Brie Surrenders her Heart (After Graduation, #8) (31 page)

The negative press quickly transferred from Sir to Ruth, and in the aftermath droves of women naïvely flocked to the documentary to find out more about the tragic hero they knew as Sir Thane Davis.

What they found instead was the power of submission.

The Aftershock

B
rie’s parents left later that evening. Her father said it was imperative they control the damage the film would cause in their close-knit community. Brie didn’t mind. Her father had watched the film and had not spoken of it since. She figured he needed time to process it. So she spent a restless night in Sir’s arms, worrying what the newspapers would say in the morning.

What she woke up to both astonished and pleased her. The front page of the
LA Times
read ‘The Strength of a Dominant’ and had a picture of Sir thoughtfully cleaning Brie’s face after the attack. The same picture was plastered on the national news that morning. Instead of focusing on the film or even the protestors, all the news centered on was the unusual relationship between Sir and Brie.

Brie found out on the morning show that Sir now had a following of female fans, from young girls to grandmothers. Twitter was going crazy speculating about him and Facebook pages had been set up in his honor. Everyone wanted to know more about the man who’d defended Brie so gallantly.

In one night, D/s went from being an obscure term used by kinky deviants to being something sweet and romantic. The morning news had ‘experts’ answering questions and a psychologist explaining the reasons why they believed people practiced BDSM. It was quite amusing, if not a little insulting.

Sir turned off the TV and folded the paper before putting it in the trash. “The firestorm has begun.” Brie looked at the trash can, deciding to ask Lea later to save her a copy as a memento.

Brie smiled as she crawled onto the lap Sir offered. “Well, at least people are talking about it, Sir.”

“I, for one, do not care to see my face everywhere.”

Brie brushed her fingers over his jawline that was rough with morning stubble. “But it’s such a handsome face, Sir. I don’t mind one bit.”

He huffed in irritation. “It has serious repercussions, Brie. I doubt I will be taken seriously in the business world now.”

Brie frowned, suddenly felt nauseous. “I never considered that, Sir.”

Sir chuckled at her statement. “Why am I not surprised?” He pulled her head back and gently kissed her throat before biting it. His lips moved up to her ear. “I understood the consequences, but never considered they would belittle my life-style in this way.” He shook his head in disgust. “Facebook pages?”

“It’s kind of sweet, Sir,” Brie told him, kissing his chin.

“What it does is diminish my authority, Brie. We are not a sideshow to be gawked at and thereby dismissed.”

She finally understood the gravity of the situation. “What do you suggest I do, Sir?”

“Only respond to serious inquiries and ignore frivolous issues meant to distract. Your duty is more than simply garnering press for the documentary—it is also about being respectful to the community we are a part of. Whether or not Mr. Holloway agrees, I believe that takes precedence over the film.”

She understood his point and acquiesced. “I agree, Sir, and will do as you suggest.”

The positive attention they had enjoyed quickly turned dark when rumors spread that Sir had abandoned his dying mother. As quickly as people had embraced him, they turned and crucified him.

‘Woman-hater’ became Sir’s new title in the press. Clients he had worked with for years ended their association within hours of the accusations being released. The financial impact was terrible and swift.

Ruth had done her job well. She’d accomplished exactly what she’d promised. It broke Brie’s heart to see his reputation decimated, but Sir seemed unruffled. In fact, he smiled when she asked why he was so calm.

“This is a litmus test, Brie. Any client who would react to such a rumor is not worth my time.”

The next morning, everything changed yet again. Brie was watching the news with Lea and Mary. It amazed the girls how fickle the public could be and Lea was about to make a joke about it when Brie heard, “Next up, how you can help support Ruth Davis in her fight against cancer.”

Brie called Sir immediately.

His answer surprised her. “Good. It’s time the beast was flayed.”

The girls continued to watch the television and were soon rewarded with a newsflash. Under Sir’s orders, his lawyer had sent evidence of her falsified medical history to the major media outlets. It didn’t take long before the news that Ruth Davis was cancer-free spread like wildfire and all donations were halted.

Reporters then set out to discover the
real
story behind Ruth Davis and left no stone unturned in their pursuit. Within days, the murky state of her financial affairs came to light, as well as issues in her past—including her infidelity and the death of her husband, Alonzo Davis.

The negative press quickly transferred from Sir to Ruth, and in the aftermath droves of women naïvely flocked to the documentary to find out more about the tragic hero they knew as Sir Thane Davis.

What they found instead was the power of submission.

Farewell and Good Riddance

B
rie was on her knees, back straight, breasts out, her hands behind her back. The clock was ticking in the kitchen, marking each second until Master’s return.

She was startled by heavy pounding at the door. Brie cautiously approached it and peeked through the peephole, terrified it might be Sir’s mother.

She was shocked to find it was Ms. Clark.

“Open up! Open up now—I demand to have answers!”

Brie ran down the hallway and threw on a summer dress before returning to the door. “Sir’s not here, Ms. Clark, but I expect him in a few minutes.”

Ms. Clark answered in a condescending tone, “Then let me in to wait for him…”

“I have to get permission first,” Brie called through the door. She texted Sir and was told to let the fuming Domme in.

Brie unlocked the door, quelling her unease as she allowed Ms. Clark to enter. Her ex-trainer brushed past her as if she didn’t exist and headed straight for the couch. When Brie asked if there was anything she needed, Ms. Clark held up her hand and barked, “Do
not
speak to me.”

Brie backed away slowly and returned to the door to kneel in the proper position until Sir’s return.

The clock ticked loudly in the kitchen as the two waited. It was an unbearable silence, at least for Brie. Ms. Clark’s anger was palpable and her contempt for Brie equally apparent. So she closed her eyes and thought happy thoughts of being tied down by Sir, and of being tortured by his cock.

“Get that smirk off your face,” Ms. Clark snapped.

Brie instantly frowned for the Domme’s benefit, but in her head she begged,
Hurry home, Sir!

Relief came when she heard his keys in the door. Sir dropped them on the counter and patted her head as he passed, letting her know she could stand up and join him.

“What are you doing here, Samantha?”

“Why! Why, Thane? Why do you hate me?”

“Calm down and explain,” he ordered. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“Tell your sub to leave,” Ms. Clark demanded.

“No.”

Ms. Clark first looked shocked and then dismayed. In a subtle act of defiance, she turned her back on Brie before explaining, “You told them to let me go and now I’m no longer working for the Center.”

“Ah…” Sir took off his jacket and hung it up before joining her on the couch. “That had nothing to do with me, Samantha. That was your own fault.”

“What the hell do you mean?” Ms. Clark demanded.

“Did you really think your stunt at Brie’s party would have no consequences? All of the trainers were there, including the headmaster. With that one action, you demonstrated your utter lack of control. We’d seen it before with Brie, but unfortunately you never recovered, even after she’d left. The trainers must have decided it was time to give you the freedom you need to overcome that weakness.”

“But you
know
I am a damn good trainer. How could you let them do this to me?!”

“I was not involved. But truthfully, I am in agreement with their decision. You need to move forward. It is time you break from the past that has held you down.”

“What are you saying?” she said, her voice trembling as if she was about to cry.

“You have stuck by my side all these years with the mistaken hope that one day Durov would change his mind. I am telling you now—that will never happen.”

“But… I don’t believe it. Rytsar didn’t press charges that night. I know he did that for me. He cared enough to protect me, despite everything. It was a horrible mistake and I’ve done my penance with unfailing determination. I’ve been waiting patiently all these years for his forgiveness. I’ve learned my lesson and am ready for it to be granted.”

Sir shook his head. “Samantha, you are gravely mistaken. The reason he didn’t press charges had nothing to do with protecting you. What you did to him was so degrading he could not stomach bringing it before a judge. To this day, you’ve never owned up to the damage you caused him.”