Chapter 18 #3
Simone changes in the salon while I coordinate final positioning with my team. When she emerges, she's in black leather—corset and skirt that hits mid-thigh, heels that add height and presence. Every line of her screams confidence.
We move through the club. Members recognize her immediately, conversations pausing as we pass. She doesn't shrink from the attention, doesn't hide. Just walks beside me with her head up and her spine straight, owning both identities.
The semi-private floor is exactly what we need. Open enough to be visible, private enough for what I have planned. I see Andy across the room, off-duty and dressed in casual leathers. He nods acknowledgment but doesn't approach. Professional boundaries maintained even here.
I guide Simone to the center of the space. "Kneel."
She sinks down gracefully, hands folded in her lap, eyes lowered. The submission is real, not performed for an audience. Everyone watching can see the difference.
I circle her slowly, letting everyone see exactly what she's giving me. Then I pull her to her feet and lead her to the St. Andrew's cross.
"Turn around."
She turns, presenting her back. I unlace the corset with deliberate slowness, letting the leather loosen inch by inch.
When the last lace pulls free, she shrugs it off and lets it fall.
The skirt follows. She stands naked except for the heels, spine straight, no hesitation.
Everyone in the space watches her bare herself, and she doesn't flinch from the attention.
"Arms up."
She raises them. I secure her wrists with leather cuffs, then her ankles. The position leaves her exposed, vulnerable, completely at my mercy. Exactly where she needs to be.
I select a flogger from the implement wall. Soft leather, perfect for building heat without serious impact. "Color?"
"Green, Sir."
"Good girl."
I warm her up slowly, letting the flogger strands trail across her shoulders before the first real strike lands. The leather kisses her skin with a satisfying thwack. Her breath hitches. I work methodically—shoulders, back, the curve of her ass, her thighs—building heat with each pass.
She stays silent at first, breathing through the sensation. But as I increase the force, small gasps break free. The sound goes straight to my cock. Her skin blooms pink, then deeper rose where the leather strikes repeatedly. I can see the heat radiating off her.
"Everyone's watching you take this," I tell her between strikes. The flogger lands across her ass with a sharp crack. "Watching you surrender. No pretense. No performance. Just pure submission."
She whimpers, and the sound carries raw need that fills the space. Her thighs tremble. Her fingers flex against the cuffs. Every muscle in her body is taut with the effort of staying still, of taking what I give her.
I continue until she's shaking, her breathing ragged, her skin marked and beautiful. Then I stop. Set down the flogger. Release her wrists first, then her ankles. When I lower her arms, she sways into me. I catch her, support her full weight against my chest.
"We're done here. Time to go home."
She nods against my shoulder, trusting me to handle the exit.
My phone buzzes as we're entering the parking garage. Text from one of my security team:
Movement on the perimeter. Possible hostile.
I pull Simone closer, scanning the garage. My team has taken positions near the vehicle, weapons ready but concealed. Everything looks clear but the hair on the back of my neck is standing up.
"Into the vehicle. Now."
She doesn't question it, just moves fast. I cover her approach to the armored SUV, every sense on high alert. She's inside with the doors locked when I hear the first shot.
The round punches through the windshield of the following vehicle. It's a suppressed weapon, elevated position. It's a sniper.
"Down!" I move, pull my weapon, scan for the shooter's position. My team scatters, takes cover, returns suppressing fire toward the elevated parking structure across the street.
I key my comms. "Hostile sniper, elevated position, northwest corner. All units converge."
More rounds impact near the vehicles. Calculated spacing, pinning us down rather than killing. Fontaine's buying time to escape, not trying for a confirmed kill.
My team advances on his position with tactical precision. I stay with the vehicle, weapon up, covering Simone. Through the windshield I can see her pressed low in the seat, following protocols exactly.
"Suspect mobile, heading north through the warehouse district," one of my operators reports. "In pursuit."
"Don't lose him." I maintain position until the rest of my team secures the immediate area. Only then do I get into the vehicle.
Simone's pale but controlled. "That was him."
"Yeah. Elevated position, suppressed weapon, calculated setup. He was waiting for us to leave." I start the engine, following the tactical pursuit at a distance. "But he missed. Vehicle positioning minimized his exposure. He didn't get a clean shot."
"Where is he now?"
"Running. My team's in pursuit." I navigate through streets, following updates on the radio. "He's heading deeper into the warehouse district. Dead-end streets abandoned buildings. He's making a mistake."
Within minutes, the pursuit narrows. Fontaine's cornered in an abandoned warehouse, multiple units surrounding the location. I pull up at the perimeter, kill the engine.
"Stay in the vehicle. Lock the doors. Don't move until I come back for you."
"Luc—"
"No negotiation. Derek stays with you. I'm ending this." I lean across, kiss her hard and fast. "Lock the doors."
I exit the vehicle, motion Derek over. "Stay with her. Weapon ready. Anyone approaches who isn't me or Remy, you put them down."
"Yes, sir."
I move to join the tactical team converging on Fontaine's location, weapon drawn. Remy's already there, coordinating with Andy and FBI tactical. NOPD has the perimeter secured.
"He's inside," Remy says. "Upper floor, barricaded. Armed and ready to go down fighting."
I check my weapon and scan the building. The windows are dark, no movement visible. Fontaine's cornered, which makes him more dangerous. Cornered operators fight dirty.
I move toward the breach point, tactical team falling into position around me. Fontaine killed Julien. He tried to kill Simone.
Time to end this.