Gabriel grunted, his hand flexing on her knee. She tipped her head up to look at him. “Do you know, I almost quit the whole lifestyle after her? I decided if I couldn’t figure out she was psychotic from the get-go, I would never be able to figure it out about anyone. I couldn’t stand the idea of living with that fear. Bondage is such an experiment in trust between all parties. Once it’s broken, it’s nearly impossible to regain.”
He hissed, and again his fingers tightened on her. “I’m so sorry about the bullwhip strike. I swear, I never meant to hit you.”
She twisted and cupped his jaw, stroking her thumb along his bottom lip. “Stop worrying so,” she demanded softly. “It was my own fault. I moved into your reach on purpose.” She shrugged. “It’s why I couldn’t desert the lifestyle after Krista. I need it too much.”
He nodded and kissed her finger. “Finish your story. Get it all out.”
“There’s not much left,” she said. “The first day everything was fine. The next, I received a phone call from her, asking me to meet her somewhere. Alone.”
“And you went?” he asked sharply.
She frowned. “It wasn’t the first time. It happens all the time, actually. Clients often feel freer trying to dom me without Noah around. He can be intimidating, you know.”
Gabriel chuckled. “Yeah, it’s one of his better qualities.”
She smiled, heart screeching to a stop before kicking back into a frenzy. “You like him?”
“Yeah, I do. He’s a great guy. Except for his misinformation about baseball.”
Madelyn mentally rubbed her hands together and cackled in glee. Oh, this was excellent. Excellent. She’d noticed the grudging, hidden admiration Noah had for Gabriel. Now that she knew it was reciprocated, things were definitely looking up.
“Quit stalling,” Gabriel murmured. “Food will be here soon.” He looked over her head then back down. “And Noah will be done with his call, too.”
She nodded. “I went to meet her. It was a trap, but I didn’t know until it was much, much too late. Mon Dieu.” Her throat went as dry as the lining of a cat box. It felt graveled and dusty. “She fed me some line about perfecting technique and being nervous around Noah. Wanted to make sure she got it right before we met again. I let her truss me up, bind me so I could not escape. And before you jump on me, that, too, is normal. It’s part of what we do, who we are. This time, though, she asked if she could gag me and use the finger system for safety. I had no inkling of what was in store. I didn’t get a bad vibe from her at all, so I said yes.” Her brow furrowed and she nibbled on the tip of one manicured nail. “I don’t remember too much after that except the pain. God, it hurt. Trop mal. I could not breathe or see or scream. She ignored my signals to stop.” The pounding in her heart echoed loudly in her head and sweat formed on her upper lip. She scrubbed it away, forcing the fear back. She was safe.
Safe.
“What happened?” Gabriel asked, voice shaking. His hold on her was firm and secure. Again that feeling of absolute safety washed over her and helped shunt away the rest of the horrid mental aftereffects of that day.
“Noah found me. I don’t know how. But I went from being bound, bleeding, and in extreme pain to lying on the ground with Noah healing me. Even after a long while, I was so weak, I could hardly stand.”
“You could have died,” Gabriel said hoarsely.
“Yes.”
“Fuck.”
“Yes.”
“What happened to Krista?”
“I was so intent on making sure Madelyn didn’t die that the bitch got away.”
Noah stood behind them, hands shoved deep in his pockets, a ferocious, haunted frown on his face.
Madelyn rose, turned on the couch, and wrapped her arms about his waist. He shuddered and enclosed her in a tight embrace, his lips brushing along the top of her head.
“You did the right thing,” Gabriel said firmly. “You know that.”
“Yes, but she got away and attacked Mason. Krista damn near killed him, too.”
“I agree, psychotic is a good description for her.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“How did she get away that time?” Gabriel asked.
Madelyn withdrew from Noah and settled back on the couch. “Come sit with us.” She turned to Gabriel. “I distracted her, got her from the room while Noah cut down Mason. She’s strong, but I knew as long as I didn’t allow her to bind me, I would be able to escape.”
“Yeah? Why’s that?”
Madelyn winked at him. “I took up Krav Maga after the first time. That bitch wasn’t going to get the jump on me again. As soon as I thought Mason and Noah had gotten away, I took her down and ran.”
He stared at her, a new light of admiration in his eyes, then hugged her tight. “Damn, that a girl.”
Madelyn laughed. “Trust me, no matter what, she won’t ever hurt me again.”
“Damn it, Maddie,” Noah muttered.
She waved her hand then caught Gabriel’s quizzical look. “He’s very superstitious. He thinks if I keep saying she won’t hurt me, it will happen.”
“It’s taunting the universe,” Noah said defensively.
She rolled her eyes and looked at Gabriel to share her amusement but to her astonishment, found him nodding vigorously.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding. Don’t tell me you buy into that Karma crap, too?”
The tips of his ears reddened, but he looked stern. “I don’t know about Karma, but I know that cocky can get you killed.”
A knock sounded at the door, and she sprang to her feet, grateful for the interruption. “I’ll get it.” She practically sprinted across the room, feeling as though a dark shadow chased her.
Looking out the peephole, she saw the waiter with his rolling trolley.
She reached for the door, but Noah’s strong hand closed over hers and she was surrounded by both huge men.
“Who is it?” Noah asked.
“Room service.”
“Leave it outside,” he ordered.
She sighed. “Ridicule. He’s not going to attack me with the steak sauce.”
Gabriel growled at her. “Stay back.”
Infuriated, she yanked herself out of Noah’s grip, flipped the dead bolt, and wrenched open the door.
The young man who stood outside started and squealed in alarm.
“Sorry,” she said, holding out her hand. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
He gave her a grimacing smile. “Uh, yeah, sorry. We’re all a little tense after the incident.”
She didn’t have to ask.
The man’s eyes darted left and right as though he was afraid of being jumped at any moment.
Madelyn grabbed the trolley and pulled it forward. “We’ll leave this outside when we’re done.”
He pulled back. “No ma’am, I’m sorry, hotel rules. I have to serve you in your suite.”
“Of course.” She took a deep breath and gave him a bright smile. “Hold on, please.”
She pushed back into the room, closed the door, and leaned against it, glowering at both men.
They stood like silent Vikings, shoulder to shoulder, arms folded over their chests, and wearing identical annoyed expressions.
“He has to come in.” She held up her hand to stall their protests. “There are rules,” she stressed the word. “And we’re going to follow them. No sense making a ruckus that would only bring more attention our way, non?”
Noah’s mouth twisted, but Gabriel nodded. “Makes sense. Okay, go in the bedroom and shut the door while we let him in.”
Madelyn rolled her eyes but did as she was bade. She’d achieved one small victory to get them to let the waiter in. She sure wasn’t going to push it.
She was hungry, damn it.
Chapter Sixteen
“Did you find out what room they’re in?” Krista snapped as she pulled on Natalie’s arm.
The girl looked frightened.
Krista dropped her wrist
and forced a gentle smile. “Sorry, Natalie, I did not mean to alarm you. I just wondered how your date went with your, what were their names? Noah and…?”
“Oh, it’s you. Sorry, ma’am, you did give me a little start. Gabriel and Madelyn and Noah? No, I didn’t meet with them.” Her smile was huge and full of satisfaction. “I did have an incredible evening, though.”
Krista ignored her comment and frowned. “Why didn’t you go? What happened?”
Natalie looked over her shoulder. “My boss is going to yell at me if I don’t get back to work. I don’t know what happened, but they canceled dinner on me and wouldn’t tell me their room number.”
Krista ground her teeth and wanted to scream with frustration. Obviously, this girl was useless. “All right. Go on, get back to work.”
She pivoted on the needle-sharp heel of her stiletto boot and stalked away. Behind her, she thought she heard Natalie sigh with relief and her lips tightened again.
Seemed the old clichés were true—good help was hard to find and if you wanted something done right, do it yourself.
Krista veered into the lobby, slowed to check Noah and Madelyn weren’t around, then strolled toward the front desk. She gave the young man behind the counter the once-over, pegged him as submissive, and pasted her best “don’t fuck with me” expression on her face.
Just before she got to the desk, another employee entered the area from a back room.
She slowed down then stopped near a stand of tourist brochures.
“Man, that trio in 1017 is something else.”
“What you talking about?”
The young, freckle-faced kid sidled up to the desk and leaned against it. “Two huge-ass guys and a tiny, incredibly beautiful woman. She looked like a sex-kitten version of Snow White. I’ve seen some knockouts come through here, but never anyone like her.”
“Uh-huh.” The clerk was obviously not interested. Keys clattered and paper rustled.
Krista edged closer.
“I took some food up for them, and they made me wait forever to open the door. I bet they were fucking like rabbits or something, man. Damn, I’d so do her.”
“Jason, don’t you have other deliveries to make?” Annoyance was sharp and clear in the clerk’s tone.
“Yeah. I’m telling you, dude, that girl was hot. I wonder if they share.”
A loud snort ripped through the air. “As if you’d stand a chance. Go on, do your job or else Richards will have your ass for standing around. And I don’t need any more points on my record, thanks to you.”
“Hey,” the other man protested. “I didn’t know we weren’t supposed to flirt with the guests. Hell, that’s why I took this damn job.”
His voice, still grumbling, faded as he disappeared.
Krista’s heart beat quickly and a feral excitement bit at her, tightening her nipples and pinging in her clit. It had to be them.
Room 1017.
She licked her lips and turned from the desk just as the clerk caught sight of her.
“Ma’am, can I help you?”
She didn’t turn back. “No,” she waved her hand. “I have what I need.”
Krista resisted the urge to go to the tenth floor and spy on the room. Too open, too obvious. If Noah caught her…
Dread bolted through her, and she clenched her fists with impotent rage. She was not the cowering type, but she was afraid of him. Afraid of what he’d do to her should he get her alone.
Visions of Oscar’s beaten and bloody body drifted in her mind.
No way in hell did she want to end up like that.
She passed the dining room where she saw Natalie chatting with another waitress.
Natalie.
Maybe the twit wasn’t so useless after all.
Veering off course, she made her way to the back of the restaurant and sat in Natalie’s section then waited for her to appear.
Less than two minutes later, she lowered her menu and smiled up at the girl.
“I have good news,” she said. “I can give you their room number if you’ll do a favor for me.”
Small, tight lines bracketed the girl’s flawless face, and she shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said.
Krista raised a commanding brow. “Would you change your mind if I told you this favor would ensure you have the men all to yourself?”
Natalie’s breath hitched and excitement suddenly sparked in her eyes. Then she bit her lip and looked away. “What do I have to do?”
“Nothing sinister,” Krista drawled. “Merely deliver a message.”
“That’s all?”
“Didn’t I just say so?” She reined in her impatience. She was so close to achieving her goal. She didn’t want to blow it now. “When do you take your next break?”
“About thirty minutes.”
Perfect. Just enough time to return to her cottage, set the stage, and prepare her trap. “Good. Go to room 1017, tell Noah and Gabriel that Mason Shaw has arrived on the island and is waiting for them at Port Plunder. Take Noah aside and tell him that Mason has a message just for them from Clarissa and that Madelyn should stay behind. Tell him you’ll stay with her until they get back.”
“But why?” the girl looked confused.
God, she wanted to whip the impudence out of the little whore. Instead, she gave another fake smile and winked. “Mason is a friend of ours, and I’m playing a little joke on them. They interrupted a scene with Mason and me last year, and he and I decided to get a little payback.” Yeah, payback. She liked the sound of that. After last year’s interlude, Mason promised her he would find her and mete out his own brand of punishment. His vitriolic oath had been sworn in front of Madelyn and Noah. He seemed very sure of it, too. Krista decided it made sense that the Council would send him in. They wanted her gone. What better way to accomplish that than by dispatching an ex-cop with a grudge to do the deed?
Natalie’s expression relaxed. “Oh, I like pranks. My husband used to do it to me all the time. Okay.”
“Thanks, Natalie,” she forced the words out. “Oh, and I’ll come up after a bit to fetch Madelyn so we can join the men. Just remember, don’t tell her or it’ll ruin the whole joke.”
“Yes, ma’am! So, would you like to order anything?”
Krista stood, handed her the menu, and tapped her on the nose. “No, sweetie, I’m going to go home and get ready for the fun.” She winked again. “You know I want to look my best.”
“You’re beautiful, ma’am,” Natalie said softly. “See ya.”
“Bye, Natalie, see you in a little bit.”
Krista stepped around her and left, heels clicking on the marble floor. Each sound echoed like the crack of a whip.
Each crack made her pussy tighten and throb and ache.
God, she could not wait until she had Madelyn gagged, bound, and at her mercy again.
This time, nothing would stop her.
Nothing.
* * * *
“Clarissa said they’re sending someone to the island to shadow her. They damn well better not lose her this time,” Noah said from beside Madelyn.
“Who?” she asked.
“Don’t know. She didn’t say.”
“You didn’t ask?”
He gave her a sharp sidelong glance. “No. Are you looking for trouble, little one?”
She dimpled at him. “Always. But in this instance, no. I just wondered.”
“Normally, I’d think Mason, but I doubt Griff or Emma would allow that after what happened with Krista last year. Maybe Patrick Locke. Who knows?”
“What do we do in the meantime?” Gabriel asked. He waggled his brows at Madelyn and slid his hand along her thigh, beneath the hem of her shorts.
She giggled and playfully slapped at his hand.
Noah grinned back. “I like the way you think.”
He grabbed her, twisted her body on the couch, and tugged her down to his lap. “Spread your legs. Put one over the back of the couch.�
��
Her pulse kicked beneath him, and she slowly unfurled her long, gorgeous legs. She settled the right on the floor and eased her left leg over the sofa back.
Gabriel, he saw, was transfixed.
“You know what’s hiding under those panties of hers, don’t you?” Noah asked.
“Mm-hmm, pure heaven.”
“Yep. And a little slice you’ve not yet sampled.”
She groaned and bucked. Turning her head into his arm, she hid her face.
Noah met Gabriel’s questioning stare. “What are you talking about?”
“Her ass, man. You’ve not had her ass.”
Madelyn gasped.
The look of surprise on the other man’s face was amusing, and Noah didn’t bother to restrain his grin. “You like anal?”
The surprise morphed into embarrassed chagrin. “Kinda?”
“What the hell does that mean?”
Even Madelyn dug her head out of his arm to peer at Gabriel, who shrugged and cleared his throat. “I’m a little large, as you might have noticed. Most girls take one look at my cock and say no way.”
“Most girls?” Noah prodded.
Gabriel slid his hands along Madelyn’s calves, meandering up toward her spread thighs. “Yeah, there was one girl, a real slut.” He accentuated the word with a light slap to her inner thigh.
She jumped.
“A slut who could and would fuck anything. She agreed to give ass fucking a whirl with me.”
“How’d it go?” Madelyn asked, breathless.
“Fine, I guess. She was amiable enough, but I guess I wasn’t into it. Got the head in, maybe a little more. But overall, just, well, meh. We didn’t go any further.”
Madelyn burst into giggles then wiggled her hips at Gabriel. “Oh my, we definitely need to take care of that.”
“Remember what I said,” Noah cautioned. “The anus is a tender area and must be properly prepared before any sort of fucking begins.”
Gabriel nodded, his hands still roaming her lower body, but Noah noticed, he stayed well away from her erogenous zones. His fingers skimmed her body, and she sighed, her breath warm against his arm.
Empowered [Sexual Magic 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 17
