Saving Micah (Sequel to Conquering Jude) (8 page)

“And endure the scene where you told me, sorry but you’re just a play sub, Micah? Thanks but no thanks.”

She spun around to look at him. He was standing with the jeans she’d purchased for him riding low on his hips, exposing his tight abs and healing bruises. The shirt was still missing, but it didn’t surprise her considering the fact the IV was still in his arm. “And what makes you think it would’ve been that way?”

He gave a non-communicative shrug before tossing the hospital gown on the bed.

“Use your words,
mal-chick.
If you’re gonna fight with me, do it the right way. Don’t hide behind shrugs and glares.”

“It doesn’t matter, Mistress. It’s in the past. I have a new life here and as soon as I’ve healed you’ll be on the next plane northbound.” He sat down to clumsily pull on his socks.

She gaped at him in shock, his words raking over already open wounds. “You thought I came down here to do nothing more than help you heal before taking off again?”

He glanced over at her, his blue eyes carefully blank. “Yes. That’s exactly what you’re doing. You may be a Domme, Olivia, but a damn caring one. You look at me and see the foolish self-destructive man you helped save. But things have changed - I’m not that man anymore. I don’t need your pity.”

She folded her arms over her chest, while she fought to keep her cool. “That may be so, but I didn’t save you, Micah Beaumont. You decided to pull your head out of your ass and take the outlet I offered - nobody else. I’m here because I care about the man I thought you’d become – the submissive who touched my heart when I least expected – one that could’ve demanded you stay at Thanksgiving, but instead let you go. Think about that next time you think I’m doing any of this out of pity.” She moved towards the door.

“Wait!” He sounded frantic but she’d had enough. Her emotions were stretched so taut she barely noticed Jude. He lifted a hand to her, but she shook her head. She needed a few minutes to regain her composure before the hour long ride to the safe house.

“I’ll send someone down to take his IV out. Please help him finish dressing.” She didn’t stop to see if he’d agree, but knew he’d do it without complaint. God what was she going to do with the bitter wreck that had replaced the spunky young man she’d known in Chicago. The idea she may have caused some of it with her thoughtless ignorance stung.

* * * *

Jude watched his Mistress disappear around the corner into the small waiting lounge. He turned back to face Micah. The man looked even worse than Olivia had after their time alone. Sitting on the bed facing the window, Micah was staring out into space. If Jude had ever seen a more dejected man, he didn’t know when it was.

“Well that obviously didn’t go well.” He retrieved the new shoes from the box lying on the hospital tray next to Micah. Sitting down in the chair closest to the bed, Jude patted his thigh. When Micah didn’t move, he sighed. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Either way, you can’t leave the hospital without shoes, man. It’s only February and still cold enough where you’ll need them.”

“Give them to me.” Micah held his hand out.

“You’re being ridiculous. If you bend over to put them on you’re gonna pull out those damn stitches they just fixed. Do you honestly like pain?”

Micah stared at him. “I used to.”

Jude cocked his head at him. “Even the masochist I knew from Chicago knew the difference between this kind of pain and the type that had him coming like a geyser.”

“I’m not that man anymore.”

Jude sat there holding the shoe and wondered how to deal with this new Micah. “Are you sure about that? There must be some of him left, because I’m certain I saw him yesterday as he was coming to. I remember the seeing relief and love on your face at the sight of our Mistress.”

Micah gave a half-assed, croaking bark of laughter. “You’re hallucinating, Larson.”

Jude shook his head, lifting Micah’s foot to his thigh while the man was distracted. “No, I’m not…nor was I hallucinating when I saw it the last time we shared Mistress. You may have thought you hid it from her by burying your face in her shoulder…” He quickly slipped the shoe on and tied it. “But I saw it. I saw all the love you felt for her.”

“Maybe I did care for her…but I’m not that man anymore. I won’t settle for just scraps of her attention.” He looked away as Jude slipped on the other shoe. “I deserve more.”

Jude stilled as understanding flowed through him. Standing up, he placed himself between Micah and the view. Placing his hands on his hips, he shook his head in frustration. “Of course you do, but the rest of it? It’s pure bullshit. Why the hell would you ever think you have to settle for crumbs with Mistress?”

Micah continued to look out the window.

“I’m not letting this go, Micah Beaumont. Either you answer me, or we stand here all day which will end up getting my ass in hot water - but you know what…” He leaned into the other man’s face. “…you’re fucking worth every ass whippin’ I get.”

Jude smiled when his words finally caused a reaction. Micah pushed him away. “What the fuck do you care? Both you and Mistress let me go.”

Jude stood up chuckling, running a hand through his hair. “You are such an idiot, Micah. Of course we let you. Ever hear the expression ‘if you love something you let it go’?”

Micah eyed him warily. “We love you. You were excited about this promotion. We weren’t going to stop you – but we always planned on having you return.”

Chapter Seven

Micah stared through the tinted window of the SUV as the passing scenery of homes and urban sprawl gave way to countryside. It was nearing dusk but he could still make out the vague outlines of the hardwood trees as they traveled northwest out of the city. He wasn’t sure where Olivia and Jude were sending him, but it sure as hell wasn’t his tiny one bedroom apartment in St. Bernard Parish. Like many people in his office, he commuted into the city once a week and spent the rest of his time telecommuting. He idly wondered about what his boss thought of his absence.

“When we get wherever we’re going, I need to get a hold of my boss.”

In the front of the SUV Ethan nodded. “Not a problem, man. I’ve already been by your apartment and gotten your laptop and some clothing. It’ll all be waiting for you at the safe house.”

Surprise flowed through him. He’d lost his apartment keys during the attack along with his shoes and other outer garments. He’d figured he have to get a replacement set from his landlord, the incomparably nosy Mrs. Thibeaux. “How’d you get in?”

Ethan chuckled as he merged onto a secondary road. “Boy, there isn’t a lock out there I can’t get around.”

Micah closed his eyes and pressed his head against the cool glass as they came back up to speed. “Just what I need, another security guru like Jude in my life – a wise ass Injun no less.”

“And don’t you forget it,” Ethan crowed before turning up the Zydico music. The blaring of the drums and washboards battered Micah’s ears. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he prayed wherever they were going they would get there quickly – even if it meant he was going to have to deal with the reality of being alone in a house with Olivia and Jude.

Jude’s earlier revelations had sent him reeling. He’d had no idea his former Mistress and friend had anything more than a passing affection for him as a sometimes third member of a their sometimes ménage. The idea that their feelings for him might have been deeper was mind-boggling. He wasn’t sure how he was going to handle being around them since now his main objection was gone.
Well, maybe not gone. Jude just claimed they let me go because they cared. He said nothing about wanting me to be a permanent part of their lives. It’ll still probably go as I expect – they’ll stick around until I’m back on my feet and then both of them will be gone.

“Hey, you hungry, man?” Ethan’s question broke through his depressing thoughts as the man turned down the radio once more.

He opened his eyes, figuring the man was thinking of passing through a fast food joint. It’d been several hours since he’d poked at the dry, overdone chicken breast and limp salad the hospital staff had called lunch. “I suppose I could eat – as long as it doesn’t piss off Olivia and Jude.” He still wasn’t sure why they had decided to drive separately. They had said it was so they could stop at a local Winn-Dixie to stock up, but he was sure a lot of it had to do with the way he’d acted first with Olivia and then Jude at the hospital.
Not that I’d blame them. I can’t expect them to want to be around me, when I can’t even stand myself.

Ethan shrugged his shoulders. “I doubt they’ll even realize we stopped. We’ll probably still get there before them, even if we do stop and take an hour supper break. They said something about meeting up with someone called Brigit. She evidently has some information about your attack.”

Micah tensed. “I wish they’d just leave it alone. It’s none of their business…”

A boom of laughter echoed through the vehicle. “You’ve got a screw loose if you think Dickens is gonna let your attack go. He’s like a goddamn dog with a bone when it comes to you. He’ll find out who attacked you and make them pay.”

“But it’s not their…”

Ethan gave a put out sigh. “You just don’t get it, do you? Whether you think it’s over between you or not, Jude Larson still considers you his friend, even if you never let him into your bed again. And he protects his friends. Hell, when we were in the Rangers, nobody fucked with the rest of the unit – his wrath was legendary.” He grinned at Micah through the rearview mirror. “Now enough of that – it’ll put me off my feed for sure if I think about it too long and hard, and I’m hungry. The three sandwiches the missus made me for lunch are long gone. And I’m a growing boy.”

Surprise rushed through Micah. He’d seen the sandwiches Ethan had eaten – the lucky bastard. Piled high with what looked like succulent roast beef, sharp cheddar cheese, thick slices of ruby red tomatoes, and crisp lettuce on sliced baguettes, they’d had his mouth watering.

“Anyway I know this place just a few miles ahead. It has the best Cajun food around. We’ll stop there and grab something. They have big portions that will stick with us until we get to the safe house. We have at least another hour drive before we get to where we’re going.”

His stomach heaved. “Oh dear lord, don’t let it be a Popeye’s.” He’d tried their spicy chicken when he’d first moved down here, and the result was heartburn for days afterwards.

“Naw, man – that lame ass chicken can’t even be considered Cajun. The place we’re stopping has the best seafood jambalaya around. I have to stop there every time I get out this way.”

They slowed down as a small mom and pop restaurant came into view. Ethan flicked on the turn signal. “Sorry, I don’t swing that way. Besides I think I’ll leave that to Dickens and Olivia.”

* * * *

Following his luscious Mistress’s ass up the walk to the older home at the northern end of the French Quarter, Jude felt the familiar pull of need. It didn’t matter they were going to meet the infamous Mistress B.B. to talk about her findings and get a plan of action together. What mattered was the fact his body – even though replete from his quickie earlier in the day - thought it was playtime.

Standing behind her as Olivia knocked on the door, he wondered if after all this business with Micah’s attack was over, he could convince both Mistress and Micah to come here and have a scene. It’d been too long since he indulged in a threesome at the club. In fact, the last time had been the memorable night when he’d accepted the fact there was nothing wrong with wanting to submit. Now he hungered for another threesome – this time with the two people who held his heart.

His jaw dropped as the largest man he’d ever seen in his life answered the door. Standing just shy of seven feet, the man had long flowing blond hair which laid rumpled across his massive shoulders.
He has to be pushing three-seventy five.
But it wasn’t his sheer size that floored Jude. It was the fact the man was wearing a collar around his neck and sheer male harem pants. They left nothing to the imagination.
I can’t believe he actually answered the door wearing that.

“Yes?” The man’s rumbling voice sounded like thunder.

He moved closer to his Mistress. He didn’t think the man would attack, but it couldn’t help to be careful.

“Hello. You must be Sampson.” When the man nodded, she continued on. “Your Mistress named you aptly. I’m Mistress Olivia. I have an appointment to see your Mistress.”

“Yes, Mistress, please come in.” Sampson gave her a small bow before ushering them inside. As the door closed behind them, Jude took in his surroundings.
Bête à Bon Dieu
was nothing like
Olivia’s
, but the ornate wood work and crème colored walls gave the club a warm homey feel.
It isn’t bad for a club – but it just isn’t home.
He was drawn back into the conversation as Sampson led them towards a slim staircase.