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

by Jennifer August

  “Where?” Noah asked hoarsely, praying it was true.

  “How?” Gabriel asked at the same time. “I mean, if she didn’t take you to her place, how do you know?”

  A deep red flush replaced the gray on her cheeks. “When we were finished, she told me the play session was our last. I was very upset. She’s a good Domme.” She glared at them, but neither man debated her statement. “I was on a pretty good high from the experience, not really paying attention to what she was saying. All I knew was that I wanted her again. And again.”

  “Where is she?” Noah bit out. If the twit didn’t start talking soon, he might explode.

  “She didn’t leave the Grotto immediately,” Winslet continued. “She stayed and played with a few other people. By then I was out of my high and trying to figure out how to get her to do it again. When I decided to just beg and plead, she was leaving. I thought she was staying at the hotel.” She looked up, her chocolate eyes wide and confused. “But when she left, she went away from the hotel. Took a path going toward the far side of the island. I was curious and uh, I, uh, followed her,” she ended on a mumble.

  “The island isn’t that big,” Gabriel murmured.

  “Right. Winslet,” Noah said softly. “I need you to tell us exactly where she went. Can you do that?”

  “Yes, Sir,” she said. “When you are at the rear of the hotel, take the right path.”

  “North,” Noah murmured.

  “Yeah, I guess. There will be another fork. The Grotto we were in is on the right. Go through there and stay straight for about another quarter mile. There’s a sudden bend to the left and a bunch of trees and stuff. You’ll have to part the leaves, and boy, are they heavy. And loud. I thought for sure she’d catch me following her, but she was too intent on getting to her place to pay much attention. Anyway, just past those trees is a sort of giant sand dune. If you go around it, either way, you’ll find a wooden path leading to some small cottages. She went into the fourth one.”

  “Left or right?” Noah asked.

  “Huh?”

  He gritted his teeth and tried to hold on to the tiny bit of patience he had. “What side of the path is the cottage on?”

  “Oh, there aren’t sides. Well, I guess there has to be, doesn’t there? But I mean, there aren’t any cottages on the other side of the path. Just one row.”

  Gabriel nodded. “Thanks Winslet. One more favor?”

  She shrugged and looked around. “Everyone’s almost done, and they probably won’t play anymore. What’s the favor?”

  “Go back to the hotel and ask the clerk to ring Constable Ralston for you. If he’s there, give him the same directions you gave us, all right?”

  Noah didn’t wait for her acquiescence, but spun on his heel and took off in the direction she’d indicated.

  His chest burned and blood boiled in his veins. He was going to get Madelyn back safely, no matter what it took.

  Even if that means killing Krista.

  * * * *

  “Come on, darling, wake up. Wake up.”

  The soft, cajoling voice brought Madelyn back to alertness. Slowly, she squeezed her eyes then lifted her lashes. Her vision was blurred and she saw only vague shadows. She blinked again.

  “That’s it, sweet girl, come on.”

  The voice was familiar but caused goose bumps to break out along her spine and down her thighs.

  Something was wrong.

  Madelyn flexed her hands, relieved to find they were not bound, and then her legs. Again, no bindings.

  Eyes still closed, she took stock of her surroundings. She was lying down on something soft. A light floral scent surrounded her. She was on someone’s bed.

  In the distance, she heard the cry of gulls and splash of the ocean hitting rocks. She was still on the island then but not in the hotel.

  “Madelyn, open your eyes,” the voice snapped.

  The tone brought the memory flooding back. Krista. Natalie.

  She choked on a sob. Oh God, Natalie was dead.

  Stay calm. Getting herself out of this predicament was paramount. Noah and Gabriel would be so worried. They would not know how to find her.

  Did they even know she was gone?

  Surely they did. They must have discovered no one from the Council was waiting for them. They would have sensed something amiss. Returned to the room and found—

  A sharp slap to her face took her breath away. “I know you’re awake,” Krista shouted. “Open your fucking eyes and look at me.”

  Madelyn waited two more heartbeats then slowly opened her eyes.

  This time, the shadows were gone, and light flooded the room from an overhead fixture. Krista stood at the side of the bed, a satisfied smirk on her face.

  “Thank you. Was that so hard?”

  “Krista.”

  Madelyn’s mind raced. How was she going to get out of this mess? She scanned the room. Small, sparsely decorated. It appeared to contain just a bed, dresser, chair, desk, and lamp. Two doors right next to each other. A window, blinds drawn and curtains tightly shut, was on the wall opposite the bed.

  “Would you like some water?”

  Madelyn sat up slowly, still marveling that she hadn’t been bound. Good thing, though. Madelyn knew Krista underestimated her abilities. Probably thought her previous escape was the luck of surprise. She wouldn’t know about her Krav Maga training. Otherwise, she’d likely have her zipped in a full-body latex suit, gagged, and shackled to the bed.

  Water sounded good, but getting out while Krista was distracted sounded even better. “Yes, please.”

  To her dismay, Krista bent to the desk and pulled out a cooler, flipped the lid, and grabbed a bottle of water. She shook off clinging shards of ice and handed it to her.

  “There you are. See, I’m not so bad. I want to make sure you’re comfortable.”

  Krista pulled out the desk chair and settled into it, eyes glued to Madelyn.

  She unscrewed the top, grateful when the little security rings popped. At least the water wasn’t poisoned.

  “I do apologize for the drama,” Krista said with a small smile. “But you’d rebuffed all the other attempts I’d made to contact you.”

  Drama? Murdering someone in cold blood is drama?

  She tipped her head to the left, curiosity on her face. “Why is that, anyway?”

  Madelyn swigged the water, trying to come up with some reason that wouldn’t send her into a tizzy. She needed to keep them both calm and rational. However much of an illusion said rationality was.

  “I’ve been busy. Work is hectic,” she finally said.

  One red eyebrow kicked up and humor crested her face. Madelyn was struck anew by her beauty. How such a lovely woman could harbor such ugliness inside was a mystery.

  “You know what they say, too much work and not enough play?”

  Madelyn nodded.

  Silence descended.

  Madelyn licked her lips, took another sip of the water, and studied the room again. Which door led outside? And just where the hell were they, anyway?

  “So, uh, what’s next?” she asked.

  Krista’s face lit up like she’d won the Mega Millions jackpot. “I’d like for you to be completely free of the dart toxins before we begin. I thought we’d start with a little spanking.” She smiled again, one eyelid dropping in a slow wink. “I love your ass. It’s so sweet and round. I really am looking forward to reddening it with my bare hand.”

  In almost any other circumstance the suggestion would have started her juices running. Now, Krista’s words just left her cold.

  “After that, we’ll move into some more severe disciplines. The usual.”

  “Why me?” Madelyn blurted out.

  The redhead looked startled. “Because of what you can do, of course. Your ability to take massive amounts of pain without breaking is somewhat intoxicating to a Domme, you know. Surely your boyfriend has pushed you beyond normal limits?”

  Noah. God, the agony he must
be putting himself through. Hopefully Gabriel would be able to talk some sense into him.

  “No, he hasn’t,” she replied. “My talent is not a novelty. Not a toy to be played with.”

  Krista’s green eyes darkened. “But that is exactly what you are. Not a toy, per se, but a grand experiment. You have no clue the ideas that have run through my mind since I discovered you.”

  She rose suddenly, and the chair bumped hard against the desk. The clatter startled Madelyn, and she jumped, nearly dropping her water.

  The look on Krista’s face was very, very scary. Visions of Jack Nicholson in The Shining sprang to mind.

  She didn’t want to know, but morbid curiosity, not to mention the need to keep her talking and not doing, compelled her. “What sorts of ideas?”

  Her smile was pure crazy. “Well, I’m really intrigued by your ability to accept pain, of course. I just wonder how much pain. For example, could I slice your back open and leave you hanging, then turn around and start on your front? Would you still be conscious? Able to talk and communicate? Able to feel sexual pleasure from the beating while your back is burning?”

  Madelyn scooted farther up on the bed, edging her legs toward the side. “I don’t think it works that way.”

  “Ah, you don’t think,” Krista crowed. “But you don’t know. See, think of this encounter as a service. This way, you’ll know every limit you possess.” She laughed and the sultry, slippery sound wound through Madelyn’s head, causing more shivers. “There are other things. How do you deal with electricity? Or fire? Cutting, of course. One of the more, shall we say, extreme ideas I had involved cutting off your fingers one by one.” Krista slashed the air sharply. “In between, I would fuck you and see if I could make you come while you bled.”

  “Holy Mother,” Madelyn whispered. Renewed fear swamped her. She had to escape. And, from Krista’s nutso ramblings, the sooner she got away, the better.

  “I won’t,” she said firmly. She set the bottle on the bed next to her. “I can assure you, I feel pain.”

  “I know you do. I just want to see how much you can feel.”

  Madelyn was at the edge of the bed now. She glanced at the doors again, this time checking out the bottom edge. Sunlight appeared to stream through the one on the left, but could that be a bathroom window? Did it matter? If she could get into the bathroom and lock the door, then she could escape through the window.

  She would make it unless Krista got outside first and was waiting with another dart or gun.

  “How are you feeling?”

  Scared out of my ever-living mind like any sane person would be! Madelyn squashed the smart-assed comment and cleared her throat. “Still a bit groggy. My stomach is a little upset, too.”

  Krista frowned. “I’m sorry. That was a side effect of the dart.”

  “Do you usually carry those around?”

  “Of course not,” Krista scoffed. “I picked it up while I was hunting in Africa.”

  Madelyn inwardly shuddered. Had she planned this even then?

  “I’ll give you another ten minutes or so.” She made a face. “I am a sympathy vomiter, so we definitely don’t want that to happen.”

  “No, we don’t.”

  Madelyn set her feet firmly on the ground and thought about the door again. She really was feeling pretty weak. Wasn’t certain she could even land an incapacitating blow in her condition. Her arms still felt rubbery and her knees shook. Plus, her stomach really was upset. She picked up the water bottle and took the lid off again then inhaled sharply.

  “If you think you need to puke, the bathroom is on the right,” Krista said.

  Madelyn stared at her in surprise. Did she realize what information she just gave up?

  “Thanks.”

  She nodded earnestly. “I really do want you to be tiptop before we begin. What good is an experiment if the subject is not 100 percent when you start?”

  “Good question,” Madelyn said. She closed her eyes and thought of the most disgusting things she could fathom. Her stomach lurched and she dug deeper.

  She was rewarded with another roil.

  “You’re looking a little green. Maybe you should go the bathroom now.”

  Madelyn nodded and lurched to her feet, surreptitiously checking Krista’s location. She’d moved back about five feet, to the other end of the desk, near the window.

  With one final push, Madelyn conjured up a vision in her head so disgusting she couldn’t hold back. She gasped and choked then threw up, aiming at the floor in front of Krista.

  “Oh, no!” Krista yelped. The lamp teetered on the desk as she pushed backward, trying to get away.

  Another wave rushed over Madelyn, and once more she threw up, soaking the madwoman’s legs.

  This time, Krista gagged and within seconds she started vomiting violently. She bent over, grabbed her waist, and hurled on the floor.

  Madelyn sprinted for the door, chugging the water as she ran. She pulled the door on the left open, squinted at the bright sunshine, and kept going.

  Behind her, she heard Krista screaming in fury.

  Madelyn kept running.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Stop!”

  Gabriel slowed his loping gait and looked behind him. Constable Ralston sprinted in their direction.

  “Can’t stop,” Noah yelled back. “You gotta keep up.”

  Gabriel waved to the officer then turned and followed Noah, who ran down the path Winslet had indicated.

  Ahead was the slew of trees and hanging-down branches. Gabriel reached Noah just as he put his hand out to shove them aside. He caught the faint thump of rapid footsteps coming from the other side, the deep rasping of someone sucking down air.

  “Wait,” he said and crouched on the side of the path.

  Noah immediately followed suit.

  The footsteps grew louder, this time from both directions.

  A faint screech echoed in the air, but he couldn’t make out the words. Whoever it was sounded pissed as hell.

  Ralston dropped next to him. His face shone with sweat, but his breathing was even and his eyes intent. “What’s going on?”

  “Krista kidnapped Madelyn, and we found out she’s staying in cottages just past this bend.”

  “I’ll go first,” the officer said.

  “Hell no,” Noah snapped. “She’s my responsibility.” His face shuttered and he looked at Gabriel. “Our responsibility.”

  Warmth bloomed in Gabriel’s chest at the correction, but he had no time to think about it.

  The trees rustled and then burst open.

  He lunged for the runner, tackling the form from the left while Noah waylaid them from the right.

  They all went down in a pile of limbs, curses, and whimpers.

  “Get off, get off. I have to get away.”

  Gabriel’s heart tripped wildly as he rolled off of her. “Madelyn!” He cupped her face, brushing away tears, sand, and bits of leaf from her cheeks.

  “Maddie. God, Maddie.”

  Her soft form was yanked from his grip as Noah pulled her into his arms, crushing her to his chest. Soft, unintelligible sounds came from him as he rocked her back and forth. Tears shone in his eyes as he met Gabriel’s gaze.

  Gabriel scooted closer and wrapped his arms around both of them. “Thank God, you’re safe.”

  Madelyn wiggled between them, her head bumping Noah’s jaw, shutting it with an audible click. “But we’re not,” she said, frantically pushing at his arms. She looked over his shoulder toward the direction of the trees. “She’s coming. She’s coming fast.”

  “You three get to safety,” Ralston ordered. His voice was sharp, tight, and filled with don’t-mess-with-me authority. He unsnapped his holster, eyes trained on the blanket of leaves covering the path. “I will take care of her.”

  Gabriel hauled Madelyn to her feet, reached down, and offered his hand to Noah. The big man took it and rose, his grip tight and comforting. “Thanks,” he said huskily. He l
ooked at Ralston. “She’s crazy and she’s armed. Gabriel, you take Madelyn back to the hotel. I’ll stay with the constable.”

  “No,” he and Madelyn said at the same time.

  “This is ridiculous,” she said. “We don’t have time to debate. She can’t be more than a couple of minutes behind me.” Her brow knitted, and she dropped to a whisper. “Actually, she should have already been here.”

  A chill lifted the fine hairs on the back of his neck, and Gabriel acted instinctively. He plowed into Noah and Madelyn, knocking them both back to the ground just as a sharp retort echoed in the tropical air.

  Ralston pulled his gun from the holster and backed up until he was hidden in the surrounding foliage.

  No one moved.

  “Get off me,” Noah whispered.

  “Too noisy,” Gabriel whispered back. “Sh.”

  He strained his ears, listening as intently as he could. Something moved in front of them, obviously trying to be quiet and not really succeeding.

  Madelyn shivered beneath him, and he looked down, meeting her scared, cerulean gaze. He pursed his lips and winked, trying to reassure her.

  She shook her head and caught her full bottom lip between her teeth.

  Noah shifted just enough to wrap his arms around her.

  Footsteps sounded again, and a shadow darkened the area behind the leaves. He saw the tip of a black shoe sneak under the foliage then slowly ease forward.

  He held his breath, eyes focused on the opening.

  The leaves parted, making no sound at all, and then Krista appeared. Her eyes widened when she spied them, and she howled as she lifted her gun.

  The second retort was just as loud as the first.

  Birds squawked, taking flight.

  Gabriel looked down, more scared than he’d ever been. Please don’t let them be hurt.

  Madelyn’s tear-filled eyes looked up at him, something akin to shock glazing them.

  “No,” he rasped.

  Noah groaned and moved out from his grasp, reaching for Madelyn.

  Gabriel turned to find out where the demon bitch was and sucked in a sharp breath.

  “I’m okay,” Madelyn said.