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“Ouch,” I hear from the doorway. I scream when Julian startles me but slap my hand over my mouth.

“Didn’t even see you in here, man,” Collin says.

“I knew,” Gunner shrugs.

“I don’t look that mean, do I?” Julian asks me.

“A little,” I admit with a blush.

“You are so damn cute when you get flustered,” he says with a grin. “Unfortunately, I’m actually here to collect you all. The girls got a … delivery.”

“What?” I ask. “No one knows I’m here.”

“Apparently they do,” he sighs. “You’re safe. Just get cleaned up and come to the office.”

I sigh heavily and go to step past him. He stops and hugs me. I tense up at first, but relent and hug him back. “Are you okay?” he whispers.

“Yeah,” I murmur. “Is it him?”

“Yeah,” he admits.

I pull away and go to the restroom to clean up before going up to the office without looking for the others. Seconds after I get in the office, they come in behind me. “Hey,” Oscar says, hugging me.

“Hey,” I say flatly before turning to the flowers sitting on the conference room table in the center of the room. I find the card and pull off the one with my name to read it.

Roses are red

Violets are blue

You left me…

Now I’m going to kill you.

-T

“Read mine,” Eliza says. “He is so clever.”

Roses are red

My balls are blue

When I find you

I’m going to gut-fuck you

-T

“I don’t know where he comes up with such original works of art. Someone should really capture his talents,” I say sarcastically. “What now?” I ask.

“Now, we work from home,” Julian says. “We don’t have to quarantine, but there is no need to endanger people here.”

“I agree,” Eliza says.

“I finished your paperwork for you,” Oscar says, hugging me. “I hear you enjoyed seeing them play.”

“Yeah,” I laugh nervously.

“I am so proud of you for opening up with them, Cass,” Oscar praises me. “Still comfortable?”

“Yeah. Everyone is nice,” I admit. “Even Julian and his resting bitch face.”

“Getting brazen, I see,” Julian whispers in my ear. Oscar laughs when I turn and narrow my eyes at him.

“You know what I have noticed, Julian?” I ask.

“What’s that, brother fucker?” he asks, grinning when I scowl at him.

“You might project yourself as this big bad guy, but I’d be willing to bet anything that you would go to your knees, just like Oscar, if you thought for a second that you hurt me.

” Eliza cackles, telling me that I’m right.

I’ve been noticing how everyone else sees him, and I realized that I needed to look past the anxiety to see what was beyond that.

Quite literally coming myself, watching him with Eliza, but simultaneously being so worked up that he couldn’t help but try and relieve the building pleasure, shows me that he has a submissive side to him.

That gives me a sense of power that I needed to face him.

“You think you could be the one to make me submit, Cassidy?” Julian asks, loosely grabbing my throat and pulling me against his chest.

“If I couldn’t, you would’ve already put me in my place,” I say. “You are being cautious with me for reasons beyond my trauma.”

“Who’s to say I don’t plan to?” he questions.

“Then do it, pretty boy. Put me in my place,” I challenge him. Before he can reply, the door comes open and Jasper walks into the room with Carrie. I grin and step back when his hand drops.

“Hey, guys,” Jasper says.

“Hey,” Eliza laughs. “Before you ask, the front desk has all of the security tapes pulled. We have contact info for the driver that dropped it off as well as the company it came from. Maggie at the front desk has everything.”

“We got it all. Just wanted to come gather the… evidence,” Jasper says.

“We will be working from home going forward,” Julian says. “The clubs will go to membership only, and we won’t be in there if it’s open.”

“Sounds like you’re on top of things,” Carrie says as they don gloves and start bagging the flowers and notes.

“Anything we can do outside of the obvious?” Jasper asks.

“Gut him like a fish,” I mutter, making Jasper smile.

“Can you set up patrol at the house?” Eliza asks.

“You’ve had patrol on you since the day you got out of the hospital, Liza,” Jasper says. “There are four FBI agents that rotate in pairs that follow you all everywhere. You don’t see them because they’re good at staying hidden, but they’re there.”

“Oh,” she says. “Well… I’m good then.”

“Day or night, call me if you need anything,” Jasper says. “I mean it, Eliza. Don’t be stubborn. I don’t care if it’s popsicles at three in the morning and you’re too scared to leave the house. Call me. Okay?”

“You have a family, Jasper. I’m not…” she argues.

“You are, Eliza. Period. My family knows the severity of this case. They know that sometimes Dad is gone for a while. I always come home, and they know I love them. You need to be worried about you, not my partner, me, or kids. Okay?”

“But…”

“No buts. I will camp in your front yard if you keep arguing with me,” he threatens. I can’t help but giggle when she crosses her arms and stomps at him with a deep frown.

“Fine,” she grumbles.

“Good girl. Now, Cassidy…”

“Be careful. She might come if you call her a good girl,” Julian chuckles.

“That’s enough out of you, princess bitch,” I snap. Oscar, Gunner, and Collin laugh, but Calder, Ryan, and Eliza gasp. Julian raises an eyebrow at me, and I roll my eyes before looking at Jasper. “You were saying?”

“Your apartment in Miami has been searched. They found a ridiculous amount of cocaine hidden in a bookcase. Who does that belong to?” Jasper asks.

“Oh, right…” I say carefully.

“Cassidy Noel, I will kick your ass in front of God and everyone if you say that is yours,” Oscar threatens.

“No, it’s not mine,” I say. “Trey was almost always high when he whipped me or fucked me. A handful of times, he forced me to partake, but I avoided it as much as I could. Saying no often led to worse punishments, but I found too much peace when I was high, and that scared me. Not to say I don’t wish I could partake, but I don’t. ”

“When was the last time?” Jasper asks.

“Uh… a few weeks ago, I think. I think he was trying to overdose me because he forced me to do a lot. I have huge missing gaps of time.”

“Okay. We will run fingerprints on the bag,” Jasper says. “What about the small bag of flash drives? They’re password protected. If you knew the password, we could get into them faster.”

“I don’t know what you mean. Where were they?” I ask.

“In the kitchen. There is a large porcelain pitcher sitting on top of the refrigerator. Inside was a baggie full of flash drives,” Carrie tells me.

“I have no idea. I never got up there because I can’t reach,” I say.

“Hmm. Okay,” he says. “Anything else? Any other drugs or weapons in the apartment?”

“Not that I’m aware of. I didn’t realize he had a stash of coke,” I tell him honestly.

“It’s okay. You aren’t in trouble. Worst case, they might want you to do a drug test,” he tells me, and I nod.

“We are closing down for the day. Most will work remotely, but they all know why,” Calder says. “We will be going home.”

“Well, go home and relax,” Jasper says. “We will get everything from the front desk and be out of the way.”

“Thank you,” Eliza says, still pouting.

“You’re welcome, Eliza,” Jasper chuckles.

“Let’s go home,” Eliza says to the rest of us.

When we get back to the house, Julian and Calder check the gate to make sure it’s secure before we all go up to the house and set the alarm. I go up to the room and take a shower so I can be alone for a while. I’m overwhelmed and on edge. I don’t know how to make myself relax.

When I get out, I go downstairs to find everyone is sitting on the large sectional couch. When I go to step past Ryan, he grabs my hips and pulls me into his lap to straddle him. I yelp, and the others chuckle. “I guess I’ll sit right here,” I muse. “Can I help you?”

“I want you and I to do a scene. A real impact scene,” Ryan tells me. “You are teetering on the edge of panic, and I want to help you down without the harsh drop.”

“Meaning?” I ask.

“Meaning, I want to use a whip on you, but very mildly. You still have bruising, and the intensity isn’t what I’m after,” he tells me.

“I would like to work you up to the more intense levels, but right now, is just about the sting. With Eliza, she was so used to that feeling that not having it put her on edge. I suspect you are similar, but you won’t know until I can see you in that setting. ”

“Uhm…” I say nervously.

“What aspect scares you?” Ryan asks.

“I’m not…”

“You’re shaking, Cass. What scares you?”

“I don’t want to be restrained,” I admit. “I can handle someone doing it by hand, but no cuffs or anything.”

“Julian?” he asks.

“Uh… Yeah. As long as when he lets go of me, I am free, I can handle it,” I say.

“Okay,” he says with a soft smile as he holds my face between his hands. “Where is your level of comfort?”

“About the same as yours,” I say, grinding my hips against his massive erection. He groans and a wicked grin spreads across his face.

“Let Eliza take you downstairs and get you ready and help you relax. We will be down shortly. Okay?”