Chapter 32
Rissa stood at the railing of the balcony overlooking the main room of The ShadowDance Club with a mixture of fear, horror, and exhilaration. She loved special events at The Club and had always dreamed of attending with her own Dom rather than standing on the sidelines just watching. She’d been disappointed when no one had asked her to attend with them.Hell, who am I kidding, I was hoping Mitch Grayson would ask me, but he obviously isn’t as interested in me as I am in him. Time to move on, Clarissa Jean…dreamin’ don’t make it so.She laughed to herself when she realized her self-talk sounded an awfully like her sweet granny.
Rissa had grown tired of waiting for someone to walk her to her car and had decided that if her bosses got their shorts in a wad, they’d just have to cope. She wasn’t staying cooped up all night reading and rereading the same damned magazine articles when she could don the outfit and feathered mask she’d purchased weeks earlier and have a look-see at the action before making her way to the employee parking lot behind the garage and heading home. Between the jet-black wig covering her auburn-colored hair and the phony sub collar she’d bought from the Internet, she was confident no one would recognize or approach her. She just wanted to watch for a while without worrying about her mother hen bosses or those other overprotective zealots on their security team.
Sighing to herself, she was lost in thought while she gazed out over the crowded Main Lounge. She knew Mitch would be up in the Crow’s Nest during tonight’s event, and good God, just thinking about him made her pussy flood with her cream soaking her panties. Hell, she taken to keeping spares in her locker in her spa because she’d grown tired of having to work with wet drawers, as her granny had been so fond of referring to women’s underwear. Just thinking about her sweet granny always made Rissa smile. Damn but she missed that woman so much. It seemed a whole other lifetime ago that she’d been able to sit on Granny’s sofa watching old reruns and eating popcorn and talking about anything and everything with the woman who had always been the most stable influence in her turbulent life. Shaking off the melancholy, Rissa descended the stairs and headed for the back door. She passed several of the security staff and even more Club members, and none had recognized her, but several had taken second glances, something that would not have happened if she hadn’t concealed her identity. Damn Mitch Grayson had made sure not one single man in The Club would give her more than a one-word answer to a question about anything but the weather. She’d evaded his advances for two years, but the man was tenacious, she’d give him that. But she had decided that perhaps it was time to at least consider going to dinner with him. She’d even been trying to find out a bit more about him. Suddenly she had to wonder if her behavior wasn’t just a bit too close to stalking. Even if he wasn’t interested in anything more than a casual relationship, she knew it was time to move on from her fear of being alone with a man.I wonder…exactly how you distinguish between a man’s tenacity and stalking? Hmmmm.
Just as she reached the back door, Rissa felt a firm hand grasp her upper arm, and gasping in surprise, she turned to see Bryant Davis looking at her with curious, brilliant blue eyes. Holy Mother of all things angelic, the man was so beautiful it was almost frightening. His hair was jet black, which made his electric-blue eyes seem like an even bigger anomaly. He was easily six and a half feet tall and moved with the grace of a tiger. Bryant had only recently returned from some bridge project in Japan. He had been gone for almost a year, and every Club member she knew was thrilled he’d finally returned to ShadowDance. From what she’d heard, he was one of those rare people that everyone seemed to like and admire. Rissa knew that he and Mitch were known to share women in the past, but she’d never been close enough to speak to him until now. His touch on her arm sent electric tingles zipping through her, and it took her a second to realize he had actually spoken to her. “Miss, answer me. Where do you think you are going? That collar tells me there is a Dom somewhere in this room who will be looking for you, and I’d like to have an answer to provide. So, I’m going to ask again, where are you going and where is your escort?”
Oh shit, hadn’t thought about this wrinkle.Damn, stop staring at the man and think, Clarissa Jane.“Um, well, I wasn’t feeling well and asked his permission to just step right outside the back door and get a bit of fresh air. I won’t go more than just around the corner, I promise.” She didn’t think he was buying it, but then someone at the other side of the room called to him, and she knew she’d been saved.
He looked at her for a few very long heartbeats before speaking, “I am trusting you to go no farther than just outside the door. You are stay close, do you understand?” God, the man really was too yummy for words, and his deep voice resonated low in her abdomen the same way Mitch Grayson’s did. She felt like someone had started a small fire inside of her, and with just the right amount of tending, it would quickly become a raging inferno…Mentally shaking herself back to reality, Rissa nodded her head and slipped out the door as he headed back to the bar.Yikes, that was close. Time to hightail it to my car and get my happy ass home before he decides to check up on me.Rissa started walking at a brisk pace, damn, should have worn a jacket, the wind had picked up, and the temperatures were dropping fast. That was a very close call. If anybody in The Club found out she’d just left against orders and lied to a dungeon monitor, holy shit she’d be in deeper trouble than she could dig out of in a month of Sundays. Hurrying along the walk, deep in thought about how big she’d just messed up, she didn’t even see the two men hustling a woman toward the garage until she was right behind them. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you. Hey, wait I don’t recognize any of you, what are you doing out here? This area is off-limits to everyone except employees. You’ll need to go back to The Club’s designated play areas and…Hey, let go of my arm. Who the hell do you think you are? You can’t go manhandling me like that, Christ, are you fucking deaf?Let go of me!”
Petrov had signaled the driver to bring the nosey intruder along, and it didn’t seem like she was going to go quietly either. “Shut her up or shoot her, I don’t particularly care which at the point.” Petrov was furious that it was looking more and more like he was going to have to walk away and regroup. Fuck it all, he’d never seen so many people who couldn’t stay out of other people’s business. What the hell was with these people anyway?
The driver didn’t let go of her arm and continued to drag her down the path behind the guy who was giving the orders. The other woman was obviously not going along voluntarily either. Rissa had always cursed her tendency to chatter when she was nervous. Frack she just couldn’t seem to be quiet even though it would no doubt be prudent to stay silent. “Where do you think you’re going? You can’t get in the garage, you know, and Grayson will be on you like white on rice when he sees you out here on the monitors.” Speaking loud enough that she hoped somebody nearby noticed a problem or that the motion- and sound-activated sensors kicked on, she continued even louder. “Oh yeah, Mitch and the other guys are so gonna be pissed big time when they find out you’re out here, and I don’t think that lady with you looks any happier than I am about suddenly becoming your date for this evening. What do you say, let’s all head back up to The Club and get something warm to drink?” Rissa knew if the men managed to get them around the corner, it was going to be pitch dark, and there was a really steep drop down to the lower level of the parking area, and falling off that in the dark sounded way too painful to her. Time for some distraction.
* * * *
Bryant Davis’s earbud clicked, and Mitch’s voice filled his ear. “Who was the little sub that walked out the back door just now?”
“Don’t know, she said her Master knew she was going for fresh air and she promised to stay right by the back door, why?” Suddenly Bryant was on alert, something about the little sprite had seemed familiar, but he just couldn’t place her. He’d been gone so long, was she someone he knew? He just wasn’t sure.
“Well, she straight-up lied to you. She’s headed toward the garage. I’d bet you anything that was Rissa, I had the spa checked, and she isn’t in there, and that little bit of a thing is the right size and walks just like the woman I’ve been telling you about for a year. Our target’s tracking devices put her right in Rissa’s path. I am so going to paddle her ass bright cherry red for this. Fuck! Isn’t there a single woman in this Club tonight that can follow a blessed instruction? Head that way right away. I’m grabbing a comm unit, and as soon as I get somebody up here to replace me, I’ll be right behind you.” And after a brief pause, he added. “Be careful, my friend, we just got you home, don’t want you to go getting yourself splattered or anything.”
“Thanks, man, your concern touches my heart.” Bryant hoped Mitch understood that even though their exchange was all about snarl and sarcasm, he really did appreciate the reminder that things were not business as usual for tonight’s event.
Just as Mitch was ready to leave the Crow’s Nest, he heard Rissa’s voice loud and clear. “Mitch and the other guys are so gonna be pissed big time when they find out you’re out here…” Holy shit! She’d just told him Petrov had them both. He quickly set off the alert to every man working in The Club and started giving the team location and intel when he heard a gunshot and then a blood-chilling scream…Rissa!
* * * *
As Rissa was falling backward over the retaining wall, she thought how odd it seemed that everything was happening in slow motion, she’d tried to yank her arm free from the big gorilla that was apparently half leach, and just as she felt his grip loosen slightly, the woman had thrown herself at Rissa. The momentum had sent them both over the edge, and just as they were losing their footing, she’d seen a flash a split second before she’d heard the sound of a gun. The woman had made a sick grunting sound, and at the same time Rissa had felt a burning in her shoulder. She’d looked up to see the woman grimace in pain, and then everything went blank.
Dylan was the first to round the corner, coming to a dead stop when he remembered the retaining wall. He looked all around and couldn’t see anyone.What the fuck?He knew this was where the sound had come from, damn it all to hell, four people could not simply vanish into thin air. Just then in the distance he heard what sounded like dirt bikes.Oh hell no.He radioed for men to intercept and then called the Crow’s Nest for a location on Mia’s tracking devices. “What do you mean they show she’s behind the garage? I’m behind the garage’s main building, and there is no one here.” He heard what sounded like a soft whine and yelled, “Somebody get me some damned light back here.” In less than a second the entire area was flooded with enough light to mimic high noon.Typical Lamont overkill.Looking down, his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. Mia lay atop another woman, holy fucking hell, she’d been shot!
Dylan hit his radio with the alert and request for the first responders from The Club and also ambulances. Running to the stairs, he was beside the women in mere seconds. He could hear Zach telling the team that he had grabbed his medic bag and was on his way, after that he tuned out everything but his too-still woman lying facedown on top of an equally too-still form. Dylan was afraid to move Mia without a backboard, fearing neck and back injuries. From what he could see, the bullet had gone in through the fleshy part of her shoulder. If it was a through and through shot, likely the other woman would also have a wound and likely the bullet would have lost enough velocity that it would be lodged in her upper torso somewhere. Shit, he really was getting mighty tired of women getting hurt in his jurisdiction, and it really tanked that one of them was his.
Sending up prayers to a God he hadn’t been on a first-name basis with for many years, Dylan looked up in to the terrified eyes of Mitch Grayson and Bryant Davis. Mitch was white as a sheet. “Is that Rissa?” was all he managed to ask around the lump in his throat.
Dylan looked at him, a frown creasing his forehead as he answered his friend. “I thought she was supposed to be in the spa? This woman has black hair.” Reaching down, he slid his fingers along her hairline dislodging the wig enough to see deep auburn beneath before looking up in to the terrified expressions of Grayson and Davis and speaking the words they’d been dreading. “Oh shit, it is Rissa. Where the hell is Zach with that damned medic equipment?” He had no sooner spoken than Zach and Jamie Creed moved up beside them and motioned him back. Jamie had been a sniper on the Lamonts’ team and had joined the ShadowDance contract team a while back. Dylan knew Creed had been stationed in the surrounding evergreen trees so he wasn’t surprised to see the lanky young man had fallen in with Zach as they made their way through the gathering crowd to the injured women. Someone handed down a couple of backboards that were kept in The Club’s small medical ATV. With a flurry of motion both women were secured to the boards and moved into the heated garage for assessment and then transport. Even though the property had a helipad, the coming storm was packing a powerful punch, wind speeds were already picking up quickly, so there was no way anyone would attempt an air lift.
Doc Woods met them at the emergency room entrance, barking instructions as they quickly wheeled both women into a single large examination room with two bays in order for him to better treat them both simultaneously.
“Update me,” he bellowed at the EMTs who’d brought the women in. Listening as he worked, he frowned then asked, “Never regained consciousness during the ride down the mountain?”Shit, that’s quite a drive, and I know that bus wouldn’t be the fastest sled around.
* * * *
The Club had been cleared quickly. The Masquerade would have to be rescheduled for a later date. Looking around the waiting room, Dylan had to wonder if the annual bash hadn’t just been relocated. He shook his head at some of the outfits he’d bet had rarely been worn outside of a fetish club. Thank God some of The Club members were community leaders. Maybe he wouldn’t be getting calls about this for the next month after all. If the situation wasn’t so damned dire, he might even find some humor in the fact that most of the Town Council was sitting around in little more than underwear under their coats and jackets.God, but I love this town and its crazy, quirky citizens. Well hell, there is never a dull moment, that’s for sure.
Katarina Lamont came bouncing, literally, through the automatic doors and headed toward him like the heat-seeking missile he knew she could be. At least her husbands, Alex and Zach, were on either side of her, and even though they had very little real control over her, they did seem to be able to distract her most of the time. And wonder of blessings, Jenna Lamont was right behind her, Colt Matthews nearly jogging to keep up with her.Damn pixies, neither of them are much over five feet tall, how the hell can they walk that fast?Katarina reached him first. “How are they? Have you seen them yet? Is Doc Woods here? Have they done a CT scan or MRI yet? When will they be moved upstairs? Did they regain consciousness in the ambulance on the way in?” He was amazed she hadn’t fainted into a heap from lack of oxygen, how did the woman talk and never breathe anyway? She paused about a half a beat before frowning, crossing her arms over her rounded baby bump and tapping her tiny little foot at him before speaking in that impertinent tone he knew drove her husbands both to distraction. “Well? Are you just going to stand there looking like I’m speaking Pekinese to you, or are you going to answer me?”
Finally Alex stepped up and took her elbow. “Love, I think you have overwhelmed Dylan a bit, perhaps if you’d ask your questions one at a time, it might be more conducive to a conversation, hmmmm? How about we all go over there and sit down and Dylan can update everybody at the same time.” Leading her toward a chair as she muttered about “Damned bossy men…not made of glass for Christ’s sake…Nobody ever tells me anything anymore…” Jenna grabbed her sister-in-law’s free hand and helped Alex move her over to a nearby sofa.
Dylan smiled and shook his head, looking over at Zach, who was watching the scene with eyes filled with love and mischief. “Damned but she is so much fun to live with, never even have to turn on the television for entertainment anymore, ought to just sell it.” He chuckled then turned to Dylan and grasped his shoulder. “She’ll be okay, man, you’ll see. They’re both strong women, this place has the best equipment available. We’ve already got a neurologist from Denver on standby in case it’s necessary. We’re all here for you, don’t forget that. Now, why don’t you update everybody on what you know so far?”
Dylan turned to face everyone in the room and took a calming breath before speaking in a steady voice. “I really don’t know all that much at this time. I spoke with Doc briefly just after we arrived. Melita has a gunshot wound to her shoulder, but it went through clean and didn’t hit anything major. She’ll need surgery to repair the damage, and they’ve already called in a specialist, and he’ll be here shortly.” He paused for several seconds before continuing. He was dreading relaying the more difficult information. “It appears the gunman was aiming for Rissa and Melita jumped in front of her to shield her. Had either of them taken the shot where it was intended…well, it looks like it would have been a clean heart shot.” He heard the gasps from those around the room.You got it, the SOB had intended to kill Rissa, no doubt about that.
“The bullet appears to still be lodged in Rissa’s upper chest. It’s likely Melita knocked her just enough off balance that the bullet didn’t hit her in the center of the chest. Rissa’s gunshot wound isn’t a life-threatening injury either, and she’ll be having surgery to remove the bullet as soon as they can do it safely.” He paused briefly, looking over at Mitch and Bryant with compassion before he continued. “The overriding concern with both women is their possible head injuries and brain swelling. So far, they don’t see any indicators of brain trauma, but those can take several hours to develop so they will be closely monitored.” Dylan stopped and just stood looking out over the heads of the people gathered, trying to rein in his worst fears and remember it hadn’t really been that long since they’d been hurt, but knowing every minute they remained unconscious, the dangers and risks increased.