EPILOGUE
“ I ’m going to miss them.”
Sadie and Jagger had just said their goodbyes, moved out, and handed over the keys to the bar. Their departure clung to the air, bittersweet, but it was clear they were both excited for what was next—New York, their wedding, a fresh start.
Now it was just him and Madison, standing together in the near-darkness, the keys to the bar resting in Kade’s hand. In the morning, they’d give them over to Camille and Jazlyn.
But for tonight? It was theirs.
Kade glanced over at Madison, who was leaning against the counter, her posture slightly tense with tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. He could tell she was feeling the gravity of the moment because they would be the next ones to leave and start their lives.
He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. She was wearing a white sundress that barely covered her ass to combat the ninety degree August weather although the bar was cool inside.
“You know,” he said with a playful grin, “We’ve got the whole place to ourselves tonight.”
Madison raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a small smile, though she was already leaning in to place a kiss on his neck. “What do you mean by that?” she asked, the playful tone in her voice betraying her curiosity.
Kade’s chuckle caught on a moan when she licked the sensitive skin below his ear. “I mean, the sex room is all ours for the night. We could... make use of it.”
Madison froze for a moment, and Kade immediately drew back to look at her. He knew her well enough now to recognize when her walls went up. She was nervous, that much was clear. But they’d been through so much together, and he understood her triggers—understood the things that made her feel safe and the things that made her uncomfortable. They had slept together several times over the last few weeks and he’d been careful to follow her cues and take it slow.
“We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for,” he said gently, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I just... thought we could try some new things again if you wanted. But if you’re not feeling it, we don’t have to. I’ll always stop if you say the safe word.”
She looked at him, her eyes searching his face. They’d had several discussions about this part of their sexuality and interest in the BDSM lifestyle. They had gone off of instinct before but after a long talk with Jagger, Kade had come to Madison to tell her that his brother wanted them to be educated on the right ways to do it. It had been an uncomfortable conversation at The Serpent Pit early one morning when Sadie and Jagger spoke candidly with them. The look on Jagger’s face when Madison asked what a safe word was could have killed Kade on the spot. Luckily for Kade, Madison explained he’d never taken anything far enough for her to need him to stop.
And now, after reading lots of literature and talking about it at length, there was comfort in the knowledge of things like safe words, aftercare and knowing their limits.
So, she felt ready to try again.
It wasn’t just about being intimate anymore—it was about reconnecting, about finding that spark again, after everything they’d been through. It was about rediscovering the parts of herself she thought she’d lost, and Kade was determined to help her find them again, one step at a time.
Madison exhaled slowly, then met his gaze. “I don’t want to lose that part of myself,” she said quietly, her voice a little unsteady. “I’ve been careful, you know? With therapy and everything. I just… I want to enjoy it again, too. I liked the feeling of you taking command with me. And I’d like to try again. With you.”
Kade’s heart swelled at her words. He could see the courage it took for her to admit that, to open up to him in this way. It wasn’t easy for her, but she was trying—and that was everything.
He was so damn proud of her.
He pulled her into his arms again, holding her tightly for a moment before pulling back to look into her eyes. “Then we’ll take it slow,” he said softly. “We’ll explore together, on your terms. There’s no rush, and if anything makes you uncomfortable, we’ll stop. I promise.”
Madison nodded, her lips trembling with a mix of nerves and excitement. She had been through so much, and this felt like one more step in reclaiming her sense of self. The girl who loved being submissive, who loved passion, who loved him —she wasn’t gone. She was still here, ready to be rediscovered. It was like the final piece of the puzzle she needed to let go.
“Okay,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Let’s try it.”
He kissed her forehead softly, then tugged her hand, leading her to the secret room locked away in the office. The door creaked open, and the dim red lighting and familiar furniture greeted them both warmly.
Kade turned to her, brushing his thumb across her knuckles. “We’re not doing anything you don’t want, Madison,” he reminded her gently, his voice low and reassuring. “You tell me if you need to stop, and we will. Always.”
She smiled at him, the warmth in her eyes steadying his nerves as much as his own steadied hers. “I trust you,” she whispered.
Kade stepped closer, tilting her chin up with two fingers. “Good girl.”
The approval in his voice made her knees weak.
“They didn’t leave much behind but I checked earlier and the floggers are still here. And… I may have brought some other things along with me tonight in case you said yes.”
Madison bit her bottom lip and nodded. “I’m ready to try anything you’d like…Sir.”
“Fuck, that might just kill me if you keep calling me that.”
She couldn’t help the fact that riling him up caused her body to react so quickly. The wetness coated her panties in a few moments and she moved to the center of the room by the large black vinyl table where she began to undress.
Without taking his eyes off her as she stripped for him, Kade stalked over to the wall where the floggers hung and grabbed the black drawstring bag that was hanging there. He placed it on the floor just as her dress and panties hit the ground in front of him.
With deliberate slowness, he closed the distance between them to kiss her soundly, his hands tangling in her curls and slanting his mouth over hers to which she greedily returned. When they were both breathless, he gently guided her to the St. Andrew’s cross against the far wall and took her hands in his as he guided them above her head.
The cool press of leather against her wrist made her inhale sharply. Restraints. He buckled them securely, fastening them to the corners before placing a kiss on her forehead.
“Beautiful,” he murmured, running his fingertips down the length of her arm, barely touching her but setting her skin on fire with need. “You look perfect like this.”
A warm palm trailed down her side, teasing, testing—making sure that it wasn’t too much for her. Madison arched into his touch, desperate for more, but Kade only chuckled, stepping away.
“Patience,” he chided but his voice was thick with arousal and it made Madison want to reach out to see how hard he was already.
When she felt his kiss on her stomach, her whole body jolted in surprise.
It didn’t deter Kade as his mouth moved down to her hip, and to her inner thigh where he gently nipped at the skin there causing her to gasp. “Is my princess doing okay?”
“Yes,” she hissed and tried to move her hips closer to his face, subconsciously spreading wider for him as she did so. “I’d be doing better if you moved that mouth a little to the left, Sir .”
Kade’s hot breath danced over her pussy as he laughed.
“That can be arranged.”
The feeling of Kade’s mouth was between her legs in the next breath. He attacked her cunt with wide swipes of his tongue mixed with the strong sucking of her clit until her whole body shook. Without her feet in the bottom restraints, she pushed off the floor and angled herself against him, away from him—twists of her body erratic and out of control as his name tore from her throat.
His fingers traveled up from where he kept her thighs open to play with her nipples, squeezing and pinching them between his thumb and forefinger. He was careful not to be too rough with them since she had decided to keep the little metal bars in. She reasoned that all the others had been branded with that awful Green Lightning bolt tattoo and they’d never fully be able to get rid of it so it… was the least she could do. She wore them proudly as if they were a positive reminder of her strength during that time.
“Stop teasing,” Madison whined as she arched her chest and Kade caressed the swells of her breasts. “I want to touch you, too.”
With a light flick of his tongue back and forth across her clit, Kade moved his head back just enough to look up at her through his thick lashes but she could see how her juices coated his mouth and chin. His black hair fell across his forehead and it made Madison itch to run her fingers through its softness. “I’m quite content down here, thank you.”
“Kade,” she groaned as his hands reached around her thighs and hoisted them over his shoulders. “I want you inside me.”
“Or what?” He goaded from between her legs.
“Or I’ll make you sorry!”
The fingers holding her ass to keep most of her weight distributed onto the thighs resting on his shoulders dug in almost painfully until she yelped.
“And how do you plan to do that, princess?”
Every word he spoke vibrated against her most sensitive skin, leaving her breathless and panting.
“Unbuckle my wrists and I’ll—I’ll show you,” she gasped between clenched teeth.
His teeth scraped against the bundle of nerves at the top of her slit before he sucked it gently into his mouth with a continuous pulsing motion. One of his hands moved down the globe of her right ass cheek to tease her opening with his index finger, the sounds of her wetness echoing in the quiet room.
“That sounds like an empty threat, princess,” he moaned against her heat and pushed two fingers inside her as he reveled in how she tightened immediately seeking the friction. “An empty threat just like this empty cunt.”
Madison moaned as the filth from his words coursed through her and straight to the burning in her abdomen. She squeezed his head between her legs with her thighs as she tried unsuccessfully to ride his fingers and mouth. Her arms fought against her restraints and Kade slowly removed his fingers and mouth from her before easing her legs off his shoulders and placing her feet back on the ground.
“Why did you stop?”
Her voice sounded strained and as he stood up he took in how her chest heaved with each breath she dragged into her lungs. The red hair that he dreamed about stuck to her sweaty temple in sultry curls while the rest cascaded over her shoulders and brushed the tops of her breasts.
She was so incredibly beautiful.
Kade reached up to unfasten wrists, making sure to take his time so as not to hurt her. “I’m just checking in. This is more than we’ve ever done and while I love seeing you in such a state for me—are you alright to keep going?”
Madison’s green eyes widened at him in surprise as her arms wrapped around his shoulders as they dropped from their place on the cross. Her arms throbbed as the blood rushed back through them but she didn’t mind.
“I’m doing great, Sir,” she purred. “Please continue to do your worst.”
That was all the confirmation Kade needed to keep going and he had himself naked and her bent over the vinyl table in the room in less than a minute. He added a blindfold to her that was sheer black fabric so she could still see a little, but it was muted.
“Stay there.”
Madison gripped the edge of the table in front of her, her breasts and hips pressing into the surface as she rested her head to the side to watch him move around the room. He grabbed the black bag and a black flogger with velvet thin tails off the wall before he made his way back to her. She couldn’t see him as well as she hoped but she knew he was rock-hard, thick and swollen—just how she liked him.
When he began, the first strike was light, more of a caress than anything else, but it sent a jolt of pleasure racing through her that easily caused her pussy to throb. Kade worked methodically, alternating between gentle strokes and sharper taps. Sometimes it was against her backside, sometimes it was against her thighs. Even when it trailed between her shoulder blades it felt incredible. He enjoyed keeping her on edge, never knowing what would come next even when she begged to know.
“You’re doing so well,” he praised, his voice a low growl in her ear as he pressed a kiss to her jawline. “Tell me how it feels.”
Madison exhaled a shaky breath. “I love it, Sir.”
His fingers traced down her back, slow and purposeful like he was caressing the marks he’d made on her body, before grabbing her hips rough enough to make her gasp. He pulled her cunt against him, his cock enveloped in her warmth there. “Then let’s see just how much you can take.”
He dropped the flogger onto the floor and grabbed something out of the bag beside her on the table.
“Do you know what’s so special about this table?” Kade asked as he reached under it.
“No,” Madison breathed, lightheaded with anticipation. She needed to feel him inside her or she was going to go insane. “Why?”
“It has these fun straps underneath that can attach to restraints,” he murmured as he continued to do something under the surface. “Or hold objects in place.”
Madison felt something smooth and bulbous brush against the space between her legs and nudge her clit. “What is that?”
Kade bent over her again as he lined himself up at her entrance to whisper, “It’s a treat for being my good girl tonight.”
And then he sunk inside her, her pussy pulling him in to the hilt inch by intoxicating inch. They both let out a moan before Kade reached under the table again to press something.
Without warning the vibrator he’d rigged against the front of her center trembled violently between her folds and against the base of his cock.
The scream she let out had him twitching inside her walls instantly and he had to take three deep breaths before he could begin moving inside her, his hands finding the fleshy part of her hips that he loved so much.
“Is it too much?” He grunted but his hips continued to connect with hers as he waited for an answer.
She licked her lips, the words forming before she could second-guess them. “I’m at your mercy, Sir.” Her voice was breathless but firm, filled with pure, raw need. “I don’t want you to be soft with me tonight.”
Kade’s expression darkened, his demeanor fading into something almost primal. “You want more?” His voice was low, dangerous. “You want to be pushed?”
“Yes, Sir,” she whispered, her pussy tightening around him as he slid himself against her cervix.
He chuckled, his fingers tightening around her waist as he leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear as his thrusts turned shallow for a few mindless moments. “You’re so greedy for me.”
Madison arched her back and pushed herself onto her forearms so she could rock her hips back, taking him even deeper. The new angle forced the vibrator directly against the top of her clit and she cried out as her orgasm caught her off guard. Her cunt pulsed around him and Kade’s eyes rolled back as he tried not to spill inside her already.
“Look at you,” he murmured as his head dipped back down to take in her flushed skin as she looked back over her shoulder at him. “Completely undone. Christ, baby. I can’t get enough of you.”
She whimpered, desperate, her skin ablaze with sensation from the vibrations and the friction of him pushing into her over and over. “I can’t—I can’t, fuck. Fuck—Nngh! No more,” she sobbed as she tried to hold back from coating his thighs in her release.
But that’s what he wanted.
Kade pressed a firm hand against her lower back, keeping her exactly where he wanted her. “You asked for this,” he reminded her, his other hand coming down to push the vibrator hard against her as his thrusts picked up even more speed. “And you’re going to gush all over my cock right—Fucking— Now .”
There were streaks of light that blurred her vision despite the blindfold that covered her eyes. It was like her body was fragmented, her mind eclipsed by the pleasure and the warmth that flooded her nervous system as she shattered. Madison’s entire body seized as she obeyed, drenching both their legs and his balls as her cunt clenched and convulsed around his throbbing length.
She sobbed his name and slammed her hand against the table as she crashed while Kade drew out every last wave of pleasure from her body.
“I’ve got you, Mads. I’ve got you, ” he grunted and then his hands gripped her ass as he stilled, his cock pulsing as it sprayed its release so forcefully that it spurted out from where they were joined and onto the floor below them.
Kade collapsed onto her back, still inside her as he wrapped his arms around her, both bent over the table taking in ragged breaths. Madison lay still, her emotions somewhere between exhaustion and bliss. The tight sting of restraints and floggers had faded into a dull, lingering memory on her body, but the blindfold remained—keeping her wrapped in darkness, in him.
She could hear his steady breathing against her neck, feel the warmth of his body close to hers. A few quiet minutes passed before Kade shifted on top of her to stand and gently pull out of her, his cock mourning the loss of her heat. His fingers trailed over her skin, tracing the places he had claimed, now with only reverence, only care.
“You’re safe, Madison,” he murmured, his voice a soothing balm after the raw command it had carried earlier. “You’re safe, baby.”
She exhaled shakily, her lips parting, but no words came.
She didn’t need them because Kade understood.
Gentle hands coaxed her to a seated position on the table, guiding her until she was against his bare chest so he could hold her against him as her legs dangled over the edge. One strong arm wrapped around her waist, holding her firm but not restricting, letting her feel protected. His other hand smoothed slow, rhythmic strokes down her spine, reminding her she was here, she was his, she was okay.
“You did so well for me,” he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. “I’m so proud of you.”
A soft whimper left her lips, the praise making her melt further into him.
Kade reached beside them, the faint crinkle of plastic sounding before the top of a water bottle brushed her lips. “Drink for me, princess.”
She obeyed instinctively, taking slow sips of the cool water, the sensation pulling her further back from the hazy edges of subspace. When she was finished, he set the bottle aside and returned to stroking her skin, his touch never leaving her for more than a moment.
“How do you feel?” he asked, his tone laced with hesitation.
She hesitated, her voice small. “Floaty.”
Kade hummed in understanding, pulling her even closer. “That’s okay. Just stay here with me until you’re ready..”
She nodded against him, the blindfold keeping her anchored. She could feel his heartbeat beneath her cheek, steady and strong. His scent was heady and comforting to her senses.
A while passed in silence before he finally spoke again. “Do you want me to take it off?”
Her breath hitched. “Not yet.”
“Alright, Mads. Take all the time you need.”
And so he held her, blindfolded and vulnerable, but never alone. Never anything less than cherished.
“You’re perfect like this,” he murmured against her hair, his lips pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. “Soft, safe, completely mine.”
Her small hands started to trace their own patterns against his back and she buried her face in his neck to place soft kisses there.
“Still floating, sweetheart?” he asked, but there was a hint of a smile there.
“Mmhmm.”
“I love you,” he whispered against her hair.
Her heart clenched at the warmth in his voice. “I love you, too.”
Kade’s lips curved into a smile against her temple. “Good.”
His hands continued their gentle work, covering every inch of her that had felt his dominance earlier, ensuring that all she felt now was his tenderness. When he was satisfied, he pulled back a little to look at her face.
“Are you ready to take the blindfold off?” he asked after a moment.
Madison hesitated, then whispered, “Not yet.”
His grip tightened slightly around her, reassuring. “Okay. You don’t have to.”
He didn’t rush her, didn’t push. He simply held her close to him again, letting her exist in this moment as long as she needed. He just spoke to her in a calm voice as he gave her time to gather herself.
“I forgot to tell you,” Kade began.
“Hm?” Madison hummed.
“Sadie’s mom ran the local paper here for years. She offered to have her put in a good word for you when we get to Arizona. She thinks that you could write about Green Light as your first journalism piece and submit it once you get there. It would get you in the door wherever you want to work.”
Madison didn’t say anything at first, but then she spoke and her voice was firm.
“I think that would be very healing for me. I’d leave out any mention of the bar and Rebels, of course.”
Kade kissed the top of her head. “I don’t think you have to. Maybe it would be good if everyone knew that we did something good once.”
Minutes passed, his heartbeat pulling her heart further into safety, until finally, she shifted. “You can take it off now.”
Kade reached up, his fingers delicate as he untied the blindfold. The fabric slipped away, and Madison blinked, adjusting to the dim red lights. The first thing she saw was him—his dark eyes gentle, a grin on his full lips as he gazed at her.
“There you are,” he murmured, his thumb brushing over her cheek.
A slow smile curled her lips, her heart swelling in her chest. “Here I am.”
“Let’s get you cleaned up,” Kade said and placed a quick kiss on her mouth.
A small whimper of protest left her lips as she clung to him, her body still boneless from the intensity of their night.
Kade chuckled softly as he backed away to the small sink and towels he’d placed there earlier. “I know, baby. But you made quite the mess.”
She sighed and leaned back on her forearms to watch him. “You mean we made a mess.”
Kade ran one of the washcloths under warm water before coming back to clean up the floor first. “Touché.”
After disposing of that towel and quickly cleaning himself off, he knelt in front of her, taking the new warm washcloth and gently running it over her skin. His touch was slow, reverent, as he cleaned away the remnants of their scene from between her legs and everywhere he could reach, soothing the areas he had marked with tender strokes. Madison let out a soft hum of appreciation as he worked, her body leaning into every touch.
“There we go,” he murmured as he finished, pressing a final kiss to her knee. “All clean.”
Kade stood, collecting a thick black blanket from the cabinet next to the sink to put around her shoulders before lifting her into his arms.
“One last stop,” he whispered as he carried her to the plush chaise lounge in the corner.
Kade sat down first, settling into the chaise before adjusting her onto his lap, cradling her against his chest as she pulled the blanket around both of them.
Madison let out a deep, contented sigh as she burrowed into the warmth of both him and the blanket.
“Perfect,” she mumbled.
Kade smiled, running his fingers through her flaming hair. “That’s all I ever want for you.”
The silence stretched between them, comfortable and unhurried.
Madison broke it first, her voice a little more playful this time. “So… we still have a few more hours to use the room,” she said, raising an eyebrow as she leaned back to look at him. “What else do you have in mind?”
Kade’s eyes glinted in the red lights with amusement, and he gave her a slow, teasing grin. “Well, considering how that went,” he started, tapping his finger lightly on the back of her hand, “there are definitely a few more things I’d like to try before we’re done here tonight.”
Madison’s smile matched his, but there was something more confident in it now. “I’d like that.”
Kade nodded, his gaze softening. “Me, too.”
And just like that, that heavy feeling Madison had lodged in her chest dissipated. She didn’t need to hold back anymore. With Kade, she could explore what she wanted, and she could set the pace. There was no rush. No fear. Just the two of them, figuring it out and communicating their needs.
She leaned in, brushing her lips gently against his. “I think I’m going to need one of these rooms in Arizona,” she murmured against his mouth, a grin tugging at her lips.
Kade laughed, his hands resting at the small of her back, pulling her closer. “Relax, princess, let me build you a castle first,” he said, but his voice was serious this time. “Then I’ll see about getting you a dungeon.”
They kissed again, slowly, lingering, letting the moment stretch out as long as it could. Eventually, they would leave this place—the bar, this room, their friends and family—but for now, they were still here. For tonight, they had this small, perfect world all to themselves.
Kade held her close, his heart steady and he laced their hands together. “Whatever comes next,” he murmured. “We are going to get through it. Together.”
Madison nodded, a soft sigh escaping her lips. “Yeah. Together.”
And that didn’t mean they would forget everything they went through because it was part of their story–part of what had brought them here, to this moment.
And in this moment, Kade and Madison knew they were exactly where they needed to be.