by Jan Graham
“Angel my love, that plan has so many holes in it. If you’re going to play someone, you need to have a plan that maximizes success and minimizes damage.” Christian said. He glanced at Zane, then his brother, before turning his gaze to her. “The potential damage to everyone concerned appears greater than the chances of success. What do you think, Rhia? Will this little game work?”
Rhia gulped and looked at Angel nervously. “I don’t know. I hope so. I’m not entirely comfortable with tricking Steve. Last time Angel helped me get Steve to do something, Cal ended up with a black eye and—”
“I’ve heard enough.” Daniel raised his hand, indicating Rhia should stop talking. He then turned his annoyed stare on Angel. “This will stop now. You will not go ahead with this cockamamie plan. I don’t even want to know what you convinced Cal to do that ended up with him getting a black eye, although I think I can guess. It’s now obvious that, not only did you lie to us about this little get together, but you’ve also gone behind our backs with a previous act of deception that ended in injury. I’m not pleased, and I assume Christian is of the same opinion. So, no more playing games with your brother’s life...do you understand?”
“But—”
Daniel didn’t give Angel a chance to finish her statement. “Do. You. Understand.”
“Yes, Master, I understand.”
Rhia had never heard Angel actually call either of her husbands Master before. She knew it was the term Angel told her she used at home, and in the company of people within the BDSM community. For some reason the combined dressing down by Daniel and use of the term sent a shiver down Rhia’s spine. The affectionate response of good girl from Daniel and the accompanying kiss he placed on Angel’s cheek left Rhia with a sense of awe.
Steve sometimes called her a good girl. She tried to remember the instances he’d said it. Maybe she was being dominated by him and didn’t realize it. She resisted sighing at the thought. She wanted Steve to treat her like Daniel had just treated Angel, maybe not the dressing down part, but definitely the take-control-good-girl stuff. Daniel must have noticed the look on her face because he suggested that Angel and Mercedes take her somewhere private and explain what had just taken place between them.
Rhia knew what had taken place. It was easy to decipher. Daniel wasn’t pleased with Angel’s actions, and he had told her so. Angel submitted to his authority as she had agreed to do when she became the men’s submissive and, Rhia assumed, when Angel got home some form of discipline would occur.
It made perfect sense. She understood what went down completely, well sort of. On a clinical kind of level she knew what had taken place.
Angel flopped down on the bed, pouting and mumbling under her breath. Rhia sat down next to her friend while Mercedes stared out the window.
“I think I’m pleased the plan is off, Angel. I don’t want Steve to do anything he wouldn’t do of his own free will. I’m sorry you got into trouble from Daniel.” Rhia wasn’t really sure what she should say, but she hoped her words had covered all aspects of the current situation.
“I wonder what they’re talking about out there. Let’s hope Daniel is giving Zane a serve, someone needs to tell his arrogant ass off, and bring him down a peg or two. Maybe then he’d be less appealing,” Mercedes said, her angry gaze fixed on a point outside the window.
Rhia wasn’t sure if Mercedes realized she had spoken the words out loud. The fact that the statement ended in a sigh indicated to Rhia that perhaps Mercedes did have feelings for Zane.
* * * *
Zane sat quietly, observing Daniel. His words clearly left the three women, who demurely left the room, in no doubt that they were not to proceed with the plan Angel had concocted. Even Mercedes had gone silent. The little huff of disapproval when she stood up to follow Angel and Rhia had been the only indication she wasn’t happy being dismissed. Daniel appeared to be deep in thought. He hadn’t spoken or lifted his focus from the floor since the women had left. Zane was a patient man. He could wait to hear what his friend had in mind.
Christian relaxed back in his chair. A slight smile formed on his lips. When Daniel finally made eye contact with Zane, his eyes reflected a quiet satisfaction.
“You do know Steve has warned me often about you, Daniel.” Zane smiled in response to the grin that spread across Daniel’s face. “He’s told me many times that you get a look in your eye that scares the life out of him. He also told me that look indicates you’re about to turn someone’s world on its head. And he pities the man or woman who’s about to become victim to your manipulations. I’m glad I finally know what he’s referring to.”
“You have no idea how calculating he can be,” Christian stated, a mischievous smile now forming on his face. “It’s a wonder to behold. So spill, bro.”
“I agree with Angel. Steve needs a push. But I won’t risk the repercussions for any of the women in that bedroom. If this backfires and Steve gets mad, then the three of us are the only ones to be placed in the firing line. I’m hoping that things will work out, but Steve can be a stubborn bastard at times.”
“So what’s the plan?” Zane liked the idea of protecting Mercedes, Angel, and Rhia from repercussions, not that Steve would hold his anger long if he suspected they had plotted against him. Steve was forgiving when it came to the ladies. He was too fond of the three women to be annoyed for long. The Shore brothers and he were a different matter. The only protection from Steve’s wrath would be their friend’s ability to see they acted out of loyalty to him, believing they had his best interest at heart.
“We’ll use the party as was Angel’s original plan. Zane, you’ll have to keep one of the private play rooms available for the entire evening. Christian and I will plant the seed that Rhia has the potential to make an excellent sub, prior to the party. We’ll tell him traits we’ve observed, things Angel has mentioned. He needs to be starting to think about Rhia in a different light before he walks through the doors of your club. At the party, we inform Steve that Rhia is asking about private training, because she strongly feels she’s a submissive, and wants to explore whether she’s correct in her beliefs. We have to convince him that the three of us believe it’s unwise for her to be trained by someone we don’t know. It needs to be one of us or Steve who trains her. Of course, Christian and I will be instantly eradicated from the picture because Steve is aware of the monogamous dynamic in our relationship with Angel. That leaves you, Zane, and of course Steve. Do you think you can get the green-eyed monster to raise his ugly head in Steve? Convince him that if he won’t work with Rhia and train her then you will?”
“My friend, I can illicit jealousy from people even when I’m not trying. Look at me. Who wouldn’t be jealous of their woman being intimately close to me?” Zane stated confidently.
“You know, Mercedes is right, you do have an ego the size of the universe.” Christian laughed when Zane pretended to be mortified by his comment.
“I must tell you, I’ve spent the weekend across the road. He realizes her potential already. He won’t need to be convinced of that. He is, however, taking his time in acting. Our friend believes Rhia may only be showing an interest in being dominated because of him, not because she desires it for herself.”
Zane watched as Christian and Daniel absorbed the information he’d supplied. They were good men. He could tell they loved Angel passionately and were staunch friends to Steve. He was proud to now call them his friends as well, although he wasn’t sure how they would both feel about his intentions toward their sister. Time would tell on that one.
“He only needs a little push. I don’t think it’s as complicated or difficult as we believe. So I’d like to suggest an alteration to the plan.” Zane cleared his throat. He admired the fact that Christian and Daniel would put themselves in the firing line, but Zane didn’t think they needed to be there. “I’ll tell Steve that I met Rhia today, we spoke about aspects of the lifestyle and I offered to train her. I’ll tell him I plan to have her first traini
ng session the night of the party.” Both men nodded their agreement.
“I do have one condition about this plan.” Christian’s expression indicated concern. “Before we put this into effect, I want to be assured that Rhia wants this. She needs to want the whole thing, the relationship, the submission, and the lifestyle. Angel tells us Rhia’s stated Steve is the only man she wants. From what I’ve seen and know about Steve’s behavior of late, I also think Steve feels the same in relation to Rhia, although he’s not admitting it yet. So, she has to want to secure his heart and his domination of her. I refuse to be a party to anything that will harm my friend or Rhia.”
“I agree totally, Christian, and I would never attempt this if we thought Rhia was someone with a passing fancy. Steve’s been through enough. He deserves to be happy again,” Daniel added.
“Then the three of us are in agreement. I’ll talk to Rhia while I wait for Steve to return. I assume, based on her openness just now, she’ll tell me how she feels when I ask her what we need to know. If the answers are favorable, I’ll tell Steve I intend to train Rhia before I leave today.” Zane could see the agreement in the men’s faces and smiled at the thought of getting Miss Daisy to hit the accelerator.
* * * *
When he first showed up at her door, Rhia never imagined she’d ever agree to be alone in a room with Zane, but here she was sitting next to him on her sofa, chatting and drinking a cup of coffee.
She’d been apprehensive when Zane first asked if he could stay for a chat, but once everyone left, his demeanor had changed. His expression and tone with her softened. He still reeked of dominance, but he seemed gentler, less daunting than when he’d first arrived. She decided she liked him.
“Do you mind if we talk about Steve?” His question surprised her. Until now the conversation had been a generalized get-to-know-you type discussion.
“Not at all, he’s my favorite topic.” Her attempt at humor brought a smile to Zane’s face.
“I realize there’s an attraction between the two of you, that the relationship is intimate but I’m wondering how serious it is?”
“Um…I don’t think I can answer that.” Rhia’s face warmed.
“Is the question a little too personal? I do have a tendency to be to inquisitive at times.”
“No it’s not that, it’s just…I don’t know. I can’t imagine being with another man, or not having him in my life. I need to be with him, I have strong feelings for him but I don’t know if he has those same feelings for me, I hope he does.” Rhia felt awkward. She didn’t know how much to tell Zane, his motives for asking her were unclear. “I want to be everything he needs, but as you know, he’s reluctant.”
“Ah yes, you want him to train you as a sub.” Zane winked at her. “You know he isn’t the only Dom who’d be interested in training.”
“Oh no, I don’t want to just be a sub. I want to be Steve’s sub. I want Steve to train me as his. I agree with what Mercedes said, I know I’m submissive but I want to submit to Steve. I want him to teach me because I’m his woman and I want to be his sub. The thought of him dominating someone else just makes me feel...” Jealous. She didn’t want to admit that to Zane.
“Steve is a lucky man. I wish I had a sub that was as jealous about me and as devoted to being with her man.” Zane’s features softened. “If Steve decided to claim you as his sub, how long do you believe the situation would last?”
“I would hope it would last a very long time…that we’d always be together.” From the satisfied expression that spread across Zane’s face, Rhia got the distinct feeling he liked her answers.
“I know the plan Angel devised isn’t going ahead but I promise to talk to him.”
Rhia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She was so excited at the prospect of Zane talking to Steve that she flung her arms around him and hugged him.
After a few more cups of coffee and lots of talking, Zane stood to leave. As she walked to the door with him, Rhia was confident everything would work out with Steve. Nothing was going to get in the way of making Steve hers.
That’s when it happened…she kissed Zane and something stirred inside her.
Chapter Nineteen
“Are we ready yet, people?” Steve asked the question of his gathering team of officers at the morning brief.
He’d held back the night duty officers, and they sat eagerly waiting to hear what he had to say. The anticipation was more likely due to the fact they wanted to get home than the subject he wanted to discuss. The day shift’s tardiness pissed him off, not that he showed his annoyance. He understood their need for coffee. He just wished they’d do it a faster. Monday morning always got off to a slow start, recovery from the weekend often impeding the usual effectiveness of the in-and-out style meeting Steve preferred.
The morning had gone to hell the moment he’d arrived at the office. He didn’t need the news he’d received. Nor did he need the fight he’d had with Zane the night before. His friend had more gall than an elephant and just as much tact.
Think of it as helping to prepare her for you.
The son of a bitch had agreed to train Rhia as a sub. Preparing her? That was a bullshit statement if he’d ever heard one. The man was infuriating. He’d been trying to convince Steve since Saturday that he needed to bend Rhia over his knee and take her in hand. Now Zane thought he’d help him out and kick off the training of Steve’s sub. Steve knew it was a ploy to get him to act quicker. It might be a game that Zane hatched in his pea-brain size mind, and turn out to be total bluff. Not knowing for sure Steve had to assume that, now Zane had made the announcement, he’d follow through rather than back down or admit defeat.
Why couldn’t people just let him work at his own damn pace? Friends were great to have, their interference wasn’t.
“Okay, starting ready-or-not.” Everyone scrambled into the available seating spaces at his announcement. “Our dear friend Mr. Johns has been released on bail.”
Murmurs of shock and disapproval filled the room. Yes, Steve had been shocked at the time as well. He still hadn’t found out how the highly paid attorney had managed to get a hearing scheduled on a weekend when it wasn’t normal practice to do so, but he was checking into it. Nor had he been able to figure out how the hell Johns had been able to afford the man in the first place. When Steve got the call to appear before the judge as police witness or lose the right of reply at the arraignment he’d donned his uniform and spent his Sunday at court in the city.
That was the other thing he didn’t understand, how they’d moved the arraignment out of area. This morning he’d received the official court documentation, including the bail conditions and apprehended violence order that was to be enacted if Mr. Johns went anywhere near his family. Copies had been sent to the hospital and school. Notifying other services wasn’t something the police usually did, but Patrick had been so distraught at the thought of his father being released Steve thought it best to lighten the kid’s emotional load. After all, his mother was still recovering in hospital.
“I know we all expected him to be kept behind bars, but that’s not happened.” He continued once the questions and outraged statements had subsided. “I’m still trying to get answers about what happened, and until then we just need to accept the fact he’s out. That means we are on alert for his return. If he even crosses the road near the hospital or the school, I want him arrested. If we get a call from either of those services or his son, it’s a priority to respond. Am I understood?” Murmurs of yes, chief and nodding indicated the request was uppermost in his staff’s minds.
The rest of the briefing went well and ended quickly. He only had the meeting with Carlie to get through, and then he might have time to decide what to do about Rhia. He’d spent the last two nights alone. Steve understood why. She was late home from the city, he had Zane visit, he’d spent the day at the courthouse, and she had to babysit for Meg.
Life sometimes got in the way of a man’s love life. He paused at th
e thought of his love life. It wasn’t love, but then it was more than just sex. He entered his office deciding there should be a better term to describe what he and Rhia had. He just couldn’t think what that term should be.
“I must say, I’m getting a little tired of chasing ghosts.” Carlie sounded frustrated. “Elizabeth Hastings is one, and so is Jaxon Macleod.”
Steve took up position behind his desk. The whiteboard hadn’t changed, no more information had come in, and he’d hoped Carlie would have had at least a little to add to the puzzle they both faced. He knew the information he was going to add only confused the issue more.
“So fill me in on what’s happening with this mess.” Steve gestured to the board.
“Nothing. Like I said, I’m chasing ghosts. I even went to the clubs that we know Jaxon frequents on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. Nobody’s seen him for a few weeks. I did meet up with Bethany though. She said to say Hi.”
Steve gave Carlie a disapproving stare. Going to the clubs hadn’t been a sanctioned act for the case, and if Beth was present then that meant she was working Marcus’s slave trade case. He wasn’t impressed. Not only could Carlie have placed herself in danger with no official backup, but she could also inadvertently place Beth and Marcus’s investigation in jeopardy.
“Don’t do something like that again without running it by me first. I can’t have a member of my team placing themselves at risk like that, especially when we don’t know who we’re dealing with.” Steve made sure he used his don’t-fuck-with-me voice. Carlie nodded sheepishly.
“Well, it didn’t get me anything but grief at home. Mum complained about me going out at night and her having to babysit. By Sunday night I decided I’d get Meg’s girls to sit for me and ended up dropping my little one up at their place for the night.”
