Bash, Volume III (9 page)

He pulled into the compound as I told him, “We bonded over my MG, which I’m sure you know he helped me build. He and Brain took care of me after my mom died, until they could get my dad home. My best friend’s dad was a cop, and he talked to the social worker they wanted to bring in and said he’d keep an eye on me, but that he was certain my father would approve of the two of them watching over me until he could be found. It’s a long story, but… yeah, Bash and I go way back.”

The clubhouse door opened, and Bash, Dawg, Brain, and Duke stepped out as Graham parked.

I opened my door and stood as they neared, determined not to cry in the damned parking lot where I knew we were being filmed.

“You okay?” Brain asked as Bash came to me and wrapped his arms around me.

I was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted, and I let Bash hold me as I told them, “Not even close. I need to call work, let them know I’m not coming in today, and hope I still have a job tomorrow — and then I need sleep.”

Brain shook Agent Graham’s hand and thanked him for bringing me back.

“She shouldn’t leave town, and if she isn’t here or her apartment, she needs to have her phone on in case I need to reach her. She’s still technically under arrest, but I worked the paperwork so she could be released on her own recognizance. The charges should be officially dropped sometime today or tomorrow, and she won’t be able to go back to work until they are.”

I stepped out of Bash’s embrace and offered Agent Graham my hand. “Thank you.”

He shook my hand and walked to his car door. “Get some sleep. I don’t want to call and wake you, so if there’re any changes I’ll let Brain know what’s going on.”

Bash

I couldn’t believe how much my Princess wanted Pickering’s blood. Not that I was complaining. I mean, first, I was glad it wasn’t
my
blood she wanted, and second — I wanted Pickering’s blood on my hands so bad, I could almost
taste
it.

Yeah, so that might gross humans out, but I’m a wolf.

The human part of my psyche knew I couldn’t beat the shit out of him anytime soon, and I managed to convince the wolf there were other ways to hurt him.

It pissed me off that Brain — the man she had a telepathic connection to — was the one doing most of revenge legwork, though.

Okay, so maybe pissed is too strong a word, but I wasn’t happy. I was smart enough not to bitch about it, though.

Brain didn’t send the Fetlife information to Pickering’s other enemies in the hopes they’d spread it. He used Pickering’s YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter accounts to post stuff. He also sent the information to every contact in all of Pickering’s various email accounts — including his official government address. Brain locked Pickering out of all of his own accounts, so by the time he gained control of them again, all of the information had gone viral and been posted in so many places it didn’t matter that Pickering removed them from his accounts.

Pickering, Graham, and likely most everyone else would know who was responsible, but Brain made sure he covered his tracks so no one could
prove
we did it, which — of course — would piss Pickering off even more.

Within twenty-four hours even the local media was covering it because at that point, being silent would look like they weren’t reporting the local news.

Brain used the official picture of Pickering in the city’s website to show the odd-shaped freckles on his neck in a specific pattern, and then showed the same freckles, or perhaps they were moles, in two of the Fetlife pictures, to prove it was the same man. He also showed a few other select pictures, and some choice things Pickering had written. For those wanting to dig deeper and see Pickering’s full depravity, Brain made a mirror of every bit of Pickering’s Fetlife information and put it on a Russian server, so the American courts couldn’t force it down. It didn’t matter that Pickering deleted his Fetlife profile, everything was still accessible through the mirror, and Brain said it would be up for years, at least.

Local media didn’t show any pictures, merely mentioned the fact the local District Attorney seemed to have had a profile on a site devoted to kinky activities, and they couldn’t confirm it belonged to him, but even if it did, he hadn’t broken any laws by having it. Still, it was enough information to get people to search for the good stuff, and the mirror site had over a million visitors in just a couple of days.

It took months for his case to make it to court, and Angelica didn’t deal well with the fallout. The handcuffs, the cavity search, and the humiliation she’d felt during her arrest had been too much for my strong girl. She wanted revenge, wanted blood, and I frequently found myself advising caution with how we dealt with Pickering.

She was out of work for ten days before they let her come back. There had to be a complete investigation into the charges and why they’d been brought, and they were a cunt-hair away from firing her when the judge who’d signed her arrest warrant was officially reprimanded. He’d signed it based on false documents, but some of the falsified documents were obviously changed and he should’ve asked questions. His reprimand seemed to be what turned the tide with her superiors at work, and it meant we owed Graham big time, because he’s the one who pushed so hard for it.

The assistant DA was brought up on charges, as were the officers who executed the warrant, the detective who questioned her, and three other officers. They’d used their police emails to discuss the fact they’d falsified documents to arrest her, so they could try to scare her into a confession.

Duke and Dozer worked with Angelica a couple of times a week on her fighting skills, and she asked Ghost to show her more about how to walk in the shadows. I didn’t spar with her, but I joined her and Ghost, and picked up a few tricks I hadn’t known.

I was really worried about her for her first full moon run with the other female wolves. One of the women owned a shitload of acreage in Sequatchie County, and they planned to run there. I ran with my brothers, but my wolf wanted her with me. Who the hell had made the rule about women only running with us the last night?

She seemed better the next day, though — more herself than she’d been since before her arrest. We spent a few weekend nights in the woods in our wolf form afterwards, but I couldn’t tell a marked difference in her tension levels when it was only the two of us, so I eventually stopped making arrangements.

Six weeks after she was arrested, we’d spent time at her apartment during the day, but still hadn’t spent the night there. Even though she’d been arrested at the compound, she still felt safer here than her apartment, and I kept remembering her blood curdling scream the night we’d tried to sleep there. I knew something had to give, but didn’t have a clue how to help her. I talked to Dawg and Brain, but they said she needed more time.

We were spending a leisurely Sunday in the clubhouse, two different ball games playing on two big screen televisions, alternating which one was muted, when a corner opened up and showed us Pickering driving onto the lot.

Angelica was on her laptop, half paying attention to one of the games, but she looked up when the energy of the room changed.

Duke stood and said, “Gonzo, get Harmony to my room in case this goes bad. Brain, Bash, and Punkin outside with me. Everyone else stay put, and if we bring him in, keep your damned mouths shut.”

Dawg stood and said, “I’m comin’, too.”

Duke sighed and said, “Yeah, okay, but you’re coming to help, not to make the situation more difficult.”

“Got it.”

Brain kissed Harmony, handed her off to Gonzo, and looked at the camera to order the person in the control room to record everything.

We all walked outside together, Angelica between Dawg and I, Brain and Duke flanking the group.

Pickering had brought a bodyguard, and my first guess made him an ex-Navy Seal. He stood beside his charge, his hands ready to go for a weapon as we approached them.

“Why are you here?” Angelica asked Pickering, ignoring the bodyguard.

“You haven’t won,” he said, standing up straight in his tailored suit, like he thought he was better than us. “I’ll be suing you under the non-disclosure agreement you signed. Going public with my Fetlife profile broke the terms of our agreement.”

“I don’t know who went public with it. You’d made a lot of enemies by the time it came out. A judge, the Assistant DA, and a number of cops, to name just a few.”

“Doesn’t matter. I have enough evidence to sue you under the terms of the agreement.”

“Works for me,” Brain told him. “I’m looking forward to making sure the details of your dungeon are discussed on the record, in a court of law. You’re a decent attorney but you have to know we’ll hire someone who’s even better.”

I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. I knew nothing about Pickering’s dungeon, but Brain obviously did. I forced my mind off that and back to the present though, as Angelica said, “No, guys, let’s not do the threat thing. We already
know
my dick’s bigger than his, so I don’t have to prove it. Besides, he knows he’s going to jail eventually. He might be able to put it off a year or two, but at some point a judge will stop letting him delay the inevitable.”

She looked at him a few seconds, sighed, and added, “I’m really sorry it came to this. I’m sorry we went out for the first time, and I’m sorry you got so angry with me that you self-destructed while trying to get even with me. I once told you I’d rather be your friend than your enemy, but if you insisted on the latter, I could work with it.” She shrugged. “I worked with it, but
you’re
the one who decided we had to be enemies.”

She’d been standing between me and Dawg, with Duke and Brain slightly in front of us, and she grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. When Dawg stepped forward, too, I realized she had his hand, as well.

“You put my friends down for being criminals, and yet you’re the one looking at jail time. I can’t imagine what I ever saw in you when I look at you now. So when you leave here, do so knowing that I think these men have better morals than you. I think they’re better men, better
people
, and I trust them with my life but don’t trust
you
enough to turn my back on you. This is RTMC property and you aren’t welcome here. If you don’t leave, I’ll call nine-one-one and report you for trespassing, and refusing to leave when asked to do so by the property owners.”

He looked surprised, and Brain chuckled. “What, you thought we’d threaten you with physical violence? No, we’re playing by your rules, Pickering. Leave, or face even more legal charges against you.”

Angelica

I was shaking when we walked back inside, and I had no idea why. Bash asked if I was okay, his arm around my waist, and Dawg took me away from him. He pulled me against his chest, holding me in his embrace, and I closed my eyes and let him soothe me.

“Sit down, Bash,” Dawg’s voice vibrated through his chest and against my cheek. “Hold her in your lap. She did good, now she needs a little TLC.”

“No, you soothe her. I need to go for a ride.”

Something in Bash’s voice told me there was another issue, and I turned my head to look at him. “What the fuck did I do now?”

“You told Brain about Pickering’s dungeon. Don’t like being blindsided by that kind of thing.”

“
Fuck
, Bash. Brain needed to know in case we could use it to make him look bad. Didn’t think you wanted to hear about my time in Pickering’s dungeon.”

“What I don’t want to happen, is to hear about something
else
you and Brain have shared that I’m not a part of.”

He slammed out the door, and Duke followed. I slumped into Dawg’s arms and said, “Sitting down sounds like a good idea. I should probably go after him but I’m not sure I have it in me to fight with him right now.”

He sat and pulled me into his lap, and I curled up in his embrace and just let him hold me. He rubbed my arms and back a few moments before saying, “I’ve had occasion to get to know one of the more powerful vampires in our territory. Want me to see if he can break the binding you have with Brain? He isn’t the Master Vampire, but he’s stronger than most who are.”

Honestly? No. Realistically? Probably. I couldn’t exactly say that right now, though, so I said, “I don’t know. The idea of a Vampire in my head creeps me out. I’d rather let Randall try, and I’d be willing to pay him, so there are no favors used up or owed.”

Brain sat down in front of us and said, “What I find so unusual is that Bash is irate because you told me something he didn’t know, and yet he’s fine with Dawg literally taking you away from him so he can hold you… and then he’s good with Dawg soothing you
physically
while he runs off to have a temper tantrum.”

I felt Dawg shake his head as he said, “Not now, Brain. We can address that another day.”

I suddenly realized everyone in the clubhouse was looking at me in his lap. He hadn’t fucked me yet, though, so I could honestly say, “I haven’t fucked Dawg, guys. He’s mediated a few times, when Bash and I butted heads. He and Bash are close, and I’ve gotten to know him.”

Brain looked back and forth between us, and his gaze met mine as he said, “You need to talk to your dad before someone else does.”

I looked at the floor, and Dawg said, “She’s dealing with enough shit right now, don’t add to it.”

Duke brought Bash back inside several long minutes later, and I walked to him, unsure of exactly how to approach him. “Please don’t be mad. I thought I was sparing you some details you didn’t need to know. I’m sorry.”

“Bend over the pool table. Keep your clothes on. Do you agree to five strokes of my belt?”

My heart went into my throat, and I had to swallow it down to ask, “In front of people?”

“Yeah, Princess, in front of the people who know you shared something with Brain that you kept from me.”

“Three strikes.” I could take three over my jeans and keep from crying. Five? I wasn’t so sure.

“This isn’t a negotiation. Do as you’re told, Angelica.”

“You know my dad’s gonna find out about this, right?”

“You’re daddy ain’t here right now,
Princess
. We’ll deal with him, likely in a few hours, but we’ll deal with him when he gets here.”

“Might need to deal with him in more ways than one, Brother,” Dawg said, his voice low.

“Then we’ll fucking deal with him. But right now, I’m
dealing
with Angelica.”

His eyes told me this was one of those huge decisions that would dictate the way our relationship progressed.

Or died.

My telepathic bond with Brain was still a huge issue, and being blindsided like that, with Brain knowing something he didn’t… I could understand why Bash was hurt
.

“I’ll do this because I understand why you’re upset, and because I love you, and I’m sorry you’re hurt. I’m also sorry you want to hurt me because I hurt you, but…” I sighed, shrugged. “I’ll do it.”

“Actions speak louder than words, Angelica.” His eyes had softened a little, his voice was a lot calmer, but I could still practically feel him vibrating with… not anger so much as just pure emotion. Bash so rarely showed his emotions, especially in front of his brothers. Damn, I’d
really
hurt him.

I walked to the pool table, bent over it, and stretched my arms out in front of me, across the table.

“Can you stand still or do you want Dawg to hold you.”

“Whichever will make you happier.”

A few seconds later Dawg had his hands on my wrists. He looked about as happy with the situation as I felt, and I rested my cheek on the table, relieved I could relax a little, knowing Dawg had me.

Bash hit me harder than he’d ever used the belt on me, and if Dawg hadn’t been holding me I’m pretty sure I’d have come off the table after the first strike.

He gave me a dozen seconds before he hit me again, and though tears came to my eyes, I refused to beg him not to hit me so hard.

I was bawling after the third strike, and screaming after the fourth. The last strike told me he hadn’t been using his full strength on me before, and my legs gave out and I would’ve collapsed to the floor had Dawg not been holding my wrists.

Bash picked me up, cradled me to his chest, and Dawg opened doors for us on the way to Bash’s room.

He put me on the bed and kept me cradled against him as he ran his hand through my hair. He didn’t talk, just held me while I cried.

When I finally stopped crying, I asked, “Are you still mad at me?”

“No, Princess. We’re good.”

Dawg sat in a chair and fiddled with something on his phone. Usually, he left when Bash and I had a moment like this, but having him in the room felt right. He’d held my arms down, I figured when Bash and I were okay, he’d want to be sure he and I were okay.

I was surprised when Bash sighed and took his phone out of his pocket, though. It seemed a bad time for him to be making a phone call.

Until I heard my dad answer the phone, and my heart sank into my stomach.

“Bud, I just belted your daughter in the main clubhouse. She withheld information from me, and five strikes was what it took to make things right between us. You and I gonna have a problem?”

“You hit my Angel, with a
belt
?”

“Didn’t make her bare her ass. Did it over her jeans.”

“She there with you now?”

“Yeah, and you can talk to her in an hour or so, but I don’t think she’s up to it yet. She’s fine, just emotional. I wanted you to hear it from me and not anyone else, though, so I’m calling before she and I’ve talked it completely through.”

“She’s
crying
?”

Bash didn’t say anything, and I heard my dad say, “I’ll talk to her in less than two hours, face to face,” and he hung up.