her, you intimidating bastard,” he said.
Rather
than striking Alex dead somehow—she didn't know how, but he looked like he
could—Drake gave a deep laugh and took the other end of the couch. Her sigh of
relief faded when he held his hand out to her again. He waited, palm up in a
silent demand, until she'd given him hers. But Alex held her now, and somehow
that made everything better.
Drake's
hand was warm and dry, firm, with oddly placed calluses. “ MacKensie ,
I own Chains.” He glanced at Alex with a glimmer of a smile. “A few friends
invested, but the ultimate authority is mine. You were victimized in my club.
Although I can't remove the memory, I must try to make it right.”
He nodded
toward Cynthia, who still knelt in the corner. “After the barmaid identified
her, a friend in the police force matched her fingerprints to the ones on the
note. I wanted to turn her over to the police, but…” He sighed and rubbed his
chin.
MacKensie tried
to pull her hand away. Obviously the rich, beautiful Cynthia had either cried
or bought him off or—
“The club
operates under very stringent rules of privacy,” Drake said, interrupting her
unspoken tirade. “To convict her would require a trial and witnesses. You would
have to take the stand.”
Mac's
mouth dropped open. “Me?” She hadn't thought it through at all.
Drake
tilted his head. “Alex said you're starting a career here. He doubted you'd
want to be identified as having visited a BDSM club, let alone having had an
altercation like this one.”
“Oh
God, no.” A whole new life and reputation ruined.
“Good
call, then.” The black gaze flickered to Alex before returning to her. “So we
were left in a quandary. To have undermined the lifestyle in such a calculated
way and to have instigated such a cruel act—such behavior cannot be permitted.
So Cynthia received a choice.”
Mac could
feel her hand trembling in his grasp; so could he, for he covered her fingers
with his other hand.
“Either
arrest and prosecution to the full extent of the law—or she could receive
exactly what she had planned for you. Willingly.” His
eyes rested on Cynthia for a moment, and Mac shivered at the merciless look in
them.
He gave
Mac a faint smile. “Cynthia has no idea that you wouldn't enjoy publicly
shaming her in court and destroying the social standing that means so much to
her. So she signed not only a confession but an agreement to make things right.
She and Steel are here tonight so that you, as the injured party, as well as
Alex, can bear witness.”
“ She could receive exactly what she had planned .”
Mac didn't want to think about Steel's actions, but would he have stopped at
whipping her? What would have been the inevitable conclusion of that scene?
“No,” Mac
whispered. “No rape.” She tried to straighten up against the painful clenching
in her stomach. “I don't want that for her. Not for anyone.”
“You know
your sub well, don't you?” Drake nodded to Alex, a glint of amusement in his
eyes. Lifting Mac's hand, he kissed her fingers. “You have a soft heart, chérie . It shall
be as you wish.” His mouth thinned. “However, the whipping is nonnegotiable.”
Chapter Ten
His little
sub was warm and soft in Alex's arms, content to be held as Drake walked over
to Steel and spoke with him briefly. When Steel crossed the room and grabbed
Cynthia by the hair, Mac's eyes went wide with distress.
Alex
tightened his arms. “ Shhh .”
Steel
pulled Cynthia to her feet, and the brunette cringed when she realized who
would dispense her punishment. “No!”
“' Fraid so, girl. Let's get this over with.”
Steel marched her to where Drake held open the door to the small dungeon. After
nodding at Steel, Drake closed the soundproofed door behind the two and walked
over to join the other Doms .
“ MacKensie ,” Alex said quietly, “I didn't think you'd want
to watch. But if you do—”
“No.” Mac shuddered
and buried her
Rather
than striking Alex dead somehow—she didn't know how, but he looked like he
could—Drake gave a deep laugh and took the other end of the couch. Her sigh of
relief faded when he held his hand out to her again. He waited, palm up in a
silent demand, until she'd given him hers. But Alex held her now, and somehow
that made everything better.
Drake's
hand was warm and dry, firm, with oddly placed calluses. “ MacKensie ,
I own Chains.” He glanced at Alex with a glimmer of a smile. “A few friends
invested, but the ultimate authority is mine. You were victimized in my club.
Although I can't remove the memory, I must try to make it right.”
He nodded
toward Cynthia, who still knelt in the corner. “After the barmaid identified
her, a friend in the police force matched her fingerprints to the ones on the
note. I wanted to turn her over to the police, but…” He sighed and rubbed his
chin.
MacKensie tried
to pull her hand away. Obviously the rich, beautiful Cynthia had either cried
or bought him off or—
“The club
operates under very stringent rules of privacy,” Drake said, interrupting her
unspoken tirade. “To convict her would require a trial and witnesses. You would
have to take the stand.”
Mac's
mouth dropped open. “Me?” She hadn't thought it through at all.
Drake
tilted his head. “Alex said you're starting a career here. He doubted you'd
want to be identified as having visited a BDSM club, let alone having had an
altercation like this one.”
“Oh
God, no.” A whole new life and reputation ruined.
“Good
call, then.” The black gaze flickered to Alex before returning to her. “So we
were left in a quandary. To have undermined the lifestyle in such a calculated
way and to have instigated such a cruel act—such behavior cannot be permitted.
So Cynthia received a choice.”
Mac could
feel her hand trembling in his grasp; so could he, for he covered her fingers
with his other hand.
“Either
arrest and prosecution to the full extent of the law—or she could receive
exactly what she had planned for you. Willingly.” His
eyes rested on Cynthia for a moment, and Mac shivered at the merciless look in
them.
He gave
Mac a faint smile. “Cynthia has no idea that you wouldn't enjoy publicly
shaming her in court and destroying the social standing that means so much to
her. So she signed not only a confession but an agreement to make things right.
She and Steel are here tonight so that you, as the injured party, as well as
Alex, can bear witness.”
“ She could receive exactly what she had planned .”
Mac didn't want to think about Steel's actions, but would he have stopped at
whipping her? What would have been the inevitable conclusion of that scene?
“No,” Mac
whispered. “No rape.” She tried to straighten up against the painful clenching
in her stomach. “I don't want that for her. Not for anyone.”
“You know
your sub well, don't you?” Drake nodded to Alex, a glint of amusement in his
eyes. Lifting Mac's hand, he kissed her fingers. “You have a soft heart, chérie . It shall
be as you wish.” His mouth thinned. “However, the whipping is nonnegotiable.”
Chapter Ten
His little
sub was warm and soft in Alex's arms, content to be held as Drake walked over
to Steel and spoke with him briefly. When Steel crossed the room and grabbed
Cynthia by the hair, Mac's eyes went wide with distress.
Alex
tightened his arms. “ Shhh .”
Steel
pulled Cynthia to her feet, and the brunette cringed when she realized who
would dispense her punishment. “No!”
“' Fraid so, girl. Let's get this over with.”
Steel marched her to where Drake held open the door to the small dungeon. After
nodding at Steel, Drake closed the soundproofed door behind the two and walked
over to join the other Doms .
“ MacKensie ,” Alex said quietly, “I didn't think you'd want
to watch. But if you do—”
“No.” Mac shuddered
and buried her
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