by Bella Juarez
Something unexpected happened to him that night as he’d watched a scene play out between a Domme and a burly male submissive. Lady Gretchen explained that the man was part of GSG-9, Germany’s elite SWAT team and special operations unit. He watched in fascination as she explained how it wasn’t unusual for men such as him to want to be dominated as a form of release from the stress of what they did for a living. Her words reached him, and he instantly understood what hadn’t felt right about her offer to train him, and he wondered if she’d seen it, too. He wasn’t dominant. He was a submissive.
Knowing that Lady Gretchen’s dungeon wasn’t somewhere he should be, and discovering that he wasn’t what people would expect, he wanted to get out of there and think. Instead of returning, he opted to read and study what submission meant for a man like him. He spent countless hours trying to understand what had drawn him in that direction. He’d searched memories of his childhood attempting to recognize what had made him that way and finally accepted that nothing had influenced him. It was just the way he was wired. Night after night as he read and studied, he recalled what he’d seen and hungered for what he saw and felt pass between the Domme and her submissive.
When Dan finally figured out a way to go see Lady Gretchen without putting his career in jeopardy, time had run out for him. He’d received orders to return home where he joined Captain O’Malley and helped build Special Warfare Group 5. So, he let it go, deciding that karma had intervened and kept him from a potentially disastrous decision. He didn’t pursue the lifestyle because it was forbidden by the terms of his clearance. He couldn’t go near a BDSM club much less be inside actively playing.
It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t have been comfortable there anyway. It had been Rio’s face he pictured whenever he thought about his ideal Domme. For a long time, it bothered him that one of his best friends would come to mind during those thoughts and fantasies. When he saw her again, he somehow knew she’d be the only woman he could completely trust with this secret. She would be his first and only Domme. He made the decision that he would never explore his submission if this didn’t work out with her.
The thought of his stubborn little Domme-in-training made him push harder. Schotzie tugging on her leash and barking distracted him as they ran up one of the neighborhood streets. Van McKay was loading up his daughter’s coaster into a trailer. He and a few others from the station would be going to the reunion today. He stopped to see if he could help.
“Hey there! You’re up early. Give me a hand.” Van went to the opposite side of the trailer and tossed him one of the ends of the strap. “Is she going?”
“Nope. Nothing I can say or do will change her mind.”
“Damn it, she must be dead set because you’d be the one person she’d do it for,” Van said, shaking his head.
“She finally told me why she didn’t want to go.”
“Why?”
“It’s that damn planning committee.”
Van tossed him another strap. “Well most of those gals did make her and Colleen’s life miserable when they were in school. They’re not as bad now that she’s the boss of some of them, but they still pick at her when they can.”
“I need to get her there.”
“I hear you, but when she makes up her mind, it’s set. If she says she’s not going, she ain’t going.”
* * * *
Rio washed the few dishes she’d used to make breakfast with a huff. Danny was dragging his feet on discussing how they’d stay together after his leave was over. She reasoned that maybe he wasn’t as serious as he claimed, so she’d started the process of separating herself from him. While she didn’t want to go to the reunion, she’d have done it in a heartbeat if she was certain about her future. It had been a mistake to get involved with him, and now, she’d begun sinking herself back into her lonely, isolated existence. Tears welled in her eyes at the thought because this time around, she’d be lonelier than ever.
The direction their relationship had taken had given her a sense of comfort she hadn’t experienced before. She’d finally discovered what she’d missed for all those years, and it had completed her. Something she couldn’t explain had become more powerful about this bond, and she sensed that if it was ripped away, it would leave a hole that couldn’t easily be filled. The uneasiness that he would tear it all away and forget her again kept creeping into her thoughts. She should’ve known better. He’d never been serious about anything in his life. Why would he start now? The familiar pangs of disappointment and hurt shot through her, because it would be harder to let him go this time. It occurred to her how empty the house was right now, and she realized how empty it would be without him once he left again.
She recalled watching him and Davey leave for college and remembered the feeling of dread knowing it would be the last time she’d be able to see him every day. When she finally got home after helping them move, it seemed as if the tears never stopped. The memory of his off-handed comment shot through her and sliced her all over again. Blinking back tears, she inhaled and cleared her throat. When the door opened, Schotzie trotted into the kitchen and nuzzled her leg.
“Breakfast is ready.” She didn’t look at him.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Danny leaned against the sink and watched as she scurried around the kitchen for a little while before saying anything.
“I know you really don’t want to go today, but please reconsider, I don’t have much time left, and I want to make it count.”
“Danny…”
“Please.”
“Let’s just do what we planned.”
* * * *
The first coaster glided toward the finish line as the crowd urged it forward. The racer applied the brakes for a smooth stop. Bisbee’s Fourth of July celebration had officially kicked off. The driver stepped out of the Bush Hog Express, and the crowd that Dan and Rio were standing in went wild when the ten-year-old girl pumped her fists in the air and took off her helmet. Her long braided pigtails bounced as she ran toward the CBP crew that comprised her cheering section.
“Did you see me, Dad?” Erin McKay shouted as she ran toward her father and mother.
“I sure did, baby! You did awesome! You’ll kick ass and take names with that time!” Van shouted happily above the noise as he lifted his little girl.
Bisbee’s Coaster Race had been a tradition since 1914 and had been the oldest, longest, and probably fastest gravity-powered soapbox derby race in the world. Every Fourth of July weekend, the population of the town almost doubled because so many people who’d been raised in the sleepy little copper mining community returned for the special day. The coaster races kicked off the small mining town’s Independence Day festivities that included mining competitions and fireworks, but the most popular and longest-running tradition was the Bisbee Coaster Race.
At eight thirty a.m. every Fourth of July, racers would meet at the top of Tombstone Canyon Road, under the Arizona 80 overpass, and the racers finished in front of the post office on Main Street. Most of the CBP in Erin’s cheering section from Bisbee had participated in one form or another in that race while they were growing up in the small town. Dan remembered the year he and Davey had raced each other. Neither one had the fastest time, but the cars they’d built together had taken them a year to complete.
They watched the rest of the races and helped Van load Erin’s coaster onto the little trailer he had attached to his truck. She ended up with the third-fastest time overall and the best time in her division. Dan and Rio walked around the closed-off streets and through the maze of vendors that were lined up waiting for the parade to start. He loved Fourth of July in Bisbee, and it was one of the things he missed most while he’d been away. When the small town threw a party, it put out its best. They talked about past Fourth of July exploits as they walked. Rio’s laughter rang out through the streets as they recalled some of the more idiotic things they had done involving fireworks.
“If I ever have kids, I swear I’ll kill them if they try and do half the stupid things I did when I was a kid,” he said as he took a snow cone from one of the vendors.
Taking a spoon, he scooped up some of the flavored ice and offered it to Rio.
“Do you want kids?” she asked as she took the small bite.
“Yes, I do.”
While she looked off into the distance, he found it hard to read her expression. He waited for her to finally look at him again.
“Does that bother you?” he asked.
“No. I was wondering how I would handle something like that.”
The day had started to heat up in the small desert town, and she was still recovering. He dug the spoon into the flavored ice again and offered it to her. He kissed her and thought about how that simple act would never get old.
“As long as you keep me around, you won’t handle it alone.”
Chapter 16
Town Square
Old Bisbee, Arizona
July 4, 2010/1743 Zulu
Jax watched as Danny kissed Rio.
What the hell is she doing?
PJ had been right, she was playing hard to get and now the time had come to put an end to all her foolishness. Her flirting with Danny pissed him off because she was trying to make him jealous. Danny played right into her hands. And that damn restraining order hadn’t even been filed by her. It had been filed for her. If that dumbass FBI agent thought he could scare a Macey, he had another thing coming. As Jax sat in his patrol vehicle, he watched Dan then traced Rio’s body up and down. She’d dressed in a short blue denim skirt and a flowery camisole top that made her look soft. He noticed when he’d seen her out recently that she’d been wearing her hair loose. His eyes traced up her legs from the platform flip-flops that accentuated her legs. He couldn’t wait to finally get his hands on her. The thoughts that ran through his mind made his cock stiffen. If nothing else, Rio Jensen had turned into a pretty woman. She just needed to be broken of all her tomboy ways.
Their ringing laughter reached him from across the street.
I just need to fuck her and get it over with.
The more he watched, the angrier he got. Why didn’t she ever laugh like that with him? Not that it mattered. Once he fucked her, it would just be a matter of keeping her quiet, just like Daddy said. What the hell had been so funny anyway? His blood boiled when he saw her rise on her tiptoes and kiss another man.
That’s enough, damn it!
Surely they knew he was watching, and all this was just for show. Well, if it was a show they wanted, they were about to get one. He threw open the door and stalked up the street to the pair. Danny had been the first to see him, and Danny grabbed her by the arm and placed himself in between.
“Go away! How many ways do you need to be told?” Rio snapped.
“Get out of the way, Gamez. Or I’ll arrest you,” he said.
“Jax, go away. She has a restraining order on you. Stop and walk away.”
Now that was more like it. The old Danny not wanting to fight because he knew he’d get his nerdy ass kicked. He wasn’t the badass he pretended to be once he faced a real threat.
“That restraining order was a bunch of bullshit, and we both know it! Rio! I want to talk to you now!”
“I don’t want to talk to you. Can’t you just go away and leave me alone?” she said as she came from behind Danny.
That fucking geeky bastard stopped her and placed himself in front of her again. Now he saw it was Danny and not Rio behind all of this. Danny wanted to steal her away for himself. Marissa Jensen had been right. Her daughter was stupid.
“Stay out of this before I give you an ass whipping you’ll never forget,” Jax growled as he balled his fist.
“Go find Friday and Van,” Danny said to her.
“Yeah, you’d better get some backup. Those ass kickings I gave you when we were kids won’t compare to what I’ll give you now,” Jax said.
* * * *
“Danny, don’t—” Rio said.
“Get out of here!” he barked at her.
“Rio! Get back here. We're going home right now!” Jax yelled.
Dan watched Jax for any sign that he was about to strike. She’d left because he saw Jax’s gaze follow her down the street. A crowd started to gather around them. Shit! The last thing in the world he needed was to flatten a Cochise County deputy sheriff in front of a hundred witnesses in the middle of Old Bisbee. How the hell would he explain this one to Rock when his captain got a call about an arrest? But this guy had to be stopped because he clearly didn’t understand the word no. He’d also become a threat to Rio.
Sensing the change come over him, he slowed his heartbeat and stepped into combat mode. He and his dive buddy Lieutenant JG Harman called it the Hulk Effect. As he scrutinized the man in front of him, his outlook changed. He no longer saw someone familiar he’d known all his life; this individual had now become a threat, an enemy. Noticing that his enemy favored his left side indicated that his adversary might be left handed, and he needed to watch his right side. The open stance his opponent took told him that this man probably hadn’t had any formal training in hand-to-hand combat. His foe was armed and he wasn’t, a concern because he knew there could be a risk his rival could become unpredictable if provoked. As he glanced at the gun on the opponent’s hip, he noticed the weapon securely fastened in its holster, and the safety had been engaged.
“Jax! Stop!”
As the words echoed down the street, Jax took a swing at him. Dan easily sidestepped the clumsy attempt, and his reflexes reacted before his mind engaged. He’d learned long ago that to hesitate when being attacked could be a fatal mistake. Blocking the left-handed swing, he delivered sharp, precision blows to Jax’s solar plexus, nose, and to the side of his head. When he blinked again, Jax had fallen to his knees, gasping for air as blood poured from his broken nose. Two powerful arms wrapped around him and pulled him away.
“Stop! Rock told us to stay low,” a voice said in his ear.
Whoever had turned him around brought him face-to-face with Rio. He relaxed and turned his head slightly as Friday let him go. She took his hands.
“Let’s go home,” she said.
The adrenaline rush that came with combat made his body tense, and he willed himself to calm down. Van, Alan, Friday, and some of the other CBP agents that had come down to enjoy the festivities surrounded him and walked him away. Once the rush subsided, he’d be fine. He nodded and told everyone he’d be okay. He glanced at Jax as Sheriff Wright helped him to his feet. Rio tugged at his hands.
“Come on, let’s go,” she urged.
“Why should you leave? What about the picnic?” Van asked with a frown.
“No, we’re leaving,” Dan replied, putting his arm around her and walking away.
He expected Sheriff Wright to call him back, but no such order came. As they left Old Bisbee, his cell phone rang.
“What’s up, Badass?”
“We need to talk when I get back. Be prepared to meet me at Fort Huachuca, both you and Friday. We’ll be in Arizona for a while.”
“When?”
“Wednesday morning, bright and early.”
“I need to tell you something. Jax Macey violated that restraining order just now.”
“Say what?”
“Macey just walked through that restraining order. You need to stop him before I do.”
“Stand down, lieutenant. I’ll take care of Macey. You keep Rio safe. I need her.”
They walked in and were greeted by a very happy Schotzie. He waited for Rio to ask him about his phone call, but she never did. In fact, he noticed she’d become more distant in the last day or so. He blamed it on the reunion, but since he wouldn’t be going now it had to be something else.
“Is there something we need to talk about, babe?”
“Danny, what do you do?”
“I’m in the Navy,” he said hesitantly.
Not being completely honest
about what he did, didn’t sit well with him when she asked. She’d find out once she saw him in uniform because his SEAL Trident was on it. She’d know it the instant she spotted it.
“I’m not asking for classified information. What do you really do? You’ve never told me.”
“I’m sure Davey did.”
“No, he didn’t. Why can’t you answer me? You need to trust me, and quit messing around.”
Dan exhaled and pulled her close. “I’m a SEAL.”
“Why was that so hard?”
“I don’t want everyone knowing that, Rio. I’m sure you understand why.”
“Of course I do. Do you have to go back to work? Quicker than you expected?”
“Yes, I do.”
“So, you’re leaving?”
“Yes, my leave will probably be cancelled effective Wednesday morning. I can’t tell you why.”
“What are we doing?”
Hesitating for a moment before answering he sat down beside her. He knew this discussion would eventually happen, so they could start making some decisions. He’d been hoping to have this talk with her a little later. “I don’t know, babe, I haven’t figured it out. What do you think we should do?”
“Ask me.”
Shit! She’d turned the tables on him. Is she on to me? Who could’ve told her? He remained silent, waiting to see where the conversation would go.
“Ask you what?”
“Are you sure you want me to tell you?”
Breathing a sigh of relief, he realized she’d been asking about their future plans. Time was up. He’d told her that he wanted her making decisions for the both of them. When he didn’t say anything she continued.
“I know you can’t leave the Navy. So I need to think about what I need to do. Now, tell me, what do you really want?” He said nothing. “We need to make some decisions about what we’re doing with this relationship, and we can’t avoid this discussion anymore.”
