Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“You’ll get calls from them, Joey,” Anne said into her house phone. The two Dommes she’d spoken with earlier were sadists. And both were open to taking on a new slave.
“Thank you so much, Mistress Anne.” He was so thrilled he sounded almost breathless.
“You’re very welcome. You take care—”
“Are you going to be at the Shadowlands tonight?” he asked before she could say good-bye. “It’s Saturday. And you weren’t there last night.”
Actually, she’d planned to be home last night, but the small matter of the SUV’s cracked radiator had kept her in St. Augustine an extra day.
Not that she’d have gone to the club anyway. She wasn’t a member any longer. “No, I’m planning a nice, quiet evening at home. I’ll sit on the deck and watch the storm coming in.”
“Ugh,” he said.
She smiled, imagining his shiver. He hated storms. If he were smart, he wouldn’t share that information with a new sadistic Mistress. “Good night, Joey.”
Anne set the phone down and frowned at the blinking message machine. She had a myriad of calls.
But…she’d endured enough phone time for now, especially since the messages were from her family and maybe some of the Shadowlands members, including—she winced—Z.
She’d already listened to two messages from Travis and Harrison.
With each punch of the play button, she’d held her breath, hoping the caller was Ben, and then suffered through the pain when the voice hadn’t been his.
She couldn’t take more right now.
In the deepening twilight, under the rumbling sound of thunder, Anne heard someone walking the stone path that ran beside her house. Her heart leaped. Ben?
From her sprawling position on the lounge chair, she pushed up on one elbow.
The tops of three heads showed, coming around the front of her high deck. Not Ben. Women. She exhaled in a sad little huff.
She recognized her visitors just from their hair. Sleek hair so black it glinted blue—Kim. Thick, wavy blonde hair—Jessica. Gleaming black with crinkles—Uzuri.
The Shadowkittens were here to…to what? She frowned as they came up her steps.
“Hey,” Jessica called. “Will visitors be forced to walk the plank, Ma’am.”
Anne’s lips curved…slightly. “This isn’t a ship; it’s a deck. But come on up. I’ll decide about the plank after hearing what crimes you’ve committed recently.”
Only Uzuri looked worried. Kim actually laughed.
Anne felt like pouting. Her rep as an evil Mistress had just plain gone to hell. Then again, that was what happened with good friends, wasn’t it? “To what do I owe the honor of this visit today? And how did you know I’d be here?”
No one knew she’d be here. Well, aside from Joey. Come to think of it, at one time, he’d been the token male submissive in the Shadowkittens. “Joey called you,” Anne said flatly.
The three exchanged glances, silently electing Jessica as spokesperson.
“Everyone was worried when you disappeared.” As the gusting wind whipped at her clothes, Jessica perched on a chair, her hair gathered in one hand.
Kim said, “Raoul and Cullen are really upset with themselves. Cullen says he stuck his foot in his mouth. Again. He’s trying to think of ways to apologize.”
“No apology necessary.” Anne felt the pang of loss as she added, “I’m not liable to see them anyway.”
“No!” Uzuri pushed past Kim, and suddenly Anne had a submissive kneeling at her feet. “Please, Ma’am, don’t let a quarrel change your life for the worse.”
The memory of Ben kneeling…right there…stabbed into her heart.
“It’s more than a quarrel.” She’d thought she’d moved beyond their betrayal, but…it still hurt. “They thought I was dishonest and cheating on Ben.”
“Anne.” Kim’s soft voice held the sweet stubbornness that Raoul adored. “They were just guys rallying to defend their bro. We women do it all the time. And Raoul realized even before you walked away that Ben wasn’t the only person in your relationship who was hurting.”
Anne blinked. Replayed the conversation. Yes, Cullen had been protective of Ben. And they hadn’t heard any of what she and Joey had said, had just seen her with him, and how Ben had stormed away. They’d jumped to conclusions.
Stupid, true, but hey, males, right? Apparently, they’d bought into the cold-hearted Mistress image she’d created.
The ugly coil of pain in her chest unwound. “They rallied, and I lost my temper.” She helped Uzuri back to her feet.
“Actually, I thought you held it together pretty well,” Jessica said and settled further into the chair as Kim took the one beside her. “I’d say you had just about the worst evening known to womankind. Your job, your family, and then the club.”
True. Anne observed them for a moment. “How do you know about my evening?”
“Oh, girl.” Uzuri sat on the swing. “The Shadowlands is even gossipier than the little town where I grew up. Your brother talked with Ben, who talked with Z, who told him what Cullen and Raoul had said.”
“I called Joey,” Kim said, “and he added in the rest.”
Travis had told Ben what had happened? Head spinning, Anne held up her hand. “I got the picture.”
“Ben’s worried about you,” Jessica said.
Would it matter? He cared about people. Just because he’d broken it off with her wouldn’t make him stop caring.
Someone should let him know she was fine. Kind of fine. “Did someone inform him that I was home and all right?”
“No. We wanted to talk with you first.” Jessica gave her a soft smile. “You might be a Mistress, but you’re also in our gang. And a woman needs her posse around her when things go bad.”
Jessica’s affection lapped over and into the empty recesses of Anne’s heart. She had good friends. A look at the other two women showed they felt the same, even before Jessica added, “Everyone wanted to come, but we were afraid you’d feel invaded.”
“When Sally lost out, boy, you should have heard the swearing. And Olivia said she’s going to beat our asses at the club for not letting her come.” Kim’s lips tilted up. “See how much we love you?”
And here she’d been feeling bereft. “Thank you. Thank you all.”
“Right. So—do you have a blender?” Uzuri picked up the brown grocery sack at her feet. “We can’t share disastrous relationship stories without alcohol.”
They’d have to do the drinking for her, but okay. Laughing, Anne rose and led the way inside.
Watching the black clouds cover the sky, Ben pulled his phone out of his rear pocket and answered without checking the display. “Yo.”
“Ben? Travis.”
Ben froze. “News?”
“Yeah. Lights are on at her place.”
“Did you stop by?” Ben asked.
“No, Harrison’s wife noticed and called me. Dad and I are in Tampa and heading there now, so if you want to see her before us, this is your chance.”
Ben smiled. Good man. “Copy that. Thanks.”
“No thanks needed. Just be aware that if you don’t make her happy, I’ll break your neck.”
If he fucked this up, he’d welcome an early demise.
As Uzuri concocted daiquiris with the fresh strawberries she’d brought, Anne took charge of adding rum to each drink.
A salt-laden, wet wind gusted through the screen of the open deck door to announce the storm’s arrival. A minute later, rain pattered on her deck and grew into a noisy drumming. “You got here just in time,” Anne raised her voice to be heard. “It’s turning into a mess out there.”
Kim wrinkled her nose. “No driving in that until it calms down a bit.” She accepted her glass.
No driving, period. Smiling, Anne handed over the other two rum-heavy drinks. If her friends tried to get behind a wheel after they’d been drinking, they discover what a hardass Domme she really was.
She picked up her rumless drink, heaved a sigh, and plopped in three extra strawberries to make up for the absence of alcohol.
After using the remote to start her moody playlist, she settled into her favorite armchair. Over the low strains of Enya, rain slapped against the night-darkened window.
Cross-legged on the couch, Jessica leaned toward Anne. “I saw Ben on Thursday. He looked really wrecked about you two not being together.”
Anne blinked at the straightforward approach and then narrowed her eyes. “Aren’t you supposed to build up to grilling someone about their relationship? You know, be gentle with vulnerable, upset friends?”
“You’re right. God, Jessica, were you raised on the docks?” Kim shook her head and smiled sweetly at Anne. “Don’t you just love how pretty the weather is today?”
Anne glanced out the arched windows to the white-capped waves slamming into her beach. Over the black ocean, lightning created stark ribbons of jagged light. The sound of the palm trees whipping in the wind could barely be heard under the thunder.
Uzuri followed her gaze and—giggling—told Kim, “You’re an idiot.”
Kim scowled. “I like this kind of weather, although it’s better when I have Raoul to wrap around.”
“See? That’s what I’m saying. Anne needs her giant, studly teddy bear.” Jessica nodded. “Are you going to take him back? Give the poor man a break?”
Take him back? He broke up with me.
“Maybe she wants younger—or doesn’t want a huge guy,” Uzuri said.
The other two gave her looks of disbelief.
Uzuri lifted her chin. “Hey, some of us prefer normal men. Besides, those pretty boys of hers were gorgeous and built and in their guy prime.”
“You have an excellent point.” Kim raised her glass to her friend. “Joey’s butt? Work of art.”
“This is true,” Jessica said with due consideration. “And yet, maybe Anne got fond of that big build. There are a lot of pluses to older and bigger. More muscles. More experience. Bigger…masculine attributes.”
Kim hummed. “Larger masculine attributes can’t be discounted lightly.
“It’s actually a detriment, in my opinion, unless the male in question knows how to wield it.” Uzuri sniffed. “And everything else as well.”
Anne swung a leg over the arm of her chair. If she stayed silent, these three might settle all her concerns.
Unfortunately, all three turned to look at her expectantly.