by Aidy Award
I saw something in Addison then. She hid behind the make-up, and the black clothing. Underneath it was a woman trying to find herself while trying to protect the fragile woman she was at the same time.
That I could understand. I was Addison. Before Gray.
“All right. Good.” I stood up, because while I might be short and curvy, I was mighty. “You are mine now, Addison. Not to be owned, not to be controlled, but to be loved and protected.”
Addison paled even more, which I wasn’t sure was even possible. I needed to get this girl some sunshine. “You are part of my team. The offer I gave, and that you accepted, stands. You will work for me. You will help me establish the community I already know you believe in.”
Gray, Hawk, and Dominic all opened their mouths to protest. I held up my hand to silence them all. Lilly grinned first at me and then over at Addy.
“You will throw off both the fear and the obligation of Foster Bennett. I and mine will never break under his lies and nastiness.”
Addison stood and Lilly moved beside her, a shimmer of tears in her eyes. “We are with you, Angelina. I’ll take Addison under my care and show her what it means to have happiness like I have, instead of unmet needs like Foster creates in his wake of havoc.”
If we’d been in a movie, the uplifting inspirational music would be crescendoing right about now and the crowds would lift us all on their shoulders, chanting our names.
Instead, everyone simply nodded. I knew we were stronger for the connection between each and every one of us.
“Okay then, team. Get out there and show ‘em who's boss.” By boss, I meant me.
Lilly led Addison to the door, with Hawk behind her, and Dominic trailing behind.
“Dominic?”
He paused and turned to me but looked at the floor. “Yes, mistress?”
“I’m making you responsible for Addison’s well-being.”
“But—”
“No buts. I know you think she’s betrayed you, but I think it’s because of you that she admitted everything to us today. You saved us a lot of heartache, I’m sure. Don’t hold that against her too long.”
He shook his head. “I was completely wrong about her.”
“No, I don’t think you were. I’ve always trusted you and your instincts. Trust me on this one.”
He frowned but nodded. “Yes, mistress.”
Gray patted Dominic on the back. “Trust, but I want you to keep an eye on Addison for us. Angel has put her trust in the girl. I’m not quite there yet.”
“Gray.” I protested.
He didn’t reply, until Dominic was out the door. “You, my love, have balls of steel.”
I snuggled up to him, and let my hands do some wandering. Compliments would get him everything. “If I remember correctly, you’re the one who had steel in his balls, or was that your cock?”
He slid a hand down my hair, across my neck and the necklace he’d given me, then straight into my shirt. “You like my piercings, didn’t you? Maybe I’ll have more done. Or maybe we’ll take you in to get some real steel balls put between your legs.”
This was why I insisted on sexy bras and panties.
“Only if it doesn’t take this away from me for very long.” I opened Gray’s pants, thanked my lucky stars once again for his proclivity to go commando, and pulled out his hardening cock.
He clasped his hand over mine and set us both to stroking him. “Don’t think for a second that I’m going to forget that Bennett set that girl on us to fulfill a mission. No good will come from that.”
I licked my lips, letting him know exactly what my mission was. “I’ll do my best to make you forget a lot of things. Like your name, rank, and serial number if I try hard enough.”
Gray hummed his pleasure. “You’ll have plenty of time to try, because I’m not letting you out of my sight until I figure out how to deal with Bennett.”
Well, cojeme.
Gray made good on that promise too. That meant we hardly left the condo, except for club obligations. Not that we had a fun time either. The one connection we had was the evenings when we both took pleasure and solace in each other’s bodies. It gave us some peace to be able to always know our bodies could do the communicating. Gray especially.
I wanted that for him all day, every day. I couldn’t do a whole lot about Foster. But I could make Gray more mine. I was still determined to figure out how to get a collar on him. I’d claim him, like I had Addison. I’d claim him so hard that not even death could tear us apart.
There would be no 'til death do us part between us. We were together. Forever.
Whether Foster Bennett liked it or not.
Devils and Angels
I was coming to resent the invention of the iPhone.
Gray had his attached to his face. Again.
With each step he took, pacing back and forth through the living room, his frustration levels rose. When something I wasn’t privy to pushed him over the edge, he’d inevitably smash his phone against the wall, the floor, the kitchen counter, the sidewalk, the highway.
I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. He was talking to Ilario. They were like teenage girls talking and texting, and texting and talking. They were as secretive too.
A week later and he was on phone number four-thousand now.
Every time I tried to bring up his newfound agitation and protectiveness he went silent as a sleeping bear. He was growly and surly and wouldn’t tell me anything except that he didn’t want me going anywhere without him.
With every new phone Gray needed, he withdrew from me more and more.
By Friday, we both needed a break.
Gray hung up and I saw that phone’s life flash before my eyes. “Grayson. If you break one more phone I’m going to find something else for you to do with your hands.”
He dropped the phone that had been about to die down on the countertop. I saw him glare at it.
“What is this something else you have in mind, my love?” His voice was low and tired.
He needed to protect me, but I wanted to wrap him in my arms and take care of him. We needed a break from the negativities and worries and go see something good that was happening in our lives. “I can think of a whole lot of things, but we need to get out of this condo. I’m going cabin crazy being locked up in here, as are you.”
“I can keep you safe here.”
I reached up and touched his cheek. He hadn’t shaved in days and the scruff drove me wild, especially between my thighs. It wasn’t like Gray to be unkempt, and while I might be going nuts being cooped up, he was beyond stressed.
“Let’s go to the club, see the progress Cade is making.”
“Yeah, okay. You will stick by my side, like I’ve got a collar and leash on you.”
“Or maybe like I’ve got one on you.”
I would get a collar on this man if it killed us both.
Gray and I took the short drive over to the building we were converting into the club. At the moment, it looked like a run-down warehouse surrounded by other more run-down warehouses. Cade was fixing all that for us.
When we arrived, Gray made me wait in the car while he checked to make sure the area was secure.
Sigh. He hadn’t done that since way back when my father had first hired him to be my bodyguard. We’d barely been friends back in those days. Not until he’d relaxed that tight ass of his.
We needed this thing with Foster to be done with.
I pulled out my phone and texted Ilario while I waited.
Me: Got any updates for me? Gray is on edge. I hate this.
Ilario: I have a lead. Do you know of someone named Serena?
Serena. The woman Gray’s Delta team had to rescue. The one Foster had gone rogue over and ended up getting shot because of.
Shot by Gray. Killed by Gray.
Gray pulled open my door, scaring the pee out of me. “Come on, let’s hustle you inside, and then I’m going to make some calls to get our security up to snu
ff at the club.”
I shoved my phone in my pocket with every intention to call Ilario later and find out what he’d learned about Serena.
Cade met us at the front door, which I’d decided would be painted purple. He walked ten feet away and attached his phone to his face again. Damn it.
Cade had his architectural plans under one arm. “I don’t know how you got those permits through, but I’m damn sure glad you did. I was running out of distractions.”
I snort-laughed at him. “You mean women, Cade. You were running out of women.”
He shrugged and grinned that dirty boy smile he had. “Not my fault they all think they’re in love with me 'cause I can give ‘em great fucking orgasms.”
I couldn’t wait for his true love to come along. “One of these days, Cade, a woman is going to break your heart.”
“Maybe.” He laid the plans out on a rigged-up table. “The construction crew is starting the framing now. Do you want your office here,” he pointed to a corner of one page, “or here?”
“I thought that was where the glass rooms were going?”
“I like this placement better, moves the rooms more to the center. That way more people will be able to see what’s happening there.” Cade was totally in his element. Right now in the planning and construction stages he controlled almost everything in the environment. That alpha dominant part of him reveled in it.
I’d let him do whatever he thought best because it would make him happy if I did.
“The more the merrier. Do what you think is best. I trust you.”
He visibly relaxed when I gave that control over to him. He scribbled something on his plans and winked at me. “We should go with plexi, it’s gonna be a hell of a lot cheaper, and easier to install.”
“I’m sure. Spend what you need, Cade.” I had a vision in my head of what I wanted the club to look like which would support my vision of kink for one and all in a friendly environment. This club had to be as sexy, But the antithesis of The Asylum.
Cade had already gone way above and beyond what I thought an architect would do. He was also the project manager, had gotten bids and hired a contractor, and was sourcing the materials for construction. I don’t know what we’d do without him. If he gave this kind of service to all his clients, he was going to be a sought-after man, and by more than the ladies.
“I’ve set up a construction office over there. It’ll be quieter for you to do what you need to when my deliveries start coming in this afternoon.”
“Thanks.” Gray walked back over and grabbed my hand. He pulled me toward Cade’s plywood shack at the back of the warehouse.
I pulled right back and made him walk around the site with me. Which, he did. He must have been satisfied with whoever he was hiring to do our security system because his phone was still alive and his whole stance was less tight. Good. I’d take it.
“Look, that’s where the bar is going, and ooh, over there is the stage. I want to order a St. Andrew’s cross to install up there.”
Gray nodded. “So I can tie you up and do delicious dirty things to you in front of all your new club members? You dirty, dirty girl.”
He wrapped me in his arms and then pinched my ass.
Yeah, this was the Gray I knew and loved. “No, so I can tie you up and make you mine, over and over and over.”
“We’ll see about that, minx.”
I was ready to get down and dirty with him right now. Gray’s attitude was better now that we’d gotten out of the apartment. I was tempted to bring up the subject of getting married now while I had the real Gray back. I didn’t actually have a plan, only that I wanted to make sure he knew I was committed to both him and our kinky lives together.
“Querida? Will you—”
A voice I didn’t know blasted through the warehouse. “Baker, you dick.”
Aw, cojeme. This was exactly what worried Gray in the first place. He’d never let me out of the house again now.
I didn’t want to let these threats from Foster rule our lives, but I wanted Gray to feel secure, know that I was okay. I used the skills he’d taught me over the years to prepare for the onslaught.
I ducked, waiting for Gray to shove my head down and scurry me out of the room and into a waiting car POTUS-under-fire style. Instead he grinned, kissed me on the nose and turned toward our intruder.
“Jackass.”
Jackass? I glanced up and recognized the built arms, abs, and bald head of steel the intruder sported. Jim was either a very good looking skinhead or…nope, I couldn’t come up with anything else. But most importantly he was long-time friends with Gray. He’d even filled in on my own bodyguard detail when Gray and I had been… umm on the outs.
That had only lasted about a half a day before I escaped and Gray fired Jim. So I didn’t know Jim that well, but he’d been polite and professional, even hiding his eyes from the nakedness I’d imposed on him back then.
The two men embraced guy-style with slaps on the back. The worry lines around Gray’s eyes had gone and his stance had gone from guarded to relaxed.
I’ll be damned. If I’d known calling Jim would calm Gray down I’d done it a week ago.
I eyeballed Jim. He wore the same shit-eating grin as Gray.
What a pair they were. The love of my life and Jackass McScarington.
“Angel, Jim’s here.”
I extended my hand and my whole body was consumed in a bear hug. “So, the beauty has finally tamed the beast.”
“Nrrf, frrnnf.” Can’t breathe.
“Jackass. Put her down. You’re crushing her.”
He squeezed me harder for a quick moment and then set me down.
There weren’t very many people in the world that made me feel tiny. I was usually one of the bigger people in the room. Standing between Jim and Gray, I felt like a wee little Latina leprechaun.
Jim looked at the construction going on around us. “This is your place?”
“This is Angelina’s place.” Gray folded his arms and while there was iron in his voice, and he was practically peeing in a circle around me, he wasn’t wound nearly as tight.
If Jim could bring Gray’s stress levels down by being around, he and I were going to be BFFs.
“You’re the boss-lady.” He eyed me up and down and then winked. “That’s hot.”
I grinned. Jim was flirty and kinda sexy once you got past that KKK look he had going on. I’d take his compliment happily.
Gray threw an arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. “Back off, Jackass. She’s mine and only mine.”
Oooh. A shiver raced down my spine. That’s what I liked to hear. Double bonus if Jim inspired a possessiveness in Gray. I could use that to my advantage.
Jim had a devilish gleam in his eye like he was going to have fun torturing Gray into a good mood. He raised his hands and took a step back. “Whoa, whoa. I got it back then and I get it now. No touching. But you can’t stop me from admiring.”
Jim’s admiring was aimed straight at my boobs. He leaned in and whispered, “I peeked back then too.”
Hay, Dios Mio. Jim had just gotten here and now Gray was going to have to kill him.
“I can stop you if I knock your eyes out of your damn head. You’re not here to admire. You’re here to work.” Gray socked Jim in the shoulder.
I glanced up and Gray and then over to Jim. “He is?”
Jim guffawed. “You didn’t tell her?”
Gray didn’t reply.
“Tell me what?” This had better be a good surprise, like that Jim was here to save the world from evil-doers like Foster Bennett.
Jim laughed. “I’m your new bartender.”
Save the world, tend bar. Same, same, but different. “You’re a bartender? I thought you were…”
He waited for me to say it, and when I didn’t, he gleefully said, “A son of anarchy?”
Okay, so he was a straight shooter. I liked that, at least. “Pretty much.”
“He’s an old bu
ddy from the unit.”
Another ex-Delta? Now I really didn’t know how to feel. The only other person I knew from Gray’s military days was Foster, and that was a complete shitshow.
Jim nodded and crossed his arms. “My fighting days ended a long time ago. I got out the same time as your dickhead boyfriend and—”
Foster. He didn’t say it. But it hung in the air nonetheless.
“—a bunch of the other guys. War is hell. I’m here to have some fun.”
“And you don’t mind that you’ll be working in a kink club?” Unfortunately, this life wasn’t for everyone. If he was going to work here, and I suspected there was more to it than bartending, I needed to make sure he made our members felt welcome, not scared away.
“Sweetheart, that’s the best part of this gig. I fully expect to negotiate a lifetime VIP membership to your place in my contract.”
I laughed. “Are there any guys in Delta operators who aren’t kinked?”
They both looked at me like I’d asked if my face was polka-dotted. Then they answered simultaneously. “No.”
Okay, then. I’d add ex-military guys to my customer avatar.
Jim turned in a circle and looked around at the construction. “What’s the name of your club?”
Gray and I glanced at each other. His blank face mirrored what was in my head.
In my mind it had always been Gray and Angel’s. After Gray’s silent partner bombshell, I didn’t have a clue.
“Uh. That detail seems to have slipped through the cracks.”
“How about The Red Room of Pain?” Jim laughed at his own horrible sense of humor.
Now it was my turn to roll my eyes and cross my arms. “How about no.”
“You’re a Cruz, right? How about Cruzin’ for a Bruising.”
“What is wrong with you?” I stared at Jim and then looked over at Gray. “Where did you get this guy?”
Gray shrugged and said, “Afghanistan?”
“I’m totally creating a drink called Cruzin’ for a Bruising for the menu.”
“You are not,” Gray and I both said.
Jim wasn’t fazed, even a little.
“How about Angel’s?” Jim suggested.
