Connie gauged Thane's reaction to the slow unfolding of the tale. His body was still, his muscles fairly relaxed. He was drinking in every word without judgement, so it seemed, until she met his eyes. The amber burned, the dark specks she found so fascinating melted away into the liquid fire. He wasn't as unaffected as she first thought, he was just utterly calm under pressure.
God help them all if they found his trigger button.
*
If he was honest, this wasn't what he'd been anticipating. If it wasn't for the look in Jasper's eyes and the way his sub comforted him, Thane might have believed it was a dark and depraved joke, but the more farfetched and ludicrous the story became, the more he was leaning toward taking the sadist at his word.
When he met Connie's eyes for a brief moment, she confirmed it all.
Trying to imagine what he would do if someone threatened to kidnap and rape Connie wasn't pretty. By nature, he wasn't a violent man. His training had encouraged him to embrace his more primal instincts, sure. He wouldn’t deny it. Killing on a regular basis had hardened parts of him, skewing the way he looked at the world, but blood didn’t drive him.
That would change if a gun was pointed in Connie's direction. Oh yeah, all bets would be off. His rifle might be in storage, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have other weapons concealed around the house. He’d never had a woman to love or lose until Connie, but the idea of her dying struck red on the emotional upheaval scale.
Connie was worth dying for.
“They didn't take you?” he asked Archie, pleased his demeanor was controlled.
Her little hand clutched the front of Jasper's shirt. “No. There was an ambush one night when we left Avalon. Atticus was helping us figure things out, working on a plan of action, but everything went to hell. Jasper's father sent two homegrown assassins after us, and had one of my colleagues at work on his payroll. They killed one of Atticus's men and tossed him into the road in front of Jasper's truck.”
Jesus wept. What kind of family did Jasper come from, the fucking mafia?
“I got out of the truck after we hit the body, dragged Archie into the driver's seat and told her to go.” Jasper shot her a baleful glance. “Someone was in shock and sat there like a fucking deer in the headlights. Eventually, she took off, leaving me with my half-brothers. I did damage to both, but I ended up flat on my back, paralyzed from spinal shock.”
Anarchy picked up the thread now, and she didn't look well. She was pale, swallowing nervously. Even the reassurances of her lover weren't enough to soothe the nerves riled by rehashing events. “I did as I was told and drove away. We'd been trying to call Atticus, but Jasper’s half-brothers had caused carnage at Jasper's house and my apartment, using their associate to break in and set the alarms off. Atticus's teams were stretched thin, but I got through to him and he told me to go back to Avalon. So I turned the truck around and headed back to the club, but…” Archie trailed off, and for a moment, he thought she might be sick. “When I got back to where I'd left Jasper, he was down. On the ground, not moving. His brother was standing over him with a knife.”
A sense of dread sank his stomach like a lead balloon. Did he really want to know what came next? If she said the words he thought she would, he would be an accessory after the fact. But when he studied Connie's face and saw the pride in her eyes shining for her friend, he realized he needed to know. He needed to be able to share the weight Connie was being crushed under.
“You killed him.” Thane said gently when no one seemed willing to admit it.
The warm brown eyes he associated with Archie were as hard as onyx when she met his without flinching. The nerves, the sickness…all gone, buried beneath a mountain of protective female. She bared her teeth. “I put my foot on the gas and ran that fucker over. I killed him before he could hurt Jasper any more. I'd do it again.”
Thane nodded, believing she absolutely would. With Connie perched nervously on his lap, he rubbed a hand over his face and accepted the magnitude of the information he'd been given. Anarchy had confessed to vehicular homicide. She showed no signs of remorse—which he completely understood—but in a court of law, it wouldn't look good. Even with the circumstances, he figured a jury of her peers would find her guilty.
No one spoke for a long time, letting him sift through details and process the data in his own time. Connie shifted restlessly, her butt wiggling against his cock, but he was too distracted to entertain thoughts of what he could do to it. Instead, he tugged her closer as his eyes moved from Archie's drawn face to Jasper's defensive glower.
“Two dead bodies,” he said finally, musing over the words as though they were a foreign language on his tongue. “Two dead bodies, a wounded man. I'm presuming there was a considerable amount of blood and gore, not to mention a sizeable dent in the truck.” His gaze pinned Atticus, who was looking far too calm and self-assured as he stared straight back at Thane unapologetically. “There’s been nothing in the media about two dead men in this area since I arrived a few months ago. She's not in jail,” he pointed at Archie, “and neither is Jasper. Who cleaned up the scene?”
“Clever boy,” Atticus rumbled without hesitation, and the words were like a pat on submissive Thane's head. Dominant Thane wasn't quite so enamored with the praise. “Who do you think?”
“I think you're much more than a Master in a BDSM club. Teams, payrolls, taking on assassins…what level clearance do you have?”
Atticus grinned. “I don't have a level. I own a security company that deals with all manner of gnarly individuals and impossible situations, which means I can control certain elements of clusterfucks like this. Just as a warning—and I'm not suggesting you'll go running to the cops about this—but what you've been told here doesn't leave the inner circle. The only reason you're allowed to know any of this is because of Constance.”
Bristling with indignation on his behalf, Connie sat up straight. “Att—”
“No, sugar, stay out of this for a sec.” Thane slid a hand up to her nape, squeezing firmly to ensure she obeyed. His expression felt stony as he regarded the man nearest to him. “I hope you think more of me than that, Atticus. Connie aside, I happen to like those two,” he said with a jerk of his chin at Jasper and Archie, “and I wouldn't put them in jeopardy. That goes for all of you.”
“That's a good answer. The right one.” Atticus itched his cheek through his thick beard. “Removing threats is part of the job description. If you went to the cops, I'd assume you were a threat. I'd be sorry for it, especially as there isn't a single trace of evidence pointing to any wrongdoing. There's no evidence linking Anarchy to that section of road, to Jasper's truck, to the men who died. There's nothing to find.”
“For God's sake, Atticus, stop being such an asshole! Thane knows what's at stake here. We all do, which is why I wanted to make sure Anarchy was okay with me telling him. He's not going to tell the cops, any more than you are. Or I am. Or fucking Loki. Now stop posturing and—” Connie trailed off into a squeak when Thane's fingers tightened, giving her a little shake.
“You don't have to keep defending me, sugar,” he said soothingly in her ear, nipping the lobe. He felt her thigh muscles go lax, was tempted to slip his hand into the apex and play with the wet pussy he was sure was waiting for him. “This is a touchy subject, and he's just guarding his territory. Now behave, I was hoping to have enough time to play with my favorite part of you before we left for Avalon. We won't if you don't stop arguing with him.”
A slow smile curved one side of her mouth, even as heat turned her a luscious shade of pink. “I can fill the rest of the details in for you later…”
Testing her resolve, he ran his hand down her spine, under the waistband of his borrowed boxers. Two fingers pushed between her cheeks as she squirmed, settling on her rosebud. “Unfortunately, fucking your ass takes time. I don't want to hurt you by stretching you open without a warm-up.”
He waited for her to freak out and bolt off his lap. Since he'd bold
ly gone where no man had gone before up on the ridge, watching her take his cock into her ass of her own volition, he'd kept himself from going there again. He'd wanted her to take the time to remember it, to relive it, and find pleasure in the memory of being claimed.
Connie stiffened, her shoulders curving back in silent protest. As he stroked her anus with a fingertip, she blew out a hard breath…and acquiesced. She submitted beautifully without a single sound, handing her body into his care. As a reward for her bravery, Thane left his fingertip precisely where it was, forging no further forward.
“Breathe, sugar. That's all you're getting for now.” It took him a minute to separate gnawing need from clear-headed focus. He reminded himself to think about murder and mayhem instead of pushing his sub face down on the glass coffee table and mounting her in front of their friends. “In the spirit of not calling the cops, you're sure you eradicated everything, Atticus?
“The vehicles involved no longer exist. Dead men tell no tales, especially when they won’t be found in the next century or so. My team cleared the road, power washed it, and made sure there wasn’t a single trace of foul play left. I employ the best in their fields, Thane, and pay them exceptionally well to remain the best. When I send the cleaners in, they don't leave anything behind.”
Thane's eyes narrowed speculatively, but he had to admit the Master was almost arrogantly self-assured that his team could handle anything. He turned his attention to Anarchy. “How are you holding up after going through all that?”
“It's been hard,” she admitted, gripping Jasper's hand. “Without Jasper and Connie, I think I'd be contemplating suicide. I'm struggling with nightmares and flashbacks,” she admitted carefully, snagging Connie's attention. “Sometimes, the fucker gets up after I hit him. Sometimes, he still kills Jasper or I'm not fast enough to keep the knife from drawing blood. But I'm alive, which is more than what can be said about that asshole.”
Looking at the positive side was a good thing. If Archie saw only the darkness of that night, it would end up destroying her. He'd been in a similar position himself more than once after he’d ended someone’s existence. Thane might have been the executioner, not the victim, but he'd still been plagued by guilt and negativity, finding ways to divert the blame onto his own shoulders.
He'd learned things didn't work that way. It wasn't his responsibility to carry that sordid weight, because he hadn't done anything wrong. He hadn't dabbled with terrorism, he hadn’t plotted to destroy cities and kill thousands with the sole intention of causing pain. He hadn't hunted down citizens of his own fucking country and killed them in droves. He wasn’t responsible for those without souls, morals, or consciences.
Thane lifted his hand and absently rubbed the scar on his shoulder. One of his best friends had almost killed him on the training field back in the day, so he knew what pain a misplaced bullet could bring—it was one of the reasons he strived for a clean kill.
“Thane?” A soft hand tapped his cheek, wrenching him out of disturbing thoughts. “Hey, you okay?”
He blinked, shook his head slightly. “Sorry, my mind wandered.”
“You're rubbing your shoulder, is it hurting?” Connie twisted on his lap, a concerned frown bringing her brows together as she nudged his hand away and massaged the area gently. “Do you need an ice pack, a heat pack?”
Sweet little sub, tending to his aches and pains. Thane lifted her hand to his lips. “Just memories catching up with me, sugar. I’ll be fine.” He flicked his gaze toward Atticus. “Is that everything I need to know?”
“There're a few more details we've left out that Connie can give you at a later date, once you've processed what you've learned. I understand we've laid a lot of information on you; I hope you comprehend the value of it, Thane. Anarchy did something unfeasible to—”
“Anarchy did something brave, selfless, and stupid,” Thane butted in, giving her a wry smile. “I might not know everything about the situation yet, or the people involved, but I don't think her actions were murderous, however she felt in that moment. One thing I know about submissives is that they are fierce creatures in the hands of the right Dom. Love and loyalty inspire a deep-seated need to protect and defend, like bears with their cubs. From what you've told me, you acted in defense of someone you love, Archie. There's no shame in it.”
“Yeah, the cops wouldn't say that.” Anarchy paled, obviously thinking of the repercussions her actions could bring, until Jasper bit her shoulder hard enough to make her bare her throat in submission. “Yes, Master Jasper. I know they won't,” she murmured in response to some unspoken reprimand from her Dom. “That doesn't stop me from being afraid.”
“It's taken care of, kitten. How many times do I have to tell you before you believe me? Atticus utilized his entire fucking workforce to protect you. He loves you as much as I do, much to my annoyance,” he said with a faux-angry glare at his friend. “You saved my life, Anarchy. There's nothing in heaven or hell that is going to pull you away from me. If there was even the slightest chance of that happening—which there is not—not one of us would allow it.”
Archie closed her eyes and nodded, taking him at his word. “I guess I'm wearing the ring to prove it.”
Her Dom pressed his hand lightly to her mound, evidently enjoying her soft hiss of pain as the new piercing reacted to the pressure. “Don't remind me. I'm desperate to play with it. Once there's a ring on your finger to match the one in your clit, you'll be mine for the rest of time. Collaring ceremony, then wedding, and it's all set in stone, kitten. It's you and me until the day we die.”
Thane smiled, enjoying the sweetness of their intimacy. It was weird, seeing the big blond sadist everyone raved about in this light. One would think he'd constantly be niggling at his sub, using the coldness Thane always associated with a sadist to keep her on edge, but Jasper was a different story compared to the sadists of Thane's acquaintance. There was a compassionate side to him, and a spark that came alive whenever his hands or eyes came in contact with Anarchy.
Atticus rolled his eyes as Jasper claimed his kitten's mouth feverishly, a dark flare of jealousy burning fast and bright in the green before it cooled into amusement. “Christ, get a room, you horny bastard.” Dismissing them with a flick of his hand, those jungle eyes regarded Thane. “Before we leave you in peace for a few hours, is there anything you want to know?”
A thousand and one questions, none of which he could grasp. Then one came to mind, probably one of the most important. “The assassins, they were Jasper's half-brothers? Anarchy killed one and I'm assuming the other was…”
“Dispatched,” Atticus said flatly. “Along with their associate.”
“What about the patriarch, his wife?” Thane was uncomfortable using the term father. “They're still a threat?”
“As far as my team is concerned, yes. Dominic destroyed the family home in Virginia, killing several children and staff. He and his wife, alongside two pairs of decoys, fled. They scattered to Australia, Germany, and Ireland. We've tracked one pair to Hong Kong, another to Switzerland, and the final pair remains in Ireland. I have men pinpointing their locations, and we'll move in as soon as we have precise coordinates.”
“They'll come back.”
“We believe so. Jasper is the son of Dominic and his wife, Rita. Of all the children Dominic sired, Jasper is the true heir. The others are—were—half-siblings, born to different mothers. We think that Jasper is the one they want most because he's pure in their eyes. There are very few of the original children left alive, so he's their holy grail. They want his genetics to produce the next generation of kids to train and experiment on.”
Thane recoiled in revulsion. “Do you think they’d try to take Archie again?”
Atticus showed the warrior beneath his laidback exterior, his expression becoming almost feral with disgust. One thing was for certain, Thane never wanted to be on the wrong side of him. Keeping his voice low, he said, “Yes. I think they’d try again, use her as bait. The
y know what she means to J now, what he’ll do to protect her.” His gaze hardened as he looked over to the little blonde, cuddled on her Master's lap. “If they get their hands on her, she'll be used and abused, raped until she loses the will to live. They'll keep her alive, force her to have a child or two of Jasper's so they can tighten that chain around him until he’s no use to them anymore, then kill her.”
Connie shuddered. “All the pain and suffering they've caused. For what? Money, prestige? Training children to be killers, hiring them out to the highest bidder. Murdering them if they don't come up to scratch. In a clinical capacity, I want to get my hands on them and study what makes them tick. As a woman, as Jasper's friend, I want to dismember them piece by piece until they're screaming and dying in bloody puddles.”
Thane lifted his eyebrow at the vehemence in her tone. “That's violent, coming from you.”
“Connie is all still waters and sunshine until someone she loves is hurt. Threaten her family and she'll annihilate you.” Jasper ran his fingers through his kitten's hair gently, his pale eyes meeting Thane's. “A mama bear has nothing on Connie in terms of ferocity.”
“Shush, you,” she shot back, blushing.
Pulling her closer, Thane switched the conversation back to Jasper's parents. “You have security measures in place in case they slip back into the country? Or use their own teams for a snatch and grab?” He thought about Anarchy in Connie's office and the ease with which he'd been given access. Would they take Connie if they tried to abduct Archie, or just kill her as collateral? His guess was, they wouldn't turn down an extra broodmare for their sick ventures.
“Jasper and Anarchy joined my team, so they're covered. Jasper's our new field medic, so he's surrounded by heavily armed, highly trained men whenever he's not in the office. He also has his own skills. Anarchy is one of my new hackers, again with a team around her whenever she's in the office. I've made sure they have additional protection when they're not at work, and their home security system has been upgraded.”
Talk For Me: Club Avalon Book 3 Page 34
