PassionsTraining by Cara Carnes

Joe and Mark. The two men were some of the newest members of The Brigade but had proven a crowd favorite with their public scenes.
    The little sub sure loved spanking. Lance grumbled and shifted against the bar. It was going to be a long, long night. He glanced back at Viviana and anger surged within him. An unknown man wrapped his hand around her arm and spun her around.
    Chase grabbed his shoulder. “Don’t.”
    “Get your fucking hands off me.”
    “Man, it’ll be a fucking miracle if anyone speaks to her as it is. Once they scan her and find out you and Stryker are training her, they’ll knock each other over getting the hell away.”
    The stranger pointed to the floor.
    “Seriously, you two are some of the most intense motherfuckers around. The newer Doms almost piss their pants when y’all are around.” Chase shook his head. “Lorenzo is on tonight. Let him deal with it since he’s closer. Besides, it’ll give him a chance to plow out some of the freaking shit that crawled up his ass.”
     
    “I said get on your knees, cunt.”
    Terror clawed at Viviana. The urge to flee scurried within her, but she remained locked within her frozen body as the gruff words burned her insides. Fingers dug into her arm, shoving her to her knees.
    Say the freaking safe word. What was it?
    “Bitch, I’ll beat obedience into you if you don’t get on your knees.” The scary man with the overgrown beard and reddening face growled. “Now.”
    Viviana fell, sort of stumbled into an obedient kneeling out of fear. Being on the floor kept her farther away from him. Already a small crowd gathered. Shame echoed within her brain. She didn’t want this. His words fueled memories she’d stricken years ago.
    “Pretty pussy, cunt.” The man grabbed her hair. “Open that mouth, bitch. I’ve got something to feed you.”
    “Cobra.” The word tumbled out. She remained in position even though she wanted to crawl backward, flee the man tugging her hair.
    “What did you say to me, bitch?”
    Tears pooled in her eyes. “Cobra.” Her voice rose.
    The man’s hand rose. She winced, her eyes shut and braced for the blow. He always struck hard and fast. No, this wasn’t him. It was someone else. But he was too similar.
    Nothing.
    She blinked her eyes open, petrified of the man’s intentions. A group of men shoved him backward. Two of them wore black vests emblazoned with the Brigade symbol. Her gaze darted around. Lance wasn’t here.
    Why hadn’t he been there?
    A tear slid down her face. She gasped lungfuls of air and cringed as someone crouched before her. A warm hand cupped her face and forced her eyes to meet his.
    “Hi there, Viviana.”
    She’d met him before. Her brain struggled for the name perched on the edge of her tongue. Why couldn’t she remember? She was so freaking stupid.
    No. No she wasn’t.
    A worthless piece of trash.
    She battled the angered words from long ago and took another cleansing breath. The crowd had dispersed. The threat was gone, dragged toward the exit in a frenzy of angered shouts and foul words.
    “Thank you, Sir.”
    “You are very welcome.” He stood and held out his hand. “I’m Master Lorenzo. Let’s go sit down.”
    She nodded and accepted his hand. Her gaze darted around again.
    “I was closer than he was.”
    Heat rose in her cheeks. Had she been that obvious?
    “I suspect from the two men holding him at bay that it was decided his intervention would be a bad way to start the evening. Blood takes too long to clean up.” The teasing voice offered a release of tension in Viviana’s body.
    He sat on a leather sofa in a darkened corner and tugged her down until she was beside him. His hand draped over her shoulder, running through her hair. “You were very brave to use your safe word but still comply.”
    “I know I said it too early. I was scared. I know he hadn’t hurt me yet but…” She couldn’t explain why terror had seized her. Deep down she knew. The words haunted her,