Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Nigel
Hazel had been taking baby steps for a month now, the stride of each step growing a bit longer with every chat she had with Mira as well as those nights when she brought bits and pieces of her story out of the dark to share with me.
But despite her reference in the café that night, she’d not yet torn that Band-aid off completely.
From the slight tremble I could feel as her fingers clasped mine, I knew she didn’t yet trust me not to rip it off myself and bare her physically and emotionally to an entire room full of people on her first return to an actual Dungeon.
Since she’d made her choice, we’d played out a few small scenes like the one in the doctors’ lounge, but those took place in either her apartment, or one afternoon in my office in the clinic after hours.
She’d lowered her walls a bit further with each one, but those would pale compared to tonight’s scene.
Tonight she was going to take her first giant step beginning the moment she crossed over the threshold of Rawhide’s Dungeon.
The elevator doors opened and I only took a single step before realizing she’d not moved with me.
I didn’t tug on her hand, didn’t roll my eyes or chide her.
I simply allowed the doors to close, shutting us inside.
I didn’t reach out to push the button to return us to the first floor.
Instead, I stepped back and bent to kiss the top of her head, offering her my strength and reinforcing my promise that while she was the one taking those steps, I wouldn’t rush her to do so.
When the elevator began to move, she seemed surprised and looked up at me. “It’s okay, babygirl. Just means someone called for the elevator.”
She looked from me to the doors and then back. “So, we’re getting off?”
“If you wish.”
Another glance to the doors as if trying to decode a simple phrase, she watched them slide open.
Hazel didn’t speak as a couple I didn’t know joined us.
Their destination was pretty obvious as the woman wore a cape over a pale-blue lingerie set that was practically sheer, heels that added several inches to her height, and a collar around her throat.
Her partner held the end of the leash attached to that collar.
Both gave us easy smiles, which I returned.
The doors slid shut and when they opened, I wished them a good evening.
Neither so much as gave us a funny look as if to question why we were simply standing in the corner and not joining them in exiting.
The cycle repeated twice more before I felt Hazel’s trembles easing as more and more guests joined us briefly for the ride. After the third time the lift doors opened to discharge a foursome, Hazel said, “This is kinda silly, isn’t it?”
“Not silly at all,” I countered, stroking the pad of my thumb over the nape of her neck.
She shook her head. “So you’re good with standing here, riding up and down all night?”
I smiled. “If you’re asking if I’ll ride until you’re ready to take that next step, then the answer is most definitely yes. However, we might be doing some of that riding with you sitting on my lap on the floor because all night is a pretty long time.”
This time she let out an amused huff. When the elevator rose yet again, she moved for the first time in quite a while. It was very slight, but it was a shift away from my side. I took it as a victory for it meant she was standing on her own two feet even with her hand still clasping mine.
The doors opened to dispel the elevator occupants, Hazel took a deep breath and looked up at me after the other people spilled from the lift. “Baby steps.”
I smiled and looked down at her. “Babygirl, I think this qualifies as a big step, don’t you?”
Her smile was a bit shaky, but she nodded. “Definitely… oh!”
She’d cut herself off in order to step forward and hold her arm out to stop the doors from closing. Her other arm was outstretched to me where her hand still held mine. “Well, you want to come now or what?”
My grin was far slower this time, my voice lower. “Believe me, I want to come but not particularly right now.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because, babygirl, I’d far rather have you coming.” My wagging eyebrows had her blushing and she shook her head.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever find British humor to be actually funny, but what the heck, let’s give this a go.”
I stepped forward and together, we exited the elevator and after the briefest pause, Hazel took the next step toward the podium where security was always posted to sign guests in as well as make sure curious unescorted Littles remained ignorant of what lay behind those large, wooden doors with a rendition of a St. Andrew’s Cross across their broad planks, attesting to the fact the space beyond was meant for a far different type of play.
The man’s head lifted and he smiled as Hazel gasped. “Good evening, Hazel. It’s absolutely a delight to see you tonight.”
Hazel looked between him and up at me. “Did you set this up?”
“By this you mean?”
“Him!” she said, pointing at the man behind the podium. “What the hell is he doing here?”
My first initial thought was that this man was the one responsible for Hazel’s trauma, and I was already pulling her toward me, the intention to set her behind me while I dealt with the situation.
But then I understood she wasn’t cowering in fear.
She was acting as if I’d somehow betrayed her with a man I’d never ever set eyes on before.
Still, while I knew she’d not been inside the Dungeon, she’d been at the Ranch often enough and had friends who had been so I was puzzled over what the issue was.
“Babygirl, I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking me.
It’s my understanding that Ranch protocol requires guests to check in with whichever Dungeon Monitor is manning the doors. Did I get that wrong?”
Hazel blinked and again looked between the two of us. “No, I mean, yes, I know someone has to check you in. That’s standard security I suppose Master Derek put in place. But that’s not the point so if you’re asking me to believe you didn’t have a hand in this—”
No more Mr. Nice Guy.
“Hazel, while I will always be ready to answer any questions you have, I don’t appreciate the tone. What exactly does this entail?”
Her mouth opened, then closed and then she shook her head as if to clear her thoughts.
“If I may?”
Her head snapped toward the podium where the man stood. When Hazel gave a jerky nod, he smiled.
“Thank you, and, Miss Waltman, your Dom had nothing to do with me being on duty tonight—”
“So you just what, have some sort of telepathy and knew I’d be here on this particular night? Or is it that you lost the bet stating the odds of me actually showing up at all?” she said, earning herself a sharp look from both me and the guard.
“Watch the disrespect, subbie.”
There was a good chance Hazel was going to have a slight case of whiplash if she didn’t stop jerking her head around. This time she stared at Wes as he and Mira walked off the elevator and came toward us.
“I personally requested that Ced be here tonight”—he lifted his hand when Hazel began to sputter—“and if you’ll recall, you not only informed Mira that tonight was going to be your first trip to the Dungeon, you told her you truly hoped you’d have the strength to not only go through with it, but to share more of your story.
Baby steps are fine, but those can’t only be taken physically.
Those steps forward require you shed the weight making it so damn hard to reach your goal. ”
Mira offered Hazel a gentle smile. “And remember what we talked about? That you aren’t alone. And do you remember what you promised me? You have the power to stop anything at any time for any reason by simply doing what?”
Hazel’s shoulders loosened and the panic in her eyes dimmed. “By safewording.”
“That’s right. No one will ever question why you’ve used it, just respect the fact that you have,” Mira continued and the other men and I all nodded and wisely didn’t see a need to toss in our two cents. Not when it was clear the two women understood each other on a totally different level.
“Okay, I-I guess… I mean, maybe I overacted a bit,” Hazel admitted, her gaze taking in all of us until landing back on the guard. “And I’m very sorry. That was a horrible way to react to the man who saved me that night. I just assumed… well, to be honest, I’m not exactly sure what I assumed.”
The man gave her a smile, his eyes soft as he stepped from around the podium and held out his arms.
I was rather shocked when Hazel dropped my hand and walked into the arms of a man she’d looked ready to attack only moments before.
But I was also replaying Hazel’s words: the man who saved me that night.
I knew she’d been to the hospital, knew that Wes had seen to whatever injuries she’d sustained, but this was the first time I’d heard that another man had played a part in her story.
“It really is so good to see you again,” the man said. “And I also want to apologize.”
Hazel’s head craned back, her eyes wide again. “Apologize? For what? You have nothing whatsoever to be sorry about.”
“I do,” he countered, “I should have caught on sooner.”
A chestnut ponytail swayed as she shook her head. “No. You were the only one to catch on at all and for that, I will always be grateful.” She paused, then added, “Though, I suppose I sure didn’t look grateful a moment ago.”
“You look just fine. Far happier than I’ve ever seen you and I do want to say you are one hell of a brave young woman.”
She looked back at the three of us. “I’m trying to be, but it turns out it really does take a village. Or maybe an entire Ranch.”
The guard chuckled. “That’s for damn sure. I also wanted to let you know that whenever you’re ready, I’m keeping a slot open for you in my class.”
“Class? Where do you teach class?”
He chuckled. “Here, at the Ranch.”
“Here? I didn’t even know you knew about”—her eyes widened—“of course you’d know at least something about BDSM or else you probably wouldn’t have been at that club. I just haven’t seen you, well, since that night.”
He smiled. “I actually saw you a few times in the hospital, but you were always asleep. As for the Ranch, I’m on the security team, and like I said, teach some classes.”
“My schedule is pretty full already, but…”
“Before you say no, I’m not talking about a college course.
I teach a self-defense class. Master Derek, Chief Berringer, and a great many others are of the belief that being either Little or submissive does not in any way mean you are weak.
While we’d love to think we’re always only a step away, sometimes we aren’t.
When we need time to get to you, we’d like you to be able to have some tools to do some damage yourself. ”
Hazel’s lips curled. “Would this class teach me how to scratch, claw, bite, jab and kick?”
He nodded. “All that and more.”
“Then sign me up!”
“Consider it done,” he said. “Now, how about you introduce me properly to your Dom.”
Hazel seemed a bit surprised to still find us standing behind her.
“Oh, sorry.” She stepped back and held her hand out to me.
“Master Nigel, this is Cedro Belefonte—Master Cedro. He’s the man who not only stopped the scene at that club, he took me to the hospital and handed me off to Master Wes.
” She shot Wes a look and smiled. “Master Cedro, this is Master Dr. Nigel Berringer. He’s Chief Lawson’s Baby B. ”
I chuckled when Cedro looked a bit confused. “Baby brother,” I clarified and offered him my hand. “I’d like to thank you for helping Hazel that night.”
“As I said, I only wish I’d helped her before.”
Wes stepped forward. “The only thing that matters is that you did. Good to see you again, Ced.”
“You too, and Miss Mira, may I say you have a definite glow about you tonight,” Cedro said.
Mira laughed. “That’s such a polite way to say, ‘wow, you’re the size of a whale,’ but I’ll take it. Hi, Master Cedro.”
It wasn’t how I’d pictured our night’s start, but sometimes life just happens and tells us that it doesn’t follow our agenda.
After another couple of minutes, Cedro returned to the podium and signed us in.
I turned to see Hazel had that wide-eyed deer in the headlights look again.
Before I could suggest we try again another night, she made yet another totally unexpected move.
“Master Cedro, may I ask another favor of you?”
Cedro didn’t hesitate. “You may.”
She darted a glance toward me, then to Wes and Mira, and back to me, then landed on Cedro again.
“I’ve been trying to gather the courage to share all that happened that night.
And I do remember most of it, but not everything.
I didn’t want to know once I woke up in the hospital either.
Would you, I mean, do you think you could maybe—”
“Help you tell your story?” Cedro offered quietly.
“Yes, I know it’s silly, but–”
“It’s not!”
The fact those two words came in a four-part harmony had Hazel giving a slight jump but then also flashing a smile.
“You’re right. It’s not the least bit silly.” She took a breath. “Will you?”
“Absolutely, just let me get Drake out here,” Ced said, picking up a tablet off the surface of the podium and tapping a few keys.
While we waited, Hazel turned to Wes. “And can you finish it?”
Wes gave her a small smile. “I can tell my part, but as to finishing it? That I’m afraid is going to fall on you, Hazel.”
She nodded and turned to look toward the elevator as the doors opened and a very large man strolled out.
“Evening, all,” Drake said.
He and Cedro exchanged a few words too low for the rest of us to hear.
Drake nodded and exchanged places with his coworker as Ced joined our group.
Drake pulled a book from his back pocket and set it on the podium.
From the cover, I’d have to say it was most likely some romance which had me grinning at the dichotomy of such a fierce-looking man having a love for romance novels.
When he caught my gaze he grinned as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.
“You folks enjoy your evening,” he said.
“I’m certainly going to try,” Hazel said and then turned to face the wooden doors.
I noticed she was no longer trembling or looking as if she’d like to run.
“I feel sort of like Dorothy going to see the great and powerful wizard,” she said.
“Girlfriend, you’re going to find this place is far better,” Mira said, walking up to stand next to her. “You won’t see yellow bricks and hot air balloons, but they have nothing on what you’ll find inside. Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.” Hazel linked one arm with Cedro and the other with Mira, the trio marching through the doors as Wes and I opened them to allow entrance into Rawhide’s own version of Oz.