He and Monroe had never given Angel the gift of friendship outside their unorthodox family of driver, housekeeper, and the two of them. He'd watched Angel's hand reverently touch Willow's stomach and then heard her laughter over the low thudding music. It made his heart ache for the loneliness she must sometimes feel. He'd brought her here tonight because she needed to get out and so did he. Her abhorrence of the club was unfortunate, but it was one of the few places he felt complete acceptance. He wanted to see if some of her fears would dissipate with familiarity and sceneing while clothed.He left her on the carousel so he could speak privately with Damian about possibly finding a female sub to befriend Angel. Brandon's wife played right into his hands. Damian clued him in to Willow sitting by Angel. They'd moved a little closer, but remained in the shadows watching."My sister is a brat, but she has a heart of gold.""Angel has her bratty moments, too, so I think this could work
Thoughts of Angel and Zachery encroached at odd times-a smell, the turn of a jaw, even the flow of a burqa. Monroe, the king of control, had trouble compartmentalizing their memories, but knew if he didn't focus on his adversary it created incredible danger for those he loved.One of Monroe's first missions introduced him to Uday Hamid Hussein. Their paths crossed many times through the years. Monroe always knew the man needed to die. Uday, especially harsh on women, singlehandedly killed more innocents with torture, starvation, and beheading than most terrorist groups. A few weeks before, during a compound raid to capture Uday, foreign operatives uncovered documents detailing Monroe's civilian life. The accurate files had pictures and maps of Monroe's home residence. After the raid failed, the U.S. government notified him immediately. Monroe agreed to this assignment to draw the cold-blooded killer out where Monroe could finally end his worthless life.Dressed in a black t-shirt wit
The house phone rang, surprising Zach while he and Angel ate lunch at the cozy table in Monroe's monstrous kitchen. Zach leaned over and hit the speaker button."Mr. Zachery," Stephens' voice sounded unnaturally stiff. "There is a man at the front gate requesting to see you and Miss Angel regarding Master Monroe."Zachery's gut twisted violently when he saw the terror in Angel's eyes. Stephens was a highly trained retired member of the British Army Special Air Service. Whoever wanted to speak to them had credentials, which meant something had gone wrong on Monroe's mission. Zach had reviewed safety procedures with everyone in the household. They all knew what to do, though they'd never prepared for this.Standing, he took Angel's trembling hand and squeezed. "I love you."She stared at him like he was her lifeline, as if he could make the man waiting out front disappear."Sir?" Stephens questioned."Please escort him to the house. We'll meet him in the den." Monroe's den, where he read
From the moment Stephens announced the stranger waiting to speak with them, she knew. When Master had left, she dreaded each minute he'd be away. Until these past few years, her entire life had been filled with the deep wrenching sorrow of losing the people she loved.Now, she felt so very cold and it centered from deep within. She barely noticed Sir's arms wrapped around her. Occasionally, he murmured words she could make no sense of.She let her mind float... the garden needed tending. Willow's baby was due any day and she needed to order a gift. She'd been struggling to play the eighth Sonata by Prokofiev. Master would be proud if she achieved the difficult piece.Her mind jumped away from the thought.Marguerite promised to teach her how to make zucchini bread. Stephens said he'd show her how to change the oil in the cars. Not because she'd ever need to change oil, but because she wanted to know how to do simple things that others took for granted."Zachery, sir... I've made lunch.
The first few weeks were unbearable.A few days after Monroe's death, Marguerite came and spoke to him about their shared meals and everyone helping her with her work."Do not take this from me, Senor. It is what I do. I take care of you and Angel. It gives me great joy. Stephens' responsibilities keep his mind off the bad. Por favor, let us care for you and the Senorita."Zach realized he had been doing them a disservice. Parts of Monroe's life left a bad taste in his mouth. Servants, the slave aspect of Monroe's relationship with Angel, and Monroe's total lack of understanding any time Zach tried to speak to him about it made Zach's teeth grind on many occasions."It is what they do," was Monroe's less-than-pleasing reply. It infuriated Zach how the man closed himself off with no concept of a normal world. Zach knew Monroe cared, but the man's feelings - whether angry, frustrated, happy, or sad - rarely, if ever, showed. He wanted to punch Monroe when he gave a slightly different va
Her anger, sorrow, and feelings of worthlessness fell away. Sir was seeing her grief for the first time since Master's death. Focusing entirely on her. And, even though she knew she was selfish, she needed this desperately. She could no longer live with the sadness surrounding them. Sir acted almost as if nothing had happened and he did little more than hold her at night. He didn't cry, didn't show anger, and didn't say he loved her.Then, she thought of Master and the marriage license. She realized why he did it, and that he had planned for this eventuality. It made her both angry and sad.How could he?Angel needed him; she needed both her men. But... somehow... they had to find a way to live without him."We'll get through this." Sir held her close, his words ruffling her hair.She pulled slightly away and looked into Sir's intense green eyes. "He loved me."Angel saw her words register on his face and choked back another sob when he pulled her close again. "I love you, too, A
One month after Monroe's death, Angel quietly married Zachery. They held the wedding at the house with Marguerite and Stephens standing by them. They invited no guests because questions about Master would make things difficult.The time leading up to the wedding was no less harsh, though Sir let his feelings show. They shared tears and laughter, talked about Master, and spoke of their future. None of it took away the pain, but it was a start.Stephens arrived with the Justice of the Peace and then the noble man with a heart of gold walked Angel down the stairs and to her husband-to-be. The white wedding gown had a modest, high neckline and covered her arms, but hugged her upper body like a glove then flared out slightly at the waist. At Sir's urging, she wore no veil. He wanted to see her face and hair.She gazed at Zachery-his black tuxedo fit to perfection, defining his muscled torso and accenting the length of his long, sturdy legs. Her heart rate decelerated at the sight of him
The low buzz of the phone by the bed woke Zach. It was the house's central alarm that was programmed to his cell phone. It meant the perimeter of their home had been breached. Zach opened the nightstand drawer and removed his Glock .45. Even in the dark room his hands knew the gun; he tested its weight and relished its familiarity.Quickly he slipped on his slacks, placed his hand over Angel's mouth, and nudged her. He could see the whites of her eyes in the dark. "Follow me to the safe room. Stay close."She knew the drill and didn't reach for clothing, just followed a foot behind him with her hand on his hip so both his arms were free. They took the back stairs and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Marguerite waiting at the bottom.The safe room lay hidden behind a solid wood bookcase and had been built by Monroe and Stephens. It wasn't in the original floor plans and only five people knew of its existence. The outer shell and door were bulletproof, and inside were clothes,
I claimed he wasn't romantic, but Luke proved me wrong.He had something special planned for our one month wedding anniversary. I was currently strapped to a chair in the playroom, a scarf covering my eyes. Luke's hand gently moved my hair aside. Or, I thought it was Luke, but when the fingers moved up over my jaw a different scent filled me."Hi, beautiful girl," Wade said as he kissed my cheek. "I'm here to fuck you dry."An electric thrill ran over every inch of flesh on my body and I shivered."She's been a naughty girl all day. For some reason she seems to think I should have spoiled her surprise and told her you'd be joining us." Luke spoke from behind me. He reached around and pinched my nipples. "Untie her and we'll move her to a more accommodating location. You haven't seen her pretty pussy piercing."Luke loved calling it that. It usually had me laughing, but he squeezed my nipples again and I sucked in a quick breath. Wade unclipped me from the chair, leaving my wrist a
Two nights later, my dream was back. My sister watched me from the mirror. She spoke, but I couldn't understand. I made a grab for her hand as it turned to dust beneath my fingers. She swept away on the wind and I couldn't breathe."Shh, babe, breathe." It was Luke.He rolled us so I was on my back, his lips against mine, with his hand at my throat. He added pressure and I froze until he eased his fingers back. His cock entered me. He restricted my breathing again and again until I came so hard my toes curled."Tell me about Vachala," he said after rolling over so I lay on top of him.I hadn't spoken freely about my sister since she disappeared. I had told the private investigators details about our location in India when my mother sold her, but they never asked anything personal. Bittersweet thoughts of her poured into my mind. "She would run so fast she'd trip constantly. She always beat me in any race. I cried and she laughed. I think she was a demon in disguise. The only way an
I'm sure people had horrible night terrors and handled them better than I did. Saying mine aloud made them feel inconsequential. "A mirror or the reflection from water. I see me-starving, skeletal, always trying to say something. I fade to dust and I realize it isn't really me. It's Vachala." A calmness was settling over me. For years I kept this hidden. My father never knew. My mother died with me hating her, but more than that I hated my weakness. Even now I couldn't find a way to forgive myself. My mother should have chosen Vachala and left me to die. I used pain to prove I was strong. The more the better.I rolled over in Luke's arms and faced him. "I don't know why I can't breathe when I wake up. I know when I was hospitalized, I couldn't breathe. That was the last time I saw her." I could picture her so easily because whenever I looked in a mirror, she was there. "We were only babies, but that bond is unbreakable. I imagined her holding my hand for years. I could feel her soft f
I had her back in the waist belt and her hands attached in front of her when I walked her into the bathroom. I'd had everything ready. She saw what waited and stopped."Don't worry. This is only a mild cleansing, no cramping or pain. Bend over."Tears filled her eyes."Come on, girl, it looks worse than it is.""Please, Luke." She looked down at the floor and I saw a tear roll from the end of her nose."'Please, Luke' is not your safeword. Lift your leg onto the toilet seat or I'll use a different solution."She lifted her leg and I could see her knees trembling. I inserted the enema nozzle and she jerked as if the solution had hot pepper in it. Actually, I used a bit of peppermint along with a mild soap and warm water; it wouldn't hurt at all. I opened the valve. "Hold it in. I'll tell you when you can relieve yourself." Her tears turned to soft hiccups. I really thought she'd cave by now, but her stubborn brain was blocking her desire to end the humiliation. I moved her to the
Machala was asleep, her breathing deep and even. I sat down beside her and transferred our lunch to the nightstand. I moved pillows beneath her head after loosening the straps at her wrists. I went into the bathroom and soaked a washcloth in warm water. I hadn't left any cuts on the front of her body, but welts covered her. After running the cloth over each welt, I rubbed ointment into her skin.She woke up when I loosened her wrists, but waited until I finished with the ointment before speaking. "I can't do it, Luke. You're wasting your time." Her dejection came through in each soft word.I slowly removed the blindfold so she could see my eyes. She squinted into the light before her gaze settled on mine. "I love you. It's not something you walk away from. I can't watch you suffer alone. Sharing your terror may not help, but I'll be there and I'll know the worst. I've imagined so many things and each one causes me sleepless nights. You have no idea the abuse I've imagined. I only wan
The lies she lived with couldn't continue. I refused to allow her to destroy herself. She barely slept and I wasn't as stupid as the first time she stayed with me. Then, I missed the small nuances that showed how exhausted she was. That would never happen again. And now something set her off without lack of sleep involved. Some trigger that no one but she understood. I couldn't fucking help her if she wouldn't talk to me. All my frustration from months ago came rising to the surface. I imagined her as a young child being raped, beaten, or both. I couldn't stand the pictures in my head... the unknown.I wrapped rubber bands tightly around the ends of the sticks, securing them together. Machala's breasts were hanging freely over the bench, which made clamping the sticks on her nipples easy. The rubber bands applied the pressure so her nipples squeezed between the lacquered wood. When I put them on, she stopped struggling and speaking. I grabbed the sticks in the middle between her breas
I couldn't hold back the tears and he stopped moving. "No, don't, Luke. Fuck me hard, please."He did. I have no idea how much noise we made and I'm surprised the door didn't cave. He pulled my hair until I thought he would leave me bald, and when that didn't work, he rammed two fingers in my ass. No lube and it hurt but... it took me over the edge and I cried out as my body crashed. I was crying, but pulling air into my lungs."Shh," he whispered against my ear.I knew he suspected I was crazy. Hell, I was the ice queen. No panic attacks allowed for me. "I'm so sorry." My forehead rested against his chest. His cock was still inside me."You shouldn't be. Having my very own fuck bunny during practice is something I plan on growing accustomed to."He was attempting to change the mood. I shouldn't let him, but I desperately wanted to forget my near out of control disaster. We cleaned up in the bathroom. Luke took special care of my piercing. He'd explained about condoms for the firs
We woke up after seven-much later than a usual Monday morning. I could tell by her breathing that Machala was awake. "What are you thinking about, girl?" I asked into the quiet room."Hmm, touching you. I always want to touch you while you sleep." Her voice sounded drowsy and sexy."I won't stop you." There were times to be dominant and times to give your sub what she wanted. This was the latter. I expected her hands to travel my chest, arms, even ass. I saw the way she stared at me. A hungry lioness came to mind. What I didn't expect were her hands on my face.She moved up a little, using her elbow to prop herself. I closed my eyes as her soft fingers traveled across my jaw, moving to my cheeks and even along my nose."You're beautiful," she whispered.I didn't think any man alive wanted to be called beautiful. At least not until this moment. Her thumb swiped across my eyelid before her fingers went to my lips. Now they ran across the outline of my mouth and one finger slipped in
How did he do it? This man knew what my brain did not. The dull ache above my clit caused by the piercing had me craving more. It also reminded me that it wasn't just a collar that bound a submissive to their dominant. Luke piercing me was his claim and wouldn't disappear like the bruises he left after a scene.He was on the phone while I used a mirror to look between my legs. He'd actually handed it to me before he went to make his call. Fuck, I desperately needed to come again or somehow get my mind off my body's greedy cravings.I latched onto work. I had to call Danny and explain I wouldn't be at work for two weeks. Luke had removed the butt plug after our prolonged scene in the playroom. I sat on the end of my bed fully aware of my new piercing and hit Danny's name on my cell."Hello, doll. What's happening?" His anger over the newspaper article and picture was obviously gone.There were times I used my icy business voice with Danny, but this wasn't one of them. I valued his f