Maxwell, Mardi - Zane's Choice [The Doms of Club Mystique 4] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Mardi Maxwell

  Logan stood up and grasped Cassie’s waist. He pulled her onto her toes until they were almost nose to nose. “Come on, sugar, don’t make me gro—” Logan stopped talking, but not soon enough.

  Luc growled, then stood up next to Logan and confronted him. “If you’ve been groveling, I’m going to kick your ass. You’re supposed to be a Dom.”

  Thor laughed and Cade and Jackson snorted, then chuckled.

  Jenna stood up and moved next to Cassie. “I’m going swimming, too. If Cade, Luc, and Logan know what’s going on, then so does Jackson.”

  Logan wrapped his arms around Cassie. “You said you forgave us. You can’t take it back now.” Before Cassie could move away, Logan sat down with his arms wound around her waist. Luc sighed, then sat down again and lifted Cassie’s feet onto his lap.

  “We’re going to talk about this later tonight. At home,” Luc said, and Cassie snorted, then slid off Logan’s lap and sat between them. When Luc reached for her, she leaned away from him.

  “Hands off the goods,” Cassie said, and Luc growled, then sent Logan an evil look.

  Ravyn lowered her eyes. Apparently, she wasn’t the only person with secrets.

  Jackson patted the area next to him, and Jenna moved back to the bench and sat down, but kept some distance between them.

  Zane sighed. “I think we all need to lay our cards on the table. Together, we may know a lot more than we realize. For instance, it makes me suspicious that Dolman was in Corpus Christi the day your mother was kidnapped, Ravyn.”

  “You think he had something to do with her death?” Ravyn asked, realizing she’d never even considered that possibility because she’d always believed Dolman was in love with her mother.

  “We know either he or your father had begun laundering money for Mendez,” Zane said. “Were you being held hostage in Colombia by Dolman and Mendez?”

  Ravyn thought about what she could tell them without incriminating herself. Not much, she realized, but maybe just enough. “Yes, but I didn’t realize it for a long time. Once we got to Colombia, things got really bad. Charles was gone all the time and I wasn’t allowed to leave the property. I asked him when we were going home and he got really mad and hit me. I didn’t ask again after that.”

  “That son of a bitch,” Zane growled. “I’m going to kill him.”

  Cade chuckled. “It’s easy to throw that law book out the window when it’s your woman being hit, isn’t it, baby brother?”

  “Fuck off, Cade. It’s not the same thing.” Zane frowned, then rubbed his hand up and down Ravyn’s arm. “Do you think your father was involved with Mendez?”

  Ravyn shook her head. “My father was controlling, but he wasn’t evil. I know he wouldn’t have worked with Mendez.”

  Zane’s arms tightened around her. “Do you know how your mother died?”

  “She was stabbed, but that’s all I know. I was only twelve at the time and my father never talked about her after she died.”

  “When you were in Thor’s SUV, you said you’d heard Dolman mention Barbie’s name and that she’d cheated him out of some money,” Zane said. “Did you ever hear him mention her name at any other time?”

  “No, just that one time.”

  “How long ago was that?” Zane asked.

  Ravyn thought about it, then said, “Right before he tried to have me killed. So, about nine months ago.”

  Thor had been texting someone for the last few minutes. A chime sounded from his phone and he read the text, then his lips curved in the smile of a predator. “I had Dania look at the police investigation of your mother’s death, Ravyn. Her cause of death was reported as a knife wound to the back of the neck.”

  Ravyn let out a soft cry, then buried her face in Zane’s shoulder. He threaded his fingers into her hair, shielding her as he whispered to her.

  “The same way my father died,” Cassie said, giving Ravyn a moment to compose herself. “That’s Dale Miller’s method.”

  “Yes,” Thor said.

  Ravyn felt a wave of rage sweep through her. Had Mendez ordered her mother’s death, she wondered as she sat up. “Do you think it was him? That he killed my mother?”

  Ravyn saw Addison squirm again and Cade pulled her onto his lap. “It’s time to tell her, baby.”

  Addison nodded, then pushed herself away from Cade and stood up. “I want to talk to the royals first.”

  Thor growled. “Damn it, Ramsey, she’s going to negotiate for information now. Do something.”

  Addison stomped her foot. “Tell me you and Cade aren’t keeping some information back.”

  Thor shook his head. Cade sighed, then said, “I can’t do that.”

  “Then, it’s only fair we get an exchange of information.”

  “Addison, I’m going to whip your ass,” Cade said, his voice threatening.

  Addison covered her belly, then spoke to it. “Did you hear that, Limo? Mean old Daddy wants to whip Mommy.” She crossed her arms and stuck her chin in the air. “Deal, or no info.”

  Ravyn watched as Cade looked around, got nods of agreement from his brothers, and Thor then said, “You tell us everything you know and one of us will answer any question you ask.”

  “No,” Addison said. “We each get to ask a question. Cassie gets to ask two, because she has Luc and Logan. After each question is answered, I tell one thing I know.”

  “You don’t know that much,” Cade said.

  Addison smiled, then shrugged and waited. A moment later, Cade growled, then said, “All right. An equal exchange, but first you tell me what you know about Lettie.”

  “I already told you part of what Maggie told me when she called earlier. I would have told you this, too, but there wasn’t time.”

  “Okay, baby. Tell me now.”

  Addison smiled. “Her last name is Davis. She lives in Corpus Christi. I have her address and phone number at home.”

  Cade nodded, then waved her away. “Get going and don’t keep us waiting too long.”

  Addison waved the royals to follow her. They huddled together by the riverbank. Every now and then, one of them would look at the men, then return to the huddle. After several more minutes, they returned to their seats.

  Addison pulled her feet up onto the edge of the bench then hugged her knees. “You first, Jenna.”

  Jenna hugged Jackson. “Do you love me more than you love your horses?” she asked and the royals giggled.

  Jackson cocked a brow then smiled. “Yes, angel. I love you more than my horses, but they’re running a close second.”

  Jenna laughed then kissed him.

  “Okay, baby, your turn,” Cade said.

  Addison cleared her throat. “Ravyn, you said the blonde hairs you found on your ex-husband’s jacket were blonde. Did they have red tips?”

  Ravyn nodded. “Yes, I’d forgotten about that but they had bright red tips.”

  Addison smiled and looked around. “Linda’s hair. She was or is Dolman’s mistress.”

  “Shit,” Luc said, and Logan nodded in agreement. “We think Linda was sent by Mendez to spy on us. That’s why she made a point to get involved with me and Logan. When she left, we stopped finding the drugs in the private rooms at the club.”

  Logan nodded. “I’m not sure she was leaving them for someone to pick up, though. I think Linda has a little habit of her own.”

  “You never thought to mention that until now?” Luc asked.

  Logan grinned. “Just something I’ve been thinking about for a while.”

  Ravyn kept her eyes on Addison. It was uncanny how much the little redhead knew.

  “Cassie, your turn,” Addison said.

  “I want to know how you got that mark on your hip, Luc,” Cassie said.

  “Oh, hell no,” Luc said. “Ask something else.”

  “No. You all agreed to answer a question. That’s my question,” Cassie said.

  Luc glared at her, then looked beyond her at Logan. After a few facial gestures, he said, “I sta
yed home from school one day. Joan got drunk and beat me with my belt. The buckle cut me.” He glared at her again. “Satisfied?”

  Cassie slid onto his lap even though he tried to hold her away. “I love you, Luc.”

  Ravyn waited to see what Luc’s reaction would be. When he dropped his head and rubbed his forehead against Cassie’s shoulder, she relaxed. While they’d been in the huddle, Cassie had said that Luc sometimes had nightmares about his childhood and then would pace the house at night. Cassie wanted him to get help, and she wanted to go with him.

  After a short pause, Ravyn saw Addison slide off Cade’s lap then move to stand in front of her. When she dropped to her knees, then slid her arms around her waist and hugged her, she knew she was right to be scared. Ravyn shook her head as tears glazed her eyes. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take without falling apart. “Addison?”

  “Ravyn, Cade and I decided that you deserve to be told the truth now”—she looked around—“while you’re with people who love you.”

  Ravyn felt Addison take her hand and squeeze it but she was incapable of returning the gesture.

  “Maggie told me something else today. Your mama didn’t die of a knife wound. She died of a cocaine overdose.”

  Ravyn jerked her hand away. “My mother didn’t use drugs, Addison. She was nice. I would have remembered if she used drugs.”

  “Of course she didn’t, Ravyn. She was given an overdose, and that’s what killed her.”

  “How the hell do you know that, Addison?” Thor asked.

  “Maggie has a friend who works in the medical examiner’s office in Corpus Christi. She called them today and they read the file to her. I told Cade, and we decided to tell Ravyn today.”

  Ravyn felt Addison take her hand again.

  “I know you’re sad, Ravyn, but what happened to your mama isn’t your fault. You have to believe that.”

  Ravyn stood and pulled Addison to her feet, then hugged her. “Thank you for telling me, Addison.” She held onto her for a moment, then let her go. She still had tears on her cheeks when she smiled at Addison. “Go ahead. You know you’re dying to take a shot at the big guy.”

  Addison winked at her, then turned to Thor. “I don’t know why you guys have so much trouble finding things out. It’s easy.”

  “Ramsey, when that kid’s born I’m using a paddle on Addison. I claim five swats,” Thor said, and a litany of male voices also called dibs.

  Addison moved back to Cade and sat down on his lap.

  A moment later Addison said, “Your turn, Marisol.”

  Marisol crossed her arms over her chest. “I want to know what that word means—shebna?”

  Thor laughed, then spelled it for her. “S-k-j-e-b-n-e. It means ‘destiny.’”

  Marisol smiled, then snuggled up to him. “I might like that.”

  “I’ve got news for you,” Thor said. “I don’t believe in destiny.”

  Marisol pouted and pulled away from him, and Ravyn hid her smile.

  Addison cleared her throat, and Cade leaned forward and picked up his glass of iced tea, then handed it to her. She took a sip, then said, “The lab report on the cocaine that was given to Ravyn’s mother proved that the drug came from Mendez.”

  “You’re hired,” Thor said. “I’ll pay you five hundred thousand a year to work for us.”

  Cade took his glass back. “She’s pregnant and she’s going to stay pregnant. Maybe that will keep her busy and out of other people’s business.”

  Addison rubbed her tummy, smiled, then nodded at Cassie. “Your turn again, Cassie.”

  “I want to know who Clint McCabe really is.”

  Thor grunted. “Aha, there it is! The real reason for this information exchange. I can’t believe there’s something you don’t know, Addison.”

  Addison shrugged. “I haven’t been able to find out anything about him except that his first name is really McClintock.”

  Ravyn saw Thor glance at Cade.

  “Clint is the third partner in the new agency we’re forming. Larking, Ramsey and McCabe Security. He has a special interest in our new project,” Cade said. “And, no, I’m not telling you anything about that project, baby, so don’t even ask.”

  Ravyn thought Addison was going to be stubborn and refuse to give her bit of information. Instead, she smiled, then said, “The man who walked by Cassie at Club Mystique and dropped his whip on her shoulder was really a woman dressed as a man. Linda.”

  “No fucking way,” Luc said.

  Addison rushed into speech. “I watched the video again this morning. All you have to do is watch the walk. It’s Linda’s walk. I’d recognize it anywhere. She drops her left hip.”

  Logan pulled out his cell phone and started texting.

  “Your turn, Ravyn,” Addison said.

  Ravyn squared her shoulders, then looked at Cade. “Do you know how many children are molested by their mother’s boyfriends in this country every day?”

  “Don’t, Ravyn,” Jackson said, his voice worried.

  Cade froze, then got up and walked away. Addison folded her hands on her lap then looked up. “Thor, Marisol hid a flash drive that her father sent to you in my jewelry box. It’s at the house. It has information on it that you need to see tonight.”

  In the gathering dusk, Cade rode Sarge toward the fire pit. He pulled him up, then held out his hand. “Come here, Addison.”

  Addison got up, then let Cade take her hand and lift her in front of him. Without another word, they rode away.

  Zane grabbed Ravyn’s chin and turned her head to face him. “Why the hell did you do that?”

  “Addison asked me to,” Ravyn said.

  Cassie jumped into the conversation. “None of you will ever heal if you don’t start talking about your past. You’ve got to start dealing with what happened to you when you were children.”

  “We’re going to talk about this later tonight, Cassandra,” Luc said, and Logan nodded.

  Jackson held up his hands when they looked at him. “Jenna and I have already talked about all this. As far as I’m concerned, how you choose to handle it is your business.”

  Thor drew their attention to him. “That just tied up a lot of loose ends, and proved the connection between Dolman, Miller, and Mendez.”

  “It still doesn’t tell us why Dolman held Ravyn in Colombia, though,” Jackson said.

  Zane set Ravyn on the bench next to him. “Right before Benson was killed in a hit-and-run accident, he handed over control of his corporation to Dolman. I think Dolman used Ravyn to force him to do that, and then had him killed when he went to the police. Obviously he talked to the wrong people and that got him killed.”

  “He might have spoken to Don Wilson,” Luc said. “He works for the DEA, and his daughter, Julia, tried to frame Cassie for running drugs. Or, maybe he talked to Dan Thompson. He works for the Drug Task Force and we think he’s dirty.”

  “Maybe both.” Thor stood up, twisted from side to side. His back cracked and he smiled. “Miller isn’t talking yet, but he will. They always do. Eventually.”

  Ravyn watched him and trembled. The look on his face terrified her and she was glad she wasn’t being questioned by him, because she knew she wouldn’t be able to lie to him.

  Zane patted her hip, then gathered her into his arms and stood up. “Time to go home.”

  * * * *

  Ravyn turned off the bathroom light, then glanced around the bedroom. Zane sat, naked, on the side of the bed, waiting for her. She swept her eyes over him, then yawned and laughed. “All that fresh air has worn me out.”

  Zane sat up. “Show me your ass.”

  Ravyn twisted around, then ran her hands over her butt and cupped the bottom curves while she looked over her shoulder at him. “May I speak, Master?”

  Zane narrowed his eyes. “Are you going to ask me more questions?”

  Ravyn nodded, then said, “Yes, Master, but just two.”

  Zane leaned back on his elbows and his coc
k rose up into clear view. “Go ahead.”

  Ravyn turned around, licked her lips as she stared at his cock, and asked, “Do you think Cade and Addison are arguing in the playroom?”

  “Probably, but Addison knew the question would piss him off, so that’s her problem. Next question.”

  “When I saw you at that club three years ago, it looked like you had a slave. Didn’t you keep her?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  The look in Zane’s eyes sent a hot wave of arousal and longing through her.

  He watched her while he thought about her question. He’d played with a lot of subs, but he’d never wanted to own one until the day she’d walked into his office. She’d walked in and he’d wanted to rip her clothes off, bend her over his desk, turn her ass red and then fuck her until they both passed out. She hadn’t helped any when she’d begun flirting with him and watching his every reaction with those soft grey eyes. He’d fought his own need as long as he could and then the day he’d decided to accept her blatant offers, Dolman had accused her of working for Mendez. Finally, desperate to have her, he’d told himself that an affair with her would be enough. He’d known even then he was lying to himself, but he’d gone ahead anyway. Now, he couldn’t trust her, but he was determined to keep her because he wanted every breath she took, every smile, every tear, to belong to him.

  “Zane?”

  “I was waiting for the right woman. The one I had to earn. You.”

  His statement dropped her to her knees. She lowered her eyes and clenched her hands as a sob left her lips. A moment later she crawled over to him. Once she reached him, she wrapped her arms around his legs and leaned against him. She bit her lip to keep from sobbing while all she could think was, dear god, what do I do now?

  Zane lifted her onto his lap and held her as tears ran down her cheeks. “It will be okay. Trust me.”

  A trembling smiled curved Ravyn’s lips. “You all say that.”

  “That’s because it’s true. It’s what our dad, John, used to say to us after he came home for good and we moved to Long Valley.” Zane stroked her hair and let her cry. Several minutes later, when she had calmed a little, he reached over to the nightstand, picked up a small blue box and showed it to her. “Present yourself to me, Ravyn.”