by M. C. Cerny
“Precisely, Jude. Anymore objections?” Ella hesitated and I decided to go for it. What was the worst that could happen? I trusted my friend whom I’d known since grade school.
“I guess not.” Shrugging I felt her inch closer and closer, her breath becoming my own as we met in the middle to kiss.
“Perfect.” Ella whispered against my lips before pressing them deeply against my own. I let the kiss happen and felt her hand slip underneath my short dress to play with the lace edging of my panties.
I let my nerves settle into her touch. “Is he coming back?”
“Hmm?”
“Ken?” I asked, between heavy pets and wet kisses.
“Oh maybe later, let’s get you up on the cross first.” Ella stands abruptly pulling me up with her.
“So we’re not planning on praying?”
She laughed a little too loudly grating on my ears as she squeezed my hand reassuringly. “Jude, you’re the best. No, this is cross for bondage.” This would be something new. I’d never thought about being tied up before so I didn’t have an opinion on it one way or another.
“Where?” Pressing a finger to my lips shushing me I get tugged along the room a few steps forward when she turns me around.
“Do you trust me?” I was blind as a bat and Ella was asking me that after all this?
“Y-yes.” No, not really, but I felt like I’d already committed to whatever happens tonight. My unsteady legs followed my friend letting her position me at will. Trust was a funny thing and I shouldn’t have been as fancy free with mine as I was slowly learning.
“Good, now raise your arms up.” I did as she asked and felt her secure my hands with leather cuffs. Anticipation hovered as she moved my legs into position and cuffed them. I felt vulnerable bound up like this and dizzy in a way that wasn’t turning me on.
I heard the door click. “Are you sure about this Ella?” Something shifted in the air with Ken’s return.
“You look stunning on the cross darling. I wish you could see yourself but…pity, you can’t.” Ken is back and the prior anticipation turned to dread. His comment is demoralizing. Of course I couldn’t see, I didn’t need callous reminders from strangers who didn’t know me or give a shit about my life. I let the alcohol do too much of my reasoning and here I was trussed up like a holiday duckling.
“Ella?” I’m met with silence, nothing but dead silence and my heart pounding with enough pressure to make me light-headed and deaf from the white noise of anxiety filling my head.
“I am so sorry, Jude.” The crack in her voice is alarming.
“What?” Ice filled my body, sinking my too trusting heart along with instant regret.
“You didn’t tell her? Oh Ella, shame on you pet. You know the punishment for disobedience.” Ken’s voice gives away plenty and I realize now I’ve been set up.
“No master. I didn’t tell her.” A slapping sound of skin meeting skin and a soft whimper echoed in the room.
“You may go now, Ella.” The door clicked open.
“Ella, don’t you dare leave my ass here.” I snapped my attention trying to assess my options.
“Leave. Now.” Ken’s once inviting tone became hard, and demanding.
“Yes, Sir.” I sensed her backing away, leaving me in this void. The slim tether of trust frays with my burning anger.
“Ella!” Pathetically, she says she’s sorry and Ken curtly kicks her out of the room.
“Now…where were we?” I felt him step closer to me and I turn my head away to avoid the sour smell of his gin fueled breath which brought bile up my throat. A hand touched my face and I swallow back the acid sitting there on my tongue. I’d force myself to throw up on him or myself if it will get him away from me, but I want to be sure I don’t miss. The repercussions of doing it at all would be trouble.
“First the fun and then the pleasure, for me of course, not you. Girls like you are broken and not worth the effort anyway.” My mind blanks to a numb space protecting me as he reached down between my spread legs, his hand squeezing my inner thighs in a bruising grip. I tried clenching them, but it’s no use. Ella secured them and my stupidity is paying the price as he snakes his way up my body unrestricted. I hiccupped a sob cursing myself and all because I wanted to be normal…unbroken.
“Ella is such a good little sub, bringing me delicious treats, and you are a special one.” Evil and disgusting that’s what this guy was.
“Go fuck yourself.” I spit at him hoping I found my mark.
He slapped me hard forcing my head to the side painfully and my lip split stinging. “Scream, the walls are padded and no one will hear you.”
“I will kill you,” and I vowed to find a way to make it happen.
“But darling, how will you even identify me? You can’t see for shit can you? Who would believe you anyway?”
“Your voice gives you away,” and I regretted telling him that because he laughs a jarring sound.
“Unreliable witness is what they would call you, sweetheart. You’ve got nothing but circumstantial evidence, you pretty, broken girl.” He’s right and a single tear trailed down my cheek, cold and desolate while his hands pulled down my dress until the straps tear and his lips make a massacre of my exposed flesh bruising my skin.
Six
LORAND
Turning from the door, I saw Ella hurry around the corner; her blonde hair, a bright streak glowing in the newly installed recessed lighting. Jude is not with her and I couldn’t fathom why she would leave her anywhere, alone in a place like this. Where is Jude? My heart clenched with worry. I shouldn’t have left her on her own.
“Hey!” I chased her down grabbing her shoulder.
Quizzically looking me over, I realized Ella has recognized me. “Lorand?” Well, fuck a duck. So much for my anonymity.
“Jude–where is she?” Ella doesn’t respond, but open mouthed and eyes wide her gaze darts back to the door I had been standing in front of moments ago. Grabbing her arm, I dragged her with me racing back to it. If Jude is in there and something has happened to her I can’t promise to keep my trigger finger on my Sig Sauer 220 under control.
“Let me go, you psycho!” She claws at me making a commotion drawing the attention of a few suits nearby. She has no idea what kind of psycho I could be under the right circumstances.
“You were much friendlier five seconds ago,” I countered.
“I didn’t know you’d be dragging me around like a caveman.” If she only knew.
“Who is she with? Who is that man in there?” I can feel my jaw clenching and I know I have to watch myself inside the club. As a last resort I know I could escalate to trashing the place like a madman which won’t help Jude.
“I have to go.”
“I don’t think so, Ella.” Controlling my anger takes a second more than I want as I force her down the hall growling. “Open the fucking door.”
“I-I don’t have a key.” In my furry, I pushed her back against the far wall none to gently and stepped back to give myself a running start. I don’t have patience for this shit and Jude doesn’t have time to spare. I rammed into the door not budging it one bit.
“Fucking get a key!” Snarling at Ella’s paralyzed expression, I try to kick the door this time when the two suits who were watching our exchange thinking it was a scene approached me.
“What’s the problem?” One yelled back trying to grab for me. If he thought he could restrain me he was in for a surprise.
“She’s in there.”
“You can’t interrupt a scene. I don’t care if it’s your mother inside.”
“She’s not in there willingly.” The two suits take a moment to pause looking at me and then at Ella who seems to be dolefully sniffling. Damn girl was a twit as far as I was concerned and one Jude didn’t need to be associating with when this was all over. Girl crush or whatever the fuck they had going on between them, I decided it was over. The proprietary thoughts stalled me for a second and I shake it off for no
w.
“Better open up the door and sort it all out before Mak or Tally hears of this.” They nodded and one tapped his earbud whispering to someone on the other side. The other pulled out a master key for the room. Pushing past them I jumped inside. Jude is spread on the St. Andrew’s Cross and this asshole has his hands all over her. My mind exploded as if it were the day I pulled her from the building.
“Fuck!” I roared with my rusty voice, grabbing the asshole pawing at her tossing him to the ground. I’d kill him for touching her, but there would be a lot of questions and shit I can’t deal with at the present time. Jude is more important and she needs me.
It’s happening all over again.
This is partly my fault.
Mostly, my fault if I’m honest.
The suits hauled him away and Ella followed them with some bullshit sob story. I don’t get his name because I don’t need it. I will find him later and instead focused on Jude who was doing everything she could to take in shallow breaths. Her cheeks were bright crimson and she looked on the verge of a panic attack or passing out. Selfishly, I was partial to her passing out if it meant keeping my mute status just a little longer.
I was doing alright until I saw my pendant hanging between her raw and bruised breasts. I wanted to find that piece of garbage and use my knife to separate his lips from his face like the fat pork sausages they reminded me of. I shook the dark thoughts away and looked at her again letting my eyes look her over. Her head was down and face vacant looking under tangled ribbons of dark hair. I’m shattered.
My voice faltered speaking directly to her for the first time in years. “Hey, Jude.”
Her face lifted, turned toward mine, for the moment I was still unrecognizable to her. A wry smile on her lips, one cut and bloodied through the tears slowly pieced things together. Watching her mind roll things around was fascinating to me. “I don’t suppose you’ll start singing to me next?” Ever the wise ass, my girl, I unhooked her legs first from the cross skimming my hands down her smooth skin, pulling her dress back down into place covering her bare pussy below. Carefully, I pulled the top of her dress back up and worked on freeing her arms. Her dress was useless so I took off my jacket and wrapped her up in it hooking her arms around my shoulders to pick her up.
“It feels like I’m swimming.” Her head lolled to the side nestled against me, eyes a little vacant. She was in shock and ice cold.
“I’ve got you now. It’s going to be alright.” My own body is shaking, adrenaline coursing through it. I wanted to kill that guy. I still did, but making sure Jude was going to be okay took precedence. She would always take precedence. I could find him easily enough.
“What the hell happened in here?” Tally rushed inside the room pushing the suits a part. They looked away from Jude’s exposed body respectfully and that was their saving grace. Tally guided us toward a private suite next door.
“It would seem Ella’s Dom decided she should do some recruiting.”
“Damn it. We’ve always been so careful, so safe. Is she alright?” Tally fussed checking Jude over who clutched me tighter, withering away from Tally’s gentle contact. Her face remained hidden in my shoulder safely.
Cupping the back of her head for support with the rest of her body, I placed Jude on the bed and began a cursory review of her condition. She remained placid and allowed my hands to open my suit jacket covering her and roam over her in a clinical manor. Torn dress, split lip, a few deeper bruises that would surface fully in about twelve hours from now covered her breasts and shoulders.
“I think so.” Jude’s brow furrowed and I wasn’t sure if it was pain, embarrassment or something else that caused her expression. I caressed her face with my hand and she skittered away to pull me closer. “Shhh. It’s alright now. I’m here.” Kneeling down on the bed next to her, I did what I could to comfort her as the shock coursed through her.
“I’ll see that the other two are dealt with.” Tally leaves to find Ella and her Dom. I hoped she banished them not only from the club but from Karim all together, because I would find them both and make them pay equally when the time came. I had a good mind to speak with the owner, Jet Mak to see what else could be done.
“We need to get you out of here.” My mind waged a war between fixing this situation and doing something that would probably make it worse considering what I usually did to men like this.
“Please don’t go.” Jude burrowed deeper into my arms and I held her there kissing her brow, my distracted thoughts putting distance between us I hadn’t intended. She must have sensed my hesitation because her fingers dug deep into my dress shirt, her nails pin pricks through the fine fabric.
“You’re experiencing shock, it’s alright.” I pried her grip from me so I could fix my jacket and wrap her up in it more securely. This was all too familiar territory for me. She resisted until I pulled it tight around her shoulders giving her no choice securing her in the wool like swaddling. There would be time enough for her to be angry with me. My fingers stroking the pendant that hung around her neck. One hand clutched it tightly between her fingers, the diamonds of the eye almost glowing.
Warning me.
Some job it did of that.
“Let’s get you home.” I picked her up and carried her down to the basement level out of the club through a back entrance led by two other suits placing her inside my car gently buckling her in. We had a shit ton to discuss once I got her back to her house.
This was it.
She was it for me…and I was in so much fucking trouble.
Seven
JUDE
“Are you going to tell me who the f-fuck you r-really are?” We had been sitting in his car, a jeep or something large for some time letting the engine idle, the heat on high blast. Sweat began to trickle between my breasts and I fumbled reaching for the switch to turn it off between swaths of fabric from his jacket. I felt uneasy having traded one strange situation for another. My throat constricted as I tried to desperately control my emotions and leaking tears.
“I brought you back to your house. I thought you’d feel better being in familiar surroundings.” He sounded contrite, my mystery man.
His response made me snort. “I mean–who you really are not some bullshit excuse.” I clutched his jacket closer around me taking in his familiar scent.
He cleared his throat and I felt his fingers touch my hand, his much larger, warmer one closing over mine canceling out Ken’s slimy impersonal touch from earlier. The warmth seeped into me like a virus spreading only this one brought comfort and the fevered shivers didn’t frighten me.
“My name is….” He cleared his throat before continuing and I spiraled back into the past, my ears lifting back to hear him more clearly discerning the changes in the tone of his voice over time.
“Stay with me Jude. I’m not going to let you go. I am so sorry this happened. You weren’t supposed to be here.” The burning feeling overwhelmed me and I couldn’t open my eyes. I was choking from the inside out and his touch was cool against my heated skin. His voice is smooth and pleading with me. He sounded unsure and I forced my eyes to open. It felt like the skin was splitting at the seams and I cried out loud. My last vision was of a familiar youthful face behind a mask that reminded me of a bad sci-fy movie before it melted away into nothingness. I felt him pick me up and air sliced at my exposed skin. Something was burning at me and I struggled to get it off my body. Pain consumed my thoughts and his identity washed away with more pressing concerns for my livelihood.
“Shhh….Jude. I’m so sorry. I wish…I wish there was something I could do.” There was something so final in is voice. I was pretty sure I was going to die here and it was because of him. He laid me down on something soft and I turned my head to the side. Between the smell of something chemical and toxic there was the scent of something floral. Flowers maybe, but I wasn’t sure because the overriding pain that clouded over everything else and the chaos.
“Lorand Duvall.” I breathe
d in to clear my thoughts and search my brain for why he seemed so familiar to me now that I have a voice and a name to put together. Why I didn’t connect it then was a mystery but the shock of the events made that day filter into a muddy mess I stopped trying to recall years earlier.
His body moved like he was nodding though I couldn’t visually tell and part of me fractured. He was there. “Oh my god, it was you.”
“It was me and I am so, so sorry for what I did.” I’m not sure what he thinks he did except save my life. Shaking, I touched his face and my hands rested against his throat. Thick and muscular I felt him swallow deeply with regret and my fingers reached to touch each indentation, angle and curve of his face placing it from my memory to now.
The first night alone in my house I get up, unsettled as usual. Banging against unfamiliar furniture and things I forgot to pick up which bruise me now that I’m alone. “Hello?” My hands darted out into nothing and unbalanced I nearly fall head long into nothing.
Hands clasp around my forearms gently. “Who?” I tried to pull away scared at first. Confused the hands become an embrace both restraining and holding me before guiding me over to my kitchen table. Warmth radiated unexpectedly from the table with scents that pleasantly tickled my still sensitive nose. “What?” A hand places a warm croissant between my fingers and pushes it towards my lips to taste. Weird. I should be screaming down the house calling out for my deaf but nosy neighbor Mrs. Goddard to come running and help me. My panic button is here somewhere, but I don’t know where I’ve put the damn thing having just moved in.
I take a bite of the flakey dessert and taste something buttery sweet and filled with fruit jelly and sweet cream. A treat, something a guardian might give a child. I felt resentful for a moment. I wasn’t a child, but I was more broken than most.
The hand, I recognized as masculine traced over my skin and after I ate the French pastry he placed that missing panic button into my palm and waited. Maybe food does soothe the beast? I had no desire in that moment to press the button calling for help. I placed it on the table, my decision made. Leaving me at the table he kissed my forehead with tenderness that made my damaged eyes burn with tears as he left me alone in my darkness. I sat there until the next morning hearing Mrs. Goddard banging at my door.
