Woman In Chains (34 page)

She gazed up at him. She looked so weak. Her naturally honey brown skin color appeared drained so that she looked pale. “When can I go home? I just want to sleep in your bed. I’m so tired.”

“I’ll check with the doctors, but hopefully you’ll be able to leave soon with me.” He kissed her forehead and her lips.

“Dakota? What are you doing here?”

Dak peered up at the door and saw Moira heading to him. As soon as his friend’s gaze dropped to Rebekah, she held the arm that Rebekah had bitten and stopped in her tracks.

“Hey, Moira.” Dak stood. “You remember—”

“So you finally did it, didn’t you?” Moira shook her head. “You hurt her enough to put her in the hospital. I told you that you needed to put her—”

Dak held up his hands to stop her. “Wait! Rebekah had an unfortunate accident not involving what you think. She was hit by a truck.”

Moira’s eyes widened. “Running away from you?”

Dak started to refute her statement but she’d been correct. “Well, yes. But it’s not what you think.”

“You did something she didn’t like because you think you know what’s best for people. She ran and endangered herself. And now you’re here. I think I’m up to speed.” Moira crossed her arms over her chest.

“Hey.” Even with Rebekah’s voice so weak, she still managed to capture everyone’s attention. “Leave him alone or I’ll bite you again.” She snarled.

Although he didn’t want to laugh, one escaped from Dak’s mouth anyway.

Moira pointed to Dak. “You are an idiot.” Then she glared at Rebekah. “And you, I don’t know what to make of you. But I hope you come to your senses. If you need help, I’m here.” On her haughty head of steam, she stormed out of the room.

“Who is that woman to you? Your sister?” Rebekah asked.

“Dr. Moira Lee. She’s a friend of mine I’ve known for years.”

“With friends like that…”

“She’s good people.” Dak sat back down next to Rebekah. “She hates to see anyone in pain.”

Dak stayed by her side, never letting her hand go. Even when she slept, he continued holding her hand.

No wonder Rebekah had lost trust in people, and especially why she had chosen a Dom like Blade. Dak couldn’t believe the similarities in the two men. As much as he hated to admit it, he could be lumped in the same category. All of them had thought that they run her life the best. All of them had made major mistakes.

Dak would have to be different. He would have to be the one to make her see that she has a good man in him. If she wanted to remain in a BDSM lifestyle, he could be that perfect Dom for her. He knew now what he needed to do to be a good Dom, a good man, a good lover. He had to listen. It couldn’t all be about barking orders.

If he hoped to continue with a relationship with her, he had to be honest. He had to come clean about the real reason he’d decided to save her from Blade. He hoped she would understand. She was his woman, his lover, his submissive. Soon she would know that.

****

The last couple of days, Rebekah had felt more like a Domme than a submissive. Once the hospital had released her, and Dak brought her back to his home, he bent over backward catering to her, making sure she wanted for nothing. She figured he took the whole accident as hard as she did.

She got out of bed to start lunch when he walked into the room.

“What are you doing? Get back in bed.” He held her arms and guided her backward to her bed.

“I’m fine. Really. You don’t have to keep taking care of me like this.” She patted his arms. “Just a little bruised, but nothing else. I told you I’m tough.”

“Yes, you did tell me that several times. And I listened.” He craned his head down to gaze into her eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She nodded. “As far as I’m concerned, that old life is gone. I’m no longer Brea Oliphant. I’m Rebekah.”

“Yes, you are. And as Rebekah, are you ready to reveal your new status to the BDSM community?”

She walked back to him. “What are you talking about?”

“A friend of mine is throwing a play party tonight. She invited me. I’ll only go if you go with me. If I’m coming back into the community as a Dom, I need to show off my sexy, smart, and beautiful submissive.”

She smiled so hard her face hurt. “Are you serious? Yes, I would love to go!” She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. Then she let him go. “Wait. Would you want me to play with another submissive or have her play with me?”

He smiled. “Not tonight. Tonight it’ll be just a meet-and-greet thing.”

Rebekah could handle that. Being on the arm of a Dom who more than defined the word Master, she couldn’t wait to show her face to the local BDSM community again.

****

Although Rebekah had been to play parties where she had been completely naked before, something about doing it now made her nervous. She didn’t care about the bruises from the accident. Perhaps her nervousness stemmed from her love with her Dom. Rebekah reserved her nudity for him and him alone. She knew full well what the BDSM community and Dak expected. Underneath her coat, she wore nothing. It wouldn’t have bothered her so much if she could have at least worn her Dom’s collar.

Dak pulled up to a large house. He hopped out of the truck, then opened her door. Putting his hand to the small of her back, he guided her to the front door. A woman with pierced nipples with a chain connecting them answered the door.

“Good evening, Master Dak.” She bowed her head. “It’s been a long time.”

“Too long.” He kissed the side of the woman’s head. “Squeaky, this is Rebekah.”

Rebekah shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Can I take your coat?”

In this BDSM environment, Squeaky posed the right question. She needed to know if Rebekah had approval to remove her coat, or if Dak didn’t want Rebekah to reveal herself. Rebekah glanced at Dak, who nodded.

“Good. So now may I take your coat?” Squeaky asked.

“Please.” Rebekah stripped out of her coat and handed it to the woman.

“Make yourselves at home.” Squeaky walked down the hall with the coat.

“I’ll show you where everything is so that you can start serving me, okay?”

Rebekah nodded.

“First, let me introduce you to the hostess.” Dak made his way through the throngs of people milling about the house.

Some people Rebekah remembered seeing at various events. With her hair now pulled back from her face, they might not recognize her, especially since she no longer referred to herself as This Slave anymore.

In a back room much like Dak’s, a Domme had a male submissive strung up on a cross as she whipped him.

“Later, if you’re up to it, we can try that.” He wrapped his arm around her as they watched her work.

When the Domme turned to get another toy, she spotted Dak and Rebekah. “Dakota! How good to see you again.” The statuesque woman embraced him.

“How could I turn down an offer from the woman who trained me so many years ago?”

She playfully slapped his arm. “Don’t make me out to be some old spinster.” She turned to Rebekah.

“Mistress Siren, meet Rebekah.”

Mistress Siren. The name sounded so familiar. The stately woman took Rebekah’s hand and shook it.

“Nice to meet you.” Just like with Rebekah, Siren stared at her like she’d seen her before. “Welcome to my new home. If you’re able to get this guy to collar you, you’ll be owned by the best.”

Rebekah snuggled up to him. “I know.”

“You two want to use this room? I’m almost done with this slave.”

As soon as Mistress Siren said “this slave,” it took Rebekah back to the last luncheon she’d attended with Master Blade. Siren had been the Domme who had offered Rebekah help when Rebekah had provoked Blade into punishing her. She guessed from Mistress Siren’s reaction that she didn’t recognize Rebekah from that party.

“No, you finish. We’re going to keep mingling. I’ll talk to you later.” Dak guided Rebekah out of the room and introduced her to several people along the way.

A man stepped in front of Dak as he and Rebekah headed to the kitchen.

“Hey, buddy. Funny seeing you here.” With his red face, his smile made him look even cheerier.

“The kitchen is that way. Why don’t you go and get me an ice water and meet me in the dungeon.” Dak kissed Rebekah’s forehead before nudging her to the kitchen.

Dak didn’t seem too happy to see this mystery man. She hoped she misread his reaction.

****

“You’re a lying piece of shit, you know that?” Gordon pushed Dak’s shoulder.

Dak grabbed his friend’s arm and pulled him away from the crowd. “Okay, yes, I kept Rebekah.”

“This Slave.”

“My submissive now.” Dak looked around the area to make sure no one could hear his conversation. “I begged you from the beginning to take her off my hands. I can’t help it if in the course of retraining her, we hit it off.”

“Hit it off? This isn’t a date. You’re supposed to be just the middleman. You’re supposed to rescue her and send her on her way.” Gordon’s face started to get redder and redder.

“Yeah, the sending her on her way part was where
you
dropped the ball. What the hell was I supposed to do with her?”

“Not fuck her, for one thing!”

The small crowd around Dak and Gordon got silent.

“You don’t understand. If you want to talk about it at my house, come over tomorrow.” Dak didn’t feel the need to explain how he’d fallen in love with this diamond in the rough. He just did.

“Oh, no. I tried giving you that opportunity days ago, and you lied to me right to my face. So you want me to go over there so you can lie to me again?” Gordon ran his fingers through his thinning hair.

“Let’s not talk about this now.”

“If not now, when?”

Before Dak could tell Gordon what he could do with his need for an appointment date, Dak heard a loud crash from the kitchen. Then he heard screams. His protective nature went into overdrive as he ran to the kitchen. There he saw Master Blade with Rebekah pinned in the corner.

“Get the fuck away from her!” Dak pulled Blade back from her and stood in between her and Blade.

“How are you going to tell me what I can and can’t do to my slave?” Blade put his fists to his hips.

“And this is why it’s best that we send the saved slaves and submissive out of state, so that this doesn’t happen.” Gordon shook his head.

“Not now, Steel.” Dak pointed to Gordon. Then he pointed to Blade. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I’m still a part of this local BDSM community. Siren knows the protocol. She recognizes that.” Blade peered around Dak’s body. “Come on over here.” Blade summoned Rebekah and pointed to a spot in front of him.

“No. I don’t belong to you.” Rebekah wrapped her arms around Dak’s shoulders from behind him.

“Did you just say ‘
I
don’t belong to you’? What happened to ‘This Slave’?” Blade glared at Dak. “All the work I did on her, you ruined her!”

“
I
ruined her? Are you kidding me? You’ve been abusing her for a long time. That’s why she had to be saved.”

“I thought you didn’t know where she was.” Blade’s eyes got redder and redder the more he talked.

“I don’t owe you an explanation. But
you
do owe
me
one.” Dak moved around Blade, being sure to keep Rebekah behind him.

“Owe you an explanation about what?”

“Tell me and the rest of the BDSM community here what the hell you did to Lil’ Mary that put her in the hospital.” Dak heard Rebekah gasp, and she ran down the hallway, probably too squeamish to hear the gruesome details.

“You want to know what happened to Lil’ Mary? You had the answer with you the entire time. I never touched Lil’ Mary, not in the way that you think.” Blade scanned the room. “I’m going to finally come clean about this whole situation so that you all can stop thinking I’m some hard-ass abuser.”

Just then, Rebekah returned to the room wearing her overcoat.

Blade pointed to her. “You want to know who put Lil’ Mary in the hospital? There she is.”

Dak turned to Rebekah, who looked gray. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I had Lil’ Mary long before I started owning This Slave.”

“Rebekah.”

“Call her what you want. As soon as I brought her into my house with Lil’ Mary, things were never right. I would come home from work, and there would be little bite marks and scratches all over Lil’ Mary. When I would ask her about it, she wouldn’t tell me. When I confronted This Slave, she lied to me. I thought the best way to correct her would be with a firm hand. And it worked. The worse I treated her, the more she responded.”

“Not in the right way, you asshole!” Dak held Rebekah’s hand to show he still believed in her.

“I guess one of the local BDSM busybodies noticed the bites and scratches on Lil’ Mary. So they reported me to that vigilante group that no one seems to know about around here, right?” The room remained quiet. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Sire Steel confronted me in front of Lil’ Mary. I blew it off because I know what’s going on in my home. I knew I could handle it.” Blade glared at Rebekah. “I go to work, and when I get home, I find Lil’ Mary beaten and bruised, and guess who’s standing over her body?”

“No.” Dak shook his head. “You’re lying.”

“While Lil’ Mary was in the hospital, someone from that damn group took her out and moved her to God knows where. I get this fucking anonymous note that SAFE had released Lil’ Mary from me and that if I didn’t straighten up, This Slave would be gone, too. I didn’t give a shit about what you all thought of me. I was determined to straighten out This Slave.” He snickered. “I had to break her.”

Dak balled his hands into fists, then glared at Gordon. “Is that true?”

Gordon shrugged.

“You bastard. You knew this whole time—”

“What? If you didn’t know about the Lil’ Mary angle, you wouldn’t have gone after Rebekah?” Gordon pointed to the woman who held his heart.

“Wait a minute.” Blade let out a long, annoying laugh. “The whole reason you went after This Slave was to get back at me for taking Lil’ Mary from you? Oh, that’s rich. You two deserve each other.”