by Abby Blake
“Next Thursday? I thought it took longer than that for a bride to get herself ready,” he said with a startled laugh. His own wedding had taken longer to organize than his marriage had lasted.
“It doesn’t take long to set up when the Doms are making the decisions.”
Hell, maybe there was some sanity in this collaring ceremony thing after all. “And Maya is okay with that?”
“Why wouldn’t she be? We’re not kids planning a party. We’re making a lifelong commitment to each other.”
Brick tried not to wince at the accidental description of his own wedding so many years ago. In truth he and his girlfriend had been barely more than kids when they’d begun planning their future together. Unfortunately, life had a way of throwing endless reality at childish plans.
Barely six months after the wedding and things had begun to fall apart. He knew in his heart that the fault belonged to both of them, but he might have tried harder if his wife hadn’t strayed. These days he was just glad that in her carelessness she hadn’t caught or passed on a serious sexually transmitted infection.
But waiting months for clear test results had put a lot of things into perspective. Fortunately, no one had said a derogatory word against his push to have condoms available for the kids at the newly reopened youth center. In fact Cam, who now ran the place and had a freakish ability to get nearly everyone he knew involved, had been pleased by Brick’s support and fundraising.
“You sure you want me there?” Brick asked as uncharacteristic self-doubt weaved through his mind. He had no idea what was involved in a collaring ceremony, but if it was anything like the things he’d read on the Internet, then he wasn’t really sure he could watch without interfering. In this instance maybe he wasn’t an ideal candidate for a party guest.
“Of course we want you there,” Derek said with another of his happy grins. “Maya might even send Cam to drag you into the club.”
Brick smiled at the reference to Cam and Derek’s first meeting. Considering that Cam was a retired Navy SEAL, Derek had probably been lucky the guy had a sense of humor. Brick sure as hell wouldn’t want to take the man on in a fight.
“Okay,” he said with a soft laugh, “no need to get pushy. I’ll be there.”
To be truly honest he was curious about Viper’s Dungeon. Derek had told him many times that Viper ran a high-class fetish club. The first time he’d heard that he’d almost laughed. If Derek hadn’t been very obviously serious when he said it, Brick might have.
It seemed such a contradiction in terms.
When he’d first joined the police force there had been a fetish club on the other side of town. Nearly every week the police had been called in to break up a fight or an ambulance had been summoned for someone who’d had too much “fun.”
If he remembered correctly the owners had finally closed the doors when their liquor license got revoked.
Derek said things were different at Viper’s Dungeon.
Brick fervently hoped that was true.
* * * *
“I think I need to order the steak,” Maya said with a wide grin. “Heaven knows I need the energy.”
Bianca smiled at her best friend and tried to hold her own grief inside. It was truly wonderful to see Maya so happy, but the timing really sucked.
Again, as had been her habit of late, Bianca cringed at the unfair thought. Maya had spent a long time alone, and her first husband had been a horrible bully. She deserved every bit of happiness that came her way.
But trying to hide her misery from her best friend was getting harder and harder. Bianca had arranged this lunch hoping to ask for a huge favor, but it really wasn’t the right time.
“Oh god,” Maya said as if a thought has just occurred to her. “I’m going to be on display again.”
“Probably,” Bianca said with a small smile. She’d gotten over her embarrassment a long time ago, but she still remembered how nervous she’d been those first few times Viper had put her on display. He’d proudly shown off his sub’s naked body while constantly reassuring her that she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him. Over time she’d forgotten that others were watching and now easily slid into that blissful sense of peace that only Viper was able to give.
“I’m not sure I can do it,” Maya said worriedly. “Last night was embarrassing enough and I was wearing a bodysuit.” She ran a hand through her hair in agitation. “What are the rules for a collaring ceremony?”
“Rules?” Bianca asked, smiling slightly at her friend’s mini panic attack. They’d gone through a nearly identical conversation last week when Cam and Derek had been planning last night’s exhibition. “Maya, BDSM isn’t an organized sport with a rule book. Everyone needs to find what works for them. I’m sure Cam and Derek will do what they do best—find your limit and push you a little bit past it. It’s what good Doms do.”
Maya laughed quietly, her nervous energy draining away as she smiled. “I guess I’ll just have to trust my Doms.”
Bianca smiled. She knew that sense of peace. She’d always trusted Viper to take care of her, to put her best interests first. He’d proven over and over again that he was worthy of that trust. It was why she felt so damn selfish and wretched now.
She swallowed hard and tried to follow Maya’s latest conversational jump—something about one of the suppliers for her restaurant. At the very least Bianca should try harder to be a good friend. Life shouldn’t be only her and her problems.
Ironically, that thought made her feel stronger, and she somehow made it through lunch without breaking down and asking Maya for help. Even though she’d specifically set up this chance to talk, in the end it felt kind of pathetic to burden yet another person with her problems. Viper had given up everything to take care of her, yet now Bianca was on the verge of asking someone else to handle her problems instead. The thought was a depressing one. It was truly unfair to drag Maya into her mess, but without her help Bianca wasn’t even sure where to start.
But maybe figuring that out was the first step to reclaiming her independence.
* * * *
Viper watched his sub move confidently around the kitchen and couldn’t shift the feeling of dread that sat heavily in his stomach. He couldn’t even pinpoint why he was feeling it. Bianca had been very quiet lately, but it wasn’t all that unusual. In the early days of their relationship she’d gone days without uttering a word. Of course, that had also been the time when he’d worked vigilantly to keep her in a blissful, post-orgasmic haze.
It had been very obvious to him at the time that Bianca needed something else to focus her attention on. Learning to be his perfect submissive had filled that need for her, and if he were truly honest, training her and taking care of her had filled a similar need for him.
“How did lunch go, little sub?”
“Good, thank you, Sir,” she said in her usual quiet tone.
She didn’t offer any other information—again that wasn’t unusual. She’d grown used to answering direct questions. In the scope of their relationship it had worked well in the past eleven years.
“Did Maya have any good news to share?” He’d been tempted last night to tell Bianca what Derek and Cam had planned, but then he’d decided it would be better for Bianca to hear it from her friend. He’d been surprised that Cam and Derek had let the woman out of bed long enough to have lunch with Bianca, but considering they had a two-week vacation planned for after the collaring ceremony, it might have been the women’s last chance to spend some time together for a while.
Bianca frowned at him and for a moment he was reminded of the angry young woman she’d been when he’d met her eleven years ago. The expression was gone so quickly he wasn’t even certain he’d seen what he’d seen, but she answered in her usual tone.
“Yes, Sir. Maya told me about her collaring ceremony next Thursday. She seems very happy.”
“And what about you, little sub?”
Viper was almost as surprised by the question t
hat left his mouth as Bianca seemed to be.
“I’m…” She hesitated, glancing his way but not making eye contact. “I’m very happy for her, Sir.”
Viper wanted to push. He wanted to ask her if she was happy, not if she was happy for her friend, but he didn’t. Bianca relied on him to take charge, to make the decisions. That was what a good Dom did. It wasn’t fair to Bianca to let her see his moment of self-doubt.
In an effort to change the subject he almost asked what was for dinner. At the last moment he managed to drag back the question. He’d already given her the menu instructions for the week. He should know what it was she was cooking, since he’d been the one to choose it. Again, that dread ran through him. He’d always been on top of things, always in charge.
Hell, most of the time he truly was the Dom Bianca saw him as—inside and out. But lately he didn’t quite feel it deep down. Lately, he’d barely kept up the façade.
Lately he’d felt only human.
Chapter Four
Derek, Cam, and Maya were waiting at the reception desk, apparently to sign in the guests who weren’t actual members of the club. AKA…him.
As far as he knew, Brick was the only close friend Derek had outside of the BDSM lifestyle. It was obvious that Maya was excited—and she certainly wasn’t dressed like a sex slave—but when Derek raised an eyebrow at her wide grin she stuck her tongue out at him instead of being frightened.
Knowing all three of them outside of their Dom-sub roles had always made it a difficult concept for Brick to grasp. Maya seemed so independent. Thinking of her getting spanked for “bad behavior” just didn’t seem to fit the woman or the men he knew. If he didn’t know at least a little of the lifestyle they led he would probably have picked Maya as the type to fight back. In fact, only a few months ago she’d fought off several intruders in her restaurant. Any woman confident enough to do that certainly didn’t seem the type to want to be “punished.”
He took a deep breath and tried not to freak out. Some of the things he’d seen on the Internet had left him feeling ill. Derek might talk about protecting his sub, but how on Earth did that equate to hitting her with a cane?
“I’m so glad you could make it,” Maya said, earning herself another frown from Derek. She noticed his expression and poked her tongue at him again.
“That’s three,” Cam said with a wide smile. Maya didn’t seem the least upset by what seemed to be a count of her offenses.
“Three?” She laughed quietly. “Honestly,” Maya said in a loud whisper as if only he could hear, “we’re not even inside the club yet.”
“Five,” Cam said, laughing when she turned on him and asked if he’d forgotten how to count. “We are inside the club. The foyer counts.”
“Does not,” she said with the same sassy confidence Brick had always associated with the woman he knew. But the smile fell from her face when she looked at him again. Suddenly the jovial mood changed, and Maya gave him a serious look. She glanced at the men who loved her and then turned back to him. “Nothing that happens here is against my will. You understand that, right?”
“I’m trying to,” Brick said honestly. As a police officer he’d stepped into the middle of his share of domestic disputes. He’d seen women broken and bleeding, begging him not to arrest their scumbag husbands. Even when the victim was the one to call for help, the police were never sure who was going to try and attack them. He’d had to arrest more than one domestic abuse victim for attacking the police as they tried to arrest her abusive husband. He couldn’t help but equate those experiences with this one. Was Maya just so brainwashed or maybe so in love with Derek and Cam that she would accept abuse as part of their relationship?
“I’m glad you’re here,” Maya said with a soft smile. “I was overwhelmed at first, too, but I promise you it’s not what you think.”
He nodded, not trusting his voice at that moment.
“I don’t know what my Doms have planned, but I promise you I will very much enjoy it.”
“Come on, sugar,” Cam said as he claimed Maya’s hand. “We’ll go get ready while Derek helps Brick with the paperwork.”
“Paperwork?” Brick asked as dread flooded his stomach once more.
* * * *
For the first time since meeting Bianca, Viper found himself torn over what to do. He always officiated the collaring ceremonies at Viper’s Dungeon, but this time he found himself wanting to stay beside his sub instead. It wasn’t possible of course, and Maya would likely maim him if he tried to back out of her collaring ceremony, but he still couldn’t kick the feeling that something was wrong with Bianca.
“They’re ready whenever you are,” his brother, Kevin, said from the doorway. Viper nodded, held out his hand for his sub to take, and then followed his brother into the main area of the dungeon.
“How’s Terri?” Viper asked as they walked down the hallway from his office. Terri was Maya’s older sister and despite the fact that she was seven and a half months pregnant—and suffering most of the uncomfortable side effects of carrying twins—had insisted on being here today to see her sister collared by two men who truly loved her.
“Cranky,” Kevin said with a laugh. “It’s probably best you stay out of her way. She’s not going to be taking orders from anyone, even more so than usual.”
Viper smiled at his brother’s reminder that Terri wasn’t a sub. Terri and Kevin had a close and loving relationship and had spent enough time around BDSM and the varying lifestyles that revolved around it to know that it wasn’t for them. They were very much equals when it came to making decisions.
A little spark of envy grew in Viper’s mind. What would it be like to have a partner capable of making decisions for herself? Viper had always been the one in charge in every relationship he’d ever had. Most of them had been short-lived thanks to his career in the Navy, and he’d met Bianca so soon after leaving the SEAL teams that he’d never really had a chance to explore a relationship with that type of dynamic.
Hell, he owned a fetish club because there were subs just like Bianca who needed a safe place to find a Dom to fill their needs. He’d never turned a needy sub away from the club. Asshole Doms on the other hand…
As Viper stepped into the cavernous room, the friendly conversations quieted and everyone moved to their positions. It had become somewhat of a tradition at Viper’s Dungeon that the witnesses to a claiming ceremony encircled the elevated platform. Viper liked it. Somehow it gave a sense of being embraced by the community they’d chosen to join.
Maya was already kneeling in the center, her arms secured behind her back, her eyes down, a lacey, almost-modest dress by BDSM standards covering most of her body. She blushed a pretty shade of pink as Viper stepped onto the stage, but it was clear that at least one of her Doms had given her an orgasm before bringing her into the middle of a crowded room. Maya still wasn’t comfortable with being on display, but it seemed that her Doms were using a devious way to distract her.
Cam and Derek stood either side of her, their leather and chain outfits making both men look even more intimidating than when they were wearing street clothes. It was no wonder the youth center was making a huge difference to the area’s angry young men. With strong role models like Cam and Derek hopefully many of them would be able to avoid the traps of street gangs and criminal behaviors.
Maya shuffled slightly on her knees, her eyes darting around the room as her discomfort grew. She gasped suddenly, stiffening as Cam pressed a remote control. Viper struggled to hide his amusement when he realized Derek held a tiny remote, too. If he knew these men as well as he believed he did, then it was very likely that Maya was wearing both a remote-controlled vibrator and a vibrating butt plug. Her Doms probably even secured them in place with something that rubbed against her clit. It was both devious and, judging by Maya’s shivering, quite effective.
Cam, despite his lack of experience, was proving to be a very inventive Dom.
Maya panted softly, apparently no
longer concerned with the audience surrounding her. She did, however, startle slightly as he began to talk.
* * * *
Brick watched the ceremony with a kind of sick fascination. In his head he likened the feeling to what happened in the moments before he reached the scene of a violent crime—a sort of mental preparation that readied him to see the worst of humanity and somehow still keep functioning.
He tried not to react when Viper’s booming voice filled the air. He’d only met the man a couple of times, but he’d thanked the heavens that Viper was on the right side of the law. He was intimidating in both size and appearance, and Brick didn’t ever want to find himself trying to arrest someone with Viper’s abilities.
He might have retired from the SEALs many years ago, but recently he, Cam, and Logan had easily inserted into the middle of a highly organized drug cartel, secured Maya’s and another woman’s safety, and then disappeared into the night as if they’d never been there.
The official police report didn’t mention them at all, but there was quite a bit of amusement at the precinct over the cartel’s security team’s claims of ghostly ninja attackers who’d managed to disarm and incapacitate them without ever being seen.
Retired or not, Viper was one very dangerous man.
Surprisingly the ceremony was quite “vanilla” as Derek would have called it. Like many other marriage ceremonies, the people involved made public declarations of love and fidelity, friendship, support, and understanding. Brick was a little startled to hear Maya declare her intention to obey both of her Doms, until she added “in the bedroom.”
The gathered crowd, many wearing fetish gear, laughed at what was probably an inappropriate comment for a sub to make. Derek and Cam both smiled in amusement as they fastened a thick chain around Maya’s throat. It sort of resembled a collar but to the wider population would just seem to be an attractive piece of jewelry.