Lawful Domination [Uniform Fetish 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (3 page)

“Yeah, just keep these vultures back,” said Dom, loosening the man’s collar.

He was tempted to send a shot in the air, but it would likely be disastrous in an all-glass building, not to mention the twenty-page report he’d have to write for discharging his firearm. When he saw the other two officers on duty squeezing their way through the spectators, his nerves settled. The private guards were also inside the doors now, trying to monitor the current situation rather than the prototype car. Within minutes, he could hear the wail of the ambulance.

“What’s happening?” asked Jeremy once he reached them.

“Medical issue. You can help by clearing a path for the paramedics. They’ll need to get through in a minute.”

The place was chaos. The announcer returned to the stage, asking everyone to remain calm, which had the opposite effect. By the time Brent and his partner showed up with the portable gurney, Grayson was relieved to see them, a heavy weight lifted from his shoulders. Every minute counted in a medical emergency. They’d shown up within minutes, a tribute to their well-run city services.

Brent bent down, setting his black bag to his left. He went right to work, only focused on the elderly man on the ground. “Pulse is steady but weak. Did anyone see what happened?”

“He just passed out. Hasn’t regained consciousness yet,” said Dom.

“Okay. Cory, help me get him on the stretcher.” The two paramedics lifted the man onto their gurney and headed out without a word.

Grayson took a cleansing breath once they were gone and the regular murmur of conversation resumed at the event.
Two more hours.

Stephanie couldn’t believe her dream cops were working the same event as her. Now she wished she’d been more civil with them earlier. Just when she thought she was starting to make a connection with Officer Myers, he had to rush off. She was certain a man was not in the cards for her.

With all the attention diverted to the other end of the room, she thought it would be the perfect chance to get some candid shots of the new vehicle. With the mob-like crowd trying to get pics during the unveiling, her photos were blurry and distant. They’d taken the car off stage, so she went around the back of the building, hoping to find it. If she could get some rare, close-up shots of the car, her boss would be thrilled with her. She needed a break in her life, and a step up in her career would be a great start.

It was dark around back, long shadows making eerie images on the asphalt. The cops who were patrolling outside earlier were now helping out with the crisis inside. They’d stopped her from getting close to the car when she first arrived, saying it was off limits. Since the prototype was supposed to save mankind from all its fossil fuel problems, it was heavily guarded. Now it was all alone, eagerly waiting her personal attention. She was nearly giddy with excitement as she powered on her camera. Her heart raced and her fingers were shaky as she focused the image. The guards could return at any second, so she had to be fast. This must be the thrill of journalism Tammy spoke of.

When she heard faint footsteps and whispered male voices, she flattened her body against the brick building, hiding herself in the darkness. She’d already gotten a couple of photos but wanted more. Without a chance to check the ones she’d already taken, she had to assume they were too dark without the flash.

When one of the men got inside the car, her heart sank. If they took it away, her chance to get the perfect picture would be over. The sound of the engine purred to life. Hopefully, they’d be distracted with the car, and the bright headlights would give her added illumination while keeping her more hidden. Before they could drive away, she stepped out a foot and started taking photo after photo, like her life depended on it—just as her career probably did.

The driver hit the brakes abruptly as she continued to snap shots. She could easily slip away into the crowded building now and doubted they’d find her, so she grew bold, moving in closer. What would they do if they caught her anyway, lock her up and throw away the key? It was just a picture.

The passenger stepped out. He was dressed in a black suit just like half the guests. For a long moment, they looked eye to eye. Neither of them moved. Then he reached under his jacket and pulled out a gun, aiming it at her.

Time seemed to stand still, fantasy meshing with reality. She gasped, stumbling back. Luckily, her camera was hanging around her neck or she would have dropped it. Stephanie finally turned to run, the man’s heavy footsteps in pursuit. It wasn’t easy running in five-inch heels, but she made it look like a piece of cake. Another man stepped out of the shadows before she could reach the entrance, grabbing her around the torso. He was so much stronger than her, his arms like iron bars. When she tried to scream for help, a heavy hand came down on her mouth, nearly choking out all her air. There was a distinct half-moon tattoo on the web of his hand. It made her think of all the things she’d never see again if this man took her life. She struggled like a mad woman, twisting and fighting with her arms and legs.

Her lucky break came when she slammed one of her precious Christian Louboutin heels onto the man’s foot. He roared, dropping her long enough for her to make her escape.

She burst through the glass doors at the side of the building, her breathing ragged and pulse racing. She needed to bury herself in the crowd, and she had to find a cop. The lights were bright after being in the darkness outside. Stephanie didn’t know where to turn but knew she couldn’t stop moving. Everyone around her was oblivious to the panic she was experiencing.

Then she saw him. It was Dom, the officer from earlier. He towered over the other guests, his dirty-blond hair a beacon in a sea of white and gray.

“Officer, officer!” She was absolutely breathless, barely able to say the word. When she reached him, she grabbed hold of his navy-blue sleeve as an anchor. A rush of relief cascaded through her, nearly making her dizzy. She was safe.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, securing her shoulders. She looked up into his blue eyes. Stephanie wanted to tell him the whole truth, that she’d been threatened by some madman with a gun. But then she thought better. Maybe she’d been in the wrong. It was probably a team of security guards out back just doing their duty, protecting a valuable prototype from a potential thief. If she told an officer what happened, she’d just incriminate herself.

She kept silent.

“Stephanie, right? Tell me, what’s the matter?” His tone was authoritative yet reassuring. Her nerves were so on edge that she wanted to fold herself into his capable arms. The only people she had in the world were her mother and best friend, Tammy. Right now she needed somebody to talk to, someone to talk her in off the ledge.

“I–I can’t. I mean, it was just a stray dog. It spooked me, that’s all.”

He frowned, clearly not falling for her fly-by-pants story, yet he didn’t challenge her. “Are you sure that’s all it was?”

She nodded, willing her heart to calm. She clashed with all the calm guests mingling around her, suddenly noticing the numerous unimpressed eyes on her. “Yes. I’m sorry to have bothered you.” It was time for her to make an exit. She’d listened to the speeches, collected all the available documentation and pamphlets, and gotten some prize pictures. Now she needed to get home to her apartment and put an article together before midnight.

Stephanie turned and pushed through the crowd, making her way to the front entrance. Maybe journalism wasn’t for her after all. There was no way she could handle that much thrill more than once in a lifetime. When she finally reached her car and locked the doors behind her, she exhaled a shaky breath. She’d never had a gun pointed at her before. It was the scariest thing she’d ever experienced, the event replaying over and over in her head. The barrel of the gun, the man’s arms squeezing out her breath. Her life had flashed before her eyes in that endless minute. She saw a life she regretted. It was so empty, so lonely.
Get it together, Stephanie.

She drove home, half in a trance. Unlike at rush hour, the streets were quiet now, the street lamps reflecting off the black asphalt road at regular intervals. She didn’t feel like herself. Every loud sound made her jump. Every car driving behind her made her suspicious. Was the gunman a guard or a real criminal like on the
CSI
dramas? Surely the dealership wouldn’t leave their trophy car unprotected in a dark alley for long. She was just being paranoid.

“Home sweet home,” she muttered after pulling into her underground parking space. She was mentally and physically beat.

Stephanie trudged up the last flight of stairs to her unit on the third floor. Normally, she enjoyed living alone, only abiding by her own rules. Tonight she’d sleep with a light on. Once in her apartment, she locked the door behind her and attached the additional chain lock before crashing on her sofa. Her feet were killing her and she needed to unwind, big time. Too bad she didn’t drink.

She stared at the ceiling for the longest time before lifting one knee at a time to remove her stilettos. They each dropped to the floor with a clunk. Her apartment was only a bachelorette, so she could see her stove clock from her sofa. She had less than a few hours before she had to email Mr. Templeton the file for tomorrow’s newspaper edition. There would be plenty of time to feel sorry for herself tomorrow on her day off.

* * * *

“Are you sure that’s all she said?” asked Grayson.

“Yeah. Something about a dog, but it was bullshit. She was scared.” Dominic still remembered the raw fear in her dark eyes when she looked up at him. There were even beads of sweat forming on her brow. He’d only seen her a few times, but she’d always been cool and in control to a fault. When she grabbed hold of his sleeve, she was clearly terrified. He knew how to gauge human emotion. It was drilled into them at the academy and in their biannual psych courses. She’d displayed every sign of fear right down to the slight stutter. All he’d wanted to do was protect her.

Grayson passed him a cold beer and joined him in front of the television. They were able to see the tail end of a hockey game, despite getting home after ten. He’d looked around for Stephanie when they’d left, but there was no sign of her. “I don’t like it. She was playing with me, not a care in the world. Then she looks like she’s seen a ghost half an hour later? It doesn’t make sense.”

Dominic leaned back in his recliner, trying to get those dark brown eyes out of his head. “I’m sure she’s fine or she’d have said something. Maybe the ambulance drama freaked her out.” He needed to reassure himself as much as his partner.

“We can always stop by Station 23 tomorrow on the way to work. Tammy would know if anything was wrong with her friend. Apparently, those two tell each other everything.”

He nodded in agreement, taking a swig of his own beer. Life was good for him and Grayson. They had a bachelor’s paradise—nice house, cool cars, and the freedom to do anything they pleased. But the past couple years had made him wonder. They were both thirty-four. How long were they going to live in the same house, watch the same hockey games, and talk about the same Friday night conquests? It was all getting old, a lifestyle for a younger generation. He began to feel unsatisfied, like he needed more. But what? Dominic often wondered if Grayson felt the same way. Did his friend crave a new happily ever after or was he content to live in a temporal status quo? They never discussed such topics, so he assumed he was alone in his feelings.

“You haven’t stopped talking about her since we pulled her over. What’s up with that?” asked Dominic. He hoped his friend would mention something personal, fueling the beginning of a conversation about Stephanie Vasquez, about anything. It was always like pulling teeth to get Grayson to open up. And there was no way in hell he’d be the first to admit that he saw the future when looking at Stephanie Vasquez. He’d said nothing initially because Grayson seemed to have the same attraction. Although they’d shared women in the past, his friend may feel differently when things went beyond a one-night stand.

“Nothing’s up. You’ve seen her, and you know my taste.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know you at all, then. She’s not even your type. Stephanie’s too feisty.” Grayson liked to dominate his women. His friend gravitated toward sexual partners who were meek and mild, eager to obey orders and submit without complaint. There was no way he could envision Stephanie doing half the things Grayson asked of his dates.

Grayson finished off the last of his beer. “It’s time for a challenge. I’m tired of the same old thing.” He leaned over, elbows on his knees, and spun the bottle on the coffee table. “What do you say? Are you in?”

“In for what, exactly?”

“Getting that girl into bed. Hundred bucks says she won’t last a week before she submits.”

He laughed out loud, his dark mood suddenly lifting. “Cute. I wonder how she’ll feel about being wagered on.” Dominic may not follow all the rules, but seducing a woman solely for sex didn’t interest him. He wasn’t that much of an asshole.

“Everybody wins.” Grayson stood up and tossed his T-shirt on the chair. “We’ll get what
we
want, and there’s no way she’ll regret what I have planned for her.” He got into position on their weight bench. Their personal gym was set up in the main living room. It was well used by both of them.

“Good luck in making that happen. I’ll be surprised if we ever run into her again.”

“She’s a habitual traffic violator. Guarantee it.”

It was a good thing Dominic knew Grayson better than he knew himself. His friend was a good cop and a man he respected. He may like to play the field, but all the women were willing and knew what they were getting into. He only wondered if Grayson was capable of real emotion anymore.

Yes, he’d go along with his friend’s mock game. It would be fun to watch him try to convince the lovely Ms. Vasquez to agree to a date. Grayson had chickened out once at the ball, so Dominic had his doubts he’d be able to ask her out now. It would be the easiest hundred dollars he’d ever earned.