Darkest Fire (18 page)
He gathered her hair to one side and sweetly placed it over her shoulder, leaving her back exposed to the base of her spine. Something sharp, prickly dragged down her spine, and she gasped and shuddered. Her knees wobbled but didn’t give out, as much as she wanted them to.
How long would he torment her like this?
Pulling herself out of her head, she focused on the faces before her, on the other side of the glass she was now using as support. So many eyes, pupils dilated with carnal need. So many mouths, lips parted, some quirked into naughty half smiles that sent blood racing through her veins in sharp bursts.
Her skin both burned and prickled with a chill, the bizarre pair of sensations making her quiver. The sharp thing disappeared, and in its place something whisper-soft stroked her shoulders, nape, spine. When it moved around one side to tickle the sensitive skin stretched over her rib cage, she wriggled and swallowed a giggle.
“Don’t move.” His voice was soft but, impossibly, sharp as well. It was a command she wouldn’t have ignored.
And since he was performing magic on her body, she was going to do her damnedest to do exactly what he said.
“They can’t see all of you yet,” he said, leaning in close enough for the heat from his body to drift over her skin in a gentle caress. “Your pussy, ass. They want to.”
She could swear her heart skipped a beat or two.
Drako pulled the zipper at her waist, dragging it down the center of her bottom, and her dress slowly slid over her butt and down her legs. And then she was standing in front of even more people, wearing nothing but a blush, her shoes, and a tiny G-string.
He knelt to gather the beautiful garment off the floor, and trembling now all over, Rin waited for him to put it somewhere safe and return to her. She ached to have him near right now, so much that her chest literally hurt. This kind of vulnerability was so new to her, she felt hot tears gathering in her eyes. And yet, being practically nude in front of a horde of strangers did something else too. It made her sex clench, and gushes of hot juices trickle down the inside of her thighs. She wondered if she might come before Drako had even touched her pussy.
“I’m going to let you take off that G-string.” He was close again, and she was so grateful, she would do just about anything to keep him there, close enough to touch, for the rest of the day, month, year. Forever.
Hands barely able to function, and sense of balance way out of whack, she somehow managed to get the little bit of lace and elastic off without making a total fool of herself. When she handed it to Drako, she tried to turn around and meet his gaze, but he caught her hair in his hand and tugged, forcing her to look straight ahead.
The submissive on the other side of the glass visibly gasped. And Rin, caught in a moment she didn’t understand, mirrored her, gulping in a sharp mouthful of air.
“I see the goose bumps, Rin. Your nipples are hard and tight. I see the slick honey coating the inside of your thighs. I know your body craves my touch. But are you ready to surrender to me, mind, body, and soul? Are you ready to accept me as your master?”
“I . . . think so, yes.”
“Why? What are you looking for?”
“I want to be close to you, Drako. I want to understand you, to share the most vulnerable moments of your life with you.”
“No. You should never make yourself this vulnerable for another person, not even me.” He eased her back around with gentle hands and cupped her face, his thumbs wiping away tears she hadn’t realized were there. “Rin, you are the most precious person in the world to me. That’s why I can’t let you do this.”
“I don’t understand.” She closed her eyes, squeezing her eyelids to try to stop any more tears from escaping. “What’s wrong with my wanting to be closer to you? Why can’t you share this world with me? Why must it stay separate?”
“I have never asked anyone to submit to me for my pleasure alone.”
“But I was enjoying it. The proof is all over my thighs.”
Drako slid a hand between her legs and spread the warm liquid up to her pussy. Rin shuddered and fell forward, bracing her hands against his chest for support. “Sure, you like the physical aspect. That couldn’t be clearer. A little sensation play would probably keep you contented. But it wouldn’t be enough for me, and I would be doing you a huge disservice if I let you go on thinking this is all D/s is supposed to be.”
“I don’t understand. Tell me, explain it to me.”
Drako got her dress, handed it to her. As she stepped into it, he explained, “D/s is different things to different people, Rin. It’s a casual pastime for some, a way to blow off steam or express repressed emotion, but for others, like me, it goes much deeper.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes.
“I understand that, and that’s why I’m here.”
“No, you don’t understand.” Gently, he forced her to turn around, then, as she looked out and watched the crowd that had gathered in front of their window disburse, he zipped her dress.
She whirled around, grabbed his wrists. “Then help me.” When he shook his head, she swallowed hard. Her heart hurt, like it had been squeezed in a vise. “I—I’m falling in love with you.”
She knew she’d made a mistake saying those words the minute they’d slipped past her lips.
Drako changed. His face, his body, his energy. The man she knew, the sweet, gentle, caring one she’d married, was suddenly hard and cold. “This is why we can’t do this again. Not ever. Rin, we agreed, you agreed, there’d be no expectations, no love.”
“I know, we agreed, but dammit, I can’t help what I feel. I’m sorry.” She could hear the sarcastic bite in her voice, knew it wouldn’t help anything, but she was frustrated and hurt and so angry she could spit. “If I can live with a one-sided love, why can’t you accept it?”
“I . . .” He jerked away from her, stomped across the room, and yanked open the door. “I won’t talk about this.”
“Fuck you,” she growled as she rushed past him. Knowing he was behind her, she forced herself to walk slowly, exaggerating the swinging of her hips. In the main room, just before she reached the exit, Nick stepped directly in her path, and an absolutely insane impulse charged through her like an electric jolt. Before she knew it, she had a hand pressed against the man’s thick chest and was asking, “Are you, perhaps, in the market for a new submissive?”
Behind her, a low growl signaled her husband’s wrath. He looped a thick arm around her waist and hauled her back against him. She tried to twist around to tell him what she thought of his possessive streak, but one of his hands clapped over the side of her face, forcing the opposite side against him. “You’re playing with fire, Rin. You don’t want to do that.”
“If you won’t be my master, what’s to stop me from finding someone who will? After all, you have your submissives. Shouldn’t I be allowed to have what I need too?”
“It’s different.”
“Why? Because I’m a woman and you’re a man?”
“No, because I come here for me, because I need it. You don’t. You came here because of me.”
He was right, and for a split second, she had a tenuous grasp on what he’d been trying to say. Unfortunately, all the other emotions swirling inside her didn’t let her hold onto it for long.
A surge of fresh fury blazed through her, and she unleashed it on Drako’s shins. Her heels her weapons, she kicked until he released her, then gathering what little dignity she had left, hiked up her chin, grinned at Nick, and said, “On second thought, I think I’ll pass. Thanks, anyway,” and headed out to the car.
Stupid two-seater. She would have sat in the backseat, if there’d been one, just to put more distance between herself and her insufferable husband.
She was mad at him, but she was madder at herself. She knew, from the start, he wasn’t going to fall in love with her. And she’d been 100 percent onboard. Why did she have to let herself fall in love with him? Why?
16
W
eeks passed in a blur of empty, meaningless activity. On her daily walks, Rin watched the leaves on the trees turn from vivid green to rich gold and vibrant red. Gradually, the limbs released the foliage, letting the leaves fall to the ground where they grew crisp and brown, a crunchy bedding under her feet.
eeks passed in a blur of empty, meaningless activity. On her daily walks, Rin watched the leaves on the trees turn from vivid green to rich gold and vibrant red. Gradually, the limbs released the foliage, letting the leaves fall to the ground where they grew crisp and brown, a crunchy bedding under her feet.
It didn’t happen overnight, but as the world around her changed, the hurt from the night in the dungeon slowly faded. It helped that Drako didn’t come to her at night for sex, or so she told herself. She’d never imagined it could be so fucking hard to love someone. When she saw, heard, or smelled anything that reminded her of him, her insides twisted into an agonizing knot and she gritted her teeth against the urge to unleash a fresh river of tears.
He’d warned her about the risk of loving him, but it hadn’t mattered. She’d gone ahead and fallen in love with him anyway. Damn her heart. Why did it have to go and do something so stupid?
She could say one thing about all of this. It had made her take a good long look at herself. All her life, she’d done what everyone else had expected. She was a people-pleaser to the core. She took care of her sister. She took care of her mother. Any disappointment on their parts, any criticism, was more agonizing than a physical blow.
That was, no doubt, why she’d thought she would be okay in a loveless marriage. Normally, she was too focused on the other person to care what she was gaining in return. She’d thought she would be content, knowing she was pleasing Drako.
Ironically, she felt selfish, wishing he could love her back.
Standing at the river’s bank, her boots sinking into the mud, she tossed a rock into the water. As it plunked through the surface, she said, “I need a shrink.” Then again, she suspected a counselor would wonder how she’d become so fucked up to get herself into this predicament in the first place. No, she didn’t need anyone to tell her where her mistakes had been.
“Rin.”
Drako
. Her spine stiffened. Her heart lurched, thumping painfully against her breastbone. “Yes?” she asked, forcing herself not to turn around yet, knowing all the pain she felt would show in her eyes and scare him away. Better to seem cold and aloof.
. Her spine stiffened. Her heart lurched, thumping painfully against her breastbone. “Yes?” she asked, forcing herself not to turn around yet, knowing all the pain she felt would show in her eyes and scare him away. Better to seem cold and aloof.
It had been so long since he’d touched her, or since she’d touched him. Her palms burned, her fingers curled, as the urge to spin around, wrap her arms around his neck, and lose herself in his embrace charged through her body.
“Do you know where Lei is?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Sleeping, I’m guessing. It’s early.”
“When was the last time you saw her?”
“Last night.” Why was he asking about Lei? “We watched some television.”
“Did she tell you she was leaving?”
“No.” She couldn’t put it off any longer. Her curiosity and a little pang of worry made her turn around. “Why?”
“We received a delivery this morning.” He extended his arm, displaying a piece of clothing that looked familiar. Rin’s gaze jerked up to his face, and right away she saw the hints of rage simmering in his eyes. “Is this Lei’s?”
“I don’t know.” She reached for the garment, but stopped herself when she saw the deep brownish-red stain. “Is that . . . ?” She couldn’t say it.
Drako did. “Blood.”
Campioni. Had he stolen back
his property?
his property?
The shirt. It looked familiar. Very. Her stomach imploded, sending her breakfast up her throat. She spun around and wretched, but nothing came up. Strong hands settled on her shoulders as a second wave of nausea gripped her.
“I checked her room. It looks like her bed hasn’t been slept in.”
“Ohgod, ohgod, ohgod. Lei.” Rin wrapped her arms around her waist. “We don’t know yet, if that’s her shirt or her blood. It could be someone else’s.” She needed to cling to hope right now.
“I know someone who can get it tested. We’ll need a sample to compare it to.”
“A sample of blood?”
“Yes.”
“Mine?”
“That’ll work.”
Rin started hiking back toward the house, determined to locate her sister. “It’s not her blood. You’ll see. It can’t be. She’s in the house somewhere. Maybe she was in the shower when you checked her room? Or—”
Drako grabbed her wrist, halting her progress. “Rin.” When she didn’t look at him, he caught her face between his flattened hands and forced her to meet his gaze. “I need you to think. Has Lei talked about anyone new recently? Met anyone?”
“Anyone, like a man? No . . . I don’t know.” God, why was it just occurring to her now that she’d barely spoken two words to her sister the past couple of months? “She’s been different since your brothers moved in. Quiet. Barely comes out of her room. But she’s been going to school. At least, I think she has.” Rin curled her fingers around Drako’s wrists and blinked back the tears gathering in her eyes. “Maybe she just . . . met a guy and spent the night with him.” She knew that suggestion was way off base as soon as she’d said it. She’d noticed how Lei was around men now. The last thing her sister would do was hook up with some stranger. No, if Lei was truly missing, it couldn’t be by her choice. Not after everything they’d both been through. Lei’s experience with the sex slave traders. Rin’s arranged marriage to buy her freedom. “Do you think the bastard slave trader kidnapped her? Is that what you believe?”
“If he did, why would he send her shirt to us?”
“So you’ll pay him more money. It makes sense, Drako. I can’t think of anyone else who would do something like this. Assuming, of course, she isn’t out . . . somewhere. . . .” Her whole body was shaking so badly, she had to squeeze her arms very tightly to contain the tremors at least a little. “What do we do now? I can’t think. I can’t breathe.” She sank to the ground and sat back, letting a nearby tree trunk support her upper body. As Drako stood before her looking like he wanted to tear somebody from limb to limb, she closed her eyes and tried to focus on inhaling and exhaling. Ages ago, she’d learned when things were bad she had to live one second at a time. Then she could expand it to a minute. Ten. A half hour.
“Let’s get you inside.” Thankfully, Drako was sweet now, when she needed him most. He wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder, and Rin slid one of hers around his waist, using his body to steady herself, just as she had the day of their wedding. He might not have the capability of loving her, but he was incredibly stable and didn’t mind it when she leaned upon him during times like these. Drako’s two brothers met them at the door. “Would you like to go lie down for a while?”
“No. I don’t want to be alone.”
There was a moment of heavy silence. Drako cleared his throat. “I need to talk to my brothers, figure out what we’re going to do next.”
“Why can’t I be a part of the conversation? She’s my sister.” She heard the fury building in her voice, felt the anger spreading through her body like a cancer. And she knew from experience how foolish it was to do anything when she was in such a state. She’d not only be useless to them in this condition but would probably make things more difficult. Still, she couldn’t stomach the fact that she was being put to bed like a toddler while her husband and his brothers solved her problems for her.
“Rin.” Drako walked around her, putting his body in the center of her vision so she’d have no choice but to look at him. “You can join us when you feel you’re ready. We need to work fast. The longer I stand here, talking to you, the less likely we’ll find your sister . . .”
Alive.
She knew that’s what he meant.
She knew that’s what he meant.
It just about killed her, but she somehow managed to walk herself into her room and close the door. Drako had proven himself trustworthy, since the very first day of their marriage. There was no reason to doubt him now. And like he said, once she was calmed down, she could join them.
She hoped it wouldn’t take too long to get her body to cooperate. God only knew, her heart took a hell of a long time listening to reason.
Drako took his brothers into his office and shut the door, so Rin wouldn’t overhear their conversation. “Let’s keep it low.” The two brothers agreed with a nod. “So, what do we know? Anything?”
Talen pulled a chair up to Drako’s desk and sat. Malek remained standing.
“It’s not the Chimera, at least, I don’t think it is. There’s no mention of The Secret.” Malek pushed an envelope into Drako’s hand.
No address. No return address. No postage or postmark. “Are you sure? When did this come?” Drako walked around his desk, sat, and turned on the lamp. He checked the exterior of the envelope carefully, looking for suspicious marks, substances, anything. Once he was fairly certain there was no poison or bug, he flipped the envelope over. “You opened it already?” Malek nodded. Drako flipped up the back flap.
Malek rested a hip against Drako’s desk. “It arrived maybe ten minutes ago, just after you went out to find Rin. Delivered by courier. I asked the delivery guy to describe the person who’d hired him. The description doesn’t fit Oram or any of the other Chimera operatives we know of.”
Drako pulled the piece of paper out and unfolded it. The paper was blank, giving him reason to suspect what Malek said was true, that the letter wasn’t from the Chimera. The demands listed gave him reason to know for a fact who it was.
Campioni was looking for a buyer. For two sex slaves.
“Dammit.” Drako surged to his feet. How the hell had that bastard found Lei?
“What’s this all about?” Talen asked.
Drako read the letter a second time. “Rin’s sister was a sex slave. Rin married me for the money to buy her sister from him.”
What would he tell Rin? She deserved to know what happened to her sister, but it was going to kill her. And it was going to kill him to tell her.
“Shit! Why didn’t you tell us about this?” Talen shot to his feet. “Since when are we keeping secrets from each other, Drako? Aren’t you the one always talking about telling each other what’s going on?”
“I handled it. It was done. I didn’t expect . . . Let me think about this.” Drako looked each of his brothers in the eye. “I’m sorry. I’m telling you now, asking for your help.”
Both his brothers nodded.
“You got it,” Malek said.
“We have to move fast, but we also have to move carefully,” Drako said, curling his fingers into a tight fist. The paper in his hand crumpled into a hard, compact ball. “I want this bastard stopped. For good.”
“Okay.” Talen settled back in the chair. “So what’s the plan?”
“Whatever we do, we’ll do it together.” Drako threw the paper ball across the room as hard as he could. It bounced off the opposite wall and landed on the floor. “No more secrets. I promise.”
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