Richard
The emergency past, police officers take away the remaining henchmen. White overalled forensics sweep the room. Medics carry out the injured and the unconscious.
James, as slit-eyed and blank-faced as I have ever seen him….
.... He’s fucking furious….
…. watches Klempner get stretchered away then nods acknowledgement to me and Michael before turning his attention to Charlotte.
She’s standing in her shredded rags of clothes and as James swings on her, there is no trace of the bright pleased smile she first gave him….
He’s going to roast her….
…. And she knows it….
A nod to Michael and he stalks to the far end of the room.
“Charlotte! Here. Right now!”
She rolls appealing eyes at Michael who scowls in return, shrugging and muttering something, then jerks his head towards James.
Head low, she slumps across the room, then stands, fingernails biting into her palms
I have known James as a Dom who, for the most part, has been forgiving of the antics of his sub. Even when there was strain between them, it unravelled itself fairly quickly.
There is nothing of that casual dominance about him now. His face apocalyptic, Charlotte is about to get it, both barrels. And I see that Michael, for all that he has apparently tossed Charlotte to her Wolf, is nonetheless watching closely.
White-faced and furious, he towers over her. Speaking through clenched teeth, “What the hell do you think you were playing at there, Charlotte? What does it take to get you to behave in reasonable fashion?”
Elizabeth shivers in my arms. “Master, she….”
“Shhh…. This is between them.”
But nonetheless, I listen in too.
Charlotte, for a change, appears truly submissive. “I’m sorry,” she says quietly, staring at the floor.
“Are you?” hisses James. “What exactly are you sorry for?”
“For what happened outside. I knew you wouldn’t like it, but there was no time…”
He stares down at her, eyes hard. “You say you’re sorry, but would you do it again? Running off like that?”
Even from here I can see her licking dry lips, the movement of her throat as she swallows….
Wondering if he’s going to knock the living daylights out of her….
What would I do? If Elizabeth behaved like that? Even for good cause?
My beautiful Elizabeth, my wife, my sub, trembles in my embrace….
It’s not a meaningful question….
in her to behave
had, I could never have married
by Charlotte’s reply. “Yes, I would do that again. I couldn’t leave Beth in here by herself.
He glances across to Elizabeth, then back at Charlotte. “Beth
me, then get
his rage is
I’m going to punish you.
to him, meets his eye, then away again, blinking fast.
and Elizabeth. So do Michael’s, before both look
you getting hurt? Michael was beside
to a whisper.
hands up helplessly, the rage rising again. “And what about you?” he snaps. “Your
meet his, but now she holds his gaze. “I’m tougher than Beth. And
What the hell…?
“Doesn’t matter?” he says. “Doesn’t matter? Charlotte, we’re not talking about fun and frolics at the clubs, with Michael and I close by, watching to make sure things don’t get out of hand. It would have been violent assault, and there’s a fighting chance you wouldn’t have survived it. Have
Of course, I’ve an idea... You know how I grew up. I know
but does not look pacified. “Yes, of course you do.….
unthinking.…”
No…. She never is….
what the hell is going through her
exactly what was in your mind when you did…. what you just did. And what do you mean?
choosing her words I think, then, “I was thinking that I didn’t want them to touch Beth. For me, it would be just.… just, one more thing that’s happened. You two, it wouldn’t upset you that there’s been other men…. But it’s
arctic. “Richard? Charlotte, I know you felt you had a debt
Oh, Christ….
it
Not for Elizabeth….
For me.
squeezes the fingers, but Michael is still speaking. “…. but that debt is
unrepentant. Looking down, “He had to
must be above reproach?” Michael finishes her sentence, iced anger welling. “But
reply, still staring
glares, the angry Dom now fully to the fore once more.
*****
James
same time. Dishevelled
eyes
I can talk to her freely,
almost invites me to punish
Is it an act?
It hardly matters….
It wouldn’t make the slightest
here, wondering what to say, caught between
…. My Jade….
fuck do
A cry of warning, of fury and desperation. My attention
Michael is
a split-second stretches out to take the events it
man stands at the far end of the hall, framed in the