Passion's Hope (The Doms of Passion Lake Book 3) (10 page)

“You’re a musician?” Lucas asked.

“Singer. Country, mostly.” She shrugged. “Some rock.”

Nik and Jay exchanged glances, but neither man said anything.

Lucas finished his examination of the cuts on her breasts. “Okay, sweetie,” he said. “I need you to stand up so I can check the welts on your bottom.”

“Oh, God,” she groaned. “This is so embarrassing.”

Nik pushed her up off his lap and stood up right behind her as she staggered a bit stiffly. Grabbing hold of her shoulders, he steadied her, turning her around so Lucas could see her ass. Reaching back, she lifted her skirt, holding it up out of the way while Nik stepped into her and put his arms around her. Lucas applied dabs of cream to a couple of locations. “Do you have any other injuries?” he asked, re-capping the cream.

Her hesitation told him the answer to that.

“Please let me see them, Charlotte.”

She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

“I think I’m a better judge of that than you are, sweetie. I need to look at them.”

“They’re—they’re in an embarrassing place.”

Lucas just smiled. “I’m a doctor. No place on a person’s body is embarrassing to me.”

She just gnawed on her lip, still hesitating. “Okay,” she finally relented. “But only if
they
look away.” She nodded her head toward Nik and Jay.

Lucas’s mouth worked. In reality he was biting his cheek to keep from laughing out loud. Nik and Jay were going to have their hands full with this one. “These men have just saved you from a beating,” Lucas pointed out calmly. “Surely you know what that means.”

For a long second she just stared at him, then slowly shook her head.

“You are a submissive, alone in a BDSM club without a Dom. It means that they have publicly proclaimed themselves your protectors. It means that, at least for this time and this place, they are your Doms, responsible for your safety and well-being. That includes being able to assure themselves that you are well and healthy.”

Still Charlotte hesitated.

“Please show him,
malyutka
.” Nik Rostov’s voice was low and gentle. “We aren’t going to hurt you. We would never hurt you.”

“Nik’s right,” Jay echoed. “We just want to make sure you’re not suffering any ill effects from the beating you took.”

With all three men looking up at her expectantly, Charlie finally relented. “Okay. But I need to be sitting.”

Without releasing her, Nik turned and sat back down on the sofa, tugging her after him. With a resigned sigh, she sank down onto his lap and spread her legs. All three men gasped at the mark high up on her inner thigh. Perry Bradford had bitten her. And the mark he’d left behind was badly infected. As Lucas lifted his hand, she gasped and flinched.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. I’m not going to touch it. It’s obviously painful. But it’s not included in the pictures you took of your injuries. So I’m going to take one now.” He lifted her phone and took a clear close-up of the bite mark. Then he handed the phone back to her. “Are you allergic to any medications?”

“Not that I know of.”

He capped the tube and put it back into his bag. He took out a blister pack with bright pink caplets. “This is a five-day Z-pack,” he said. “Take it as directed and your infections should clear up without any complications.” He handed her top back to her.

She pulled it down over her head and arms, and took the package from him. She had barely gotten herself covered when there was another knock on the door. It opened and in strode Jesse Colter. Jay jumped up from the sofa and stood practically at attention at his entrance. Charlie wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d saluted, that’s how much respect he evidently had for the man.

Jesse’s grim expression softened as soon as he saw Charlie. “Miss Fielding,” he said, approaching her and extending his hand, “I am Jesse Colter, one of the owners of Club Risqué. I am so sorry you were assaulted on my premises. Perry Bradford is an arrogant prick and I’m pleased to tell you that he will very shortly be enjoying the hospitality of the Marshall County Jail while he awaits arraignment on charges of aggravated assault.”

“Then I should be going to jail, too, since I hit him back.”

“Nonsense,” Jay, Nik, and Lucas all said in unison. “He attacked you! You were clearly defending yourself.”

“Don’t worry, Charlotte, we saw the whole thing,” Lucas added. “And we’ll be happy to testify on your behalf in any court.”

Jesse took both her hands, hunkering down in front of her, putting his face below hers to keep her from feeling threatened or overwhelmed. He could sense how skittish she was and he didn’t want her to bolt. “Do you know the young woman who was with Mr. Bradford?”

“No. I’ve never seen her before.”

“Her name is Karen Lunsford.”

Charlie shook her head. “Don’t recognize the name. Sorry.”

“My deputies are talking to her now.”

“Your deputies?”

He smiled. “I’m the police chief here in Marshall’s Creek. They’re trying to convince her to press charges. But she is reluctant. Besides, based on what I’ve heard regarding your injuries, I think you have a much more compelling case against Mr. Bradford. The charges would have a much better chance of sticking if the two of you were to file a joint complaint.”

“Sorry,” Charlie said bitterly. “Been there. Done that. After I escaped from his house, I called the Richmond police station. The Sergeant who took my call could barely contain his contempt. He said it was my word against Perry’s and that no jury would ever believe me.”

Jesse Colter’s lips thinned. “What was this Sergeant’s name?”

“Mario Sanchez. Third precinct.”

“Mike Conover, the Richmond police chief is a buddy of mine. An honorable man. And a Dom. A real Dom,” he added, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. “Not a strutting popinjay like Perry Bradford, who hides behind the lifestyle in order to justify abusing women. I’ve already talked to Chief Conover about him. It seems he has a reputation for cruelty and brutality and the City Attorney’s office has been trying for years to gather enough evidence against him to bring him to trial. But so far all of his victims have been like Miss Lunsford. Too terrified to testify against him. He’s been kicked out of every reputable club on the east coast. I don’t know how he managed to get invited to our Open House, but, rest assured, he will never set foot in here again. Or any club with which we are associated.” He released one of her hands and fished a piece of paper out of his pants pocket. “Here’s Chief Conover’s number,” he said, handing it to her. “He said to give him a call tomorrow morning and he’ll be happy to take your complaint himself.”

Charlie shook her head. “No. I’m not going back to Richmond. And there’s no way in hell I’m testifying against Perry Bradford. I know I told him I was going to, out there in the hallway, but Sergeant Sanchez was right. He’s rich and powerful and I’m just a waitress in a sleazy diner. Or was, before they fired me for not showing up for work. Perry can be very charming. He can also be very convincing. He sure convinced me. He had me believing he was kind and caring and ethical, when all the time he was a sadistic monster trolling for his next victim.”

“We can charge him with kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, rape, and torture. We’ll ask for a high bail amount.”

Charlie made an exasperated sound. “Doesn’t matter how high you make it. He’s rich! He’ll make bail in less than an hour. And then he’ll be really, really pissed. At me. Uh-uh.” She shook her head again. “No way am I putting myself in that man’s sights again.”

“He’s a smug, arrogant bastard who already thinks he’s above the law,” Jesse said, a bit more testily than he intended. “If you don’t press charges, the next woman he does this to might wind up dead.”

“Yeah, and if I
do
press charges,
I
might wind up dead. No thanks.” She stood and bent to pick up her purse, slinging it over her shoulder. The smell of food from the ruined hors d’oeuvres wafted up to her nostrils. She’d have to toss it in the garbage can as soon as she got the chance. It was beyond ruined.
Oh, crap. My keys are in there! Ugh.
She tried desperately to project an image of calm control, but inside she was at war with herself. Tonight she had seen the best and worst of the D/s spectrum. The rapture that could be found in the type of highly charged sexual and emotional connection like the one between Sarah, Jesse, and Adam. And the deep trust that had been exhibited between Nik and Jay. That love and trust had been a palpable presence in the room. And the part of Charlie that recognized that she belonged in this dark, shadowy world also recognized the deep yearning that filled her soul for exactly that sort of relationship. On the other hand, the part of her that had experienced the horrors that came from placing her trust in the wrong person, was terrified of ever putting herself in such a vulnerable position again.

Coming here had been both a revelation and a huge mistake and the sooner she put this place behind her, the better. She rose from Nik’s lap and held her hand out to Jesse. “I’m sorry I created such a scene. If there are any damages, I’ll be happy to pay for them.”

Yeah, right. As long as it doesn’t cost more than twenty-seven dollars and fifty-nine cents.

“Charlotte.” Nik rose from his seat on the couch and stood behind her.

It was Nik’s voice. That deep,
basso profundo
voice that lifted the sound of her name from the ordinary to the sublime. That heavy, raspy voice that snatched the breath from her lungs and wouldn’t give it back. Compressing her lips between her teeth, she slowly raised her eyes, only to find herself drowning in the black, fathomless depths of his. They were like a physical touch, robbing her of her ability to think, obliterating brain cells one by one. This man was sexual kryptonite.

At six feet eight he was tall enough to make her feel almost petite. And he really was the most diabolically handsome man she had ever seen. With that long, shaggy hair, the scruffy, three-day growth of beard, the gold hoop in his ear, he commanded attention, even in a room full of sexy Doms. And she gave him that attention, wanting to turn away, yet unable to. Floundering, her hands fluttering as if she were reaching for a lifeline, she felt his much bigger ones close around hers, warm and sheltering, giving her the quiet, unspoken support she sought.

“You came here to eat,
malinkaya
. You have not done so. Allow us to bring you some food. You can sit here and eat while Master Jay and I talk with Master Jesse and Master Lucas. When you’re done, if you still want to leave, we will escort you safely out to your car and you can be on your way.”

“No, really, I’m not hungry.” Even as she spoke the words, her stomach growled so loudly that every one of the four men in the room quirked an eyebrow at her. “Okay, that’s a lie,” she said sheepishly. “I
am
hungry.”

“I’ll bring you a plate,” Jay gave her a cheeky grin and waggled his eyebrows. “If the goo all over your fingers was any indication, I know exactly which ones to pick out.”

She laughed, feeling a strange tingling sensation in her hand where his tongue had licked the cheesy residue off her fingers. Jay was like an eager puppy. But a damned sexy puppy.

Yeah? Don’t let that fool you. Perry Bradford was sexy, too. Look where
that
got you.

But the vision of Jay Gillespie bent over the spanking bench with Nik pounding away at his ass refused to be dislodged from her mind. And that plug!
Oh. Migod!
That had to be the hottest thing she had ever seen.

She watched Jay go, every cell in her body aware that Nik still held her hands in his. And that he was looking at her. The heat from his body engulfed her like a warm blanket. The heat from his gaze set her on fire. The way she reacted to these men terrified her. It was like she was in some sort of hypnotic trance.
Oh, God, I’ve got to get out of here before I do something
really
stupid.

Yeah? Because putting your hand in a purse full of goo wasn’t stupid enough.

Fortunately Jay came back with a plate full of hors d’oeuvres. Taking her elbow, he turned her toward the couch. “If milady will have a seat.” He guided her down onto the cushion and snapped to attention. “If it please milady,” he said in a perfect, snooty, upper-crust English accent, “I would like to present this fine collation of succulent savories and delectable dainties from the buffet.” With a flourish, he bowed from the waist and presented the plate, balanced precariously on the tips of his fingers. Removing the linen napkin that was draped over his arm, he snapped it open and laid it on her lap. “Milady’s napkin.” With theatrical flair, he placed the plate exactly in the center of the linen square. “Milady’s repast.” He gave it a neat quarter turn before snapping back to attention. “And…” He snapped his fingers and a smiling waiter stepped forward, holding out a glass of golden champagne. “Milady’s beverage. For the delectation of your palate, may I present this fine French champagne of superior vintage, guaranteed to tantalize the taste buds and tickle the nose.”

In spite of herself, Charlie laughed and took the champagne flute in her hand. “Thank you, young man. I must say the service in this establishment is impeccable.”