by Avery Gale
Chapter Twelve
After Mitch talked to Colt, he was even more concerned that the guys they’d caught weren’t the last of the problem. The team had used a lot of creative interrogation techniques and had gotten some information, but it was unlikely these guys were acting alone, and it was very likely whoever they were working for would want to tie up the loose end that Rissa represented. Everybody was pretty sure the only reason Rissa had been safe until recently was that she hadn’t actually been on the radar until the recent incident at ShadowDance involving human trafficking higher-ups that had been working with Cal Robertson. Katarina Lamont had shot and killed Robertson a few months earlier, but there were supposedly hidden diamonds in her possession, even though they’d yet to be found. While it seemed unlikely that both cases would be connected, Mitch and Colt had discussed their reluctance to totally discount the possibility. Fuck it, stranger shit happens all the time. Mitch had various computer programs searching for any link between the cases, but so far hadn’t found anything of significance. But like he’d told Colt, he just couldn’t rid himself of the feeling that when it all shook out it was all going to be linked.
Dylan and Melita would be back tomorrow, assuming the roads were cleared by then, and having both of them weigh in on this was going to be more than helpful. Finally Mitch asked the question he’d been dying to ask since they’d started talking. “What happened at the mansion today? I have the feeling we missed something interesting.”
Colt started laughing before Mitch had even finished asking, “Jesus, you are one scary bastard, you know that? Well, Zach spilled the beans to Katarina about twins, and Jenna denied knowing about it. She straight-up threw her brothers under the bus.” Mitch just waited because he knew Colt better than anyone, and there was definitely more to this story. “Well, I got the pleasure of paddling my fiancée’s beautiful ass for lying, and I can hardly wait until dinner tonight to see how Zach and Alex fared. I’m pretty sure their little kitten turned in to a tigress the minute the suite door closed behind us.” Laughing to himself, he finally added, “Never a fucking dull moment around here, that’s for damned sure.”
“Shit, I always miss the fun stuff. Didn’t get to chase down the bad guys, didn’t get to see Zach and Alex try to squirm their way out of knowing about the twins…but gotta tell you, having a fine time introducing Rissa to my palm.” After Colt stopped laughing, Mitch said, “She’s perfect, man. She is everything Bry and I have been looking for. Now we just have to get her to a place that she can accept it, and we aren’t there yet. She’s suffering from some fairly serious PTSD symptoms. I’m actually considering coming back to the mansion just so she has access to Kat and Jenna’s support. I’m not sure Bry and I can give her everything she needs, and we both agree she would benefit from talking to them.”
“Understood and agree totally. I’ll talk to Jenna and set up a Skype chat first, let’s see how that goes and then decide. Right now the roads leading back here from the cabin are not safe for travel except by snowmobile, and even then it would be dicey. Visibility is for shit right now.” He paused and then changed topics. “Have you explained to Rissa that she’ll face a public punishment when she returns? Fucking Mistress Rachel is really kicking up a fuss. I swear she is the devil incarnate sometimes. She is demanding to be the one to administer the punishment, saying The Club itself was a victim and none of us will punish Rissa as it ‘should be done—severely.’ She seems to think no one will be hard enough on her, I swear she smells blood and wants her pound of flesh. This isn’t all about punishing Rissa for lying to a DM, this is personal, I can feel it. I just don’t know any more than that.”
“Fuck it…Are Alex and Zach on top of this?” Mitch was about to lose patience with The Club’s only Domme. Rachel Sutton was a local bank vice president who everyone feared for reasons that eluded most. Sure, she was the daughter of the bank’s owner, but damn, the woman was straight-up evil, and everyone knew it, so why the hell was she allowed to just grind people into the dirt?
Colt said, “Yeah, they are, but they are in a bad position on this one as well, the more time that passes, the more time she has to rally the troops and as you can well imagine, she is not limited by the truth or honor.”
“You know, I think I’ll take a little stroll through her background, I’m tired of dealing with her nasty assed ways. There has to be something in her past that will be useful. But thanks for the heads up, we’ll get back there ASAP. And yes, Rissa is aware that she has a public punishment coming. Is the plan still to do this at an off-peak time?” Mitch was already setting a plan into motion on another computer linked to multiple search engines.
“Oh yeah, Alex and Zach have also talked to most of the dungeon monitors, they’ll be there and will be able to settle any questions among the membership. Trace said to be sure to tell you that he’s got your back and if you…and I quote, ‘want to take the bitch out,’ to call him. So I’d say he might have helpful information for you.” Laughing, he knew that had gotten Mitch’s undivided attention. Hell everybody knew that Trace Bartell was a stand-up guy to the bone, and if he said he had information, you could bet it was golden.
“I’ll call him as soon as we hang up. Did he ever get a lead on the guy that inherited that place next to his? I didn’t get a chance to ask him about it, and I know that he wanted to get in touch with the new owners and see if they were interested in selling that old place.” Everybody at ShadowDance had the utmost respect for the local rancher and Dom. Trace Bartell was known at The Club as “The Gentle Giant” because of his height and demeanor. But he had been plagued by troubles starting with the untimely death of his wife.
Colt answered, “Last I heard the guy was expected up here around Christmas, but Trace wasn’t betting either way on whether or not some Harvard-educated city boy wants to brave the mountain trails that lead to that old man’s shack. Hell, considering the guy isn’t likely accustomed to traveling mountain roads in the winter, it’s anybody’s guess if he’ll even show up. But I have to tell you, I hope like hell things turn around for Bartell soon.”
Mitch was quiet so long Colt started to wonder if they’d lost the connection. “I think his time is coming. Well, you know what I mean. He’s paid a lot of dues, and he’s paid a lot forward. Losing his wife to a drunk driver and then not only forgiving the young man, but taking him in and setting him to rights. Hell, he’s paying the kid’s college expenses.” Laughing to himself, he added, “So if he says he’s got the goods on that bitch Rachel, the information is golden. I’ll call him ASAP.”
“Agreed. Keep me advised.” Colt heard Jenna begin to stir in the other room so he told Mitch to take care and not to worry about getting back until they could all do so safely and then signed off.
Leaning back in his chair, Colt steepled his fingers over his chest and started to plan ways to entertain his darling submissive during dinner. Damn I can hardly wait until I can watch her squirming on that sore ass, legs spread wide open, soaking wet pussy just begging for my fingers to torture her until she is just a breath away from release. Colt had loved Jenna Lamont for years and could hardly wait until her collaring ceremony. Sure marriage was important, but the commitment those in the lifestyle recognized as collaring was far greater than any marriage certificate. Collaring was a Dom’s promises to love, protect, nurture, encourage, and cherish. All of the Doms he worked with understood the fact that it required a much deeper level of commitment and was not entered into lightly. By God you don’t hear of anyone running off to Vegas to get drunk and collared!
* * * *
Mitch placed a call to Trace Bartell’s cell phone and left a message requesting he either return the call or stop by the cabin when he was out checking cattle. Mitch knew the man would be making the rounds and since he had a pasture near the cabin it was likely he’d be close enough to swing by for a face-to-face chat. And having an extra Dom around opened up some other possibilities, too. Since Rissa was going to have to endure a publ
ic punishment upon their return, it might be a good idea to start acclimating her to being seen by someone other than himself and Bry. Everyone liked and respected Trace, so he’d be perfect for the scene Mitch had in mind. He quickly shot off an email with the details to both Bryant’s and Trace’s email addresses, knowing the message would go directly to their phones. Smiling to himself, he had to resist the urge to rub his hands together like a mad scientist…I love it when a plan comes together.
Mitch had closed the door between their on-site control room and the playroom while he talked to Colt, not wanting to disturb Rissa, so he wasn’t surprised to find her still resting quietly when he returned. He was surprised to find Bryant sitting in a chair just watching her sleep. “What’s wrong? Is she okay?”
Bryant’s eyes never left her, but his lips twitched slightly. “Oh she’s way more than okay, she’s fucking perfect.” He finally looked up at Mitch. “I’m just sitting here and can’t help but ask myself how we got this lucky? I had almost given up ever finding her, you know? We’d talked about sharing a woman for years, but I’d sort of thought we wouldn’t be able to find one that we both reacted to, who also responded to both of us. Even though we both embrace Ds relationships, we don’t go for the same things exactly, so finding all those perfect pieces in one woman is just so humbling.”
Mitch knew exactly what his friend was saying. While they both loved Ds in the bedroom, they were very different men outside of that environment, and there was nothing ever physical between them. They’d laughed hundreds of times that they loved each other as brothers and that was the end of it and had told each other many times to keep all touches between them to necessity only. “Colt is going to set up a Skype session with Jenna and Katarina. Since the weather isn’t cooperating, we thought we’d give that a try. Hopefully they can lend some insight and help her over the rough patches until we can figure out exactly what we need to do to help. I hate feeling helpless, and this is just too important to risk screwing up.” He sighed and then said, “I’m going to go get something started to eat. Let’s move her out of here. I don’t want to send a lot of mixed signals about this room, this sure wasn’t the introduction to the playroom I’d planned.”
Bryant slid his arms under Rissa’s knees and behind her shoulders and picked her up, cradling her to his broad chest. When she made quiet murmurs of protest he spoke against her ear. “Shhh, love, I am just moving you to the living room while we fix you something to eat. You can rest in front of the fire, you’d like that wouldn’t you?” His heart nearly melted when she simply snuggled closer to his chest, her slim fingers fisting in his shirt. God, she is so fucking tiny, it’s no wonder the guys call her Tinkerbell. When he looked up at his best friend, he wasn’t surprised to see Mitch sporting the same loopy grin he was sure was plastered to his own mug. Oh yeah, anybody who thought these two Doms held all the power were completely clueless.
Walking down the hall, Mitch felt his phone vibrate, and when he pulled it out to check it, he saw a message saying Trace would try to stop by just after dark. Trace had also written that he’d be sure to call when he was getting close and that he was looking forward to a little playtime. You know me, boys…always willing to take one for the team.
Chapter Thirteen
By the time they got Rissa settled on the sofa, she was starting to stir, and they were sure she wouldn’t be sleeping too much longer. It was already early evening, and the snow had stopped falling so as long as the wind didn’t start blowing, they should all be able to return to the mansion sometime tomorrow. While they all had apartments in Climax, they would likely stay in one of the suites above The Club, to avoid extra trips up and down the slick and curvy mountain road. Mitch had already sent word to Alex to have Selita send him a supply list and they’d pick everything up for her on the way in tomorrow. There wasn’t much any of them wouldn’t do for the pint-sized dynamo that had managed the Lamont household for many years. She kept everyone well fed and didn’t hesitate to kick ass and take names when she thought anyone was getting “too fat for their pants.” It was a running joke about how she consistently messed up common sayings, and it was a great source of entertainment and had become a competition to see who could decipher what she had said first.
After setting the casserole in the oven and making up a salad, Mitch opened a bottle of wine and left it on the counter to breathe. When he turned to Bryant, he saw him reading his messages and saw the slow smile spread across his face. “Oh yeah, this will be damn fun. And you are right, we need to get her ready for our return. I’m not sure we’ll get there early enough to get the punishment done before that bitch and her merry band of miscreants show up tomorrow night, but we need to be ready for whatever shit she has stirred up.”
“God I hope Trace can give me something to use on that bitch. I’m tired of her terrorizing everybody she comes into contact with. Christ almighty, she’s a fucking menace, and the fact that she is targeting our woman just straight up pisses me off.” Mitch was pacing in the kitchen by the time he finished talking. He was wound for sound, and he was going to have to work off some of that emotion before laying a hand on Rissa. No Dom worth his salt ever entered in to a scene with a sub unless they had their emotions firmly in check, it wasn’t smart and more importantly, it was never safe.
“Who is targeting me now?” Rissa’s soft voice brought both men’s focus to the doorway immediately. Both snapped their attention to the sleep-rumpled pixie standing idly in the open doorway looking absolutely adorable wrapped in the soft throw they’d covered her in with her sleep-lidded eyes and her hair in a riot of soft red curls framing her face before tumbling past her shoulders.
“Well, good evening, starshine, glad you joined us. Come here.” Bryant held out his hand to her and smiled as she stepped forward, her bare feet making her look even younger than he knew she was. She was a submissive through and through, she hadn’t even hesitated at his command. Bryant pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her slim shoulders, breathing in the fresh scent of her shampoo. “Oh, love, you smell so wonderful, fresh citrus and lush woman. Perfect.” He released her and moved her toward Mitch.
“Come here, baby. I need to hold you for a bit.” Mitch’s tone was soft, but the underlying truth of his statement didn’t escape Rissa’s notice. She reached her arms around his waist and hugged him back, sensing his need to be held. Instinctively Rissa knew Bryant was more of an alpha Dom, that his demands would always be stronger and his punishments harsher. But there was a part of her that craved that strength. Mitch was a softer touch, probably owing to his gift of empathy. Rissa had no doubt being bombarded with the feelings of others would be difficult to deal with continually, and it was no doubt a huge energy drain. She decided at that moment that he’d need extra love and attention from her, and she wanted to be sure he knew he could always count on her.
“God, you are the most amazing woman in the entire world.” Mitch’s voice caught in his throat, he’d heard her observations, and she had read him so accurately it had caught him totally off guard. “You are right, baby, it is an energy drain, but over the years I have learned how to shield myself from a lot of it. Right now, I’m frustrated with Mistress Rachel from The Club. She seems to be rallying support to be the one to administer your punishment for lying to a dungeon monitor because she doesn’t feel Alex or Zach will do it severely enough.” He felt her stiffen and start to shake in his arms. He’d known she was afraid of Rachel, fuck, every sub at The Club was terrified of the old hag, but he wasn’t going to hold back the truth from her either.
“Oh God. She is evil. She’ll hurt me, I mean really, really hurt me.” Rissa was starting to panic, and Mitch pulled her back so he could look in to her eyes just as Bryant stepped up beside him.
“Stop!” Bryant’s sharp tone startled Rissa into taking a deep breath and focusing on the men in front of her. “We are handling this, love. You are not to worry about it. This is one of the perks of being a sub, you get to le
t these types of things go, and know that your Doms will do exactly the right thing for you. This is going to be a trust test for you, sweetness. Are you going to pass?” Bryant raised a brow and waited.
“Oh, my…okay, well, I guess I see that…so, well…” Rissa was obviously still worried, but in her heart she knew that none of the men at ShadowDance would ever really hurt her, and she also knew they weren’t going to step aside while that evil bitch whipped her like she did the male subs she sunk her vicious claws into. Rissa had seen the way she treated her subs, and no one was surprised when she couldn’t keep one longer than a few weeks. Rissa finally realized they were still waiting for her answer. “Yes, I trust you. I know you will protect me and make sure I’m not hurt by her. I know I have to do the punishment, and I’m not as afraid of that pain—because I know none of you will take that beyond what I can endure—but, well, I’m really scared of the public part of it. I’m just…well, I’m afraid of all those eyes on me, you know?” Rissa had dropped her gaze to her feet and her fear and insecurity almost broke Mitch’s heart.
