Lone Survivor (Crescent City Kings Book 1)

by Anya Summers

  “I’m fine with needles, Sir. I’m just usually the one doing the sticking,” she replied.

  Graham laughed, his eyes dancing with merriment. “Well, you can stick me anytime.”

  “Who is sticking whom, and do you need help?” another rough male voice commented.

  Sadie swiveled her head toward the newest voice and found one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen. All the guys were handsome and exuded testosterone, but this guy, with his chin-length caramel hair and burnt caramel eyes, would have been too pretty if it weren’t for the shadow beard with a few days’ growth.

  “Killian, good to see you. This is Sadie,” Michael said.

  “Nice to meet you, love. Are you the one doing the sticking?” Killian smiled and Sadie almost laughed with one of those feminine trills like she was a damn teenager.

  “Likewise, Sir. And only if you’re good,” she said, which earned her a few male chuckles.

  “I like her. We’re keeping her,” Graham said.

  “I agree,” Killian added. “If she’s available—” he began and was cut off by Dante.

  “She’s not. If you would read the damn emails, you would know that,” Dante said with exasperation.

  “Oh, I read it, just wanted to see if I could entice her, and it doesn’t hurt that it ruffles your organized feathers too.” Killian smirked and winked at Sadie.

  A waitress dressed in little more than a thong and bra that showed her nipples arrived with a tray full with drinks and handed them to Dante and Michael, including Sadie’s cocktail.

  “Thank you, Tori. I think Master Graham and Killian might be a little parched,” Michael said. The blonde nodded and turned to the two men, taking their drink order.

  Dante handed Sadie the champagne flute with its bubbling, fruity concoction. “Cheers,” he said. “There’s a scene coming up in just a moment that I think you will find interesting. You mentioned a penchant for flogging and the paddle, but this is going to be the whip.”

  Sadie took a sip of her drink, aware for the first time that she would be sitting here with these four big Doms watching another Dom do his thing with a sub.

  Dante’s outer leg was pressed up against hers, and Michael’s hand behind her on the couch was toying with her hair. She wasn’t used to being the center of attention.

  “Take a look at the stage,” Michael whispered low near her ear.

  Sadie glanced up to see a guy dressed in leather pants and nothing else, his massive chest thick with muscles. He had a red-haired woman with him who was already nude. Sadie blushed. She could see the woman’s shaved pussy. The scene area they were using was the one with the dungeon wall with chains against it. The Dom led the woman over to the wall, where he proceeded to secure her hands and feet with her face toward the wall.

  The Dom said something to the woman that none of them could hear. But then he backed away, and pulled a leather whip from a bag. He uncoiled the whip and tried a few strikes with it against the stone wall before he began a methodical, rather hypnotic dance with the whip, landing blows across the submissive’s rump. And the woman was crying out; not in pain, but in ecstasy.

  Sadie curled her fingers around the stem of the champagne flute as the scene unfolded. When the whipping ended, the Dom strode over to the moaning sub. From this angle, Sadie could only see his absolutely perfect ass, which was bounce a quarter off it perfection. There was a moment where they were both still, and then the Dom rocked his hips, screwing the sub against the wall. The woman was loving every second of it.

  “I see the little kitten likes discipline in all its forms,” Michael murmured by Sadie’s ear. Then, “Are you seeing this, Dante?”

  “Look at me, Sadie,” Dante commanded.

  She did as he asked and the man inhaled a deep breath, his nostrils flaring. “Good Christ, you’re bloody magnificent. I’m going to revisit what I said earlier. If you need release, Michael and I would be too happy to provide it.”

  It was all there in his chocolate gaze. She could get the flogging she needed, perhaps even a threesome with him and Michael. But she wasn’t ready. Not when Ram was still occupying far too much real estate in her heart and her brain.

  “Thank you, Sir, but I’m not ready yet.”

  “Well, you let us know if you change your mind,” Dante said with banked heat in his expression. Maybe he would be the right direction to go when she was ready.

  A familiar voice interrupted them. “Why is Ram’s sub with you?” Quinten demanded to know, standing there with the bearing of a law enforcement officer and badass Dom combined. He scowled at the scene.

  “I’m not Ram’s sub, Sir.” Sadie flushed as Killian and Graham turned toward her, assessing her, and she could feel Michael and Dante staring at her.

  “Did he give you permission to see other Doms?” Quinten asked, putting his hands on his muscular hips. His black jeans rode low enough she could see the firm outline of his victory lines.

  With more courage than she felt with all the testosterone flying around, Sadie said, “Ram made it perfectly clear where I rank in the scheme of things in his life. I am not, nor have I ever been his sub. We had an arrangement, and that arrangement is done. Not that it’s any of your business, Sir.” She amended the last bit as an afterthought.

  “I’m aware of the situation with Ram. If you read your bloody emails, you would know that our newest recruit suffers from PTSD and we are easing her in before any scening occurs.” Dante saved her. Thank goodness.

  Quinten’s stance didn’t soften. Sadie didn’t think the man had a soft bone in his body. But his demeanor decompressed slightly. “You never said that when you applied. Not admitting to something is the same as lying. I hope you’re done with that, otherwise we will be spending an inordinate amount of time disciplining you.”

  “Might be kind of hard with this one, it seems she has a real thing for pain, whether it’s flogging, paddling, or quite possibly whipping. Have you ever been caned, love?” Killian asked.

  “Yes, Sir, I have.” She felt the blush growing stronger.

  “That just means an enterprising Dom will have to get really creative with your punishment,” Quinten warned and strode away. She shivered. Out of all the Doms she had met so far, that dude intimidated her the most.

  After Quinten left their motley group, the night progressed, with Dante and Michael explaining some of the scenes.

  By eleven that night, Sadie was flushed, aroused, and knew she would be going to bed alone that evening. Dante indicated it was time for her to leave. He escorted her down to her vehicle.

  “You did well tonight. Wednesday, same time, I want you here. And if you change your mind…” he trailed off.

  “You’ll be the first to know. Thank you for everything.” She hugged him and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

  “Anytime. It’s late, so drive carefully, and text me when you get home, so I know you made it safe,” he ordered, shutting the car door once she was inside.

  “Will do, Sir,” Sadie replied.

  He watched her back out and drive away. The evening had been a success—for the most part, aside from Quinten sticking up for Ram.

  On the bright side, Sadie knew from the state of her arousal that she was without a doubt submissive. The night had been a delight-filled treat for the eyes and other senses. Toward the end, she had almost agreed to scene with Dante and Michael. But Ram’s face had kept on flashing through her brain any time she almost broached the topic. Her stupid brain—and loins, for that matter—seemed to be focused on just him. But if she and Ram were truly over, the clock on her time to choose a new Dom was ticking.

  The problem was that, deep down in her heart of hearts, she didn’t want anyone but Ram. But she worried that if she didn’t have that outlet, her PTSD could come roaring back and she could end up harming Grace. Sadie didn’t have an answer—at least, not one she liked. If they were done, Ram’s absence might force her to choose another.

  Chapter 28


  On Tuesday, Ram had just finished running errands for the day when a call came in. Recognizing the number, he answered. “Quinten, what can I do for you?”

  “Glad I caught you. I know you’re in the middle of things with your kids, and hate to bother you.”

  “Well, moving two teenagers from one state to another takes a lot of elbow grease. But at least they will be staying in the country, and will be going to the same school with Gina’s kids.”

  “Good to hear it. I debated calling you because it’s none of my fucking business, except for the fact that I was the one who did her application.”

  Sadie. “Just spit it out, dude. What’s going on?” Ram asked, even though there was a part of him that didn’t want to hear it. He knew she was a member of the club now. Dante had sent out the group email to everyone introducing them to the newest sub. Had she been with another Dom already? It served him fucking right for being such an asshole.

  “I thought you would want to know that your little sub was at the club with Dante and Michael on Saturday. Killian and Graham were introducing themselves to her too. She looked really cozy on the couch between Michael and Dante, who are ready to claim her for all and sundry to see.”

  “What?” Ram pinched the bridge of his nose. He had already had a fucked-up day. While Kelly had agreed to have Angela and Rocky come live with him, she wasn’t making getting them moved to his house easy at all and fretting about everything, from the school they would be in, to his neighborhood, to the boozing in the French Quarter and worry about vagrants lining the streets.

  “Yeah, she was sitting between Dante and Michael while they were holding court.”

  “Did you ask her what the fuck she was doing there?” Ram snarled, even though he had no real claim on her. Things had ended between them. Badly. But the thought of her moving on to some other Dom made him see red. He felt a bit like he was in a matador ring and he was the damn bull.

  “Yep. Apparently, she believes that you guys aren’t in a relationship, that she is not your submissive. So just how badly did you fuck it up between you? Or is there nothing to tell and it’s open season on the newest sub at Underworld?” Quinten asked.

  Ram sighed. He’d hurt her, that much was clear. He had been the one to open her up to the lifestyle and had then used the situation with his kids and anger toward his ex-wife to use Sadie as an outlet for his fury. He accepted the brunt of responsibility for the way things had ended. “We had a fight, a bad one, before I could talk to her about our arrangement. She’s fostering a little girl and didn’t tell me. I blew it out of proportion. Being in Dallas right now doesn’t help the situation because I can’t show up at her place to get her to talk to me.”

  “Arrangement? What the hell kind of D/s relationships are you peddling? It’s no fucking wonder she left your ass high and dry,” Quinten said derisively.

  “It’s what it was when we began, but things changed, rather quickly and we didn’t have time to iron some things out.” In the short time they had been seeing each other, things had shifted. But Ram was just so used to being on his own, to using the club as a way to meet his physical needs, he’d forgotten what it was like to truly have someone in his life. And he had begun to believe they were moving toward something more long term.

  But then she’d shut him out.

  Because he—fuck.

  He hadn’t realized he said it out load until Quinten chuckled. “How would you like me to handle it? I’m assuming you want to keep your arrangement going. Man, get a better fucking word. An arrangement is what you have with your housekeeper, not the submissive you tie to your bed and fuck. But I’m assuming that it’s not over for you.”

  “Damn right it’s not. Tell those assholes to back the fuck off.” If any one of them touched her, Ram might end up in a slug-fest.

  Quinten barked out a laugh. “With pleasure. You might actually make Dante cry. He was being super protective of your little kitten, especially since she told him about her PTSD. The guy can’t help himself and his need to rescue every woman he meets.”

  Ram ground his teeth. Dante would do that. It was just like him. Hell, it was just like the rest of them to step up and protect a submissive in need.

  Then again, he wasn’t feeling magnanimous toward the guy at all. “Would serve the fucker right for not calling me first. I should be back… shit, by the end of the week.”

  “I’ll keep an eye out. Dante has her coming to the club on Wednesday and again on Saturday.”

  Tomorrow was Wednesday. There was no way Ram could cut and run in the middle of moving his kids to New Orleans. But they had already booked their flights for Friday. “I’ll be there Saturday night. Thanks for covering my six.”

  “I live to serve,” Quinten said and hung up.

  Ram seethed at his inability to do anything. Sadie had not returned any of his calls. And could he really blame her? He’d been an ass. Even Marsha had thought so when he had called to have her cover his survivors’ group this week.

  He wasn’t angry with Sadie. He was pissed at himself. Sadie was the best thing to come into his life in years. Now all he had to do was convince her that they belonged together, that he was in it for the long haul. And that she had innocuously wiggled her way into his heart with her kindness, tenacity, and fierceness.

  Would Sadie accept him, all of him? From his crazy sisters to his kids and his battered soul? Because deep down, he knew she was it for him.

  Chapter 29

  On Saturday evening, Sadie was once again dressed in a skimpy, barely-there dress. This time it was a fire-engine red number that fit like a second skin. She’d styled her hair into a high ponytail and painted her lips to match the color of her dress. She looked like a woman about to get her freak on. And, in a way, she was. After her evening at the club on Wednesday, she and Dante had agreed to get her feet wet with her first scene. It was only going to be a flogging, but it would be a public one, and she would be naked. While she was getting used to the amount of flesh on display, tonight it was going to be her flesh. And a Dom she wasn’t in love with doing the honors.

  Shivers skittered along her spine, and she fought back her rising panic.

  A public flogging would be nothing compared with adjusting to a three-year-old living with her. It had not been the easiest of weeks. Sadie was exhausted from the round the clock care Grace needed right now. But she was also exhilarated by it as well. She was hardly sleeping, and was figuring out a proper schedule for the both of them to establish a routine, since that would give Grace a solid foundation. Sadie had been meeting with different daycares in the area to try and find the right one. There were two on her list which were promising that she and Grace were going to visit during the first part of next week.

  Grace had a few weeks left with her casts on. So Sadie was taking the time off until the little girl was healed before she started at Luc’s practice. She was a master at juggling at the hospital, but she figured easing into this new paradigm was for the best. Besides, Luc had already gotten her on his payroll and had her fill out her employment forms. She had given her notice at the hospital. And while she was sad and would miss working with some of the people there, she knew it was the right move on her part.

  She’d been doing a lot of that lately, choosing what was best for her. She just wished that Ram… no, she couldn’t go down this road anymore. Wishing for things to be different between her and Ram weighed far too heavily on her heart. And while he had tried contacting her, numerous times, she’d ignored him. She didn’t want to be the for a good time, call sub. She wanted to be his sub, be the one he claimed, and who wore his collar at the club. There had been a collaring scene on Wednesday, and she’d yearned to have Ram do the same with her. And that was about as likely to happen as the zombie apocalypse.

  Grace was already down for the night. They had experienced a few nightmares and night terrors since Sadie had come home with her from the hospital on Monday. But that was why she had asked her therapist, Marsha,
to babysit for her. Sadie wouldn’t be able to use Marsha all the time, but her therapist was in agreement that having a person skilled in trauma and therapy watch her in the beginning would be best.

  Marsha arrived promptly at eight. Sadie crossed to the front door, a smile on her face. “Thank you so much for watching Grace again for me. I know after this, I will need to dial it back to maybe twice a month at the club. Grace is already asleep, so hopefully you won’t have any issues. Last night, we made it through with no nightmares, so I think we’re progressing. I told her that you would be here with her if she woke up.”

  “I’ve got it covered. I’m a mom and a therapist, so all bases are covered. You go have a good time with your first scene at the club. I can tell you that Dante is particularly skilled in the art of flogging.”

  At the second hard rap on her door, Sadie quelled the rising anxiety as she answered. Dante stood just outside her door, looking big, bad and sexy as hell. It should stir her—he should stir her with his badass Dom demeanor. His molten chocolate gaze slid over her body, starting at her chest and moving on down to the sky-high stilettos on her feet, and smoldered with enough intensity to start a house fire.

  And her damn stupid hormones didn’t even register the look with so much as a blip.

  What the hell? It was like Ram had ruined her for other men, damn him. And Sadie had no clue how to exorcise him from her being.

  “I’ve gotta say, kitten, you look downright edible. Are you ready?”

  Marsha interjected before Sadie could reconsider and back out. She said, “Of course she’s ready. I have Grace taken care of on this end, so there’s no need for you to worry. You two go and have a nice time.”

  Marsha was acting more like her mother sending Sadie on her first date, than to a BDSM club where she was going to get naked and do a scene with the man in her doorway.

  Seeing no path to tread upon but the one moving forward, Sadie put her hand in Dante’s much larger one and let him lead her outside her apartment to his black, souped-up Escalade. It was as big and badass as the man at her side.