Vegas Is Burning
Page 25
“Why are you being so nice? You should just fuck me and get it over with. I screwed up so bad.” Hiccups. Bella now had the hiccups.
Raul carried her out of the bathroom and sat back in his chair. “You are my woman, and we all make mistakes, Bella. I know you didn’t do what you did on purpose. Even Mario knows this; now look at me.”
She wiped her face, took the tissue Lucid held up for her and blew her nose before turning her gaze toward Raul. More tears filled her eyes as she looked up at him.
“You need this more now than before.” He lifted her and placed her over his knees, then ran his hand over her butt. “You are being punished for not listening and placing yourself in danger, Little Mite. Yes, you made a mistake, but we all do. No one is perfect, and we learn from our mistakes.” His hand came down hard once, twice. “Next time, when I put you somewhere, you will stay put.”
He gave her four more smacks to her ass, but this time with the paddle, and tears rolled freely down her face. She tried in vain to get away, but it was useless. Raul still cared and he still wanted a family with her , which only made her cry harder. He deserved better than her, but he was stuck with her.
“Bella!” Raul growled and delivered four more hard smacks to her ass, which was now burning. He lifted her again and placed her in front of him. “Stop it right now,” he snapped. “I love you, Bella. You’re mine, and I wouldn’t trade you for anyone, do you understand?”
“It’s this destiny crap. I’m not stupid, Raul. I’d leave me, too, for what I did. You two are just stuck with me, and for that, I’m sorry.” Bella turned and looked out the window. “You’re right, I made a mistake, a big one, and I’ll have to live with the fact I could have gotten him killed. But I promise I’ll not make that mistake again.”
Raul pulled her forward and cupped her cheeks, staring at her. “Yes, this destiny is entwined in our lives, but it has nothing to do with my heart.” He down kissed each cheek. “You, Bella, have been my choice ever since I spoke with you on the phone that first time. Even Lucid knew I’d claimed you as mine before you even got here. I didn’t need to see you to know your heart was mine, as mine is yours and always will be. Never will there be another for me.” He kissed her lips softly. “My Little Mite,” he whispered.
Behind her, Lucid placed a kiss on her shoulder. “Ours,” he corrected.
Raul stood and moved toward the bed. Lucid scooped her up in his arms and followed.
“We want you to rest now,” Lucid said as Raul turned down the covers. “Tonight will be a big night.” He placed her on the bed and covered her up, then kissed her cheek. “I forgive you, Bella. Now forgive yourself. There is no sense in carrying this around. You know what you did was wrong and you are learning.”
Lucid moved out of the room. Bella knew he was going to see Charley, and she had no problems with him doing it, but if Raul did that, she’d rip his head off.
Raul sat on the edge of the bed. “What are you thinking? You’re growling.” He brushed her hair out of her face and leaned over, waiting for her to reply.
“How is it that I don’t want to kill Charley when Lucid leaves to go to her—and I know that’s where he’s going—but the thought of you even going near her makes me furious?”
Raul laughed and tweaked her nose. “That’s because you are part of his family—well the four of us are, but I won’t be having sex with him. I’d feed Lucid with no problem, but you are the only one I’ll be loving, which works out, because while I don’t mind Lucid being with us, I do want some alone time with my woman. Just like I’m sure he’ll get some alone time with you. Now, take a nap. I’ll wake you up when dinner is ready.”
He kissed her lips softly, and she sighed, watching as he moved toward the door. The muscles in his shoulders and the way the tight black pants fit around his ass had her squirming.
“Quit staring at my butt and sleep, Little Mite.” He laughed.
“I can’t help it you have a nice body.” Bella rolled over, suddenly exhausted.
* * *
Raul stood in the doorway staring at Bella, knowing the exact minute she fell asleep. Her breathing evened out, and Raul could hear her cute little snores. He knew it would take her time to stop blaming herself, but he and Lucid would make sure she didn’t dwell on what she’d done any more. He’d spoken the truth; she had made a mistake, just like he had when he’d taken over the pack.
He quietly pulled the bedroom door closed and made his way into the living room, where Maria, Herme, Mario, Tank and Lucid sat, waiting for him.
“What have we learned?” he asked, taking the glass of iced tea Maria handed him and thanking her as he took a seat next to Tank.
“There are bound to be a few out there that got away, and I believe they’ll try once more tonight, but without my brother helping them, they won’t stand a chance.” Maria curled up in Herme’s lap, resting her head on his chest. “All of us went to the club and reworked the wards, so your traitor will not be able to get in. These are new spells, which my brother doesn’t know. But I’d station your men around the club just to make sure nothing can get close.”
“I’ve already done that. I have a team on the close rooftops, one on the ground and one that will be inside. Not to mention, we also have Thorn’s men. Thorn has his woman in the safe room now. I thought you wouldn’t mind if they rested there until tonight,” Tank said, and Raul nodded.
“That’s fine. I want to leave here at six. Herme, could you and Gael take Tank, Lucid and Thorn over before we take the women? I’ll follow when I know they’re safely there.”
“I see no problem with this. I also wanted you to know the owners of the house next to your father approved our bid, and we’ll be closing on it in about a week. We asked for a quick close, and they agreed. We’ll be out of your hair soon.”
“You’re fine, plus I know Charley and Bella are glad you’re here for them. It’s been tough these last few days. I promised Bella we’d take off for a while, but I have a feeling we need to stay here in case my brother needs us.” His gaze moved to Mario, who shrugged.
“We have time. I know I have to leave, but I won’t until we make sure everything is settled here. I want that head start on finding my mate. I wish Bella’s mother would have told me where she was.”
Raul snorted. “I have a feeling they aren’t allowed to interfere with our so-called destinies. So what should we do about dinner?”
“I’ve already taken care of that. I have my Ritz chicken in the crockpot—well, three crockpots. My sister made deserts, and a salad is also already.”
“You’re quick. Thank you.” Raul nodded to her.
“It wasn’t hard to do, and it’s comfort food, which the girls need.” Maria glanced at him, then at Lucid. “You were a little hard on Bella, don’t you think?” she asked, her gaze turning to meet Raul’s.
“No, she was the one who was too hard on herself. She needed to understand what she did. Maria, Bella is in charge of a large group of people. The choices we make affect hundreds of lives. Maybe it’s good she made this mistake. Now Bella will look at all aspects of her actions before doing something that could harm another. But not to worry, we’ll make sure she doesn’t dwell on her mistake. We had to punish her to help her start this process, though.” He glanced over at his brother. “I want you to speak with Bella tonight. It might help her get past how she’s feeling faster. Bella was devastated when she realized what she’d done.”
“I’ll be there for her and help in any way I can.” Mario smiled. “I do have to say, your woman was impressive, but she’s going to need help with this phobia of closed rooms, and I have a feeling she has a few more phobias she hasn’t told us about. Something Charley had said earlier is just now starting to make sense to me.”
“I can tell you a few. She doesn’t like fire or spiders, so be warned,” Maria snarled, and Herme rubbed her arms as he hugged her.
“That bitch Daisy used to tease Bella with spiders.” Maria sighed. �
��We learned that the hard way, also. After the girls played one of their many jokes on my son, Danny, he thought he’d get them back. He bought a whole bunch of those fake spiders that look realistic, and, well let’s say things didn’t go well. I can still see her sitting there screaming while no sound came out of her mouth. Her whole body shook, and she had this vacant expression that frightened me
“I had to call on my powers as I held her, warming her for over an hour until she came back to us. Needless to say, Danny was bound and determined to kill Daisy, but Bella wouldn’t let him. I guess that’s another reason he’s so protective of her. My son will always watch out for his sisters.”
“Didn’t you say he’d found his mate here?” Raul asked.
Herme laughed. “He found both of his mates; seems he has two, so it should be a very interesting courtship. Their names are Jose and Frankie. Do you know them?” he asked.
“Yeah, Frankie is a very smart woman and a registered nurse. Jose is new to our pack but owns his own business and helps out with the children.”
“Good, sounds like he’ll fit in nicely with them,” Herme said, and his attention drifted at the sound of Bella moving around in their room.
“If you’ll excuse me, it seems Bella can’t sleep.” Raul got up and moved to the bedroom with Lucid following him…
When Raul opened the door, Bella was sitting in the window seat with a blanket around her, staring out over landscape.
“Couldn’t sleep with so much going through my mind.” She looked over at them. “You know, a week ago, I was a social worker, had my own place and thought my life was full. But now I realize how much I was missing.” Bella turned her gaze back outside. “In the grand scheme of things, my pitiful life seems so lacking. I don’t know if I’m ready for this, Raul. What if I screw up again? We have children now that depend on us. What if I put them in danger? I couldn’t live with myself if that happened.”
Raul couldn’t stand it anymore. He picked her up and took her seat. “Stop now. You made one mistake, Bella, and in doing so, you saved many. If you have a question, you should come to us. You’re not alone, Little Mite. You’ll have Sunshine, Charley and Maria to help you, and if that isn’t enough, I know for a fact a few women in my pack would consider it an honor to help you learn to run things. Don’t forget Sammy and her friends, not to mention Missy. It looks like she’s taken a liking to you.”
Bella looked up at him, then at Lucid. “How many are going to be there tonight?”
“You’re nervous about tonight? How much experience do you have in BDSM? We might as well talk about limits now. What are your hard ones?” he asked, running his finger down her arm.
Lucid sat in the chair he’d been in earlier. “You should know that since you’ve changed and your gifts are manifesting, your sensations will be double what they were before. But knowing where your hard limits were before all this happened will help us.”
“It seems like a lifetime since I’ve been at a club. My hard limits are no fire or needles, and don’t even think of calling me names, whatever you call that. Knife play maybe; electrical, again maybe; toys of course. Canes and whips I could handle within limits.”
“Do you like to do scenes? Or have people watching you?” Raul asked, and she squirmed in his lap. “That would be a yes. As to how many people will be there, the place can hold over 500. How about others touching you?”
She looked at him, frowning, and he laughed. “Let me rephrase that. No one else will fuck you, but we might have another master helping out with a demonstration.”
“Five hundred?” she whispered and glanced out the window. “That’s so many. But what if I do something wrong?”
“Bella!” Lucid snapped, making her jump and turn to stare at him.
“We are your masters; you’ll do nothing without us telling you to do it. There will be no way can you do anything wrong. But this is about us, not anyone else. There are no rights or wrongs, pretty lady. Just be yourself. Tonight is your special night; we don’t want you worrying about anything.”
She nodded and looked back out the window. “Tell me about the club. What it looks like. Should I know about anyone who goes there? Did you have a submissive or a slave?”
“I didn’t have a submissive or slave. Yes, I played there, but nothing serious. You’ll meet Frankie. She seems to be Danny’s mate.” Raul smiled. “I’ll let Lucid tell you about his club.”
Raul put his feet up and pulled Bella back into his arms as they listened to Lucid describe the club in detail. He took a deep breath, taking in Bella’s scent, just enjoying her.
“Raul, what will happen tonight? Are we just going to do the deed in the room and leave?” she asked.
He laughed. “‘The deed’? No. We will make a night of it. Yes, each of us will be claiming you, but we will also play, relax and have some fun.”
Someone knocked on the door, drawing his attention. “What is it, Maria?” Knowing her scent.
“Supper is ready,” she called.
“We’ll be right there.” Raul set Bella on her feet. “Go put the robe on.” He took the blanket from her and patted her butt.
She jumped and glared at him. “Hey.” Bella rubbed her ass.
“Hey nothing, now go.” Raul stood and stretched. “Who do you have coming from your clan?” he asked Lucid, moving toward the door as Bella came up behind them, wearing her robe.
“My right-hand man, Duce, will be there, and he’ll bring six of my men I’ve handpicked. You know, he never did show up here tonight like he was supposed to.” Lucid frowned. “Three men will guard each of the ladies. I thought they could speak with Tank and our men combined could work together to make sure our women are protected. I’d also like Duce to have a connection to Bella if it’s okay with you. He’s been with me for over a hundred years.”
“I have no problem with that. Bella?”
“What do you mean by connection? Do I have to have sex with him?” She frowned.
“No, Bella. You will not have sex with anyone but us. He would drink from you, creating a blood bond, and you need to stop worrying. We promise we won’t allow anyone else to touch you unless we okay it with you.”
She nodded, but tears filled her eyes again as Bella saw Charley and Missy waiting for her at the end of the hall. “I’m so, so sorry,” Bella whispered, standing there, looking too afraid to move.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Bella moved into Lucid’s arms as soon as she arrived at his club, and Charley stepped into Tank’s embrace. The club was packed. The sound of music, moans, and leather hitting skin calmed her a little. But even the entrance hall had at least twenty people she didn’t know. She could smell that a few of them were wolves, but she had no clue about the others’ species.
“Relax, pet; you are safe. There has been no trouble tonight, and these are our friends, but I am worried about Duce.”
Raul appeared next to her. “Something wrong?”
“Duce should be here and he’s not.” Lucid waved a man forward. “Cister, where is Duce? He should have been here by now.”
Cister glanced at Bella, then at Raul. “He was outside, but said he had to run and do something. It was strange. One minute he was next to us, and the next he stopped walking. I swear I heard him groan, like he was in pain. But he excused himself and told me to tell you he’d see you tomorrow.”
Bella couldn’t help but stare at the walls of the club, which seemed to be made of sandstone. Erotic scenes were carved on them, making the room seem like a harem almost. She looked up to see Missy and Thorn moving toward the main room. Missy glanced back at her and winked, smiling. Yep, she and Missy would be close friends. Bella looked up at Lucid, who was obviously worried about his man.
Lucid glanced at Raul, who pulled out his cell phone and handed it to Lucid. “Call him; order him here and see what happens.” Raul looked down at her. “Remove the robe, Little Mite.”
It seemed the night was beginning, and Bella couldn’t
wait.
“I do not demand high protocol, but I demand respect, understood?” he asked.
She shivered at the heat in Raul’s gaze as he scanned down her body. His voice, the one all Doms and Masters knew how to use, had her squirming. Her nipples were hard, but she was still nervous as she slipped off the beautiful robe he had given her and handed it to him.
“Yes, Master,” she whispered.
“Stay at my right side and a step behind me. Follow me; you need a drink to relax you, and I want to see who’s here while we wait for Lucid to finish his call.” Raul took one step, then stopped. “I forgot.” He knelt beside her, opened the large brown bag he’d been holding, and pulled out a pair of leather cuffs. “Give me your arms, Little Mite,” he said, standing in front of her with his hand out.
“I had these made for you yesterday. They have my name on them so others will know who you belong to now,” he said as he wrapped a cuff around one wrist, then the other. “Perfect.” He leaned down and covered her mouth in a hard, possessive kiss. He made no request for her to open her mouth; he just took what was his, and she was his, totally.
Her heart beat fast, singing for him, and her body needed his touch, hard or soft, as she reached for him. He grasped her wrists and held on to them until he finished devouring her mouth. The kiss was off her personal scale, and Raul knew it.
Raul broke the kiss, but not before he nipped her lips, a smug smile on his face. “That was only a sample of what is to come. You only touch us when we allow it. Keep your hands down, or I’ll lock them together, understood?”
“Yes, Master Raul,” she whispered.
He smiled. “What number was that?”
She giggled. “Off the scale, and you know it, Master.”
Bella peeked over at Charley, who was grinning from ear to ear at her. She gave her a thumbs up and looked up at Tank. Bella could see the longing in Charley’s gaze as Charley looked up at him.
Do I look like that? Bella turned her gaze back to Raul, who stood there staring at her. Oh yeah, she felt the same way, melting at the way he made her feel.