Lace Underground: The Complete Trilogy

by Oliver, Tess

"Out with it, Jason. I'm on my way—" I stop. "What is it? Can it wait?"

  "It's quick and probably meaningless. The lab just got a delivery of hair dye. They said the women had put it on their lists."

  I'm staring at him wondering if he crowned himself on one of the lower doorways. "Why are you telling me about this?"

  He takes a breath and seems ready to drop the subject. "It's just that it's red hair dye. Some of the women have decided to dye their hair red."

  The mention of red hair grabs my interest. "I'm gathering, by the look on your face, you might know why they've decided to go red."

  "The new club member, Haverton—"

  "Yes, what about him?"

  "On his first night here, he told the women that he had a thing for red hair."

  "I see. Well, I guess my plan worked. The women are getting kind of bored so I thought he'd spark some enthusiasm." I can tell Jason isn't finished.

  "Anything else?"

  He shakes his head. "No. I just thought you should know."

  "Great. See to it that everything is ready to go for tonight." I head toward her bedroom. My mind and body have been so focused on her I'm not thinking straight. But, it seems my loyal bodyguard is. Red hair. The new member just happens to have a thing for red hair. Interesting.

  24

  Angie

  I stand like a statue under the shower head hoping the hot water will wash some sense and reason into me but it's impossible. Sense and reason went long ago when the first squirt of nectar entered my body. I can't logically figure out a way to get free of this existence. A good deal of that is because I can't imagine leaving him. But the poison analogy works in both directions. He is the worst and yet the most incredible thing that has ever happened to me. And sorting those feelings out is like untangling the mystery of the universe, impossible and out of reach. Occasionally, when I'm feeling stupidly out of touch with reality, I convince myself that I like being here because he needs me. He wants me and it's all unconditional.

  Kane moves so quietly, so confidently I don't hear him walk into the room, or, for that matter, the bathroom. "I'm almost finished," I call and instantly my body reacts to the notion that he is standing in the same room. He's cut down my doses from three to two, hoping to help me gain back some appetite, but this morning's injection is still coursing strong through my veins. Seeing him through the steamy glass of the shower makes it pump harder. Even standing under a waterfall of hot water, I can feel my pussy throb with moist heat.

  He's standing just outside the shower watching me with those stark blue eyes. His jaw is set firmly. His shoulders look rigid and hard. I smear away the condensation and smile at him. There's no smile in return but then there rarely is.

  He starts to unbutton his shirt, not taking his eyes from me as he undresses. My breath is coming in short, frantic puffs by the time he has stripped naked, revealing the lethally hard physique beneath the business shirt and slacks.

  The shower door opens and a rush of cool air is followed by the waves of heat rolling off his body. There is more tension than normal in his body.

  I open my mouth to speak but he covers it with his. His hands take hold of my wrists and he lifts my arms up over my head as he maneuvers me between the tile wall and his body. His kisses are wild and rough. He wastes no time and thrusts into me. I cry out but his mouth smothers the sound. He holds my wrists with one hand as the free hand grabs hold of my ass to lift me higher and hold me tighter in his grasp. I absorb the impact with each blow as he pumps into me with a ferocious need that I've never experienced from him. My mind is playing tricks as I talk myself into believing that it is just naked, uninhibited lust rather than the alternative, punishing anger.

  My head taps against the hard tile, but it doesn't stop my body from reacting. His fingers dig into the flesh of my ass holding me firmly against him as he rocks into me bringing me to orgasm.

  "Kane," my voice coasts through the clouds of steam as he drives into me, keeping the pulsating waves at full throttle and bringing me again to a peak of ecstasy. His grasp on my wrists and ass intensifies as he groans with release. I can feel his muscles shudder and tremble as he spills his seed inside of me.

  The hot water, steam and intense heat between us makes me feel as if I'm on fire. Dizziness sweeps over me. Reluctantly, he releases my wrists. I drop my arms around his neck to keep from slipping to the floor.

  He slams off the water and carries me out into the cool air of the bathroom. The stark change in temperature causes a shiver to race through me. It doesn't stop him from carrying me into the even cooler bedroom.

  I expect him to place me on the bed where I can at least tuck my wet body under the quilts. Instead, he carries me to what I jokingly call the 'mighty fuck' chair. He has pulled it out only twice and both times were memorable. But I'm cold and wet and the tension he stormed into the shower with has not dissipated. If anything it's worse.

  He sets me onto the seat of the chair and lowers the back so I'm at an incline. The seat of the chair is in two partitions which he spreads wide to part my thighs.

  "I'm cold."

  He ignores my complaint. He hasn't lifted his eyes to my face as he focuses on his task.

  "Kane," I say, "look at me. What's wrong?"

  His gaze locks with mine for a cold second. He storms to the dresser and pulls out one of the satin blindfolds he has stored in the top drawer. He returns and quickly covers my eyes with the blindfold. Fear is overtaking the trembling from the cold. Instinctively, I reach up to pull down the blindfold. He snatches my wrist first and binds my hands behind me on the chair.

  "Kane, you're scaring me." My voice sounds weak.

  His mouth presses against my ear. "After all this time, Sweet Sin, do you still think I'm going to hurt you?"

  I swallow to relieve the dryness in my throat. "You don't seem yourself. You left me in the desert," I add, then gasp as his warm mouth presses against my pussy. He has learned my body so well he knows just how to relax me, how to bring me back to the heightened state of arousal where everything else melts away and all I can think about is what's happening between my legs.

  He pushes the parted chair seat wider, spreading my pussy. He slips his hand under my ass and penetrates the tight hole with his thick finger. I push against the pressure of his invading finger, while the thumb of his free hand strokes my clit, strumming it teasingly and bringing me close to climax. I squeeze his finger in my ass as I push my pussy harder against his mouth.

  My arms are bound behind me. I struggle to get even closer to his mouth. It's all at once frustrating and thrilling. "Kane, please," I say. He knows exactly what I'm asking for. He keeps his hand on my ass, impaling me from behind, but he pulls his mouth free. I can sense his shadow over me through the satiny fabric of the blindfold. If I could move my hands, I would reach for him and pull him down over me.

  He stays on his knees as he drives his cock into me. My body shudders with release as my pussy contracts around him. As the pulses slow, he finally lowers his warm body over me, giving me that sense of security and affection I crave.

  His mouth is next to my ear. His breathing is fast and shallow as he pumps into me. "My Sweet Sin," he groans. "I just need all of you before they take you away from me." He stiffens and comes inside of me. My mind is trying to sort out his ominous words.

  He reaches down and unties my hands. I push the blindfold off my eyes. He's staring down at me as if he's trying to memorize my face.

  I reach up. He leans his cheek harder against my touch for a second but then pulls away.

  I rub my wrists. "I don't understand. What are you talking about?"

  He pushes abruptly off of me and heads to the bathroom to get dressed. I'm in a daze and still weak from the sex as I climb off the awkward chair. I walk to bathroom and grab the robe from the hook.

  Kane is buttoning his shirt, once again avoiding eye contact. The tension is back in his shoulders.

  He grabs his shoes. "Get dressed in s
omething nice," he commands as he heads to the bedroom. "I'll be back to get you in two hours."

  "Get me?" I hurry after him. "Where am I going?"

  He doesn't answer before he walks out and closes the door behind him.

  25

  Angie

  The green dress I chose makes my skin look frightfully pale, but I'm far past giving a damn about my appearance. My face is so small, my brown eyes look like giant saucers positioned over my lips, which now, remind me even more of a clown's lips. I pull a sweater on as I circle the room for my hourly dose of exercise. It's a silly habit considering my muscles and strength have disappeared.

  It seems I might very well die of starvation, yet I'd rather give up food than the nectar. I've been on the downside of its hideous withdrawals and it's a slice of hell. I doubt I even have the strength to survive complete withdrawal. All these years I've been talking so blithely to junkies, telling them they need to kick the stuff or die, like I was just asking them to change their socks. Suddenly, I'm in their shoes. It gives me a whole new perspective. Now my only advice would be don't start the shit in the first place. That thought makes me laugh. But alone in the room with no one, not even Blake to talk with, my laugh sounds hollow, invisible.

  There's no knock before the door swings open. Kane is dressed in a black shirt and black jeans. He's clean shaven and polished like he just stepped out of a high-end men's clothing catalog. Physically, he's model perfect, like someone destined for a movie screen or photo layout. But inside, it seems he is as scrambled as a messy plate of eggs. He reveals so little about himself or his past to me that even though we've shared incredible intimacy, it feels as if I'm looking at a stranger.

  "Will this do?" I hold out my arms. The bodice of the dress is meant to be snug but it shifts around my torso with the movement.

  "You're vanishing before my eyes," he says with an edge of regret.

  "I don't know how to stop it. The smoothies help but I think they went down easier when Blake was around."

  He ignores my comment and walks to the vanity to pick up the leather cuffs and anklets.

  "I wasn't sure if I was supposed to wear them."

  He answers me by tying the cuffs onto my wrists. He tosses the anklets back on the vanity. "Just the cuffs. People in the room already know. And new visitors will soon learn." His cryptic comments are frustrating.

  I pull my hand free when he takes it. "People know what?"

  "That you're mine." He says succinctly and heads to the door. "Let's go."

  I follow behind like a lost stray, not sure if I should follow the stranger or run from him. Only I know I have no real choice except to follow. I can hear music in the distance. When I get my bearings, I realize we are heading to one of his club parties.

  "Ugh," I say with extra drama. "Not the dreaded club party. Please. I'll just wait for you in the room."

  Kane reaches back and takes hold of my arm. His fingers hold me just a little too tightly. I can almost hear his teeth grinding together in his jaw. He is wound tight.

  I try and pull my arm free but don't have the strength to do it. "Why are you so uptight and why the heck are you dragging me to one of these awful parties?"

  He swings around and pushes me up against the hallway wall. The plaster is cold on my shoulders. My heart is pounding as he squeezes my chin between his fingers and lifts my face to his. "You started this and you need to see this through to the end, my lovely poison." His mouth covers mine. He kisses me as if it's the last kiss before we both plunge into the abyss.

  My lips are already swollen from his earlier visit. His punishing kiss brings tears to my eyes. He finally frees his mouth from mine and pulls his gaze away. Again, I'm trying hard to unscramble his words in my head but the damn drug makes everything incomprehensible, especially his vague, ambiguous declarations. Kane releases me and turns to the door.

  Jason is standing sentry at the entrance. Music, conversations and laughter fill the large room. I take several steps back. It's the last place I want to be. I'm still reeling from the last few minutes. Kane senses my hesitation. He reaches back, takes my hand and pulls me into the room. As always, his entrance yanks everyone's attention to the door. The music plays on but the voices have quieted. I stare down at my bare feet. I don't need to look around the room to know all eyes are on Mr. Freestone and his thin, frail possession.

  Kane reaches over, pushes his fingers under my chin and unexpectedly lifts and turns my face to his for a brief kiss. As he drops his hand away, my gaze inadvertently sweeps the room. The circle of curious faces makes me dizzy. Before I can drop my face, a pair of eyes pull me back.

  "Impossible," I whisper before my knees give way.

  Kane's fast reflexes keep me from falling to the ground. He turns toward me, his blue eyes streaked not with worry but with hurt. I hold his shirt to keep steady and will myself to look across the room. The mirage is still there, alive and vibrant and heartbreaking and swathed in mostly naked women. His green eyes leave a lasting image in my vision even after he pulls his gaze away. And it seems to takes all of his effort to do that, to look away.

  Kane presses his mouth next to my ear. "I'll get you something to eat." He turns to walk away, leaving me standing alone. The party goes on around me, rich men flirting and choosing their flavor for the night. And then, there's James Maddox. He pretends to nuzzle a woman's neck, but his eyes flick my direction, toward the thin girl in leather shackles, the boss's toy. Shame makes my gut twist into a knot. There's no music anymore. Just the beating of my heart and the thunderous sound clears away some of the fog in my head. All the emotion I have neatly and conveniently tucked away pours out in one huge tidal wave. The tears start as a trickle until they cascade down my cheeks. They drip on my chest and down the fabric of the dress. I can't stop them. People are staring, watching with curiosity.

  Kane returns with a plate of food. He ignores the tears. "I've made you a plate." I hear his voice but can't make out the words. I'm only aware of one person in the room. At the same time, I'm trying not to be aware of him.

  "Take me back to my room," I say weakly. "Please."

  "We just got here. Eat."

  I don't take the plate. The tears continue.

  "Freestone," I hear a voice call from across the room. "What's this about an island?"

  Kane takes the plate with him and walks over to talk to the man, leaving me alone again. If I move a step, I'm certain my legs will give way.

  From the corner of my eye, I see Maddox move. I have his stride memorized. He is leading a woman out of the room. I don't turn to watch him walk out. I'm frozen as if someone has turned off my switch. The club member has chosen his partner for the night. Maddox says something to the woman as they near. I sway at the familiar sound of his voice. I want to be sitting in a hot, smelly car listening to that voice sing out songs and tell jokes and talk about his night out with the guys. I miss that voice so much the tears flow faster.

  As he walks past, his hand grazes mine lightly. That's all it takes. The room spins and goes dark. The floor gives way beneath me. I land in a pair of arms. I don't need to know which arms. Maddox's all too familiar scent makes the ache in my chest unbearable.

  I open my eyes. Our gazes lock for a brief second. It's all we need to exchange a million words. I'm quickly lifted away from his arms. I bite my lip to keep from calling out in despair. Kane grips me in his arms as he carries me to the door. Jason opens it and I'm whisked through and away from the party. Away from Maddox. I turn my face against Kane's shoulder to hide my anguish. But he knows. Everyone in the room saw. Kane saw.

  26

  Maddox

  Cathy is practically skipping as she leads me along the hallway.

  Every cell in my body, every thought in my head, every muscle in my body said no. Do not touch her. But the wind had been sucked out of me when I saw Angie. She looked pale and thin and nothing like the tough partner who could outrun every person on the force. And when she was led in by Fr
eestone, with that proprietary gleam in his eyes, as if telling the entire room that he owned her, all I could think about was charging at the asshole and choking the life out of him.

  I'd gone through the scenario of finally finding Ten a hundred different ways in my head but none of them included her looking deathly pale and frail. None of them included seeing her in leather shackles and being led around and watched over by Freestone. None of them included tears.

  "Here we are, sugar." Cathy waves a small key card and the door opens.

  Get out of the room. Get out fast. That's the only plan that popped into my head when I saw Ten. I was expecting to come face to face with tough talking, confident, stalwart Angie. I imagined us exchanging a few of those secret glances that we'd perfected as partners. I would let her know without more than a blink that we were moving in on Freestone and to be ready. She'd return an affirmative with a blink of those long, dark lashes. But none of that happened. I needed to get out of the room before things became even more obvious.

  Cathy whispered in my ear and I grabbed her hand to lead her away. But I couldn't stop myself. I needed to touch Ten, to make sure I wasn't just imagining her standing in that room looking nothing like the woman I knew. It was a huge mistake.

  Cathy kisses me on the mouth, and I feign interest. She and a few of the other girls showed up to the party with new red hair color. "I was thinking we could take a bath to start." She drops her panties and the leather cuffs and is stark naked. She pushes her hands between her legs. "That nectar has me so horny right now. Standing here with you, I'm about to come just looking at ya." She laughs. "I'll go start the bath."

  I nod. "Yeah sure." I see a wet bar on the side wall. "I'll just fix myself a drink and be right in."

  "Help yourself," she says with a wave.

  The bath water turns on and a flowery scent fills the air. I walk over to the wet bar and open the bottle of bourbon. I throw back two shots and close my eyes to feel the heat of it going through me. And for that moment, she's back in my arms. When I saw her legs collapse, my natural instinct was to catch her. I was holding her. I had Ten in my arms. Until he snatched her away. But I'll give it to the asshole, if he knows, if he figured out that there was something going on with his beautiful prize and the new club member, he didn't let on. Cool and calm was always way more dangerous than angry and tense. It might very well have been an act.