Her Devil's Kiss

by Linzi Basset

  “Sir, you need to see this,” Justin called from the doorway. They left Emily and her children under guard and followed him through the inter-leading door into the garage.

  “We found a false wall in the basement.” He pointed to a square unit against the side panel. “That’s a bogus circuit breaker box, and when I removed the phony panel, we found this,” he said and led them into a bedroom-sized room behind the wall.

  “Holy shit,” Lance exclaimed. There were built-in shelves with numerous stacks of various kinds of drugs.

  “And there’s this.” Justin kicked at two suitcases and duffel bags. “It’s stuffed with cash. At a rough estimate, I’d say close to four million big ones. There are more drugs in the back of the room, including a buried cooler that holds a large volume of packages of fentanyl-laced heroin. They’ve fucking stuffed the crap everywhere,” he sneered as he looked around.

  “This is going to hit the syndicate where it hurts the most, Lance,” Alex said with glee.

  “Yeah, their fucking greedy pockets. This is a big seizure, Alex. There’s probably close to 150 pounds of heroin on those shelves alone. I don’t even want to guess at the street value.”

  “Combined with what they’ve manufactured at the shelter lab, you can be assured the Sixth Order is going to feel this. Fuck! It feels good to be one up on them for a change.” Alex pumped a fist into the air. His earphone crackled.

  “Alex, report.”

  “All good, Rhone. We’ve uncovered millions of dollars in cash on top of heroin, coke, and fentanyl.”

  “This was the biggest bust in this city ever, mate. The drug lab, according to the workers, has been operating nonstop for the past six years out of the shelter. We’ve seized the entire stash they’d just manufactured and those they had in storage, ready to be distributed to stash houses. Better yet, these bastards are singing. We’ll be able to raid all the stash houses in the city … but we need to move on them right away. Before word gets out of the sting.”

  “We’re on the way. I’ll contact MPD to pick up Emily Sanchez. She’s not talking.”

  “She will, but no MPD. I don’t trust anyone at this stage. Let one of the team take her to the bunker at Precision Secure with a 24/7 guard. We’ll start the interrogation tomorrow morning.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  What the devil is he doing here?

  Pamela felt Alex’s presence before she looked up to watch him stroll into her office. He closed the door behind him, the sound ominous as it clicked shut. She’d arrived home late the past two days and left long before he got up, which meant she was en route to the office at dawn. Not because she was avoiding him but because she was concerned about the threat she’d received in regard to the property dispute.

  The court date was around the corner, but so far, Roger hadn’t been able to find anything untoward on Five Star Enterprises. All the reports indicated they were a reputable investment firm. Which made the entire situation even more disturbing. Who else had a hand in the pie? That had been the question she and her team had been struggling with over the past two days, with no success. They also had no luck tracing the IP address which bounced off secure proxy servers all over the globe.

  “Are you lost?” Pamela continued typing the email she’d been working on after the brief glance she’d shot his way. His closeness affected her in ways she found difficult to comprehend. Even after all the years of separation, her body constantly craved his. Her heart missed a beat whenever he was near and her unruly ovaries were doing gymnastics like they were practicing for the damn Olympics!

  “Do you greet all your visitors this rudely?”

  Alex’s dry voice slipped deep inside her to loosen the little control she thought she had over the arousal that flickered inside her loins. She dogmatically chose to ignore it.

  Pamela clicked send and sat back in the chair, forcing her facial muscles to remain stoic. She was still struggling with how easily he had broken through her willpower at the Club. Her, the Domme who was known for the formidable control over her body, had begged him to fuck her in full view of the members. Something she had always refused to give in to. She felt a rush of heat flood her cheeks at the memory. The twist of Alex’s lips warned her that he was onto her.

  He probably revels in his achievement!

  Alex didn’t show how much he was affected by the rosy blush that spread over her cheeks. He hadn’t seen her outside of the Club for many years and got used to brief glances of her at times when they were both at the club. Now that she lived in his house, he found it hard to stay away from her. He had felt a sense of loss walking into the kitchen the past two days and finding only his mother in residence.

  “Most of my visitors are clients and have prior appointments.”

  The Dom in him stirred awake at the challenge he detected in her voice. She was deliberately goading him. It was the one thing he missed; the bantering between them; her sassiness that always ended in a hot scene and sometimes a scalding red bottom for her. He felt the thrumming in his loins as blood filled the vessels in his cock. Prickles of heat stirred in his veins at the thought of her kneeling on the bed with his belt draped across her naked buttocks, waiting for him.

  “I got the feeling on Monday morning that you’re in trouble. Your attitude since then cemented it. I want to know what’s wrong.”

  “I told you it’s a case I’m working on.” She shifted in the chair and crossed her legs.

  Alex appreciated the graceful way her long legs moved but the defensiveness in the act itself stirred the concern he’d felt from afresh.

  “It’s more than that, Pamela.”

  She straightened her shoulders and leaned forward. “What do you want from me, Alex? And why are you really here? You made it very clear when we signed the training agreement, and on Monday morning, that our association is limited to the club.”

  He stretched out his long legs in a lazy movement and crossed his ankles. “So I did, but since you decided to worm yourself into my house, I have a responsibility toward you. As your Dom, I need to know what’s going on to enable me to protect you.”

  Pamela inhaled softly. He had no idea how her heart thumped against her chest at his words. The way he had cared for her before had always made her feel special, wanted and loved. She’d missed that more than anything they’d shared as a couple at the time.

  The way his eyes sharpened and his jaw turned rigid, warned her that this time, his protection would come with a price.

  The phone on her desk rang, offering her a respite from the cold glare that pierced right through her.

  “Yes, Josie?”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt your meeting with Governor White but your next appointment is here.”

  Pamela checked her diary. It was Harold and Annabella Brown, the disputing owners of Selected Liquor Stores. She wanted to prod them to see if she could gather more information about the sale and the reason why they had decided to sell such a lucrative business long before their retirement.

  “I’ll be with them in a moment.” She replaced the receiver and got up. “I don’t need your protection, Alex. Not as a man or as a Dom. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.” She straightened her jacket as she walked toward the door. “Besides, you’re not interested in being my Dom for real, so … oh!” she gasped as he spun her around with a hard hand on her elbow.

  “Don’t for one moment pretend to know what I’m interested in or not. Why not be honest for a change, Pamela? You don’t give a fuck about me. All you’re doing is soothing the same misplaced guilt you had about Kieran’s death onto me and my disfigurement.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Isn’t it?” He wrapped one hand around her throat and squeezed, forcing her onto her toes while he yanked her closer with a hand on her ass. “You told me to stop bothering you right before the explosion and now suddenly you’re all over me.” His gaze seared like blue flames. “And no, I don’t believe in your sudden declaration
of love, but I’m interested to hear your explanation about your easy capitulation at the Club. You, who never had sex or any intimate scenes in the public areas. Yes, my dear, I’m onto you.” His fingers tightened. He watched with satisfaction as her eyes widened and her breathing turned haggard. His gaze dropped to her breasts; he’d felt the hardness of her nipples poke into his chest. “I might still excite you and turn you on but I don’t need your pity. I believe you have an agenda and I’m going to find out what it is.”

  “Get off your high horse, Governor. I fucked up, yes, I admit it. I used Kieran’s death to push you away because it was the only way I knew how to deal with the guilt. But it’s over. Done. I’ve paid my dues to him,” she whimpered as he dragged her closer.

  “You didn’t owe him anything, Pamela. You owed me … us! And you threw it away.”

  “No, Alex. I … placed it on hold. Please … I can’t breathe,” she gasped as his hold tightened and threatened to cut off her air supply.

  He didn’t loosen his hold. Instead, he leaned closer and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her hard, in a brutal show of power and anger. His chuckle rumbled from his throat as she kissed him back, unable to resist the lure of passion hidden beneath his roughness.

  “You placed it on hold,” he sneered in a derisive growl. “Thank you, Pamela, for finally admitting that. Now I know just how little my feelings have always meant to you.” He pushed her away, unconcerned when she stumbled back and almost tripped over her own feet. His gaze was shuttered as he watched her find her footing.

  “You will tell me what’s going on. Tonight.” He turned toward the door, opened it and shot a final warning over his shoulder. “Don’t come home late again, Pamela. You won’t like the consequences.”

  “What is the meaning of this?”

  Her beauty struck him smack in the chest. From where he stood in the doorway of his bedroom, he had the perfect view from behind. Her heart-shaped buttocks were pushed outward as she kneeled at the side of the bed with her upper body flat on the mattress—naked with her long hair spread in its golden splendor on the white bedding. Her arms were crossed behind her back. In one hand, she clasped the belt he usually wore with his leathers to the club. It was draped in a seductive caress between the crack of her ass cheeks with the loop covering her naked pussy.

  She lifted her head and glanced at him over her shoulder. Her blue eyes were smoky and reminded him of many similar scenes when they’d met at the club they’d frequented years ago.

  “I realized I was disrespectful this afternoon, Master Rage. I deserve to be punished.”

  Alex felt the effect of her subjugation like a punch in the gut. How was he supposed to keep her at a distance if she did something as unexpected and completely submissive as this?

  “You seem to forget my mother is downstairs.” He removed his tie and undid the buttons of his white silk shirt as he walked closer. He shrugged out of his jacket and flung it on the plush chair in the corner. “Or did you forget the extent of my punishments?”

  Her body relaxed visibly. Alex realized she’d expected him to chase her away.

  “No, I haven’t.” She didn’t waver under his intense scrutiny. “I won’t scream,” she lilted softly.

  “You haven’t felt the sting of a belt for over what is it? Two years since you turned Domme?”

  “Three.” Pamela turned her face into the mattress. It had been the hardest decision she’d made since Kieran’s death, but the only thing that had worked to keep Alex at a distance. Regret for the wasted years washed over her. She opened her mouth to express it aloud.

  “Three years … tell me, Pamela, did you really enjoy it? Playing a false role to keep torturing me?”

  Her eyes met his. “I never meant to hurt you, Alex. Surely you know that.”

  He barked out a laugh. “Don’t patronize me. If you wanted to spare my feelings, you wouldn’t have followed me to Club Devil’s Cove. Did you ever consider the disservice you did to all those subs?”

  “No! I treated them with the care deserving of their status.”

  “And in the process, you broke more hearts.”

  Pamela didn’t respond. She had always maintained an emotional distance from the subs she scened with. There had only been a couple she’d repeatedly allowed close to her. She knew he spoke the truth. There were three instances where female subs had fallen in love with her, irrespective of her early warnings that she would never become involved. She scened only on rare occasions with male subs and it was easy to chill them out.

  Alex walked inside the large closet and retrieved a black ball gag. “Lift your head.”

  Her eyes widened. “I hate wearing those. I told you I’ll be quiet.”

  “I’m not prepared to take the chance and have my mother barging through the door to save the poor damsel in distress.”

  The gag was in place before she could protest further.

  “Are you sure you’re offering your ass for a whipping with my belt?” he asked in a gentler tone. “I already warned you, I’ve changed. Tears and pleas for mercy don’t work with me anymore.” He took the belt from her and ran the hard edge of the leather up and down the crack in her ass. “You’ve asked to be punished and that’s exactly what you’ll receive. Don’t expect any form of erotic stimulation. Make no mistake, this is going to be punishment and it will hurt more than you remember. This is your one chance to back out.”

  He waited. Pamela peeped at him and shook her head. Her breathing hitched; she watched him wrap the leather around his fisted hand as he took back a step.

  “So, you wish to be punished because you were disrespectful. Is that correct?”

  She nodded, then bit into the gag as he traced the tip of the belt over her thighs.

  “Spread your legs.” The belt swished through the air and connected sharply with her inner left thigh. She jerked at the unexpected sting. “Wider. Don’t pretend you don’t know how this goes, sub.”

  He tapped the belt a few times against his leg, building up her expectancy for the first strike. The tautness of her back was proof that she was wary.

  “It seems you have forgotten how to be a sub, after all. Relax your muscles, Pamela. Allow the pain to flow through your body. Tighten up and it will hurt more.”

  The belt sounded threatening as he swung it back and forth, and then began to slap it against her inner thighs. The first couple of strikes were light, but he increased the intensity progressively. He watched her carefully, taking note of every jerk, every hiss of breath as he continued.

  Left and right.

  Right and left.

  He deliberately kept switching direction, catching her unaware. Her silence was broken with soft gasps as he found a rhythm, the sound of leather slapping her skin obtruded by her gasps that turned into distressed moans.

  “Your skin is turning a very enticing rosy color, my pet. I forgot how the sight of my belt connecting with your softness fills my cock with heat.”

  Crack! Crack!

  A suppressed cry escaped around the gag as the leather bit sharply into the softness of her thighs. Her eyes were pressed closed. He suspected she was forcing back the tears.

  “When I offer my care and protection I do it with the regard I have as a Dom for you as my sub.”

  Crack! Crack!

  “Hmm … pfug!” Pamela could no longer keep still and jerked under the belt as it connected with her skin.

  “You will never disregard my care again. Is that clear?”

  Crack! Crack!

  She wailed into the gag and pushed her hips into the softness of the mattress, desperate to find relief for the searing heat that scorched her thighs.

  “Stop twisting around. Or do you wish to be tied to the bed?”

  She shook her head. “No, Phir.”

  “Put your hands together above your head. If it becomes too much, close them into a fist. Understood?”

  “Yeph.”

  “The next fifteen will be on your ass
. Count them with your fingers. If you miss a count, I start again.”

  Pamela followed his instruction with every strike that connected with her buttocks. His strokes were without hesitation, smooth and even. He aimed the belt first at one cheek, then the other and then both. Her skin heated and then burned, as the intensity increased. Her feet curled inward until, eventually, her body shuddered with sobs that wracked through her.

  Alex wasn’t fazed nor did he pull back on the strikes. He took note of every wince and garbled cry, ensuring that every impact settled deep into the tissue of her tender skin before he landed the next one.

  Her hands, however, didn’t close into fists. He lowered the belt and stepped closer. She whimpered as he rubbed his hands over her sensitive and burning skin.

  “I’m disappointed in you, sub. You’re already past your limit and yet you refuse to ask for mercy.”

  Pamela buried her face into the duvet as she continued to sob. Her hands remained flat on the mattress.

  “Replacing one guilt trip with another, I see.” He leaned over her back and growled in her ear. “It’s not going to work, Pamela. Not with me. I refuse to be your tool to find absolution.”

  His words still echoed in her ears when he stepped away. The screams inside her head sounded like a hyena's cry in the night as he snapped his wrist five times in quick succession to land the leather with precise accuracy over her labia and clit. Her hands fisted and she pulled up her feet.

  “Finally,” he rumbled as he removed the gag. “I’ve never met a more stubborn woman than you.”

  “I’m sorry, Alex, but I deserve the pain. I deserve to be punished for what—”

  “Enough. You deserve only what I decide you do. Hear me well, Pamela, this was the last time you manipulate me. The next time, you won’t come off this easy.”

  Pamela knew Alex better than to protest further. He surprised her when he grumbled in a gruff voice, “You did well. Come.”

  Alex lifted her in his arms and sat down on the bed. Fresh tears filled her eyes as he tenderly traced the outline of her face with his fingertips. She’d forgotten how attentive he was during aftercare. A small satisfied smile curved his lips when she sighed and leaned into his hand.