Liam didn’t blame him. If this place was his pride and joy, he’d eject anyone who didn’t meet his standards. He pulled Tru into his arms and kissed her tenderly. He held her lightly, but his lips staked an assured claim. She melted against his chest, and he felt the gentle glide of her palms moving up his arms and settling on his shoulders. When it ended, he tucked her head under his chin and held her for a moment.
“I missed you too, Sir.”
“I thought we’d scene tonight.”
He felt her grin grow. “Thank you, Sir.”
Twenty minutes later, he kissed her goodbye at the door to the Zangaris’ home, and he promised to return in an hour to pick her up. He came back to find Jed on their FBI-issued laptop encrypted for secure communication.
“Submitting a report?”
“Looking up Schatz.”
“Already done.” He took the laptop, typed in his logon information, and showed Jed the FBI file on Anton Schatz. The man was the son of a high-end real estate developer. Schatz had lived a privileged life until college when he’d run afoul of the law. His father had stayed with him through accusations of drugging college women and raping them, but he’d cut ties after Schatz had been accused of fraud.
Jed shook his head. “Rape is okay, but allegedly stealing from your father’s corporation is not.”
They talked for a while longer. Liam described his investigation, including the attempted search of Schatz’s car, and Jed related what he’d overheard in the bathroom. He’d also managed to attach a tracking device to the underside of Schatz’s passenger seat, so if they left suddenly, they wouldn’t lose them until they ditched the car. In the middle of their talk, Liam tried to bring up the evolution of his feelings for Tru, but he couldn’t seem to get the words out, and then Jed would mention something related to the case, which kept the topic firmly in that realm.
On the way to Alex and Jewell’s house, Liam bit the bullet. “Tru is very special.”
“I know.”
They continued along in an awkward silence. Liam didn’t know what to say next. Should he come out and tell Jed that he was in love with their submissive? What if Jed wasn’t in love with her? What if he was?
“Remember when we said we wanted to get her to agree to keep seeing us after this trip?”
“Yep.”
“What do you think the chances are that she’ll say yes?”
Jed exhaled a sigh. “I’d like to believe our chances are good. She isn’t treating us like we’re a temporary diversion, the sexual equivalent of a base jump, which I think was her original intention.”
They’d arrived at the front door, but Liam had one more question. “Are you still on board with sharing her?”
“Yes. I don’t imagine it’s going to be easy, but I think we can make it work. It’s what she wants, and I want her to be happy.”
Liam’s sentiment ran along the same lines, which wasn’t a ringing endorsement of their arrangement. They were sharing because she wanted it, not because they did.
Alex opened the door before they knocked. “I thought I heard someone out here. Come on in. The girls aren’t quite finished.”
Liam and Jed followed Alex to the kitchen, the source of some seriously scrumptious aromas. “What are they doing?”
“Talking. Jewell lost her cat last month, and she’s still pretty broken up about it. Tru is the first person besides me that she’s talked to about it. I imagine that she’ll somehow manipulate Tru into flogging her into a cathartic release.” Alex gestured to the stove. “Dinner should be ready soon.”
Liam and Jed slid onto high stools on the other side of the U-shaped counter. Jed furrowed his brows. “Sorry to hear about your pet. I didn’t know we’d been invited to dinner.”
Alex shrugged. “I wasn’t sure, but I made enough for everybody. It’s spaghetti and meatballs. I don’t cook much, but I make a killer marinara sauce, and my spicy meatballs are a family secret, so Jewell lets me take the lead on this.”
Liam didn’t care what they had for dinner, but he wanted to eat in the dining room to watch Schatz. He thought Jed would arrive at the same conclusion, but his buddy grinned. “It smells great. Thanks. I’m looking forward to it.”
He wanted to kick some sense into Jed. Their primary concern was for the investigation, and it felt like they were abandoning their responsibility.
When Alex turned away to stir the sauce, Jed leaned closer. “They plan to take a nap, order room service, and stay in tonight.”
Liam didn’t trust the plans that criminals shared, and he couldn’t believe that Jed did either. Then he remembered the tracker on the car. If they left, it would trigger a notice on Jed’s cell phone. Liam relaxed and turned his attention to their host. “So, you’re okay with Tru flogging Jewell?”
“Yeah. She’s pretty good at it, though a little out of practice. As long as they don’t have sex afterward, then it’s all good.” He dumped two boxes of spaghetti noodles into a vat of boiling water.
The image of Tru and Jewell going at it made Liam need to adjust his position. “You have to admit that it would be very hot to watch, though.”
Jed chuckled. “Damn. I’m going to be thinking about that all night now.”
Alex frowned. “Tru never told you that she used to top Jewell?”
“She said she’d been a beta Domme before, but she didn’t say with whom.” Jed’s gaze sidled toward the door to the basement where the dungeon was located. He looked like he wanted to go down and watch.
Liam understood the urge, but he respected her privacy. Tru wouldn’t have sex with anyone outside their dynamic. She had a loyal heart, and she was down there comforting a friend. He knew that Tru had introduced Jewell to Alex, so he directed a question at Zangari. “Did it cause problems in your friendship with Tru when you stole her sub?”
Alex focused on stirring the sauce. “I didn’t steal Jewell. At first I thought Tru was just bringing Jewell around as a play partner. She’s always liked threesomes, but usually I selected our third, even when she made suggestions. But then I realized that Tru wanted me to fall in love with Jewell so that I wouldn’t be upset when she asked me to release her. Of course I was already head over feet for Jewell, so it didn’t take me long to get over Tru, and now we’re all just good friends again. So when she says that she introduced me to Jewell, it’s the truth.” He killed the flame on the burner. “Do one of you want to go get the ladies and tell them dinner’s done?”
The erotic vision of two lovely, naked female submissives touching and kissing melted from Liam’s brain when he realized that Alex had been the one watching them get it on. And participating. He’d most likely participated. Hell, Liam would have if he were in that position. Rage—anger and hurt mixed together—burned like a fire in his throat. She’d brought them to the home of her former Master, and she’d only told them that Alex and Jewell were friends. Friends—not former lovers. Friends—not former Master and submissive.
Jed jabbed him hard with his elbow. “Why don’t you fetch Tru and Jewell?”
Liam glared at Jed, and then he realized his buddy was giving him a chance to walk it off and get his head back in the game. There were a lot of things he didn’t know about Tru, and there were a lot of things she didn’t know about him. However, she should have told them about Alex. That was need-to-know information. When you cared about someone, you didn’t let them walk into a situation like this without knowing pertinent facts.
He opened the door to the dungeon to find Tru loosening the restraints holding Jewell to the St. Andrew’s cross. She smiled, a huge, welcoming grin that blazed from the depths of her eyes and transformed her face from beautiful to radiant.
“Hello, Sir. Would you mind helping me untie Jewell?”
Wordlessly he unbuckled the last cuff binding Jewell to the cross. She slowly lowered her arms, and she faced Tru with a serene expression. “Thank you for this. It helps more than you can possibly know.”
“Dinner is ready.�
�� Liam was furious with Tru, but he didn’t want to rain on Jewell’s parade, so he kept his ire from his tone.
This day was shaping up to be one of her five best. It was right up there with learning she was in remission—twice—and the day she’d met Poppy. No—this whole trip was incredible. She’d been right to take a chance on these two. They’d taken her to such great heights. She’d given more of herself to them than she’d ever given to anyone, and she didn’t regret it one bit. They’d cherished her, loved her well, and then they’d patiently seen her through the worst subdrop she’d ever experienced. Normally she didn’t let herself get too invested in a scene. She treated them as games, fun to be had for a little while. But it was different with Jed and Liam. She was different with Jed and Liam.
For the first time in her life, she wasn’t terrified of falling in love. Jed and Liam made her want to take that chance. Given the way they looked at her, the way they touched her, and the way they took care of her, she felt secure in their intentions. After all, actions spoke louder than words.
Liam waited while she closed up the dungeon, and he escorted her upstairs to the kitchen where Alex and Jed had set up an informal dinner. The two of them were already eating, and Jewell was nowhere to be found.
Alex gestured to the stove. “It’s self-serve tonight.”
“Where’s Jewell?”
Pointing to the ceiling, Alex swallowed his mouthful of food. “Upstairs. She was tired, so I sent her to bed. I’ll heat up something for her later. She had a late lunch, and she’s supposed to help me monitor exhibitionist/voyeur night this evening. A nap is just what she needs.”
Tru put a hand on Liam’s arm. “Would you like me to make you a plate?” She wanted to serve him. She wanted to honor him the way he deserved.
He snagged a plate from the stack on the counter. “Nah. I’m good.” He heaped on noodles and meat sauce, and then he joined the other men.
She tried not to dwell on his refusal. Liam was used to fending for himself. She’d have to change that about him. He was new to being a Dominant, so he probably had some kind of feminist hangup about having her serve him. But that reasoning didn’t sit right with her
When she sat down, she realized she had neglected to get a drink. “Alex, what do you have to drink?”
He pursed his lips as he thought. “Don’t know. Water. Maybe cranberry juice? Jewell won’t buy pop anymore because the doctor said I should lay off.”
Tru laughed. It was just like Jewell to enforce healthy habits. She wanted to have Alex around for a long time. “I’ll raid the fridge. Jed, Liam, can I get you something?”
“Water is fine.” Liam twirled spaghetti on his fork.
“I have a beer.” Jed lifted the bottle and took a sip.
She opted to have water as well, but as she filled the glasses, she frowned. Something was wrong. She knew that Jed wanted to talk to her alone so that she could tell him about the visions she’d experienced on the trip, but that didn’t explain his suddenly subdued manner. He hadn’t seemed to notice that she’d joined them until she asked him if he wanted a drink. Liam also seemed to be holding back. She wondered what they had talked about after she’d left. Was the case going badly?
Or maybe they felt they needed to be in the inn so that they could keep an eye on Anton Schatz and Sarah Braithwaite? Damn! Being here was taking them away from their investigation, and it was her fault. They hadn’t wanted to join her friend for dinner, but they hadn’t known how to get out of it without being rude.
They ate in silence. Alex watched them, and he shot her a couple of questioning glances, but she couldn’t answer him without jeopardizing their investigation. As soon as her men finished eating, she jumped up. “We should probably get back so that we can get ready for tonight.” She met the hundredth question in Alex’s eyes. “We’re super excited for it. Do you mind if we take off? Or I can stay behind and help you clean up while these two head back and get things ready.”
Alex waved her off. “Go. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
“Thanks for dinner.” Jed pushed in his chair and waved.
“Yeah, you were right. You do make kickass meatballs. Thanks.” Liam put a hand on Tru’s lower back and steered her toward the front door.
They walked back in silence. Tru didn’t stir the pot until they were safely ensconced in their room. “Sir? What’s wrong?”
“Sir?” Liam whirled on her. Fire danced behind his brilliant blue eyes. Unfortunately it wasn’t the kind that smoldered and made her panties wet. “That’s convenient, isn’t it?”
This was the first time she’d seen him this angry, and she wasn’t sure why his ire was directed at her. She drew back. “I don’t understand why you’re mad at me.” She looked to Jed for answers or support, but he merely crossed his arms and glared at her the same way Liam was. “You’re both mad at me? This isn’t fair. What the hell could I have possibly done?”
“How about taking us to a place owned by your ex-Master without mentioning that you two had a relationship?” Ten feet separated her from Liam, but the distinct force of his vehemence easily traveled the span.
She took a defensive step back. “I brought you here because you needed to come here. You asked me to bring you here.”
“And you wouldn’t have if you had a choice?” Jed’s quiet question cut through her armor. She’d hurt them both.
“I—I don’t know. Maybe. Not this quickly, but eventually.” Would she really have brought them here? In a word—no. She wouldn’t have given them a chance to make her fall for them. That had happened here.
“You’re lying.” Liam clenched his jaw and shook his head in disgust.
Yes, she was technically lying, but things were different now. It wasn’t a lie now. “It’s not a fair question.”
“It’s not fair to bring us here and throw your ex-lovers in our faces.” Liam shook a finger at her. “Twice we walked into there to find out major things that should have come from you. The first time, we made excuses. It’s a new relationship, it’s not something you run around telling people.”
Tru’s defensiveness was morphing to outrage at their antagonism. “I’ve known you for two weeks, Liam. Two weeks where you were also working on an investigation. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for heart-to-heart talks. And you don’t get to throw my cancer in my face. I would have told you eventually, when the time was right. It’s not information I trot out on the first few dates.” Some people liked to wear shirts to proclaim their status as a survivor, but Tru was a private person. When she volunteered every year at the hospital that had become a second home through her years of treatment, she talked about it openly and freely. When she met a hunky guy, she didn’t use that information as a pickup line.
He waved away her concern. “I’m not throwing that at you, just the fact that you don’t tell us anything. I’m really pissed that you didn’t bother to warn us that Alex was your Master. You said he was your friend. Just a friend.”
“He is my friend.” She hated that he was furious with her. Swallowing back the prick of tears, she plunged ahead. “He’s been my friend for a long time. About six years ago, he introduced me to the lifestyle. I trained with him whenever I came for a visit, and when I realized he had feelings for me, I looked for ways to let him down gently. That’s when I met Jewell, and I had a vision of them together.” She clamped her mouth shut because she’d fucked up big time. Only Jed knew about her visions. Liam didn’t believe in such things.
But she needn’t have worried. He didn’t seem to have caught it. He closed the distance, towering over her as only a Dominant could. “All the more reason to tell us. You warned us that we’d be judged. We thought you meant that your friends would be looking to make sure we treated you right, not measuring us against how they treated you when you were theirs.”
Alex and Jewell weren’t like that. Sure, Alex had been hurt at first, but he’d moved on quickly because he and Jewell were soul mates. Defiant, she lifted h
er chin. “I was never theirs, and I warned you about the most important thing. Yes, they care about me—as friends do. They want me to be with someone who makes me happy.” She had more to say, but he cut her off.
“I’m not interested in your excuses or explanations. The fact of the matter is that YOU should have told us.”
She agreed. Alex had no business shooting his mouth off. She moved closer to Liam, openly challenging his dominance. “You’re right. It’s my business, and I should have told you when or IF I thought you should know.”
The flames turned to steel, and when he spoke, his soft voice was edged in jagged, sharpened glass. “Sure, Princess. Why tell us about your exes when it doesn’t matter? After all, this is just temporary, right? Make believe? Once we’re finished with the investigation, we’ll go our separate ways. It’ll be over. We’ll leave here with a murderer and fond memories of a smoking hot good time.”
He hadn’t touched her, but she staggered back as if he’d slapped her. In a way, he had—twisting her words and throwing them at her after he’d made her fall in love with him.
He didn’t wait for a response. He pushed past her and stormed out.
She looked to Jed for help, but she saw that she’d hurt him just as deeply. “Jed, I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Misery broke the surface of his chocolate eyes. He looked at the floor rather than meet her gaze. “No, of course not. It was just supposed to be some fun on the side, right?”
“It started that way, but—”
“I’ll go talk to him.” Jed left before she could think of a way to explain reasonings that weren’t clear or coherent in her head.
She sank down and sat on the foot of the bed, staring at nothing because she was too stunned to cry. Today had started so wonderfully, and it was ending so fucking badly.
Chapter Nineteen
The evening had cooled off in direct proportion to the rise in Jed’s temper. He wasn’t given to productive outbursts, and he was glad that Dare had taken the lead on that interrogation. Where Jed would have yelled and maybe punched a wall, Dare had been through enough therapy that he used his words no matter the circumstances. It made him a great field agent, though he knew his buddy would have preferred to sit in front of a computer all day long.
Re/Viewed Page 27
