Wiping her wet cheeks with her free hand, she tilted her head back and blinked away the other tears that hadn’t fallen yet. Her head shook back and forth ever so slightly. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Leveling her gaze once more, she glanced at something over his shoulder. “Is she your girlfriend?”
The change of subject caught him off guard. “Um. Not really. Honestly, I don’t know what we are. Friends with benefits, definitely. Beyond that?” He snorted. “I couldn’t give the woman I loved for almost twenty years my heart and soul, I doubt I can give them to a woman I’ve only been with a few months. We’re comfortable where we are, and when we no longer are . . .” He shrugged. “. . . we’ll move on. In the meantime, I’ll do whatever I can to find Brie’s sister and bring her home safely.”
“Will you disappear again?”
The monotone of her voice bothered him and his jaw clenched. “If I have to? Yes. You of all people know I’m damaged . . . unsalvageable. I have nothing to offer a woman. If I did, I would’ve given it all to you years ago.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she started to say something else, but the sound of the glass door behind him sliding open stopped her. Jase glanced back and saw Ian, who looked ready to beat the living daylights out of the man who was still holding his wife’s hand and making her cry. Releasing her, Jase stood.
Ian’s jaw tightened then relaxed. His gaze was on Angie, but his words were for Jase. “Carter’s got some intel we need to discuss.”
Before he could respond, Angie got to her feet and strolled past her husband, her chin high. Without saying a word, she disappeared into the suite. Jase glared at Ian. “Is there a reason you or the rest of the team didn’t tell me she’s pregnant?”
Barely controlled fury raged in the other man’s eyes—it wasn’t surprising since he was in deep shit with his wife. His voice was low and threatening. “For the same reason I kept the fact you were alive from her. Your past will never touch my wife again, and I’ll be damned if it touches our child.” When Jase started for the door, Ian stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “I know running into each other wasn’t your fault any more than it was mine, but when all this is over, I will be taking my frustrations out on your hide—just for shits and giggles.”
Jase snorted, and the corners of his mouth ticked upward for the first time since Angie had spotted him. “Just don’t expect me to stand there and take it.”
“That’ll make it all the more satisfying.”
C
HAPTER 7
B rie stood at the fixed side of the sliding glass door, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched Jase and Angie. She couldn’t hear what either was saying but Angie had been doing most of the talking until Jase had stood up and knelt in front of her, taking her hand in his. It was clear the other woman had a lot of pent-up hurt and anger, but that didn’t stop jealousy from coursing through Brie’s body. Where it’d come from, she didn’t know, probably the same place as the hurt when Jase had introduced her as just a friend.
Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention as Ian joined her. He didn’t look any happier about how close Jase was to his wife, but he managed to slide the door open without ripping it off its tracks—a feat Brie was sure the well-built man could do. “Carter’s got some intel we need to discuss.”
Brie glanced over her shoulder at the other couple. She’d been so caught up in what was going on out on the balcony, she hadn’t noticed Carter and Jordyn had both finished talking on their phones. Carter gave her a devastatingly handsome smile a split second before Angie stormed inside and headed for the half bath by the entry door. Brie was sure he wasn’t hitting on her, since his girlfriend was watching, but she would bet he could charm the pants off any woman, even though it was evident his heart belonged to only one. The love in his eyes when he looked at Jordyn wasn’t hard to miss, and once again, a pang of jealousy shot through Brie. When had she begun to want what they obviously had? Someone who stared at her like she was the only woman in the world and vice versa. She’d had several boyfriends over the years, but the relationships had always felt like something to simply pass the time—and to take off the sexual edge every now and then. Nothing special. But something had changed recently and she didn’t know how or why.
Jase and Ian entered the living room, the former finding her gaze immediately. “Are you doing okay?”
She nodded. “Aside from being worried shitless about my sister, yeah, I’m fine.” There was a ton of snark in that small sentence, and she didn’t want to analyze why she was suddenly so mad at him again. Over the last few hours, she’d come to understand his reason for not telling her his real name—she hadn’t really accepted it, but she was trying to. She imagined leaving his former life behind hadn’t been an easy decision for him to make, and to protect himself and Angie, he couldn’t trust anyone, not even the woman he’d been fucking the past few months. When they’d started flirting and dancing around each other, he’d been so adamant she understand he wasn’t looking for anything long-term, and at the time, Brie had been fine with it. Her bar was her life, her employees were family as much as her sister was. Having someone to play with, so to speak, had been fun. She didn’t have to worry about the usual things that went with dating someone. There were no relationship games; everything was out in the open—well, aside from Jase’s real name. She could do as she pleased, and so could he. But since he’d told her he was going with her to St. Lucia to help her find Nadine, something had changed in Brie’s feelings for him. He hadn’t offered or volunteered to help—he’d just stated for a fact he was going to do everything he possibly could to find her sister. He’d taken charge, and she realized it had been ages since she’d leaned on a man and let him take care of her. She’d always been independent, but it was nice to sit back and let someone else make the decisions for a change. Maybe that was why she’d accepted his dominance in the bedroom, and everywhere else they’d had sex, so easily. She didn’t have to think when they played, just feel.
His hand on her elbow had her relaxing into his touch instead of pulling away. His concerned gaze roamed her face, as he lowered his voice so no one else could hear. “Brie, I know this is a lot to deal with all at once, but I promise we’re going to figure out what happened to Nadine and do everything we can to bring her home. After that, you and I will sit down and talk about the rest of it. If you decide you can’t deal with my past, I’ll understand, and we can end our relationship. All I ask is that you obey my orders when it comes to finding your sister. Anything I tell you to do is for your safety. Understand?”
Any other time that word “obey” would have ruffled her feathers, but she’d been following his sexual commands for a while now. He’d never bullied her or made her feel less than the woman she was. In fact, she felt . . . well . . . special and precious when he showed his concern for her safety and well-being. But that didn’t mean she was going to sit in a corner and let everyone else do the work to find her sister.
Nodding, she responded, “Yes, I understand but I want to be part of this. I want to know everything that’s going on and what happened to Nadine. No keeping anything from me or leaving me behind. Otherwise I’ll go off on my own and find her myself.”
His jaw tightened and his brow furrowed. He was silent for several seconds before he finally relented. “Fine, but if I tell you to duck or run, you better do it or your ass is going to suffer for it.”
She knew it was a lot for him to let her be involved, so she didn’t argue. “Understood.”
“If you two are done negotiating over there, care to join us?” Carter asked.
Brie hadn’t noticed everyone had taken seats at the suite’s dining table. Angie was the only one not there and was probably still in the half bath since Ian’s eyes were pinned to the closed door. Jase led Brie to the table and pulled out a chair for her, then took the seat next to her. “All right, how screwed up is this club?”
“Very. It’s nothing like the clubs I took you to when I introduced you to the lifestyle.”
Brie’s eyebrows shot up at Carter’s statement. He’s the one who got Jase into BDSM?
As if he’d heard her unspoken question, the man chuckled at her, causing her to blush. “Yes, little one, I’m a Dom . . . have been for a very long time. Jordyn is not only my woman, she’s also my submissive. Ian and Angie are also in the lifestyle. And yes, I already know Jase has initiated you to the wonderful world of kink. And no, he didn’t tell me that. I figured it out on my own just by observing the way you interact with each other. I’ve been in the lifestyle long enough to spot a sexual submissive a mile away—male or female—so there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Okay?”
Biting her bottom lip, she nodded. When he just stared at her, clearly waiting for a verbal answer, she said, “Okay.”
He grinned. “Good. Now, back to Perdition. The only rule in that place is there are no rules.”
“Shit,” Ian murmured.
“Exactly. It’s not for the faint-hearted, I can tell you that. The owner of the club, Taye Chaplin, and I have butted heads more than once, but at the moment, he owes me, which, unfortunately, doesn’t mean much around these parts. We can’t just stroll in there without playing, the members get wary of anyone not participating. Also, weapons, phones, and electronic equipment of any kind are out of the question—at least nothing even remotely obvious. A very thorough search is done upon entry. Chaplin’s got many local politicians and LEOs in his pocket, so there won’t be any backup to call upon.”
Brie cocked her head to the side in confusion. “What’s an ‘LEO’?”
Carter gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry. It’s a catch-all acronym for law enforcement officers from any given agency. I sometimes forget not everyone knows what it means. Anyway, hopefully, we’ll find someone who knows Nadine or has seen her. Do you have a printed picture of her?”
“I have one in my wallet,” Brie said. “I’ll bring it with me.”
“Oh, no. You’re not going anywhere near the place, sweetheart.” Ian shook his dark-haired head, and his tone said his word was law and no arguments would be allowed. It was clear he was used to running the show. “Jase, Jordyn, Carter, and I can handle it.”
Anger boiled within her, but before she could answer his high-handedness, there was a low growl from across the room. “Ian, if you think I’m letting you go to an underground lifestyle club without me, where you have to play with someone else as a cover, then I’m calling CC to fly down and get me right now.” Angie had come out of the bathroom and now stood with her arms crossed, venom in her voice, and glaring. Brie wouldn’t be surprised if the woman called a lawyer as soon as she got home if her husband went to the club without her. “Either I’m going with you or you’re not going, unless you and Jimmy—Jase can figure out who’s going to be the top when you scene with each other.”
Eyes wide, Carter swallowed what had to have been a guffaw, and Jordyn dipped her head to hide her grin. Sighing heavily, Ian tilted his chin up and stared at the ceiling for a long moment. Brie didn’t know what the man was thinking, but she highly doubted he would take his pregnant wife anywhere near the club. Running his hand down his face in frustration, his gaze returned to Angie, before shifting to Carter. “Are you okay going in with just Jordyn and Jase? I’ll be the lookout and drive the getaway car. What fun,” he finished dryly. It was obvious the man hated to be out of the action when, most likely, he was usually neck deep in it.
As Carter nodded, Brie said, “And me. I’m going, too.” Her matter of fact tone dared anyone to refute her statement. “Jase will need a sub, and it’ll look better if he has someone he’s clearly familiar with.” Her gaze focused on his narrowed eyes. She knew he was about to say “no way,” so she added, “Please, Jase, she’s my sister. I’ll do whatever you tell me to while we’re there, but I’m going.”
A heavy silence filled the room. She held her breath. In his eyes, she could see the battle that was raging in his mind. Seconds ticked by before, finally, he gave a single nod of his head. “I must be fucking crazy, but okay.” His eyes narrowed in seriousness. “But if I tell you to run, no matter what, your ass is out the door, and Ian gets you the hell out of there.”
“I will. I promise.” She hesitated. “Thank you.”
“Just don’t make me regret it, Brie.” It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know he was already regretting it, but thankfully he didn’t renege on his agreement.
“I won’t.”
“Well, now that we have the personnel issue solved, let’s move on.” Carter eyed Jase. “A-man, you’re going to have to go shopping for fet-wear for the two of you. There’s a couple of shops on the island where you can get what you need. Leather pants and vest for you. The skimpier the better for your sub.”
His gaze flitted to Brie, and the bastard had the gall to waggle his brows before laughing. Jordyn smacked his bicep. “Stop being an asshole, Master Carter. Sorry, Brie. Please, ignore his teasing. Despite being a Dom and having a warped sense of humor, he’ll do everything he can to protect any female—it’s his nature. Feel free to put him in his place, though . . . outside of a D/s setting, of course.”
Carter grasped his submissive’s hand and brought it to his lips. “Jordyn’s right, Brie. I have my fun, but I’d never insult or hurt a woman—you can ask Angie or any of her friends.” Brie started to relax before he added, “Now, mild embarrassment and D/s punishments are a different story. Right, sweetheart?”
Jordyn was clearly trying to hold back an eye roll. “I’m going to pay for my snark later, aren’t I?”
“Yup.”
“Shit. At least I know the sex will be awesome afterward.”
He grinned at Jordyn. “Damn straight, sweetheart . . . it always is.”
Dressed in a black, leather vest, pants, and boots, Jase paced the hotel room he was sharing with Brie, anxiety roiling in his gut for many reasons. His concern for Brie, Angie, Nadine, and even Amy, was hitting him from all sides. At least the latter had agreed with being sequestered in the adjoining room for now, watching TV, reading, and ordering room service, all on Jase’s tab—not that he minded. Working as a mercenary and bodyguard for hire paid very, very well. And since expenses were taken care of by the client, Jase had minimal costs beyond the rent of his apartment, which was dirt cheap compared to what he’d paid in the States.
Jase had brought Amy up to the suite they’d all gathered in, and Carter and Ian had peppered her with questions, hoping to jiggle her brain about something she’d forgotten to tell him. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to fill in too many blanks before returning to her room. Once Carter had gone over the layout of the club with everyone, and all available escape routes and the security measures, he and Jordyn had taken Jase and Brie to a local fet-wear shop.
In addition to the club clothes they’d purchased, Carter had helped Jase put together a “toy bag.” It would look odd if he showed up at Perdition without one, and while he wished there would be weapons hidden in it, they couldn’t risk it. Instead, it was now filled with condoms, a flogger, anal plugs, a vibrator, nipple and clit clamps, and other assorted adult play items. Then, while Carter had helped him find clothes befitting a Dom, the ladies had gone to the other side of the shop where all the lingerie was located. He had no idea what Brie was currently changing into, but if it was anything like what he’d seen on the store’s mannequins, he was surely going to swallow his tongue when she emerged from the bathroom.
He had to be crazy letting Brie come with them, but the pleading look she’d given him, topped off with her making sense about him needing a sub he was comfortable with, had caused him to give in. He just prayed he wasn’t putting her in any danger. If something happened to her, he’d never forgive himself. Hell, that’s exactly what he’d told Angie about why he’d faked his death. But seeing her today, realizing she was pregnant . . .
He’d once told Angie that alth
ough he’d thought she was his soul mate, apparently, he wasn’t hers. He’d then reluctantly told her he was happy she’d fallen in love with a man who put her before anyone and everything else, because Jimmy Athos never could have. Avenging the deaths of his sister and mother at the hands of drug dealers had taken everything out of him—he’d had nothing left to offer Angie. After their conversation on the Trident jet, when he’d given his blessing to Angie and Ian’s relationship, he’d realized that after they got Ian’s goddaughter back from the kidnappers, he was never going to see Angie again. Of course, that’d been before Angie ran off on her own to surrender to the kidnappers in hopes they’d let Jenn go. The main reason he’d made that fateful decision was to keep Angie safe, but there was also a part of him that knew he had to let her get on with her life. He wouldn’t have been able to sit back and watch her marry another man.
Today, though, he felt something had changed. Yes, he was torn between regretting the fact she’d found out he was alive and being elated at seeing her again. But the feelings he’d expected to have—the feelings a man had when he was in love with a woman, like jealousy and lust—hadn’t been there this time. He loved Angie and always would. She’d been his best friend since they were fourteen. He’d been there for her when first her father and then mother had died, within a year of each other, when Angie had been in college. Neither of her parents had ever gotten over the loss of their only son and it had sent them both to early graves. Angie had been nine when her older brother had been killed in a freak car accident that had also taken the lives of three of his high school football teammates.
Salvaging His Soul Page 8
