Chapter Six
Boudreaux
She was smart.
Reaux admired her even as he cursed her for being so damn stubborn.
For the past week, seven whole goddamn days, Violet had proven she was a worthy queen, expertly avoiding all but essential contact with him despite the fact he was pretty much joined to her at the hip.
In public, she treated him like he didn’t exist, making sure he knew his place as her silent submissive.
He followed her everywhere dutifully, quite content just to be in her presence, fetching snacks and drinks when required, kneeling beside her in the restaurant, even participating in the tame, woefully inadequate scenes she suddenly reverted to in an effort to bore him.
He accepted all of it without complaint because he understood how her mind worked.
The one thing that pissed him off, however, was her reluctance to socialize with her friends and colleagues with him by her side.
Several people, obviously close to her, had invited her for drinks in the bar over the course of the past week, and she refused them all politely.
There were a couple of Littles who continuously pestered her to come out, one of whom was quite adamant that Violet obey her demands, and he’d seen the longing on Violet’s face before she shut her expression down completely.
She missed her friends, the companionship, and the kicker was, he wasn’t sure if she was sidestepping them because of him, or because she was trying to sever ties now to make things easier on herself if she decided leaving was truly the right thing to do.
His gut told him it was a little of both.
Alone in the cabin, the situation was… intense compared to her indifferent act beyond the front door.
Despite the fact she’d lost his game, Violet violated the new rules he’d set in place. The moment she decided early evening had passed into nighttime, she retreated to the bedroom to read, watch TV, whatever the hell she did in there, and locked the door behind her.
They ate meals in the restaurant—all their meals, including breakfast—so she didn’t have to spend more time alone with him than necessary. She locked the bathroom door when she showered.
All in all, she was doing a damn good job of isolating herself not just from him, but her entire fucking life, which he found unacceptable on so many levels.
Tonight, however, he was determined to upset her perfect balance and restore some semblance of order before she did something stupid like permanently cut off all her friends.
The plan was already in motion, with help from the smitten little pixie, Tamsyn. She was incredibly sweet once she came out of her shell, and she’d been on board with his scheming after she recovered from his silent ambush outside the women’s bathroom.
Merrick had been drafted onto the team too, and in turn, he’d dragged a couple of other Masters into the fray.
Liam, Fordham, and some guy named Levi were all stuck with their fingers in the conspiracy pie—Reaux was grateful they were all able to talk to each other freely and get things set in motion, even if he wasn’t.
On his knees beside the Mistress’s chair, Reaux glanced up when she cleared her throat. Her hand hovered in front of his face, the last piece of a delicious blueberry cheesecake poised on the fork just an inch from his lips. “Thank you, Mistress.”
She waited for him to take the bite, then dropped the fork back on the plate and dabbed her mouth with her napkin.
Her mood had grown volatile over the past few days, broody and impatient, almost bristling at times with an unknown anger.
“Do you require any gym time this week? If so, we’ll speak with Jennifer on our way out. ”
Considering the amount of food—excellent, moreish food—he’d consumed recently, the gym was probably a good idea.
Being her sexless puppy on a leash wasn’t doing his brain or his body any favors; boredom rotted his mind and idleness ruined his physical form.
“I’d appreciate that, Mistress. I was thinking, maybe we could take a few minutes and have a drink—”
“No.” She dropped the dirty napkin on the empty plate, shoving her chair back and standing gracefully. Barely sparing him a glance, she gestured for him to get to his feet. “It’s late, I’m tired. We’re going home.”
That was bullshit at its finest, he thought. If the clock had struck eight, they’d be lucky. She was so entrenched in this new, debilitating routine, she’d lost all her spark.
While he was prepared to take some of the blame, he wasn’t responsible for all of it.
“Yes, Mistress.” Heaving a weary sigh, he gained his feet and immediately had to fall into step behind her as she crossed the restaurant at a brisk pace. He started humming under his breath, counting down the seconds before she pushed through the swing doors.
The moment she stepped into the hallway, two men flanked her, one on either side.
Almost as if they’d been waiting for her…
Reaux grinned and hung back on the threshold with the door open in case he needed a quick getaway. It wouldn’t—shouldn’t—take Violet long to figure out whose hand was manipulating this interruption to her evening.
“Have you been hiding from us, Vi?” Merrick eased in on her left.
“Nah, she wouldn’t do a thing like that.” The man on her right nudged her gently with his elbow—the elusive Levi, Reaux assumed. “She’s just been busy with her living, breathing Ken doll.”
Her back stiffened as though someone jammed a rod up her ass. She turned her head and shot Reaux a scathing glare—oh yes, she knew who was responsible for this ambush. “Hear that, Boudreaux? You’ve been upgraded to Barbie status.”
Adopting an innocent expression, he shrugged his shoulders. “Can think of worse things to be.”
She huffed irritably. “If you’ll excuse us, boys, we’re ready to go home.”
“Yeah, about that…” Levi clicked his tongue a few times. “There may be a slight issue with your cabin for an hour or two.”
“Oh?” The word was pure ice.
“Yeah, so… seems like there was a bear chasing some deer through the woods. One of them veered off, took a detour through the trees into the residential area, and it panicked. Vaulted onto the porch and dove straight through your living room window.” He held up one hand, flat and vertical, then smacked his clenched fist into it with an impressive imitation of the crash and breaking glass.
Her eyebrows twitched. “Mmm-hmm.”
“Maintenance is already all over it. A couple hours and you’ll never know the local wildlife came for an impromptu visit.
” Levi offered an innocent, schoolboy-esque grin that cut no mustard whatsoever with the Mistress.
“Guess you’ll just have to pass some time with the strangers who love you most.”
Reaux grimaced, sensing Violet’s fury cranking up to record levels.
“Do you honestly expect me to believe some cockamamie bullshit about a damn deer crashing through my window, Levi?” Violet tsked in disappointment, patting him on the arm in a way that suggested sympathy, yet conveyed barely-restrained violence.
“Why not grow a pair of balls and tell me you’re staging an intervention? ”
He grinned, shifting his hips so his thigh protected his groin in case of an attack. “My balls are whole and hale, Vi. I’d like them to stay that way for the foreseeable future.”
“Everyone knows how big mine are,” Merrick grumbled. “Can’t keep a secret in this place regardless of how many NDAs are floating around with signatures on.”
“Might not help that Tamsyn brags about you to every sub she feels safe with, buddy. The few subs you’ve played with in the past are feeling bitter that you’re off the market, while the rest are just jealous they’ll never get the chance to discover the truth for themselves.
” Idiotic grin spreading, Levi reached around behind Violet’s back to thump Merrick companionably on the upper arm.
“Never fear, my tamed friend. I have no qualms about picking up the slack on your behalf.”
Voice drier than the desert, Merrick replied, “How can I ever repay you?”
“I’ll think of something—”
“Oh, for God’s sake. Do your male bonding exercises somewhere else.” Tossing her head, Violet shoved them aside. “I’m not in the mood for a group heart-to-heart. Boudreaux can stay if he wishes, but I’m bidding you two idiots goodnight.”
“Are you gonna do it?” Merrick asked Levi.
“You’re the bigger asshole,” Levi fired back.
They both swung their gaze to Boudreaux at the same time.
Fuck. Violet’s ire was going to scald all of them down to the bone, but if he actively participated in demanding her compliance… well, sometimes the sacrifices a man needed to make were painful and absolutely necessary.
She was going to kill him in his sleep.
Stepping up behind her, Reaux spun her around and bent, tucking his shoulder against her midriff. With a grunt of effort to keep hold of her as she wriggled, he straightened with her draped down his back. “Lead the way, gentlemen, before she gouges out my kidney with her bare hands.”
She kneed him awkwardly in the chest, her leather pants squeaking in protest. “When I’m done with you, UNOS is going to be very grateful for my donation of all your fucking organs, Fontenot. Put me down!”
He grunted again as her knee connected clumsily with his sternum, stealing his breath. “Been bingeing Grey’s Anatomy again, Bennie?”
“Enough times I can perform the damn surgery myself,” she snapped, thumping her fist on his lower back. “Boudreaux, you have three seconds to put me down before—”
The doors to the bar swung open and Elias stepped out. Rather than his usual spit and polish attire, he was dressed casually in black jeans and a thick, cable-knit dark gray sweater. The overall appearance could have landed him a cover spot on a men’s fashion magazine. “What’s the delay?”
At the sound of his voice, Violet simply deflated. “Shit.”
Reaux patted her ass. “Figured we needed to break out the big guns, Bennie.”
“That’s not a weapon; he’s the devil.”