"On it.” Kyra shifted into serious mode, which fit her so well.
Reed continued, “I'll contact the castle and see if he went there."
Fury so intense and wicked soared through Bella's body, making her hands tremble. He's at the castle with another woman—another submissive.
Jealousy split her open like a knife in the gut. She should hope he was there, unharmed, but the thought of him being with anyone else crippled her.
Everyone was in a flurry of activity, unbeknownst to Sadie who remained asleep. Reed was on the phone with the castle. Kyra was in the kitchen calling the hospitals. Marley was pacing in front Reed. Bella just stood there, unable to move.
The past hours had been nothing but a whirlwind, leaving her mind a complete mess. Kole's missing?
Reed tucked his phone back into his pocket. “He's not at the castle."
Bella couldn't even process what that meant. Relief that he wasn't, but then where was he?
Right then, Kyra hurried into the room, breathless. “He's at Johns Hopkins."
"Why?” Bella squeaked, glancing from face to face, then finally settled back on Kyra. “Is he hurt?"
"The nurse wouldn't say.” Kyra grabbed Bella's coat off the hook and shoved it at her, while Marley and Reed put their shoes on. “Confidentiality and all. But she told me enough that I got the impression he's not critical or anything."
Her muscles relaxed, heart slowed. Good news. She stuffed her feet into her clogs and fumbled with the buttons on her coat as her hands trembled. Why was she trembling? Drawing in a deep breath, she calmed herself. Reed smiled at her, then did up the buttons.
"Thank you,” she whispered.
He gave a firm nod, opened the door, and ushered Bella and Marley out. “Let's go."
In quick time, they were in his truck and on the road. The late night was almost a blessing because the roads were dead. Reed paused at the red lights, but when the street was clear, he ran them.
Mere minutes passed before Reed squealed his tires, coming to a stop in the hospital parking lot. They were out in a flash and jogged to the front doors. The emergency room was full of patients all awaiting treatment. They hurried to the desk where a nurse sat talking on the telephone.
Reed tapped his hand on the desk, but the nurse raised a finger at him, not looking up.
Bella gritted her teeth as she listened to the nurse having a personal conversation, and even though only seconds passed, her patience fled.
She leaned over the counter, grabbed the phone from the woman, then slammed it on the receiver. The nurse jerked her head up and scowled. “Excuse me?"
"Where's Kole Walsh?” At the nurse's silence and continuing frown, Bella smacked her hand on the desk with a loud bang. “Where is he?"
Marley snickered. “Oh look, Bella's back."
The nurse pursed her lips, then glanced over a chart. Her sneer returned to Bella. “Room one hundred and twelve."
Without a thank-you, because the nurse didn't deserve one, Bella with Reed and Marley in tow dashed down the hall. Bella scanned the numbers on the doors until she reached Kole's. She took one step into the room, then froze.
Kole was lying on the bed, bare chested, one knee up and an ice pack on his forehead. Her breath whooshed from her lungs. The memory of their time together flooded her mind. Her body awakened, as if his presence ignited a spark in her that made her fully aware of him.
Brushing past her, Reed strode into the room, his voice deep and curt. “What happened?"
Kole turned his head to the side, and his gaze landed on Bella. He didn't look disappointed like he had earlier tonight. Fire burned in the depths of his eyes, but as he glanced at Reed, that rage faded.
Is he angry at me?
"Got mugged,” he replied.
"Seriously?” Marley asked, stepping up next to the bed.
"Stupid junkie wanted money and pulled a gun on me."
Bella's heart skipped a beat. “Gun?"
Kole didn't even look at her. He completely disregarded her as if she hadn't said anything. As if she wasn't standing there worrying about him. Her own irritation flared to life.
What did I do to him?
Kole continued, “He knocked me in the head with his gun. Idiot was too high to realize shooting me would have done the trick."
Reed took a seat in the chair beside the bed. “Did you subdue him?"
"Thought about it.” His fingers clenched and jaw tightened. “But I had other things to deal with."
"What happened after he hit you?” She asked, proud her voice sounded strong.
Once again, he didn't even acknowledge her, and her muscles tensed. She took a further step into the room and glared at him. “Stop ignoring me."
Reed glanced over his shoulder at her, frowning. Marley jerked her head to Bella and shook her head slowly, as if warning her. But she didn't deserve to be treated in this manner. She'd done nothing wrong and held her ground.
Kole rose up on his elbow, lowered the ice pack to display a good five stitches over his eyebrow, and pinned her with his stare. His voice flowed through the room, sounding smooth like velvet, but stern. “Bella. Take a seat. Stay quiet."
A wave of emotion washed over her, compelling her to listen. Normally if a man spoke to her in that manner, she'd curse at him and probably flip him off. But she found her legs moving her toward the chair and was shocked at herself when she sat down.
He finally removed his steely gaze from her and looked at Reed. “Came here thinking they'd stitch me up and send me on my way. Only to find out they had to report it to the cops, and I spent an hour answering questions. Then, the doc thought I should stay until the morning just to be sure I didn't have a concussion."
Bella clasped her hands in her lap, looking down, and a swell of emotion bubbled up. Pissed might have been an understatement. And his unhappiness with her now was worse than his disappointment.
"You should've called us, dipshit,” Reed chastised.
Kole snorted. “It was late. I thought you'd all be asleep, and I wasn't in serious condition, so why bother?"
She peeked up at him under her lashes. His gaze was on Reed, and she'd never felt so ignored. She yearned for him to look at her, offer a glance of the appreciation that she'd seen tonight, and his refusal made her throat tight.
"All right.” Reed stood. “Marley will drive your car home. Then I'll come back in the morning to get you."
Kole reached into his pocket, took out his keys, then handed them to Marley. “I parked in the far left corner of the parking lot. Wreck my baby and there'll be hell to pay."
"I'll drive carefully, and I'm glad to see you in one piece.” Marley turned on her heels and started toward the door. She gave Bella a knowing look and whispered, “You, my friend, have pissed him off."
"Yeah, no shit."
Marley patted her shoulder and offered a kind smile. “Don't worry. His reaction tells me your concerns are for nothing."
"Which means?"
"He wouldn't punish you like that if he didn't care."
"Punish?"
Marley laughed under her breath and gave her a quick hug. “I'll wait for you in the hallway. Just don't go Bella on him and you'll do fine.” Then, she left the room, leaving Bella to focus back on the men.
Reed squeezed Kole's shoulder, spoke in a soft voice. “Had me worried there, man."
"Got a bad headache, is all. Just added decoration to the black eye you already gave me.” He closed his eyes and grunted. “Come as soon as you get up. I want out of this place ASAP."
"Sure.” Reed turned away from the bed, then headed for the door. Once next to Bella, he stared at her intently, as if he understood why she was sitting in the seat not saying a word. Bella hadn't even understood the reasons.
He eventually freed her from his hard examination, and as he strode by, she stood and glanced over at Kole resting on the bed looking relaxed. Then, she turned to leave.
"Bella,” Kole called, cool and co
llected. “Come here."
With a deep breath for bravery, she approached him as he said, “We have to talk, don't we?"
The curtness in his voice made her realize he really was angry with her. She had to wonder if it was because she disappointed him earlier, and now with the event he experienced, was he taking his frustrations out on her?
Instead of being enraged like she normally would be, she only experienced shame and sadness. Her heart bled. Now was the time to be honest. “I tried, you know."
"Tried, what?"
"To be what you needed.” She heaved a sigh. “I know that you might find me boring compared to the others, but I can—"
He raised his hand, cutting her off. “Do you believe that I'm upset because of something that happened in the scene?"
"Aren't you?” Her lip trembled, and she hated that. She wanted to be stronger than this, to fight to prove that she could handle the likes of Kole. But her heart broke at his dismissal of her and left her feeling bare.
"Come sit on the bed with me.” She settled in next to him, and he wrapped an arm around her as he continued, “You lied to me."
"I didn't lie."
"Oh no?” He arched an eyebrow. “You told me you were fine. Promised it, if I remember correctly. But then I find out from Reed that you arrived home quite upset.” His eyes narrowed on her. “Explain that."
Heat burned in her cheeks. This was what it was all about—it had nothing to do with her pulling her safe word, and everything to do with why she kept him at arm's length. Would he make her admit she cared for him? “It's not what you think."
"Then what is it, Bella?"
Only the truth would save her now. “I like you."
He leaned back against the bed and stared at her, really looked at her as if she surprised him. “You like me?"
Glancing down at her lap, she twined her fingers and held on tight. “I..."
His finger came under her chin and lifted her head. His eyes were welcoming and warm, and his voice was equally soft. “Tell me."
"I know I disappointed you."
He frowned. “Don't read into me, especially considering you're reading me wrong.” He tightened his fingers on her chin. “I'm disappointed with you for not sharing what was mine to hear. Those feelings you experienced revolved around my interaction with you. I deserved to hear your thoughts. Not your friends'."
"It's not so easy for me to admit this to you."
He swiped his finger so delicately over her jaw in a way that fully contradicted his last move. “We're finally getting somewhere.” His mouth arched up ever so slightly. “I told you, Bella, I'm not going to treat you like a princess. I'm not a knight sweeping in to rescue you. You don't need it, and frankly, I'm not made for that."
"I don't want anyone to rescue me."
"Then speak your mind, woman. You're so very strong, but yet you hide away like a skittish cat. Why is that?"
"I don't know.” At his arched eyebrow, she quickly corrected herself. “I don't enjoy looking weak. I've had to fight hard in my life to prove myself, and I guess...I wanted to prove myself stronger than you."
"Thank you for that honesty.” He slid his fingers along her jawline. “And you thought that submitting to me weakened you?"
"I...” She shut her mouth, knowing she had been about to lie, drew in a deep breath, and tried again. “It scared me. I dropped all my guards with you. I wasn't expecting that. I didn't think I'd ever give that control to someone, and I'm not sure if I can give you what you need. So, yeah, that worries me."
"I believe that's for me to decide if you can give me what I need. Not you.” His tight expression warned her not to assume on his behalf. “You don't have to be a perfect submissive, Bella. You need only to be my submissive."
The possessive claim sent sheer joy in a form of a quiver rippling through her. “But then why were you upset at me after?"
"You closed yourself off to me. You think I didn't see it in your face? Feel it in your body when you tensed?” He shook his head, slow and steady. “If you really listened to what I told you instead of hearing what you believed, then you would've understood what upset me.
"It's why the exchange of words is so important in a D/s relationship, because in that moment you'll be exposed, your emotions raw. You need to let me in, so we can work through it together."
His jaw clenched, and he continued, “But your issue with trust is something that cannot be overlooked.” At her parted lips, he raised his hand. “I'm not talking about you using your safe word. That's there for good reason. I want you to use it if you're not comfortable."
Okay, that relieved her some.
"But you won't grow either as a submissive or in trust if you don't believe that I know what you need. You were overwhelmed and panicked. Totally understandable."
He understood; she hadn't expected that.
He gave her a measured look. “I had pushed you enough, which is why I ended the scene. You needed to see that I would listen to your safe word. That's how trust is earned, and I needed to earn that, Bella.” He tapped the tip of her nose. “And you needed to learn that if you use those words, it comes at a consequence, which means you need to use them wisely."
"Oh."
He chuckled softly, leaned in, and kissed her forehead. “Now tell me, when I ignored you before, how did that feel?"
"Horrible."
He backed away, stared at her, and his gaze was tender. “And now you know exactly what I experienced when you did the same to me."
Awareness struck her. Marley had said he punished her, and that must have been what she meant. He'd done exactly what she did to him, so she'd fully understand what he experienced.
"Not pleasant to have someone ignore you like you're not there, is it?"
Odd way of doing a punishment, but it had the desired effect. “I was wrong."
"Indeed.” He smiled in kind. “As to the other matter about how I felt, I was proud of you, in fact. You pushed yourself and submitted like a lovely sub should, which is exactly what I told you and seemingly that you chose to ignore. Thinking otherwise—that's all on you."
"I'm sorry."
Had she really concocted this all in her head? All he wanted was for her not to treat him like the men who'd hurt her before. And she realized in that moment that Kole was the first man who'd ever really seen her...for her. That he didn't want the Bella that she'd become from past experiences; he wanted the real her. More so, she finally understood that he deserved her heart because he'd never mistreat it.
He gave a low chuckle. “Now isn't this nice? And wouldn't this have been so much better if you discussed this after our scene instead of getting yourself worked up in a frenzy?"
At her nod, since she now realized how foolish she'd been, he studied her for a long moment, then said, “Tomorrow night we're going to fix this issue between us so we can move on."
Bella stared into that heated gaze, and her stomach swarmed with butterflies. How could he do that to her with a single look? But the only thing that truly mattered was what she wanted all along; he wanted more from her, and she could redeem herself.
"Yes, Sir."
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Chapter Seven
The door to the dungeon room shut behind Kole. His cock went from soft to steel so quickly it stole his breath. Bella was nude except for a pair of shiny black heels. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail that left the ends to sit at the middle of her back. Her legs were spread wide, and her arms were up above her head. Black silk had been wrapped around her wrists, binding her to the ring above, and covered all the way down her arms.
He had instructed Bella to prepare herself, and she had clearly gained the help from one of the assistants who worked at the castle. Her effort paid off. She had pleased him. Desire to take her engulfed him.
Once he approached her, he settled at her back, and the glow from the candlelit room made her creamy skin appear more delectable. Every line of her
body was utter perfection.
Sliding his fingers down her torso, he caressed her side and down her hip. He inhaled, catching a waft of her cinnamon scent mixed with aroused woman. “You look lovely. Stunning, in fact."
"Thank you, Sir,” she rasped.
Grasping her hip, he spun her around, and the metal ring holding her screeched as she turned. He scanned over her breasts, the taut nipples that awaited him, and the lines of her stomach that moved with her deep breaths.
When he looked back into her eyes and found them rich with desire. He grinned his approval, then slapped her thigh with a light hit. “Beautiful."
He turned away from her and strode to the tray of items he requested the assistant leave for him. He took the black crop, then returned to Bella. Her focus was on the crop for a mere second before her gaze returned to his. Oh, how the sub sizzled.
He slid the crop over each nipple, and she sighed and trembled, which made his cock jump. But as he stared into her pretty eyes, she appeared conflicted. She had clearly done some thinking since she left him at the hospital last night.
"I see questions on your mind, Bella.” His voice was low as he intended. “Now is the time to ask them."
A pause followed, her expression thoughtful before she finally said, “How will this work? I mean with us...will we...do I...?"
He chuckled. “I don't want a slave, Bella. But you will learn when I demand submission. Good indicators would be when we're in the castle or in the bedroom. At all other times, then I'm Kole. Not Master Kole or Sir."
"Okay, well, that's good.” She drew in a sharp breath, looked down, and avoided his gaze. “Do you have other submissives, Sir?"
He tapped the crop under her chin. “Eyes on me, Bella.” She immediately lifted her head, but her features were tight. “There are more, yes."
Darkness seeped into her features before her focus went back to the floor. “I see, Sir."
"Is this something that displeases you?” He hit under her chin, harder this time, and she jerked her head up. “Speak freely, Bella."
She flinched from the hit; her voice held a slight tremble. “I don't want there to be anyone else, Sir."
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