Make Me, Sir

by Cherise Sinclair

  Z stroked her hair. “Be happy, Elizabeth.”

  Feeling a little excluded and a lot envious, Gabi watched Beth return to Nolan.

  His black gaze had never left his submissive for more than a few seconds.

  Beth flapped her subbie blanket at him. “Want to go upstairs, my lord and master…or just bend me over the arm of your chair?”

  Everyone burst out laughing.

  Nolan"s face darkened, and he rose.

  Beth warily took a step back.

  Gabi giggled when Nolan stripped the blanket from Beth and tossed her over his shoulder. He slapped her butt, glanced around at everyone, and grinned. “We"re going upstairs for a bit, Z,” he said.

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  Master Z inclined his head. “Feel free to spend the night, Nolan. Use as many rooms as you deem necessary to get her properly engaged.”

  Nolan chuckled, caressing Beth"s slim thigh. “Good suggestion, Z. It shouldn"t take more than a handful of rooms to obtain a quiet little fiancée.”

  A muffled “What!” came from the redhead, even as the rest of the doms grinned.

  Cullen had picked up the various toys in the scene area. Now he hung the leather bag over Nolan"s shoulder. “You"ll need this, buddy.”

  Gabi shook her head, a bit appalled. Each of the private rooms on the second floor had a different piece of equipment—from spanking benches to St. Andrew"s crosses to bondage tables. By morning, poor Beth probably wouldn"t be able to walk.

  “Well, that exhausted me.” Dan nuzzled his pregnant sub. “Brought back all sorts of horrible memories of getting engaged.”

  “Oh, it did not,” she said. Gabi gasped as the round little sub poked her hard-faced dom in the ribs. Was she insane?

  “Do you get the impression we have an overabundance of smart-ass subs?”

  Master Dan growled to Cullen. He grabbed Kari"s wrists and hooked her cuffs together over her protruding belly.

  Cullen"s sub, Andrea, grinned. “Not me. As a past trainee, I"m the very epitome of a submissive, an example to the other subs in my attire and demeanor and obedience.”

  That sounded like a quote, but if that had been in the trainee instructions, Gabi had sure missed it.

  Cullen stared at his sub in disbelief. “For that absolute whopper of a lie, you may fetch me a beer—and just water for you.”

  When she scowled at him, he yanked her dress over her head, leaving her in only a thong. His fingers curled under the thin band on one hip. “Look at me in that tone of voice again, and you"ll lose this too, love.”

  As she flounced away, Cullen grinned. “You know, I never get tired of watching that ass, especially when she"s stomping.”

  Marcus laughed. He rubbed his cheek against Gabi"s, his beard shadow tantalizingly abrasive, and murmured, “Get dressed, sugar; then fetch us both a drink. Since you"ve been a good girl—for oh, at least the last five minutes…you may have whatever you wish.”

  God, she could listen to his voice forever. She turned her face up and whispered, “Thank you, Sir.”

  He gave her a kiss as slow and sweet as his Southern drawl.

  After squirming into her vinyl skirt and hooking up her corset, Gabi waited at the bar to give her order. An older couple had taken over the closest scene area. In a pink bustier and matching collar, the woman was carefully helped onto a spanking 182

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  sawhorse by her white-haired dom. They must be around seventy and looked so sweet together. Imagine living with—and loving—someone for half a century.

  With fingers knotted by arthritis, the dom stroked his sub"s cheek, and they exchanged a kiss and laughter.

  Gabi"s heart squeezed. I want that. I want Marcus to be my dom. My man.

  She ordered Marcus"s vodka and a soda for herself from the dom serving as bartender, then made circles in a streak of spilled beer. Marcus acted affectionate.

  But did he treat all his trainees like her? Wouldn"t he have said something if he figured on seeing her after tonight?

  Her insides fluttered as if she"d eaten an anxiety sandwich for lunch rather than tuna. Maybe he thought she wasn"t interested, that she planned to go home and never think of him again. He"s a dom, Gabi; he"d know, one part of her said. The other more optimistic side insisted she should make an effort before giving up.

  “Hi there.”

  Gabi glanced over and saw the blonde submissive who adored Marcus. Miss Golden and Perfect. “Hi.”

  “My Marcus said you"re one of his new trainees.” The woman"s voice was soft and sugar-sweet. “My name is Celine.”

  My Marcus. The pain of her claim slid into Gabi"s heart so quickly she had no defense against it. She inhaled carefully and attempted a return smile. “It"s nice to meet you.” And that is so not true. I could have happily lived my whole life without meeting you. “I"m Gabrielle. How long have you two been together?”

  “Since spring. He"s everything I ever wanted.” Celine smiled and patted Gabi"s hand. “I"ve watched you, bless your heart. Don"t you realize the doms don"t like bratty submissives?”

  “Oh. Really?” Some village somewhere is missing an idiot. “Why, I hadn"t noticed.”

  Celine pursed her lips into a moue of disapproval. “That"s why that trainee Sally still hasn"t found a dom who can stand her. I"m surprised Marcus puts up with her. He hates disrespectful behavior.”

  Gabi managed not to wince and kept her voice level. “Well, damn. Who knew?”

  “Now don"t be hurt,” Celine said. “I"m trying to help.”

  On the other side of Celine, Master Dan"s pregnant submissive frowned; maybe she didn"t approve of sarcastic subs either.

  “You see, that"s why Marcus loves me so much,” Celine said. “I never give him any trouble or back talk. Whatever he wants is what I want.”

  I should punch her. Tear some of her perfect hair out. No submissive in the place would blame me.

  The bartender showed up—finally—and set Gabi"s order down. “One Grey Goose, one Coke.”

  “Thank you,” Gabi said.

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  “Oh, is that for my master?” Celine picked up Marcus"s drink. “I"ll save you the trip, and you can get back to waiting on people.” She moved away, gracefully and amazingly fast. Gabi would have had to chase after her like a hound on the hunt.

  Gabi watched as Celine, the perfect submissive, handed Marcus his drink and knelt at his feet.

  That’s my place.

  Marcus said something, and Celine laid her face against his knee.

  When Gabi let out the breath she"d held, it felt as if her ribs had collapsed into jagged bones. That completely answered any questions she"d had about…anything.

  He had someone already, and even if he didn"t, Gabi sure wasn"t the type of sub or woman he wanted. He"d made it clear right from the beginning he wouldn"t tolerate brats. Why had she thought he"d changed his mind?

  She glanced at her drink. Bubbles rose in the dark liquid to burst and disappear. Time is up, Cinderella sub. The fairy tale had ended, and she needed to go home. What a shame she"d screwed up the story and her future held no Prince Charming. Heart aching, she headed for the exit.

  Before she reached the door, she heard, “Gabrielle.” Not Marcus, with the extra lilt he gave to the end of her name, but Z"s deep voice. She turned.

  His brows pulled together. “Were you leaving without saying good-bye?”

  She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “It seemed easier.”

  “Easier isn"t always best,” he said softly.

  “No. But it is this time.” Her gaze slid back to Marcus. His blonde submissive had wrapped her arms around his legs. One clinging vine, made-to-order. “Please tell everyone I appreciated their help.”

  And saying that reminded her of what was really important. Why was she giving in to these stupid, petty emotions when Kim might be fighting for her life? “
I wish we"d caught the guy.”

  His gray eyes turned the color of gunmetal. “We won"t stop trying to find them, Gabrielle.”

  “I know.” She managed a half smile. “Well. Thanks.”

  He silently opened his arms.

  She went into his embrace without a second thought, and he held her firmly as she fought tears. Once she had herself under control, she pulled back, and he let her go. Lifting her chin with a finger, he stroked away a tear. “Be safe, little one.”

  She fled.

  * * *

  Well, that answered that, Jessica thought, as Z strode across the room after the damn trainee.

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  And then Gabrielle walked into his arms like…like she"d already spent a lot of time there. Every hope inside Jessica shriveled up and died. Only Jessica hugged him like that.

  He hadn’t wanted me here tonight. She might not be a psychologist and mind reader, but she could tell when he was displeased. Z had let her come only because of Nolan"s plans, but she sure as hell didn"t feel wanted.

  Now she knew why—she"d been replaced. The certainty slid into her so insidiously she didn"t notice until pain swamped her senses. Until she couldn"t breathe. Around her the Masters talked, comparing notes on their most disastrous scenes. No one paid attention when she slid back and rose. She needed to get out of here before Z returned—if he did.

  Jessica detoured to one side of the room and headed for the exit.

  Near the front, she glanced around. Z was on the other side of the bar, his back to her. Even though nothing ever erased his military-straight posture, she saw weariness in his stride. She hesitated. Could she be wrong?

  Doubtful.

  As she passed the office door, she slowed. Z stored the membership records on the computer, and since she did the accounting, she could pull up any information she wanted. Like a trainee"s address.

  Maybe she"d go and chat awhile with the sub. Z might not be willing to talk, but she"d bet Gabrielle would have no such compunctions. Jessica"s fingers were numb as she punched in the code and entered the office. She"d find out how long Z

  had been seeing her, and maybe then she"d know what to do.

  * * *

  In her apartment parking lot, Gabi slid out of her car, inhaling the clean, crisp air. The storm had passed, and now palm fronds and debris skittered across the concrete in the light breeze. She shivered as the cool air hit her bare shoulders and legs. Not exactly dressed for the weather, was she? She gave a bitter laugh. She hadn"t stopped to change or even put on her shoes, just emptied everything from her locker and left. Lingering meant Marcus might notice her absence. Then again, he"d seemed pretty occupied when his real sub had brought his drink. She gave a cynical laugh; he probably wouldn"t think of her until closing time.

  She stopped and closed her eyes. No, that wasn"t fair. She"d known few men as responsible as Marcus. He"d eventually have searched for her…and then rounded up a kindly dom for her to play with like he had last night. So she"d saved him all sorts of work by leaving early.

  As she bent over to reach for her purse and clothing on the passenger seat, she heard, “Nice ass.”

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  Dickhead. Could the evening get any better? She turned, trapped between the open car door and his body, regretting her lack of clothing. Clenching her hand around her car keys, she said, “You"re blowing your cover.”

  “Case is over. Thompson caught the kidnapper.”

  Hope spiraled up inside Gabi, wiping out every other emotion. Kim. They can save Kim. “Where? When? Did he go after one of the decoys? How did you find out?”

  Why didn’t someone call me?

  Rhodes"s expression turned sour. “Thompson made the bust at the St. Pete club. He was waiting outside for the decoy and heard noises from the alley and went to check it out. The unsub had attacked a woman who"d come out the back door.”

  Rhodes shook his head. “Why she was stupid enough to leave the club through the alley…”

  “But he"s caught? Did anyone get hurt?”

  “The woman got knocked out when Thompson charged into them, but the paramedics are there.”

  “Wow. I guess my part is over then.” She felt off-balance, as if she was still running even after the race ended.

  “Dammit. I wanted the collar.” His gaze turned to her. “You should have tried harder.”

  “I did my best.” Gabi sighed, understanding his sour grapes. After all the work, that was it. Time to go back and try to pick up her life again. A sadder life now she"d seen its emptiness. No deep laughter, no hot sex, no warm snuggles. She rubbed her arms as if that would stave off the cold.

  The movement drew Rhodes"s attention to her lack of clothing, her bare shoulders and legs, the cleavage made by the corset. His expression changed. “You might have done better if you hadn"t gotten such a kick out of everything.” His gaze slid over her body like a spray of filth. “But since we"re both here together, why don"t we keep enjoying ourselves.” He jerked his chin toward her apartment. “I can show you as good a time as that asshole trainer did.”

  “In your dreams.” Substitute him for Marcus? Oh God, I want my Marcus. Her throat tightened until she was afraid she"d burst into tears, so she snapped at him instead. “You are such a sleazeball, Rhodes—walking, talking proof of why siblings shouldn"t marry.”

  It took him a second, and then anger distorted his face into something ugly.

  That was stupid, Gabi. Exhausted, she leaned against the car. Just leave, dammit. “Go home, Rhodes. I don"t want to have to report you.” She fully planned to note his behavior in her account anyway, although it probably wouldn"t do any good.

  His color darkened. “You report away. You know, Renard, if I document how much you enjoyed your assignment, you won"t have a job to go back to.”

  Sickness spread through her; she"d known this might happen. But to have her entire life and hopes destroyed in one evening… “You"re a real bastard, aren"t you?”

  she said slowly.

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  “Oh, I"m sure we can work something out.” Leaning on the side of the car, he put his hand on her. On her breast. Squeezing.

  “No!” With a growl she couldn"t control, she slapped his hand away and slugged him square in the nose. The crunch of shattering cartilage made her stomach clench, and his high-pitched yell reverberated back from her nightmares.

  He grabbed his face, and blood gushed through his fingers.

  She raised her fists, despite the bile burning her throat. “Go, Rhodes. Leave now.”

  Eyes crazy, he backed away. Before he"d gone ten feet, she slammed the car door and fled across the parking lot, easing up only when an engine revved.

  Car tires screeched on the pavement as he drove out of the lot.

  As her heart hammered in her chest with lingering adrenaline, she tried to laugh. He"d left.

  I broke his nose.

  Trying not to remember the ghastly noise it had made, she snorted. Dickhead shouldn"t have provoked a woman with a broken heart.

  Her mood flattened into dismal again.

  As she walked to her building, a small car pulled up at the fire lane, blocking her path. The car shut off, and a short blonde jumped out.

  Z"s sub, Jessica. The blonde"s face was drawn, her hands clenched as she glared at Gabi.

  Jesus, what is this? Pick on Gabi night?

  Maganti shook his head. Jesus, what is this? Screw up Cesar’s night?

  What was it going to take to grab this cunt? Last night, fucking cops all over the place; now, some chick wanting to do a smackdown.

  He needed to get this bitch tonight. Now. Get lost, blondie, so I can do my job.

  As he watched from the shadows, the little blonde said in a hard voice to his target, “I want to talk with you. How long has he been seeing you?”

  “What? Who?”

  “Z.”r />
  The redhead rolled her eyes. “If you and Z are having problems, it has nothing to do with me. Go talk to him.”

  Wait, wait, wait. Maganti stiffened, losing track of the conversation. The curvy blonde had been on his list. He"d done a background check and crossed her off because she had a lover. But if she"d fought with her fuck buddy, she could go right back on the menu. If a chick"s dude screwed around on her, no one wondered why she up and disappeared.

  He looked at her and saw dollar signs.

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  His target scowled and started to walk away, but the bulldog blonde grabbed her arm. “I need answers. Please.”

  The redhead gave a long-suffering sigh. “God, you"re stubborn. Fine. Let"s go upstairs and talk. It"s really not what you think.”

  “Sure it"s not.”

  The redhead leaned forward and whispered something in the blonde"s ear, making her jerk back and stare. “No way.”

  “Way. We"ll discuss it in my apartment.”

  An okay night changed into a fucking great night when they both headed toward the stairs at the center of the building.

  As they entered the thruway, Maganti pulled his backup Taser and waited until they"d turned to climb the steps. He moved out far enough to get a clear line of fire and shot one and the other. Pow, pow. It only took a minute to pull the prongs out of their bodies and heave the women into the box—a little tangled, but what the hell—and secure the box to the handcart. He backed his van up, pushed the handcart up the ramp, and was on his way.

  Now this was a fucking fine haul.

  * * *

  Gabi woke, head pounding, stomach wrenching with nausea. Her mouth felt as if she"d licked up beach sand, and her foggy brain seemed to think she"d spent the night drinking. Only…she hadn"t, right? She tried to sit up, realized she lay on a metal floor—not her bed. Something rattled when she moved her arms. Restrained? Was she still at the club? She raised her head carefully so it wouldn"t fall off. She wore handcuffs. A two-feet chain strung through the cuffs was padlocked to a bolt in the gray metal wall.