Page 11

Chapter eleven

Ryder

As I walk through the dimly lit corridors of Club X, I run into Tim, he’s a newer member of Club X. He’s interested in the lifestyle, specifically being a Dom and taking a sub. There is a rule in place at the club stating all Doms new to the lifestyle must shadow an experienced Dom for six months before engaging in any scenes alone with a sub inside the walls of the club. This helps them gain some experience while ensuring the safety of our members.

Tim has been a member of the club for nine months. The kid is impatient as hell and having a hard time understanding that finding the right dynamic in a D/S relationship takes time. He’s been on the hunt for a few months, but hasn’t found the right sub for him, yet. It sure isn’t for lack of effort. I am actually starting to feel bad for the guy.

Tim greets me, and I can tell something has him in a good mood, he’s practically bouncing off the damn walls.

"Hey man, what brings you in so early?" Tim asks.

"Just have some work to get done upstairs. What about you? Why are you all worked up?”

Rubbing his hands together excitedly, Tim leans in like he is telling me a secret. "I found a sub. Her name is Tonya. She's new to being a sub, just like I am a Dom. We get to learn and explore it all for the first time together. We can be like that one couple here that was each other's first.” He is like a kid in a candy store. "I reserved the watching room for us. You shou ld stop by if you have time. I could probably use some pointers from the man himself."

I huff out a laugh. The kid means well, but he’s still got a lot to learn. "Yeah, Tim, I might do that." I give him a friendly slap on his back as I head upstairs. I remember his first time here. I'm truly happy he has finally found a sub.

Striding into the office, I'm greeted by the familiar hum of activity, everyone is already gathered and deep in discussion. "Where are we?" I inquire.

Ethan turns towards me; he looks fucking terrible like he hasn’t slept in days. "The American military is still claiming the hostages died, and there are no soldiers to rescue. I even told them that we already rescued them. We just need them to declare them alive so we can get them passports and bring them home. But they refuse to admit they made a mistake." He punctuates his words with a sigh and shakes his head.

"Actually, it's not them just admitting the mistake. They had funerals with their supposedly dead bodies inside the closed caskets. They not only have to admit they didn't confirm it was the missing soldiers that died, but then there would have to be an investigation opened to look into the coverup of this entire fucked up situation. The military would be exposed and anyone involved would be facing serious prison time." Chase states. "The families of all these men would have the right to sue the military for wrongdoing and who knows whatever else."

We all knew we would be fighting an uphill battle to get these men home, but I didn’t know it would be this damn steep.

"We could bring them home under fake names. The government wouldn't have to admit to anything," Keith says.

“Actually, that's not a bad idea at all. We could strike a deal with the U.S. government, allowing these men to return home while providing each of them with a new identity. It's worth a shot," I state.

All the men nod their agreement. "Great, Keith you get the ball rolling and see how far you can get with that. If they don't play ball, reach out to your contact that does fakes. If nothing else, we can bring them home under those and worry about the rest once they are here. Is there anything else?" Might as well hear all the issues we are facing right now.

Chase shakes his head looking tired. "Ivan's demanding reinforcements. The five guys we assigned to him aren't cutting it. He's insisting on either another five-man team or instructors to whip his own troops into shape."

“You’ve got to be fucki ng kidding me with this shit.” I curse under my breath. "No way in hell. We agreed on five guys. Five is all he is getting. And they're not there to be instructors. We never signed up to build his private militia. It states in the fucking contract that we do not do things against local government, nor do we train anyone. Our priority has to be getting the hostages back ASAP. Before Ivan decides to pull a fast one on us."

"I've been in touch with our guys on the ground. They said he's getting more and more demanding. I'm working on a plan to extract them and the soldiers. The problem is if we go that route, we would be breaking our own agreements."

Well, fuck me.

I sigh, "Alright, guys, let's hammer out the details. If we're going to pull this off, we need to have every 'i' dotted and 't' crossed."

We spent the next several hours hashing out a plan. One that would not only save the soldiers but keep the contract with Ivan good. I really don't care about Ivan, but if word got out that we broke our own contract, it would destroy everything we have built.

By the time I realize what time it is, it is already after 5pm.

"Alright, I think we are good for today. Everyone has their assignments. Now I have a very beautiful woman waiting for me. I'll see you guys tomorrow," I state.

Of course, Ethan can’t resist the opportunity to pry. "I'm taking it that things have gotten serious with Ava?"

I simply respond, "Yes. And that is all I'm going to say about it." There is no need to divulge any details of my relationship.

But Ethan being Ethan, he just can’t help himself. "Does she know about her brother yet?" Every pair of eyes in the room shoots in my direction, turning their attention on me, waiting for my answer. Chase just leans back against the wall with the 'I told you so' look on his face.

Fuck him.

I shake my head. "No, not right now. And nobody," my eyes lock onto Chase, "Is breathing a word to her until we get him back." I state firmly. "And every single one of you better keep your traps shut about this." I meet the gaze of each person seated around the table. "If everything falls apart and this goes to hell, I won't put her through grieving her brother twice. She's already weathered more heartache and grief than anyone should have to bear. I won't be the one to pile on more suffering, and you all damn well won't either. Do we understand each other?"

This time her pain would be my fault, and I can’t live with that.

My partners exchange a glance, understanding the position I am in. One by one they all dip their heads in agreement. We all know the potential consequences of getting Ava's hopes up, only to have them crushed if we fail to bring her brother home safely. I will protect Ava from that pain for as long as I can.

As I leave the office, I remember that Tim was expecting his new sub. I decide to go check in on him and make sure things are going smoothly.

Making my way down the hallway, I approach the door to one of the watching rooms. Slowly, I turn the handle and slip inside. Tim is standing before a young woman bound to a cross.

My eyes immediately fall on the young woman. She's bound to the cross, her naked body marked with angry red welts. There are clothes pins pinched all over her body, and a ball gag in her mouth muffling her cries. Her eye makeup is now smeared, black streaks running down her face, mingling with her tears. Her brown hair, braided to the side, falls softly against her cheek. I immediately see the fear and pain in her eyes, and my chest clenches.

"Ryder, I'm glad you could make it," Tim greets me, excited to have an audience for his scene. "I was just about to begin exploring sensation play with Tonya here," Tim explains, running a feathered flogger along her exposed skin.

"What the fuck are you doing to her? You are supposed to be learning, not torturing the girl.” I take the flogger from his hand before he can do any more harm. I’m tempted to use it on him. “For fuck sakes, Tim. Go sit down."

I walk over to Tonya and take the ball gag out of her mouth. "Hey sweetheart. I'm Ryder. Are you okay?

She moved her jaw around a few times to relax the muscles. "Yeah, I just didn't realize how intense things were going to get. With the ball gag in, I couldn't get my safe word out,” she says as she whimpers.

I whirl around and fix Tim with a hard stare. "This right here is exactly why you need to ease into thin gs. What are you thinking? You never cram every kink into the first encounter. Building trust isn't something you can rush. Using restraints like that before learning her nonverbal cues is completely reckless. Anyone could see from her reactions that she wasn't into what you were doing."

Turning back to Tonya, "Do you want me to untie you?"

"Yes please," she says in a small whisper.

I quickly but gently take off the clothes pins and untie the knots binding her to the cross. As soon as the last rope falls to the floor, she launches herself at me, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck and sobbing into my shoulder.

I hold her as her body shakes with sobs. I can't believe Tim would do something like this to her and just blatantly disregard her safety. He should know better; he has shadowed enough experienced Doms in action throughout Club X, to understand that you take it slow with a new sub. Especially one so new to the lifestyle. He'll be lucky if I don't kick him out of the club for this.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Ava's furious voice echoes through the room. I turn and see her standing in the doorway, her eyes on the naked woman in my arms.

"Ava, this is not what it looks —" I begin, but she swiftly cuts me off, too pissed off to hear anything I have to say.

"You're not holding a woman in your arms right now? You had me waiting for you for hours. I can see just how important the work was you had to run off to.” Her voice rises with every angry word. I flinch inwardly, knowing exactly how this situation must look to her.

"Ava, I was working. I just—" I try to explain, but once again, she doesn’t let me finish.

"Are you working?" she questions, her tone drips with sarcasm and disbelief.

I try to take a step towards her, but Tonya is still firmly wrapped around me oblivious to the tension she is currently causing.

"Don't you dare," she warns, as she takes a step back and holds up a hand to halt my advance.

"If you would just let me explain what is going on here," I plead, desperate to make her understand.

"No. I’m not stupid Ryder! I can see what’s going on here. I'm done. You can pick your car up from my apartment later." Turning without another look back, she storms out. Leaving me standing there, feeling helpless and kind of like a dick even though I didn’t do anything wrong. I would have assumed the same thing if the roles were reversed.

"Tim, get your ass over here. You could have said something just then.” I turn my attention back to the distraught woman in my arms. "Sweetheart," I start to pull her arms from around my neck. "Tim is going to do your aftercare. You can trust that he will do that right. Don't worry," I make eye contact with Tim over Tonya’s shoulder while I deliver this next part. “He won’t dare fuck up again.”

Handling her over to Tim, "You do her aftercare, nothing else. If you fuck this up, I will personally hang you from that cross and show you what torture really is. You got me?"

"Yes, I will. I'll take care of her. I'm so sorry, I thought she liked—"

I cut him off. "Just take care of her. I have to go."

I rush out the front entrance of Club X and scan the dimly lit parking lot for any sign of Ava. The relief I feel is immediate when I spot my sleek black BMW still parked in its usual spot.

S he's still here.

When I get to the SUV, I notice Ava's purse and phone resting on the passenger seat, the key fob in the cup holder. I fling the door open and check the front and back seats for any sign of her.

"Ava?" I call out across the parking lot. My voice echoes against the concrete pillars surrounding the vacant lot. No response.

Where did she go without her stuff? I was only a few minutes behind her. My mind starts to race through possible scenarios. Did she get a ride from someone? Take a walk to try to cool off and think about what just happened? Wander off to the nearest bar on a man hating bender? Has something happened to her ?

I pull out my phone and tap on her contact. Then I remember her phone is inside the car where she left it.

"Dammit, Ava," I mutter under my breath, running a hand through my hair as I fight the urge to hurl the phone across the parking lot.

I take a deep breath, trying to control the rising worry flooding through my mind. Ava is no damsel in distress. She's fully capable of taking care of herself. She just needs to clear her head and get an Uber home, and I’m completely overreacting.

I scroll through my contacts until I find Danie's name. If anyone knows where Ava is, it's her best friend. The phone rings a few times before Danie's bright voice comes through the speaker.

"Hey Ryder, what's up?" She chirps, the sound of thumping bass and laughter echoing through the phone's speaker.

"Danie, hey. I'm looking for Ava actually. She stormed off from the club a little while ago and I can't reach her. Have you heard from her at all?"

There's a brief pause before Danie responds, her tone shifting. "No, I haven't heard anything. That's not like her to just disappear though. Even if she was upset, she would let someone know where she is so no one worries."

I pinch the bridge of my nose, letting out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I know. We kind of had—she got upset before I could explain the situation. I'm worried something may have happened to her."

"Okay, well let me call her, and I'll get back to you if I hear anything," Danie says, the sound of her heels clicking against pavement now audible. "I'm heading out of the club now to have better reception."

"Danie, she left her phone here. Just hold on a second," I say, interrupting. "I need to check something. Ethan's calling—he might have eyes on Ava."

I click over to Ethans call, "Hey man do you have eyes on Ava?" I asked.

"No, I thought she was with you? I was calling to warn you Clint made bail. Apparently, the son of a bail bondsman messed up and bonded him out. He didn't know he wasn't suppose to. What's going on with Ava?"

My stomach drops. If he got out and found her. I don’t even want to think about it.

"She's missing. Check the c lub's parking lot cameras. Find out where Ava went. Her purse, phone, and car keys are still here with the BMW."

"Yeah, I'm on it," Ethan said. “I’ll get eyes on her.”

I hang up and head into the building, trying to reassure myself. There's no way he could've gotten out of jail and found her so quickly. She’s just out for a walk, clearing her head. However, I know that there is a very slim chance she went for a walk and left her stuff in the car, unlocked with the key inside.

I walk into Ethans office, and the security footage is already on the TV monitor on the wall. I watch as Ava's petite frame appears on the security feed, shoulders hunched, and arms wrapped tightly around herself as she makes her way toward my BMW. Even through the grainy footage, I can tell she is crying.

She pauses beside the car, shoulders heaving with what I can only imagine are sobs escaping those perfect lips. Seeing her so upset and knowing I caused it, fucking kills me. The overwhelming urge to comfort her completely consumes me.

But that urge is quickly replaced by an untamed anger as a second figure emerges from the shadows behind her.

Clint.

The mere sight of that bastard's face on the monitor is enough to send me into a blind rage. He stalks forward like a predator, closing in on Ava like a hyena circling its prey.

I feel the vein in my neck pulse as my jaw tightens, every muscle in my body tensing with the effort of restraining myself from putting my fist through the screen. This? After everything he's put her through? I’ll kill him when I get my hands on him.

Ava climbs into the car, setting her belongings on the seat next to her. The moment Ava reaches for the door, Clint strikes. He blocks the door from shutting with his body, then grips her arm, yanking her from the vehicle. They both stumble back at the force he used to pull her from the car, nearly collapsing on the pavement before Clint forces Ava back to her feet. Then I watch helplessly as his first brutally connects with her cheek.

I'm gripping the edge of the desk so tightly, my knuckles are turning white, and the wood is beginning to crack. I watch, sick to my stomach, as the confrontation escalates , but unable to look away. Every fiber of my being is screaming at me to get out there and protect her from that unhinged psychopath.

She struggles wildly, thrashing in his grasp as he pulls her flush against his body.

"That's enough!" I roar, slamming my palm down on the desk with enough force to make the monitors shake and a framed picture crashes to the floor. "Get the guys ready. We're going after them. Now."

I storm toward the armory with a single focus. No one lays a hand on what's mine, not if they want to keep breathing. That piece of shit Clint is going to wish he never set his sights on Ava.

I’m going to make damn sure of it.

"Go ahead and send her up." Chase hangs up, and places the phone back down on his desk. "Apparently, Ava's friend Danie is causing a scene downstairs. She's on her way up here now." Despite the circumstances, I laugh at the thought. Danie could probably give any member of our security team a run for their money.

I turn at the sound of hurried footsteps approaching, my hand instinctively going to the gun holstered at my hip. Danie bursts through the door, her eyes wide and frantic as they dart between me and the team assembled behind me.

"Ryder! What's going on? Have you heard from Ava?" She’s panting, clearly out of breath from rushing over.

I stride over and grip her shoulders firmly, meeting her panicked eyes head-on.

"Danie, I need you to stay calm and listen closely," I keep my words slow and my tone calm, willing her to focus through the fear of not knowing what’s happened to her friend and the haze of adrenaline rushing through her body. "We've got footage of Clint taking Ava from outside the club. That son of a bitch grabbed her and forced her into another vehicle."

I watch the co lor drain from Danie's face. "No. Ryder, No. That can't be right. He’s in jail! He’s supposed to be in jail. Who would let him out after what he did to her and not warn her? I have to—”

I cut her off before she can spiral any further. The last thing she needs or any of us need right now is her having a panic attack.

“Danie, I swear we are going to bring her back. Clint will never lay a hand on her again. You have my word."

Danie takes a deep breath, her eyes pleading with me as she whispers, "I can't lose my best friend. She's all I have, Ryder." This isn’t just some casual acquaintance. Ava is her sister, her confidante, her rock, her family. Danie would move heaven and earth to keep Ava safe, and I know that determination mirrored my own.

Keith steps forward, his tablet in hand, his usual stoic expression even grimmer than normal. "I've been reviewing the security footage from Ava and Danie's building over the past few months."

My jaw clenches knowing whatever he is about to tell us isn’t going to be good. "What did you find?"

"Clint's been entering their apartment—multiple times." Keith's finger swipes across the screen. “Here, and here,” pointing out the different timestamps on the security footage. "Sometimes he’s only inside for a few minutes, other times it’s been over an hour."

Chase leans in to study the footage. "How did the son of a bitch get a key?"

"That's not all," Keith continues, the anger in his voice evident. "In several instances, he exits looking different than when he went in. Hair wet, different clothes."

That deranged bastard had been using their apartment, probably showering there, making himself at home while they were out.

"He's been watching them," I growl. "Studying their routines, waiting for the right moment."

"Oh God... Ava thought things were getting moved. She said that her stuff was coming up missing. I told her she was crazy.” Danie says, shaking her head. “I didn't know. I thought she was just being paranoid."

"The photo," I remember suddenly. "Ava mentioned finding a framed photo turned around on her nig htstand. We both brushed it off—"

Keith nods, "He's been getting bolder, more invasive. The timestamps show his visits were increasing in frequency until he was put in jail."

"This wasn't spontaneous," Chase says. "He planned this, working up to it."

I turn to Keith. "Get me everything. I want to know every single time he entered that building. I want to know his patterns, his timing, everything." My voice is deadly calm, masking the rage. If I start to let it slip now, I’ll never be able to contain it. "And find out how the hell he got access to a key to their apartment."

"I may have got something." Chase says as he taps a few keys on his keyboard, and a high-resolution map appears on the monitor—a red dot blinking steadily in the center. "This is the last known location we were able to trace them to based on traffic cams and cell data. Looks like an abandoned factory of some kind."

"Fitting place for a rat like Clint to hide," Ethan mutters.

I turn back to Danie, grab her hands in mine to regain her attention. "I know you're scared, but I need you to be strong right now, for Ava. Can you tell us anything that might give us an upper hand? Do you know if he knows how to use guns, or is he a trained fighter?"

Danie worries her lower lip, her brows crease in thought. After a moment, she shakes her head helplessly. "I...I don't know. He always kept things so private with Ava. I never knew much about their relationship or him beyond how controlling and manipulative he is."

"It's alright," I reassure her, giving her hands a comforting squeeze. "We'll find her. I've got the location locked down, and the team is ready to move out. We're going to bring Ava home.”

I glance over my shoulder at the faces of the men standing behind me—my brothers, my most trusted allies. Men I would lay my life down for without a second's hesitation. We all know the stakes, we all know the risks. But when it comes to protecting our own, we don't hesitate. It’s already been a few hours, we need to get to her now.

"Let's roll out." As I strap on my bulletproof vest and check over my weapons one final time, Ava's tear-stained face flashes in my mind. The shot from the security feed—the desperation, the fear, the anguish playing out on her face.

I swallow hard against the lump of burning rage in my throat. Clint is going to pay for every second of suffering he's ever put her through. Of that, I am absolutely certain.

I check over my team one final time as we move into position outside the dilapidated factory where we believe Clint is holding Ava. "Men, listen up. Our priority is extracting Ava safely by any means necessary. But if we get a clean shot at neutralizing the target—take it."

Chase gives me a nod of understanding. "We've got your six, brother. Let's bring your girl home." My girl.

We move together in a silent formation. We breach the factory's perimeter fence and make our way inside through a rear entrance. The building is dark and silent. The air inside is thick with dust and the smell of mold and dirt from neglect. My senses are on high alert as we creep forward, weapons raised.

Keith's voice comes over the comms from the surveillance van. "I've got eyes on Ava from the drone. She's in the main factory area, northwest corner. No sign of Clint yet."

"Copy that.” A few hand signals and my team splits off, taking flanking positions to box in Ava’s position. My chest is so tight I can barely draw in a breath as we close in on her.

I turn the corner, and the sight in front of me makes me stop breathing completely. There she is in the center of the open factory floor. Confined to a chair, her hands tied tightly behind her back with a coarse rope. Her head hangs loosely, her blonde hair obscuring her face—her body is unnaturally still. I can’t tell if she’s breathing.

Fuck, please be breathing.

Thank god my training kicks in and I resist the urge to rush forward and step back into position swiftly. I signal to my team with a hand gesture that Ava is in my line of sight—no sign of Clint. I begin cautiously walking toward Ava, my focus is solely on her. My team flanks me on either side, watching for any surprises, but my eyes are fixed on the woman before me. Despite my best eff orts to remain calm, I begin to panic at the stillness of her body. As I move closer, I notice a dark stain on the back of her head, the bright red standing out against the pale blonde. Blood.

Fuck protocol. I sprint towards her, closing the rest of the distance between us.

I kneel before her, and gently lift her face with my hands, my thumbs brushing her cheeks as I tilt her head up. She’s been beaten so badly, her beautiful face, now swollen and bruised, is almost unrecognizable. A face I’ve looked at a thousand times since she was a child, I wouldn’t be able to pick out of a lineup. There is a deep gash on her collarbone. The cut is clean, likely caused by a knife.

This motherfucker used a knife on her.

“Ava baby, wake up. I'm here.” I don’t even realize the tears rolling down my face until I hear the crack of my own voice, pleading with her to respond. There's no reaction. I place my fingers on her neck, feeling for a pulse. It's weak, but it’s there.

My eyes frantically search her body, looking for any more visible injuries. That’s when I see the blood stain on the front of her shirt under her jacket. Carefully, I lift her shirt—three stab wounds. He plunged a knife into her three times.

"I need a fucking medic over here now!" My voice echoes off the concrete interior of the factory. My hands are tight on Ava's shoulders, unwilling to let go of her.

I feel Chase's hand on my shoulder, "Ryder, you need to let go. We have to move her."

I know he's right, but the thought of letting her go kills me. I reach up and feel her pulse one more time, reassuring myself she’s still here with me. I force myself to take a few steps back. Chase is already at her side, gently cutting the ropes that bind her to the chair.

My eyes never leave her. I can't lose her. She can't die. We just found each other again.

I can’t breathe and sweat is dripping off me. I think I'm having a heart attack.

"Ryder?" Ethan calls my name. Then everything goes black.