I opened my black dungeon door and saw him kneeling naked on the white tile. Even stripped to his essence, he didn’t look weak, he was still a predator.
I held my hand toward the open door and he walked inside my dungeon. I shut the door and considered the scene.
“Mistress.” He kneeled in front of the bench.
“What do you need today?” I barked out the question.
“The whip and the knife. Make me bleed.” Ren’s eyes narrowed with challenge.
This was a familiar debate. He wanted blood, but that was a boundary I never crossed. “How intense? You know I don’t do blood play—pick another Master if that’s your wish.”
His jaw tensed. “Got some plans tonight to entertain friends, so take off the edge, but not a full workout.”
“Special friends in town? Or a thing you do?” We talked all the time, but today I felt nervous, conspicuous.
“Special friends, you haven’t met Ghost or Larva, both spend most their time on assignment with Romeo’s security business.” He grinned. “We’re going to celebrate the reunion, I sponsored them both back in the day.” The way he said it made it clear he wanted those days back again.
“Restraints?”
He gave a single shake of his head.
“On the spanking table. And speak your safe word.”
“Red.” He moved to the curved bench with handles near the floor. Perfect for self-restraint. He lay across my bench and my pulse beat quickened in anticipation of the first blow—the challenge of working him to the edge.
I pictured Misty’s leg in a cast and anger pressed in to my numb serenity. Anger had no place in my dungeon. I sucked in a cleansing breath and let the whip crack in the air, an inch from his ear. His body jumped, startling, and I cracked it again, flicking the tail against his long neck.
We moved through twenty, then thirty. “Time for a break, then maybe ten more. Stand, or on your knees.”
He stood. “Mistress, you’re welcome to play with us tonight. We sadists need to stick together.”
That pissed me off, a little too personal in my dungeon. “Be back in twenty.” I nodded up to the clock and exited the room. In my own boudoir, I fought the need to shower, but I did brush my teeth and wash my face. He sickened me in a way he hadn’t before. Any Dom who hurt another didn’t deserve the title. Having him in my dungeon made me see how far he’d fallen in my estimation.
I thought I might find satisfaction in beating him like he’d beat Misty, but all I felt was a hollow sickness that such a maniac was even allowed inside my dungeon, any dungeon. Stupid Brotherhood rules meant he’d be here until someone else was hurt. That was a steep price.
I buzzed Danger, she knew everything in the club. “Get all the details on Ren’s plans and I mean who, what, every detail by the time I’m done with him.”
“Will do, Marr, are we officially asking?” Her eagerness was another constant.
“No, you aren’t, and don’t let anyone trace the questions back to you, I’d have to kill him if he touched what’s mine.” She was a favorite of mine, even if I shouldn’t have them. Too bad she was totally hetero, or I’d seduce her.
I checked my clock, five minutes left, I closed my eyes and refocused my energy. With purpose, I strode back into the dungeon, ready to end this session. And he liked a show, so I’d give him a show, more intense than any before.
“Restraints.” I crowded in and snapped them on. “Try not flinching.”
“Little one, you can’t—”
My whip flicked and I didn’t stop. The weaving tip made contact sometimes, but not always. He gasped with each hit and shut his eyes. But that wouldn’t do, he needed to watch. “Eyes open.”
I increased the speed, peppering his skin with welts before I laid slashes, thick and red, but not bleeding down his legs. His cock twitched, thick and veined in its arousal. I went for my finish, kissing his flesh with my whip then circled it overhead once, twice and the third time, I snapped it around his throat and pulled, cutting off his air. Come spurted from him and he went slack.
His eyes flared with intense emotion but it wasn’t positive emotion. He probably imagined strangling a chick just as I did him. With a flick, I released the whip before I pressed the button to release him from the restraints. Renegade fell to the ground frantically pumping himself and moaning. I walked out, my job done. I tagged Poison to clean my dungeon—she needed some humility.
I spent five minutes debriefing with Danger, who’d struck gold when she’d ended up in bed with one of Ren’s partygoers with a fetish for spanking. “After I paddled him like I was his mama, he cuddles up to me and holds me like we’re a thing.” She shook her head. “Pathetic, but that’s what this Larva does. Tells me he’s not been back here in a year, but Ren needs his support to stop the poser. His words. Says, he’s the first wave, and there’s more who will be coming home—all of them needing comfort. As if I’d sleep with him for something as crass as money, not that I didn’t charge him.” She snorted. “A girl’s gotta eat, but I did him for you.”
“And I appreciate it, but I doubt it was a hardship.”
“Six foot ginger and missing home, no hardship to welcome his cock home. The man knows how to fuck.”
We talked a few minutes more until I was sure I’d gotten all the details before I headed home for tea and some television—a quiet night. I’d turned down Danger’s invitation to go out, still avoiding the hunt that was inevitable. After Ren’s session I just wanted a scalding shower and downtime to forget the look of envy clouding his eyes when I whipped him. He wanted my expertise for himself, or worse, he wanted me.
Chapter Five
Jericho
The clubhouse was empty and I watched TV in bed, thinking about Marr—the heat of the kiss we shared still scorched my memory. I needed to go see her, convince her to see things my way, but I hadn’t.
Addiction was a bitch and even fifteen years later, I didn’t trust myself to play with her. One taste and I’d never want to leave. Until Layla died, I’d thought being a Dom my calling. But Dogg set me straight, and I’d kept my promise to him—no more subs. Not that Marr would be a sub.
She baited my demon with her sexy, sadistic lifestyle.
Jimmy Fallon droned on but I didn’t pay attention. My phone rang, when I saw Viper’s name, I knew it’d be Ren at the club. I’d heard he’d been there for days acting the king.
“I got shit here. Sherilynn is a bloody fucking mess, skin flayed by a whip.” Viper growled into the phone, “Word is Ren did it, but Ghost held the whip when I barged in. I beat the fucker and kicked him out.”
Fury coursed through my veins and I saw red. No matter what Ghost said I knew this was Ren’s doing. The bastard loved blood play. The shit at Bound just got real and I still didn’t have Marr on board. “Son of a fucking bitch, she bad?”
“Can’t say, too much blood, the doc will have to see how deep the cuts are. The one on her cheek—I can see bone there.”
My gut churned. Bone. The fucker was out of control yet he still found a brother to cover for him. A sneaky bastard, one I needed gone. “Be there in thirty.” I hung up and dressed for a night of ass-kicking.
I dialed Dare but he didn’t answer so I hung up. I could take this one by myself. Shit at Bound again put my credibility in question with the staff and the brothers. The staff wouldn’t think I went far enough and the brothers would think it was too far. And then there was the fact that Ghost was one of Romeo’s boys—part of JB Securities. To my way of thinking Romeo needed to clean house and get his guys in line. Since I needed a word with Romeo, I grabbed my fancy helmet with Bluetooth communication and headed out the door.
“Call Romeo.” I kick-started the bike and ringing echoed in my helmet.
“Fucker, it’s late on the East Coast,” he gr
umbled.
“Too damn bad, I have four of your guys here hanging out with Renegade—something you need to tell me?” Either he was out of touch with his crew or Romeo was also leaning Ren’s way—time to find out which it was. I pulled out onto the highway and goosed the gas, needing some speed to clear away this shit.
“I’ll head home, been meaning to come that way.” In the background a definite female voice sounded, maybe more than one.
“You got some guys going rogue like Ghost, who just got kicked out of Bound for whipping my employee bloody.” It pissed me off saying the words out loud. “Is that what you support? Your guys are lousy in Ren’s back pocket, does this come from you?” The bastard had better get in line behind me. I was over the way his guys kept stacking up on the wrong side.
“Not part of a coup, the first or a second one, but shit is riled up with my guys—they’re soldiers who have more hard-heads than sense, and Ren with his snake oil charm—not hard to do that math. Send Thorn out, that’ll shut them up.” Romeo spoke fast.
I liked the Thorn idea, but the coup remark left me cold, not totally feeling his loyalty.
“I’ll have Thorn deal with the security guys while I straighten out the shit with Sherilynn.”
“I’ll ride out tonight, be there for church.” He hung up.
I gave Thorn a call and he was only too happy to teach some manners.
I parked my bike, hauling ass into the ER while I looked down at my phone seeing if Dare had called me back. Someone thumped right into me or maybe me into them. I looked down to see Marr stumbling back, murder in her eyes.
“You fecking liar. Sherilynn’s hurt.” Anger lit her face.
She was fucking beautiful pissed off.
“To my way of thinking, you’re as responsible as me.” I needed her to pick a side. Now.
She flipped me off and tried to step around me. “I need some air.”
I blocked her path. “You just step off, I’d be getting rid of Ren with your help.” I poked her chest. “How do those morals feel now?”
“It was one of the soldiers, not Renegade.” She fisted her hands on those generous hips.
“Nah, they just took the blame.” And that pissed me off too. That wasn’t the kind of loyalty I wanted in my club. “You whip Ren lately?”
Color drained and she stumbled back. “Tonight.” The word a whisper. “He whipped Sherilynn?”
I nodded. “You feel so superior now? My intel says Ghost took the fall, but Ren brandished the whip.”
“Fuck me, that bastard.” She straightened. “We’ll talk, after I see Sherilynn.” She turned on a heel and headed back to the ER. I followed behind her. Viper stood outside the small room where the doctor worked on Sherilynn. Marr stood beside me.
“She’s not bad, three cuts need stitches, the rest were shallow, but fuck, she looked like that girl Carrie in the movie when I busted inside.” He blew out a breath. “I fucked Ghost up, but I know it was Ren. And those guys, four of Romeo’s guys standing there jacking off while my girl bled on the floor.”
“I sent Thorn after them.” I cut in. It made me sick thinking of their blood kink. That shit was wrong on every level. I was so pissed I wanted to shove my fist down someone’s throat.
A nurse came out and motioned us back to Sherilynn who was loopy on pain pills.
Marr rushed in ahead of me, and I stood back, letting her and Viper talk to Sherilynn.
“Hey, sweetums, how are you doing?”
“Not so good, everything swirls and my head feels wrong.” She gave her a lopsided smile that fell apart in seconds. “I told them I didn’t do blood play, they wouldn’t stop.”
“We got you, girl.” Viper stepped forward. “We’ll make it good, no worries.”
Her eyes fluttered closed.
I sucked in a breath. “Take her to Dogg. We’ll finish this business up.”
“Fuck yeah, we will.” Viper shot me a look filled with rage. “He’s got to be done, and soon.”
Viper wheeled Sherilynn out the door in the wheelchair while Marr and I followed behind. We walked in silence for a moment.
“You okay?” She glanced up at me.
That was a strange question. “Yeah.” I scrubbed my chin. “You on board yet? I need this shut down.”
She nodded, not even gloating. “Club rules don’t help the girl much.”
“Not the way I’d like them to.” I hated admitting our downfalls. “I want him gone because this shit won’t settle until Renegade’s out for good.” I stood in the hallway, staring at her.
She glared up at me hands fisted on hips, fiery in her anger. “You want my help, you submit to me in my dungeon every time I give you information.”
“Fuck no,” I bellowed. “Is this some kind of game to you?”
Why did she pick the dungeon? No way for her to know I’d promised myself I’d never return. Why this? Although it made a kind of twisted sense, if the roles were reversed I’d demanded her in his bed—mostly because it’s what I wanted second most from her. I needed her intel most of all.
She stepped right up into my space. “No game, but I don’t give without getting something in return. You want what I have, pay up.”
She tipped her face up and leaned in, kissing me. Heat scorched me as I drug her close cupping the ass that I’d dreamed of this past week. I possessed her. She possessed me. And the battle for supremacy waged in our kiss, hot, sexy and all about who ended up on top. I kneaded her ass and she ground her hips into my front. That fast I surrendered because I’d give anything to end up inside her tonight. As soon as she sensed my surrender, she stepped back after a quick nip to my lip.
While I’d surrendered to the kiss, I couldn’t give in to the terms. “Name another price. I don’t do dungeons,” I ground out.
“Good night, Jericho.” With a quick finger wave she turned and sashayed away hips swaying.
“Marr, you’ll end up in my bed, my cock buried in you.” This wasn’t a hope, but a fact.
“If you want Renegade, you’ll come to my dungeon.” She met my gaze, eyes full of passion. I wanted her. I wanted her dungeon, and that’s why I’d never say yes.
I headed home for a few hours of sleep, knowing tomorrow would be the start of a crazy weekend. My phone rang at nine the next morning with a call from Dare and brothers kept calling. Everyone had heard something and not one of them had heard the true story. This was going to make for one hell of a church meeting Sunday. Brothers were pissed off, misinformed, and ready to take sides. Half the calls were pissed another girl got hurt, the other half pissed a brother had been kicked out of Bound. Hell my favorite story was that six brothers were kicked out.
I worried about the unrest the rumors caused. With my leadership not even three months old, I didn’t need upset or unrest. With so many variables in play, I couldn’t predict what would trigger an explosion. I fucking hated uncertainty.
A knock sounded just as I hung up with Dogg, truly pissed that a second girl was in his care. I threw open the door and Thorn stomped inside, sitting back on my couch, eyes bleary and fists scraped.
“What’s the word?”
“Delta, Larva, Ghost and Lefty were there and so was Ren, that bastard used the whip, not that we can prove shit.” Thorn’s deep voice boomed in my quiet rooms. “Me and my fists taught each of those boys a lesson in respect, well not Ghost, Viper already broke that fucker’s nose, so I left him with a threat to take his balls if he ever hurt another woman.”
“Thanks for taking care of that shit. Romeo says he’ll be back soon.” I stood as my phone rang again. “Church is likely to be a cluster fuck, so you best rest up.”
He stood with a weariness he always carried. “Fuck, I hope I can bust a few more heads. That shit is wrong.”
* * *
&
nbsp; By ten Sunday morning half the club was there, it’d be a big meeting today. Attendance was always hard to predict, since the brothers only had to attend one a month.
Dare strode up front, a frown on his face. “You know what’s going down?”
“Brothers pissed that Ghost was kicked out of Bound.” I had expected trouble.
“There’s a rumble out there, this isn’t coincidence. Red heard from some old ladies they weren’t coming after church, said they wanted to stay away from the problems.” He ran fingers through his hair. “What problems we got?”
Son of a bitch. “Well, there’s one bastard missing who’s been around every other fuckin’ meeting.”
“Renegade.” Dare growled. “He get black-balled from the club?”
I shook my head. “Nope, Ghost took the fall.” This pissed me off in too many ways, but I hated the fact Ren skipped out of the consequences again. The man had ducked consequences too many times, but I’d catch him in the end. I spotted Romeo striding through the door.
“Go get him.”
Dare turned on his heel and weaved through the crowd, none ready to tangle with him. He returned with Romeo. “Your boys going Ren’s way, whatchya think?” I put it out there.
“That’s why I’m here. You kept sending him my way and he made friends, a few good friends.” Romeo, head of the security business, stared out across the group.
“Ghost, Larva, Lefty, and Delta are helping him, and they’re all here, spread out passing on the poison.”
I almost killed Ren years ago when he fucked me over the first time. He’d been the one to get the Old Man on Layla’s case, trying to get into his good graces again, after his affair with MJ blew up and almost ripped the club apart. I’d beat the fuck out of Ren for bringing Layla into it, but in the end he’d made me feel guiltier than Dogg. I lost heart, leaving him long before I’d crippled, or worse killed him, even though I’d sworn on Layla’s grave to kill that bastard, one of a hundred promises to her I didn’t keep.
Deny: A Dark, Erotic Motorcycle Club Romance Page 6
