[B.S. #2] Bound to Cyn (7 page)

Clay tried to be patient and explain things to Chase. “Look, Chase, this is a BDSM club that’s why. I didn’t think you wanted anything to do with the lifestyle?”

“I think I’ve changed my mind.” Chase looked at Clay with a grin on his face.

Angel was getting impatient listening to the exchange between Clay and Chase. He broke in and said, “Can’t we get back to Cinnamon now? I want to know more about her. Since she works here, she is in danger, just like the other women. So let’s look at the last camera surveillance and try to catch this bastard. Chase, if you want to stay and help, you have to remain in the office. You caused too much of a stir in your present outfit. If you come back you’ll have to try to fit in and dress appropriately.”

* * * *

Cinnamon could hear them talk though the thin wall separating her office from Lance’s. She had finally calmed down and had her breathing under control. The way Angel had just grabbed her out of the chair had made her marvel at his strength but also cringe at being under his control so fast that she didn’t have time to react. She would never let anyone have complete control over her again.

The last mess she had been in, she had barely made it out in one piece thanks to Lance and the police. She was never going to relive that feeling of having no control again. She couldn’t understand the subs, giving up complete control to a man. Didn’t they know that giving complete control to the wrong man could backfire on you? While she didn’t think the subs had to worry about the Dom belonging to the club, she still cringed every time they looked at the Dom’s with complete adoration. Remembering her misplaced adoration from the past was something she was prone to do every time she had a panic attack, did not help with the current situation.

Gathering up her purse and coat, she turned out her office light and made for the door. Time to go home, get some sleep and try to forget about Angel and controlling men. The bar could look after itself for one night. She had trained all the staff and knew that they could handle things. Saying good night to Bob at the front desk she made her way down the steps and into the parking lot. Shrugging on her coat she hurried past a few people just arriving but didn’t stop to talk, making a beeline straight to her car. She didn’t want to have to see Angel or any of the others tonight, she had had enough. Standing beside her car she opened her purse searching for her keys.

So wrapped in her thoughts, she didn’t hear the man come up behind her and didn’t even realize anything was happening until she felt large arms grab her around the waist. Startled, she just dropped her purse and stood in shock for a minute. It wasn’t until she heard his voice, that she reacted. She grabbed at the arms around her waist and yelled

“Let me go!”

“Quiet down and I won’t hurt you,” he said as he started to lift her off her feet and pull her between the cars. Struggling with the man, the panic took over and she tried to hit him anyplace she could reach. Even with her struggles, he managed to pull her two cars down away from where her car was parked. Finally, she heard the yells of people getting out of their cars. The guy looked at them heading their way. Letting her go, he shoved her to the hard paved ground.

“It’s not over,” he told her and took off through the parking lot, darting between the parked cars. Pushing herself up by her hands, she made it to her feet in time to watch two men give chase, but he had too much of a lead and disappeared into the street and the buildings beyond. Wiping her hands on her pants, she took a deep breath and started making her way back to her car. People were now starting to come out of the club, with Lance, Clay, and Angel leading the way.

Angel thought his heart would stop when he heard the commotion at the front door. His first thoughts were of Cinnamon. Rushing to her office, he found it empty and dark. Racing behind Lance and Clay, who were outside the front door, he caught up with them and passed them on their way to the row of cars. He could see Cinnamon picking up something off the ground near one of the cars parked in the front row. Reaching her, he swept her up in his arms and squeezed her. Cinnamon was having none of it. “

“Let me go you big brute,” Cinnamon yelled at Angel as she squirmed in his arms. Clay and Lance, when they reached the couple, tried to pry Angel’s arms from around her. Angel was not listening to them. He didn’t want to let her go now that he knew she was safe and in his arms.

Clay spoke to Angel in a calm voice, trying to get the big guy to release her. “Angel, we have to see if she’s hurt. You have to let her go.” Finally Angel gently let her stand and started to look her over from top to bottom. She didn’t look hurt, just very pissed off, and all the anger was now directed at him.

Lance turned her away from Angel and asked, “God, are you OK?”

“I’m fine. Let me go. And keep him away from me. I don’t need two attacks in one night.” She knew she wasn’t being reasonable. Angel hadn’t attacked her, but her panic attack was starting to take over again and all she wanted was to be left alone.

Angel heard her words and felt terrible. He hadn’t thought. In his rush to make sure she was OK, he had grabbed her, probably like the bastard just had.

“I’m sorry, Cyn. I didn’t think. I wouldn’t hurt you for the world. Are you injured? Should I take you to a hospital?”

“I’m OK. I just want to go home. Lance, please get all the people back in the club. I’m fine, really.” She controlled the tone of her voice and tried to disguise its trembling tone with her last bit of strength.

Lance turned and looked at all the members standing around, staring and listening to their conversation. He knew he had to do damage control and get them back in the party mood.

“I can’t let you go home alone. Come back into the club, give me ten minutes, and I will drive you home. I don’t want you going home alone. You don’t know if this guy will follow you.” Lance was torn between getting the members back in the club and seeing Cinnamon safely home.

Clay, who had been standing a few feet away, keeping the people back, spoke up. “I’ll take her home and make sure she’s OK.”

“No, I’ll take her home. She is my responsibility and I will look after her.” Angel’s tone of voice brooked no argument as he stood to his full height and put his hand on his hips and snarled at Clay. No one but him was taking her home and looking after her. She was his.

Cinnamon, who was now feeling exhausted, just wanted to go home and all the fussing to stop.

“I am no one’s responsibility. I can look after myself,” she told Angel as she opened her car door.

Lance grabbed her arm, stopping her from entering her car. “You have to let someone go with you. You’re not safe and if you can’t wait, Clay or Angel will have to go with you. Otherwise you’re not leaving and I really don’t think you should be driving either.”

Cinnamon looked between Clay and Angel. Clay was angry that the guy had the nerve to try and grab someone on his watch and his hard face looked cold with pent up fury. Turning to Angel, she saw that he looked like he wanted to make up for scaring her after the attack and held out the keys to him. “Angel can take me home. If he can squeeze himself into my car? I really don’t think this is necessary, but if that’s the only way I can get to go home, I’ll take it.”

Angel took the keys from her outstretched hand and gently took her arm and led her to the passenger side door. Opening the door, he seated her and pulled the seat belt around her and snapped it shut. Closing the door, he looked over the top of the car at Lance and Clay “Cinnamon will be fine. I look after what is mine, Trust me no one is going to harm her, and live to tell about it.”

After watching Angel pull out of the parking lot, Lance and Clay made their way back into the club, herding the members ahead of them. Clay took notice that Chase was not with them. “Lance, do you see Chase? I though he came out with us.”

“I know he was with us at the front door when we left the office, but I lost track of him after that,” Lance replied as he held the door for the crowd to reenter the entrance way leading to the bars.

Chapter Eight

Following the crowd through the door, they found Chase in the entranceway surrounded by a bunch of subs with their Doms standing behind them, looking none too pleased. Clay knew Chase was just being Chase, but the Doms didn’t know him. He was talking to the subs without their permission, and Clay could see this elevating into a dangerous situation for him. Chase wouldn’t even know what he did wrong. Clay made his way through the subs surrounding Chase, who looked mighty pleased with all the attention he was getting.

“Chase did you ask permission to talk to these subs? Can’t you see the Doms are not pleased?” Clay asked in a low voice as soon as he got close enough for Chase to hear.

Chase looked above the heads of the women surrounding him and at the pissed off faces of the Doms. “They’re just jealous.”

“No, Chase, you don’t understand. These Doms own the subs surrounding you. Now make nice or that pretty face of yours that you seem to hold so much stock in will be unrecognizable when they’re through. These Doms don’t play around.”

Chase, when he took in the serious look on Clay’s face and the Doms surrounding him, whispered, “I didn’t realize, Clay. Do something. This is your bag, not mine. And James would never forgive you if something happened to me, when I’m helping on a case.”

“OK, I’ll try. But I’d rather watch your ass get taken to task for being so stupid.”

Looking around at the Doms, Clay raised his voice. “This is one of my men from Braden Security and we’re working a case. He doesn’t know about the lifestyles protocols and shouldn’t be here. So for this once, I beg you to let it go. And remember, it takes two. You gentlemen should stop and think about your subs’ parts in all this. I think a spanking to all of them is needed to bring back control of your unruly subs.”

Once their attention was off Chase, Clay grabbed him and pulled him into Lance’s office. Lance slammed the door behind the three of them after watching the Doms lead their subs toward the spice bar.

“What the hell were you thinking, Chase? One of the rules we have at Braden Security is to blend in, not make a spectacle of ourselves. And that little display out there just blew our cover. I knew the Doms were already on edge, with the stalker out in the parking lot. Good thing for you they knew Lance was bringing in someone to deal with the problem. We didn’t want anyone to know who we were, but that’s all I could think of saying to get them to back down. That’s the only thing that saved you from getting beat within an inch of your life.” Clay had pushed Chase none too gently into one of the chairs in front of Lance’s desk.

“Sorry, I didn’t know. I guess I should have listened to Grant and not come out to help. He told me that I would only be in the way, but I really wanted to help like I did the last time. I just didn’t think a club in the outskirts of town would be so dangerous.”

Clay looked down at Chase’s dejected look and just gritted his teeth. Chase meant to help. He just wasn’t equipped to do it. “OK, Chase, here’s what we’ll do. The other side of the club is the vanilla bar. We will plant you there and maybe you can be our ears and eyes over there.”

Chase perked up at being included. He hadn’t said anything to the guys, but sitting behind a desk all day was getting boring. Working with the guys on their last case had been one of the most exciting things in a long time to happen to him. He wanted to experience the thrill again he had felt when they had out foxed the Feds and the drug lord and saved Avery. He didn’t want to blow it now and have James disbar him from future missions.

Lance, who was had been listening to their exchange walked over to his desk and picked up the ringing phone. He hung up as Clay got through talking to Chase. “That was Grant. He thinks we have something this time. He’ll be here soon with the feed from another camera.”

* * * *

Angel was starting to worry. Cinnamon hadn’t said a word since they had left the club, except to give him directions to her house. He couldn’t do anything to reassure her. He wanted to reach out and hold her, at least touch her and tell her everything would be OK. But he couldn’t as he was having a hard time driving a car with his knees up to his chest. He felt like a sardine in a packed can. His lady would have to get a new car if she expected him to ride in it. He was surprised that they lived in the same neighborhood. The houses were all small, cozy ranch houses. Angel had bought his because it reminded him of his grandmother’s small home on the reserve when he had first moved here. Back then, he didn’t know how long or even if their new business would take off. Now, even though money was no object, he still didn’t think to move from the small house that he was so comfortable living in.

Pulling in to a neat little bungalow with colorful flower beds surrounding the walkway to the house, Angel liked what he saw. It was trim, neat, and colorful, just like her, at least he thought she would be when not scared half to death. Cinnamon didn’t move and just kept staring out the widow even though the car was now parked in her driveway. Angel was starting to really get worried now.

He pulled himself out of the tin can and, after straightening up and shaking the cramps out of his body, he walked to her side of the door and opened it. Cinnamon seemed to come to her senses when he opened the door. Her eyes were wide open, as if he had startled her again. Angel gently reached in and removed her seat belt and helped her from the car. Holding her arm, he walked her up the well-groomed path to the front door. Cinnamon was now digging in her purse for the keys. Finding them, she reached out to unlock the door, but her hand was shaking so much she couldn’t get the key in the lock. Angel pried the keys out of her grip and took them and opened the door. Feeling for a light switch, he found it and flooded the living room with light.

Now he could see her clearly. He could make out that her pale face was covered in sweat. She looked like she was going to pass out. Angel scooped her up in his arms and made his way to a couch he could see on one wall. Gently laying her down on the couch, he looked around for the kitchen. He found an archway, and after making sure that she was fully laid out on the couch, he walked to the room, turned on the light, and searched her kitchen for a glass. Filling it with water from the sink, he hurried back to Cinnamon. Cinnamon was now sitting up and was holding her head with trembling hands. Maybe he should have taken her to the hospital.