Chapter 51
The next afternoon, Jared leaned back in his chair with a headache.
Fuck.
They had no leads on Beltran. He had to have been the one to have Rex killed. Sure, Jared had other enemies, so he had to keep an open mind.
Although he doubted Beltran actually killed Rex himself. He’d likely hired someone. Someone who was very good at hiding their tracks since he’d been unable to find them. North had had no luck, either.
He’d been to visit the doctor that Rex had had his appointment with. The receptionist had seen Rex leave but there had been nothing else to report. Rex had apparently gotten into his car and then disappeared.
Fuck.
And the FedEx driver was a dead-end. So where the fuck did that leave them?
Who could Beltran have hired to kill Rex?
Rex didn’t have any family. He only had them. So Jared was also going to have to organize a funeral. But the rest of the family didn’t know about this situation yet and he was hoping to keep it quiet for a while longer.
Plus, he’d really like to have his body. It seemed wrong to just bury his head.
His phone rang and he sighed. Zander.
He’d been expecting this call. The other man had called yesterday and he’d dodged his call. He knew that Angie hadn’t said anything to Keira about Rex, not wanting to upset her. And he didn’t intend to tell Zander.
The other man didn’t seem to handle bad news well. His feelings were rather volatile. Delicate.
“Zander,” he said.
“How is Angie?” Zander said quickly.
“She’s good.”
“She’s safe? Healthy?”
“I know how to take care of my girl,” he told the other man.
“Don’t get your panties in a twist. She’s my sister-in-law. I have a right to check on her.”
“Your sister-in-law who you left in a vulnerable position to get kidnapped.”
“By your fucking assistant,” Zander snapped.
Jared sighed. “Look, I’m tired and this is getting us nowhere. I have some shit going on here.”
“So do I,” Zander said. “I’ve got to find two dead women.”
“You’re on a job?” Jared asked distractedly. Why was he telling him this?
“No, these women have gone missing close to us. They think one has been missing about a week and that the other disappeared a few days later. Both have a very similar look.”
“What are you thinking? A serial killer in your neighborhood?”
“Don’t know. But I’m keeping Keira locked down tight. Not taking any chances. Wanted to let you know I might be busy. So you better take care of Angie. Hear me?”
“I could be insulted by that, but I’ll let it go since you’re married to Angie’s sister.”
Jared hung up, shaking his head. He needed to find his girl.
He and North had been working to make sure she wasn’t left alone at the moment.
She’d had three nightmares last night that they’d had to soothe her through. During the third one, he’d noticed that North had disappeared. He wasn’t sure if he’d left because he couldn’t sleep.
Or for another reason.
Walking into the media room, he found them watching a movie on the big screen. He winced as he saw it was a horror movie and that someone had just used a chainsaw to cut another person in two.
“Do you guys really think this is the most appropriate movie to watch?” he asked.
“It’s really bad,” Angie agreed. “Like terrible acting. And so fake.”
“I wasn’t talking about how terrible the movie was. I’m just not sure it’s appropriate with everything that has happened.”
“I needed a distraction,” she told him.
“You know, if you need a distraction, I can give you one.” North said without looking up from his laptop.
“What?” she asked,
She looked really tired. What she needed was a nap.
“The punishments I owe you,” North said, setting his laptop to one side and steepling his fingers together as he placed his elbow on the arms of his chair.
Damn.
That was hot.
Easy, man.
“What?” she cried. “You don’t owe me any punishments!”
“Such a terrible memory, Angel,” North drawled. “You can’t remember what punishments you’re owed? Let me refresh your memory. You’re in trouble because you hid and spied instead of telling me that you were there so I could save you from seeing Rex’s head.”
“Yeah, that would have been good,” she said quietly, looking ill.
Jared walked over and sat next to her on the sofa.
“Then you moved when I told you to stay put.”
“I was in shock, though!”
“Not a good enough defense,” North told her.
“I think it is,” she grumbled.
“And then you called yourself gross and told me that I shouldn’t want to be around you.”
“It was the truth. And that is a defense.”
“Not when you’re putting yourself down,” Jared told her. “There are also the punishments from Angie’s Naughty List.”
“No!”
“Don’t think we don’t know that you were trying to put off your punishments,” North told her. “Were you hoping we’d forget?”
“So, I think it’s time you paid the piper,” North told her. “Come here.”
He crooked a finger at her.
Angie couldn’t believe North was actually going to spank her.
Did she want this? Was she willing to submit?
She took a few seconds to think about it. And she realized that she could say no. But this felt like a turning point in their relationship. Something that could change the course or halt it.
And she wasn’t scared of being spanked. In fact, part of her did believe she’d earned it.
She had disobeyed him.
And she shouldn’t have been listening in and watching like that.
She wasn’t so sure that calling herself gross was wrong, though.
So she got up and walked slowly over to him. She thought he almost looked relieved. Had he been worried that she wouldn’t come?
“You trust me.”
It was a statement, but she nodded anyway. “I do.” Had that been worrying him?
Maybe it had been. And perhaps that was her fault.
“I don’t find it easy to trust. My life hasn’t been filled with people who took care of me, or who fulfilled their promises.
But the two of you . . . you’ve shown me what it’s like to be in a real relationship.
I was always jealous of my sister having Zander.
But not any more. Having the two of you on my side, it feels like I’ve won the lottery.
I know I won’t ever be alone or let down again. ”
North nodded but didn’t say anything. That was okay, she wasn’t expecting any big declaration. She just wanted him to know where she was at.
“Good. Come.” He held out his hand and she stepped closer, sliding her hand into his. That was a big deal for North. She’d noticed that he’d started to touch her more.
His hand was warm. As it should be. It was about five hundred degrees in here.
“Don’t you guys sweat?” she asked. “I really think we could turn the heat down.”
North, who was dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and pants and looked as crisp and cool as ever, shook his head. “No, you are still cold.”
“I’m really fine.” She glanced over at Jared. “I don’t need the heat up this high.”
Jared just raised an eyebrow. “I don’t believe that’s your decision. North and I agree the heat should be turned up to ensure you’re warm. And that’s what’s going to happen.”
“His Lordship has spoken,” she said sarcastically.
He gave a regal nod. “Indeed. I will also accept Sir, Master, or King.”
“Good Lord.”
“I’m glad you think I’m good. I’m really not.” He smirked at her. “Now, get yourself over North’s lap and stop procrastinating by arguing about something you’re never going to win.”
“Urgh. Has anyone ever told you how frustrating you are?” she asked Jared.
“No one would ever dare,” he replied smoothly.
“You’re frustrating.”
“She has got a point about the heat,” North said as he let her hand go and reached for her pajama pants, drawing them and her panties down.
“I do?” she asked. “I mean, yeah, I do.”
“If she doesn’t want the heat turned up, we can keep her warm in other ways,” North mused.
“Yes, like wearing socks and more layers,” she said.
Wow.
She hadn’t expected North to be the reasonable one.
“Actually, I was thinking of regular spankings. The heat from your bottom will keep your core warm.”
Her mouth dropped open. Was he . . . was he serious?
He stared up at her impassively.
Monkey butts.
He was.
“No, it won’t!” she cried.
“It probably wouldn’t help with her hands and feet,” Jared said.
“I thought it might get the blood flowing better to them. We could experiment,” North said.
“We cannot experiment!” she cried.
“It’s a good thought. What do you think? Three spankings a day?” Jared mused.
“At a minimum. And, let’s face it, she will probably earn them.”
“I will not!” She stomped her foot on the floor.
The two men shared a look.
Grr. They were so irritating sometimes.
“Nobody is spanking me three times a day to keep me warm.”
“No?” North said. “Then perhaps the heat should stay up high.”
“You think you’re so clever.”
His gaze moved over her. “No. I don’t. I know I’m clever.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and his gaze dropped lower. What was he looking at?
Then she realized that her pajama top had risen up, exposing some of the skin of her stomach.
She released her top, letting it slip back down.
“Step out of your pants and panties and spread your legs.” He held her hands as she did what she was told.
“So obedient,” Jared said huskily.
She glanced over to find that he was staring at them both intently.
“Hmm. I do like when you obey me,” North said. He cupped her pussy. “This is so delicious. Best sweet treat I’ve ever tasted.”
“Really?” she whispered.
“Oh, yeah. Your taste is addictive.”
“It certainly is,” Jared said. “I could eat it every day and still not get enough.”
North slid a finger through her slit, flicking her clit.
Back and forth.
Slow and gentle.
“That’s it. I want you to get all nice and wet for me, do you hear?” North told her firmly. “I want you to drip onto my hand.”
Oh. God.
What the heck was he saying? And why was she so turned on by those words?
Her legs started to shake, her breathing growing faster. Then he moved his fingers back and drove two of them deep inside her.
Angie let out a cry, her head going back as she fought to keep her footing. He pushed his fingers deep. Driving them in and out of her.
“Is she nice and wet for you?” Jared asked. “Has she been a good girl?”
“Such a good girl. It’s unfortunate that this is a punishment, because I would love to make her come right now.”
Wait. What?
What kind of fresh hell was this?
She thought they were over teasing her?
How could she have just gotten the ability to orgasm and then they went and did this?
“This is so unfair!” she cried as North removed his fingers from her pussy.
He then stuck them in his mouth and sucked on them.
Oh heck.
How was that such a turn on?
She squeezed her thighs together.
“Unfair?” North repeated. “But you surely didn’t think you’d get to come while being punished.”
Angie pouted. “After?”
“I’m not sure. What do you think, Jared?” North asked.
“I think it might depend on how well behaved she is.”
“I can be good,” she said.
“Perhaps this is a good way to get her to behave,” North suggested. “We simply reward with orgasms and punish with orgasm denial.”
No. No. No.
“I will take the spanking! I want the spanking! Give it to me!” She practically threw herself over North’s lap.
Which was slightly embarrassing. But hey, a girl had to do what she had to do in order to get herself an orgasm.
North adjusted her position so she was lying more evenly across his thighs. “If you insist.”
He rubbed her bottom in slow circles. Then he drew his hand back and slapped it down on her cheek.
She let out a small cry. Ouch! That hurt.
Well, what were you expecting?
She didn’t know. She guessed part of her hoped that he might take it easy on her.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Nope. Seemed he spanked as hard as Jared did.
“Owie!” she cried, kicking her feet.
“Stay still,” North warned before his hand landed again and again.
Then he paused to rub in the heat. “You know, I’ve never spanked someone before.”
“No, but you’ve been spanked plenty,” Jared said.
“So you should know how it feels and take pity on me,” she said.
“No. I don’t believe that would make me a very good Top to you,” he countered. “If I’m going to take care of you, and enforce the rules, I need to do it properly. With a firm spanking. After all, you did several things that earned you this spanking.”
He started spanking her again. This time he smacked his hand down on her bottom until she was left sobbing on his lap.
Then he rubbed her bottom gently. “What do I do now?”
Who was he talking to? To her?
Well, what he should do now is apologize for being mean to her poor bottom. And then he should let her eat cake. She really needed cake.
“Aftercare. Soothe her like you did yesterday.”
“Yesterday, I just held her and wrapped her up tight,” North said.
“It’s the same principle,” Jared told him.
North sat her up on his lap and wrapped his arms around her. He was tense and she couldn’t work out why. But she simply melted into him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
And gradually, he seemed to relax, hugging her back.
“Are you all right, Angel?” he eventually asked.
“I’m good,” she said shyly. “You know, except for my hot, throbbing bottom.”
“Well, that just means I did my job right,” North said as he leaned her back so he could study her face. Then he nodded as though satisfied with what he saw. “If you break the rules, you get punished. And you practically threw yourself over my lap.”
She pouted. “That’s because you threatened me with orgasm denial.”
“Disobey me again like that and you might get both,” he warned. “And I do not want to hear you ever putting yourself down. Understand me?”
“Yes, North,” she replied. “I get it. I’m amazing and wonderful and you think I’m the best thing since sliced bread.”
It was meant to be sarcasm.
But he just nodded like it was the truth.
Damn, these guys were good for her self-esteem.