by Nikki Prince
“There’s nothing to miss. You see me almost daily at the club. Hell, you take all the private dances before anyone else can.”
“I don’t want anyone having what’s mine unless I say they can. The difference between me and Jace is that I love you. I adore your submissiveness. You honor me with it.”
Her eyes fluttered open, and she shook her head. He was killing her slowly, as there wasn’t anything in the world that she wanted more than to be his, but she wasn’t going to go through him dying because of her.
“This isn’t going to work.”
“It will if you let it.”
“I can’t. I don’t want Jace to have a reason to hurt you again if he finds out where we are. You might not like this, but I don’t even think it’s just an if it’s a when he finds us.”
“Godamnit, I can take care of myself. I don’t need your protection, little girl. He’s still in prison, and he doesn’t know where you are.”
“You found me, so why couldn’t he? He shot you, Dante. Shot you in front of me. He could have killed you. He has darkness in his soul.”
“He could have, but he didn’t. He’s a lousy shot. This isn’t about him. It’s about you trusting me enough to let me meet all of your needs.”
“You and I both know he was toying with you. He wanted you to suffer and to let me watch.”
Suddenly she had a headache, and she pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes and counting to ten before opening them slowly again. The pain wasn’t going away.
“Dante, I know what we had was beautiful. I will not risk your life. Jace is crazy. If that shot had been a few inches over...” She found that she couldn’t complete that sentence.
“Yes, if it had been a few inches over I would have died. He would have shot me in the heart. It didn’t happen. He didn’t shoot you, as was his intention, and his crazy ass is in jail where he should be.”
Jace had been a jealous husband and back in the day before she’d even looked at Dante twice he’d said that she’d wanted Dante and was having an affair with him. The longer she was with him, the stranger he got. He’d even stated to her that he was hearing voices and those voices were telling him that she wasn’t faithful and that Jamie wasn’t his.
He’d threatened to kill her and their son before he’d let anyone else have her. That anger had continued to build until Jace had exploded and tried to do just that. Kill her and Jamison. Luckily for her and her son, Dante had shown up to see Jamie and by the grace of god saved them both.
Dante had been able to get him off of her, and when they were wrestling for the gun, it had gone off. The sound of the gun going off had been a sound she’d never wanted to hear again. The terror she’d gone through that night was a nightmare that filled her dreams ever since. Even wounded, Dante had managed to wrestle the gun from Jace and held him at gunpoint while Odette had called the police.
Jamison had unfortunately witnessed it all and would have seen his mother dead had Dante not come and intervened. She owed him her life, but she wasn’t sure how to tell him she was thankful without keeping him in her life.
The pain in her temple continued to throb mercilessly, and it was all that she could to stand. It was a good thing that he was holding her or she’d have fallen.
“What is it, O? Another one of those headaches you’ve had since Jace…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, but they both knew what he was avoiding saying. The headaches started after Jace had beaten her so badly she’d almost died. She nodded her head, and he picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the kitchen. She pressed her face into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent. Being around him was so soothing it was a shame that it wasn’t going to last.
“Where’s your medicine, Odette? Tell me where to find it and I’ll get it.”
“No…no…I don’t want to take it. It makes me groggy, and I can’t watch Jamison properly.” She shook her head and then groaned as the action caused more pain.
“Baby, I’m here. I’ll watch him. I don’t have to work tonight. You can take your pill, and I’ll watch Jamison.”
“No, I’ll be fine.” Another sharp pain hit her, and she cried out, holding on to his shirt with both hands.
“No, you’re not fine, but you will be if I have anything to say about it. For the last time, where is your medicine?”
“In my bedroom on my nightstand.” She was tired of fighting him and right now all she wanted was the bliss that the little pill would give her.
“Then that’s where we’re going.” Dante began walking and the next thing she felt was him setting her on the bed. She watched as he grabbed the medicine bottle and stared at it. She assumed he was checking the dosage. Then he was opening it and taking out the two pills she needed. He held them out to her, and she opened her hand to take them.
“Thank you.”
“Hold on and I’ll get you a glass of water.”
As small as her apartment was it didn’t take him long to come back with the promised water. She took it from him, put both pills in her mouth, and drank the water, washing the pills down. He held his hand out for the glass, and she gave it to him.
“I’m only going to sleep for a few hours, Dante. We need to talk. We can’t continue like this.”
“You’re right, O; you’re going to rest for however long your body needs it, and we can’t continue to go on like this. Now, I’m going to help you take off your clothes, and you’re going to get in the bed and rest.”
Before she could even protest, he was sliding the straps of the sundress over her shoulders and then baring her breasts. His touch was clinical and not at all sexual, which allowed her to relax.
“Lie back, sweets, and get comfortable.”
She turned her body and lay back onto her pillow. She hadn’t realized how tired she was, and as he was tugging off her dress, leaving her in her panties and putting the covers over her, the last thing she saw was his gorgeous chocolate-colored eyes as he leaned in and kissed her forehead.
“Rest, my sweet.”
Chapter Three
“Dante?”
“Yes, baby, I’m here. You know I’m always here for you.”
Something about his voice sounded strange. She peered up at him as he pulled her into his arms and couldn’t find anything amiss. It was Dante, her Dante. He’d come to take care of her. Nothing bad would ever happen again. Dante’s hands were running over her body slowly, and it was like her clothes were melting away.
She couldn’t undress him fast enough, and then he was on her, kissing her harder and harder until she couldn’t breathe. She pulled away from his kiss and stared at him in horror. It wasn’t Dante. It was Jace, and he’d come to kill her.
“Let me go!”
She struggled hard against him, kicking and screaming but to no avail. She couldn’t break free. He was stronger than she was, and he was determined to do what he wanted to her. She knew Jace well and that meant he was going to hurt her so she screamed in pain. He loved her pain—it was his pleasure.
“I’ve got you, bitch, right where I want you. You’ll never be free of me again. I know where you are, and I know who you’re with.”
She screamed at the top of her lungs, fighting as hard as she could, but she couldn’t break free. She was going to die, and her baby was going to die. Gasping, she sat up straight in the bed, tears streaming down her face. Clutching her throat, she looked around, breathing hard and finally realizing she was in her bedroom. It had been so real. Jace had been in the room with her. She wasn’t sure how, but he had. He’d found a way to get to her.
Dante came rushing into room, looking around wildly, and then he went rushing to her side. Pulling her close, he brushed her hair out of her face.
“What is it, O? What’s wrong?”
“It was a nightmare,” she sobbed and put her head down on his shoulder. “Thank god it was just a nightmare.”
“Jace,” he stated simply.
“Yes,
it’s always him. Even after three years he still haunts me. Every time I think I’ve beat the demon he comes back. He comes back. It was so real, he was here.” Heated tears flowed down her cheeks as she continued to cry into his shoulder.
“Shhh, baby, let me take care of you.”
She pulled back, searching his eyes. “Don’t you understand? This will never be over. Never. Why would you want to be with someone like me?”
“You should know the answer to that. There is no one in this world other than that little boy in the other room that I want in my life more.”
She shook her head. “It can’t happen. I won’t allow him to hurt you or my son.”
“I’m not letting you go. Now you’ve been asleep for about six hours. I was making dinner for J-man. If you want to clean up and come out, I’ll make you a plate.”
“Why did you let me sleep that long?”
“You needed it. I think you could use even more.”
“This has to end. If you’re not around, he won’t hurt me.”
“He’s in a state prison four states away. Come on, O, please. I’m not going to leave you unprotected, not now, not ever.”
“You’re so damn hardheaded,” she said angrily.
“Yes, I learned from the best.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead, getting off of the bed and heading out the door, but then turning one last time.
“I hope you like beans and weenies. It’s what J-man wanted.”
“Fine…” She turned away from him. There was no getting through to him. She’d have to figure this out later. Right now her first priority was to get freshened up and see her baby.
****
Dante closed her bedroom door and headed back out to check on Jamison. He was still sitting on the floor playing with his cars. He leaned into the small entry way and watched the little boy and smiled. He couldn’t be anymore his than if he’d gotten Odette pregnant himself. He’d do anything for the both of them, and he was going to prove that. The little boy and his mother held his heart in their hands. He just needed to make sure that Odette realized it.
He’d left New York to follow after Odette and Jamison when he’d finally tracked her down. She’d gone as far as she could without leaving the country, California. There was no way he was going to let that sorry excuse of manhood hurt her or Jamison ever again.
He remembered the first time he’d ever seen her. Jace had brought her over to the condominium the two men shared. They’d been friends since high school. He could’ve sworn he got an instant hard on just from her smile. She’d been pretty shy then, a dancer with a ballet company, and though it made him wonder why she was with a bully like Jace, he hadn’t said anything.
Jace had always preferred women who liked it so rough they bled. Dante, on the other hand, though he was a Dom, preferred a lighter touch. There was no reason to hurt your submissive so badly she couldn’t walk. Over the few years he’d known her, he’d been protective, more so staying in contact with Jace because of her.
The petite redhead was gorgeous, and yes he’d been envious of Jace for having her, but he’d never overstepped his boundaries with her. What he had done was try to protect her whenever he saw Jace getting riled. For the most part he’d succeeded. He’d even talked to her and told her if she needed help to call him and he’d come immediately. He didn’t remember when his best friend had turned into the devil, but it had happened just the same. So he kept an eye on her as much as he could.
Jace and Odette had moved out when they’d gotten married, and it had become harder to keep tabs on her, but he’d done it just the same because he didn’t want anything to happen to her. He’d even spoken to Jace telling him that Odette wasn’t like the other women whose kink was pain. Jace of course had smooth talked and said he’d never touched her. Her bruises of course were hidden from his view. Odette had finally had enough of Jace and had moved out, and Dante had helped her as much she would allow. He couldn’t convince her to move in with him, and in fact for a while she’d shied from his touch.
Memories. Damn it to hell, he should have protected her better. The memories he and Odette shared prior to her leaving Jace were horrible. Memory lane was painful when he thought of the time that she was with Jace. He felt guilty. He should have done more, but Odette had said everything was okay.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath then walked away from the living room to take care of the food. Regret would come later—it always did—but the one thing that he’d do different this time was to take care of Odette and Jamison at all costs.
****
Odette closed her bathroom door, feeling a bit more under control than she had when she awakened from the nightmare. She walked towards the laughter in the living room and couldn’t help but smile as she saw Dante on the floor with Jamison rolling around and having what appeared to be a tickle fest.
“Seems like you two are having a lot of fun.”
Dante glanced up from tickling Jamison and smiled. “Yes, yes we are. Wanna go at having us find your sweet spot?”
She laughed. “Hmm, I think I’ll pass. I need to eat that fantastic gourmet meal you made.”
Dante made as if to get up and chase her, and she ran towards the kitchen with a squeak. It was great to act silly with all the seriousness she had to deal with day in and day out. It was actually a breath of fresh air. She entered the kitchen and looked behind her, smiling at Dante who stopped just short of entering fully.
“You should laugh often. You’re radiant when you do, though you’re always beautiful.”
“Dante…”
Dante held up his hands. “No, I know. Flattery will get me everywhere. I put your bowl in the microwave; you just have to reheat it.”
Damn, the man was gorgeous, and he had a way of melting her heart. The bad part about all that was he knew it. Just looking at him she could feel the pulse of her heart straight to her clit. Damn the man. She shook her head and turned to the microwave, pushing the buttons and listening to the beep it made, trying to calm her libido. It didn’t work. Fuck. She could sense him still standing in the doorway.
He wasn’t just going to go away. So she was going to have to learn to deal with him being around until she could figure out what to do. She wasn’t going to let Jace hurt him or her son.
Chapter Four
“Okay, thanks, Petra. I really appreciate you allowing Jamie to go on such short notice to your Kids First camp. He really needs to be around other kids that have special needs like he does. Could you please tell him that mommy loves him and she’ll call him soon?”
“Of course, girl, don’t worry. He’ll be fine, I promise. He’s having so much fun and making so many new friends here.” The friendly familiarity in Petra’s answer soothed her. They had become fast friends for that very reason. Petra got her.
“That is great to hear, thank you, Petra. I’ll talk to you both soon.”
The other woman’s assurances made her feel so much better. Odette had worried that Jamie would be scared and crying to come home. Though it kind of tore at her heart strings to have her son so adjusted to the camp she realized that it was best that he did become adjusted. She’d agreed to the camping trip because her son needed to have some sort of normalcy in his life. Though if she were honest with herself, she’d had to get him out of town because of the impending doom she’d been feeling. She could only hope that the fear would subside and that what she thought was going to happen wouldn’t.
She worried about him and perhaps she smothered him a bit, but they’d been through so much. In his six year old life too much had happened to him, and she wanted to make sure he was safe and happy. It was the one thing she’d allowed Dante to do for her, to find someone who was capable of taking care of Jamie in all ways. Petra Scott fit the bill perfectly. Jamie loved her, and she’d been a godsend. She loved her too. It was nice to have someone who understood what she was going through. They’d become fast friends, and Odette was one to believe that life was filled with
karmic episodes and that meeting Petra was a part of that.
Odette set down the cell phone on the dressing table and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was upswept into a French knot at the nape of her neck, and little diamonds shimmered in her hair. Her eyes reflected the deep sadness and loneliness she couldn’t shake. She took in a deep breath. Focus.
She was to go on stage in about thirty minutes so she needed to make sure that her makeup and hair were perfect and then slip into her Swan Princess costume. It was a hit with the scene at the club, and the dancing allowed her to forget. Jace had effectively ended her ballet career, but this dancing was something that she could do and remain under the radar. The club had a policy for members that everything stayed within the club. That had been important to her.
She shook her head and blew out her breath slowly. She had to reel herself in and not focus on Jace. This was a new life, a new beginning. She turned as someone tapped on the dressing room door and then opened slowly. It was Flora.
“Hey, Flora. What’s up?”
The other woman smiled at her. “Just came to see if you needed help into your costume. Tania called off for the night.”
“Yes, thank you. Is Tania okay?” Tania was the one who usually helped her with her costume. She stood and went to where her costume was hanging. It was so beautiful. All white, bra top and a sheer waist with small diamonds to a bikini bottom with white feathers that trailed down to the ground. For all intents and purposes she was a human in transition into the fairytale swan maiden.
“She’s fine. She just had some things she said she had to take care of and needed the night off.”
“That’s good to know. She’s usually always here, so when she’s not I worry.”
Odette couldn’t stop herself from peeking around Flora to see if Drusilla Trumane was with her. The last run in with her had been a little tense, though knowing Flora she’d straightened that little issue up.
Flora giggled. “Don’t worry; Dru knows that our relationship has been over a long while ago and that you and I are just friends. She’s with Cinda and Ana having a few drinks. She realizes her mistake, and an apology is forthcoming.”
