Chapter 28 #2
“Ben can definitely wield all his weapons superbly.” Oh, he could.
“And I did get fond of his build—as well as his masculine attributes.” Time to actually share, not something at which she was experienced.
“But he doesn’t want to be a slave. He’s more of a sexual submissive.
” Final confession. “And I hate to change.” She hadn’t moved fast enough.
When Kim nodded, obviously unsurprised about Ben, Anne asked, “You knew?”
“He’d talked with Raoul. And Raoul was worried about you two. He wasn’t sure you’d accept a sexual submissive rather than a slave.”
Raoul’d been worried? Anne tried to remember. After Ben had dumped her and left, Raoul had come over. Frowning. Had his expression held more concern than disapproval? She sighed. Unsettled emotions really could mess up a person’s ability to read body language.
“I hear you on wanting things to stay the same,” Uzuri said. “But when I…had…to move to Florida, I learned change can be good. Open new worlds, new possibilities.” She smiled at the others. “Bring new friends.”
“You don’t really want your life to remain the same forever, do you?” Jessica’s smile was soft. “I’ve seen you with Sophia. You want one of your own.”
“I do.” Anne sighed. She had wanted a child—and now, here she was. Pregnant. It almost made her feel guilty, as if her yearning had resulted in her pregnancy. “I’d like a baby—no matter how much my life would be altered.”
“I might eventually, too, but we’re not ready,” Kim admitted. “I’m still getting over the trauma of consenting to be married.”
Uzuri snickered. “Anyone else would worry more about that collar he locked around her neck.”
“Beth wants a baby too.” Jessica grinned. “Can you see Nolan’s face if he has to convert his customized, hand-crafted dungeon into a kid’s playroom?”
Anne had seen his expression when he’d held Kari’s Zane. The big Master wouldn’t have any trouble clearing his life out for a child.
“Babies undeniably transform your life.” Uzuri raised her brows at Jessica. “I know it’s early days, but did Sophia muddle yours up at all? Is Master Z still your Master?”
Anne smothered a smile. Z had certainly looked like a Master on the day Jessica had taken Anne’s advice.
Catching the twitch of Anne’s lips, Jessica turned red. After clearing her throat, she smiled at Uzuri. “I don’t think anyone could take the Master out of Z. But our relationship’s gone through some changes. We’ve had a couple of fights.”
“Really?” Kim leaned forward.
“Like the day that I got too tired. Well, we both were, really. Sophia was fussing, and the phone was ringing, and Z didn’t answer it. He was on his cell, but I didn’t know that and thought he was being lazy, and I blew up into a total hissy fit.”
“Oh my God, you took on Master Z?” Uzuri looked terrified enough to have Anne frowning.
Dammit, they really needed to work on some of those fears. No, Anne wasn’t a member of the Shadowlands any longer. Well, she’d give Z a heads-up. And…and she’d do some digging as a friend instead.
“I wasn’t thinking of Masters or submitting or anything,” Jessica said. “I was just…I simply lost it.” She scowled. “But it was Master Z who spanked me, and it sure wasn’t an erotic spanking, but mean and merciless. I cried my eyes out. Would you believe he said I needed the release?”
When Anne laughed—because Z’d obviously been right—Jessica wrinkled her nose. “I’d rather have had a different kind of release, right? But afterward, he held me and cuddled me. When Sophia started fussing again, he put me to bed and told me if I didn’t go to sleep, he’d spank me again.”
Uzuri gave a contented sigh. “Okay. You had me worried for a minute there.”
Kim frowned. “Aside from you yelling at him, that’s not much of a change.”
“Right. That’s what hasn’t changed; he still takes total charge when he feels protective. When it comes to Sophia and the house, then I make most of the decisions. We decide a lot together, and if we don’t agree, the final say is his, and I prefer that. It’s…comforting.”
Anne thought Z had a good handle on balancing everything. And Jessica’s contentment bore that out. Interesting. Was this what Ben wanted?
“That’s what I had planned to try with Ben,” she admitted. All three gazes snapped to her. “Move the D/s more into the bedroom. Not make Ben twist himself to be a slave.”
“Ben would be good at juggling everything, I think. Outside the bedroom, he’d insist on protecting you and supporting you,” Kim said.
“And then hand you the whip in the bedroom,” Jessica added.
“I wish.” Anne’s drink tasted like hopelessness. “That was what I’d wanted, but Ben said he’s vanilla. He thanked me for the taste of kink, as if he wanted to spit at what was left in his mouth.”
“That was that night at the Shadowlands? And you believed him?” Uzuri looked at her in disbelief. “You’re a Domme—you’re supposed to read us better.”
Jessica laughed. “Pfft, even mind-reading Dominants screw it up when their own emotions get involved. And that night, she wasn’t operating on all burners.” She glanced over. “Sorry, Anne.”
“It’s the truth.” Anne hesitated as her anxiety and hope fought a battle. “What did I miss?”
Uzuri frowned. “I was in the subbie section, watching. You were bending over Joey, holding his chin all sweet and Mistressy, and just…looking at him. A long time. And Ben saw that, and his face totally changed—like mad and jealous and hurt. He thought you went back to Joey.”
Anne held up a hand as the memory seared through her, clear as crystal now. “He said that. ‘See you found your boy.’ I thought he meant I’d found Joey to talk with. But he thought I chose Joey, rather than him. And then he…unleashed.”
“Like a typical hurt guy,” Jessica said.
“Yes, like a wounded man, he not only picked up his cards, but kicked over the table as well,” Uzuri agreed.
“He lied about what he wants, Anne,” Kim said. “He’s not a slave, but he’s not vanilla either. He told Raoul that.”
“Hey, I saw him after one of your scenes. He looked past content and well into blissful. It’s obvious he’s into that part of submission.” Jessica smiled.
“Blissful.” And didn’t that lovely description make Anne feel good?
Kim nodded. “You two need to talk. I think you belong together.”
Their expressions held such conviction that Anne’s eyes burned with tears. She’d avoided thinking about Ben and what to do. Maybe this was why—because her memory was all mixed up with pain and lost hopes.
But these women were her…her posse…as Jessica had said. They wouldn’t steer her wrong. “All right. I’ll—”
The sound of ripping drew Anne’s attention toward the deck.
A hand reached through a long gash in the screen door and unlatched the lock. A huge man slid the door open and stepped in.
Anne shot to her feet. “Who—” She stopped at the sight of his face.
Although a panty hose over his head flattened his features, the rage came through clearly. “More ’n one bitch here, bro.” He waved the knife toward them.
More men crowded through the door—all masked. An armed robbery?
Adrenaline dried Anne’s mouth.
Uzuri squeaked with fear.
Her heart kicking against her ribs, Anne faced the men, sliding into a non-offensive stance that still prepared her for battle.
“What do you want?” Anne counted five men. Too many to fight successfully. Damn. Her stomach twisted to the point of nausea.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Kim take a grip on a lamp.
Jessica retreated behind a chair, holding the phone in her hands out of sight. Hopefully, she’d hit mute when dialing 9-1-1.
To keep the men’s attention from Jessica, Anne backed toward the kitchen. “What do you want?” she repeated in a calm voice. The longer they could avoid violence the better.
Five men. 9-1-1 might be too late.
The man in the forefront had a bulky body the size of Ben’s, an oversized head, and a snarl like a vicious pit bull. “Where’d you hide my wife and my son, you cunt?”
Oh, bad. Home invasions were rampant in Tampa, but this wasn’t an attempted burglary. “My wife.” This was an abuser trying to find his victim. The knot in Anne’s belly tightened. The masks had given her hope—but these guys couldn’t afford to leave witnesses behind.
My baby. Anne started to cover her stomach, then forced her arms to hang loose. Never draw attention to a vulnerability. I’m not pregnant. No, not me.
Fear dried her mouth. The storm and accompanying accidents would slow the arrival of the police. How long could she stall? “Who’s your wife?”
“Sue Ellen. Now where the fuck is she?” He swung his arm and knocked a lamp into the wall.
Hand against her mouth, Uzuri gave a thin scream.
Sue Ellen. The woman had been choked, and her son had displayed a fist-sized bruise on his baby cheek. “Billy will come after me,” she’d said.
“I’m so sorry.” Meeting Billy’s raging eyes, Anne spread her hands out helplessly. “I don’t know who that is. As a bounty hunter, I meet a lot of people every day.”
“Bitch, you took her to some fucked-up place for women. You’re trying to hide her—hide her from me, her legal husband,” he said.
A man who also rivaled Ben for height and muscles moved forward. His mask had smashed his broad features, but Anne recognized the build of the ogre-like brother-in-law who’d seen her with Sue Ellen.
His gaze took her in. “That’s her, brother.”
Billy took a step forward. “You fucking—”
“Don’t got time to fuck around.” The brother grabbed Uzuri’s hair and slapped her so violently her head jerked back.
Tears filled her eyes as she struggled in his grip.
He grinned at Anne, feeding off Uzuri’s whimpers. “Tell us the address or we fuck up your girlies.” He held up his hand again, and Uzuri cringed.
“Stop.” Shoving down fury, Anne made her voice waver. It wasn’t difficult with the waves of fear chilling her blood. “I’ll tell. P-please, don’t hurt us.”