by Nikki Sloane
She smiled softly, like she was glad I had returned to normal. “Of course you are. Hey, this is supposed to be enjoyable for both you and the client. You’re gonna have a great time.”
“Yeah. I’ll be better when I’m on the table,” I offered.
I highly doubted it, but I focused on the goal. I pictured Roland’s face when we arrived at his residence tomorrow morning and asked him to come with us downtown. Would he lose his shit when he saw me with my badge? I let my anticipation for that moment fuel me as I followed Payton down the hallway toward Room Five.
Marquis stood beside the door, a sick, twisted grin smeared on his face. How much did he know about my plan? At least after tonight, I wouldn’t have to see him anymore.
Anxiety stiffened my muscles as soon as Payton and I were closed in the room. Hopefully Roland was punctual for his appointment and I wouldn’t have to wait long. On top of everything else, I wasn’t thrilled about the act of allowing myself to be bound or to surrender my freedoms willingly.
There was only one man I would do that for, which I suppose I was now, more or less. Getting on the table would remove the final barrier between Silas and me.
“Your client’s already in the holding room,” Payton said. “You want me to tell Julius to make him chill?”
Had she asked because I was staring at the table like it was the gallows?
“No.” I centered myself, searching for the ice queen I’d tried so hard to be. You aren’t cold fucking Roland. He’s not a threat. Stop being a pussy and do your job. I tore open the robe, hung it on the hook, and marched to the table. My voice was certain and business-like. “I’m ready.”
I sat. I lay down and stared up at the crystal chandelier, listening as she opened the drawer and pulled out the blindfold.
“This is my last night here,” Payton said matter-of-factly.
My surprised gaze found hers. “What?”
“Dominic and I are thinking about kids. He’s thirty-five, and loves to remind me he’s not getting any younger.”
I took the silky blindfold from her. “What about Julius?”
“He gets it, and it’s not like he needs my help. He knows what he’s doing.”
She stared at me expectantly, waiting for me to don the mask. I held my breath and slipped the elastic band behind my head, tugging the blindfold down over my eyes.
“I’m going to miss you,” I said. There was a sharp pain in my chest, even though it wasn’t a lie.
“Aw, you’re sweet. I’ll fucking miss you, too.”
I flinched at the sound of the Velcro ripping open. She closed it tight around my left wrist, and I bit down on the inside of my cheek. In a moment, she’d steal the last bit of control from me.
“Can you do the other one sort of loose?” I whispered.
She laughed softly. “Yeah, of course. Joseph told me you weren’t a natural submissive, so baby steps, right?”
“Right.” I swallowed as her heels clicked across the floor.
She curled the ribbon around my wrist. “How’s that?”
“Good, thanks.”
Her hair brushed my shoulder as she leaned close. “And just because I won’t be here anymore, doesn’t mean you get to be a stranger, Regan.”
A faint smile warmed my lips.
She leaned even closer so her breath was hot in my ear. Her tone was sinful. “I heard about your night here with Tara. Let me know if you ever want to play with me and Dominic.”
Beneath the mask, my eyes popped open. I was flattered, and the image sparked of Payton and Dominic together. I’d watched them on the monitor at the conclusion of the fake negotiations last year, and they’d been scorching hot. Would Silas want to play with another couple? Fuck, there was already too much shit on my mind, I had to compartmentalize it.
“I’ll . . . keep that in mind.”
She chuckled as she drew back. “Julius, Room Five’s ready.”
Footsteps diminished as she went to the chair in the corner and sat.
The air around me grew colder with each painstakingly slow second. My mouth went dry, like someone had shoved it full of cotton. Striking this deal with Roland would put a lot of things in motion. Would this be the first time he’d attempted to cheat on his wife? Or was he the clichéd man in politics who grabbed any piece of ass he could?
It had to be the second one. He’d been awfully quick to pull his wedding ring off at the gallery showing.
The door groaned open, shoes clopped into the room, and there was a thud when the door shut behind him.
Showtime.
Chapter
TWENTY-FOUR
It sounded as if Payton stood quickly from the chair. “Good evening, sir. Welcome.”
There wasn’t a response. He was probably too busy looking at my tits. I clenched my teeth so tight my jaw ached. You’re almost done. I’d agree to whatever sum he offered, because the faster this was over, the better.
“I heard it’s your first time here,” Payton said. “On the wall you’ll see a list. These are areas she’s interested in, if you are, too.”
God, filling out the willing list had been painful. Not that it’d ever get that far, but I didn’t want to leave something off that Roland would be into. I needed the sale as enticing as possible, and in the end I’d checked all of the boxes except for the extreme fetishes.
“May I take your coat?”
There was rustling as he slipped it off and passed it to her. He didn’t utter a thank you, and I don’t know why I was surprised. The more I’d dug into his background, the more I’d uncovered he was an arrogant prick.
“Let’s talk money,” he said abruptly, his voice harsh.
“You want to dive right into the deep end?” She gave half a laugh.
Was that a sports reference, or just an idiom? I would have put him more in the average category rather than attractive, but looks were subjective.
“I don’t like to waste time,” he said. “I’m a busy man.”
“All right. Nine.”
“Hundred?”
A noise cut off from her, like shocked offense. “Thousand.”
He responded with his own sound of disapproval. “You’ve got to be joking.”
“You came here specifically for her.”
He shifted on his feet, the shoes scuffing on the floor. “I won’t pay anything more than two, and she’d better be worth it.”
I couldn’t see Payton, but I knew her well enough. I pictured her hands clenching into fists and a tight smile plastered on her face, masking her irritation. It was fine, though. I’d dealt with my fair share of clients who had difficulty letting go of their money, and it was hardest with brand new clients.
“Satisfaction is guaranteed,” she purred. Could he hear the undertone of contempt? “If you don’t enjoy to the very last drop, you won’t be charged. So, to be clear, your offer is two?”
He seemed to consider her statement, then sighed. “Yes.”
She fiddled with the strap holding my blindfold in place. She thought this was the highest he was willing to go.
The words were bitter on my tongue. “I accept.”
“Congratulations, sir.” Payton’s hand lingered on my shoulder.
What was she doing? As soon as the deal was made, I got out of the client’s way as quickly as possible.
A beat passed before she spoke again. “Tonight’s the first time she’s offered herself. You’ll be her first client, so make it special for her, okay?”
He said nothing.
Payton’s palm squeezed, and her fingers brushed over my skin as they trailed away. Her footsteps drifted to the door, and then it was shut.
All alone now, Roland. I probably had enough already and could use my signal, but no way was I going to go through this and leave the lawyers room to argue it was a misunderstanding. He’d need to make a move on me so it was concrete. It’d be impossible to argue against the video evidence.
It was utterly quiet in the room. I�
�d grown to crave the sounds of life and people like Silas did. I always had music on now when I was home alone. The silence was unnerving.
“Are you going to touch me?” I asked. Who cared if I broke a rule?
“Not yet.” His heavy voice was depraved. “I’m just enjoying this. Was it hard for you to agree to this?”
“What?”
“When I called, the owner explained how his girls would let me do whatever I wanted.” His voice got louder as he came to the edge of the table. “But he lied, because then he said I couldn’t have you.”
I pressed my lips together. Just shut up and fucking touch me, asshole.
“And when he told me you weren’t submissive? It only made me want you more. It’s no fun when the girl just takes it. I like them feisty, and you redheads usually are.”
The back of my neck tingled. Something was off.
“Tell me,” he demanded, “how getting on this table made you feel. Because knowing I got you to do it makes me hard.”
I swallowed back the acidic taste which had risen in my mouth, refusing to take the bait. “You want to know how I feel? Touch me and find out.”
He made a tsk, tsk noise. “You’re too eager. I need to teach you some patience.”
There came the sound of a belt buckle being undone. It slid free from belt loops. Every part of my body went on high alert. That action had to be enough. How could he defend it as being anything but sexual?
I opened and closed my hands rapidly, signaling Julius and Payton who’d be watching on the monitor that I needed out. They’d radio to Marquis to move in.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I’m trying to figure out where’s the best place to deliver my lesson.” He slapped the belt against the edge of the table and I flinched. “Not on your tits. Kirk was so impressed he wouldn’t shut up about them the rest of the night.”
“Oh, God.”
It made sense now why Payton thought he was attractive. His dominating and cruel attitude didn’t match what I had expected, because this man wasn’t Roland. I flung my hands open and closed several more times. Had time slowed to a standstill?
“I’ve changed my mind, Congressman.”
“You know what? Me, too. The belt’s too much to start with.”
The table shifted minutely as he climbed on top of me. He straddled my waist, trapping me under his weight. His pants were still on, thankfully. I could feel the fabric against my skin.
“I meant the deal’s off,” I clarified. I tried to squirm away, and he groaned like it was pleasurable for him.
“Is this the part where you try to run me down for more money?” His hands closed on my breasts, and I reacted. I tucked my thumb to my palm, yanked my hand free from the restraint, and slapped him so hard across his face, the impact turned his head.
I tore off the blindfold and blinked against the light.
Victor Bennett wore the same look he’d given me across Silas’s gallery. Lust and rage. It was scary, but not nearly as horrifying as when he captured my free wrist in both of his hands and slammed it against the table.
“No!” I yelled. I fought against him, but he had both hands to my one, and it was almost easy for him to wrap the Velcro tightly around my wrist. When I tried to bring my knees up, he adjusted so his weight was pinning the tops of my thighs. I couldn’t move.
His cheek flamed pick, but his eyes burned red. “See, there’s that fire I expected. I’m going to enjoy teaching you manners, whore.”
“Get off of me. I’m not a whore.”
He laughed like I was ridiculous, and his hands were on my breasts again. This time I couldn’t do anything but fight against the straps. They cut into my wrists as they held tight.
“Stop,” I ordered. Yelling was futile. I knew the rooms were soundproof, but I did it anyway. “Marquis!” Bennett’s palms coursed over my skin and he pinched a nipple hard enough for me to gasp with pain. “Get your dirty hands off me, asshole.”
“Dirty?” He looked amused.
“You’re crooked. Dirty. And tomorrow everyone’s going to know about it when—”
He slammed a hand over my mouth to silence me, but I welcomed it. I sank my teeth into the bony fingers and gnashed down hard. Bennett reared back, using his other hand to pull himself away.
“Fucking whore!”
“I told you, I’m not a whore,” I said. “I’m FBI.”
The pain etched on his face was replaced with a nervous expression, but it faded quickly. “Not a chance.”
“We’ve been running this operation for more than a year. Now you’re in our net, and I can’t wait to see what we shake out of you.”
“Oh, yeah?” Bennett glanced around. “Where the fuck is this ‘we’?” He flexed his fingers, as if trying to shake out the pain. “All I see is you trapped beneath me. If any of that bullshit were true, why hasn’t anyone come through that door?”
It was an excellent point. Where the fuck was Marquis? Unless . . .
His smile tonight had been laced with extra malice. Had he finally fucked me over as I knew he would? I wretched my arms painfully against the straps, bucking beneath Bennett.
“Get off of me!”
“You’re going to pay for what you just did.”
He closed his unwounded hand around my throat. The temperature in the room plummeted a thousand degrees and my skin turned to lead.
“I’m a federal officer,” I gasped. His fingers tightened. He wouldn’t be able to choke me out completely with just one hand, but it was a sickening feeling as he restricted my windpipe, and I rasped for breath. “You’re going to prison.”
His eyes were brimming with fury, and we crossed a terrible line where I could sense he was no longer in control, either. His erection dug into my belly. My muscles strained so hard they shook, but the more I pushed against him, the worse the hand’s pressure became. I had to get him back in control and thinking about consequences.
I could barely speak. “Kiss that presidential run . . . goodbye.”
So fucking stupid. Rather than release me, his other hand gripped my throat. The first hand had been dominance, but this one’s intent was so much darker. Circulation cut off in my fingers as I tried desperately to break free from the ribbons. I clawed at air.
The choking sounds I’d been making got much worse. The raw, guttural noise punctuated the room, accompanied by my thrashing. My heart was throbbing in my head, but I didn’t dare close my eyes against the pain. I’d keep them open wide and stare into Victor Bennett’s hateful ones, wordlessly telling him to go fuck himself until everything went black.
My instincts said I was going to die on this table, but then again, my instincts were usually never right.
“Let her go!” a male voice yelled.
My vision blurred as oxygen dwindled, but an enormous figure appeared at my side. There was a thunderous smack and Bennett’s weight was gone as he tumbled off of the table.
Air poured back in through my raw throat, and I blinked through the haze. Unavoidable tears burned in my eyes.
“Julius,” I rasped.
Chapter
TWENTY-FIVE
Julius tore open the straps, setting me free. My upper body ached and I was weak all over, too much to move. My head lolled to the side.
Illinois congressman Victor Bennett was sprawled on the floor of a brothel, knocked out cold with one punch.
White silk splashed on me as Julius draped the robe over my body. His hands dove beneath, lifting me into his arms and crushing me against his beautiful new suit.
“I got you, girl.” His deep voice was soft, and I wanted to cry at the sound. Hell, maybe I was crying. The tears from the lack of oxygen were still burning in my eyes. His strong arms carried me through the open door and he moved swiftly through the hall. “You’re gonna be fine.”
It made me nervous. He didn’t ask me if I was okay, which meant I probably wasn’t. My head was still pounding and the world was spinning, so I
clung to him. Wait a minute. The hall was empty.
“Where’s Marquis?” I croaked.
“Gone.”
“He just left?”
“Nah, girl.” Julius lumbered up the steps. “He wouldn’t help you, and when I came down, he got in my way. We tussled, and then he left.”
Holy shit. I’d never seen Julius fight. For most guys, he was too much of a threat to challenge, and secretly I’d wondered if he even had the stomach for it. But he’d gone against Marquis, and won. In fact, he’d said it like it wasn’t that big of a deal.
When he reached the top of the stairs, he turned into the dressing room and set me down gently down on the closest couch. He sat on the floor beside it. I held the silk robe over me like a blanket, shivering beneath it, knowing it was the aftermath of adrenaline.
His knuckles were bloody.
I stared at his big, brown eyes, felling overwhelmed. He’d saved my life. There was so much I wanted to say, but all I could get out was, “Thank you.”
His gaze turned cloudy. “You oughta know he said some shit about you being FBI.”
Everything was falling apart. “It’s true. I’m so sorry.”
A range of emotions played out on his face. First, disappointment, followed by anger, and finally the worst one, sadness. “What the fuck am I gonna do? Run?”
“No. You’re going to take all of the hard drives and lawyer up.” Even though it hurt to talk, I did it anyway. “Don’t give them those drives until you have immunity.”
He glanced around the empty dressing room. He had to be thinking all of this was crumbling away.
“Julius.” He turned his wary gaze back to me. “Once you have immunity, you can do whatever. Even rebuild, and this time the way you want it, not in Joseph’s shadow.”
If Julius decided to continue the blindfold club, he already had the two most important elements—the women and the client list. The location was replaceable.
And I’d known this day was coming for a long time, but I’d wished it had happened differently.
He pressed a button on his transmitter. “She’s okay. I’ll be back in a minute.” He must have been talking to Payton. He’d left her in charge of the monitors while he’d come downstairs to save me. Did he wonder if his life would have been easier if he’d let Bennett finish the job?
