Strictly Yours: Hooded Pleasures, Book 3 (20 page)

It was as if she was setting a scene, Nathan realized with a start. Using the words to create the scenario in his mind, pull him out of the present.

Now he hoped she could extend her reach over the crazed man in front of them.

“You came in all full of piss and vinegar,” she said. “When I realized it was you, I was terrified. Gwen hit the button, and we all waited for the police. But you were too fast, too angry.”

He grinned, showing off tobacco-stained teeth. “Yes. You were keeping my wife from me. That’s not fair.”

“Then you came at us with the crowbar.” She continued on without missing a beat. “But what I want to know is why you hate me so much. Hate women. You beat the crap out of Sharon for years before she had the nerve to leave you.” She moved a fraction closer to him. “Did the women around you abuse you? Did they hit you? Did your father smack you around, tell you that’s what being a man is all about?”

He stared
at her as if she’d announced she had leprosy.

“Fuck—” Tanner swallowed hard and glared at her. “I’m not here for some damn therapy session.”

“Do you know who I am?” Jen drew herself up to her full height. “I’m a Domme. A Dominatrix. That’s what I do when I’m not working at the clinic.” She gestured toward the whipping post. “Those men, they’re my clients.”

“Hell, no.” Tanner laughed.

Nathan cleared his throat. “What she said. It’s true.” He kept watching the pistol as it trembled in the troubled man’s grip. “I’m one of her clients.”

He didn’t feel the need to clarify that status had changed as of late.

“What—” Tanner made a choking noise. “You—” He shook his head. “No way. I thought you were a bitch, but this—” He sneered at Nathan. “What sort of a man lets a woman hit him? What sort of wimp are you?”

Nathan’s temper flared, and it was only the knowledge they could both soon be dead that tempered his rage. “You don’t know anything about this. About her.” He pointed at Jen. “You think you’re a real man because you’ve got a gun and a set of balls. You have no idea what being a real man is.”

If I’m going to die, let’s get everything out.

He tapped his chest. “I’m a cop. I risk my life every day.” Nathan snorted. “A punk like you has no idea what it takes to be a man. You get drunk and you get tough, your courage out of a bottle. A real man deals with what’s on the inside, what you truly are when you look in the mirror. What the hell do you see when you look in the mirror?”

Tanner tilted his head to one side as he took in the words.

He frowned. “I’m the man with the gun. So I’m the one with the power.” He waved the gun back and forth between the two targets. “You like getting screwed over by some bitch, that’s your problem. All I know is I’m going to finally get my revenge for what she did to me.” His hand shook. “She took my wife away. She destroyed my life, so I’m going to destroy hers.”

“And then what?” Nathan demanded. “You shoot me, you shoot her—the cops aren’t going to stop coming after you.” He tapped his forehead, keeping his eyes on the man. “Think about this. You want to be a cop killer? When you get caught, and you will get caught, you’re going to go back inside for the rest of your life. No parole, no cushy halfway house. Nothing.”

Nathan tried to count off the minutes they’d spent listening to his ranting. If Wendy had picked up on his clues and called the police…

“You let her chain you up to that post.” Tanner grinned. “Let’s see how it looks.” He waved the pistol toward the whipping post. “Make it easier for me.”

Red colored Nathan’s sight for a second before he could regain control. He looked at the dark varnished wood and the leather cuffs hanging from the chain, waiting to be used.

“Go on,” Tanner demanded. “I can shoot you in the foot if it’ll get you moving faster.”

She couldn’t let this go on.

Jen pushed down the fear curling her stomach into knots, trying to ignore the pain blossoming on her cheeks.

A little slap, that’s all.

She’d given Nathan worse.

The police were on the way, thanks to Nathan’s carefully phrased comment to Wendy.

All they had to do was stall.

It was hard to keep the memories from overwhelming her, flashing back three years to the clinic and to her first meeting with Lucas.

A pistol trumped a crowbar.

She turned to Nathan, seeing his hesitation at following Tanner’s commands.

Jen extended her hand. “Come on.”

Nathan came forward, turning his back to Tanner.

“Assume the position,” she said, finding strength in the familiar words.

He paused for only a second before raising his hands over his head and placing them on the smooth wood.

Tanner gave a low chuckle behind them as she reached for the cuffs.

“Do you trust me?” Jen asked.

“With my life,” Nathan whispered.

“Good.” She kissed his cheek. “I love you.”

Chapter Seventeen

Before Nathan could react or respond, Jen pivoted around and swung at Tanner’s head with both fists, using all of her body to deliver what she hoped would be a surprise attack.

It was.

Taken aback by the sudden movement, Tanner didn’t move, eyes wide as her balled fists slammed into the side of his head.

He flew to her right, smashing into the wall and dislodging one of the exotic prints.

But he didn’t drop the pistol.

Jen froze in place, ready to pounce again. But her attack hadn’t gone as she’d planned, sending Tanner to the floor disoriented and possibly disarmed.

He’d recovered faster than she’d guessed, and now she found herself staring down the barrel of the pistol that wavered from side to side as Tanner staggered to stay upright.

Damn it.

Tanner smiled as his finger tightened on the trigger. He licked his bloody lips.

“You don’t get to do that twice,” he rasped.

Jen flipped him the bird, defiant to the end.

A roar from behind startled her, and suddenly she couldn’t see Tanner, couldn’t see the pistol.

All she could see was Nathan’s back as he leaped in front of her, charging at Tanner.

All she could think about was losing him.

Now or never.

Nathan’s police training took over as he lunged forward past Jen and grabbed Tanner in a bear hug.

There was no time, no space to do anything fancy like slap the pistol out of Tanner’s grip.

Jen was in danger.

He couldn’t let Tanner take the shot.

But he was too late.

The burning in his right side told him so.

He fell to the ground pulling Tanner down with him, the weapon out of sight.

Nathan groaned as the pain intensified, the fire scorching his right side.

No.

I won’t leave you to him.

He can’t shoot anyone but me.

Tanner yelled as he tried to pull free, but Nathan kept his arms locked even as he felt the momentary rush of energy beginning to wane, his body reacting to being shot.

Suddenly Tanner whipped his head forward, head-butting Nathan.

Nathan’s world spun as the deranged man’s forehead smashed into his, breaking Nathan’s grip as they both fell away from each other.

The pain in his head and side magnified a thousandfold, matched by the fear boiling up in his gut.

I’ve failed you.

As he fell to the floor, all Nathan could think of was how he’d let her down.

His Mistress.

“You bastard!” Jen’s roar startled him.

Nathan looked up to see Jen leaping onto Tanner’s chest, her knees pinning him to the ground.

The pistol fell away from the man’s hand as she pummeled his face, delivering one blow after another.

Nathan saw Tanner’s eyes roll up and knew he was out, the combination of the head butt and Jen’s attack taking him down.

Jen didn’t stop, slamming her fists down with a steady rhythm.

“Jen.” Nathan pulled himself close enough to touch her hip.

He didn’t dare try to grab hold of her hands.

“Jen.” He raised his voice.

She didn’t falter.

“Jen,” Nathan snapped with as much authority as he could muster out of the pain haze threatening to overwhelm him. “He’s done.”

She stopped and looked down at the bloody mess.

“Oh my God.”

She looked at her hands, now stained red.

Jen glanced at Nathan, and he saw the shock, the horror setting in as she saw the results of her actions.

“Come here. I need you.” He squeezed her hip. “I need your help.”

Jen rolled off the unconscious man and went to him. “How bad is it?”

Her tone shifted from the angry woman of only a few seconds ago to the concerned Domme he knew and needed.

“I don’t know. I can’t see it,” he wheezed with the last of his strength.

A sound of crashing came from overhead, yelling and screaming at the top of the stairs.

Jen pulled up the bloody T-shirt to check the wound. “You’ll be okay now.” She glanced over at Tanner. “We’ll be okay.”

“Good. That’s good,” Nathan repeated as he heard heavy footsteps on the stairs. “I think I’m going to rest now. This hero stuff is exhausting.”

He closed his eyes and let the darkness overtake him.

* * * * *

The world blurred into a mess of medical personnel and policemen running around, pulling Jen to one side as the paramedics rushed to Nathan and the cops pulled Tanner to the other side to be cuffed and dragged upstairs.

She shook her head as they asked if she needed medical help.

I need Nathan.

The logical part of her mind droned on about how it looked like a flesh wound, the bullet skimming along the skin.

The emotional part of her screamed and cried, created vivid scenarios on what more she’d do to Lucas Tanner if left alone with him for a minute.

A policeman took her up the stairs and out into the living room to clear more space. The paramedics were working on Nathan, the stretcher taking up a good part of the basement floor.

No one asked about the flogging post.

Yet.

She broke away from the cop and staggered out into the front yard, the chilled night air helping clear her mind.

“Jennifer?” A voice broke through the chaos around her. The bright lights from the ambulance temporarily blinded her, the noise from the curious bystanders gathered on the street clogging her senses.

Wendy ran out of the crowd and up to Jen, ignoring the policeman trotting close behind. She pulled Jen into a tight hug as she gasped, the tears still damp on her face.

“Are you okay? Where’s Nathan? Is he hurt?” She clasped Jen’s face in both hands. “Are you hurt?” The rapid questions brought Jen out of her fog.

“I’m fine. Nathan—” She shook her head. “He got shot. I don’t think it’s bad, but they’re working on him.” She focused in on Wendy. “You got the message and called the cops.”

“Loud and clear.” Wendy gestured at a man standing at the edge of the crowd. He wore a three-piece suit, standing out among the other spectators. “This is Dan. He’s a lawyer and a damned good one. He’s going to take care of you as far as the legalities go.”

The man slipped by the cop on guard duty and approached them. He looked at the waiting policeman and flashed a business card. “I’ll be representing Ms. Lowell for all future inquiries.” He looked at Jen. “Please say nothing for now.”

The drama had moved to the hospital, where she’d watched the paramedics rush Nathan into one of the examination rooms and taken her to another room, lawyer and Wendy in tow. After a few minutes of cleaning with soap and water, the doctor noted Jen was okay save for some scrapes on her knuckles.

That was when it started to get interesting.

Wendy had to leave when the questioning began, but not before giving a lot of stink-eye to the detective.

He listened to Jen talk, not interrupting until she’d finished the entire story.

Jen was grateful for the lawyer—he stayed quiet through the litany, touching her arm every now and then for support.

At the back of her mind, she wondered if he was an HP client or just on retainer for situations like this.

He didn’t give off any submissive traits, but then the good ones never did in public.

She came back to the topic at hand as the policeman cleared his throat after scribbling page after page of notes.

“So let me see if I’ve got this straight.” The plainclothes detective arched an eyebrow. “Tanner was out to get you because you were partially responsible for his going to prison. He phoned in a bomb threat to your clinic and not only slashed a tire and keyed your car, but actively sought out men you know to attack?” His voice rose at the end of the sentence as if daring her to convince him of it.

“Obviously, Mr. Tanner was out of his mind,” Dan Silverstone answered for her. “The man has issues. But the facts speak for themselves.”

“Obviously,” the detective repeated. “But these men, including the injured officer, they, ah—” His cheeks went scarlet. “They paid you for your services.”

Dan put his hand on her arm before she could respond. “No sexual acts were ever performed. Ms. Lowell has explained this to you. These were consensual agreements between two adults.” He leaned in. “Frankly, we’d rather talk about a possible lawsuit for the inept handling of Mr. Tanner’s mental issues. It’s plain to see he needed psychiatric help while in custody and didn’t get any. Not to mention improper supervision while on parole.” He eyed the policeman. “There’s plenty of issues here for you to answer for.”

The detective moved back. “I’ll remember that. Right now we’re more concerned about this particular situation.” He rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand, wiping away the sweat. “The other, ah, issues we’ll take up later.”

“I do want to press assault charges against Tanner. Along with anything else you come up with along the way,” Jen said. “That should be enough to put him away for a bit.”

“Yes.” The detective smiled. “It will. I think that’s all I want to talk to you about for now.” He moved to the exit. “Thank you for your help.”

The thick door shut, leaving her along with the lawyer.

Dan squeezed her arm lightly. “Don’t worry about this. It’ll be fine.” He glanced at the closed door. “You’re not the one in trouble here. It’s all on Tanner, and they know it.”

“But Nathan—” She shuddered. “They know who he is. What he is, I mean.”

“He’ll be fine,” Dan said. “You, of all people, should know how tough a man can be when he learns to submit to a woman’s wishes.”

She looked up in time to catch his fast wink.

“You—” She choked on the words.

He pressed a finger to his lips. “I’m your lawyer and pleased to serve you.” Dan got to his feet. “I’m going to update Wendy and get an update on Nathan. Please wait here.” Before she had a chance to answer, he left.

Jen grabbed for her cell phone before the door closed. It was well after midnight, and she had no doubt Colleen had seen the news.

She tapped the phone number with trembling fingers, the last bits of her self-control dangerously close to snapping.

“Colleen?”

“Oh my God. Are you okay? Where are you?”

“I’m at St. Joe’s. Nathan—” The tears flowed freely. “He got shot. I don’t think it’s bad but—”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes but—”

“Do you have a lawyer? I know—”

“I’ve got someone here.” She didn’t want to go into the details.

“Okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can get someone to cover for me.” Colleen’s sharp tone helped Jen regain control. “Don’t even think about moving from there until I arrive.”

“But—” Jen found herself talking to a dead line.

She sighed and massaged her temples.

She sat for about ten minutes alone with her thoughts and worries.

The door opened, and Wendy came in, holding two bottles of water. She offered one to Jen and sat down opposite her.

“Nathan is fine. The bullet ripped the skin open but that’s all, no injuries to anything important. A few stitches and he’ll need to rest but he’ll be okay.” She reached out and snapped the top off of Jen’s bottle. “Drink. I’d get you something stronger but I think Dan might disapprove of you sucking down booze while we’re around the police.”

Jen sipped the cold water. “Thank you for Dan. He’s been a godsend.”

Wendy smiled. “He’s a good man.”

“Is he—” Jen couldn’t help asking.

Wendy tilted her head to one side. “What do you think?”

Jen smiled. “I’m in awe of the lucky woman he belongs to.”

Wendy laughed. “I spoke to him, and he doesn’t think there’s anything you need to worry about as far as you and Nathan are concerned. Tanner is going away for a long, long time.” She opened her own water bottle. “You don’t shoot a cop and walk away.”

“Nathan—” Jen pressed the cool plastic to her forehead in an effort to fight the oncoming migraine. “His secret’s out.”

Wendy nodded. “Most likely. We gave as much information as we could to the cops without violating anyone’s privacy. Shooting Nathan pretty well sealed Tanner’s fate.”

“And Nathan’s,” Jen added softly. She rolled the bottle between her hands. “There’s no way around that, is there?”

“Not really. We spoke to the detective in charge, and while we’re keeping the names out of it and doing our best to minimize exposure, Nathan’s got himself in a bit of a pickle. Being a submissive isn’t illegal, and it technically isn’t against any rule when it comes to being a cop—”

“But it doesn’t look good,” Jen finished the sentence.

“We’re going to see what we can do for him. But yes, it’s likely he’ll have to leave the force. He’d have a hell of a time dealing with the teasing and joking.”

Jen sniffled as the tears flowed again. “He quit HP for me. Now he’ll end up quitting being a cop for me. It’s not fair.”

“It may not be fair, but in a way, it’s best for both of you.” Wendy’s statement brought Jen up out of her sobs. “You were due to leave the company, and he was ready to move to a more permanent arrangement. In a way, Tanner was what the two of you needed, the final spark to set off the explosion that brought you together.”

Jen smiled through her tears. “That’s one hell of a warped way to look at it.”

Wendy laughed. “Take it where you can get it.” She paused. “Evan told me he met with Nathan on the side. He told Nathan he’d have to think hard about what he wanted from his relationship with you in light of recent events. That man stood by your side and took a bullet for you.” Wendy tapped her chest. “In my book, that makes the man a keeper.” She stood up. “Dan will keep me updated, but I think you should be all right.”

There was a soft knock on the door, and it opened to show Colleen. The stout woman rushed across the floor to hug Jen.

Wendy gave a short wave. “See you at the club. Don’t forget to bring Nathan along.”

The door swung shut as Colleen pulled back. “Who was that? Was it
the
club she was talking about?”

Jen chuckled. “That was Wendy. And yes,
the
club.” She sighed. “I need to see Nathan.”