Oliver (12 page)

“Yeah, well, your icing looked ready to toss me down the stairs for poaching her man. Told me if I wanted to get laid, then go get laid. That I had no idea what I was messing with. Which I suppose is true. I kept expecting to find myself facedown on the bed with my ass bared for a spanking. Is that my next test? I’d like to be forewarned.”

“Eventually, but not by my hand. I’ve told you before that you have to spend some time as a sub in order to be an effective Domme. But if Merideth and Lucas feel they should be recompensed for your rudeness…”

Becky said nothing, merely stared at the carpet as they walked into his den office. Bright furnishings were the hallmark of the space. He preferred the light wood and windows open to the garden beyond rather than the heavy oak and paneling in his Los Angeles office. The time was ripe for a permanent move here, but he was reluctant to have the people-traffic such a decision would create. This was his haven. Why screw with that?

Becky had set up on a glass-topped coffee table, leaving his desk untouched. Papers, notes, and pens were situated around her laptop. A bottle of water was on her left, a box of tissue on her right.

“I haven’t started a search on clubs yet.” She slipped behind her workstation and sank to the pillow on the floor that served as her chair.

Oliver sat beside her on the cream-colored leather sofa, watching her fingers fly over the keyboard as she started her search.

Becky tapped Enter. “She showed me her scars, Oliver. Wanted me to understand what I was getting into.”

“And do you? Or are you just looking to get laid?”

She flashed him a dirty look. “I’ll admit to being extra horny, but that has nothing to do with this, and we both know it. I do know what I’m getting into. You’ve drilled that into me ad nauseam the last several months.”

He smiled and fought the urge to ruffle her hair. “Good. I might be able to help you on both counts.”

Horror filled her expression.

“Not me.” He splayed his fingers against his chest.

“Thank God. It’d be like—” She bit off the rest of the sentence. It wasn’t hard to figure out what she was going to say.

“Another point I’ve been trying to make over the course of our association.” He’d become too much of a father figure to her. He was relieved to see she finally understood.

“Do you see me as a child?”

“I see your mother in you. I see youth and inexperience.” Her frown was back. Oliver sat on the floor. “I also see a determined woman who isn’t foolhardy. You are professional in your business dealings. You do your research. You deserve the right to explore the lifestyle in a safe environment. I’m glad you picked this one.” It saved him untold worry and monitoring.

He tipped her chin up on the point of his finger. “You’ve proved over and over again. It’s time. I have someone in mind and will talk to him. In the meantime, I have work to do. You may observe us in the playroom if you wish.”

“And if Merideth and Lucas want to be
recompensed
?”

“That’s what safe words are for. Never forget that.” He kissed her forehead. “Let me know what you find. I’m going to check on Merideth and Lucas, then start dinner.”

With her nod, Becky returned to her search, and Oliver left her to work. He found Lucas and Merideth where he expected—on her bed, napping. Merideth lay sprawled on Lucas’s chest with one leg draped over his. Staking her claim. Lucas had her tucked under his arm. Her protector. Oliver had taken a chance, siccing Becky on them. Playing the jealousy card could have gone either way. This result told him many things. Most importantly, that Merideth was ready for the next step.

They roused when Oliver clicked the door shut, giving him lazy smiles that invited him to join them. Merideth rubbed her hand over the space next to her. It was a temptation that was hard to refuse. If he didn’t need a few answers, Oliver would have been all over it. He let his upper brain override his lower one, though with blood flow fast moving south, it was a tough battle. He sat against the headboard, his legs stretched out before him, his cock screaming for freedom.

“This is a nice start, but there’s still some work that needs to be done. We’ll be spending time in the playroom either before or after dinner. Or both.” Neither argued. Always a plus. “Becky will be observing.”

“No!” they said together.

Oliver praised their unified response, but… “My rules, my way, one Master. She has to learn. Now’s a good opportunity.”

“Fine. Stretch her out, and I’ll give her a taste of discipline she’ll never forget.” Merideth curled fully against Lucas, giving Oliver her back.

He clucked his tongue and rolled against her, blocking her between the two of them. “Such anger. Ugly. We’ll add control to your retraining.” He squeezed a handful of her ass. “Becky is off-limits. She’ll observe from the private room. You’ll never know she’s there.”

“Then why tell us in the first place?” Merideth grumbled.

“I didn’t realize it would be such a hot-button topic. Besides, you know she’s here. I didn’t feel it needed to be kept a secret.”

“And why
is
she here?” Lucas glowered at the ceiling. “She has no concept of boundaries.”

She
had
rattled them. Oliver was proud of her for it. “Despite her youth, she’s a top-notch investigator. She’s researching this club for me. Speaking of which…”

They looked his way when he sat up.

“She can’t find hospital records for you,” he told Merideth. “Did you give a false name? Get the time wrong? Or did it happen somewhere other than New York?”

“It was New York. I gave you all the information.” Merideth looked more confused and frightened by the minute. “One of the men took me to a hospital.”

“A hospital or a clinic? Do you remember which one?”

She buried her face in her hands. “I was in such pain during and after. I was treated and released. A limo was waiting for me.”

The men had the resources to hire a limo. They’d riffled through Merideth’s possessions while she was bound and found out where she lived. He looked at Lucas. Judging from his expression, he’d drawn the same conclusion.

“I called a friend to help take care of me, changed my locks, canceled my credit cards. These men knew everything about me,” Merideth said.

“Why didn’t you report it to the police?” Lucas hoisted himself to his elbow and stared down at her.

Merideth gathered the sheet to her throat as she sat upright. “I had more to lose by doing so than from remaining silent.”

“I don’t know,” Lucas quietly replied. “It seems to me you’ve lost a lot already.”

True, but she’d protected a hell of a lot more—her reputation and that of her former clients, the foundation, her publishing career, the museum itself. Scandal was a son of a bitch. And here Oliver was, ready to go out and murder the bastards who’d hurt her. Merideth was right. Finding them wouldn’t serve much purpose. Except to help her regain her own power.

“That’s why I’m here.” She clutched the sheet under her chin. “So you can help me get it back. I’m tired of hiding, of being afraid.”

“Yet if I hadn’t shown up at your place, none of that would have changed,” Lucas said.

“Thank God you showed up.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. “I can’t do this without the two of you. You are who make me strong, who make me feel like I can conquer the world, even when I might be mad as hell at the both of you.”

Oliver swung from the bed. “All based on an assessment that no longer applies—the old us. We can help you, Merideth, or at least try to, but we can’t be your crutches to lean on. The strength you seek must be your own.”

Her anger flared. “I would never—” The fire diminished. “Point taken. I’ll be watchful.”

“Good. Let’s see what you remember, what you need to learn. To the playroom. You can show Becky how to handle the tools of the trade.”

Oliver didn’t give either of them a chance to argue. Merideth needed her power back. The first step in retrieving it was to control her fears. Falling into old routines and comfort zones would help with that. At least that was the theory.

Becky glanced up when he burst back into the office. Not much flustered her. He could have rushed in screaming his head off, and she’d still give him calm appraisal.

“I think I found them.” She tapped her monitor. “There’s a lot of chatter on the forum Merideth mentioned. Enough to draw the curious to their club.

“I’ve found several instances of user names dropping out of the discussion after that individual expressed heavy interest in the place. Could be victims. You have to be approved to join the forum, so it’s logical to presume they would deny access after the fact. I found Merideth’s posts up to the date she was hurt.”

“You joined?” A stupidly obvious question.

“Approved in seconds. The location Merideth provided is a vacant building, so they must move around to protect themselves. I don’t think this is an organized club, just a place these assholes find for a short run. Which would also explain the different hospital locations. These are meticulously cautious men.”

It wouldn’t be easy to infiltrate their ranks. Even if he, Lucas, or Merideth could gain access to the forum with new user names from a different ISP, these fuckers would shut things down the second they saw Merideth walk through their doors.

“I can get us in, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Becky told him.

She was right on the money again. Her instincts were sound. When the time was right, she’d make a first-class Domme.

“That’s an option we can play with.” Oliver refused to discount possibilities. “I don’t think we can plan anything until we’re sure Merideth can meet the enemy head-on. I have to be confident she can handle herself.”

“I’ll search for surveillance cameras at their former locations. Maybe I can come up with faces she can recognize.”

Oliver touched her shoulder before she dived into work. “Later. Right now I need you to play the fledgling again. Go to the playroom and let Merideth show you how to handle the tools.”

Not one word of protest, despite her skill level. Still, Oliver felt he needed to explain. “She needs to refamiliarize herself with handling them. She’s pissed as hell with you. I’m hoping she’ll focus more on that than the fact she’s handling items that have caused her so much pain.”

“Makes perfect sense.” She wouldn’t have said otherwise. Their arrangement was similar to the one Oliver had with Lucas and Merideth. His rules, his way, one Master. Such commitment deserved to be rewarded sooner rather than later.

Becky shut down her computer. “I know you want justice, Oliver, but I’ve learned firsthand that no good will come from her facing her attackers. Or from you confronting them. Besides, there are many ways to ruin a person without implicating oneself.”

Chuckling, he shook his head. “If only the others knew the devious streak that runs through you.”

“I’ve learned from the best.” She stretched the kinks from her legs and started to leave.

“Wait.” He stopped her shy of the door. “On second thought, I have all the information I need for now. I’ll take it from here. Forget the playroom. You can go home.”

“Very well. I’ll forward everything to you. You’ll call if you need anything?” She cupped his biceps as she walked by. “Anything at all?”

“I will.”

Becky gave his arm a quick squeeze. Oliver wrapped a hug around her. “Thank you. You give good advice.”

“There’s hope for me yet.” She kissed his cheek.

“High hopes.” He held her at arm’s length. “So…how would you take down an unknown enemy?”

Becky wiggled her eyebrows. “They aren’t unknown to everyone, and our community is vast and widespread. At your command, I can start a social networking campaign guaranteed to take them down. Once the word gets out, our people won’t stand for it.” Face glowing with expectation, she waited for his response.

Oliver grinned. “Good plan. Do it.”

“He-he-he.” She did a little happy dance back to her work area and flopped into place.

“I’ll bring food later to help fuel your evildoings.” Maybe another surprise as well. Once he hit the hallway, Oliver placed the call she’d waited months for him to make. Damn, he was going to miss her.

Merideth wiped her sweaty palms over her jeans for the fourth time in five minutes. Ever since she’d picked up the flogger, her hands hadn’t stopped shaking. Lucas had been kind enough to make no comment. He sat on the horse, watching, waiting. The bullwhip he’d cracked was draped over the bench next to him. He was patience personified, despite the worry furrowing his brow. She couldn’t blame him for that. She was worried too.

Her heart raced. Fear crawled up her spine. She’d been like this with the first test crack of Lucas’s whip. All Merideth heard was the sound in that dark room, the feel of leather cutting into her back, and her screams muffled by the gag that nearly choked her. They’d left her eyes unmasked, getting off on the fear that widened them. Sadists. Rapists. Confident enough with their threats that they hadn’t been concerned with her seeing their faces. God, she’d love to give them a taste of the lash…right before she castrated each and every one of them.

Merideth caught her reflection in the mirrors that surrounded them. A stranger stared back at her. Lucas was right. She had lost a lot. Hunting down these men wasn’t going to get that back. She had to be the stronger one. Maybe take a martial arts course, or get a guard dog, or go to counseling. She’d had several psychiatrists as clients once.
Awkward
. Though she had to admit, the thought of watching them squirm made her smile.

“There’s hope after all,” Lucas said.

“There might be,” she agreed. “I know more what I need and don’t need. I don’t think revenge suits me.”

“Me either.” Long, powerful strides brought Oliver into the room. “At least not the kind I originally envisioned. Becky won’t be joining us. She’s single-handedly launched a targeted social networking campaign against the club and the men who hurt you. She’d determined to mobilize the community and bring them down.”

Lucas grinned. “I’d love to help with that one.”