Lace Underground: The Complete Trilogy

by Oliver, Tess

  I hop up from the bench but sway a second on my feet. "I think that stuff might work. If you head down to the kitchen, tell them to go easy on the rich stuff. It's been too long. Maybe just some eggs and toast." My hopes that the prospect of me eating breakfast will move Kane out of the room quickly are dashed when he leans against the counter and crosses his arms.

  "So you don't remember anything much about last night? Like crying rivers of tears and fainting?"

  More of the night, the short and stunning night, is coming back to me, but I can't let Kane know. "I didn't faint. You must have mistaken me tripping for fainting. Besides, this is your fault. Your nectar is making me shrink into a walking skeleton. I said I didn't want to go to that party. After being sealed up in this room so much, seeing all those people sent me into a brutal panic attack. That's all it was. The tears, my unsteady legs. It was because you made me go to that stupid party."

  He nods. "Well then, I'll make sure never to take you along again."

  "No," I say abruptly, then just as quickly want to erase it. "I mean, yes. That's probably for the best. Unless, of course, you really want me along, then I'll just make sure I don't fall apart." My reversal sounds ridiculous to my own ears but not going to the party means I won't see Maddox again. And he'd never find me in this locked prison room.

  "It's not important now." He lowers his hand to help me up from the bench. "You need to shower. I'll have the cook bring you by some toast and eggs. I might be by to make sure you eat them so don't plan on stuffing them into a pillowcase or under the bench cushion."

  I smile with relief. For now, it seems, my alarming little show at the party has been accepted as a panic attack. "I suppose you were one of those kids who hid the vegetables on your dinner plate under a napkin."

  Kane hands me a clean towel. "There were no vegetables because there was rarely a dinner plate."

  I watch him as he leaves and see it again. That glimmer of sadness, a lost man who was even more lost as a boy. It's part of his history that he never talks about. Sometimes I think it's better if I don't hear it. Something tells me it's a horribly heartbreaking story.

  Kane leaves the room. I'm left to myself. I sit back down hard on the bench and release a mass of air from my lungs. What the hell is going on? Are Maddox and Clark working on a scheme to get me out of Lace Underground? Are they closing in on Freestone? Or is Maddox just working undercover from the club member angle to find out what the hell is going on? And who the hell would be stupid enough to mistake James Maddox for a rich man? The last question makes me laugh, but the mirth stops quickly as more of the night comes back in crisp, clear and painful streaks.

  His face. Shit. Maddox looked as if someone had reached inside and twisted his gut when he saw me. It's hard to blame him.

  I glance in the mirror that is slowly fogging up with condensation. I don't look anything like Angie Tennyson. I gaze down at my arms. I look like a junkie. Another ill timed laugh is answered by the echo of the same pitiful laugh off the bathroom wall. I don't look like a junkie. I am a junkie. Maddox is most likely back wherever he's staying in his charade as a billionaire and telling Clark that I easily succumbed to a drug addiction. To give him a full picture, he'd have to let Clark know I'm Freestone's whore too. Fuck. It's true. All of it is true.

  I step into the shower. The appetite stimulant was working just a few minutes earlier, but these new revelations have wiped the effects away. I feel sick.

  30

  Maddox

  "Very nice of your boss to allow you to come in and clean my cuts." I wince as Cathy presses a cotton ball with stinging disinfectant against the cut on my chin.

  "See, I told you he was all right." She sits back with round blue eyes. "I still don't get why Jason and Oscar beat you up. They usually only rough up members who get out of line with one of the women." She rubs her fingers along my forearm. "You were a perfect gentleman." Her bottom lip pouts out. "A little too gentlemanly if I'm being honest." She smears more disinfectant on the gash.

  I groan. "Sure, kick a man when he's down." I reach up and touch the cut. "Shit, that's going to leave a scar."

  "It sure is and a sexy one at that." Cathy digs a bandage out of her first aid kit. "Luckily we have these cute little butterfly shaped bandages. They'll hold the pieces of skin together. Maybe there won't be too much permanent damage to that beautiful face of yours." She leans forward and kisses me lightly on my swollen lips. "Darn those guys. How dare they touch this face." She snaps her finger. "I'll bet they were just jealous. Or maybe a couple of the more senior, and I mean that in many ways, members asked Oscar and Jason to mess you up so you'd be less appealing." She laughs at her own theory. "The joke is on them. If anything it only makes you look tougher." She crinkles up her nose and lightly touches the cut on my cheek. "Except maybe this gash. It's kind of gross." She sits back down on her knees. "I better clean it too. It's kind of deep. So, what do you think it was?" she asks while preparing another cotton ball.

  "What do I think what was?"

  She blows out a frustrated sigh. "Maybe they hit you just a little too hard. Why do you think they beat you up? Did you say something to make them mad?"

  I shake my head slowly. "Like you said, I was the perfect gentleman. Maybe they were just in a bad mood. Maybe it's been awhile and they just felt like breaking a few heads and mine got in the way."

  Cathy laughs and seems to accept my outlandish explanation until a new realization hits her.

  "Why are you still here?" She glances around at the stacked boxes and old furniture. "And in this terrible room? None of it makes sense."

  "It's not so bad. There's a bathroom and everything. But I think I'm going to ask for a refund on that club fee."

  "Oh my gosh, are you ever serious?" She cleans the cut on my cheek. "I guess maybe they are just waiting for me to get you all cleaned up before they send you on your way."

  "Yeah, that's probably it," I say wryly.

  31

  Angie

  It's just scrambled eggs with a touch too much salt and buttered toast but it tastes like heaven. It's the first time I've enjoyed food in months. The stoically quiet woman who has been bringing me my plates as well as carrying away the mostly untouched food, stares at it in shock.

  "It was delicious," I say.

  "Good. I'm glad to see you ate something." She walks out as Kane walks in.

  "Did I just see an empty plate?" he asks as he shuts the door.

  "You did. Gosh, one plate of food and I already feel more human. Why the heck didn't you give me this earlier? You could have spared me a few pounds."

  "It took me that long to formulate it."

  "Once again, the mad genius has scored." His face dims at the nickname. "What? You don't like to be called a mad genius?"

  "Would you?"

  "I'd live with it if I was a genius. But I'm not." I get up from the table and sweep past him but his arm curls around my waist. He pulls me back against his chest and kisses my neck. It sends instant heat to my pussy. Even with the shocking events of the night before, the nectar and his confident, possessive touch make me weak with desire. My stomach is full for the first time in months, and I'm at ease knowing that Maddox seems to have gotten in and out of the club without any problem. I even managed to push aside any thoughts about what he might have been doing with the pretty blonde on the precinct's dime.

  Kane's mouth touches my ear. "I've had a shitty morning. I decided to relieve a little stress with my Sweet Sin."

  I shiver in his arms as the words and the gesture bring back another strange moment from the night before, the moment when he spoke to me in an ominous tone in the hallway outside the party.

  "What did you mean—" I start and pause to lift my arms.

  Kane is only half listening as he removes my t-shirt. My words are stuck again as I close my eyes and lean my head against his shoulder to enjoy his teasing pinches on my nipples.

  His hands sweep down to my shorts. They fall away a
long with the panties. Before I drift into the mindless erotic haze he is so good at drawing out, I ask him again. "What did you mean when you said I started something I needed to see through to the end?"

  The question makes him tense behind me. There's no answer. He takes hold of my wrists. "Where are the cuffs?" he asks angrily. My question upset him.

  "I'm tired of them. I hate them," I snap back.

  "Fine." He pulls his shirt off, popping all the buttons with one sharp tug. He ties both my wrists together with one sleeve. My feet slap the ground as he leads me brusquely to the bed. The white shirt is tossed over the canopy frame and tied in a loop. I'm bound again, even without the leather cuffs.

  He pushes his pants off and presses his hard naked body up behind me. His cock pokes teasingly at my ass as his hands slide down between my legs. He kisses my shoulder and then his teeth nibble my neck.

  The earlier question floats away as my head fills only with thoughts of him fucking me.

  His fingers massage and impale my pussy drawing out the creamy liquid pooling there. He draws some out and uses it to lube my ass. "I need to hear it from your lips, or I will leave you hanging here waiting for a fucking orgasm for the entire day." His cruel words should anger me. Instead, they only make me want him more.

  "Please, Please, Kane, you know what I want. Please." It's not my voice anymore. It's that woman who can't get enough of Kane Freestone.

  His hands drop and he steps away.

  "No!" I plead. "What do you want me to say? I'll say anything."

  Silently, he walks to the dresser and pulls out one of the many vibrators. He lubes it up. The buzzing sound sends shockwaves through my pussy. A long, appreciative moan rolls up from my chest.

  Kane yanks my hair back and kisses my ear as he pushes the vibrator in, bringing on an instant orgasm. As my body succumbs to the waves of pleasure, he shoves his cock into my ass. I cry out in ecstasy as I'm invaded from every angle.

  He pumps into me from behind while keeping my pussy convulsing around the vibrator. The canopy frame of the bed creaks. I'm sure it will break in half. He moves faster and drops the vibrator to wraps his arms around me. I melt against him absorbing the impact of his thrusts. His strong arms tighten around me, nearly crushing me as he comes.

  We stand in the hot steamy air evaporating from our bodies as our breathing slows. He reaches up and unties my hands. I rub the life back into them as I turn to be wrapped in his arms. It's the closure I always crave. Instead, he pulls his shirt on and hardly looks me in the eye.

  "Stress relieved?" I ask lightly.

  "If only it were that easy." He pulls on his pants. I pick up my clothes, deciding there's a sudden chill in the air. Only it has nothing to do with ambient temperature.

  "Kane?" I ask tentatively.

  He finally lifts his face to mine. His blue eyes are unreadable. He steps toward me and takes my face between his hands for one last kiss before he marches out the door.

  32

  Maddox

  My two friends are back. They retie my hands in front of me and lead me again, one on each arm, out the door. I don't bother to ask where they're taking me because they aren't big on answering. I take note of the various cameras and turns, the corridors, the maze of halls. Every door has a keypad and a number, reminding me of a very industrial looking hotel. The only clue that we are underground is the lack of windows.

  We take a quick turn down another dark corridor. The guard knocks on a door. A voice follows to come in. I recognize it instantly. My entire body tightens at the sound of it. The guard opens the door, and they escort me roughly inside. It's a plain, stark office. Freestone is sitting in the center of it, watching something on his computer. He doesn't acknowledge our presence at first.

  He motions us forward with a wave of his hand without pulling his gaze from the monitor.

  "Decide what the hell you're going to do with me already," I say. "I'm getting bored sitting in that storage room."

  "I decided what the hell to do with you yesterday. I'm just drawing this out to get a confession out of you." He sits back in his chair and looks up at me. "And I like to draw out the punishment a little." He looks at my hands tied in front of me and looks up at his guard.

  "I think we should probably move his hands to the back. He might not like what comes next."

  "Fuck," I mutter. "Why bother having her fix up my face if you're just going to pummel me again?"

  "Nope. We're done with the pummeling. It occurred to me after these two got done with you yesterday that I was going about this the wrong way. It is obvious that you don't mind getting the shit beaten out of you."

  I snort derisively. "You call that getting the shit beaten out of me? Guess you spend too much time in those fancy business clothes hiding down here in your bat cave to know the real world."

  He shrugs lightly. "I prefer the bat cave to the real world. I've got plenty to keep me busy down here."

  My arms are secured behind my back. Not that I could do much in a place like this. It's not like I could find the exit if I did manage to fight off the two bodyguards. Freestone doesn't look like an easy pushover either. It seems he's found the secret to living the good life in cement burrows.

  I glance at his two guards and then turn back to him. "Now what? Don't keep me in suspense. Let's get on with this new way, as you said. You already know I'm a cop, so there's not much more you can squeeze out of me."

  "Are you sure? See, I walked out of here last night convinced there was some connection between you and my special friend. You could almost see arcs of electricity shooting between you two the second we entered the room. And frankly, I've been extremely intimate with her for several months, and I've never seen her cry like that." He's goading me and it's working. My fists are solid as rocks.

  I stare at him. "Don't know what you want me to say. I don't know her but I sure as hell can pretend like I do if it means I'm out of this place."

  "Nope. I prefer the truth." He motions for his guards to step back. They quickly obey and move back away from the desk. Freestone reaches for his computer mouse. Light sounds are coming from the speakers. It doesn't take long to recognize they are a woman's erotic moans of pleasure.

  Freestone watches my face with laser eyes as he swivels the computer monitor my direction.

  "Please, Kane," the woman pleads. Even though I've never had Ten naked in my arms, I know the sound of her voice.

  My teeth grind together so hard it sends a shooting pain through my already sore jaw. My fists are so tight, I can no longer feel my fingers. I stare unblinking at the monitor. Freestone blocks her from the camera until he peers up at the spying lens and moves aside. He is gripping her hair. Her face is turned up. Her eyes are closed as Freestone pumps into her.

  I pull my gaze away. My leg shoots out before I can even plan the kick. My foot jams so hard against the desk, the monitor wobbles and the heavy desk scoots toward Freestone. The two guards jump into protective mode. They grab my arms and hold me down hard to keep me from kicking anything else.

  Freestone has turned the monitor but the sound is still on. "Turn it off," I say through a tight jaw. "Turn it fucking off."

  Freestone reaches for the mouse to mute it.

  He sits back in his chair. "Quite a reaction. Most men would rather enjoy watching that. Unless of course the woman tied to the bed, enjoying herself beyond measure is a woman they love."

  I shake my head, hoping to cool the fire in my mind. The rage, the sickness deep in my gut steals my response. All I want to do is climb over the fucking desk and pound him until his mad genius brains ooze out his ears.

  Freestone taps the mouse to shut off the video. "It makes me horny to watch it. She is something. Never had anyone like her. Guess I can't blame you for risking your life getting in here. Kind of makes me almost feel bad for you. She's not one of those women you can lose and then get easily on with your life."

  "Yeah? Is that why you're keeping her high on drugs and trapp
ed in this hole? Because you can't go on without her?"

  "She never tells me to leave her room."

  A dry, angry laugh shoots from my mouth. "Because you've drugged her so much she can't make a rational decision. She's looks like hell. Don't you fucking feed her or is that part of your scheme to keep her under your control?" I can see the smallest movement in his cheek. I'm getting to him. It won't help the situation, but at least I got in one good lick, even if it is with my words and not my hands. "If you already knew so much about me, then you knew I was connected to her. Why the fuck did you just put me through that? Or is that just because you are a sick motherfucker who needs to be taken out for good?"

  "Just wanted confirmation and to wipe that cocky smirk off your face. And I sure as hell did that. Oh and I'm a sick motherfucker as well." He waves his hand. "Take him. I'm done."

  I move to avoid their grasp, which earns me an elbow in my gut. I bend over. "Fuuuck. Only an asshole would hit a man with his hands tied behind his back." He lifts his fist to silence me. I brace for the pain.

  "No," Freestone snaps. "Leave him. I don't want blood in my office. Get him out of here."

  "What are you going to do now?" I ask before they can pull me out of the room. "Send her back home. She needs medical attention, food. She needs to be out of your clutches for good. We can't trace back to this underground prison anyhow. Have these goons drive her back to the city or take her to a bus stop. Just let her go."

  "And you?" he asks. "What am I supposed to do with you?"

  "I don't know. Do whatever the hell you want just get Ten out of here."

  A grin curls his lip. "Ten? Interesting nickname." He shakes his head once. "To think of all those times I was watching that tattoo of the number ten on her perfect ass as I fucked her from behind. And it was there because of you. Sweet. Gives the tattoo a whole new meaning, especially when I spank her."