not with the SBU, but with them. What that meant for his future eluded him, but it certainly didn’t frighten him.
“Your turn,” Cecilia said. “Charlotta.”
“We didn’t have a relationship. It was nothing more than a one-night stand. I reached out to her at a time when I was feeling low. We had a few too many drinks and fell into bed together. I didn’t realize Charlotta’s feelings for me at the time ran deeper than mere friendship. If I had, I never would have taken her to bed. When I tried to explain I didn’t feel the same, she was hurt and angry. The friendship gone.”
Cecilia frowned. “Derrick made it sound like more.”
Mateo’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“It sounded to me as if perhaps it was a longer affair.” Cecilia seemed to think back to what Derrick had said. “He said something about your history and the fact that you’d been lovers. I don’t know. Perhaps it was his tone more than his actual words.”
Dimitri agreed with Cecilia’s assessment. Derrick had been playing them that night. He wasn’t sure how or why, but everything the man had said—though innocuous enough—felt calculated to him. It was his instincts about the hidden nature of men that had served him well as a spy, had prompted his superiors to ask him to act as a shadow within the organization.
“I’m not sure why he would have done that. Derrick was aware that it was only one night, and that I regretted it. Of course, he did the same thing when…”
Mateo’s words faded, and Dimitri thought his lover was finally starting to come to the same suspicions he and Cecilia had in regards to his best friend.
“What is it, Mateo?” Cecilia asked.
“After the fleet admiral fell through the ceiling…Derrick…”
“What?” Dimitri prompted.
“Charlotta asked if Derrick had told me about Eric’s secret escape route. He stumbled. He said he hadn’t told me—which was the truth—but he said it in such a way that it sounded as if he was lying to protect me.”
“Finally. You see.”
Mateo looked at Dimitri and nodded slowly. “I think we have to add Derrick to the list of suspects.”
Cecilia took Mateo’s hand in hers. “Oh, tesoro. He was always on the list.”
Dimitri chuckled and, then, thankfully Mateo did as well.
“I let our friendship blind me. Derrick was like a brother to me, and yet…” Mateo paused again. The poor man truly was struggling to finish his thoughts tonight. This time, they didn’t rush him. “And yet, I feel closer to the two of you after only a few days then I ever did to him. Is that strange?”
Cecilia shook her head. “I feel the same way, caro.”
“Why did you leave our bed the other night?” Dimitri repeated the question he was still waiting to have answered.
“I wanted to share my past with you.”
His response took Dimitri by surprise, confused him. “What do you mean?”
“I was going back to my bedroom to retrieve photographs. Of my parents. I wanted to tell you about them. About what happened to them.”
“Happened?” Cecilia asked.
Mateo nodded. “I came home one day after futbol practice and found my parents in the dining room. They’d been brutally murdered.”
Cecilia gasped. Dimitri’s stomach lurched, his chest growing tight, as he considered what Mateo must have seen, felt.
Cecilia reached out for Mateo, cupping his cheek sweetly, and Dimitri saw the tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
Mateo swallowed deeply, trying to compose himself. Both Dimitri and Cecilia gave him the time to do so.
When he was ready, he continued with his story. “As I said before, I wasn’t aware of the Masters’ Admiralty until that night. As the police were searching the house, collecting evidence, my other father arrived.”
Cecilia’s eyes were sad, but kind. “That must have been quite a shock to you, coming on the heels of your parents’ deaths.”
Mateo gave them a rueful smile. “It was. But perhaps that was the best time to spring it on me. I mean, after what I’d seen, the shock had left me sufficiently numb to pretty much everything.”
“That was truly the first time you’d ever met him?” Cecilia asked.
“Yes. But there was no denying he was who he claimed. He was clearly my biological father. The resemblance between us was unmistakable.”
“Why would he stay away all those years?” Dimitri asked.
“He was an important man in the government, as well as the Admiralty. At the time I was born, there had been some threats leveled against him and his trinity, and my parents thought it best to protect me from that danger. It was several years before the threat had passed, and by then, I was a five-year-old boy with two adoring parents.
“The night Mama and Papa were killed, Father took me to his home, and it was there that I saw the countless photo albums—filled with pictures of me at every age—as well as the letters my parents had sent him over the years detailing my day-to-day life, funny things I’d said, awards I’d won. He gave me up to protect me. And when my parents were gone, he gave me a home, a loving one.”
“You said he was important in the Masters’ Admiralty,” Dimitri said.
Mateo nodded. “He was the admiral of Castile.”
“But—” Cecilia started, stopping when she realized her words might be painful.
“But,” Mateo finished for her, “he’s dead now. Killed by the Domino.”
Cecilia didn’t bother to hide her tears. Instead, she let them fall as she wrapped her arms around Mateo.
He accepted her embrace, and then Dimitri saw the first traces of genuine sorrow on Mateo’s face, replacing the numbness that had been there before.
“I haven’t had time, a chance to mourn him. Kacper died. Then my father. It’s all happened so fast.” His voice broke on the last word and his grief came to the surface, spilling out as he tightened his grip on Cecilia.
Dimitri couldn’t remain apart, not in the face of such pain. He shifted closer, wrapping both Cecilia and Mateo in his arms, holding them as Mateo slowly fell apart.
They remained that way for a long time, content to simply share that small, warm space until Mateo managed to pull himself back together.
Mateo was the first to move away, rubbing his face to wipe away the tears he’d shed. “I’m tired.”
He’d said the same words earlier, and Dimitri had misunderstood how bone-deep that exhaustion was. He had chalked it up to a sleepless night, but now he knew that Mateo had been running on empty for much longer than that.
“Lay down,” Cecilia said, gently pushing Mateo to his back on the bed. She followed him, curling up against his chest.
Dimitri sat there for a few moments, looking at them, overwhelmed by the power of his feelings.
He’d fallen in love with them. And it hadn’t even taken a week.
Cecilia glanced over her shoulder at him when he didn’t move, raising her eyebrows in a silent demand for him to hurry up and take his place beside them.
He lay down behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist, his palm lying flat on Mateo’s bare chest.
They lay there long enough that Dimitri thought perhaps Mateo and Cecilia had both fallen asleep.
When Cecilia asked, “Why didn’t you become a doctor?” Dimitri realized they were all still awake.
Mateo sighed. “After my parents were killed, and I learned of the threats against my father that prevented him from being a part of my childhood, my goals changed. I realized I wanted to protect those who saved others. A day doesn’t pass when I wonder how many lives might have been saved if my parents hadn’t been murdered. More tha
n two lives were lost that night. When I learned of the Masters’ Admiralty, of its value to the world, I saw my future, and realized I wanted to dedicate my life to protecting their leaders.”
“That’s a wonderful desire. Selfless. Brave,” Cecilia whispered.
Mateo shrugged off her praise, clearly embarrassed by the compliment. Then he continued his story. “Initially, I aspired to become a knight in my territory, to protect my father. It was he who insisted I was destined for greater things, who put my name forward to the fleet admiral for admittance in the Spartan Guard. He was very proud of me when I was accepted. And I can still hear his voice the night I called to tell him I’d been elected head of the guard. It was the only time he’d ever said the words ‘I love you’ aloud. He wasn’t the type to wear his heart on his sleeve or to coddle, but I never doubted his love for me. Not once.”
Cecilia lifted her head from his chest. “That’s why your job is so important to you. The Spartan Guard isn’t a career. It’s a calling.”
Mateo considered that, then said, “But I failed. Kacper. My father. Mama and Papa. Eric. Everyone.”
“Mateo,” Cecilia whispered. “No.”
Mateo’s grief slowly disappeared, morphing into a determination so powerful, Dimitri felt its presence in the room like a tangible being. “I will find the traitor, will make him pay for what he’s done. It’s too late to change what’s passed, but I will not stop until justice is served for those who have died.”
“Your cause is mine now, Mateo. I swear it,” Dimitri pledged.
“So do I,” Cecilia vowed.
The room fell silent for a moment as those words, their promises, sank in. Dimitri sensed the heaviness pressing down on Mateo. He understood it because he was coming to learn they were kindred spirits, the same type of men under the skin.
Dimitri propped himself up on his elbow. “Tomorrow, we’ll go to Red. We’ll get the answers we’re seeking.”
“How?”
There was time enough to make their plans in the morning, when clearer heads prevailed. For tonight, they’d prepare for just one aspect.
“Simple. We’ll go to the club to play. I have the perfect roles in mind for each of us.”
Mateo grinned, and Dimitri’s heart lightened to see it.
“I’m sure you do,” Mateo murmured. “Am I to assume you’ll be taking the lead, dominating our dear Cece?”
Dimitri laughed. “What do you think?”
“Why is it always assumed that I’ll submit?” Cecilia asked. “I think I should be the Dominatrix and you two can be my slave boys.”
Dimitri reached out and tugged down the sheet, pinching one of her nipples sharply. “That’s a dream you’ll have to enjoy in your fantasies alone. I’ll be the Dom tomorrow…and every other night.”
She glared and opened her mouth, clearly intent on lodging her complaints. He pinched her other nipple.
“Perhaps we should practice,” Dimitri purred, bending close and taking one of her earlobes between his teeth, nipping at it.
“You don’t need to practice,” Cecilia said haughtily. “You’ve got that ‘lord of the manor’ act down perfectly.”
“Oh, the practice wouldn’t be for me. But for you.” Dimitri looked over at Mateo. “And him.”
“I’m not submitting,” Mateo said.
“We need to cover all the bases. I will feel out the other Doms, Cece can communicate with the other female subs, which means you can converse with the male submissives.”
Mateo shook his head, but Dimitri didn’t intend to budge on this. This was one reason why he’d suggested they practice. They needed the distraction after the revelations of the evening. But more than that, submitting didn’t come natural to Cecilia or Mateo.
“Think about it, Mateo. You’ll understand I’m right.”
“Then you play the male sub. I’ll be the Dom,” Mateo countered.
“Have you ever been to a sex club?”
Dimitri could tell from Mateo’s face he hadn’t, so he continued, “Dominating a woman in the bedroom is one thing, but there are rules, standards of play, expectations for behavior in these clubs. I can guide both of you through those if I’m the Dom.”
Mateo didn’t reply. Dimitri respected his lover’s hesitance. Submission would rub against the grain. Giving up control would never come easily to him. Now that Dimitri knew about Mateo’s tragic background, he understood why.
“I will only do what is necessary to keep up appearances. I will not humiliate you, Mateo.”
Cecilia ran her finger along Dimitri’s chest. “Am I going to get the same promise?”
Dimitri shook his head, giving her a sexy smile. “No.”
“That hardly seems fa—”
Her words stopped sharply when Dimitri gripped both her wrists in his hands and pulled her upright and then off the bed.
“Kneel.”
Cecilia’s spine stiffened in anger, but it only fueled Dimitri’s blood, his lust for her submission.
“Now, Cece.”
She did as he asked.
16
For a sex club with an ominous one-word name, Red was a bit of a disappointment as far as first impressions went. Nyx had said it was outside London and she was right. Red wasn’t in the bustling, cosmopolitan city of London; rather, to the east, on the edge of what was considered greater incorporated London. The small concrete office building was situated in a commercial area not far from the M25 motorway between two sleepy little villages that were predominantly inhabited by commuters. The sign on the front of the building listed businesses that included solicitors, a dentist, and an estate agent.
The very last name on the sign said only “Red – Lower Level.”
There were no residential streets around them, and since it was well past business hours, the small parking lot should have been deserted. Instead, it was packed with vehicles. They’d had to park on the street, two wheels on the footpath.
They stood three abreast on the wide walkway up to the front door. Tall glass windows on either side showed a miniscule foyer with three uncomfortable-looking chairs and one sad potted tree.
“I feel ridiculous,” Mateo grumbled.
“You look good,” Cecilia assured him, stroking his bare arm.
“And cold.”
“Cecilia gets to complain about the cold before you do. She’s wearing less than you are.” Dimitri hadn’t stopped looking around, assessing, since they got out of the car.
Cecilia struck a pose. They’d gone to a High Street store that catered to disenfranchised teenagers with disposable income to get their outfits. She was wearing black fishnet stockings and a miniskirt made entirely out of black tulle. That was paired with a red and black plaid bra that was a size too small, resulting in more than ample cleavage, and a black tube top that was nothing more than a twenty-centimeter-wide band of stretchy fabric. Her arms and midriff were bare, her shoulders covered only by thin red bra straps, her legs by the fishnet stockings. She had on black boots—for safety. Dimitri had wanted her in something they could run in if the situation got dangerous—and she wore thick leather cuffs buckled on each wrist.
Mateo, in comparison, was naked from the waist up, except for wrist cuffs that were a match to her own. The faux leather pants he wore were too short—the store hadn’t had anything long enough for someone his height—but that was hidden because he’d stuffed the ends of the pants into the tops of his black boots. It gave him a fetish-commando look that she liked.
On her other side was Dimitri. He too wore faux leather pants—the same pair Mateo had purchased—but unlike them, he wore a black button-down shirt. It was a sort of formal kink that she also liked. He had the whip, which he’d coiled and attached to his belt with a small strap that reminded her of a luggage tag.
If not for Dimitri looking around like he was expecting trouble, and Mateo radiating tension, she would have been looking forward to this. She’d never been to a sex club before. She couldn’t imagine a
better way to visit than with two such delectable men by her side.
“Pardon us.” The speaker was behind them, their voice vaguely apologetic in a very British way.
Dimitri snaked an arm around Cecilia’s waist and pulled her to him, turning them so they were no longer blocking the path to the door of the office building. Mateo stepped to the side too.
The speaker was a middle-aged British man, with pale blond hair. He wore a three-piece suit and a tie. Cecilia winced in embarrassment, at least until she saw that he held a leash.
“Thank you.” He walked up to the door, his companion trailing behind him.
The companion was a middle-aged woman in a black slip dress. She was barefoot and wearing a bright red collar with the other end of the leash attached to the ring in the center.
The couple opened the door, went into the small foyer, and then pressed the button for the lift.
“We’re at the right place.” Mateo folded his arms over his bare chest.
“Let’s go.” Cecilia started forward, but Dimitri tightened his arm, arresting her forward motion.
“You two are my subs when we go in there,” he growled. “That means I give the orders.”
“Then why don’t you order us to go in?” she asked.
“How do you think that’s going to go for you?” Mateo asked Dimitri, grinning at Cecilia’s smart-ass question.
“Keep it up, Cece, and there will be a spanking.”
Cecilia turned to look at him over her shoulder. “If you want me to spank you, Dim, all you have to do is ask.” She patted Dimitri’s cheek.
His eyes seemed to glitter with need—and just enough menace to have her shifting her weight from foot to foot.
“Come,” Dimitri ordered.
Mateo nodded and went first, opening the door for them.
They crowded into the small lift and pressed the button for the basement level. The lift lurched a bit as it started down. She tried to calm herself. This was probably going to be very disappointing. Certainly the outside had not been promising. Still, she felt sexy if not sophisticated in her outfit, and the presence of her men, so close to her that she could feel the heat of their bodies, was making her think all kinds of kinky things.