by Sadie Jacks
My eyes widened. “Penn hung up on Dom? Does the idiot have a death wish?”
Both Rafe and Tali chuckled. “Apparently.” Rafe waved that aside. “Nico wants you to call him when you’re ready.”
I nodded. Looked around for my phone. Shit. “Do you know where my stuff got put?”
Both siblings shook their heads.
I tried to think of what all I’d had with me. Phone, bank card, lipstick. It was all my stupidly tiny purse could hold. Tali hadn’t allowed me to take my big purse with me to the club.
The club.
“What happened at Chaos?”
Rafe snarled. “The fucking bastard who touched Tali and slammed the table into you was handed over to the police.”
I winced. “The police showed up?”
Tali grabbed my hand. “Chaos is clean, Chase. You know that.”
I did. But it didn’t make me feel any better about bringing law enforcement down on my adopted family. I mouthed ‘sorry’ to Rafe.
He waved it off. “The guy was either going to end up dead or behind bars. This way, Mas doesn’t have another ghost.”
I bit my lip. Massimo Amatucci was the enforcer for the family. The quiet, withdrawn man lived with ghosts. Had, even before he became a made man for the family. “Is he back?” I asked.
Rafe nodded. “He was already on his way home when I called him.”
“Who was Mr. Touchy?” I asked.
Tali snorted. “Mr. Everett Cavendish, III.” She wiggled her brows.
I snorted, forcing hot meat sauce up towards my nasal cavity. Water poured from my eyes as I tried to not aspirate on lasagna. Once I got myself under control, I took a big drink of water. “Seriously? The third Cavendish? What happened to the first two?”
“Still alive,” Rafe answered. “For now. They’re getting a visit in the morning.”
I stilled. The idiot had messed with the wrong family.
I leaned back, my belly finally full. Almost too full. I laid a hand over it, felt sleep invade my brain. “I’m about to fall asleep.”
Tali grabbed my hand. “I can stay here if you need me to.”
I shook my head even as Rafe said, “Yes. She needs to be woken up at least twice during the night. Nothing major, but since she passed out in Penn’s place, we need to make sure she doesn’t have a brain bleed.”
I sighed. “I’m right here, you know?”
Rafe smiled, blew me a kiss. “And right here is where you’ll be staying. You’re not allowed to ditch us that easily.” The smile fell away as he studied me. After a long moment of silence, he said, “You scared us today, Willow.”
Tali nodded. “All of us.”
Guilt and shame barreled through me. Except for the Amatuccis, no one bothered to worry about me. That they had been scared, because of my actions, was like a donkey kick to the belly.
I swallowed. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Tali wiped at her eyes. “No, it won’t. Because after this, you’re getting some lessons on self-defense and anything else I want you to do.”
Rafe’s wide smile told me at least these two of the Amatucci children had been plotting against me.
I sighed. “Fine.”
Both Rafe and Tali looked like I’d volunteered for sex trafficking. “What?” I asked, looking between them.
“Should we take her back to the hospital? Is there a private clinic we could go to? Do you have any assessments, Rafe? Is she okay?” Tali grabbed my hand in hers. Squeezed like I was a lifejacket and she was about to drown.
“I’m not going back to the hospital if it means I chain myself to the toilet. Not happening.” I shook my head. “Besides, I made the goddess a promise. If I got out of the shit with just some muscle bruising, I would finally take your Krav Maga classes.”
The Amatucci siblings eased back, their expressions full of worry. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Rafe asked. “You’ve been against any kind of training for a long time, Will. We understand it, respect your decision. We can protect you.”
Except when false calls are placed. The thought slid through my mind, unbidden. Unwelcome. I bit my lip. It wasn’t their fault that Dom had been called away. It was his. Ethan Embry Errington, MD, PhD., and head of trauma surgery.
I was tired of living in fear of him. If I’d known how to protect myself, maybe none of this would have happened.
Him.
My ex-husband.
My abuser.
Chapter 6 – Willow
“You can sleep with me, Tali,” I said as Rafe kissed my forehead and left for his first floor apartment.
She gave a sexy purr. “Anytime, anywhere.” She blew me a kiss.
I laughed. “I said sleep. You can’t get in my pants that easily.”
“Pfft. I could if I wanted to. I know all the tricks.” She helped me from the stool, holding my hands as I waited for the trembling in my legs to stop long enough for me to walk.
“Yeah, because I taught them to you,” I said.
“And the student becomes the master.”
I snorted. “Maybe with the weak willed men you tend to surround yourself with. I think there’s a closet sub in there somewhere. Even if just in the bedroom.”
She laughed, the sound big and beautiful. “Oh girl. I’d eat a man like that alive. No one gets to tell me what to do.”
“Except for the boys and Papa,” we said in unison. Smiled at each other.
“And they don’t count,” she said as we stepped around my oversized couch. “Besides, I think I’m going to take a page from your book and swear off men completely. They are so much work.”
“Pretty sure you mean women are work.”
I blinked as the words flitted across my mind. I shook my head clear. I could have sworn I knew that voice, I just couldn’t place it.
“Chase?” Tali asked as we stopped at the foot of my bed. “Did you hear me?”
I shook my head. “No. Sorry. What did you say?”
“Do you want right or left?”
“Left,” I called as I hobbled to the en suite bathroom. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and ran a brush through my hair. That’s as good as it was going to get tonight. My system was starting to crash and I just wanted to get horizontal.
I came back out into the bedroom, barely kept from just plopping into the fluffy blankets and soft bed. I eased down, slid under the covers.
Tali leaned over, kissed my forehead. “’Night, Chase. Love you.”
“Love you, too, Tali. Happy sleep.”
I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Chapter 7 – Ryker
“Please, Mr. Penn. Please,” her voice was high pitched and shaky as she begged me. The muscles of her legs stood out in relief as she straddled the Hitachi without coming. If she came without permission, everything would end.
The worst sort of torture for a masochist was no torture at all.
I flicked the chain that connected the clover clamps attached to each of her nipples. Her body rippled as I forced more sensation on her. I leaned down, grabbed her chin. Bringing her face up to mine, I took her mouth. Claimed her lips and tongue with my own.
As she was sinking into the kiss, I pulled away. Pushed her head down to my waiting cock. As her lips closed around the mushroom head, I wrapped a hand around her throat and squeezed.
Synra had a list of hard limits that I could count on one hand. She loved everything right on the edge. And I loved giving it to her.
With almost clinical detachment, I monitored her body. The red flush of her face, the straining of her muscles. The size of her pupils. When her cheeks went from red to slightly purple, I eased the pressure in one smooth motion.
She gulped in a breath, my dick in the way.
Wrenching a hand in her hair, I fisted it and pulled her head back so she could breathe unencumbered. “Come, pet. Come for me, little girl.”
Her scream almost shattered my eardrums. But that scream was what I needed to
find my own release.
My dick pulsed and jizz pumped from the end and landed on her quavering breasts as the Hitachi worked her unrelentingly. I reached down, scooped some of it up on my finger, and shoved my finger in her mouth.
Her tongue attacked my digit as if it were my cock. Sucking, biting, licking. This woman had a truly impressive mouth.
Her brow furrowed as the Hitachi continued to buzz against her clit.
I pulled back, turned off the machine, and waited for her to come back to me.
She slumped back on the floor, her legs spread wide. Her cunt bright red and dripping. Her chest was heaving as she lay there, eyes closed. Small moans tumbled from her throat as she came down from the endorphin high.
I cleaned myself off. Got back into my clothes. My nose wrinkled at the smell of them. I would need to get these cleaned really well before wearing them again.
Synra curled up on her side. Her legs came up, putting her into the fetal position.
I grabbed a bottle of water and the blanket my subs used for aftercare. Wrapped her up, made sure the lights were on low.
I provided for them, but I didn’t do snuggles or cuddles. We were adults who shared some distinct sexual interests. I wasn’t my subs boyfriend or lover. Zero emotions were exchanged. Just bodily fluids.
I closed the door behind me as I walked back up the stairs to my penthouse. The subs were free to use the space I provided for them for as long as they wanted. As long as they followed the rules.
Reaching my floor, I punched in the code to the door and walked into the kitchen. Got a bottle of water for myself. Chugged it down. Crumpled the bottle and tossed it in the trash.
I gritted my teeth. Dissatisfaction nagged at me, dug its talons into my flesh. None of the scenes I planned out were good enough. None of them took me to that place anymore. Brought me the escape they used to.
Sure, I got off—I was a healthy guy after all. But lately, there has been something missing. I tried harder and harder scenes. Scenes that demanded my complete attention. Any lapses could result in severe trauma or hospital runs. I prided myself on being a good Dom.
But it was all becoming routine. Boring. I shuddered…vanilla.
My phone rang, distracting me. I frowned at the name that popped up on the display. I hit the connect button. “It’s three in the morning, John. What the fuck could you possibly need to talk about right now?”
“I’ve got trouble.”
My brow furrowed. “And you called to tell me that why?”
“Because you’re the only one who can help me out of it.”
I snorted. Loudly. “No, I’m not. I bought your company three years ago. Our association ended when the ink was dry on the contracts.”
“Listen up, boy,” he sneered the last word. “You’re going to help me out of this or I’ll start a media and legal shitshow you can’t crawl out of.”
My fist clenched around the phone, a low metallic groan sounded. “Careful, old man. I can bury you and no one looking would ever find the body.”
He laughed. It bordered on hysterical. “If this gets out, no one will want to find me.”
I smiled. “There you go. Just leave whatever it is alone and go to your death quietly.” I hung up. Why the men my father considered friends called me up expecting me to solve their numerous problems was always so baffling.
They meant nothing to me. Less than nothing really. Just companies to acquire. Money to be made. They were a dying breed of Old School Boys who thought that being white and having dicks meant the world owed them.
My phone rang again. I ignored it. I didn’t have time to coddle some old man about his life problems. I didn’t care about his troubles or issues. I had enough of my own to deal with.
The ringing phone finally died off. It wasn’t even a minute later that it started up again. I sighed. Picked it up. “What the fuck do you want, John?”
“Don’t you ever hang up on me again, you little shit. My boy got into some trouble at some ridiculous bar in the District,” the old man growled.
I sighed again. “And? Let him pay the fines. He’s a fucking adult. He needs to learn that consequences accompany actions.” It’s what my father had done.
“If he gets charged, Harvard won’t accept him.”
“Did he do what he’s being charged for?”
John snarled. “That doesn’t matter. He’s my son. I can’t have my name pulled through the mud.”
I shook my head. “And you think I can change the police or the DA’s mind?”
“Throw some of the money you made from selling my company. You owe me. Grease whatever palms need greasing. He can’t be charged.”
“No. I bought your company, you signed on the dotted line. I don’t owe you anything. What I made in return for your company is my business. It is not a line of credit or anything else. Mine.”
He gave a chuckle, the sound gurgled over the phone. “You’re going to do what I tell you, without any more fucking talk back, and you’re going to like it.”
I laughed. Laughed so long and loud my cheeks hurt and my belly started to ache. “You’ve got nothing, you asshole.”
“Are you sure about that?” he asked.
“Yup. I keep my nose clean. You’re used to dealing with my father and his shady practices. I built my company on being straight and following the law. Nothing you have is going to make me help you or your dipshit son. What are the charges anyways?”
He ignored my question. “Last chance, Penn.”
I sighed. “Fine, I’ll play your game.” I set the phone on speaker and started typing out a message to Nik. “What have you got on me?”
“Seems you’re wrapped up with the Amatucci family. You also kidnapped a patient. I’ve got hospital security footage of you carrying an unconscious woman from the premises. That patient was registered as lost in the hospital system.” I could hear the smile on the bastard’s face over the line. He was having a fucking riot.
I was silent as I tried to figure out what to do.
“Have I got your attention now?”
“Yes.” I abandoned the text to Nik. I hit a couple buttons on my phone. Brought up a different number.
“Good. At the start of the business, you’re going to call up your friend the DA. You’re going to personally vouch for Everett being with you. He couldn’t have done what he’s being accused of because he was with you. You’re going to donate however much you need to in order to get all of this swept under the rug.”
“And if I don’t?” I asked, my fingers flying over the screen of my phone.
“Then I’ll be releasing information in the kidnapping of one Willa Chasebrook. The police will be on your doorstep before I’m done placing the concerned citizen’s call.”
“I didn’t kidnap her. Nor is she here.”
“I don’t fucking care if you threw her off your roof and she’s splattered on the sidewalk somewhere. Do what I tell you, little boy, and all of this will go away.”
I sneered. “If you think I’m going to forget the fact that you’re blackmailing me, then you need to go see a professional, John. But sure, I’ll go talk to the DA. See what I can do.”
“Good boy,” he said. Right before he hung up on me.
I hit a couple more buttons before opening the phone app again. I thumbed through the recent call list. Hit the number I wanted.
“Someone better be dying,” the gruff voice said.
“Seems we have some business to attend to,” I said.
Chapter 8 – Willow
I groaned as I rolled over. My legs felt like they each weighed a thousand pounds. From my hips to my toes, everything hurt. Pretty sure even my knee pits hurt. How was that even possible?
I eased my feet over until they dangled over the edge of the bed. The rest of my legs felt like I had steel in my veins that kept them from bending. I looked down. The bruising had spread.
Blacks, blues, purples, and reds decorated me from mid-thigh down. I twist
ed my legs to the side. Instead of the colors staying on top of my legs, it had wrapped me in the colors until each leg looked like some kind of gothic candy cane.
“Holy cannoli,” I muttered. Mmm. Cannoli. My stomach chose that moment to assert its dominance in our relationship. It grumbled.
Loud.
Tali turned over. “I heard that. Time to feed the beast.”
I looked over my shoulder, watched her get out of bed. Even in her cotton PJs, she looked like a model. Not a single strand of greasy hair or bags under her eyes. If I didn’t love her, I’d hate her.
I turned back around to my side of the bed and tried to scoot to the edge of the bed so I could stand up. There was no scooting, no inching, no nothing except bouncing on my butt. In the end, I rolled onto my side. My legs were stiff as boards. “Um, Tali?”
“Yeah?” she called from the open bathroom door.
“I can’t move my legs.”
“What the hell?” I heard the toilet flush and the faucet run briefly. She came flying out, one of my towels in her hands. She jerked to a stop when she saw me. “Oh, my cheese-its. Chase.” She brought her gaze to mine. “I’m such an asshole.” She buried her face in the towel as her shoulders shook.
“Hey. I’m the only one who gets to call you that and since you haven’t earned it in a long time, you don’t get to say it now.” I sat up, grabbed her shirt, brought her closer to me. “What’s all this?” I pulled the towel down so I could see her face.
Tears rimmed her lashes. “If I hadn’t told you to come out, none of this would have happened. You’re busted up because I wanted some company.”
I laughed. “You know me better than that, Talia Maria. I needed to get out of the house. You know that. I went willingly.”
She snorted.
“Fine, I went begrudgingly. But you didn’t do this to me. The asshole who can’t keep his hands to himself did this. No one else. I say we start planning our revenge if your brothers don’t give him a cement nap.” I touched my thumb to my fingers, bounced my wrist in the air a couple times. My Jersey accent was severely lacking, but she laughed. And that was all that mattered.
