by Jane Jamison
“Did I shoot him? Your father?” Her mother’s eyes glazed over and a faraway look stole over her face. “Yes. I think I did.”
“Mom, stay here. Okay?”
“Sure, honey.” Her mother cupped her cheek as she’d done so many times before. “It’s okay, honey. It’s okay.”
“Just stay here.” Carly stood up, then dashed up the steps and into the house. She slammed to a stop in the middle of the living room and gaped at her father. Hank stood off to the side, deep into a phone call.
“Do you see what that bitch did to me?” Her father slugged back a drink of whiskey, then moaned. A blood-soaked towel was wrapped around his thigh and someone, either Hank or Ron, had fashioned a tourniquet with one of their belts. “I’m going to kill that bitch if it’s the last thing I ever do.”
Carly never wanted to see her father physically hurt, and yet, she couldn’t force herself to help him. Instead, she ignored his curses and moans and walked over to Hank.
“Yeah, that’s right. Send the ambulance to 213 Hollydale Road in Pleasure. You’ll see a man out in the yard waiting on you. Yeah. He’s calling the sheriff.” Hank drew her into his arms and kept giving more information to the hospital.
“Damn it, girl, stop whoring around over there and help me out.”
The flash of anger in Hank’s eye was enough for her to grab him and hold him back. She forced him to turn away, putting his back to her father. “No, Hank. He’s not worth it.”
“I’m going to send that bitch to jail for the rest of her life. First those hound dogs you’re fucking try to kill me and now her. All of their asses are going to rot in hell.”
A chill sped over her spine, stiffening her. Could he do that? He’d already caused enough trouble for Hank and Ron. And now he had her mother dead to rights. There was no denying what her mother had done.
She leaned her forehead against Hank’s back, drawing strength from his hard body. Would it never end? Would her father destroy not only her childhood, but her future as well?
The smashing of the whiskey bottle jolted her. “Mom?”
Her mother stood over her father, holding a gun in both hands. Why hadn’t she thought to look for the gun?
“Mrs. Rivers, put the gun down. You don’t want to do any more damage.”
As much as she wanted to stay close to Hank for safety, to lean on him, Carly couldn’t. She had to stop her mother. “Mom, please don’t. Give me the gun.”
Her mother flinched, whirling toward the door as Ron came back inside, saw what was going on, then angled his way over to Carly. She nodded, telling him she was all right, and moved away, not letting him take her arm.
“Get back, Carly.”
“Let me handle this, Ron.” She took a few more steps toward her mother.
Her father, who had remained silent, too frightened to say anything, finally found his voice. “Put that fucking gun down, Sharon. You won’t shoot me again. If you do, you’ll sure as hell rot in jail. I’ll see to it if it’s the last thing I do.”
“It just might be, you asshole. I missed the first time, but I won’t miss again. This shot’s going right into that black heart of yours.”
The hatred on her mother’s face, something she’d never seen before, shocked Carly. She had no doubt her mother would pull the trigger a second time.
Anger swelled inside her. Anger at a lifetime filled with horrors. Anger at her mother’s lost chances at a real marriage. Anger at having to go through any more pain because of her father.
“I won’t let you do it.” She moved closer to her mother, but kept glaring at the man she loathed. “No one’s going to convict her. It was self-defense. There’s not a person in Pleasure who doesn’t know how she’s, hell, how we’ve suffered at your hands. It’s over, all right, but it’s you that’s going to jail.”
Doubt clouded his face, but he wasn’t giving in. “Bullshit. I’m the one who’s shot. I’ll have her in handcuffs just like I did those two fuckers.”
“You lied about them. They didn’t attack you. You fell and hurt your head. You were drunk just like every other day. We’ll make the law and everyone else see that.”
Her father snorted, his derision driving his need to brag. “Bullshit again, girl. Yeah, sure, I fell, but who are they going to believe? A man who was attacked in his home? Or two men who get kinky with women? I’ve got them by the balls and you know it.”
“So you’re admitting that they didn’t attack you? And that Mom shot you trying to protect herself? At least have the decency to admit it to us. I know you’ll lie your ass off once the sheriff gets here.”
“Tell her the truth, damn you. You owe her that much.” Her mother drew closer, getting close enough that she couldn’t miss if she pulled the trigger.
The fury inside Carly grew stronger. Maybe her mother was right. Maybe it was time to rid themselves of her father once and for all.
Her father tried to scoot away, but the pain overwhelmed him. He cried out and held his hand up, as though that would shield him from the bullet. “Maybe they didn’t hit me, but you damn sure shot me. That’s the God’s honest truth.” He twisted toward Hank and Ron. “Get that fucking gun away from her.”
Hank and Ron edged closer, but Carly motioned for them to stay back. She doubted her mother would listen to them anyway.
“What the hell’s going on in here?” Sheriff Ray stepped over the threshold, his gun in his hands and pointed at her mother. “Sharon, put the gun down.”
“It’s about time you showed your sorry ass.” Her father lay back, his breathing fast and hard.
“I heard what you said, Bill.” Sheriff Ray glowered at him. “Those boys never put a hand on you.”
Her father lifted himself onto his elbows, then scowled at Hank and Ron before finally giving it up. “Yeah, so? I’ll stick to my story. Ain’t nobody going to believe them perverts over me. Now get that gun away from Sharon before she slips up and pulls the trigger.”
“Sharon, tell me what happened.”
And yet, when Sheriff Ray started to go to her, her mother let out a little cry and straightened her arms, the determination to shoot even stronger. “Back off. I’m not doing anything he doesn’t deserve.”
“Did he do that to you, Sharon? Did he hurt you?”
Her mother wiped away a tear running down her face. She laughed, a tortured sound. “Of course he did. He did what he always does. You know it just like the rest of this town does. He got drunk, then angry, and started hitting me. It’s always the same.” She took them all in, scanning her gaze around. “Don’t you see? I’m to blame, too.”
“Mom, what are you talking about?” Her mother’s regret and sorrow cut a deep slice of agony into her, tearing at the insides of her stomach. “There was nothing you could do.”
Her mother shook her head. “No. I should’ve done something. Especially when he started hurting you. But I was so afraid. Afraid he’d get even angrier and do more. And I was afraid of being alone with a child I couldn’t feed.” She looked at her with tears threatening to spill. “I’m so sorry, honey.”
“It’s okay, Mom. I don’t blame you. Please. Put the gun down.”
“But it’s too much. I can’t take any more. I can’t let him hurt you ever again. I’ve let it happen too long as it is. It has to end.” She planted her feet apart, aiming the gun again. “It’s going to stop. Today. Now.”
“Mom, please, I’m begging you. Give me the gun.”
Her mother glanced at her, confusion in her clouded eyes. “He needs to go away, honey. I have to make him go away. If I don’t, he’ll come back.”
“I know, Mom. I know. But believe me. I won’t let him. I promise. He won’t hurt us ever again.”
“Don’t you count on it, whore. Once I get healed up, I’m going to teach both you bitches a lesson you won’t forget.”
“Shut the hell up, man. Do you want to die?” Ron tried to come close again, but Carly waved him off.
Carly took th
e final step that put her next to her mother. “It’s okay, Mom. Give me the gun. Please. Don’t shoot him. That’s letting him off too easy. He has to pay, but it has to be the right way. Give me the gun. Do it for me.”
For the first time since she’d arrived, she could see the kind woman who’d raised her. “Please. I’m begging you, Mom.”
“You won’t let him get away, will you?”
“No, Mom. I promise. I won’t.”
“All right, honey. For you.” Her mother gingerly placed the gun in Carly’s hand.
Carly’s sigh of relief wasn’t the only one in the room. The tension quickly eased as Sheriff Ray came toward her.
And yet the anger she felt hadn’t gone away. It had, in fact, grown even more powerful.
Her father.
Her boyfriends.
They’d all caused her pain over the years. They’d all lied to her. She’d been abused not only physically by her father, but emotionally by all of them.
Maybe her mother was right. If they didn’t get rid of him now, he’d come back. And when he did, he’d want hard, cold revenge. She had to protect her mother.
She lifted the gun and pointed it at her father.
“Carly, what are you doing?”
She couldn’t speak, couldn’t explain. Lost in her anger, she was powerless to do anything but listen to her instinct to survive.
“Baby, give me the gun.”
She ignored Hank and Ron, yet sensed that they were drawing near. She heard them tell the sheriff to stay back. Heard her father’s curses, then pleas.
I can’t let him come back. He’ll kill her if he does.
She knew that with unflinching certainty. She lifted the gun a little higher, getting her aim just right.
“Baby, do you trust us?”
Trust. That word alone caught her attention.
No. She didn’t trust anyone. She hadn’t trusted anyone for a long, long time.
“Darlin’, do you trust us?”
She blinked as another feeling rose up, pushing through the dark fog of her anger.
Hank and Ron.
Trust.
“Carly, listen to us. Do you trust us?”
“We won’t let him hurt you or your mom ever again. We swear it. Please, baby, you said you trusted us before. Prove it. Give me the gun and prove that you trust us.”
Hank and Ron.
She loved them. That much was a fact. But did she really trust them? Could she ever trust any man that much?
“Look at me, Carly.”
She didn’t want to. If she did, Ron would take away the anger that spurred her on. She needed the anger. It was the anger that would allow her to do what she’d have never thought she could. The anger that would allow her to be rid of her father once and for all. “No.”
“Look at us, baby. Listen to your Doms. Listen to the men you love.”
She met her father’s eyes and saw the blank terror there. Jerking her gaze away was hard, but she did it and brought it to Hank’s.
“We love you, baby, and you love us. Trust us to make this right.”
Hank and Ron.
Yes. She trusted them. She’d already trusted her body to them more than once. It was time to trust her heart to them once and for all.
The ball of anger burst apart inside her, shaking her from the inside out. Instead of the monster lying at her feet, she saw a broken man, a man who would soon have to face the consequences of his actions.
“Mom, I’m pressing charges against him for lashing my legs. I want you to press charges for what he did to you. Will you do that?”
The timid woman who’d suffered at his hands for so many years was back. “No, no, no. I can’t. Where will I go? I can’t, honey. I just can’t.”
Carly handed the gun to Ron, then took her mother by the arms. “Please listen to me. We’ve both been to hell and back because of him, but that’s over now. You have to trust me and believe me. I know it’s hard to put your faith in anyone after what we’ve been through, but I’ve learned to do that.” She glanced at the men she loved. “They taught me how, Mom. Let me teach you.”
Her mother crumpled into her arms, nearly taking them both to the floor. “I’ll try, honey. I’ll try.”
Sheriff Ray took the gun from Ron just as the ambulance from Hard Luck finally arrived. The town wasn’t much bigger than Pleasure, but at least it had a small medical facility as well as a jail. He shouted orders as the paramedics put her father on a stretcher.
Sheriff Ray looked back at her mother. “Sharon, I should arrest you for shooting him, and I’m sure Bill will press charges, but I’m not going to put you behind bars after all you’ve been through. More than likely the charges will get thrown out anyway.” His mouth worked as he searched for what to say. “I know it probably won’t mean much, but I’m sorry I didn’t help you before now.” With a quick nod, he followed the paramedics as they carried her father to the ambulance.
Carly bit back the harsh words she wanted to say to the sheriff. Instead, she kept her mother close.
“Mrs. Rivers, come with me. I’m going to take you to the doctor.” Hank’s voice was tender, as though speaking to a child.
Her mother hugged herself. Her shudders had returned. “I can’t ride in the ambulance with him. Don’t make me do that.”
“You won’t have to. Carly, Ron, and I are taking you. After you get the medical attention you need, we’re taking both of you home with us. Not just for a visit, but to stay as long as you want. Our home is your home now.”
“I don’t understand.”
Her mother was so frail, so weak, barely able to stand on her own. If she could’ve given her every ounce of strength inside her, she would have.
“Mrs. Rivers? Sharon?” Hank touched her mother’s arms. “Trust me.”
She moaned, then fell against him. Her sobs grew louder as Hank took her mother and held her against his strong body. Carly ached to have the same done for her, and a moment later, she got her wish as Ron pulled her to him.
“Come on, darlin’. It’s over now.”
Carly smiled weakly and tried to put on a brave face. She was safe in Ron’s arms.
* * * *
Carly stared at her image in the mirror and couldn’t believe how far she’d come in such a short time. It had only been a week since that awful day at her parents’ home, but that day had also been the start of a whole new life. Her mother and she loved living at the ranch and often found themselves hugging each other, too overcome with joy to put their feelings into words.
“Wow. You look amazing.” Suzie let out a slow whistle. “Who knew you’d clean up so good?”
“Yeah. Who knew?” She skimmed her hands along the soft white material of her ceremony dress. The hem floated over the silver shoes while the skirt drifted around her. She did a twirl, loving the way it felt as it billowed outward like a fluffy cloud surrounding her.
Suzie had helped her find the dress, and if the rumors were correct, she’d helped Hank and Ron choose the collar they’d present to her in the collaring ceremony. The murmur of the guests waiting in the main room of the club drifted through the open door.
“Are you ready?”
“More than ready.” She lifted the bouquet of flowers, a bright array of daisies, carnations, and baby’s breath. “Let’s do this.”
Suzie took her hand, then paused after they’d stepped into the hallway. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“And you’re happy?”
“Damn it, Suzie, don’t make me cry and ruin my makeup. Yes, I’m very happy.”
Her friend that had been with her through good times and bad hugged her close. Suzie straightened up and held her own similar, yet smaller bouquet in front of her. “Okay, then. We’re good to go.”
Holding hands, they walked down the hallway. Paul waited at the end, dressed in a simple black silk shirt and slacks. He was as handsome as ever, but he couldn’t compare to the men who waited for
her.
“You look beautiful.” He took her arm and entwined it in his.
She smiled, thankful that he’d become her friend as well as her employer. But she had one question she still needed to ask. “Do you think it’s okay? That I’m not doing the usual initiation?”
“Sure it is. The initiation isn’t required. Besides, you haven’t done anything usual since the day I hired you. Why start now?” His smile reassured her that he was teasing.
“He’s got you there,” added Suzie.
“And it’s okay that I didn’t want a leash?” She’d heard that a lot of submissives carried a leash into the collar ceremony, but she hadn’t wanted that. The leash reminded her too much of her father’s belt.
“You have to do what’s right for you. Everyone chooses how to do their own ceremony. Or even if they’re going to do one at all. There’s no right or wrong way, especially in our club. Stop worrying.”
“Okay.” She took in a deep breath. “I’m ready.”
They were waiting for her in the dimly lit club. Candles were set around the room, on tables and across the bar. The crowd, many of them customers as well as friends who had never seen the inside of the club parted in front of her, giving her a path that would lead her to her men. Her mother stood close to the long smooth mahogany bar, wearing a pretty pink dress that highlighted the color in her cheeks. She’d never seen her mother look as happy or as healthy as she did right then.
Her gaze slid from her mother’s smiling face to the men who stood, side by side, waiting for her. Paul’s brother, Destin, stood behind them, holding a black box.
Hank and Ron were magnificent in white shirts and slacks. They were dressed casually for such a formal ceremony, but they couldn’t have looked more regal if they’d been wearing robes fit for kings.
Suzie led the way, then stepped to the side to stand next to her mother. Carly gripped Paul’s arm, suddenly nervous, as he brought her to stand in front of her men.
Paul turned to the crowd. “As you know, a new employee and submissive often partakes in an initiation. However, Masters Hank and Ron, along with their submissive, Carly, have opted to have a collaring ceremony. They want to thank everyone for coming tonight to witness their declaration of commitment and love.” Murmurs greeted his announcement.
