Saving Micah (Sequel to Conquering Jude) (2 page)

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the same type of ache resulting from a good working over by his Mistress’s whip. It would be days before he even felt human. Letting his head fall back, he closed his eyes and cursed his own stupidity.
This was the last thing I needed. Why was I so foolish to go home with her and that behemoth of man? Oh right, I wanted to prove I was capable of taking care of my own needs. Fine job I did…thank god Sampson and Mistress B.B. didn’t realize what happened.

“Shh,
mal-chich
.” A cool hand pressed against his free arm before sliding down to tangle with his fingers.

A familiar surge of pleasure washed over him. It was as if his world suddenly righted.
Mistress is here. Everything will be okay.
Despite the agony he knew it would cause, he forced his eyes open, needing to see her – to make sure she wasn’t another hallucination from the pain meds they continually forced down his throat. Happiness swamped him as a slender figure moved into the circle of light being cast off by the small lamp next to his bed.

Leaning over the bedrail, with her dark hair pulled back in its familiar braid and worry in her pale gray eyes, Olivia was everything he hoped to see. In that moment, nothing else mattered. The fact he wasn’t her submissive had no bearing, nor did his recent avoidance of everything to do with the lifestyle since he’d fled Chicago. The only thing that mattered was she was here when he needed her the most.

“Mistress?” It hurt to force the word past his swollen cracked lips. “I’ve missed you so much…”

Her fingers rubbed over his bristly scalp as she searched his gaze. “As I have you. Both Jude and I came as soon as we heard. You never should’ve left us.”

The sound of his competition moving closer to his bed jerked him out of his fantasy world and into the real one. Olivia Metjka might be in New Orleans, but despite his need she wasn’t his Mistress anymore.
I have no Mistress
. Moving stiffly, he eased free of her hold as Jude appeared behind her. His friend looked good. His dark chestnut hair was brushed off his high forehead but mussed as if he’d been dragging his fingers through it. The rumpled clothing, he wore told of the long flight from Chicago to New Orleans.

But it wasn’t the clothing that caught Micah’s attention, it was the thick silver chain gracing Jude’s neck. Nestled in the hollow of his throat was the symbol of Olivia’s possession – one he coveted more than anything. Combined with the relaxed way Jude stood, Micah knew the other man was where he was happy in Olivia’s care
.
For that alone, he wanted nothing more than to kick Jude’s ass, but he wouldn’t – it had taken too long for the other man to accept his submissive nature.
And too much work on my part to get him there. I’ll be damned if I let him backslide just because I’m jealous
. Closing his eyes, Micah ignored both the physical and emotional pain as he rolled away from the sight.

“Micah?” Her question was sharp. He knew she hadn’t expected his rejection but it was all he could do to keep the tears at bay. It wouldn’t matter if he told himself it was the pain of his battered body causing them, not the ache in his chest. Either way it was a sign of weakness – one he couldn’t afford.

“Please leave. I don’t need you here.”

“I’m not leaving. And judging by the shape of your back, I think you do need me. I don’t see what the big deal is,
mal-chick,
I’ve cared for you in the past.” The commanding tone which would’ve caused his dick to go rock hard in the past was now nothing more than salt being rubbed into his open wounds.

“But not now. You no longer have that right.” He took a deep breath, forcing himself to continue. “You’re not my Mistress anymore, Olivia. I’m a big boy, and believe it or not I can take care of myself.”

“Really? Then how come you’ve ended up in the hospital like a
glupym malʹchikom?”

He heard the scrape of her fingernails against the metal bedside rail as she reached for him.
The feel of her palm against his raw back sent more than physical agony through him.
His body remembered the lightness of her touch when she tended his torn back after his attack in Chicago. Giving his trust to the wrong Mistress wasn’t a first for him. He’d trusted once before and paid dearly for it.
Evidently I haven’t gotten any smarter.
And just like then, Olivia would take care of him this time, unless he drove her away.

“Jude, take…”
Mistress,
he barely caught the word before it slipped out. “…her home. Neither of you are wanted here.”

“Excuse me?” The softness of her response did little to hide her displeasure. In the past he would’ve taken it as a warning but now he was only concerned about driving her away.

“Leave. I don’t need you. Nor do I need your pity or what little scrap of affection you deem appropriate to throw my way. Go home.”

His ears picked up on a sharp inhalation before her hand left his back. Immediately he mourned its loss.

There was an unfamiliar note of uncertainty in her voice when she spoke. “Micah? What happened to you,
mal-chick,
to make you this way? I know you’re hurting but there’s no reason to…”

He clenched jaw to keep from begging her to stay – to take the comfort he knew she’d offer. He had to be strong. “Life happened. You have Jude now and I’ve moved on.” At her silence he dug his fingernails into his palms. Desperation caused him to lash out. “For God’s sake, I don’t want you here!” He hadn’t realized his voice had risen until the sound of feet hurrying into his room broke the tension.

Standing at the foot of his bed, his nurse scowled, taking in the scene in front of her. “Visiting hours are over. I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Mr. Beaumont needs his rest.”

A long put-out sigh escaped Olivia. “Of course, how foolish of us. I’m sorry if we might have disturbed your other patients. We arrived on a late flight and I’m afraid I just had to make sure he was still alive before I attempted to kill him.” A smile graced Olivia’s lips as she focused on the nurse.

Inwardly Micah groaned. He knew that look. If Olivia knew demands wouldn’t get her way, she wasn’t above resorting to charm. Peeking at the large imposing woman scowling at Olivia, he hoped she wasn’t buying Olivia’s act.

“Now that I know he’s still breathing, we will come back in the morning. I was understandably concerned when I heard my fiancé had been in an accident after visiting a brothel.” Her pleasant tone dropped into a confiding one, as she tried to coax the nurse to seeing her side of the situation.

He opened his mouth to protest. “Don’t believe her, ma’am. She’s not my…”

“He’s such a stubborn man. It’d be just like him to deny our relationship.” Olivia continued to talk over him. “Considering he took off all because of one little disagreement, I shouldn’t be surprised he’s denying it now. If I’d realized my wanting to wait until after the New Year so my mother could attend our marriage instead of having it before Christmas without her, would’ve caused this – I would’ve married him then. I never dreamed he’d go to a…” she lowered her voice. “…a lady of the night to satisfy his manly needs.”

When the nurse turned to glare at him, Micah wanted to groan.
Ah hell, she’s buying Olivia’s cockamamie story.

“She’s not my fiancée! I haven’t seen her since before Thanksgiving!” Instead of endearing him to the nurse, his words had her frowning.

“Men can be very…
difficult
when they don’t get their way. They’ll even conveniently forget about the woman in their life if it suits them.”

Olivia glanced over her shoulder at the nurse. “Ah but don’t be too rough on him. We still love him, despite his little tantrum.” Leaning over him, he stiffened when Olivia’s lips brushed his ear as she pretended to tuck the covers around him. “You should’ve stayed with us,
mal-chick,
like I know you wanted, instead of running. All this pain could’ve been avoided. You’ve been mine since the first time I made you come.” Her eyes darkened with desire. “And I’m tired of waiting for you to realize it.” Her palm supported his neck as if she were adjusting pillow under it. To the nurse he knew it would only look like the act of a concerned fiancée, but he knew what she was doing. It was a subtle reminder of the play collar he once wore for her. Her eyes met his before she straightened – determination filling their depths. She gave the nurse a wink and slipped back into character. “He’s just going to have to get used to the idea that no other women will ever be able to give him what he needs...”

* * * *

Brushing past Jude, Olivia stormed into the hotel room – the best accommodations she could find on such a short notice. Tossing her shoulder bag onto the foot of the bed, she paced in the narrow space between the bed and the wall. Even the sound of the door shutting followed by the click of the lock being turned didn’t stop her pacing. She issued the order without even looking in the direction of her sub.

“Present, pet.” The rustle of clothing assured her at least one man in her life was obeying without a fight.
What the fuck am I going to do with Micah? What the hell happened to him besides the obvious?
Her stomach heaved as she recalled the details on the incident report the nurse had shared with her.
Concussion, multiple fractures to the ribs, deep lacerations to the back and upper torso, contusions on left and right thighs, ankles and wrists. Extensive trauma to the rectum.

Turning sharply, she nearly tripped over Jude. He knelt with his thighs spread, palms resting face up and his head bowed, every naked inch of him hers to do with as she pleased. She took a moment to savor the sight in front of her. From the top of his dark hair to the incredibly sexy toes hidden from her at the moment, she loved his body. Even with the brutal scarring on his right hip, he was perfect – perfect for her. No other woman would ever have him again, at least not as long as she drew a breath.

Crouching down in front of him, she traced a finger over the bobbing erection so blatantly displayed for her enjoyment. “Who do you belong to, pet?”

Without lifting his head he answered, his voice raspy. “I’m yours, Mistress.”

Wrapping her hand around the thick shaft, she stroked up and down loving the hiss escaping him. Even as his thighs trembled he didn’t move. He knew better.

“That’s right. You’re just as much mine as he is, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Mistress.” He didn’t ask for clarification of who she was talking about, but gave a muffled shout when she rewarded him by rubbing her hand faster along his cock. Just like her, Jude knew what – no, who was missing from their relationship.

“Then what do you suggest we do, pet? You read the report. Not only is he physically injured but the nightmares he’s having…how do we conquer them? How do we help him? How do we convince him to come home after what he’s been through – that we still need him?” While her voice had started out strong, she could hear the wavering as she finished. She’d kept up a strong confident façade in Micah’s hospital room, but now that it was just her and Jude, she was lost as to what to do.

Risking her wrath, Jude lifted his head and opened his arms, knowing without being told she needed to feel him around her more than she needed his submission. She wasn’t a Domme at the moment, but a woman hurting at the thought of one of the men she loved being harmed.

With a sob, she moved into his embrace, nearly knocking Jude over. The tears she’d kept at bay by sheer will alone burst free as his arms wrapped around her. It was times like this she loved his protective streak. The murmur of his voice against her temple as he rocked back and forth was soothing as he let her cry her eyes out. By the time her crying jag was over, she felt like a limp rag as the broad hand soothed up and down her back. The press of his lips against her temple made her feel loved.

“Shh, let me take you to bed, Mistress. Let me take care of you. We’ll figure out in the morning what to do with our stubborn
mal-chick.
We won’t give up on him. He belongs with us.”

“Promise?” She knew she was asking for a guarantee Jude couldn’t give her but after the turmoil of finding out Micah had been hurt, the flight which had been delayed twice, and Micah’s actions at the hospital, she was needy – and like always, her gentle giant gave her what she needed without thought to what it would cost him.

“Of course. I won’t rest until we have our Micah back.” She gave a slow nod as he rose to his feet still holding her carefully, an unbelievable show of his physical strength. As he gently stripped off her clothing, she was thankful he was with her. Moments later, with the light out and wrapped securely in Jude’s arms, she drifted off to sleep.

PAGEBREAK

Chapter Two

Sitting at the small drab table in their hotel room in front of his laptop, Jude looked up when his Mistress stepped out of the bathroom in a swirl of steam. With a miniscule hotel towel wrapped around her petite body, his cock responded with its typical vengeance, pressing against the towel he’d wrapped around his waist after his own shower. It didn’t seem to matter where they were or what they were doing, he couldn’t help but respond to the woman who held not only his heart but a good part of his soul. As she bent over the open suitcase on the bed, he had to force himself to drag his eyes away from the tempting sight and back to the query running on his laptop.