Duke (27 page)

“
She has privileges,” Duke told him. “Every man here is aware she’s carrying, and good with it, but even if we weren’t, she wouldn’t be harmed. I’d pay the fine and she’d be banned for however long we voted, but she’d come to no physical harm.”

At this, Mike spoke up. “You’d pay her fine?” He sounded doubtful.

Before Duke could answer, Brain stepped forward with a jump drive and offered it to Detective Johnson. “Here’s the video up until a micro-second before Gen took him down. I have the rest if you want it, but I’m hoping this’ll be all you need.”

The detective nodded. “Let’s start with this. Don’t erase the rest, in case my bosses want to see it, but I’m betting they’ll prefer to go the plausible deniability route and never see the rest.”

Duke stepped away from Gen and shook the detective’s hand, as well as each of the four uniformed officers, and thanked them for their time and professionalism.

When the door closed behind them, Brain said, “Okay, give us the parking lot on the main TV in here, please.”

Gen assumed he was talking to whoever he left in the control room, and looked towards the TV to see the feed come on.

“
Well,” Detective Johnson was saying to Mike, “at least now we know why you’ve had such a hard-on to take down Bevering. You’ve really stepped in it this time. We’ll leave your car here, you’re riding back with me.”

“
I have him on
tape
admitting to being a pimp! Talking about how it worked in Atlanta, how they were going about it a little different here, more high class but basically the same. It isn’t just speculation anymore! I have
proof
!”

“
Yeah, proof we can’t use, you stupid
fuck
.”

As soon as they were all in their vehicles, Duke looked to Brain. “Get Martinson on the phone, I want him on this
tonight
. When the police conduct the warrant and get copies of the audio and video, I want them to listen to the first five or ten minutes, just enough to prove his guilt, and see he did, indeed, get audio and video of the inside of her home. Then I want all copies destroyed in order to protect Gen’s privacy. No one gets to see her naked, no one gets to hear her talking to me during sex.”

He looked at Gen. “If I’d known why McPherson was after us, why it seemed so personal, I could’ve handled this different. Any other ex-boyfriend cops I need to know about?”

“
I’m sorry, I didn’t know he’d targeted you. I’d have told you if I’d known.”

“
Understood. Any others we need to know about?”

She shook her head. “I went out with the Fort Oglethorpe Police Chief once, found out he was just starting to date again after his fourth divorce, and told him I didn’t think it was going to work out between us.”

“
When was this?”

“
A few weeks before I ended up drunk at your bar?”

A muscle in his jaw jerked. “You make it a habit? Dating cops?”

“
No. I thought I was having dinner with friends, turns out it was a triple date, they brought guys and arranged for me to have one, too. They thought it was past time I started dating again after Mike, and didn’t believe me when I told them I was done with men.”

At that, he smiled. “Still done with men?”

“
Only the play-pretend men, obviously.”

Several of the men laughed, a few gave small war-whoops, and Duke walked her back to the sofa. Sheila came to her, gave her a hug. “What’s the use of having a bad-ass boyfriend if you keep taking down the bad guys, hon? He’s gonna need to come to your rescue at some point. Maybe give him a shot, next time?”

Gen laughed. “Oh, I don’t think he’d have gotten away with pummeling a police officer, and it’s looking like I may have.” She turned and looked at him to add, “Besides, I’m thinking this was my mess to clean up, since it was my ex making life difficult for them.”

Duke didn’t confirm or deny her statement, but touched her cheek and said, “We need to have a meeting, you can stay here and talk to the women, or wait for me in the back.” He pulled her to him, put his mouth to her ear. “He touched you. You smell like him. My wolf would like for you to take a shower and put on the shirt I was wearing earlier, so you’ll smell like me when I join you in bed.”

Gen knew all the wolves could hear him, that their conversation hadn’t been private, and her face burned hot again in embarrassment. However, she just smiled and nodded, and turned towards the back hallway.

“
Duchess!” Brain yelled as she neared the door. She turned to look at him and he said, “You’ve just disgraced the detective who compiled most of the proof they had against us. My guess is their case is shit now, and our attorney will make it clear any proof gained before or after today’s date will be called into question because they had an officer taking illegal surveillance of the club’s president talking to his girlfriend in bed. You have nothing to clean up. You did good, Babe.”

“
Yeah she did,” said Bash, and then another half dozen of the men agreed, too.

Gen looked at Duke, who didn’t say anything, and she closed her eyes to turn back towards the hallway.

“
Gen?” Duke finally said.

She turned and met his gaze, refusing to look down or flinch, and he said, “We’re good, Beautiful. I just need to get the sight of his hands on you out of my head. Okay?”

She smiled, grateful he explained, and went to get Mike’s smell off of her in Duke’s tiny little stand-up shower.

She was soaped up when he came in, and she jumped as he reached a hand in and grabbed the soap. “Hands on the wall, Gen.”

Her eyes met his a brief second, she saw the wolf peeking out, and turned and did as he said. She wasn’t afraid of him, but didn’t have the nerve to tell him no right now, either.

He washed her back, then her bottom, and she yelped as his fingers went into her crack. His other hand pushed her chest into the wall as soapy fingers touched her bottom hole, as if he were making sure it was clean, and she squealed as she tried to get away.

His hands left her and he said, “Okay, now you’re clean. Make sure you rinse well, Beautiful.”

Gen came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her, but when she went to the drawer with his shirts, he said, “No. Come here.”

She walked to him, but said, “Would it hurt to say please, every once in a while?”

He smiled and reached for her, tugging her onto the bed as he said, “Come here,
please
.”

His face grew serious and he said, “One more comment on tonight, and then I’m done.”

She nodded and he told her, “I never bothered to look into your ex because he was gone before I arrived on the scene. In the future, Beautiful, anyone in your life who’s a cop? Would be good for you to bring to my attention.” He shook his head. “Asshole’s been a thorn in our side and I didn’t have a clue why.”

“
I’m sorry, Duke. If I’d known…” She sighed. “All I can say is I’m sorry, and I did my best to fix it.”

His smile told her everything was going to be okay. “You did awesome tonight, Gen. I’m always gonna put someone on you if I think my life is spilling onto yours, but I like knowing you can take care of yourself, if push comes to shove. You’re such a little thing, but once you set your mind to something, nothing stops you.”

He reached to the side table and picked up a glass… something. “This is called a butt plug, and it’s one of the smaller sizes available. I bought it brand new, just for you.”

Gen shook her head as her eyes went from the depraved glass object to his eyes. “You suck at gift giving. I have a BFF, I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to assist you if you need help in the future.”

Duke put it in her hand and wrapped her fingers around it. “As much as I adore Bethany, something tells me you don’t
really
want her helping me buy our sex toys.”

“
Duke!”

He flipped her over on the bed, his lips angling to hers as he chuckled, but the sparkle in his eyes turned dark as the kiss intensified, and Gen’s eyes closed as Duke once again overwhelmed every one of her senses.

He’d scared her a little with the plug, and yet she wanted him, wanted whatever was going to happen. He hadn’t hurt her yet, and she’d enjoyed everything he’d done… even his not letting her orgasm had been a little hot, if she were honest.

He pulled her towel away as his mouth drove her crazy. When she thought she’d go mad, he lifted up, put a glove on his right hand, dipped it in a jar, and rubbed his fingers together. His mouth was on her again, and a gloved finger on her bottom hole.

“
No, Duke!”

He lifted his head and his gaze nearly took her breath away. “I’ll stop if you really want me to, Beautiful, but I can smell your arousal and it’s beating your fear hands down. Let me do what I want, tell me if something hurts or truly doesn’t feel good, but trust me, okay?”

Her head nodded acquiescence before she could refuse him, and she gasped as his tongue stroked her clit before moving down.

Once again, his slick, gloved finger touched near her bottom hole, but he didn’t try to push in, just rubbed around it, almost massaged the area. Eventually, she relaxed and accepted it.

Until he pushed a finger inside, and she wasn’t relaxed anymore, but he didn’t say anything as he gently pushed in while his mouth drove her crazy.

It felt good, and yet
wrong
, but it was Duke and she trusted him, and if she didn’t get to orgasm soon she might lose her mind.

By the time he pushed the beautiful swirled glass into her, she was used to his finger. The toy was ultra smooth, and with the oil it slid in, but it opened her a little more than his finger and she gasped just before it went narrow again.

“
So proud of you, Beautiful. This one’s small so it won’t stay in without help. Need you up on all fours so I can hold it in while I fuck you.” His voice was rougher than usual, his eyes practically wolf, and Gen rolled over and went to her hands and knees without arguing.

Gen awakened the next morning and went straight to the bathroom, embarrassed at what they’d done the night before.

And yet, deliciously sore.

Duke was sitting on the edge of the bed when she returned, and she slowed as she saw the look in his eyes.

“
New game this morning, Babe.” He pulled her to him, tipped her sideways and caught her as if she were an infant, then situated her on the bed, facing up.

“
Hold onto the bars of the headboard.”

She lifted her arms, grasped the cool iron bars, her gaze locked with his. There was no wolf this morning, it was all Duke.

“
Hold on the entire time and you’ll get unlimited orgasms until we leave the room for breakfast. Let go and you’ll have to do something to earn every orgasm I give you.”

Duke started at her breasts, his mouth worked the sides, and finally landed on her nipples. She yelped as he pulled one into his mouth, the suction strong enough she wondered if it were possible to get a hickey on your nipple.

When he finally entered her, she was holding onto the bars for dear life, and as she came for the fourth or fifth time, she begged, “Please let me hold you?”

“
Mmmm. Not yet, Beautiful. Let me love you.” His finger swiped over her nipple, and she braced her feet on the bed and lifted her hips to meet him, since she couldn’t reciprocate any other way.

“
That’s it, Gen. Fuck me back, let me see how bad you want it, how bad you want
me
.”

He made her orgasm three more times before he told her she could wrap her arms around him, and when she came the next time he pounded her even harder through the orgasm, and then growled and grunted as he finally let loose and came, looking into her eyes as he did.

He tucked her into his side, kissed her forehead and the top of her head as he said, “Love you so much, Gen. My wolf has claimed you, Babe. He sees you as my Duchess, too.”

* * * *

An hour later, Gen found herself in the kitchen with the other women. As they made bacon and eggs, Gen went to the sink and washed as the women finished with an item.

Sheila entered the kitchen, saw her, and joined her, reaching for a towel and offering to dry. Gen knew the kitchen likely wasn’t usually completely silent as the women worked, but didn’t know what to do or say.

Finally, Sheila said, “All right ladies, let’s get it out in the open. Gen’s new and she likely has no clue how you all feel.”

No one said anything, so Gen said, “How do ya’ll feel? Have I done something to make you upset with me?”

Sheila sighed and explained, “Before yesterday, only the two women who were present when you throat punched Duke knew you had weapons privileges, but there were too many here last night to keep it quiet, so now everyone knows.”

“
What does that mean?” Gen asked.

“
Don’t know,” one of the many skinny blonde bitches said. “No woman’s ever been given privilege before, other than the occasional woman police officer here on official business, and that ain’t privilege so much as a warrant they cain’t argue with.”

Another woman gave a horrid, bitter, laugh. “One of
us
throat punched our old man, we’d be in a world a hurt. You do it and they vote to allow you a gun on RTMC grounds. What the fuck?”

Gen turned to her, kept her voice light. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“
Veronica, but I ain’t your sweetheart.”

“
Well, Veronica, it’s my understanding the vote went my way the second time because I earned their respect. I could’ve hurt Duke,
bad
, but they recognized I didn’t. I measured my response to put him down long enough to get away without seriously injuring him. That, along with the fact I’m well trained and a darned good shot, showed them I’m not a kindergartner masquerading as a grown woman, and can be trusted with a weapon. Not to use against them, but to have their backs if needed. And last night?
No one had to come to my rescue
. I took care of every problem — legal, physical, and emotional — without a single club member having to lift a finger to do anything more than make sure it was recorded. Perhaps you might want to do something that earns respect, if you want it, instead of just sniveling and wishing you had it.”