by Avery Gale
Chapter Nine
Brodie thought the top of his head was going to pop off in order to relieve the steam. Who was Master D and how the hell had Cressida managed to land on his radar? He’d been staring at the screen and listening as Lawton gave him a running commentary of all the trouble he was having finding out who the guy was. “I don’t know for sure who we’re dealing with, but he’s damned good whoever he is. He’s actually breached T.E.G.—something I would have sworn couldn’t be done. For now I’m leaving a few things open so he isn’t alerted I’ve discovered him. Oddly enough, the only file I’ve found he has actually accessed is Cressida’s employment record, but from the looks of it, he’s researched it thoroughly.”
“Which means he knows far too much about her.” For the first time, Brodie wished their background checks weren’t quite so thorough. When he saw Law begin typing a reply, Brodie held up his hand stopping him, “Wait—think about this. We don’t know for sure how they know one another, so it’s entirely possible he’ll recognize immediately if the voice is different.” When Law frowned, Brodie laughed, “I told you there’d be a day you’d wish you’d done your own term papers.”
Law leaned back in his chair crossing his arms over his chest and frowned, he didn’t respond—he simply waited for Brodie to continue. “Since we don’t know anything about their relationship, we have no idea what voice she writes in when she talks to him. Hell, we don’t even know if she talks to him.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Everyone writes with a certain voice—a way of phrasing things, a tone of voice if you will. Think about the different way you’d write a thank you note to corporate sponsors or investors as opposed to a note you would write to your mother. And then think about how different both of those would be to one you’d send to a lover.” He could almost see the wheels of Lawton’s mind grinding away at the information he’d been given, as he worked to analyze and apply it.
Law finally nodded once before answering, “So for now, the response needs to be just enough to keep him on the string. Technically the only thing he’d asked was why she didn’t respond. So let’s just let him know she’ll respond when she’s feeling better.”
“I wonder if he’s tracking her phone. The women’s shelter I work with cautions victims about that possibility.” Brodie had volunteered his time and legal services to the Women’s Shelter and Resource Center since he’d passed the bar several years ago. Protecting the rights of women who couldn’t protect themselves was a way for him to live by the guiding tenets of Dominance and submission. He considered those rules important in all aspect of his life. Safe, sane, and consensual formed the baseline of every sexual relationship he’d ever had. But he knew too well those rules didn’t apply to all relationships and when the balance of power was tipped too far in one person’s favor, abuse often bubbled to the surface quickly. He regularly sat in on the center’s seminars and was continually surprised at how inventive abusers could be, and with the various resources abusers routinely employed to stalk their victims.
Obviously Lawton hadn’t considered that possibility because he looked up quickly from his keyboard, his eyes wide with surprise. “Whoever we’re dealing with is keeping track of her office workstation so they’ll already know she has signed out at work. If we send a message saying she is ill, he’ll question the fact her phone is still at the office address.”
“Can you re-route the message to look like it’s coming from her home computer?”
“Yes. I’ll also add an off-hand comment about forgetting her phone because she wasn’t feeling well, that way there won’t be any questions about why it’s here all weekend. Hopefully by Monday we’ll have come up with a strategy for dealing with this. Get Parker on this right away why I take care of the message.” Lawton was already tapping furiously on the keyboard and codes were flashing across the screen faster than Brodie could ever hope to follow it. He’d never been the computer guru Lawton Hill was, but he wasn’t completely useless with electronics either so he knew exactly what he needed to tell Parker.
Dialing Parker’s number, he didn’t have to wait long for his friend to pick up, the ball game playing in the background let Brodie know their friend was kicked back in his spacious condo above the club. Not long after Brodie and Lawton finished remodeling the top floor of the Templar building, their friends had done something very similar with the top two floors of the building they’d purchased for The Knight’s Club. He had no idea how much they’d spent but the finished result looked something straight out of an English castle, complete with a two-story atrium set in the center of the building landscaped to look like a pristine English garden. By the time Brodie finished explaining the situation to Parker, he knew the man was already dressing and would probably be back in the building within the hour.
“Fuck, I can’t believe anyone was able to get around our security. That sort of intrusion should have set off every alarm in the books. I’ve installed similar systems in several places and now I’m wondering how many of those have been compromised. Hell, one of those new system installs was Carli Walker’s agency. The agency’s home office is here in the city and they were having trouble with young hackers brokering personal information about the models.”
“What are you trying to say?” Brodie knew it was probably too much to hope for, but maybe they were dealing with some young kid who wanted access to the models and had hoped Cressida Walker might be a way to find out what he wanted to know.
“I’m saying, if your sub has a stalker, there is a very real possibility we have a chicken and egg situation.” There were times when Parker Daniels’ way of phrasing things belied his city roots. The man might have been raised in Texas, but Houston wasn’t exactly the sticks either.
“Okay, I’ll bite—what the hell are you talking about?” Brodie could hear the beeps of the security system and shook his head wondering how Parker had managed to get back down to the hidden parking garage below the club so quickly. “Were you already coming back over here?”
“No, why?”
“Hell, how does a guy who lumbers around like a damned linebacker move that fast? I heard you set the security system. It was the back entrance—it sounds different from the one at your door.”
Brodie wanted to laugh at Parker’s huff of exasperation, “Jesus Christ, man—you really need to make Cressida your full time sub. If you have time to learn the different sound signatures of our security systems, you really have too fucking much free time on your hands.” Yeah, tell me about it. “But in answer to your question, no I hadn’t planned to come back to the office, but this is important. I’d just walked in the door so it didn’t take long to get back down the elevator. And since you are obviously fucking Radar O’Reilly, the game you heard was already on television when I walked in. Thomas evidently likes to watch sports during the day because if I don’t leave the television set on and tuned to ESPN, he shreds the pillows on the sofa and the last one was some fancy thing my mom gave me and she was pissed seven different ways to hell.”
Brodie laughed out loud, “You have got to be kidding me. You leave that damned wall-sized television of yours on all day for a fucking stray cat?” Thomas was one of the ugliest cats Brodie had ever seen—the mongrel was missing a portion of his tail and half of one ear, with fur that was something in between long and short, but such a light orange he actually looked pink in low light. Now that he thought about it, that was probably what caused the mammoth feline so much trouble—being a pink tomcat on the streets of New York was probably a pretty tough gig.
“Fuck you, Walsh, I’ll bring him to your place. A couple of nights spent cleaning up little bits of foam rubber and you’d probably be buying extra televisions just to be sure the ugly bastard was happy.” Umm, don’t fucking think so—I’d boot his fuzzy butt back out into the alley and let the young studs have at him.
“Listen, I don’t want to argue about your damned cat. How long until we find out who this
guy is? And since you’re contracting with the modeling agency representing Cressida’s sister, I assume you’ll be in touch with them as well.” Brodie had already gotten an earful from Parker a week ago about the lovely Carli Walker, obviously the two of them hadn’t gotten off on the right foot.
“Yeah, damn it this is going to just add fuel to her fire. The damned woman already thinks we’re smothering her—and she hasn’t begun to see what smothering is really all about…not yet anyway.” Another set of beeps let Brodie know Parker had already arrived at T.E.G. “I’ll call you when I get something. Shut her damned phone down in about an hour that way it’ll look like it simply went dead. Her phone actually belongs to Templar Enterprises, so I won’t have any trouble pulling the records on it. I’ll get her a newer, more secure model as soon as I can, but for now it’s perfectly reasonable for her to have forgotten it since she’s ill. I’m also going to send someone over to her place on the pretense of delivering food—since I installed their system recently, I still have all the codes to get in. The woman I’m sending will set up a light timer so it looks like Cressida is moving around the apartment occasionally. That apartment has several windows facing the street, if he’s watching the place it would seem odd if there aren’t any lights on at all.”
Brodie hadn’t considered that angle and he was grateful Parker had. His friend was going to take this security breach personally, just as Lawton had, and the two of them would work tirelessly until they knew exactly who they were dealing with, and then it would be Brodie’s turn to deal with him.
*****
Cressida felt herself slowly surfacing from sleep and wished she could slide back into the sweet oblivion and escape the pounding in her head. The pillow she turned her face into smelled wonderful and it took several seconds for her mind to grasp the fact her own scent wasn’t the one that greeted her. Her mind was fogged but stretching her legs, feeling the luxurious fabric slide over her skin, made Cressi realize two things—first, she felt like she’d been wrapped in the softest sheets ever made, and more importantly, she was naked. Naked? Images from The Knight’s Club, a flash of Tristan Harris leaning forward watching her, the spa he’d sent her to, her bosses at her door, and Parker Daniels in the drugstore all played in her head like a time-lapsed video. Panic set in as everything started to come together, but a soft caress to the side of her face calmed her and she wasn’t even sure who it was until she heard Brodie Walsh’s soft voice, “Shhh, pet, it’s alright. You are safe, we’ve got you.” When she let her eyes blink open, she was surprised to see his dark eyes so close to her own. How had he gotten so close without her realizing he was there? She was usually far more self-aware, having grown up in Washington D.C. before moving to New York meant her sense of caution was fairly well developed. “How are you feeling?”
Cressi’s hesitation wasn’t an attempt to be secretive, she really wasn’t awake enough yet to know how she felt. Blinking up at him, she shook her head and groaned at the explosion of pain behind her eyes, “I don’t really know, but I wish I had something for my headache. Holy cats I think my head is going to explode.” Brodie’s smile was warm, but an element of uncertainty that she’d seen so rarely almost went unnoticed. “I don’t know what happened. I didn’t feel great when I got up but as the day went on I just felt like my head was filling up as all my energy drained away.” She pinched the bridge of her nose because it was the only thing she could think of that might keep her face from flying apart. Looking down, Cressi felt her face heat with embarrassment when she realized the sheet she’d thought was covering her had slipped down far enough to reveal the pink of her areolas.
Trying hard to give Brodie a smile as she tugged at the sheet trying to pull it back up, Cressi felt his hand cover hers as he shook his head, “No, pet. Don’t ever try to hide what belongs to your Masters. We’ll consider this one of your first lessons—your lovely body is ours to enjoy, whenever and however we choose.” Cressi really didn’t feel well enough to get into this discussion right now, but she doubted she’d have any luck pleading for a stay of execution. “You know, a good Dom gets to know their submissive over time, it is usually a long process because the trust required isn’t built overnight. But the three of us find ourselves in a unique position, because even though we all know one another really well—we don’t know one another in this context.”
Cressi wasn’t sure exactly how to interpret what Brodie was saying—was he pulling her closer or pushing her away? Damn she hated it when her brain was dulled by illness, this was exactly why she usually mixed some sort of cold medication cocktail so she basically slept until the fuzziness passed. She must have looked confused, because Brodie finally chuckled, “Pet, it wasn’t meant to be confusing, really. I just want you to realize despite the fact we have known each other for two years, Lawton and I do know a lot about you, but we don’t know you intimately—yet. Very soon we’ll know every inch of you. There won’t be a sensitive spot we won’t have uncovered and exploited. We’ll know what each groan and sigh means, and we’ll know exactly what it takes to bring you the mindless pleasure you deserve.” Cressi might not feel well, but evidently her girly parts hadn’t gotten the memo from her head because she felt her vagina spasm and then she was wet—really wet. Sighing, she couldn’t help but worry he’d see the evidence of her arousal when she got up to use the restroom—maybe if she went right away he wouldn’t notice. “Cressida, I know your body is reacting to me and there is no need to be embarrassed by something that pleases me more than I can tell you.”
Suddenly her embarrassment had turned to humiliation and she started scooting back in an effort to escape his scrutiny. His eyes had glittered with something she couldn’t identify and she didn’t really care because she was sure she’d almost made her escape—until she pushed herself right up against the solid wall of Lawton Hill’s chest. Damn it all to dusty doilies. “Going somewhere, sweetness?”
“Yes, the restroom. And then I need to find my clothes so I can go get some medicine. I was shopping when I saw Parker, but I didn’t actually buy anything.” She couldn’t remember why—but she didn’t remember checking out at the store or leaving the store or…dang, her head hurt too bad to try to figure this all out now.
Lawton scooted back and picked her up in his arms as if she was a small child. “We have medicine for you, and it will be waiting when you come out. Do not try to shower without help—I don’t know what you and Brodie were talking about, but fuck me you smell good enough to eat.” He sat her on her feet right inside the door of the master bath and for the first time Cressi looked at the room from an entirely different perspective. She’d helped decorate both of her bosses separate living spaces, but she’d never dare view it from the perspective of a woman who was going to use the facilities. That’s when she realized she was naked and Law’s words finally penetrated her foggy mind—craptastic, there will be no living with them if they ever figure out the effect they have on me.
It didn’t take long for her to finish and she’d even managed to find a new toothbrush and her favorite toothpaste in the drawer. Cressi could feel her energy depleting quickly but was blindsided by a wave of dizziness when she straightened from brushing her teeth. Teetering precariously on the edge of consciousness, she felt warmth surround her just as Law’s breath wafted over her ear, “Damn it, Cressida, why didn’t you call for help?” Sorry, trying to stay vertical was using up all my barely functioning brain cells.
Law and Brodie both watched her take the lineup of medications Dr. Hill had suggested for her, and then the two of them settled her between them. They were still wearing their boxers, but the soft cotton did little to conceal their erections. Both men had chuckled when she’d licked her lips as they’d crawled into the bed, “No, pet. Not happening tonight. We have to discuss a few things first. You need to make some decisions that aren’t negated by your inability to give informed consent.” If I’m not getting any, why am I here? News flash for you, I’ve wanted you for so long,
I could make this call in a coma.
Cressi wasn’t sure what was keeping her brain cells from firing at their usual lightning speed, but the connection between her brain and mouth wasn’t working properly that was for sure because she blurted out, “Why am I naked and you aren’t?” Brodie’s expression changed so quickly Cressi had to blink a couple of times to be sure it was real because the smile that lit up his face was that of a young boy who’d just come across his older brother’s stash of Playboy magazines.
“Because we want to be able to touch you…to look at you without anything blocking our view. As your Masters, everything about your lovely body is now—quite literally at our fingertips. You belong to us and it is our privilege to care for you, and it is also our right to use everything as we see fit.” He studied her intently and Cressi noticed that in this setting Brodie seemed much more reflective. She saw his intensity, but not the “no holds barred” fire that was usually his hallmark—he was a man who planned to conquer by seduction rather than sheer force of will.
Well, that was all well and good, but it still didn’t really answer her question. “Ask your question, pet.” She felt her eyes widen in surprise and he smiled, “Don’t look so shocked, you’re very expressive. We can see you are struggling with something you don’t understand, and since we know you have at least a rudimentary understanding of the lifestyle, I can only assume it’s not the clothing issue.”
His words might have sounded condescending to anyone who didn’t know him as well as she did, but during the past two years, Cressi had never seen either Brodie or Lawton talk down to anyone. All four owners of T.E.G. were remarkably humble, she’d never seen any of them exhibit anything close to elitism—for men who had been raised with every possible privilege, they had always seemed very down to earth. “I was just wondering if you would be…well, if you would go really slow, because… Well, because even though I couldn’t really see you because you are still wearing your underwear—you both look pretty big.” When she finally managed to stumble through what she’d been trying to say, Cressi couldn’t help but wonder if she’d given away too much because she would have sworn she’d heard both men growl. Even with the medications kicking in, she was relatively certain a couple of growling Doms was a problem.
