by Jenna Jacob
“Why did you think he’d be able to?”
Mika laughed. “Because there’s never been another Dom who got under your skin the way he does. He’s compelling enough to keep you in line and, at the same time pamper you the way you deserve.”
“How do you know?”
“Remember that night you kicked us out of your private room?” I nodded. “Max and I spent the rest of the night in my office talking about the lifestyle. I’d pretty much connected the dots a few days before, but I wanted to see if he had enough mettle to tackle you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I scowled.
“Come on, Sam. Don’t get your feathers ruffled. You know what I mean. You’ve been a Domme for years. You’re not the kind of woman to let a man run roughshod over you, and you’d sure as hell never willingly submit to anyone who wasn’t one fucking powerhouse of a Dominant. I’m confident that Max can handle your inner Domme while letting your submission shine.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “I do, too, but…what about the club members?”
“What about them? Sure, most everyone will be surprised that you’ve decided to take a walk on the submissive side, but that’s only because they don’t know about your past.”
A spark of hope ignited in my brain. “I think I have an idea. I need to run it by Max first, but if he agrees, I’m going to need your help.”
“Anything for you, sweetheart.” Mika’s expression shifted to concern. “Are you sure you’re ready to come back to work tonight?”
“Totally sure. Oh, but aside from Julianna, I’d like to keep this all between the four of us…for the time being.”
“You don’t even have to ask, Sam. It goes without saying.”
“Thank you.” I kissed his cheek before hurrying down to the bar.
Max was waiting for me, opening up the Styrofoam boxes and setting out the plastic ware and napkins. As I sat down beside him, he arched his brows waiting for me to fill him in on my meeting with Mika.
“It’s all good.” I kissed him, long, slow, and passionately.
As we ate, I talked to him about my idea, then filled him in on my conversation with Mika. Just as we finished eating, the man himself came storming into the dungeon. Mika’s milk-chocolate complexion was dark red. His nostrils flared like a bull.
“That cocksucking, motherfucking son of a bitch!” he bellowed.
“Who? Jesus, Mika, what the hell is wrong?” I cried in alarm.
In tandem, Max and I both leapt from the bar and headed Mika’s way.
“Kerr! That wimp-assed player opened a BDSM club, a block and a half down the street, two weeks ago. I just found out. Justice called to tell me that Kerr’s soliciting all the members of Genesis. He’s trying to entice them to leave this club and join his. He’s calling it Club Control. That motherfucker doesn’t know the goddamn meaning of control.”
“Oh, my god!” I gasped. “Surely no one is going to drop their memberships with Genesis and follow that miserable prick, are they?”
“I’ll be more than happy to pay him a visit,” Max volunteered with a chilling smile.
“Don’t tempt me,” Mika fumed. “I’m not worried about competition. I’m concerned about the newbies…the subs who don’t know the difference between abuse and the beauty of the lifestyle. Dammit! I fucking hate players!”
“I say we infiltrate…try to warn as many subs as we can,” Max offered.
“How? He knows all the members here.” I nibbled the inside of my lip.
“He doesn’t know I’m a member. He thinks I was here visiting. I could go in undercover…start talking trash about Genesis…Mika in particular.” He shot a look of apology toward the owner. “No offense, man, but it might keep Kerr from getting suspicious.”
Though visibly livid, Mika cracked a half smile and nodded. “I think that’s a fantastic idea. But how are you going to approach the collared subs? Either Kerr or their Masters will kick you out in seconds. The man didn’t honor the boundaries of the unowned subs, but he never spoke to the collared ones. He knew he’d have his ass handed to him.”
“I could go with Max and—”
“No. There’s no way Kerr would let you step foot inside his club, Sam. There’s too much animosity between you two,” Max pointedly explained.
The three of us stood silently pondering the situation. Suddenly, Max’s eyes lit up.
“I’ve got it. I’ll need to talk to Dylan, Nick, and Savannah first, but I know they’d be willing to help.”
“Talk to me, man,” Mika urged. “What’s cooking in that devious brain of yours?”
A cunning grin lit Max’s face. “If I can get Dylan and his entourage on board, I say the four of us go to Kerr’s club. We’ll all but beg to join since I had a one-night stand with Sammie, and Mika found out I’d only used her to get a piece of ass and banned me from Genesis. Of course, Dylan, Nick, and Sanna couldn’t stand to see me kicked out for such a ridiculous reason and got so pissed that they tore up their contracts and left, as well. We’ll tell Kerr we’re looking for a new club to call home.”
I’d happily let the prick think me a helpless bimbo if it meant saving subs from his cruel abuse. I darted a glance at Mika and could practically see the wheels turning in his head.
“I think it’s brilliant. Give them a call. Ask if they’ll come in early so we can sit down and make this happen,” Mika eagerly urged.
Max grinned and plucked out his cell phone. While we waited for the trio to arrive, I began setting up the bar.
Drake dropped by to check in on his way home, but when Mika explained the situation with Kerr, Drake pulled out his phone and told Trevor he’d be a little late. Justice arrived next, clearly ticked off about being invited to join Control. Soon, several more trusted friends arrived, grumbling about Kerr’s solicitation, but began buzzing with delight after hearing Max’s plan.
“What I don’t understand,” Justice began, “is how did Kerr get all our phone numbers?”
Everyone turned to Mika. His face grew redder by the second, and I could have sworn steam was rising off his bald head.
“That’s a damn good question. I’ll be right back.” The owner turned and raced toward his office.
With a frown, Drake followed. Even more friends soon arrived, including lead DMs: Ink and Bent-Lee. Many offered their assistance, even concocting more horrendous stories about Genesis and Mika in hopes of joining Max’s subterfuge. I just stood behind the bar, grinning at my usually loving family who had suddenly turned bloodthirsty and vengeful.
“It’s time to teach that little weasel a lesson. When you mess with one of us…you mess with all of us,” Master Quinn declared. His Scottish brogue was thick and rich, and I could almost picture the man as a highlander in a past life.
“Kerr is a troll,” Ava, Quinn’s submissive/wife, stated flatly, wrinkling her nose in revulsion.
“He’s a jobby,” Quinn spat.
“A what?” she chuckled.
“A pile of shit…a worthless pile at that.”
A collective murmur of agreement and a few laughs rippled through those gathered at the bar. The telephone behind me buzzed. I picked it up, but before I could answer, Mika barked that I send Ink and Bent-Lee to meet him at the back door. As I passed along the message, the rest of us followed to see what was up.
We quickly discovered the keypad lock had been tampered with. The club had been open and unguarded for three days, or so Mika and Drake could tell based on the time-stamp of the security footage they’d been poring over upstairs.
They had proof that Kerr had broken into the club, not only stealing several toys from the wall—that had gone unnoticed—but he’d also picked the lock on the door to Mika’s private office. The ballsy bastard had even sat at the man’s desk while he copied phone numbers off the members’ applications.
Mika and Drake looked as if they were ready to kill. The privacy of our kinky family had been invaded. Kerr’s head was going to roll…maybe n
ot today but soon. I could feel it in my bones.
“I’ll get a couple trustworthy friends in law enforcement to come over and take a look at that footage. See if we can get Kerr on a B and E,” Justice announced before lifting his cell phone to his ear and heading toward the dungeon.
The back door opened. Ian, James, and Liz blinked in surprise at the welcome party that greeted them.
“We’ve got trouble. I need your help,” Mika addressed the two men who’d arrived.
James had been a former officer with Chicago P.D. but was now partnered with Ian, who owned a small security company. Liz watched with her mouth agape as her two Masters followed Mika up the stairs to his office. Slowly she turned toward me.
“Mistress Sammie? What’s going on?”
I nearly cringed at the word, mistress. Instead, I wrapped my arm around her waist and smiled. “Why don’t we go sit at the bar? I’ll get you something cold to drink.”
Liz darted a worried glance at the others huddled near the back door, then nodded and went with me. Across the room, Justice paced, gesturing with his hand as he talked on his cell phone. I poured Liz a cola, then filled her in on the current events.
“I hope they nail his ass to the wall. I wish Master Sam, Cindy, and I hadn’t taken that Hippocratic oath. We should have let Kerr bleed out that night on the floor,” Liz huffed.
“No, honey. None of you would have been able to live with yourselves. You all did the right thing,” I assured.
“I know, but still…Kerr’s done nothing but cause trouble. Why do people have to act like that?”
“Because they’re ego driven…and probably have tiny little dicks.” I grinned.
Liz burst out laughing. “Oh, my god. You are too funny, Sammie.” She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. Forgive me, Mistress. I didn’t mean any disrespect to you. Oh, god. My Masters will tan my hide if they knew I was being so—”
“Comfortable with me?” Oh, how I wanted to spill my guts if only to ease Liz’s embarrassment.
“Yes, Ma’am,” she mumbled.
“Well, I’m certainly not going to tell them. You won’t, either.” I reached out and patted the back of her hand. “It’ll be our little secret, all right? Besides, I’m sure they have enough on their minds right now. Mika will probably want the whole club’s security system revamped.”
“Thank you, Ma’am, but I have to tell them.” Liz hung her head in shame.
“No worries, girl. We’ll tell them together. I’ll assure them you were a shimmering example that they should be proud of.”
Liz sent me a grateful smile. “God, I love you, Mistress.”
The others wandered into the dungeon. Dylan, Nick, and Savannah followed Max toward the bar. Justice ended his call and jogged down the hall. It was a bevy of commotion, and we hadn’t even unlocked the front doors. I quickly glanced at the clock and cursed under my breath.
“It’s show time,” I announced to the group. “Any volunteers to check in members?”
“Ava and I will be happy to do it,” Quinn called out.
“Thank you.” I smiled.
After grabbing the keys, I hurried to the foyer and disengaged the lock. Several people filed in. Their anticipation and happy energy hummed in the air. This was why I’d chosen to remain in the lifestyle. I couldn’t give up the camaraderie of this like-minded family.
“Welcome, all.” I grinned. “Master Quinn and his beautiful girl, Ava, will have you passing through the velvet curtain just as quickly as they can.”
As I turned and walked away, Eli stepped out from behind Peanut and flashed me a nervous smile.
“Mistress, I-I wanted to make sure you weren’t angry for me scening with Mistress Monique the other night.”
I sent him a gentle smile and cupped his chin before he could drop his gaze to the floor. “No, sweet boy. I’m happy she’s helping you find subspace. I’m sorry if you feel I’ve failed you. That was never my intent.”
“Oh, no, Mistress. I didn’t think that. I know how hard you work, and the times you’ve been able to scene with me have been an honor. Is everything all right? You’ve been gone for days…I was worried that…well, that I’d upset you.”
“No, pet. I was sick. But I’m much better now,” I assured. “Go back and get in line. I’ll have a cherry cola waiting at the bar for you.”
He flashed me a smile filled with relief. “Thank you, Mistress.”
As I walked away, a lump of emotion clogged my throat. My eyes burned and I quickly blinked back my tears. Of all the members I hoped would embrace my new role as a submissive, Eli’s acceptance was important to me. I owed it to him to sit the boy down and explain everything one-on-one.
Suddenly, I was a knot of nerves.
Was I doing the right thing? A wave of panic threatened to take me over. Then I looked toward the bar. Max’s gaze was locked on me. Worry reflected in his eyes as he stood and barreled my way.
“What’s wrong?” He clutched my elbow and pressed me up against the wall, shielding me from the other members.
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
“Samantha.”
My eyes flashed wide as I darted them first to the left, then the right. We’d agreed that Max would call me Sam until… “Not here,” I whispered tersely.
“Then stop telling me nothing’s upset you, girl,” he growled lowly. “What the fuck is wrong?”
“I-I just had a little freak out. I’m fine.”
“What caused you to freak out?”
“Eli. I had a bout of guilt, is all. I feel like I’m tossing him aside.”
“You’re not. You’re fulfilling your own desires, just as he is. Monique is stepping in to give him what he needs. He’s not your worry anymore.”
“Maybe not by club standards, but in my heart, he is.” A tear slid down my cheek, but I hastily brushed it away.
“We have time to settle you into your new role, baby. Just breathe. All right?”
“I don’t want to wait. I want to do what we talked about this Saturday.”
“All right. Saturday it is.”
Easing in alongside Max, Brooks cast a quizzical glance between us. “Are you feeling dizzy or sick again, Sammie?”
“No. I’m fine.” I forced a smile. “We were just having a little discussion.”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt, but you look a little pale.” The doctor nodded. “I’ll leave you two to finish your talk.”
I sucked in a ragged breath. “I need to get to work and we’re making a scene here.”
“We can give them a scene, Samantha, right fucking now,” Max murmured between clenched teeth.
“No, Master. I’m sorry. It’s…god, this is hard.”
“I’m not trying to be unreasonable; I’m simply making sure you’re not putting too much stress on yourself or…”
I followed his gaze as he palmed my belly gently. Another tear escaped as I felt his benevolent command seep into my pores.
“I’m fine, Master. I don’t know why I’m always crying, but it’s pissing me off.”
“Hormones, pet.” Max grinned before leaning in close. “Pregnant women cry all the time.”
“Lovely,” I drawled derisively.
“We’ll talk later. Just relax.”
He walked me back to the bar before disappearing through the archway with Dylan, Nick, and Savannah. It didn’t take long for me to find my rhythm once more as the sights, sounds, and scents of the dungeon enveloped me.
When Max and his friends failed to return, I assumed his plan was in motion. I hoped Kerr would buy their deception, and between the four of them, they’d be able to reach out to as many subs as they could and lead them to Genesis. If things went well, the Saturday morning sub sessions would grow in size.
Mistress Monique had Eli on the cross again. A sliver of regret burned deep, but I lifted my chin and reminded myself change was inevitable. I’d survived releasing Dark Desire; I’d survive both Eli’s trans
ition and my own, as well.
Tony had Leagh tied to a spanking bench, and when she sent him a naughty grin over her shoulder, he landed the leather strap to her pink cheeks with a mighty backhand. She yelped and buried her face in the padded leather. I bit back a chuckle and filled more drinks.
Suddenly I saw Ink sprint across the dungeon and disappear down the hall. Master Sam and Cindy were quickly making their way in that direction again.
“Good lord, now what?” I murmured.
No sooner had the words left my lips than Max hurried toward me. “I need the key to your room.”
“What’s happened?” I asked as I pulled it from my pocket and placed it in his palm.
“I blew our cover at Kerr’s, but I’ve got eight subs out of there. One girl’s ass is opened up pretty badly. Brooks and Cindy are going to fix her up.”
Those pesky tears threatened again. “How bad was it there?”
“It wasn’t even a real club…just a loft with a crude slapped-together cross and a scuffed-up picnic table. I wanted to smash that prick’s face in.”
“You didn’t pulverize him, did you?”
“No, but I sure as fuck wanted to.” Max’s lips thinned. “The only thing that stopped me was the worry of being hauled away to jail. I’m not leaving your side. I gave you a promise. Remember?”
I blew him a kiss before he rushed away.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Joe,” I called over my shoulder as I stared at Max’s retreating back.
“I know. Watch the bar,” he replied. The sub’s face was pale and lined with anguish.
“I’ll be back as soon—”
“Just make sure that fucking monster didn’t hurt her so badly she’ll give up on submission.”
“I will.”
As I raced toward my private room, I wondered how we were going to protect others who might find Kerr first instead of Genesis. My stomach rolled at the thought of the harm he could do to the whole community. A group of subs—two male and five female—stood near the end of the hall. They looked scared and confused as they huddled together.
“The package is safe. You’ve got a green light. Go,” Justice barked into his cell phone.
