As If The Whole World Were Watching (The Dom's of The Cage Series Book 6)

by P Nelson

  “Is that what he told you?” Sarah flicked the TV on. The act irritating Calla to where she regressed to being a teenager again.

  “Can’t you engage in conversation without watching that stupid thing?” Calla pointed at the TV.

  “This isn’t a discussion.” Sarah muted the sound and stared at her daughter. “You will tell me all the reasons Flynn is a stand-up guy although everyone else thinks he’s a criminal mastermind. You have daddy issues and it warps the way you see men.”

  Anger seethed through Calla. Every damn time. Sarah could do this to her every time. But Calla needed to get control of this train wreck.

  “This is Nick.” Calla pointed at her security detail, who was a perfect example of male virility. Just the thing Sarah hated. Great body, hard jaw line and panty melting eyes. Aside from the huge scar over his heart where the bullet exploded, almost killing him. “I’ve saved his life, he’s saved mine.” She waved a hand. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t spew your man hating crap around him. Nick possesses a kind heart and I like him the way he is.”

  “You saved Calla’s life?” Evie interjected.

  “Well she saved mine first.” Nick grinned at her. “Are those cookies I smell?” Calla’s mom had some baking going.

  “I can’t believe you eat cookies with a body like that.” Sarah’s acerbic comment wasn’t sexual in the slightest.

  “I play hockey to keep lean.” Nick shifted his fifty-watt smile Sarah’s way, running a hand down his standard issue black T-shirt. Linkin must buy them in bulk.

  “Oatmeal chocolate chip.” Evie cut in always trying to diffuse Sarah’s sharp edges. Nick turned his attention back to her. “You lead, I’ll follow.” He craned his head around to stare at Calla. “Stay away from the windows, you don’t leave until I make sure it’s safe and don’t provoke the dragon over there.” He nodded towards Sarah with his chin.

  “You cheeky thing.” Evie sounded scandalised. Calla checked Sarah to stem the tide of vitriol about to descend on Nick. But found her mom watching Nick follow her wife into the kitchen with respect. Calla glanced at the door to the kitchen and wanted to follow. But the cookies would be too tempting.

  “How are you going to get out of this mess?” Sarah waved a hand at the windows covered in curtains. “We’ve had assholes knocking on the door, calling the house at all hours of the day and night.”

  “I’m sorry.” Calla walked over to the couch covered in a multi coloured rug Evie knitted when she was a kid. Last night has been a blur. Flynn drove into the garage of a small but tidy house in Delta on a quiet street. Once the garage door closed, Flynn jumped out of the car and came around to the side. An elderly couple opened the door to the main house. The man exchanged a few words with Flynn before the older couple ushered them into a tidy basement suite. Calla found herself naked and under the shower spray a minute later.

  The rest of the night was a blur until Flynn woke her up this morning with a cup of coffee and informed her Linkin had been around to her moms’ house.

  “And the ape you sent over this morning.” Sarah started. Calla would have loved to watch the alpha posturing this morning, but she would not allow her mom to call a respected man names.

  “His name in Linkin Pearce. And he served his country. He is one of the most respected men in the BDSM community and did more than anyone else to stop the Reverend serial killer.” Calla huffed out.

  “So don’t call my boss names.” Nick added from the kitchen.

  “Maybe your boss should have respect for little old ladies.” Sarah shot back. Calla pressed her lips together in a frown.

  “When have you ever been a little old lady?” Calla didn’t bother to hide the disbelief in her voice. “Did you not just threaten a press gang on your front lawn with a hockey stick?”

  “The point is young lady.” Sarah leaned over the arm of her chair. “We wouldn’t be in this mess if you hadn’t gotten involved with all those weirdos. You know we never approved of your lifestyle.”

  “I’m not a weirdo.” Calla’s nose pinched as she tried to get a hold of her annoyance.

  “I didn’t mind.” Evie came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of cookies, Nick trotted behind her. “Calla should be able to explore her sexuality and decide what’s best for her.”

  “Humph.” Sarah eyed the cookies Evie set down on the coffee table. “Don’t make this about LGBT rights. It’s different.”

  “It’s not.” Nick grabbed another cookie and walked to the front windows. He used the wall as cover as he twitched the curtain aside an inch to look outside. “The BDSM community is a small subset of people who are following their natural predispositions in a safe, controlled environment where consent is paramount and no one gets hurt.”

  Calla’s mouth dropped. She stared at Nick. It was the most words she’d ever heard him speak in one sentence and it was a very accurate depiction of the kink world to boot.

  “What?” he shrugged appearing self-conscious. “I read the material. I have no Dom rights.” His hand rubbed over his chest where the Reverend’s bullet almost ended his life. “But I will get to it.”

  “Great another man beating women.” Sarah rolled her eyes and snatched a cookie up off the table. “I want to have some serious words with this Flynn Banroch. I’m not afraid of him.”

  “You’re in the minority.” Nick continued his watch out the front of the house.

  “The news reports said you’re engaged to that caveman con artist.” Sarah pointed a half-eaten cookie at Calla.

  “I will check the back.” Nick muttered picking up another cookie for the road.

  “What Sarah means to say is some news reports are saying you and Flynn are engaged. We didn’t know what to believe.” Evie sat down on the couch next to Calla.

  Flynn mentioned to the detective questioning them last night Calla was his fiancée. It didn’t take long for the more salacious of the news channels to speculate on the details of their relationship. They put her work in community outreach with the BDSM community and her working membership at The Cage together.

  “I wanted to tell you myself.” A lie. She would have rather gotten teeth pulled than tell Sarah she was marrying any man. Let alone Flynn Banroch. A man who embodied all the things Sarah hated. “But yes, Flynn asked me to marry him and I accepted.” Calla grinned. Relieved despite whatever her moms had to say.

  “You look happy. So I get to be happy.” Evie hugged her. Over her shoulder Calla saw Sarah’s scowl.

  “Did you want him to come round the house and ask your permission before he asked me?” The snarky teenager was back.

  “And where is this wedding going to take place? Is it going to be a destination wedding at a federal jail where he’ll be serving his sentence for all the white collar crime he’s committed?” Here was the sticking point.

  “The charges are bogus. You can take my word for it, or you can wait and see when the charges are dropped by the prosecutors.” Calla had let go of Evie and was staring around her at Sarah. “And this isn’t one of your class issues. A criminal is a criminal mom. It doesn’t matter what law they break.”

  “Except your Mr Banroch has enough money, power and influence to buy his way out of his crimes.” Sarah wrapped her arms around her chest.

  “He’s not buying his way out of anything.” Calla shouted standing up.

  “Sarah.” Evie’s voice held a note of warning. She was the much easier going of the two, but she wasn’t a slouch. “It’s the first time we’ve seen Calla in weeks. Let’s give her some space.”

  “And the reason we haven’t seen her is that Flynn Banroch. Who still hasn’t come to meet us.” Sarah was a dog with a bone.

  “I will let him know of the warm welcome he’s missing by not coming round shall I?” Calla replied. Her blood was up. Only Sarah could turn her hard won discipline on its head. She was angry with herself for allowing her mom to get to her. She realised what Sarah was like, but she still fell into the argument trap ev
ery time.

  “You don’t have to accept my choices.” Calla walked over to the front door where she had left the light jacket someone had bought and left at the safe house for her last night. “And you don’t have to accept Flynn.” Nick appeared in the living room a second later. Gone was teasing man replaced by the bodyguard. He opened the door and walked outside. “But Flynn and I will be married at some point. You can be a part of our lives or you can fuck off.”

  Calla had never sworn in front of her moms. Ever. The act was liberating for all of two seconds before misery engulfed her. Nick cleared a way to the door of the car. Calla didn’t look back at her childhood home as the car drove away.

  &

  Flynn cared for an exhausted Calla before putting her to bed. He would’ve much preferred the bed to be one he owned, but had trusted Linkin’s judgement. The man had safe houses located all over the place and Flynn could only be grateful. They would move to a different location this evening to keep their enemies guessing.

  “Yes, mother.” Flynn agreed with whatever his parent had said, not listening to the tirade coming over the other end of the phone. “I can imagine the embarrassment at your Thursday night supper club.” He refrained from snorting, but it was difficult. The reckoning had come with his remaining parent after seeing Arthur’s face this morning. He had done a good job avoiding her, his avoidance ended in Arthur taking the brunt of his mother’s selfish complaints.

  She continued for another two minutes. “Who were you married to all those years?” A squawk sounded. Indignant. “Because I sure as hell wasn’t the one who brought our families name into disrepute.” More screaming. Tears. A discreet knock sounded on the door to the boardroom. Linkin insisted moving him into the windowless office space deeming the floor to ceiling windows in his office too dangerous with a sniper in play. His personal secretary stood outside. Sophia right beside him. He nodded at them both.

  “I’ll speak of the dead any way I want.” Flynn informed his mother. “He’s dead. I’m not. You will live with my reputation. And the next time you call me and complain about my actions. I’ll remind you that as my mother you’re responsible.” The silence from his mother hanging up on him satisfying. He’d have another week or two of peace before she rallied up enough righteous indignation to call him again.

  “Miss Sophia Watson is here to see you.” His secretary informed him even though his head lawyer stood right behind her. She was a stickler for proper protocol.

  “Thank you.” Flynn smiled and waited for Sophia to come into the room. She carried a sleek black leather case in one hand. The woman reminded Flynn of Calla. Except for the ball busting side of her. Calla was all sub unless provoked. Sophia Watson was all alpha female all the time as far as Flynn could tell. She placed her leather case on the table and sat down. Flynn went towards the opposite side of the table.

  “Can I get you anything before we start?” Flynn asked.

  “Yes. You can get that scary ass security guy to find out who’s trying to kill you so I don’t have to waste my time coming down here.” Sophia’s acerbic tone accompanied her efforts to pull several files from her case. Flynn sat down.

  “I don’t remember scheduling a meeting for now.” Flynn didn’t bother to argue it wasn’t his fault someone was trying to kill me. And when Linkin found the asshole, they would reprimand him for inconveniencing her.

  “We didn’t.” Sophia sat back in her chair. “But I wanted to tell you the news in person.” Flynn flicked his gaze to the four TV screens IT set up earlier for him to scan the news. “They haven’t dropped the charges yet. Otherwise I’d know about it.”

  “No the charges remain, but we found ourselves a judge whose patience is wearing thin.” Sophia’s smile was more feral than happy. “Justice Winston Connaught is tired of Alwen’s hedging. The motion passed in his court thirty minutes ago. Alwen has until midnight tonight to give up her evidence, source or whatever the fuck she thinks she has.”

  “What do you think she will find?” Flynn probed wondering why Sophia had come all the way down here.

  “Nothing. Our forensics auditors haven’t found dick. Which makes you the squeakiest clean businessman of my acquaintance.” Sophia didn’t appear too ecstatic with her announcement considering Flynn prided himself on being above board as CEO of Banroch Industries. She pushed a folder across the table at him. “You either do a remarkable job of cleaning up after yourself or there isn’t anything to find. Either way, we have the upper hand.” Understanding dawned.

  “You want to sue the special prosecutor and by association the federal government.” He stared at the manila folder for a minute before picking it up. She had a folded legal motion inside the covers. Flynn took his time reading through the details.

  “I want those fuckers to think twice about coming after you again.” Sophia agreed. “This has been a colossal waste of my time and effort.” Flynn didn’t bother to remind her whose company was floating at a very undervalued stock price. Or which one of them had their character smeared all over the tabloids. Empathy was not Sophia’s best character trait. Flynn picked up his pen and stared at the line where he needed to sign and initial to sue for wrongdoing against Special prosecutor Alwen.

  This is where his life as a CEO and his instincts as a Dom intersected. Not everyone understood the primary force guiding a dominant is the need to protect and nurture. There had been something in Alwen the afternoon he met her goading him to protect her. It was why he had provoked her. By signing this paper, Flynn acknowledged he was ending her career in the federal prosecutor’s office. The CEO of Banroch Industries had no problem signing the papers. The Dom inside him was another matter.

  Flynn scratched his signature out on the line provided and initialled each page.

  “You hesitated.” Sophia accused as Flynn flipped the front of the folder closed and slid it back towards her. Again why bother trying to explain compassion to someone who just feels none.

  “When do you think Alwen will make her play?” Flynn avoided Sophia’s question.

  “She’ll play the long game.” Sophia sniffed. “She has nothing, but she will see if you will jump on your sword out of guilt.”

  “So we must wait until midnight.” Flynn leaned back in his chair.

  “And you’ll be a free man.” Sophia pushed another folder towards him. “This outlines the recommendation of the professional and personal reparations we will fight for.” Flynn lifted the cover and scanned the numbers. He studied the numbers not surprised Sophia and her team would go for the jugular. Closing the folder with a flick, he stared over the conference table at her. Something didn’t feel right. And his experience told him to trust his gut.

  “Why would Alwen drop the charges?” He asked her.

  “Because they have no substance.” Sophia replied, accustomed to being a sounding board.

  “How the fuck did she get away with laying them in the first place?” Flynn barked out.

  “Because she was able to convince one of her superiors of the validity of the charges despite the lack of evidence, based on the fact most CEOs would hide something.” Sophia’s logic was sound. Flynn shook his head.

  “There has got to be more than that.” Flynn half turned in his chair to stare at the TV screens. The news that the prosecution had until midnight to produce something substantial was causing virulent speculation on the stock market.

  “She’s bat shit crazy.” Sophia remarked. Flynn turned his head to stare at her. “Come on. This whole thing has been bullshit, a waste of time. She wants to run for some new job and figured an easy way to do it was make a name for herself on yours. The fact you own The Cage and you practice BDSM is not a secret. Even if you never make a public comment about it, there are enough people around who know about your activities to make it impossible to deny. You don’t deny or confirm them. Alwen like the rest of the vanilla world sees something sinister in kink. She assumes you are an asshole who enjoys beating women, so you must also have dirty
business practices. She’s learned her lesson.” Sophia tucked the signed petition into her shiny black leather case. “You can keep the estimates. I want you to remember how well we did at bonus time.”

  “Mercenary.” Flynn grinned at her. He might not agree with her assessment of Alwen and the charges, but he respected her enough to know her work was incomparable.

  “Always.” Sophia stood up. “And we will make sure the next person who tries to make a name for themselves off your back thinks twice.” She walked to the door. “I’ll be watching.”

  “As will I.” Flynn added. “Be safe out there.”

  “I’m not the one with bullets flying at my head.” Sophia threw over her shoulder and walked out. Flynn followed her progress down the hall through the floor to ceiling windows of the conference room. He always wondered what kind of Domme Sophia would make. Not that she had time to pursue anything outside her practice. It was a shame. She’d make some sub thrilled. A familiar street popped up on one of the TV screens.

  Calla marched out of her mom’s house, cheeks sporting angry red splotches. Nick pushing through the crowd to where Cass opened the door of the Bentley for her. Flynn’s eyes narrowed. Something had occurred, and he didn’t need to make guesses about who might have been antagonizing his fiancée and why.

  Linkin informed him after his visit to the Jones’ residence this morning that Sarah Jones was a first class ball buster. She had demanded to know Calla’s location and told him if he thought because he possessed a cock that gave him special rights he was mistaken. Linkin appeared to be shell-shocked from the encounter.

  He would visit Sarah Jones. After this debacle was over, but it needed to happen. Flynn didn’t like seeing Calla upset about anything. And he realized she was hanging on by a thread. He picked up his cell and punched in his code, a second later it was ringing.

  “Flynn.” Calla’s breathless voice came over the line. “Now is not a good time.” He heard her trying to suck in deep breaths.

  “I saw.” Flynn muttered. “Do you have any other errands to run this morning?” He stared at the stack of reports he needed to read. Tonight everything would change with the charges being dropped. No point in going over old data when the new would be so much more positive.