Tennessee Law

by Stella Blanche

  “Do you know why I am going to punish you?” Sophie bit her lip.

  “Because... I was looking at another man?” she asked tentatively.

  “Among other things,” Sam agreed. “Mostly because you enjoyed it. And because I want to.” Her breath left her in a rush. He wanted to punish her? Why didn’t it make her tremble in fear like with Marco? Maybe because she instinctively knew that Sam loved her. He would make sure that despite the pain, there would be pleasure to follow. Lots and lots of pleasure.

  “Are we good?” he asked her in a soft voice. Her own voice had disappeared a few minutes before so she only nodded.

  “Then let’s begin.” His first hit landed on her left cheek with a resounding smack. He squeezed her flesh and then she felt it. The sting and heat, sinking deep into her bones and making a beeline for her nerve endings.

  “One,” she whispered.

  The second hit was on her right cheek followed by another tight squeeze, as though he could lock the heat of his blow inside.

  “Two.”

  Three and four followed in quick succession to each other and she had to bite her lip from crying out as the heat and sting blossomed into a welcome, arousing pain. She never could understand why pain made her so hot, but as long as she was with Sam, she didn’t care.

  After those first swats, he became ruthless and almost brutal, leaving her whimpering as she counted out her punishment. Numbers eight and nine fell on the backs of her upper thighs and her knees nearly buckled. It was deathly quiet in their room except for Sam’s labored, aroused breathing and her own pathetic whimpering. And then the air stilled and the hair at the back of her neck rose in anticipation. She didn’t know what was coming, could never expect it, but as the last smack resounded through the room, followed by her startled cry and a loud whimpering ‘ten,’ nothing could have prepared her for Sam’s wide hand spanking her pussy so hard that tingles ran up her spine and down her legs while stars exploded behind her closed lids.

  She cried out as he lightly smacked her pulsing wet pussy again. “Such a good girl.” Then two fingers spread her lips wide before she felt his tongue licking up and down her oversensitive folds. She gave a loud, guttural moan and had trouble keeping her legs locked and spread wide for him as he devoured her. Two of his fingers penetrated her and she instinctively pushed back and raised her head from the bed. He kept tormenting her with languid strokes of his tongue and harsh plunging of his fingers.

  “You will come when I tell you to. Not a moment sooner.” She whimpered again as he took up his tormenting pleasure. She was so close that she had to bite her lip and clench the sheet into her fists to keep her orgasm at bay.

  “Samuel...” she all but sobbed. “Please...”

  “Mmm... I love it when you beg.” He stood up straight behind her and she kept perfectly still, her nerves taut like a bowstring.

  He thrust into her in one smooth motion that knocked the breath right out of her.

  “Oh...” she moaned loudly.

  “That’s right, Soph. Let me hear you. Let me hear how much you love this.” He smacked her already hot bottom again and she gasped. “Let me hear how much you love me.” He picked up speed, grabbed her hips and she felt him deep inside her, making her his in every way a man could make a woman his.

  “Oh, Sam... I do... I love you!” she sobbed through her pleasure.

  He grunted from deep in his throat and she knew that he was close. Just as close as she was.

  “Fuck, Soph. Come for me, baby. Come all over this cock...” He groaned again as she clenched and with a loud wail, her orgasm rolled over her, shaking her body and milking Sam’s length deep inside her body. She felt his seed coat her insides and it sent her into another eye-rolling orgasm.

  They fell onto the bed, their bodies still joined. Limbs entwined. She gave a soft sigh as Sam pulled her even closer. He kissed the back of her neck.

  “I love you, baby.” She smiled and squeezed his arms that were wrapped around her tightly.

  “I love you too.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sophie’s nerves were shot as they all gathered around the table in the vast dining room. She did not notice the grandeur of the room, the high ceilings, beautiful and priceless pieces of art, or the table loaded with a variety of breakfast dishes fit for a king. The only thing she could think of at the moment was her impending visit to the police station to deliver her statement that would help Daniel to get the warrant to search Grant’s property. Daniel had informed them that there would be a fifty-fifty chance that she could be placed in the witness protection program. That was not something that she or Sam wanted, but Sam had argued with her that if that was what was needed to keep her safe, then she would not put up a fight or he would give her another round of punishment that would not end with an insanely pleasurable orgasm. She had gulped and agreed. The last thing she wanted at the moment was to be fighting with him, if there was a chance that she could be sent away and not see him again. Of course, if they could get the warrant quick enough and search the properties, the evidence could be enough to lock up Grant, Hugh, and all of their top men. Then there would be no one left to come after her in retaliation. It was far-fetched, but she was pinning her hopes on that. If she could get a hold of Elena and she could testify against them as well, the case would be so much greater. She was sure the young maid and her only friend during all those dark years would side with her. She would see that this was the only way for them both to get a better life. To start over. To be free.

  “You okay, baby?” Sam asked her softly as she just kept pushing her breakfast around her plate absentmindedly.

  “Yeah. I’m good,” she answered softly, biting her lip.

  “She needs a good shot of whiskey to settle the nerves,” Sage commented from the end of the table. Everyone was there, but despite the large number of people—friends and family—gathered together, there were hushed conversations and the distinct tang of tension in the atmosphere.

  “Absolutely not,” Daniel and Sam answered simultaneously.

  “She cannot give a statement under the influence—it could be dismissible in court and everything could go to waste,” Daniel explained curtly.

  “Hey!” Sage threw him a fierce glare. “I wasn’t suggesting she shows up drunk at the precinct. She is facing one of the biggest days of her life. It is terrifying to tell other people all your sordid secrets. It is exhilarating to be able to finally get justice for the asshole who has tortured you for years and terrified you in your dreams. It is scary as shit to feel all of that and be unsure whether or not this is even going to work. Give the girl a damn break to have a few seconds to freak out, okay?” She pointed a fork around the table at all the men. Caleb was sitting beside her silently. Lazario and Milané were sitting close together, holding hands, and Mike, Beau, and Dave were nodding in agreement to what she was saying. Sophie shot her a grateful glance before taking a small sip of the freshly pressed orange juice.

  “You can use one of our cars to go down to the station,” Mike offered.

  “No,” Sophie answered firmly and everyone looked at her in surprise. She set her glass down carefully.

  “Grant has eyes everywhere and if he doesn’t know you personally, he knows about you. He knows about everyone who is someone in this city. You cannot be associated with me in any way. If this thing goes wrong...” She locked eyes with Sage. “I will not bring my monsters to your doorstep.”

  Sage’s eyes softened. “Sweetie...”

  “No. You can have all the security you want. Next time you decide to visit your tattoo shop on Fifth Avenue, his guys will be watching you. Looking for a weakness to expose. This isn’t just one madman with a cruel hand—he has an entire group of men with the same evil intent as his own.”

  Caleb stood up. “Thank you for your concern, Sophie, it is definitely something to consider. I can arrange for unmarked vehicles to be here to take you wherever you want to go within the hour.”

&n
bsp; Sage stood as well. “Mike, I want your best men to accompany them. Not a single person with them will be untrained or unarmed. Understood?”

  Mike nodded before taking out his phone from his pocket.

  “This makes me feel weak,” Sam muttered and Sophie glanced at him in surprise.

  “What?”

  “Well, since we’ve arrived, everyone else has been protecting you or planning to protect you, deciding what will be the safest thing to do and I’m sitting here eating fucking French toast without a say in the matter.”

  Sage laughed softly. “Don’t worry, you big dangerous ex-marine. You get to spank her every night for the rest of her life as soon as she is a hundred percent safe. Nothing more macho than that.” She shrugged at him before leaving the room. Mills laughed before she and Lazario left the dining room as well.

  “Cars will be here in twenty minutes,” Caleb announced before looking at Sophie, then at Sam. “Good luck. We’ll see you for dinner.”

  He sounded so sure of the fact that the whole day was going to go smoothly that Sophie almost believed him. If only she could get rid of the nagging feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong today.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The ride to the precinct was horrible. Sophie had gripped Sam’s hand so tightly that it had felt like her knuckles would break. He had murmured soothing words into her ear, which did little to settle the unease rumbling through her. As they pulled to stop in front of the unimpressive building, she grabbed Sam’s arms and pulled him into a tight embrace.

  “I love you. Sam, I love you so much. Never forget that.”

  He hugged her tight. “Nothing is going to happen, baby. You are going to tell them everything that bastard had done to you and anything else about him and his business that you can think of. After that, we are heading back to Caleb’s and this time tomorrow, we’ll be back in Ripley and we can put all this behind us.” He put his one hand beneath her chin, tipping her face up to him. “We’re going to get through this just fine and we can finally start our life together. Okay?”

  She nodded slowly before kissing him reverently. She took a deep breath through her nose, memorizing his smell, imprinting the feel of his arms, strong and unyielding around her. This was what she fighting for today. It may not be a physical fight, but it was a fight nonetheless. A fight she was prepared to win because she had everything to lose.

  “Let’s do this,” she announced firmly as she pulled away. Sam gave her a brilliant smile.

  “There’s my beautiful brave girl.”

  They got out of the vehicle and made their way inside with two of Mike’s men flanking them and Daniel leading the way. Sophie acted as though she did not notice the glances she got from all sides. She ignored the hushed whispers and recognition on the people’s faces. Sam and the two security guards had to check in their guns at the counter before heading upstairs to Daniel’s office. Everything seemed surreal to her from the moment she had sat down in an interrogation room, alone with Daniel and a female detective with sharp eyes and a knowing look.

  Sophie glanced at the reflective glass quickly before her gaze made it to the corner where a security camera was situated with a blinking red light.

  Of course they were recording this. There had to be a written statement along with an audio/video recording to confirm her statement was actually everything that she said to Daniel and the other detective.

  “Just ignore the camera, honey,” the detective told her softly. “My name is Margaret. I will be taking your statement.” Sophie nodded and looked at the reflective glass again.

  “Is Sam in there?” she asked, not looking away from her own reflection.

  “Yes,” Daniel answered reassuringly.

  “He can’t be there,” she murmured softly. Daniel frowned but Margaret nodded in understanding before leaning over and whispering something in Daniel’s ear. Understanding dawned before he stood up and left the room. He came back a few minutes later, his shirt slightly rumpled and his face red on one side.

  “He didn’t take it very well, did he?” Sophie asked with a wry smile.

  “Understandably, but no, he did not.”

  Margaret chuckled. “Men tend to be a bit overprotective when their woman is in danger. Especially someone of his caliber.”

  Sophie didn’t feel like chuckling and she didn’t feel like bonding with the pretty detective over the manners of men; she wanted to get this over with so that she could get back to Sam and be in his arms.

  She took a deep breath and started telling them from the first time she saw Grant. She didn’t leave out the smallest detail. She told them everything she knew about his business, everything she had heard or seen in her time working and living with him. She went into every moment of abuse she had suffered, even telling them about the attack they had in Ripley. The story unfolded in between a few glasses of water, two cups of coffee, and lots of tissues as she almost broke down completely a few times. Nearly three hours later, Margaret sat back, shook out her hand a bit from all the writing they had done, and Daniel was looking at her with his fists clenched and his lips tight. He blew out a slow breath and reached for her trembling hand.

  “We are going to put him and everyone associated with him behind bars, Soph. I promise.” She could only nod as she picked up another tissue to loudly blow her nose.

  “Can I use the restroom to freshen up before you take me back to Sam, please?” she asked softly. Margaret smiled. “I’ll show you the way. You just have to sign this form for me, please.” She handed over the written out statement and Sophie signed it for her. Daniel picked it up. “I’m going to add this to my case file and get the warrant approved within an hour.” Sophie felt like an entire mountain had been lifted from her shoulders. Her statement, along with her diary and anything they might find at his house would be sufficient evidence to put Grant away for a long, long time.

  She stood and followed Margaret down a hallway; as soon as she saw the sign for the bathroom she thanked the detective and slipped inside. She didn’t want to look at herself in the mirror just yet, so she stood inside the doorway taking a few deep, calming breaths. After about ten minutes, she walked over to the sinks, bent over and splashed her face with cold water. As she straightened and dared a glanced at her no doubt swollen eyes and blotchy face, she gasped in horror. Behind her, with a finger to his lips and a gun aimed straight at the back of her head, was her husband, with a wicked sneer on his face.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Sophie whimpered as the throbbing in her head increased. It was dark around her and it smelled dank. After a few seconds she realized her eyes were squeezed shut and as she slowly pried them open, horror dawned. No, no, no! She couldn’t be here... this wasn’t real. Except as she saw a rat scurry across the dirty concrete floor, she realized that it was only too real. She was back in Grant’s basement. And she was shackled to the wall with her arms raised above her head. She did a quick mental check and besides the throbbing in her head and the slight tightness on the side of her face where Grant had hit her as she had turned to him in the bathroom, she didn’t have any other injuries yet.

  “I’m so sorry, Sophia,” a voice murmured from beside her. She made a startled sound as she turned her head to the side. In the same position as herself, only looking like she had been dragged through hell and back, Elena was almost unrecognizable. She was reed thin, her clothing torn and dirty, her body covered in bruises in various stages of healing.

  “Elena! What... what happened to you?” she asked softly, dreading the answer.

  “It took Grant about a week after you disappeared to realize that I was the one who helped you escape. I’ve been down here ever since then. He... he comes down a few times a week to ask me questions about you and to...” Her voice trailed off and Sophie saw her shudder.

  “Elena... this is my fault. I am so sorry you had to go through this.”

  “It’s not your fault. He knew where you were, I heard one of the men
talking. He was just coming down here to beat me up for shits and giggles. To drive me insane with worry about you. I had to tell him everything I knew. I didn’t mean to... I just couldn’t... I couldn’t take it anymore.”

  “It’s okay, sweetie. Don’t worry about it.” Sophie used her most soothing voice as her friend broke down in tears.

  “I just came from the police station. They are getting a warrant to search his property. They have everything they could possibly have on him, I even gave them maps of the mansion. They are going to come in here guns blazing and we are going to be free.”

  “But...”

  “No buts. It’s done. And so is Grant,” Sophie told her firmly, thankful that she had already given her statement and handed over her diary. Even if Grant killed her, they already had the evidence needed to catch him. He had no way out.

  “That’s what you think, my dear wife.”

  Sophie glared at the entrance to the basement where Grant was standing. His clothes were rumpled, his hair disheveled, and a look in his eyes had her biting her lip to keep from screaming. He looked manic, on the verge of giving into insanity any second. A madman was a dangerous man.

  “Now you did something that can’t be undone, but I will not be put in a cage. If I am going down, you, Sophia, are going down with me.” He walked over slowly before releasing Elena from her chains.

  “What do you think is going to happen when the cops bust in here to find you with a dead body and the knife with your fingerprints to give you away as the murderer?” he asked as he calmly grabbed a hold of Elena’s hair and pulled her upright. The two women locked eyes; Sophie’s filled with dawning horror and Elena’s with calm acceptance. Sophie was not going to accept this. She was not going to witness another murder by Grant’s hand and simply do nothing. Her mind was working overtime. How was she going to stop this if she was chained to the wall? Think Sophie, think! she mentally yelled at herself as she saw Grant pull a knife from his pocket. Sage’s words came back to her.