by Jane Henry
His erection pressed against his jeans, and I reached a tentative hand out to stroke him. Would he let me? He groaned as I touched him. I wanted him to feel what I’d felt.
“Tonight,” he said. “Tonight when I take you downstairs, I’ll make love to you. Tonight, I’ll make you mine.”
I nodded and grinned at him. I liked the sound of that.
“For now, we get something to eat. I’ll see if we have any more developments with Francesca and Seth, and we take it from there. Got it, baby?”
I smiled and nodded, half of me not even caring what happened next. I made my own decisions now. And there would be no going back.
Even if Martel caught me, he could do nothing to me. I was not his child. I couldn’t be held a prisoner any longer.
My only real fear now was the retribution he would seek.
Something had to be done.
He was not a man who let anyone take his property without penalty.
11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Ryder
I hadn’t held a woman like this in so long, I almost forgot what it felt like. Having her soft breath on me, her curves pressed up against my body, and her moans still lingering in my ears, I wanted to fuck her senseless, leaving her spent, sated and at my mercy.
But first, I needed to make sure she was fucking safe. In my gut, I felt blowback was coming from having rescued her, and none of the shit that went down with Francesca, Dean, and Seth, made me happy.
“Go get ready to go downstairs, Rae,” I said, picking up my phone. “But make it quick. Gonna check to see what’s going on, and then we go downstairs. Can’t hide you up here any longer. Need to bring you around a bit, have others see you, confirm the rumors that have started. I want them knowing Anne is with me and off limits.”
She bent down and gathered up her clothes and smiled. “I’m famished. Sounds good. And I’m happy to parade around with you.” When she rose, her chest was still flushed from having climaxed, her eyes still bright. Turning to go, I caught a glimpse of her beautiful, curvy ass. Tonight, I’d paint that ass red, leave my mark, and do it in such a way she fucking loved it. I had a private room that was just mine, fully equipped and immaculately clean. No one, but cleaners had gone there in a year--not even me. It would be perfect.
She spoke over her shoulder as she disappeared around the corner to my room. “I get to walk around with the badass of the club? The one who calls all the shots, and everyone else jumps to listen? My boyfriend is the top alpha. Oh, yeah, baby.” The door shut with a bang and I sat back, blinking.
Top alpha? Everyone jumps to listen? After I got over her shameless bragging, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
I’d show her top alpha.
My phone buzzed, and I glanced at the screen. Seth.
“Yeah?”
“Hey. Got ahold of Dean. Not sure what Francesca was talking about. Says when she was talking to him, something clicked and he’ll fill you in when he sees you.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Gotta ask Dean. I have him here.”
“Alright, good. Ra—Anne and I are coming down in a few. Heard anything from Francesca?”
“No, but she felt terrible. She was crying like a baby, and I finally got her to calm down.”
For God’s sake, I didn’t have time for this shit. “Seriously?”
“Listen, boss. I know she annoys you but we have to work with her here.”
Like I needed a fucking lecture?
“Tell Dean to meet me in my office in fifteen minutes. Get ahold of Francesca, tell her to be there, too. She’s on the floor today and shouldn’t be leaving the building until her shift.”
“Right. Ok, see you then.”
I clicked off the phone, grabbed my t-shirt off the floor, and walked to my room.
She’d left the door to the bathroom open.
Christ.
Steam wafted into the room, but through it I could see her curves, her black hair stark against her creamy white skin. She was soaping herself up. I swallowed hard. I wanted to be the one running my hands all over her body, lathering up her hair, her breasts, her sweet, sweet pussy.
I shook my head.
I had a staff meeting and I needed to dress the part. When I walked the floors of Limits, clients needed to know that I was the man in charge and there would be time for me to indulge in all things Rae later, after I’d made sure she was safe.
I took out a charcoal gray suit and a pressed blue shirt, with a sleek tie that matched, and dressed. I was knotting my tie when she walked in the room wrapped in a fluffy towel.
“Oh. Oh, God.” She stood in the doorway to the bathroom, blinking. I turned to face her.
“Yeah?”
“You’re… oh wow, you look nice.”
I grinned at her. “Thanks, babe. Now get yourself dressed quickly. We have to be downstairs in my office soon.”
“I get to go with you to your office? With you dressed to kill, ready to give everyone orders?”
“Yes. But if you don’t move, you get to go with me to my office dressed to kill, ready to give everyone’s orders, with a suitably sore ass. Got it?”
“Why would you spank me?” she asked, sidling up to me and dropping the towel. Her nipples furled at the cold, her skin still slightly damp. She stepped over the towel and bent in front of me provocatively, wiggling her naked ass up at me as she leaned over and nabbed her clothes. I took the opportunity to give her ass a good, sharp crack.
“I’d spank you for making us late,” I said. “Now hurry it up.”
She leaned over and grabbed her panties, making a big show of stepping into them, then grabbed her bra, slowly pulling her arms through the straps and sliding it on. She was cute alright. But enough was enough. When she leaned over to get her jeans, all in super slow motion while I stood there and waited, I’d had enough. I took the flat wooden hairbrush atop my dresser, swung it back, and planted a good hard smack to her ass.
“Ow! Oh, God, that hurts,” she said, no longer teasing but glaring at me. I responded with another sharp crack.
“Then stop flirting with me and get your damn clothes on.”
“I’m not flirting with you! Ow!”
Another hard swat followed the first two. “And that’s for lying. Now say, ‘Yes, Daddy,’ or I’ll give you an even dozen right over my knee and this time, you don’t climax. You’ll sit on a chair in my office on a sore ass.” Her eyes flashed at me, but she couldn’t fool me. I knew she liked this, and that she needed it from me.
I watched the struggle to obey. She wanted to push me, I could tell, but she hesitated, and I knew she’d felt the sting of the hairbrush. She knew I’d spank her for disobeying me, and she was hedging her bets. I raised a brow at her. What would it be? Obedience, or a spanking?
Finally, her eyes softened, and she stepped into her jeans. “Yes, Daddy.”
My cock tightened painfully at her submission, the way her voice softened, her eyes docile. It was beautiful gift she’d given me, and I’d cherish it.
I continued to fix her with a stern look until she’d dressed herself, then gave her a nod of approval. “Good girl. Off we go.” I took her by the hand and led her to the door, prepared to show off my new submissive.
We took the short trip down in the elevator, and as I walked to my office, I placed her hand on my elbow. “Hold onto me. You don’t make eye contact with anyone, not yet, not until I know you’re safe. Just stay with me and do what I say.”
Limits was only open to exclusive members until five, and then our regular clients would start filtering in. Since we screened all members, we relied solely on fees, and never allowed walk-in clients. In exchange for membership, we provided member with an extravagant, private playground for them to explore their darkest fantasies.
The door to the elevator opened to the main area. A handful of people mingled in the lobby. With Rae holding onto my arm, I nodded to guests as we passed but I did not intro
duce her. It was better not to, until I came across someone who would want to meet my new girl.
We passed the break room on the way to my office. From the doorway, I could see Caden sitting with a cup of coffee. I waved a hand to him. “Hey,” I said. “Caden, this is Anne. She’ll be with me, if anyone is looking for her.” Caden nodded, his cup to his lips, and gave Rae a salute.
“He’s a good guy,” I said. “Been on security for Limits since he was out of the Navy six years ago.”
Rae nodded but didn’t say anything. I cast a quick glance at her. Her face had paled, her eyes bright, but she held her head high. “You’re gonna be okay,” I whispered. “Just trust me, and stay close. These are good men here to help protect you, too. Caden would never let anyone touch a hair on your head. You’re safe, okay?”
She nodded miserably, but didn’t respond.
Finally, we took the corner to my office. Dean, Seth, and Francesca all waited in the hallway.
They murmured their greetings, and I pushed the door open to my office, but when I did, I froze. On my desk stood a large arrangement, and as I drew closer I could see it was one of those edible deals, with the melon cut into flower shapes, next to chocolate-dipped strawberries. I turned to the others. “Who put this in here?” I didn’t have a secretary, and no one else had the key to my office that I was aware of.
No one responded. Seth’s eyes narrowed, and Dean’s grew sober, but Francesca just stared in bewilderment, and Rae reached for a chocolate covered berry.
“No. Don’t eat that,” I ordered. She froze.
Good girl.
“No idea where this came from,” I said. “No one put it in here? Well that’s strange. Somebody did.” The only ones who would know about the surveillance cameras set up in my office area would have been Seth and Dean, and I didn’t think it wise to mention anything in front of Francesca.
“There’s a card,” Seth said, pointing to the arrangement. After a nod from me, he plucked it out. It was attached to a small plastic stick. He handed the card to me.
Owner of Limits. Enjoy your forbidden fruit while it lasts.
Fuck.
“Who was this from?” I asked, looking around. Everyone stared at me blankly. I took the arrangement and put it on the shelf behind my desk, tucking the note in my pocket.
“Call Caden, tell him I want to talk to him,” I said. He would be able to run the surveillance cameras, but I didn’t want anyone else to know what was going on. Seth nodded, picked up his phone, and placed it up to his ear, walking to the door to make the call.
“Dean. Tell me what’s going on. Why did you leave so suddenly this morning?”
Dean sat back in his chair. “Remember I told you the place we went to get her was familiar? I remembered why. When Francesca was talking to me about where she was going, she mentioned Zack, and then I remembered. Few years ago, Zack and I were on our way to Limits. Zack was off duty, but he got a call from a partner. Asked where we were. Turns out they’d gotten a tip from an anonymous caller on a missing person, and witnesses saw him taken by a guy that worked for a man by the name of Martel.”
Rae gasped audibly. I swung my gaze to hers, and she’d paled. “That’s my father.” Her jaw tightened. “Or the man who calls himself that.”
I nodded, and we looked back to Dean. “Zack and I ended up driving out to where Rae lives. That’s why it looked so familiar. We got nothing, no evidence, and when police went back to investigate they had nothing but the tip. Martel came up crystal clear.” He frowned. “I have my suspicions as to why. But the missing person showed up on the news shot dead and buried in the woods not too far from where your car broke down. So I went to Zack.”
Seth had come back now, and at Dean’s words, Seth froze.
“You went to Zack. Without thinking of talking to me or Ryder first? Are you out of your mind?”
Zack was the head of the local police department, and a former member of Limits. When he’d gotten promoted, he’d left the club but we stayed in touch because he had serious connections.
“What’d Zack say?” I asked.
“Said he’d look into it is all I know. Wish I had more to tell you.”
I nodded. It all began to add up in my mind. I had no doubt Martel was a dangerous man. “Francesca? Any luck finding your contact?”
“Yes, Sir,” she said with a timid look at me. “I reached my friend at the donation center, and told her not to reveal any information when the package arrived. I also asked that she call me right away if anybody comes asking questions or anything of the sort.”
“Good,” I nodded, lost in my own thoughts, I stroked my chin when a knock came at the door.
“That’ll be Caden,” I said, pushing away. I opened the door and stepped out to meet him. “Just a minute, you guys,” I said.
Caden stood with his hands in his pockets, waiting for me. I shut the office door, and beckoned for him to come closer. “Hey, man. We’ve got a situation here. Someone delivered an arrangement to my office, but I have no idea who it was or how it got in there. I have a strong suspicion it’s from her father, and I need more info. At this point, I’m not sure who to trust. I need you to reel back the footage from this morning, make note of who got in here, and come and tell me. No one knows you’re watching. No one knows what you find, but me.”
Caden nodded and gave me a little salute. “Yes, sir.”
As he turned to leave both my phone and his buzzed. I glanced at the screen.
Security breach. It was an automated message generated by our security system to alert us that someone other than an outside member had somehow gotten onto our premises.
“Caden, what the fuck is this?”
He shook his head and waved his hand. “Nothing. I was screwing around with the security settings at the back door. I know there’s a way to connect to Bluetooth but it’s unreliable, so I did another run through and it looks like everyone’s getting the error message. I’ll clear the history. Just ignore it.”
I frowned. It was a hell of a time to be screwing around with security. “You fix that, and no more fucking around with the system.” Jesus.
He left, and I opened the door to the office, surprised that both Francesca and Rae were on their feet, and Rae was pointing an angry finger at Francesca. Seth was between the two of them, pulling them apart.
“You stay the hell away!” Rae said, when Seth gently pushed her back into her seat.
“What’s going on in here?”
Francesca glared at Rae, who returned the same glaring look. “She told me to stop calling you Sir,” Francesca said. “Said she was the only one that could and since I wasn’t your submissive I had to stop acting like it.”
I blinked in surprise, and turned to Rae. “Is that true?” I asked.
She frowned. “Yes. And I’m not taking it back.”
Seth’s brows shot up. I couldn’t believe she was behaving this way when so much was at stake. Fuck it.
“Rae, enough. Francesca is well aware of the fact that she’s not my sub. And I get why you’d get defensive, but there’s no need for you to pick a fight. We all have to be on the same side here.”
“Right,” Francesca said, hurt clouding her expression. “I’m only trying to help.”
“Help? You call drawing attention to us and disobeying Ryder’s strict orders helping?” Rae got to her feet again. “I had no idea that would be dangerous!”
“Rae, sit.”
She did, glaring.
I’d warm her ass for that.
“For God’s sake,” I muttered under my breath but before I could say a thing, my phone beeped again, at the same time Dean and Seth’s did.
I lifted it, only to read a second security message. Fuck it.
“Caden did something with the security alarm. Ignore it.”
They both frowned, but I turned back to Rae. I could see why she was angry, and a part of me felt a stab of pride at her ferocity. But still, she had to keep her shit together.
Dean’s phone buzzed and he glanced at it. “It’s Zack, boss.”
“Alright. Take the call. I need to check in with Caden in a few.” I pointed my finger at Rae. “You’re coming with me.”
Her eyes were hesitant now that she knew she was in trouble but there were too many unknowns, too much at risk for her to be pulling this shit now. She was a good girl. She’d learn to behave.
She spoke loud and clear but stared at Francesca as she responded way too loudly, “Yes, Sir.”
I’d give her another good ten for that, though I had to stifle a chuckle.
I took her by the hand and tugged her along with me, leaving Seth and Dean to sort out whatever other details they could, as I went to meet up with Caden.
“You don’t behave that way, little girl,” I chided Rae, as we walked along. “There’s too much at stake.”
“You don’t see how she treats you,” Rae responded. “With those huge, ridiculous puppy dog eyes of hers, all yes, Sir and no, Sir, and whatever you want, Sir.”
I released her hand, spun her around and gave her a sharp crack to her ass.
“Behave yourself,” I said sternly.
“You can’t do that!”
“Oh yeah? Just did.” I pulled her closer and whispered in her ear. “Listen to me. There’s a lot at stake here. Getting your panties in a wad because you’re jealous isn’t going to help anyone.”
“Jealous? You think I’m jealous?”
“It’s crystal clear, babe.”
“The nerve!”
“Watch it.”
We walked in silence for a moment, her seething beside me and me contemplating the merits of another good spanking. “Need to look at the footage downstairs,” I said, not wanting to alarm her.
He knew she was here. He fucking knew. But so far, it seemed he hadn’t made a move.
After another moment of silence she spoke up again. “Did you sleep with her?”
“What?”
“Did you sleep with her? With Francesca.”
