Siren in the City

Chapter Fourteen

All around him, The Club’s bar was buzzing with excitement over the evening’s entertainment, but Sam found himself strangely calm.

“Does it hurt?” Lucas examined the elaborate tattoo that now covered the back of Sam’s neck.

“Nah,” Sam replied. He was lying. It had. It hurt like hell. He’d liked every minute of it, too. He was seriously considering another one. Of course, he’d have to convince Jack, but he thought putting the Barnes-Fleetwood brand on his right bicep was a cool idea.

Lucas carefully put the bandage back on and took the seat across from Sam. “It looks good.”

Sam sat back in his seat in a particularly comfortable section of the bar. He couldn’t remember a time when he felt so relaxed. Even knowing what was coming, he was quiet deep down. He wasn’t worried or afraid. He was excited, but he could wait. Jack would take care of it.

Sam stared at Lucas. He looked like a completely different man. No one who had seen him here last night would even suspect it was the same sad-sack boy who Jack had threatened to kill violently. His hair was short, and he had on jeans that fit and a plain black T-shirt. Getting that hair out of his face made him look more like Jack than before. It showed off his square jaw line and made him look harder, sharper. Sam knew he would never have Jack’s authority. Lucas just wasn’t that guy, but boy, he resembled his brother.

“New boots?” Sam asked.

Lucas held out his foot, admiring the snakeskin boots Jack had claimed were the most comfortable, durable boots he’d ever worn. “Yeah. Apparently Mr. Lodge has a bunch of people who do nothing but shop for the guests.”

Sam smiled at the thought. What Julian had was a bunch of submissives willing to do just about anything to get the master’s attention. He’d come close to being one of those slaves. Sam glanced around the bar. It was a richly decorated room, but it wasn’t a home. Julian’s penthouse was spectacular, but in Sam’s mind it was more of a museum than a real home. A real home was the ranch house with its big fireplace where he cuddled up with Abby. He would never admit it to Jack, but he’d thought about Julian’s proposal. He’d thought about becoming his slave. It had seemed like a safe thing to be. Sam had followed his heart, and he was glad he did. If he’d stayed with Julian, he would have been one of many, and Julian didn’t share. He would have been Julian’s plaything. He was Jack’s partner and Abby’s husband. It was a good place to be.

Jack walked into the bar, followed closely by Abigail. He wore tight black jeans and a black western-style shirt he hadn’t bothered to button. It showed off his cut chest and that six-pack that always made Sam drool. It had been hell seeing that body for years and years and not being able to touch it. Even now he looked away for fear that his desire would be on display.

“Sam.” Jack sat down next to him. He didn’t just sit. Jack occupied whatever space he happened to be in. “Are you ready for tonight? We start in thirty minutes. I’m going down to get set up. You two give me a couple of minutes and meet me down there. Julian and Lucas will escort you down to the dungeon.”

“I’m ready.” Sam was getting hard at the thought of Jack wielding a whip. He shifted in his seat. He’d seen it so many times before, but he’d never been the one to feel the lash in public.

Jack’s arm went around his shoulder. It was a friendly gesture, but now there was intimacy in it, as well. Sam relaxed against him. Abby was suddenly on the other side, her hand a welcome presence on his knee.

“Sam, I want to talk to you about something,” Jack said quietly. “It’s a decision I want us to make together. You know Julian has decreed thirty lashes as a punishment.”

Sam nodded, but a thought struck him. “That’s not for each of us. That’s just all together. That’s fifteen each, but I can handle more than Abby can.”

“Sam,” Abby began.

“Abby, hush,” Jack interrupted. “Sam knows exactly what I was thinking. He can handle more than you, sweetheart. It’s been a long time since I did anything like this. I practiced last night, and I’m confident it will be fine. If I wasn’t, both of you would be in my truck right now, whether you wanted to or not. Now, I say Sam takes twenty, and Abby takes ten.”

“Why can’t I just take them all?” It made sense to Sam. Abby didn’t mind a spanking, but if Jack got the whip even the slightest bit wrong, it could really hurt. Sam wouldn’t mind the experience, but he hated the thought of Abby being in pain. She wasn’t wired the way he was. “That way Abby just stays out of it.”

Abby’s pretty mouth was a stubborn line. “I don’t think that would satisfy Julian. I can take ten. How much worse is it than a spanking?”

“Well, it’s a flipping whip,” Lucas pointed out. “I don’t think it’s supposed to feel good.”

“It can be horrible.” Jack ran his hand along Abby’s arm gently. She shivered at the sensation. “Or it can be like a little whisper across your skin.”

“Screw that,” Sam said, and then wished he hadn’t said it out loud.

“I’ll be sure to note your preferences, Sam,” Jack stated with a sarcastic smile on his face. “Sam likes a pretty big bite of pain, Abby. You like a little one. If you like the whip and want to play with it at home, then we can talk about it. But I’m not putting you through that here. I’ll give you ten light ones and then move on to Sam. What I’m going to do to Sam should satisfy the crowd. While I handle Sam, Lucas is going to take care of you, Abby.”

Lucas sat up and leaned forward. “I’ve been fully instructed. I’m to hold you if you cry and rub some salve into your butt so it doesn’t sting anymore. I am not to play with your boobs.”

Jack sent his brother a stern look.

“Or anything else,” Lucas concluded with a gulp. “I can pat your back and try really hard not to get an erection.”

“That won’t happen.” Jack stood up and affectionately ran a hand through Sam’s hair. “She’ll be naked. Every man in the room will have an erection.”

“Sally would, too,” Sam interjected. “If she had a penis.”

“Lucas, Julian will come for them in twenty minutes. You walk down with them,” Jack instructed. “I’m trusting you with this, son.”

Sam noticed that Lucas sat a little straighter, and his voice was deeper as he answered. “Yes, sir. They’ll be there safely.”

After Jack left for the dungeon, Lucas stood and walked across the room. He stopped at the bar. When he came back, he had a beer in his hand and a small glass of pink stuff. “You’re allowed two. Beer for Sam, vodka with cranberry juice for Abby.”

They could hear the table next to them discussing the day’s events including the miraculous rain storm of fine lingerie.

Sam laughed and downed his beer. He cuddled Abby as she bemoaned the loss of her undies. It didn’t take long before Lucas was watching for Julian’s entrance. Sam took Abby’s hand. He felt a magnificent sense of anticipation, but he could feel her trembling.

Sam wrapped his arms around her. She was perfectly placed in his lap. “Baby, it’s going to be fine. Jack is great with a whip. I promise you’ll barely feel it. He’s going to go so easy on you.”

Her eyes were wide as she peered up at him. “What about you?”

Sam grinned. “He’s going to tear me up, and I’ll love it, Abby. I like the pain. Did I ever tell you what Jack caught me doing when we were still in the foster home?” She shook her head, and he told her something he’d never told another person. “He caught me cutting. I used to run a knife along my thighs and my calves.”

“You told me those were old rodeo wounds.”

“Nah, I did those myself,” he admitted. “It made me feel better. Jack caught me and made me stop. That was about the time I started getting into a whole lot of fights. It was harder back then. I’d just lost my parents and my brother in a car wreck. I was the only one who survived. I liked the pain because it made me feel closer to them. That went away, but I still like pain, Abby.”

She pulled him close and murmured something about understanding. Sam sincerely doubted that she did or ever really would. The important thing was she would accept it. She would accept him and try to give him what he needed. Sam believed that.

“It’s good to see Jackson followed at least one of my dictates,” Julian said as he walked up. He was dressed for the dungeon. Unlike Jack, he’d left off the shirt. Sam understood. Jack would eventually ditch the shirt, too. Julian’s pants were leather and rode low on his hips. His long, dark hair was down for the occasion, released from its normal sleek ponytail. “You look lovely in your collar, dear.” He nodded to indicate the three strands of diamonds around Abigail’s throat. “Normally it’s all leather and metal down in the dungeon. I believe your husband wants you to stand out.”

“Her husbands think she deserves diamonds,” Sam corrected. “She’s our jewel.”

Abby’s face softened, and she kissed his cheek. Sam indicated it was time to go, and she hopped off. She wore only a silk robe and her heels. Abby nervously straightened the thin, fine fabric around her body.

“I don’t see your collar, Samuel.” Julian’s irritation was plainly written across his face. “Have you decided to forgo your punishment?”

Sam pulled his T-shirt off. He wouldn’t need it. “If you don’t see my collar, Julian, it’s because you’re not looking close enough.” He got rid of the bandage. He wouldn’t need that, either. Abby would redo it later.

“I wondered about that request from your master.” Julian inspected the tattoo. “It looks good on you, Sam.”

Sam nodded and took Abby’s hand firmly in his. He noticed that the man from last night was in the bar. Sam had taken note of him the night before because he stood out. He’d been wearing a suit and not enjoying the scene Jack and Abby had unwittingly performed. He looked like the type of man Sam usually tried to avoid.

Julian noticed him, too. He didn’t seem particularly happy to see the man, either. “Mr. Slater, I would have assumed you would be back in Washington this evening.”

The man with the bland face and graying hair crossed his arms over his chest. There was no small amount of belligerence in the gesture. “My business is not finished here, Mr. Lodge. Lucas still threatens everyone in this club and his father.”

“No, I don’t,” Lucas protested.

“You don’t have to worry about Lucas anymore.” Abby squared her shoulders and straightened her spine. She was as dignified as a totally hot woman in a short robe with pretty pink toenails could be. She frowned at the newcomer. “He’s coming home with us. He is completely out of the blackmail business. He’s going to be a cowboy.”

“Probably not forever,” Lucas interjected. Sam had noticed Lucas seemed much more confident than he had this morning. Something had given Lucas a sense of self, and Sam doubted it was the haircut. Lucas stood up to the man named Slater. “I’ll probably go back to school. Jack said he could use a lawyer. I think I could be good at that.”

Slater snorted derisively. “You never were before. Your sister is the lawyer. Don’t even try to compete with her.”

“He isn’t trying to compete with anyone.” Abby practically growled at Slater. Sam hid a smile. Abby’s mama bear was coming out. Slater should step carefully. “He doesn’t have to. He just has to be Lucas. You just get on a plane and head back to wherever you came from. Don’t you give Lucas another thought. He’s not going to give you one.” She slipped her arm through a surprised Lucas’s. She patted his hand comfortingly. “Goodbye, Mr. Slater.” She turned and started to lead Lucas off. She seemed to remember that she was supposed to follow someone. Her red hair shook as she impatiently waited on Julian.

“I wouldn’t mess with that one, Mr. Slater,” Julian said smoothly taking his place at the head of the group. “She seems to have taken your charge under her wing. It’s a delicate wing, but I believe you’ll find it has claws.”

“Damn straight it does,” Abby shot back.

Julian frowned. “Language, Abigail.”

She shrugged. “Sorry.”

“No, you’re not.” Julian sighed, and his head gave a little shake of despair. He looked the campaign manager over. “Are you still going to try to talk to Lucas? He doesn’t seem interested in talking to you.”

Slater followed doggedly behind. “Yes. The contract I signed gave me club access through tonight. The senator wants his son to come home.”

Sam doubted that. The senator wanted his son to shut up. Julian stopped and stared at Slater for a moment, his mouth flat and his eyes flinty. Sam knew that look. It was the one Jack always sported when he was plotting some terrible revenge. Sam wondered what the hell the older guy had done to put that expression on Julian’s face.

“Fine, Mr. Slater,” Julian finally allowed. “I will honor our little contract. You will honor your end. I believe the rules of the dungeon were fully outlined. Have a good evening, Mr. Slater. Abigail, Samuel, please follow me.”

Julian turned and started to walk again. Sam walked beside his wife, slipping his hand through her open arm. He smiled as Lucas leaned over.

“Abby, are you going to insist on acting all motherly toward me?” Lucas sounded disappointed.

“I can’t help it, Lucas. I am a very motherly person.”

Sam caught Lucas staring at the gap in her robe. It showed off her perfectly creamy skin and the round beginnings of the breasts Sam loved so much.

“All right, Abby, but you gotta know, I already have an Oedipus complex about you,” Lucas shot back.

Julian and Abby laughed. Sam wasn’t sure what that was, but he doubted Lucas could ever look at Abby like a real mama.

“It’s good to know his education wasn’t a complete waste,” Julian tossed over his shoulder as he led them into the playroom. “Lucas at least paid attention in English class.”

Sam walked into the playroom and stared at the stairs in the back that led to the dungeon. He’d been there a hundred times, but it felt brand new. Sam took a deep breath and walked toward his new life.

The dungeon was awfully dungeon-like, Abby thought as Lucas helped her off the last step. Sam’s hand was on the small of her back as she took in the space. The lighting here was soft and lent the entire place a bit of a gloomy atmosphere. The walls were black and the floor a dark wood. The fixtures were all a heavy wrought iron, giving the place a medieval feel. She preferred the playroom. If she had the choice, she greatly preferred the playroom at their ranch. It was more intimate. It didn’t have the amount of toys Julian’s large playroom did, but it was theirs.

It seemed as though everyone had gotten the word. The dungeon was full. Abby knew her eyes were big and curious as she watched the people milling about. She realized that her white silk robe made her stand out in this crowd. Jack had orchestrated this very carefully. The night before, Sam had tried to make her blend in by wearing the leather miniskirt and bustier. The white silk she wore now was very different from the leather and black fetish wear everyone else had on. Her hair was soft and flowed down her back. All he’d allowed her was a bit of lip gloss. As she walked through the severely dressed club members, she knew Jack had done it on purpose. She looked like a virginal sacrifice. Of course, the robe wouldn’t matter in a little while. Jack would take it off, and she had nothing at all on underneath. Abby’s breath caught on a scene in front of her.

“What’s that?” Abby nudged Sam.

There was a young man intricately tied up and hanging from a hook over his head. Abby realized that Jack liked to bind her hands together, but she knew it was nothing like this. Rope wound around every part of him in an elaborate pattern. The thin rope wrapped carefully around his waist and the V of his thighs. His penis was on full display, caught in the bindings.

“It’s called Shibari,” Julian explained as he led them through the dungeon. “It’s a Japanese bondage art. Master Leo teaches a class.”

“I do, indeed.” Master Leo joined them. Abby felt his eyes on her. He appeared to be roughly thirty, though the perpetual air of authority around the Dom made him seem a bit older. He gestured to the man in the ropes. Abby noted that despite the tight bindings, his eyes were closed, and he seemed peaceful. “I taught his Domme how to bind him. I believe this sub finds it soothing. I would be more than willing to show you, little sub.”

“You’re going to get your ass kicked if you don’t leave my brother’s wife alone,” Lucas said before Sam could.

Abby was grateful Lucas was taking charge. Sam was an acknowledged submissive. This Master Leo person didn’t like it when subs offered up a potential ass kicking. Lucas was acting as her guardian. It seemed perfectly acceptable that he make all manner of threats.

There was a slight smile on Julian’s face. Abby got the feeling Julian rarely smiled brightly. Even when he looked amused, there wasn’t a sense of joy about him. He was always in control. “I wouldn’t push Jackson tonight, Leo. It’s a special night for him. He won’t have you disrupt it with your obvious admiration for his wife.”

Master Leo inclined his head toward her. “She’s a lovely submissive. I can’t help but admire her. I think training her would be a challenge.”

“I’m as trained as I’m going to get,” Abby muttered under her breath.

Lucas clutched her arm and stared at the Dom. “We are supposed to be finding my brother, not taking a tour.”

Julian held out a hand. “I believe Jackson has found a loyal friend in you, Lucas.” He turned to Leo, who was following the group now. “Have you prepared the room as I asked you to?”

Leo inclined his head slightly. “Of course, Master Julian. All is in readiness. I have several eager participants.”

“Participants?” Abby wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that.

“Not for you, dear,” Julian assured her. “I have another matter to take care of this evening. Don’t worry about it. It no longer concerns you.”

Abby would have asked about when it had concerned her, but she suddenly saw Jack standing on a large raised stage. He looked dark and dangerous and entirely yummy. He held a long whip in his hand.

“You’re sure it’s not going to hurt?” Abby squeezed Sam’s hand.

She moved closer to Sam. His eyes didn’t move from the sight of Jack with that whip. His clear blue eyes had taken on that sleepy look she equated with desire in Sam. “It’ll hurt a little, Abby, but then it’s going to feel good.”

Julian flicked his wrist. The crowd parted quickly at his command. Abby wondered if everyone obeyed Julian. If everyone did his bidding, who was he friends with? Who did he argue with and discuss things with if everyone was submissive toward him? She felt a little sorry for the Dom.

Then Jack was holding his hand out, and she wasn’t thinking about Julian any more. Lucas gave her a hand up. She was enfolded in Jack’s arms.

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, my Abby,” he whispered in her ear. “Show them.”

Abby took a deep breath and shrugged out of her robe. She was naked in front of a crowd of people, but there were only two who mattered. She shivered slightly despite the warmth of the room. Jack ran his hands down her shoulders. “Just follow my lead, and Lucas will be taking care of you in no time at all, sweetheart. I love you, Abby.”

She kept silent because he hadn’t asked her a direct question. She nodded, letting her love for him shine. He put his hand out, and she sank into her submissive position. She tried not to think about the St. Andrew’s Cross that dominated the stage. It was a large wooden X, and she’d taken note of the fastenings she was sure would be used on her wrists and ankles. Once she was bound, there would be no getting out until Jack deemed it time.

Jack sounded very formal as he began. “Master Julian, this woman belongs to me. She wears my collar and my ring. She shares my name and my home. She has offended you and seeks to make reparation. Will you accept?”

“I will,” Julian replied.

Jack turned to her. She could only see the tips of his boots. “Abigail Barnes, who is your husband and master?”

“You are, Jack.”

He used the tip of the whip’s handle to bring her chin up so she looked at him. “Do you submit to me?”

“Yes.” There was no hesitation. She trusted him with her body and soul. She breathed out all of her anxiety and let Jack take control.

“Then prepare to serve me.” Jack motioned for her to get up then led her to the cross. Gently he bound her face-first to the apparatus. The straps were leather but cushioned with something soft. Jack made certain they wouldn’t cut off her circulation. He made her wiggle her fingers and toes. When he was satisfied, she felt him pressed against her back.

“Your safe word is ‘pink’, Abby,” he whispered. “I expect you to use it if this gets to be too much to handle. I’ll stop immediately and get you out of here. Julian said nothing at all about silence, so scream all you like.”

He stepped back, and she knew she wouldn’t. She would do anything to avoid it. It would bother Jack. He liked the sounds she made when he spanked her, but she didn’t think he could handle it if she was in real pain. She gritted her teeth and prepared to survive this experience.

Abby closed her eyes. There wasn’t anything to see except a black velvet curtain. She heard the crowd get quiet as Jack probably unfurled the whip. She was glad she hadn’t seen it uncoiled. She tried to think about every fantasy she’d ever had about Indiana Jones.

“You will count, Abigail,” Jack demanded. “Count of ten.”

CRACK!

She tensed when she heard that terrible sound. Every muscle in her body did exactly what she didn’t want it to do. When the lash struck the fleshy part of her ass, she was rigid. All the breath left her body as the burn sizzled. It wasn’t exactly pain, but it wasn’t comfortable, either. She forced herself to breath.

“I need a count, Abigail,” Jack said patiently.

“One,” she managed with a shaky voice as she wondered how she could get through that nine more times.

It happened quickly the second time. Abby felt the burn across her thighs and gasped. “Two,” she nearly shouted. Her mouth had gone dry and her breath came in pants. She was grateful for the bindings. Her fingers curled around the leather that held her in place.

Again. The third blast came across her buttocks. Fire seemed to splash across her skin. It sizzled and cracked and retreated, leaving something else in its wake.

“Three,” she managed.

Jack worked fast. He didn’t give her time to think or prepare for the next lash. The minute he heard her count, he struck again. By the time she made it to ten she was crying, but the burn was sinking into her skin. It seemed to course through her veins and it hurt, but it also made her feel awfully alive. A strange sense of pride washed through her. She’d made it through and hadn’t screamed, hadn’t begged him to stop. By the time the lash had bitten her the last time, she’d felt an odd kinship with the whip. It was taking her someplace. The cessation of that horrible burn was a pleasure in and of itself. She sagged against her bindings, so tired she didn’t think she could walk. She wished Jack didn’t have to deal with Sam. This was the time she craved, when the pain was over and her body hummed, when Jack took such sweet care of her.

“You were wonderful, sweetheart,” he murmured as he efficiently pulled her out. Lucas was at his side. Jack worked on her hands while Lucas pulled her feet out. “I’m so proud of you.” His hands lightly traced the skin where the whip had landed. She knew what was going through his head. He was checking to make sure he hadn’t done any real damage. After a moment, she felt him relax and knew he was satisfied. Abby could tell the whole episode had done something for him. He was aroused as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly before passing her off to Lucas. Lucas helped her into her robe as Jack turned to Julian.

“Are you satisfied with my wife?” Jack asked.

Julian nodded briefly. “She did well for a novice. I take it Samuel has chosen to take the majority of the punishment. Or did you force that on him?”

Abby watched Sam practically bound on to the stage. He was grinning as he shrugged out of his clothes.

“Yes, I was terrible to him, Julian.” Jack watched as Sam approached. Sam tossed his clothes to the side. “I had to force him.”

Sam got into position, head down, palms up as Lucas swept Abby up and carried her off the stage. Jack was going through the ritual he’d performed with her for Sam. Lucas found a chaise lounge set aside for the occasion. There was a small table with another vodka and cranberry juice waiting.

“Here you go.” Lucas pressed the glass in her hand and steadied her. “Are you all right?”

She nodded as she took a gulp. She really was all right. The entire episode had been very enlightening. Abby knew it wasn’t the last time she’d feel the bite of that whip. She’d been close to going someplace else.

“Does it hurt?”

“Yes, Lucas, getting your ass whipped hurts,” Abby replied sarcastically. She felt a smile tug her lips up. It was a little like jumping into near-freezing water. There was a creek in Willow Fork that was always cold. She had jumped into it every summer. It was horrible, almost unbearable while she was in it, but when she got out, and the sun hit her skin, every pore was open and the world seemed like a different place.

Lucas held a bottle of something. “I’m supposed to wipe this across your ass.”

She shook her head. There was no way she was letting Lucas rub her naked bottom. He was her brother-in-law. “It can wait for Jack.”

Lucas let out a sigh. “He said you would probably refuse, but he wanted it here. Do you want me to take you back to the room?”

“No.” She wasn’t going to leave them. She gingerly sat down, and Lucas followed, sitting next to her. The pain was already gone, and she was surprised she wasn’t very sore.

There was a mighty crack, and Sam shouted out, “One.” There was an almost jubilant satisfaction in his voice. Lucas hissed.

“Wow,” Lucas said. “That is not what he did to you.”

A line of red appeared on Sam’s backside. It looked angry and painful, but Sam just counted through it. The whip cracked through the air. It was a harsh sound and made Abby jump. Somehow it hadn’t sounded that way when she was tied to the St. Andrew’s Cross. The sound had been gentler even when the whip stung along her skin.

Sam tensed the first few times. The muscles of his back bunched up, and he groaned. After the first few, though, he seemed to relax. Abby stood and watched as the whip danced. It seemed almost like an extension of Jack himself. The man and the whip moved in perfect harmony, the action sensual in its fluidity. She found herself holding her breath as the whip flew back and Jack began again.

She wished she could see Sam’s face. It would give her a sense of what he was feeling. She could see Julian’s. He watched with rapt attention. While others switched their attention between the two men working the scene, Julian Lodge watched only Sam. After a moment, his serious gray eyes found hers. She looked away, but not before she saw that Julian, for everything he had, was a lonely man at heart.

She let her attention get back to her husbands. Sam’s back was red and swollen. Abby watched as he let his head sag when the count reached ten. His voice got languid and heavy.

“That must be that subspace thing Jack told me about.” Lucas gazed at the scene playing out before him. His eyes were clearly focused on Sam’s back. Abby began to wonder just how much he was like his brother.

“Mr. Cameron?”

Abby looked up at the same time Lucas did. A man in leather held out a drink. She wasn’t pleased to see Julian’s male sub.

Lucas took a moment studying the other man’s face before he came up with a name. “Jeremy?”

Jeremy smiled down at Lucas. He completely ignored her. It made Abby suspicious. She couldn’t forget how this little weasel had gotten them all in trouble the night before by misrepresenting Sally’s actions to Master Leo.

“I missed spending time with you last night,” Jeremy was saying. “Your brother seems a little overprotective. Here, you said you liked rum and coke.”

Abby’s attention was pulled away as Sam grunted and managed to say, “Twenty.” He was slumped up against the apparatus, his head hanging forward. She wanted to go to him, but Lucas held her hand.

“No, Jack said to keep you here.” Lucas’s eyes softened as though he understood her worry. “He’ll come for you, Abby. Sam is fine.”

“Let her go, Lucas,” Jeremy cajoled. He sat down on the sofa across from them. It was not a submissive move in Abby’s mind. Julian’s slave pushed the drink forward. “Come on, let the girl go, and we can have a drink and talk. We got along really well last night. We could have a lot of fun, you and me.”

Julian proclaimed his satisfaction with Sam. All around the dungeon, the crowd was buzzing. The scene had everyone talking.

“I don’t think that’s such a great idea.” Abby heard Lucas talking, but her eyes were on Sam. Julian handed up a robe to Sam. There was a slightly dippy look on his face. He grinned as he stumbled a little. Jack’s shoulder went under Sam’s arm to give him balance. Sam didn’t fight him. He let his head lean against Jack’s broad shoulder. They were so beautiful together. Abby felt her heart speed up.

“Seriously, I don’t think I can see you tonight,” Lucas was saying. “I have to be up early in the morning. I don’t know exactly what happened last night. I didn’t drink anything except that one of glass of Scotch and the drink you gave me. I guess I got sick. Maybe I’m allergic or something. It was weird.”

Jack was helping Sam toward a chair and a small table. It was a little recovery station, Jack had explained earlier. Sam would need immediate aftercare. He wouldn’t be given the option of waiting until later as she had.

“Come on, Lucas,” Jeremy cajoled. “If this is your last night, then you should party.”

Something was off, Abby decided. There was a problem with this scenario. Abby quickly estimated Lucas’s weight with the trained eye of a nurse. “How did you pass out from two drinks? Jack said you blacked out. You wouldn’t do that from two drinks.” She glared down at the glass in Jeremy’s hand. Several things were falling into place. Matthew Slater walked up behind Jeremy. He glanced around as though to make sure no one was looking.

“Lucas, I need to speak with you,” he said urgently.

“I don’t have anything to say to you. You’re wasting your time. Tell my father not to worry about me. My days as a blackmailer are done.” Lucas looked through Slater. He was kinder when he turned back to Jeremy, but just as sure. “And I’m not hooking up tonight. I’m going back to my room. I have to leave early. I promised Jack I would take care of Abby and then turn in.”

Abby took the glass out of Jeremy’s hand. Though she knew if her suspicions were right she wouldn’t smell anything, she sniffed it anyway. “Lucas, I think this has drugs in it. Surely Julian has some of those test strips.” She knew that women had started carrying them into clubs to make sure no one slipped something in their drinks. Her daughter, Lexi, had shown her some. She never went into a club without them.

Lucas’s face bunched up in confusion. “Why would he drug me? I was perfectly willing to sleep with him last night.”

“I have no idea, but he isn’t going to do it in my club,” Julian said smoothly. He was behind her, Abby realized. Jack had Sam over a chair, smoothing salve into his back and buttocks. Jack nodded over at her. Sam was draped over the chair, his eyes slightly hooded. Abby could see the pleasure on his face as Jack’s hands slid across his skin.

Abby noted that Master Leo was standing behind Slater. Slater was too busy to notice. His eyes were on Julian. Jeremy had gone completely white. He tried to toss the drink, but Julian’s hand came out.

Julian pulled the glass from Jeremy’s hand. “It doesn’t matter, Jeremy. Do you think I don’t know everything that goes on in this club? I see everything. There are video cameras in places you can’t imagine, little sub. I saw you spike his drink last night. I just wanted to see if you would try again.”

Jeremy fell to his knees. “Master, I can explain.”

“I am no longer your master.” Julian nodded, and the bald guy from the night before pulled Jeremy up by the neck. “Please escort Jeremy off the grounds. He is no longer welcome in The Club.”

“Master!” Jeremy’s face flushed, and his mouth opened to protest, but before he could say another word, he was being hauled bodily out of the dungeon.

Slater turned to walk away. Master Leo didn’t move to let him by. He smiled. It was an intimidating thing. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Julian stepped forward. “I also saw what you did last night, Mr. Slater. You were the one who talked my slave into betraying his home. I do not allow drugs of any kind on the premises. You should have noted that in the contract you signed.”

Slater’s eyes darted around the room, looking for a way out. He was surrounded. One minute he appeared defeated, and the next he was grabbing Abby, pulling her into his clutches. Abby winced as she felt something cold and metallic against her ribs. It was a gun.

Again.

Abby really wished people would stop trying to kill her.