The Reluctant Submissive: Courage to Change [The Men of Treasure Cove 14] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Rebecca Joyce

  “Yes?”

  “Are you finished with me today?”

  “Yes, pet. You may leave.”

  “Thank you, Master.”

  “Pet?”

  “Yes, Master?”

  “Your training is complete. Shall I let your benefactor know?”

  “Yes, Master.”

  “I will have someone notify him today.”

  “Thank you, Master.”

  Sasha didn’t bother watching the woman leave. It was no use. He knew weeks ago that their relationship was over. Hell, it wasn’t even a relationship. It was more like, he trained her in the art of submission and taught her how to be a good submissive. That was it. He hadn’t touched her intimately, ever. Now that he thought of it, he hadn’t touched any woman sexually in months except for last night. It wasn’t that he couldn’t, because he could, it was just that none of them interested him, unlike his flower.

  Looking around the room, he realized that for the last two years, his life had gone stagnant. He was stuck in a rut. The only joy he found was when he was with his sister and even then, it wasn’t enough to sustain him. The sooner he got out of Seattle, the better. That town was sucking the life out of him. He needed a change.

  He pressed a button on his phone and waited.

  “Yes, Mr. Merrick?” his sedate and very opinionated secretary said.

  “Please find the brothers and tell them to pack. I need them here in Treasure Cove.”

  “They are in the gallery, Mr. Merrick. I will call down for them, but I will not go get them.”

  “Tell me again why I haven’t sacked you yet, Grey?”

  “Because I am bloody good at what I do and I haven’t found anyone good enough to replace me.”

  “Which reminds me, have there been any new inquiries into your position?”

  “None that is qualified to do my job. Now, do you want to sit here and chat about this again, or shall I ring for the brothers?”

  Sasha smiled. Well, he might not have been able to find any sexual satisfaction lately, but ruffling the feathers of Grey was consolation enough. “Please ring for them. Oh, and Grey, have you made up your mind about moving to Montana?”

  “I would rather find some bum, get drunk, and fornicate in an open field before I stepped foot in that frozen tundra.”

  Sasha laughed loudly. “So, you’re coming then?”

  “Yes,” Grey huffed right before the line disconnected.

  * * * *

  She was finally doing it. Violet still couldn’t believe that she had the courage to stand before Gabriel and hand in her resignation, but she did it. She could still remember when Gabriel rescued her. She would always be eternally grateful to him. Just thinking about her former life dulled her senses and put a sense of foreboding into her soul. It wasn’t a time she ever wanted to think about, let alone remember. But Gabriel changed all of that for her. Thanks to him and Matthias, they both gave her the time she needed to recuperate and to heal.

  Her body healed in time, but her mind, not so much. That took a lot longer. When her nightmares became too much for her, Gabriel and Matthias called in Kelly Connor, now O’Brian-Meyer. Her time spent with Kelly wasn’t easy. It was draining, emotional, heartbreaking, and at times violent. But thanks to Kelly’s generosity and kind heart, over time, she taught Violet that what happened wasn’t her fault.

  Now, all Violet needed to do was to believe it.

  She would always be grateful to Gabriel and Matthias for all their help in making her well again. She survived a long recovery and now it was time to start living again. The first thing was to distance herself from the lifestyle that caused her so much pain. She should have left last night. She knew going to the mask was a mistake, but she couldn’t disappoint those who worked so hard to help her get back on her feet. She would never forget them.

  Unlike the man who reawakened her body with the force of a wrecking ball. She could still smell him on her, feel his hands on her body, hear his soft sultry voice as he whispered into her ear. But mainly she could still feel the heat of his body next to hers as he gifted her with an amazing revelation. She was ready to go out into the world again.

  She still felt a twinge of regret leaving the Pleasure Cave, but she knew if she wanted to start fresh, she couldn’t stay. For this reason, when Gabriel wished her well, she took his acceptance as permission and walked out of the Pleasure Cave for the first time by herself in five years, and straight to a waiting car that would take her to the Treasure Cove airport.

  Looking back at the only place she ever really called home, as it slowly faded into the background, she sighed. She was going to miss the Pleasure Cave and everyone who worked there. Over the years, they had all become her family. She loved them all, but now it was time for her to spread her wings and fly.

  And in about thirty minutes, she planned on doing just that.

  Chapter Six

  “No,” she huffed as the man before her smiled apologetically.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am, but the flight to Seattle has already departed.”

  “But I was told that it wouldn’t leave until four-thirty. It’s only three.”

  “Weather forced the plane to leave early. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Can I offer frequent flier miles as compensation?”

  Violet looked at the man and wanted to strangle him. All she wanted was to leave Treasure Cove. She didn’t want frequent flyer miles. She wanted to be thirty-thousand feet in the air, eating a small bags of peanuts, heading west to Seattle! Instead, she was stuck in Treasure Cove for one more day. She didn’t have any place she could go to, there were no motels nearby, and the hard plastic chairs that lined the small airport didn’t look comfortable.

  She should have known that it wasn’t going to be easy leaving. Nothing ever was for her. It was like fate was stacked against her. But she wasn’t going to budge. Nope, she knew what she wanted to do and she was going to do it. She didn’t go through everything in her life just to turn around and crawl back home, her head hanging in defeat. No, she was stronger than that. She was determined to start new in a fresh place where no one knew her or of her past. All she had to do was wait until morning, and then she’d be on her way.

  Standing before the hard chairs before her, she looked at them. They did look very uncomfortable. All she had to do was pick one and sit. It should have been an easy decision. Yet, like most things lately, she found herself mulling over every detail. Like the chair to the left had a little discoloration, or the one next to it had a black stain on the seat. They were just simple chairs. Nothing fancy, and she knew she was going to have to sit in one, but which one? None looked comfortable, and the one that did was just like all the rest.

  “Miss?” the man behind the counter interrupted. “Is everything okay?”

  No, everything was not okay. She didn’t want to sit in those chairs. She didn’t want to have to wait until morning. She didn’t want to spend her first night away from everything she knew in a small dingy airport, waiting for a flight she should have already been on. However, that seemed to be the story of her life.

  Shaking her head, she chose the chair closest to the door and sat down.

  There. See, she made a decision. It wasn’t too hard. Well, the chair was, but she wasn’t going to complain. Complaining got her nowhere. She learned that lesson the hard way. It wasn’t what she liked thinking about, but since it was in the past, she figured she best let it go. He couldn’t hurt her anymore. Gabriel made sure of that a long time ago.

  She didn’t like thinking of that time, but Kelly had told her, unless she talked about it, she wouldn’t be able to let it all go. Of course, Violet wasn’t so sure about that. Even after five years, just the thought of him had her wanting to seek the safety of Gabriel’s arms. Master was never going to find her. Gabriel made sure of that, and Kelly had spent extensive long hours and months of therapy to get her to stop thinking of him as Master. But the fact remained, he was. He would always be, and no amount
of therapy would erase that.

  Oh, she knew what he did was bad, so much so he was spending time in jail for what he did to her. But after being sold to him and living her life as his slave, part of her would always belong to him, and she hated him for that. That was something she would never forgive him for. That was why she couldn’t stay at the Pleasure Cave anymore. As much as she loved Gabriel and Matthias, she couldn’t stand living there one second more. She promised herself that she would never go back, never align herself with anyone who lived in the lifestyle. It wasn’t that she abhorred what they did. She knew not all of them were like Master. However, she refused to let another man control her in any way. She was never going to trust another man with her well-being ever again if she couldn’t trust herself to know the difference. And that was the problem right there.

  She did it on her first night out. Just thinking about that stranger with his hands all over her body, tempting her like she’d never been tempted before, was too much. It was the last straw. She hadn’t gone through all of that therapy just to fall back into the same pit she just dragged herself out of. Nope, she wanted normal. Something sweet and innocent. She wanted a decent man, a small house, and maybe two-point-two kids. She wanted nothing to do with BDSM ever again. Yet she hadn’t been away from the Pleasure Cave for more than two hours, and she was already second-guessing herself and her actions.

  Maybe she should go back. She knew she was safe there. She had a pretty apartment, a good job, and she knew that Matthias and Gabriel wouldn’t allow anyone to harm her. It was a sweet deal. She could live happily there for the rest of her life. But she didn’t want that. She wanted more.

  “Billy!” a woman shouted furiously as she stormed into the Treasure Cove airport. Violet looked up as the blonde ball of fury barreled toward the young man behind the counter. She was a woman on a mission and a sight to behold. Beautiful, determined, and strong. Qualities that Violet admired. Qualities that she aspired to achieve.

  “Hey, Delta, what can I do for you?”

  “I need information about a plane.”

  “What plane?”

  “The one that belongs to Tristan Summerfield.”

  “Delta, you know I can’t give you that information.”

  “Oh yes, you can,” she insisted. “That fucker is messing with my business, and he and I are going to talk. Well, he’s gonna cry while I beat his ass.”

  “And that’s exactly why I’m not going to tell you anything. Does River know that you’re on a manhunt? And didn’t Lake just recently bail you out of jail? Your probation officer isn’t going to help you next time.”

  “No one’s going to find out because you’re going to keep your mouth shut.”

  “Give me one good reason why I should.”

  “Because if you say anything, I will rearrange your face.”

  “Has anyone ever told you that you’re meaner than a rattlesnake?”

  “All the time.” She smiled. “That’s why I keep two of them as pets.”

  “Great.” Billy sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Violet could tell the man was intimidated by the determined woman. She would easily admit, she was, too, and she was thankful she wasn’t on the receiving end of her tirade. The woman was a force to be reckoned with.

  Violet liked her…a lot!

  “Look, Delta. I really wish I could help, but I can’t. His plane is getting ready to take off soon. So there is nothing you can do.”

  “When?”

  “When what?”

  “When is his plane leaving?”

  “As soon as he arrives.”

  “Has he arrived yet?”

  “No.”

  “Then there’s time.” Delta smiled and hurriedly left the terminal.

  “Damn it.” Billy raced after her. “Delta!”

  Violet sat stunned as the beautiful woman raced out of the terminal, a woman on a mission. She didn’t know why she got up and followed, only that she as eager to see what happened next. More than anything, Violet was intrigued by the woman. Secretly, she was hoping the woman succeeded.

  Staying hidden in the shadows, Violet moved quietly along the wall as the woman called Delta marched over to a large, white, sleek plane. The engines were running and some of the flight crew were milling about, checking on different parts of the plane, but none seemed interested in the hellfire woman. It still amazed her that a woman could be so strong, so forthright, so determined to have her way. She’d read about women like Delta but had never seen any in action before. Oh, she had heard about Charlotte and Macie, how they, too, could be outspoken, but in all honesty, Violet had never seen them as anything else but sweet and gentle women.

  Delta was hollering at the flight crew when Billy grabbed her by the arms and dragged her away. It wasn’t that Delta couldn’t handle herself, that Violet was sure of. It was the fact that it was six large men to one woman. Even with those odds, Violet appreciated Billy’s efforts to contain the hothead woman. A few more words were said, and Delta stomped off. A few seconds later, the flight crew boarded the plane.

  Violet was about to head back to the terminal when out of the corner of her eye, she saw Delta run for the stairs and slip inside the large jet.

  This was not good.

  Violet didn’t know why she did what she did, but she couldn’t leave Delta alone with those six men. If there was trouble, then Violet wanted to make sure that Delta had someone at her back. She didn’t know the woman, but she felt a kinship toward her, and without thinking, Violet, too, snuck onto the plane.

  * * * *

  “I don’t give a shit, Mr. Deveroux,” Tristan Summerfield shouted into his phone as his car stopped at the tarmac and he boarded his plane. He didn’t understand nor did he give a shit about Deveroux’s disinclination to returning home. He was the boss and if the bastard wanted to keep his damn job, then he better damn well do as he was told. “I need you in Celestial. You are from this area. You know the locals better than anyone.”

  “I understand that, Mr. Summerfield, but I haven’t been home in six years.”

  Wah-wah-wah. God, if he had to listen to one more person complain, he was going to lose his shit. He had a company to run. It was not his job to babysit and mollify those who worked for him.

  “Then it’s time for a family reunion.”

  “Mr. Summerfield, I just started the advertisement campaign for the new location. I have the presentation tomorrow with the bankers and the board members. I can’t just leave in the middle of this.”

  “Fine,” Tristan grumbled. “I want you in Celestial as soon as the bank signs off on the expansion. And Aries, I need that town. I don’t care what you have to do to get the town council to sign, but I need those signatures.”

  “Yes, sir.” Aries Deveroux sighed. “I understand, sir.”

  Tristan flipped his phone shut and took a seat in one of his plush leather chairs aboard his new plane. He loved his new plane. It was everything he wanted and then some. Nothing was too good for him. He only accepted the best and, of course, he spared no expense. One of the many perks of being rich was being able to buy whatever he wanted when he wanted. He didn’t have to ask permission. If he wanted it, he got it, and if he couldn’t, then he found other nefarious ways of getting it. He made no apologies for his actions, or the way he was perceived. He knew he was a bastard and the name suited him well.

  He wasn’t a kind man, he knew that. He was ambitious, strong-minded, and most of all he was cold-blooded in all of his endeavors. He made no excuses for what he’d done in his past. They were all decisions that best served him and his company. Summerfield Industries was his baby. His lifeblood that flowed in his veins. From the moment he started his company, he knew he wasn’t going to let anything or anyone interfere with his dream to make money. At the age of thirty-five, he’d kept that promise. He was one of the world’s wealthiest men. He had women who were at his beck and call, but none kept his attention for more than a night. They weren’t what he would call
Mrs. Summerfield material, not that he was even looking for a Mrs. Summerfield.

  Singular in nature, he required a certain type of woman. A woman with substance. A woman who knew her own mind and was as driven as he was. He had yet to find such a paragon, but he knew she was out there. He only had to wait, because he knew she would find him.

  “We’re ready for takeoff, sir,” he heard the Captain say over the speaker system.

  Pushing a button on the console next to him, Tristan replied, “Go ahead, Mr. Scott.”

  Tristan sat back and smiled as his plane started rolling down the runway. Within hours, he would be back home in New York City, relaxing in his penthouse with an expensive brandy in his hand. Nothing was too good for him and he only wanted the best. The moment the plane lifted off the tarmac, Tristan unbuckled his seat belt and stretched out his legs. Getting comfortable, he had just closed his eyes when he felt someone slap a piece of metal on his wrist. Waking instantly, he stared into the bluest eyes he’d ever seen.

  “Hello, asshole.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Who the hell are you!” Tristan shouted at the beautiful woman sitting next to him. It wasn’t every day that someone caught him by surprise, but he must admit, if he was going to get caught, he did prefer the someone to be gorgeous. It made the catch all that more alluring. Of course, having her clamp a set of handcuffs on his wrist was a bit much, but hey, he could be kinky if the mood suited him.

  “Now that I have your attention, Mr. Asshole. We’re going to talk,” the beautiful woman said furiously. “You’re a hard man to find, I’ll give you that, but rest assured, before we land, you and I are going to see eye to eye.”

  “Oh, baby, from where I’m sitting, I can see you perfectly.” Tristan grinned, leaning back in his chair. He watched as the woman paced the cabin, trying to gather what it was she needed to say to him, and he planned on being very attentive, too. While her back was turned, Tristan hit the call button to the captain, because whatever the woman had in mind, he wanted witnesses, all of them. “You do realize that kidnapping a multi-million dollar businessman aboard his own private plane isn’t going to work out well for you. You would have had better luck back in Treasure Cove.”