Daye, Lavender - Bound By Trust (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 18

  “Jase only visits her family when it’s demanded of her.” Kerri tapped her fingers on the book in front of her. “Do you know anything about Harvey? Jase didn’t talk to me much about him. I don’t even know his last name.”

  Sara chuckled. “You’ve been a little busy lately. But don’t feel too bad. I never got his last name, either.”

  Quiet reigned for a few minutes, both girls trying to decide what to do next. “I might have seen him last Saturday night,” Kerri admitted.

  “Where? I thought you were with Hunter last Saturday.”

  “I was. It was at the club, Velvet Glove. I saw a man on the other side of the room that looked like Harvey, but not really like Harvey.”

  “Clear as mud, Kerri.”

  “I know, I know. At first glance, I thought it was Harvey, but the more I looked, the less sure I was.”

  “What’s it like inside Velvet Glove? I haven’t seen you since the night you left us for the hot lawyer.”

  “Sara, now’s not the time.”

  “Is Harvey a member? Maybe he took Jase there and she didn’t want to tell anyone.”

  “That doesn’t sound like Jase.” Kerri watched her fingers tap on the table, half-listening to Sara’s theory. Something was wrong, she could feel it. Kerri wanted to call Hunter, sure he would have a way to find her friend. But calling him would open the door to more heartache. He’d assume she was ready to see him again. It was a decision she hadn’t made.

  Instead, she remembered the pain, emotional and physical, every time she closed her eyes. The sting of the whip wasn’t as bad as she’d thought it would be. But the pleasure teasing her with each stroke terrified her. The memory of her pleasure in that act had sent her running from Hunter and the club.

  She was still running.

  An image of Richard leaning over her, his mouth caressing her breast while Hunter pressed deeper into her body, caused a sensual heat wave.

  Kerri tamped it down as best she could. Until she figured out how both men would fit into her world, or how she would fit into theirs, she didn’t want to dwell on the past week.

  Officially, she was sick at home, which kept her out of Hunter’s sight. He’d called. Left voicemail. Several text messages. As much as she wanted to talk to him, she didn’t want to talk to him.

  Right now, she needed to focus on Jase.

  Kerri’s gut was telling her Jase was at the club. She’d been home Sunday night and left for work Monday morning. Kerri didn’t see her before leaving with Hunter Monday afternoon, and Jase wasn’t home when she’d come in from the club after midnight. And no one had seen Harvey, either.

  Gathering her courage, Kerri dug through her closet and found the costume she’d worn the first night she went to Velvet Glove. She still wore Hunter’s collar since he had the key and she hadn’t seen him since she left the club without him. Hopefully, she’d be able to talk her way past the front desk and find Jase.

  Kerri parked on the edge of the parking lot, close to the corner of the building. She was hoping to sneak in through a back door, but security kept her in the front lot. Gathering her courage, she stepped onto the sidewalk and pushed through the front doors. It was early evening and most of the patrons didn’t start arriving until after dark.

  Knowing her best chance was a confident bluff, she strode through the private entrance and straight to the desk. Placing her hand on the counter and tucking her chin down just enough to be seen as submissive, she spoke to the receptionist.

  “I’m supposed to meet Mr. Merritt tonight. Can you tell me if he’s here yet?” Careful to maintain the image, she lifted her gaze only as far as the woman’s mouth and waited.

  “He hasn’t arrived. Do you have your membership card?” she asked.

  Kerri sighed shallowly. “I’ve only been here as his guest. I don’t want to disappoint him.”

  A subtle smirk from the receptionist encouraged her. She looked like the perfect submissive, following directions to please her master.

  “Do you have identification, then?”

  Kerri handed over her driver’s license, which she’d used the second night Hunter’d taken her to the club. A few clicks on her computer and the woman smiled.

  “You’re on Mr. Merritt’s membership as a guest and you may wait in the common area until he arrives. I’ll let him know you are waiting when he checks in.”

  Kerri nodded, said a polite thank you, and stepped through the doors to the common room. The lights were dim, only a few people around to socialize this early. A quick glance allowed her to place each person and avoid them.

  Chapter 22

  A series of beeps warned Jase of the door opening. Footsteps sounded on the tile floor, softer than before but still threatening. She had to assume that anyone coming into the room would have evil intent. Then another set of shoes followed with a heavier tread. Her eyes remained closed in a head-in-the-sand attempt to hide.

  “Open your eyes.”

  It was a command, but the voice was unexpectedly female. The hand that gripped her breast was callused, with thick masculine fingers. She turned her head to look at the new visitors when those fingers squeezed to the point of pain. Tall, maybe five nine or ten, the woman had the appearance of a wealthy socialite even though her clothing screamed biker chick. The man with her was dressed—rather, half dressed—in tight pants and a black collar.

  “You like her, don’t you, dear?” the woman crooned to him. “Just wait. I’ll let you play with her before we sell her. Maybe I’ll let all my boys play with you, missy.”

  The woman reached across the bed and tapped Jase’s cheek. “I hadn’t planned on you, but Harvey has such initiative. He couldn’t let you and your friend ruin our little business.”

  “Harvey?” Jase gasped. Surely he wasn’t a part of this?

  The tap became a slap, stinging across her cheek again and again. Jase gritted her teeth against the pain.

  “Luckily, I have a prospective owner for you. I’d hate to have to eliminate you completely. A well-made girl like you ought to be worth more than the cost of a body bag.” The woman’s hands roamed Jase’s body, pinching and patting her way to her ankles. “Perhaps your new owner will provide you with better restraints. These seem to be rubbing you raw.”

  The smile on her face tormented Jase. This was a woman who enjoyed seeing others in pain.

  “I have money. I can pay you to release me.”

  The woman’s face lit up, and her smile widened. “Really? How interesting. But I’ll have to pass on your offer. If I let you walk away, you’ll be the prosecution’s first witness. And I never leave witnesses.”

  “I promise, no police. I’ll leave the country. No one has to know.” Even to her own ears, Jase sounded desperate, and she knew negotiations should be conducted from a standpoint of power. But her power was nonexistent.

  Her captor hummed and watched Jase’s expression, her eyes warming. After pleading, adding to the deal, Jase finally realized the woman was enjoying her desperation and stopped talking altogether. She turned her head, closed her eyes, and waited for whatever came next.

  Amid more beeps, the door opened and two other people entered the small room.

  “Lillian.” Jase didn’t recognize the voice, another unknown man in the room to worry about.

  “As I promised, she’s a great acquisition for you, Mr. McKeon. And at a decent price, too.”

  Damn. A voice she knew, and one she’d never forget. The liar, the fraud who’d brought her here.

  Harvey.

  Jase turned her head to get a look at the bastard and flinched, straining at the bonds holding her to the bed. Naked or not, she wanted to claw his eyes out and maybe, with a little luck, she could find a handy knife to cut off his balls.

  “Feisty. I like her. But she doesn’t look like your regular product, not the type you promised me. Why the change?”

  A strong hand reached across her body to stroke up her ribcage, and Jase stilled, unsure about this n
ew variable. His words were harsh but his hand was almost caressing her skin.

  “Nothing to be concerned with, McKeon. She was an unexpected bonus when we collected this shipment. If you’re not interested, we can wait until tomorrow’s auction,” Lillian said, her expression haughty.

  Jase watched her face, watched her left eyelid tic as she spoke to the big man. Nerves made her twitch. The hateful woman was uncomfortable, maybe a little afraid of this man. If she could find a way to exploit the she-devil’s unease, she could broker a deal for freedom. Too many ifs, and being tied to the bed left her with few options.

  “You’re in a hurry to sell this one?” he asked.

  “Hmm, not quite a hurry, but as you said, she’s not our regular fare. I’d rather this business be conducted posthaste.”

  “Does that get me a discount if I take her now?”

  Jase cringed. It rankled that she’d be sold in what amounted to a bargain bin, and the irony didn’t escape her. She tugged at the restraints again, and that hard hand pressed against her chest, the tips of his fingers barely making contact with the underside of her breast. The reminder of her place in this conversation forced Jase to take a slow, deep breath. A calm, determined plan would be a better use of her energy. A hard pinch to her nipple drove her into agitation again, making her brain work even harder to find a way out of this mess.

  Castrating Harvey would have to take a back door to getting free.

  * * * *

  Hunter lowered his eyes for a moment as the cell in his breast pocket vibrated again, the third time in less than five minutes. He’d been hoping Kerri would return his calls all day, but now he was stuck in this divorce negotiation from hell and couldn’t answer the phone. Watching his client and her husband argue about china and furniture instead of college funds for their two children was frustrating. The petty bickering was ridiculous, and he couldn’t understand why some people married in the first place. Cohabitating with a clear contract was much more reasonable.

  However, the thought of Kerri tied to him legally and emotionally had been cropping up lately, usually when he was sated and holding her close. The idea of marriage left him contemplating home and hearth more than carefully planned sexual encounters these days and it worried him.

  The office door opened and his secretary quietly approached his chair, her expression apologetic as she slid the note she held in front of him. All of the women in the office were cowed by him, except Kerri.

  Mr. Menton –urgent please call immediately.

  Hunter rose, reaching for the cell in his pocket. “Excuse me, but I have an urgent call to return.”

  As soon as the door closed behind him, he had Richard on the phone.

  “Kerri’s at the club. I picked up the signal a few minutes ago, but I’m on the road and it’s at least a two hour drive to get there.”

  “Fuck.” Hunter turned to see his secretary blush and mumbled an apology. “Thanks for letting me know.”

  He snapped the phone closed and looked at Jennie. “I have to leave now. Tell them I have a family emergency and see if you can set another appointment for later in the week.” Not waiting for a reply, he strode down the hall to the elevator, wondering what Kerri was doing at the club without him.

  The doors closed, and the metal box began its slow descent. Hunter pulled his cell out again and thumbed through the apps Richard had installed, finally locating Kerri’s tracking program. The locked collar she wore held a tiny transmitter and the blinking green light clearly put her at Velvet Glove.

  The woman was going to drive him insane. She was strong, independent, and secure enough in herself to beautifully submit to him while retaining every bit of her sense of self. Kerri was the woman he thought he’d never find, and now she’d put herself at risk.

  Cursing each red light, it took Hunter twenty minutes to get across town to Velvet Glove. It was still early and the lot was relatively empty. He jerked off his coat and tie, tossed them in the backseat and rolled the cuffs of his white dress shirt halfway up his forearms. It was the closest he could come to what he usually wore at the club, but his attitude would cover for the lack of leather. Hunter pushed through the door to the private club and glared at the receptionist.

  “Where the fuck is Kerri?”

  The woman cringed, as he’d intended, and said, “She asked to wait inside. She’s in the common room.”

  Hunter stormed into the main room, his gaze searching but not seeing her. Several patrons looked his way, but no one had the look of guilt he’d expect from a poacher. Wondering what had possessed her to come here alone, he worked his way through the private rooms using the key Richard had given him. It opened every door in the place. Twice, he opened the door to a sexual interlude, but Kerri wasn’t present.

  At the end of the hall, he took the stairs to the second floor and continued his search.

  Chapter 23

  Kerri leaned close and pressed her hand against her friend’s mouth. Jase flinched, her body pitching against a perceived attack.

  “Jase, be still. I’m trying to help you.”

  The body on the bed stopped moving and a warm breath pushed against Kerri’s palm. She cautiously lifted her hand an inch.

  “Kerri?”

  “Yes. Give me a minute to get you untied.”

  “I thought you were Harvey.”

  Kerri tugged at the straps around Jase’s wrists, relieved to find them wrapped Velcro restraints instead of metal handcuffs. “Harvey did this to you? Oh, honey.”

  Jase shook her wrist while Kerri worked to peel the Velcro on the other one. “He’s not the man I thought he was.”

  “They never are, Jase.”

  A series of beeps grabbed their attention. Someone was unlocking the door.

  “Well, well. Two for one. How lucky can I get?” Harvey stepped across the threshold and let the door swing closed behind him.

  Kerri worked faster, moving to Jase’s ankles as he approached. A rough hand shoved her against the wall and her head swam. She could hear Jase cursing him. Struggling to her knees, Kerri looked for something to use against him. A coiled whip rested on a hook near the door, a closed cabinet under it probably holding a few other items Harvey could use to torture them if he had the chance. Kerri decided to exercise her option and deny him the opportunity. Crawling across the floor while Jase cursed and scratched, she tugged at the cabinet door. It didn’t open easily and she worried that any noise would tip him off. Reluctantly, she stood and lifted the whip off its hook.

  Just holding it in her hand didn’t help her at all. Kerri had no idea how to wield it effectively, though she did know it took a certain amount of skill. Praying that she didn’t hurt herself or Jase, she raised her arm and swung the handle back, then snapped her arm forward.

  The whip unfurled as it flew across the space, the final thin foot of it striking Harvey’s back with a resounding crack. His head turned, eyes slit in anger as he grabbed the whip and yanked it out of her hand.

  While it didn’t appear to hurt him much, it did distract him, giving Jase a chance to scratch at his eyes with her free hand. Kerri jerked open the cabinet door and pulled out the first thing she touched, almost dropping it in her haste. A heavy metal bar with straps hanging from both ends. She raised it like a baseball bat and charged him.

  The pipe hit Harvey across the shoulders and grazed the back of his skull. It probably would have been a glancing blow if Jase hadn’t been pushing him away from her as the bar connected with his head. He dropped like a rock over her body.

  Kerri heard Jase’s muffled scream as she dropped the bar and tugged at his body. He’d fallen at just the right angle to keep her pinned to the bed. Kerri put quick fingers to the straps holding Jase’s ankles to the bed. When those were removed, Jase was able to wiggle closer to the edge of the bed. Together, they managed to lift Harvey enough for Jase to slide free.

  The door beeped as someone else used their access card, and the girls took cover behind the onl
y piece of furniture available, the bed. Kerri swiped her hand across the floor beneath the bed, searching for a weapon. Stretching until it felt like her shoulder would dislocate, she managed to get two fingers on the spacer bar she’d used to hit Harvey. She heard the door latch click open as she inched the bar closer to her palm. Pulling it to her, she nudged Jase and they both rose enough to see past Harvey’s body.

  A dark male silhouette stood in the doorway, feet spread, arms at his side as he took in the body splayed across the bed.

  “Kerri?”

  She stood on wobbly legs. “Hunter.”

  He took two steps into the room and let the door close behind him. She was in his arms, the bar on the floor at her feet.

  “How did you find me?” She clung to him, her hesitation after the last time they were together disappearing under the weight of the last few minutes.

  “Menton called. You’re still wearing the collar, so he knew you were here.” Hunter’s hand shaped to her skill, burrowing into her hair to keep her against his chest. “Why did you come here without me?”

  “I’ve been trying to reach you. Jase was missing.”

  “Why would you think she’d be here?”

  “I saw Harvey here last Saturday. He’s her boyfriend-”

  “Was, past tense,” Jase interjected from behind the bed.

  “He had her tied to the bed. How did you know I was in here?”

  Hunter held out his hand. A green dot blinked on a small screen he carried. “Short range tracker.”

  “You’ve been keeping track of my movements this whole time?” Kerri stared into his eyes, the floor dropping out from under her. He didn’t trust her at all. Anger flared and she shoved at his chest. “You bastard.” The words left her mouth sounding more like a cry of misery than the shout she’d intended.