Rogue (11 page)

“So he works hard and made some good investments,” I allowed.  “That doesn’t necessarily
suggest criminal activity.”

“The cash deposits, Sharon.  Where did he get that money?”

“Maye he worked somewhere that paid him under the table.  That’s an investigation
for the IRS, not the FBI.”

Reed looked at me almost pityingly.  He knew I was searching for excuses.

Something pricked at the back of my mind.  The truth clicked into place with cruel
precision.

“Carpentry.  He said carpentry was the family business.”  We had found out from Sean
Reynolds that the Westies ran the carpenters’ union before we took them down four
months ago.  “What do we know about Carter’s family, other than financials?”

Reed’s expression turned considering.  “His father spent a short stint in Rikers for
dealing heroin in the late eighties, but other than that there aren’t any signs of
criminal activity.”

Heroin.  Shit.

“What are you thinking, Sharon?”  Reed prompted.

I bit my lip.  “The Westies controlled the carpenters’ union.  And they dealt primarily
in heroin.”

Carter was a fucking Westie.  He was a member of the Irish Mob.  At least, he had
been before joining the Marines.  Those cash deposits were drug money.  We must have
missed him when we rounded up what was left of the gang.  And now he had gone over
to the Latin Kings.

“Has he made any cash deposits recently?”  I asked, almost desperately.

“No.  But you’re probably right, Sharon.  Carter was affiliated with the Westies,
and now he’s working with the Kings.”  Reed came to the same conclusion I had.

Reed pulled out his phone.  “We should let Kennedy know.  He’ll want to move in on
Carter.  This might be enough to get a warrant for his arrest.”

I grabbed his wrist before he could finish entering his unlock passcode.  “Don’t. 
We don’t have enough on the Kings yet.  If Kennedy ends the op now, they might slip
through our fingers.  They’ll pull out of Decadence as soon as we arrest Carter.”

And Derek won’t last one night in prison before they silence him.

I had to be sure.  I couldn’t sacrifice Derek’s life on a hunch, no matter how solid
it was.

“You still think he’s innocent.”  Reed was too damn perceptive.

“No.  I don’t.”

He fixed me with that level black stare of his.  “Then you want him to be innocent. 
You wouldn’t have hit subspace if you didn’t trust him.”

“I just don’t think one remark about carpentry and getting paid in cash is enough
evidence to gamble with Derek’s life.  You know the Kings will kill him if we lock
him up.”  I turned beseeching.  “I care enough about his innocence to stop Kennedy
from throwing his life away.  Please, Reed.  Just give me more time.  There’s more
going on at Decadence than the fact that it’s owned by a man who was probably affiliated
with the Westies.  The whole point of this op is to take a blow at the Kings, not
round up one of the last members of the broken Irish Mob.”

Reed regarded me in silence for a long moment, and I held my breath.  “Okay, Sharon,”
he finally allowed.  “We’ll wait to tell Kennedy.  I’ll put my ass on the line for
you because we’re partners.  But that means you have to let me have your back when
it comes to Carter.  You have to let me in.”

A few days ago, I would have thought Reed was trying to steal the op from me.  I would
have snapped at him to back off and let me do my job.  Now I knew better.  He really
did care about protecting me.  His domineering behavior tonight confirmed that.  He
refused to allow me to tear myself apart emotionally, and he didn’t let my outer bitch
keep him from helping the vulnerable woman inside.

And that part of me needed him.  It needed someone who understood what I was going
through.  I wasn’t sure if I could make it through this with anyone else at my side. 
This time, I was the one to reach out for Reed’s hand.

“Thanks,” I said, almost shyly.

“Any time.”

Reed’s pleased smile made me light up inside.  I didn’t have to do this alone.

Chapter 8

Derek’s hands played through my curls in sure, practiced movements.  The occasional
sharp tugs as he tightened the braid made my scalp tingle, and by the time he tied
it off with the end of the rope that was twined through it, my eyes were closed and
my lips were parted.

“That’s beautiful.”  Reed’s casual remark made my eyes snap open.

When Derek had begun braiding the jute through my hair, we had been alone in the private
room.  How long had Reed been watching us?  He was supposed to be keeping an eye on
Reyes and Ortiz, damn it.  My glare let him know he wasn’t welcome.

He ignored my disapproval and moved toward us from where he leaned casually against
the wall.

No.  He didn’t just move.  He prowled.  I had seen this side of him directed at other
women, but he had never turned it on me.  Not full force.  This wasn’t the Dom who
cut through my bullshit to help me when I needed it; this was the arrogant, sensual
side of that persona.

I shrank back against the wooden slats of the severe chair Derek had placed me in
while he worked on my hair.  Despite my uncomfortable seat, the experience had been
incredibly soothing, and I had found myself floating off to a quiet, happy place in
my mind.

Now I snapped back to reality as my discomfort at Reed’s presence ate into that peace.

“What are you doing in here?”  I meant for my voice to come out hard, but it was more
than a little breathy.

Derek’s fist wrapped around my braid, tugging my head back so that I was staring up
at him where he stood behind me.  The position made it more difficult to draw breath,
and my throat was exposed and vulnerable.  His forefinger traced the column of my
neck, and all my focus honed in on him.  I shuddered at the sensation, but I made
no move to fight him.

“I know Reed is your friend.  He told me you came here together so he could introduce
you to the lifestyle.  He asked me about our progress, and we agreed that some rope
work is in order.  We’re going to do a suspension, and I’ll need his help for that.”

I tried to slant my eyes to glare at Reed again.  Damn him!  He had warned me that
he wasn’t going to leave me alone with Carter again, and he was making good on his
promise.  I couldn’t believe he had gone behind my back and introduced himself to
Derek.  I couldn’t believe he had asked about my
progress.

Derek tugged on my braid again, and my eyes snapped back to his.

“While we’re in here, Reed is a Dom and you’re a sub.  You will not disrespect him.”

My cheeks burned as my nipples hardened, and I pursed my lips.

“Tell me you understand that,” Derek demanded.

“Yes,” I bit out, knowing I didn’t have any other option but to agree.  If I wanted
to remain with Derek, I had to put up with Reed’s ploy.

His fingers suddenly curled around my throat.  “Is that how you address me, sub?” 
He didn’t squeeze, but the threat was clear.

I should have broken his wrist for that, but my arms were limp at my sides.  My whole
body seemed to have melted into the hard-backed chair.

“Yes, Sir.  I understand.”  My voice hardly sounded like my own.

His hand left my throat to stroke my cheek tenderly.  “Good girl.”

My lips turned up at the corners in the wake of his approval.  He returned my smile,
but his held an edge of triumph.  It made my clit throb.

Derek’s grip on my hair shifted, pulling upward.

“Stand up.”

His hands closed around my shoulders as I found my feet, steadying me.  He honored
my wishes; he only touched me when he had to, and even then he avoided more intimate
areas.  Right now, I was tempted to lean into him and ask him to break his promise.

But I became acutely aware of Reed’s gaze on me.  I glanced up at him and immediately
dropped my eyes in embarrassment.  Although I was well-covered by the yoga pants and
tank top Derek had requested I wear, my peaked nipples were clearly visible.  Derek
had also ordered I not wear a bra.  That hadn’t really concerned me.  Until now.

Reed closed the distance between us, and his black boots appeared in my line of sight. 
I could feel the heat of him, but he didn’t touch me.

“Look at me, Sharon.”  He spoke to me in that same deep tone Derek used, and my eyes
found his automatically.  “I won’t judge you.  I’m here to help.”

His words conveyed more than what Derek would hear.  Reed was my partner.  He had
my back.  And he wanted to make sure I was safe with Carter.  That was more important
than my reluctance to allow him to see me as a submissive.

Besides, he might be in my personal space, but he wasn’t touching me.  If anything,
his nearness brought a sense of comfort.  If I lost myself to Derek again, Reed would
be there to make sure I didn’t do something I would regret.

“Thanks,” I whispered.

“Any time,” he replied with an encouraging grin, echoing his words from the night
before.

A rough, slightly earthy scent wafted over me, and I turned to find Derek holding
a coiled length of rope.  He glanced at Reed as his fingers found my braid again.

“Do you want to help with the
karada
?”  He asked, as casually as though he was asking Reed to join him for a drink.

To my great relief, my partner shook his head.  “You’re the one training her.  I’ll
help you with the suspension, but I’ll leave the
Shibari
to you.”

Derek nodded his agreement.  His eyes had flared when Reed mentioned
training
, and they burned with a possessive light when he turned his golden stare back on
me.  He was obviously pleased that Reed had given him full rights to me.

Suddenly intimidated, my body shifted away from him.  But he held my braid firmly,
and he tugged me back into place before I moved more than an inch.

“Stay,” he admonished.

In one smooth movement, Derek uncoiled the rope, tossing the length of it so that
it snapped out before hitting the black tiled floor with a dull thud.  I went utterly
still, my muscles going soft and supple.

I sucked in a breath at the first pass of the rope around my torso.  Derek looped
it under my breasts before wrapping it around my back to cross above them.  He worked
quickly, so quickly that I didn’t have time to muster up embarrassment at my obvious
arousal.

The rope passed between my breasts, drawing taut as Derek looped it around the back
of my neck.  Within no more than three minutes, my nipples were throbbing in time
with the beat of my heart, and my breasts felt heavier than they ever had.

My breaths turned quick and shallow, and all of my focus honed on Derek as he stepped
in front of me.  Heat pooled between my legs as I watched him admiring the way his
work accentuated my naturally full chest.

He raised his hand, and I automatically arched toward it, aching for him to touch
me.  He chuckled and passed the rope through my breast bindings.  He tied a tight
knot further down in the rope, and his grin turned positively wicked.  My puzzled
expression shattered on a shocked gasp when he drew the length between my legs.  The
knot pressed exactly on my clit.

I stared helplessly into Derek’s eyes.  I couldn’t let him do this to me.  Not in
front of Reed.  “I can’t…  I don’t…”  The weak protests came out on little pants. 
My fingers dug into Derek’s arms, sinking into his muscles.  Only, I wasn’t pushing
him away.  I was clinging to him for support.

“You can’t what?”  He asked sweetly.  “You don’t like this?”

He hooked the end of the rope through the back of the chest harness and pulled it
taut.  A shocked shout burst from my lips.  The knot rubbed against my clit, and the
rope slipped into secret parts of me, slightly abrasive even through my yoga pants. 
It tugged against me as Derek tied off his blessedly torturous work.   My knees buckled
as pleasure slammed into me.

Strong hands closed around my shoulders, preventing me from falling.

Reed.

I knew he was the one holding me up, but I couldn’t muster up the shame that should
have flooded me.  Derek filled my vision, my mind.  There wasn’t room for anything
other than his pleasure, his will.

And my state of unravelling clearly pleased him.  I could see it in his own shallow
breaths and his gleaming eyes.  He looked… hungry.  He was every bit as lost in me
as I was in him.

His hands found my waist, and he accepted my weight from Reed.  My partner left me,
and I was dimly aware of the sound of something scraping across the floor.  Confusion
allowed me to break from Derek’s gaze to find Reed rolling something towards us. 
I had seen it pushed up against the wall when Derek had first brought me into this
room, but I hadn’t known what it was.  As Reed kicked down the stops to hold it in
place, I recognized it from my research.

Suspension frame.

Two black metal beams stood seven feet high.  At the top, they were joined by an equally
long beam welded to them at either end.  It was studded with eyebolts.

Reed deftly wove more rope through them, leaving one long length dangling.  Derek’s
fingers sank into my waist as he lifted me off my feet and spun my body to place me
beneath the frame.   When he was satisfied with my position, the two men looped more
rope around me and through the complicated ties that already crisscrossed my body.

“Cross your arms over your chest,” Derek ordered a few minutes later.

Dazed, I obeyed.  My body felt foreign, almost detached from my brain.  And yet my
mind was sharply honed on every strange new sensation that pervaded my senses: the
scent of the rope, its roughness against my skin, the way it bit into my flesh.  And
Derek.  Derek was everywhere.  He was everything.

He held me in place with his fiery gaze as he tied my arms in place, securing them
to my chest.

His hands braced behind my back, and Reed gave a strong heave on the end of the rope
that was hooked through one of the eyebolts.

I cried out as the world turned.  My body was suddenly parallel to the floor, my eyes
staring at the ceiling.  The ropes embraced my flesh, holding me firmly as I was hoisted
up into the air.  All of my muscles tensed as instinctive fear shot through me.  I
twisted against my bonds.

I moaned when my struggles were rewarded with a torturous pass of the knot over my
clit.  My head dropped back, and I went completely limp.  The hit of adrenaline from
my spike of fear sent me flying high.  It combined with the suspension of my body
to make me feel like I was flying.

More rope twined around one ankle, making my knee bend as it was lifted.  The other
ankle was similarly bound, but it was drawn down and back.  The rope between my legs
sank further into my cleft as I was spread.  My ragged cry seemed utterly disconnected
from me.

Derek’s grip returned to my braid, pulling so that my throat was completely exposed
again.  He anchored the end of the rope around my ankle to the rope twined through
my hair, securing my head back and my leg down.

“That’s really beautiful, Derek.”  Reed’s voice was imbued with deep appreciation. 
I could almost feel him studying me as though I was a particularly striking work of
art.

My groan mingled with a soft buzzing in my ears.

“Thank you.”  Derek’s low rumble seemed to float up to me from far away.  I was blissfully
weightless, no longer tethered to the world and its worries.

My deep sense of peace was shattered by intense need as soon as Derek’s fingers brushed
against the hollow at the base of my throat.  Every millimeter of my skin burst to
life, yearning for his touch.  I twisted toward him, and rope tightened around me,
squeezing my breasts and pressing into my pussy.

I opened my eyes to search for him, to plead with him.  I was swallowed by his gaze
instantly, and my world sparkled gold.

“Please.”  My moan was guttural, desperate.

“But you don’t like it when I touch you.  Remember?”  His voice was cruelly amused. 
I whimpered, and his soft laugh curled around me, teasing across my skin.

“I want it.  I want you to.”  I was completely lost to my painful need.  He had to
touch me.  He had to…

“No.”

Something between a frustrated whine and a sob escaped me at his calm refusal.  I
jerked against my bonds, struggling to lift my head to plead with him.  The rope between
my braid and ankle caused the movement to pull my leg back.  The knot dragged across
my clit.

I wanted to beg for release, but my cry was unintelligible.  I was a quivering, whimpering
mess.

“That’s it, sub.”  His lips brushed across the shell of my ear.  “Make yourself come. 
I want to watch.”

He wanted me to come.  That would please him.  And I needed release more desperately
than I needed my next breath.

Obediently, I shifted my leg again.  My head bent back, and my scalp lit up as the
rope pulled at my hair.  At the same time, the knot made another merciful pass over
my clit.