Independence: #4 Hayley
Hayley
Independence
Book Four
Karen A. Nichols
Copyright 2014 by Karen A. Nichols
First Edition
Published by Karen Nichols. Copyright, Karen Nichols. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author except for brief quotes used for review purposes.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
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Cover art: Snow Leopard Designs
Chapter One
Three men leaned against the well-polished bar, their elbows behind them as they watched the unfolding drama on the stage that had been set up in the middle of the very large open space. Each very different from the other, and yet, all possessing similarities that were obvious to the observer.
Gabe Garrett wore a simple black shirt open at the throat and leather pants that clung to the well-honed muscles. Colin Whetstone was a little more subtle in a plain cotton shirt and jeans, while Shane had on his signature leather vest that hung open and betrayed the naturally deep tan that came from his Native American heritage, and thick, straight black hair pulled together at the back of his head with a single white leather strand and a pair of chocolate leather pants with a fringe down one side.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that much…aggression…in your sub before, Gabe,” Colin commented with a chuckle.
“She’s determined to raise money for the children’s unit at the new hospital,” Gabe responded, tipping up with tall glass of ale. “Most of the subs volunteered from the ranks of the club. Unattached, of course. Some of the others, I don’t personally know, but they come with good references.”
“Seems to be a bit of a disagreement,” Shane noted, one dark brow arched.
“I’m sure I’ll get the entire story later,” Gabe assured him with a grin at his little redhead standing on the stage. Bare feet were separated and braced by those deliciously long legs. She was wearing one of her ‘just underwear’ corsets, this one a deep, vibrant green that pushed her small breasts up and out and a pair of panties that he knew he’d end up replacing before the night was out. Fortunately, he knew just what his girl liked.
But it was her pointing finger at the oddly attired figure that had the attention of mostly everyone in the area. People were still filtering in on the busy Friday night. It was a week before Christmas and the planning for the sub auction had been in the works for only a short time. He wasn’t surprised how very organized his sub was when she set her mind to it, and the children’s unit was important to her.
He watched the single palm wave erratically in the air, the figure encased in what could only be described as a monks robe, simply stood there. Her head was bent, hiding her features from any who might try and see beyond the drab brown. Not a single indication of the identity or even of the gender beneath the dark brown, rough looking fabric, but instinct told him it was a female. Bailey stood with one hand on her hip, the scowl on her face deepening when her eyes widened.
Finally both hands were thrown into the air when Dianna approached the pair and spoke quietly to first Bailey and then the robed figure. Dianna nodded, gripped Bailey’s shoulders and turned her toward the bar with a little prompting shove. A resounding ‘SMACK’ echoed above the din of the large room and made Bailey yelp.
Bare feet stomped across the hard wood floor, her arms up and crossed over her chest. Which only served to make all the sweet freckles that dotted her chest all the more prominent to anyone watching. Especially her Dom.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen your freckles this color before, pet,” Gabe reached out, snagged her around the middle and pulled her back against him. His lips nuzzled her throat, while his hands held firmly to her hips. “What’d you do to upset Mistress Dianna?”
“I believe she actually flounced,” Colin teased when all they received was a pair of narrowed green eyes and a low snarl.
“I didn’t know she could growl.” Shane remarked, his gaze going over the people wandering through the open space, waiting patiently.
“She’s being theatrical,” Bailey finally said with a heavy sigh. “I think Mistress Dianna was trying to…” she sighed again. “To make me calm down.”
“Who is being theatrical?” Gabe prompted with a laugh.
“And I know she means well…” Bailey admitted with another sigh. “And I suppose it’s not…it’ll work,” she ended with a positive nod followed by a shiver at the teeth biting hard along her shoulder. “I know it will work.”
“Something to throw some mystery into the auction,” Colin said with an approving nod. He looked toward a pair of men approaching from the entry point in the club. He gave Gabe a crooked grin. “It’s the ‘I’m too busy to play’ twins.”
“Your humor, as always, has me doubling over,” Jack Bennett tipped his head in acknowledgement of the familiar group, his fingers up at the bartender headed in their direction.
“He’s got that straight faced comedian thing down,” Dane Landon studied the collected group, catching Gabe’s eye before reaching over and tugging on a stray curl from the woman tucked between the man’s thighs. “Hey, red, you’re not looking your usually sweet and panicked self.”
“Her entry into the auction isn’t behaving,” Gabe confided with a chuckle at their wager. “She was positive she’d win the wager for most amount raised at the auction. And she dislikes losing.”
“Considering I’ve seen some of your bets and the outcomes to the losers…” Jack chuckled and handed his friend the second ale that had been delivered to them.
“I am not going to lose this,” Bailey informed them firmly, her teeth clenched together as she remembered where she was and swallowed. “Sirs.” She straightened up quickly, her hands waving anxiously. “Shhh…she’s starting!”
Silence slowly filtered through the large open space when Mistress Dianna used a heavy gavel on the round, gleaming brass gong at the edge of the make-shift stage. She waited patiently before beginning the auction for services, informing the people bidding of the charity they would be helping with their money.
Bailey pushed out of Gabe’s grasp, pacing a small path behind him as she watched, mentally making note of how much she had to beat. Somehow she managed to contain herself while the other eight subs were offered, the services they donated noted and carefully explained before bidding began.
She jumped visibly when her friend was the final person on the stage.
“Who is she?” Dane asked after a long swallow of the ale. “It is a she, right?” He asked, his gaze shifting from person to person in their tight-knit group. “Does she have a name?”
“Yes, it’s a she,” Bailey tossed back, all the protocol training she’d been struggling with disappearing in her frustration. She was wringing her hands in front of her and her gaze remained on the absolutely immobile friend who had been positioned last. Dianna knew of the contest between Bailey and Gabe and had made a silent wager of her own with the in-house group watching the auction.
“Dane asked you a question, pet,” Gabe prodded, the line of steel in his voice reminding her of their status inside the club once the evening had begun.
“Hayley,” Bailey answered instantly, holding her breath when Dianna gestured for the figure to approach the center of the stage. A tall, hard-backed chair was placed behind the robed figure hidden from those watching. “Sirs…her name is Hayley.”
“And lastly…” Dianna began her pitch with a low mysterious edge to her voice. “Our last sub is interested only in male Dom’s,” she waited while several women issued groans and moved out of the line of those bidding closer to the front. “I’ve posted her offer on the board, now showing on the overhead projection to the side. No blood sports, no extreme pain…you’re all bright enough to read the list. And instead of one evening, she’s offering the weekend. From Friday evening at six, until Sunday evening, the same time. Which sufficiently alters the minimum bid accepted,” she gestured to the electronic board and the number that had been placed there to begin the auction. “She’s also placed immense trust in our vetting system, and allowed for off-site play, if that is the wish of her master, and if the winning master wins approval from three senior members.” She looked directly at Jack and Dane. “Or masters. As you can see, that portion of the form is open to negotiation.”
“Want to give us some inside information about your friend, Red?” Dane asked curiously, listening absently to the rest of Dianna’s pitch.
“Not really…Sirs…” Bailey murmured with a wince. She didn’t have to look to know an eyebrow had been arched in her direction. She knew the man too well and sighed thickly. “I cannot keep spilling my guts about my friends to you guys. I’m going to be evicted from the girl clubhouse.”
“Has Angel given you grief because of something you told me, Bailey?” Colin asked with a low chuckle at how he and Gabe had gotten information from her about one of her friends.
“Have I given her grief for what?” Angel Morehouse asked as she approached and heard part of the conversation. She went to her toes and kissed Colin, sighing when he waited patiently for the rest. She slid her arms around his middle and nestled against his chest with a soft, warm sigh when his arms closed possessively around her. “Good evening, Sirs.”
“She wasn’t aware of your part in bringing us together, Bailey,” Colin confessed with a wink over Angel’s head at the men watching the exchange.
“But she knows now,” Bailey returned tartly, her palm up and covering her mouth after the words escaped. “Thank you so much, Sir.”
“Why do you believe that word softens the break in behavior, pet?” Gabe raised a hand and crooked a finger at his fiancée, more than mischief in his dark eyes.
“Holy shit,” Dane muttered, his gaze had never left the stage.
The mysterious figure inside the dark, chocolate brown all-encompassing robe had turned her back to the audience and leaned slightly forward. Hands could barely be seen on the high back of the chair. In continued silence, Dianna nodded to her sub, Evan, and they took their place on either side of the figure. Each one bent to grip the hem of the robe and very, very slowly, raised it.
“I’m not sure that covers it,” Jack remarked, his gaze now locked on the robe that had reached the back of the sub’s knees. The seam of a pair of sheer, glistening stockings continued to climb as the robe was raised. On her feet, were a pair of simple, coral colored, open-toed sandal style high heels, highlighting the muscled legs.