Empowered [Sexual Magic 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Jennifer August

  “Fucking hell.”

  “My thought exactly. You ready?”

  Gabriel shoved away from the wall. “Yeah. Tell me what you want me to do.”

  “Stay close behind me, watch for anyone suspicious. When in doubt, deck the hell out of anyone you see.”

  “Got it.”

  “When we get in the room, stay low and go in fast. I’ll go right toward the kitchen, you go left into the bathroom.”

  “Okay. Let’s do this.”

  They crept down the empty hallway. Noah pulled out his key card and slid it into the slot. The light blinked green, and a soft whirr echoed in the hallway as the locks tumbled.

  He pushed open the door and darted inside. Gabriel caught the closing door and threw himself into the room, aiming for the left.

  He landed on something soft and warm. He stared down into Natalie’s wide-open and unseeing gaze.

  “Christ,” he whispered and scuttled backward. His palm was wet. He looked down and saw a crimson blur. Hastily, he scrubbed his hand on his shorts then looked around for Noah.

  He found him standing in the middle of the living room, head bowed.

  “Krista has Madelyn,” the big man said, back still to him.

  “Natalie’s dead.”

  Noah’s head came up and he turned around.

  “What’s that?” Gabriel asked.

  Noah held it up as he came closer and stared down at Natalie’s body. “Dart. She came prepared. Probably some kind of paralyzing agent.” He knelt beside the girl and placed his finger and thumb at her neck then cursed as he stood. “We need to contact Ralston and the Council. We don’t have any time to lose.”

  “How are we going to find Madelyn?”

  Noah’s eyes were dark and flat. Gabriel shuddered.

  “We’re going to track down Winslet. I bet she’ll know where she is.”

  “Good point. Call Ralston now or later?”

  Noah looked down at the dart and handed it to him. “Call him now, but tell him he’s got ten minutes to get here. Stay with the body. I’m going to find Winslet.”

  He headed for the door. “Hold it, Bishop.” The big man spun around.

  “What?”

  “I’m in this, too.” A bead of sweat dripped down the length of his spine and made him shudder. As if someone walked over his grave.

  Or Madelyn’s.

  His heart contracted. He moved beside Noah. “Natalie’s dead, there’s nothing we can do for her. We can call Ralston on our way to find Winslet.”

  “In other words, you’re coming with me.”

  “Yeah,” Gabriel said, straightening up. If Noah thought he could force him to stay behind, he was wrong. “I care for her, too, Noah. I want her back.”

  The grim look settled into one of acceptance and perhaps relief. Noah clapped him on the shoulder. “Good. I appreciate having someone along I can trust.”

  They moved into the hallway and pulled the door shut. Noah pulled out his phone, punched in some numbers, and handed it to Gabriel.

  “Tell him what’s going on and that we’ll be scouring the hotel for Winslet. Tell him to keep a low profile.”

  As they walked toward the elevators, the constable answered and Gabriel succinctly relayed the information, disconnecting the call just as the car arrived for the third time.

  “Best guess to find her?”

  “She’s a needy sub and in search of completion.”

  Damn, the man was as tightlipped as Tupperware. “Meaning?”

  “Meaning since Krista is unavailable to her, she’ll be looking for another Dominant to play with. Won’t matter to her who it is as long as she gets what she wants.”

  Gabriel frowned as the elevator descended. “Are all subs like that?”

  “No,” Noah replied. “Most have the sense God gave a goose and a hell of a lot of pride. They just want, need, to be controlled or dominated. The pleasure comes from knowing someone else is in command of you. Subs like Winslet are more rare, but their needs are just as important. However, most don’t chase down psychopaths.”

  Gabriel shrugged as the doors opened into the lobby. “She didn’t believe us when we told her Krista was nuts.”

  “Good point. Let’s start with the desk clerk.”

  “He won’t tell you anything,” Gabriel said. “He can’t because of confidentiality clauses.”

  “He’ll talk,” Noah snarled.

  The big man stalked toward the gleaming marble counter behind which two young men stood. Gabriel recognized one as Mario, the man he’d talked to earlier. The other, a guy of about twenty-five or so, looked as though he’d just woken up from a nap. His hair and clothing were askew. His eyelids drooped and his mouth hung slightly open.

  “I need to speak to the manager,” Noah said.

  “I’m sure I can help you,” the clerk said.

  Noah stared him down. “I need to know what room a young woman named Winslet is in.”

  The clerk shook his head. “I’m sorry, Sir, but I cannot divulge that information.”

  “Told you,” Gabriel muttered.

  Noah ignored him. “Did you hear about the dead kid on the beach?”

  The sudden shift in topics threw the clerk, but the other kid perked up. “Dude, yeah, that was Oscar. I told him about it already. Didn’t believe me though. Not until the cop came asking questions. Winslet’s cool. She didn’t have anything to do with it.”

  “What about him?” The clerk looked annoyed.

  Noah’s gaze shifted to the other man. “Know where I can find her?”

  Something shifted in the kid’s eyes which cleared suddenly. “Why?”

  “I’m trying to prevent another death like Oscar’s. Winslet can help us.”

  “Giving out that sort of information is against protocol,” Mario insisted. “Our reputation is built on secrecy and anonymity. We will not give you her room number.”

  “She’s in danger?” the kid whispered, his eyes darting back and forth. He gnawed on his bottom lip. “Man, I don’t like the sound of that. Screw privacy.”

  Gabriel wanted to tell him to hurry up and spit the information out. Time was speeding by, and the longer they took, the more danger Madelyn was in.

  “No, Jason,” the clerk ordered. “Be quiet.” He looked at Noah. “I can call my manager, but he’ll tell you the same thing.”

  “What’s your name?” Noah asked abruptly.

  “Mario Valesquez. I don’t care if you report me,” he said. “I won’t lose my job for this.”

  “But you’ll let Winslet get killed for a stupid job? That’s cold.” Jason shrugged the clerk’s arm away and came around the counter. “She’s staying in room 3308, but she’s not there right now.”

  “Jason, I’m warning you.”

  The kid paid no attention.

  “Where is she?” Noah asked.

  “She was heading out to the grotto to meet a Dom.” He made a face. “She said this guy was all into leather and pain. I tried to tell her they all are, but she had her mind—”

  “Can you take us there?” Gabriel interrupted.

  The kid looked startled. “Yeah. I know where the heavy action takes place. Unless you have an invitation, you usually aren’t allowed in.”

  “Oh, they’ll let us in,” Noah said silkily. He returned his attention to the clerk and skewered him with a disgusted gaze. “Constable Ralston will be here with some officers in a few minutes. Take him to room 1017, but wait outside. Once he’s done in there, tell him where we are if we’re not back. Got it?”

  The man looked defensive, and Gabriel slid a fifty dollar bill over the counter. “Please, it’s important and don’t let anyone up in the room until he gets here. It’s very, very important.”

  The money disappeared almost instantly. “Why?” he asked.

  Noah and Jason were halfway to the exit doors.

  Gabriel shook his head and sighed. “Because there’s a dead body in there.”

  Chapter Eighteen
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  “This isn’t your fault,” Gabriel said as they followed Jason down toward the grotto.

  Noah shrugged. He knew the truth. Guilt wracked him. “I left her alone.”

  “No,” Gabriel said sharply, pulling to a stop.

  Noah whirled around. “We don’t have time for this. We’ve got to find Winslet.”

  “We don’t have the luxury of you wallowing in undeserved guilt, either. You let it eat at you, and next thing you know, you’re running half-cocked into a fight full of unknowns and get yourself killed. Then I’ll spend the next five years comforting Madelyn and all the while I’ll be cursing your ass.”

  Noah blinked, a bit stunned at the vehemence in Gabriel’s voice. “I disagree,” he said coolly and started walking again. Jason stood at the end of the path, close to where they’d come upon Oscar and Winslet earlier in the week. “It is my fault.”

  “Bullshit. We left her there and she wasn’t alone. Natalie was with her.”

  “And now she’s dead.”

  “Again, not your fault. It’s obvious Krista is a few thousand bricks shy of a load. Obsessive people are damned difficult to predict.”

  “I should have known.”

  “Oh for fuck’s sake, how? Are you fucking psychic?”

  Noah glared at him.

  Jason pointed. “It’s just past this rise. Let me go first and make sure she’s there, then I’ll come get you.”

  “Bring her here,” Noah demanded. Damn, he hated waiting on anyone, but with the kid’s warnings about invitations and entrance, he knew he had to. Still pissed him off, though.

  “If she’s scening, she won’t come,” the kid said.

  “Fuck.”

  “Go quickly,” Gabriel said.

  Jason nodded and took off at a dead run over the rise, his straight-up messy hair disappearing in a few seconds.

  “Listen, Noah, blaming yourself will do no good at all. It’s detrimental, distracting, and just plain idiotic. We’ll get her back, but you have to concentrate.”

  Noah knew he made sense, but he couldn’t slough the guilt.

  Gabriel caught him by the arms and shook him with much more strength than Noah would have thought the man capable of. He stared dumbly at him.

  “I’ve about had it with your shit, man,” Gabriel snarled. “If you feel the need for absolution when this is all done, then you can kneel down and take my whip. I’ll beat the damn guilt out of you, okay?”

  Noah started then an unexpected laugh erupted from him. Shaking his head, he clipped Gabriel on the shoulder. “Up yours, kid, I kneel to no man.”

  “Big bad Dom, huh?”

  “Yep.”

  “You know what’s best for everyone?”

  “Yep.”

  “Then look deep inside the bullshit you’re spewing and see the truth. Krista would have taken her one way or another, no matter what protection you, the Council, or Madelyn put up. Tell me I’m right.”

  It galled him to no end. He wanted to shove Gabriel’s face into the sand, but he also knew that was because he was correct. He sighed and cracked his knuckles, looking over the rise.

  “Fine, you’re right,” he finally agreed.

  “Holy shit,” Gabriel whispered then slugged him lightly on the shoulder. “I knew you could do it.”

  “Fuck you.”

  Gabriel laughed this time, but Noah saw his gaze, too, continually scanning the dirt path Jason disappeared down and the surrounding area.

  “It’s been long enough,” Noah muttered after another five minutes. “I’m going in.”

  Gabriel nodded.

  They marched toward the path and just as they began to ascend, Jason appeared. He pulled up short then rolled his eyes.

  “Jeez, I told you to wait. I found her. She was in a scene as I figured. But she’s done now. Coming out of it. She should be able to talk to you in a few minutes. I got you in, too.”

  He looked ridiculously proud. Noah just grunted, but he heard Gabriel slap the kid on the back.

  Probably passed him a fifty, too.

  They trudged up the dirt path, and Jason slinked by, darted left, and lifted up some low-hanging, leafy fronds from a tropical tree that nearly obliterated the way.

  “Through here. Be quiet, too. There are still people engaged in some role-playing.”

  Noah nodded, ducked down, and stepped through the fronds.

  The area was much like the one from before—neatly cleaned of foliage, bordered by cement blocks, a large man-made structure at the far end. Instead of a fire pit and bar, though, this area was split into four distinct outdoor rooms. Each room held equipment for a variety of pleasures, and hanging from the walls of the structure, Noah saw a multitude of whips, floggers, canes, and restraints.

  Two of the rooms were occupied, and people surrounded each, watching the action.

  Noah ignored them and headed for Winslet, who sat docilely on a rock, head between her knees, water bottle hung loosely in her fingers. A large man, more flab than muscle, stood behind her. He wore a pair of jean shorts, flip flops, and nothing else. Both earlobes were fitted with large black disks, grossly distending the flesh.

  Noah ignored him and knelt down, placing his hand on her calf. She didn’t stir. “Winslet?”

  She murmured something and shifted, nearly falling off the rock.

  He eased her back into a seated position and lifted her chin. She wore a goofy smile, and her eyes were mostly dazed.

  He looked at the man behind her. “Did you give her anything?” he asked sharply.

  The guy lifted his meaty hands. “No, man, she just went into sub space.”

  “Then why the hell are you back there instead of taking care of her?” Quickly, Noah plucked Winslet from the rock, spun, and sat down, cradling her in his lap. She was trembling like a kitten in a tornado.

  She wasn’t his, but caring for a sub, especially one coming down from such an orgasmic high, was one of the most important tenets of being a Dom.

  Gabriel stood by, his expression only mildly interested. He flicked his hand at the flabby man. “Go away. Now.”

  “Hey,” he blustered. “You can’t come in here and just take her. She’s mine for the night.”

  Gabriel took two steps forward, grabbed the man by the arm, and twisted it backward. He yanked upward, bringing the man to his tiptoes.

  “Since you can’t take proper care of her, we’re alleviating you of the responsibility. Now, if you don’t want every sub on this island to know what a troll you are, I’d suggest you quietly leave. Now.”

  Again, Noah heard the implied danger in the small word. He looked up to see how the wannabe was taking it then smothered a chuckle. Not well, judging from the gray-tinted queasiness on his face.

  The man nodded. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” He scuttled a few steps away then turned back. “Tell her if she wants to play again to come find me.”

  Gabriel growled and the man spun and fled, kicking sand in his wake.

  “Nicely done,” Noah said. He looked down at Winslet, relieved to see some color back in her face and the smile dimming.

  “Winslet? Come on back.”

  She cleared her throat and blinked her eyes a few times.

  Gabriel bent, took her bottle, unscrewed the cap, and put the water to her lips.

  “Drink it all,” Noah ordered.

  She did, swallowing greedily. Finally, she pushed the bottle away and wiped the back of her hand along her mouth. She blinked at him.

  “Hi.”

  He smiled back. Her trembling had stopped, and she looked almost normal again. “You okay, now?”

  “Yeah,” she whispered. “That was kind of intense.”

  He nodded. “Do you feel like talking to us for a little bit?”

  “Sure. Can I stand up, though? My butt hurts.” She smiled. “He beat my ass pretty damn good.”

  Noah shook his head. He might have to suggest Winslet as a candidate for intervention to the Council. The way she was going, s
he’d be broken before the year was out. He stood and carefully set her on the sand. He held on to her arms until he was certain she wouldn’t fall over.

  She took another sip of water and looked around. “Where’s your lady friend?”

  He exchanged glances with Gabriel who nodded and stepped a little closer.

  “Winslet, we need your help.”

  Her eyes went wary. “For what?”

  “Krista has Madelyn, and we think she means to do her great harm.”

  The girl’s face paled back to gray, and she shook her head. “No, she wouldn’t hurt her. Well, not any more than she wished to be hurt.”

  Noah gritted his teeth and Gabriel scoffed. “The woman is crazy.”

  “She’s not! You’re just saying that because she wants Madelyn.”

  “Listen to us,” Noah snapped. “Krista has already killed Oscar.”

  He was surprised when she didn’t immediately deny the accusation as she had earlier.

  “You know that, don’t you? And now…” He pushed his face closer to hers. “Now, she’s killed again and taken Madelyn somewhere.”

  The girl looked queasy and guzzled more water, emptying the bottle. She swayed and closed her eyes, lips flying across silent words.

  “Winslet, do you know where she’s staying?” Gabriel’s voice was direct and smooth but without angry inflection.

  His face, however, told a different, more volatile story.

  She opened her eyes, now filled with tears. “Do you really think she’ll hurt her that bad? I mean, isn’t it possible she just wants—”

  “No, goddamnit!” Noah roared. “She’s obsessed and will not stop even when she goes too far. Madelyn will die unless you help us find her.”

  “Oh God, oh God, oh God.”

  She nibbled at her fingertip, and just when he thought he’d rip her damn hand off, she nodded.

  “When I found her again, we met at one of the hidden grottos. It was at the northern tip of the island.”

  His shoulders slumped. “You didn’t go to her house?” What were they going to do now? Every minute that passed was another minute Madelyn was in danger.

  A sheepish expression crossed her face and she hung her head. “No, but I do know where she’s staying.”