"This thing isn't as comfortable as I thought it would be," Cate grumbled.
Isabel laughed. "You're grumbling about a mask when you're surrounded by people having sex with each other?"
Cate felt a hysterical giggle bubbling up inside of her, and she couldn't hold it in any longer. Laughter poured out of her until tears welled in her eyes. The tears of laughter soon turned to tears of fear and exhaustion.
"Do you have the earpiece in yet?" Isabel asked.
Cate rummaged through her purse until she found the device that Gabriel had given her before he’d left to wait for Haney to pick her up. "I forgot." She put the earpiece in her ear and then tapped on the microphone between her breasts.
"Testing," she said.
"Ouch," a voice sounded in her ear. "Cate, would you stop hitting the mic? That thing is loud in my ear."
"Oops. Sorry, Zach," she replied.
"Yeah, yeah. Reading you loud and clear, and obviously you can hear me, so we're a go."
Isabel took Cate by the arms and turned her around. "You ok?" she asked.
"Yeah. Holding up. Any word from Gabriel? I thought he'd be here right after me."
"I haven't heard anything. Zach? You hear anything from Gabriel?" Isabel asked.
"I haven't, either. Let me try his cell."
Cate fussed with her hair as she waited for Zach's voice to return to her ear.
"GPS still has him at Cate's house," he said, after what seemed like hours but was probably only a minute or so.
Fear crawled up her spine, and Cate's hand stopped in mid-air.
"What?" she asked, hoping she'd misheard him.
"He's at your place."
"I know what you said, but why is he at my place? He should be here by now."
"I'm sending one of the guys out to check on him. Actually, Sully can go if you guys promise not to get into any trouble in the next twenty minutes."
Twenty minutes felt like a really long time.
"Ok, I'll stall as long as I can. Please tell me when you've found him." Cate twisted her hands, a bad feeling coming over her. There was no good reason for Gabriel to still be at her place unless he'd somehow been detained. And after Haney's comment about seeing her and Gabriel kissing this morning, she had reason to believe that he must have figured out that Gabriel was at her place. Had he hurt him? Worse?
"Roger that. Ethan? Keep an eye on our girls."
"Yes, sir." Ethan's Texas drawl filled her ears.
"Wait," Cate said. "Haney said he saw me and Gabriel together today. That he, um, saw us. Kissing."
Isabel raised her eyebrows, then grinned.
There was silence on the other end of the line. "Zach?"
"I heard you. Yeah, ok, that changes things. I'll make sure Sully goes in with guns blazing."
Before heading out of the bathroom, Cate tried to settle her nerves. The thought of Gabriel being hurt or dying made her hands shake and her stomach tighten. Isabel squeezed her hand. "He'll be ok. I promise. Gabriel's fully capable of taking care of himself."
"What if someone was there and got to him before he could leave? What if?"
"Gabriel is skilled. He knows how to get out of sticky situations. He'll be fine." Isabel tucked a piece of Cate's loose hair back into the mess of curls tied back at her neck. "After tonight, you'll need to tell me more about that kiss today." Isabel waggled her eyebrows. "Until then, we have some acting to do. I'll stay close. Just go with it, ok?"
Confused, Cate decided not to argue. She'd been gone long enough. As she exited the door, she stopped.
"Wait!"
Returning to the bathroom, Cate grabbed a handful of the condoms that Andrew had asked for. Gathering her courage once again, she straightened her shoulders and nodded at Isabel.
"Let's do this."
* * * *
Isabel was true to her word, not leaving Cate’s side. She flirted and kept touching Cate's arm. You'd never believe that she wasn't actually into Cate.
The act worked, though, and Cate watched as Haney followed their every move. Ethan sat down on one of the couches recently vacated by Sutter, Kingston, and the girls who'd been doing things that Cate didn't want to think about. Especially since Ethan was now sitting there.
He patted his knee, and Isabel obliged, going over to sit down on his lap. She never let go of Cate's hand, though, bringing her along with her. Cate took a deep breath before sitting down next to her, and leaning her head closer to Isabel's.
"He's watching," she said. "He'll come over soon. Tell him you like me and want to stay with me. Just see what he says."
Cate nodded and then placed her hand on Isabel's knee. It embarrassed her to be so forward, but she kept reminding herself that this little act was crucial to keeping her safe.
Sure enough, seconds later, Haney sat down on the couch next to her, entirely too close for comfort.
His breath was hot and heavy on her neck. He caught Ethan's attention and asked, "You two want to join us upstairs?"
"I think we're good down here," Ethan said.
Haney wasn't satisfied with that answer, so he tried again. "How about you, little lady?" He directed his question to Isabel. "You going to let this big oaf tell you what to do?"
Isabel giggled. "He's just rough around the edges. Doesn't like to share me with other men." She giggled again and reached up to stroke Cate's hair back from her face. "Now, other women? That's another story."
Haney's eyes went wide with lust, and he grabbed Cate by the upper arm. She yelped in pain, and Ethan stood, the look in his eyes deadlier than she'd ever seen. "We'll just be going, then," he said.
Isabel stood, too. "I guess we could come and watch. After all, we only paid for spectator status."
Ethan bristled but nodded, clearly willing to follow along to keep Cate safe. She was grateful they were there and hoped Gabriel would arrive soon.
Her relief died as soon as they walked into a bedroom with high ceilings, a four poster bed, several chaise lounges, and a pulley system that hung suspended from the ceiling. As soon as Haney's eyes lit on the pulley system, he turned to face her.
"Change of plans. Time for a little bit of punishment." His deadly eyes gleamed with sick delight.
Cate's knees buckled slightly as she stumbled after Haney, who was pulling her towards the pulley and ropes. A riding crop or whip sat on an upholstered bench nearby. Bile rose up the back of her throat, and she swallowed, praying for some way to get out of this dreadful situation.
Ethan started towards her, but Cate shook her head. If he stepped in now, their covers would be blown, and they'd never figure out who was behind this or where Amanda was.
Haney lifted her arms above her head, tying a rope around her wrists. He pulled slightly at the top of her dress and glanced down.
"Lovely," he said. "I can't wait to make your skin pink and make you cry out in delicious pain."
At those words, Cate knew it would take a miracle to get her out of this situation. Where was Gabriel? Was he ok?
Thoughts of him brought a sense of peace around her, and she blocked out her current surroundings. She barely felt the pull on her shoulders as the pulley lifted her higher, until her toes were just touching the floor. She barely felt the gag being tied around her mouth—barely felt Haney's hot breath on her neck and chest—barely registered the door banging open and Haney's cry of rage at being interrupted. And then he was gone.
The world around her faded away.
* * * *
Pain. Blinding, exploding daggers of pain wracked his skull. He briefly wondered why he was lying on the cold cement ground until he remembered the car, and then the three men who'd jumped him. Turning over to lie on his back, he brushed the loose gravel off his face from where he'd face-planted after losing consciousness. There were some abrasions there, and he would have a killer headache for days to come, but otherwise he was all right.
Cate.
The thought of her at the party by herself made him sit up too
fast. His vision blurred, and the pounding in his head became unbearable. Nope. He was going to have to give it a few minutes.
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Zach.
"I've been trying to call you for ten minutes," Zach said.
"Hello to you, too," Gabriel deadpanned.
"Seriously, dude. What's up? Where are you? The girls are flipping out."
"I'm guessing our friend Haney discovered me. Sent three of his goons to rough me up just as I was leaving the house. I incapacitated two of them, but one of them got the jump on me and clocked me in the back of the head."
"Geez, man. Sully's on his way to you."
"Roger that. I'll need his car to go to the party. If my gut is right, they'll be watching for me there."
"Sounds good. He's in his Jeep, though, so not exactly inconspicuous."
"No problem. Maybe I can get him to pretend to be my chauffeur."
Zach burst into laughter.
"Not on your life," Sully's deep bass voice boomed from inside the garage.
"Cavalry's here, Zach." Gabriel hit the end button and tried to open his eyes. A blurry figure of Sully filled his vision.
"Are there three of you?"
"No. Please tell me there were at least three of them that got the best of you?"
"Screw you. And yes, there were three. One has a broken nose, one has a broken arm, and the other has a bruised kidney. Kidney guy had a gun, though, and clocked me in the head. Twice."
"That's going to hurt." Sully stuck out his three hands, and Gabriel grabbed one of them. He was pulled to his feet and, to his relief, only wobbled a little bit.
"Maybe I should go instead— " Sully started.
"Not on your life."
"I figured you'd say that. Let's go help your girl."
Gabriel started to protest, until a glare from Sully made him stop short. Who was he kidding? She was his girl. And he planned to find a way to make that a permanent thing.
* * * *
After downing four ibuprofens and a glass of water, Gabriel hoped it wouldn't be long before the painkillers kicked in. Sully agreed to be the driver after all, since Gabriel wasn't sure his head would allow him to do it safely. Gabriel got in the back seat since the windows were tinted, and no one would see Sully when they pulled up.
Securing his mask in place, Gabriel exited the Jeep and walked up the curved staircase. When the door opened, a butler stood there with a damn towel on his arm. This had to be a joke, right?
"Good evening, sir," the man said. His accent was clearly British. So stereotypical. "May I have your invitation?"
Gabriel reached into his inside pocket and removed the invitation, handing it to the posh butler.
"Thank you, sir. Enjoy your evening, sir." Gabriel inclined his head towards the man, and then walked into the living room to his right. He glanced around and didn't find Cate, Isabel, Ethan, or Haney.
He moved to the other rooms on the first floor as casually as he could, taking a drink from a tray full of them. The tray was perched on a woman's back, her naked body serving as the table.
Degrading. That was Gabriel's first thought.
He'd had his share of women, going through them like clean underwear, but he always treated them with respect. Everyone was on the same page. Sure, some wanted to stick around, but they all knew what they were getting into when they started.
He moved through the room, noticing another woman, who was also completely naked, standing next to a chair. She wore a lamp shade on her head, its top emitting a soft glow. Human tables and lamps. He shook his head.
Not seeing any of the people he needed to, he climbed the winding staircase. It was wide, with polished white paint and Oriental rugs lining the way. As he reached the top, he saw a sitting area filled with more people engaging in different sex acts.
He looked over them as if they weren't even there, scanning the room for Cate. Not seeing her, he kept moving. His worry was now hitting an all-time high. At the end of the hall, after walking into several rooms, he burst through the doors to find Haney, who was tying Cate's hands above her head. Isabel and Ethan stood at the back of the room, acting as if they were making out, but Gabriel could see that their eyes hadn't left Cate.
The senator turned around, his mouth open in shock.
"Who do you think you are, bursting in the door like that?"
"I just wanted to join the fun. That's ok with you, right?" He lowered his voice, hoping to disguise it just a bit so that Cate wouldn't recognize it and give them away.
Haney nodded and went back to securing Cate's hands to the pulley hanging from the ceiling.
Because this wasn't a “limited access” room, Gabriel knew that he had every right to be there. The upstairs attic room was for premium members only. He figured Haney had access, but for some reason, he had chosen to stay down here. There were only a few other couples in the room, all watching or touching each other in some way.
Finally, he let his gaze fall on Cate. Her back was to him, but he could see the gag tied around her mouth. He moved to her side, but she'd yet to see him. He took in her dress where it was loose around the top, gaping dangerously low. Haney's gaze fell on the exposed skin, and Gabriel curled his hands into fists.
"May I?" he asked, reaching his hand out for Haney's riding crop.
He knew the protocol. Haney would be hard pressed to deny him access to Cate if Cate was willing to participate. She clearly was not a willing participant, but then, seldom did those with power actually follow the rules. However, they had an audience, so Gabriel knew that Haney would feel pressure to comply.
Haney grumbled something under his breath and then reluctantly handed over the whip. Gabriel took it, circling Cate while lightly tapping it in his hand. Finally, he stood in front of her.
Her eyes were wide with fear, her breaths coming fast and unevenly. Then he noticed the moment that she realized it was him. She visibly relaxed, and tears welled in her eyes. He'd give anything right now to comfort her. But they had a show to put on.
Gabriel's eyes bored into hers, hoping she saw his intent. Hoping she trusted him. A dip of her chin was the answer to his question, and he moved in closer to her.
With his hand, he lightly caressed the bare skin of her chest and throat. He moved around her, one arm circling her waist, crop in hand, while the other ran up her exposed leg. He used the whip to lightly feather it across her breast. He lightly tapped it, and she jerked into him.
"Shh," he hissed in her ear. "I've got you."
Haney watched intently, his hand going to his crotch. He was enjoying himself. The disgust that rolled off Gabriel threatened to break his composure, but he inhaled deeply, enjoying the fragrance of Cate's hair and skin.
Moving the crop down to her leg, he drew it up the length of her thigh until he got to her backside. Whap! He let the whip come down firmly, but not so hard that he knew he'd hurt her. Just enough to sting.
She cried out, and he hoped it was more out of shock than pain. He circled around her, catching her eyes, and was surprised at what he saw there. It wasn't fear, or anger, or pain. Instead, it was desire. She desired him. And if he wasn't mistaken, she was slightly turned on by the play. Color had risen to her cheeks and chest. Her breaths were coming fast, in little puffs of air. Her eyes were slightly glazed over.
She was breathtakingly beautiful. And she was his. Which meant that she was not someone that should hang, tied up in front of a crowd, while he aroused her. Cate was too good for this. Too wholesome. Gabriel stepped forward, raking his fingers up from the creases of her arms to her fingertips. Her head fell back, and he bent to kiss her neck.
With deft fingers, he loosened the knots from the pulley, and her arms fell around his neck. They started towards a chaise near the window, when Haney stopped them.
"She came with me," he snarled.
"Yes, well, for now, I plan to enjoy her company. Don't worry. I'll give her back."
Gabriel saw Haney's face go red
, his anger burning so hotly that he was close to going up in flames. Haney looked around, seeing the whispers and snickers from those watching. Finally, he must have decided that she wasn't worth making a scene, so he took a step back.
"Fine. But she leaves with me," he said.
Gabriel ignored him and turned towards the chaise lounge. He sat down, pulling Cate onto his lap while he worked the knots securing the rope around her wrists. As soon as she was free, she lunged for him. Her mouth found his in a crushing kiss, her chest pressed tightly to him.
She pulled away, her hands running over his head, his face, and then his body.
"You're ok?" she whispered in his ear as she kissed him just below it, in his favorite spot.
"I am," he said, his voice hoarse with desire.
"Thank you." She moved to the other side of his neck, finding that little pulse point below his ear. She sucked gently, then laved the spot with her tongue. His eyes rolled back in his head.
"For what?"
"Rescuing me."
Chapter 20
Cate knew that they needed to leave this room and get to a more public place quickly, but it was hard leaving Gabriel's arms. In his arms, she could imagine that these people and all the bad stuff were fading away. In his arms, it was just Gabriel and Cate.
She inhaled his scent, fortifying herself for the rest of the evening.
"We need to get out of here," Gabriel whispered in her ear.
"I know. Do you see Isabel and Ethan?"
"Yeah, they're still making out in the corner." He pushed back to catch her eye and looked her over from head to toe. "You sure you're ready for this? We can leave. Isabel and Ethan can look for Amanda, and we can—"
"No. I have to finish this. It's too important." She had to find out what Tariq's connection was to these parties. Her gut told her that he was involved, that somehow this was all linked together. The lives of American girls depended on her. She wouldn't let them down.
Castle Investigations Box Set Page 43
