“Yes, Sir.”

  “Do it now.”

  Placing her hands behind her, she lowered her body until her nose touched the floor. She was surprised how comfortable she was in the position.

  He walked toward the fireplace. She heard the sizzle as if he tossed the cigar into the fire. His steps were even as he walked toward her. He placed his hand on her upper back, caressing with a light touch. “There are many things I’m going to teach you, sweet slut. If you please me, I’ll shower you with pleasure. If you don’t, you’ll know unbridled anguish. Soon, you will call me Master.”

  These weren’t the words spoken by a Dom. They were ones used by a sadist. Fear swept into her body, creating nausea. Her head was jerked back by her hair. Forced to look up at her Master, she quivered given the chance in his facial expression.

  “Pain and pleasure. I hold the key to both. Never forget.”

  “No, Sir.”

  “Good girl. You’re going to be such a sweet slut to break.”

  Break? The words were all wrong. This wasn’t someone she could trust. She held her breath and tried to collect her thoughts. Mistress Jade stated this man would be patient and that he was a good teacher. She was simply scared, given the newness. Nothing more. He wouldn’t hurt her.

  “Safe word. While this isn’t normal, you are new and therefore allowed a safe word. At least for now. Tell me.” He kept his hold around her head as he pulled Skyler to her feet.

  Safe word. She hadn’t even thought of one. “Raspberry.” The choice seemed odd but comforting. Her stomach churned.

  He raised his eyebrow and nodded. “So be it. Place your hands behind your head and open your legs wide for inspection. I will inspect every inch of your body every time you are in my house.”

  “Yes, Sir.” Skyler was going to throw up. There was little doubt. Her stomach was doing flip-flops but she managed to follow his directions. Her training as a doctor kicked in, pushing aside the girl who longed to be dominated. Red flags were all around her. She stole several quick glances around the room, memorizing pictures and lamps, the single book on the coffee table and the oversized glass ashtray located on the brick hearth.

  “Good girl.”

  She closed her eyes the moment he cupped her face. Her skin crawled but when he rubbed his thumb across her lips, she was no longer queasy, even though he had a sickening cologne.

  “Perfect in every way. Soon you’ll wear my marks.” He dragged the tips of his fingers down her neck and in between her breasts. He cupped both, placing her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. “Pain. Do you crave anguish my sweet slut?”

  The question wasn’t startling. Her admittance was. “Yes, very much so, Sir.”

  “Yes. You’ve longed for a man who truly embraces all that you need.” He twisted her nipples as he pinched.

  She gasped as a rush of adrenaline mixed with heightened pain tore through her body. “Yes, Sir.”

  He kept his grip firm for several seconds. His breath was ragged. “Very good.” Releasing his hold, he slid one hand down her stomach and between her legs. He fingered the lace of her thong before inching his fingers under the material. “Your scent is intoxicating.”

  “Ooohh…” The moment he slid his fingers into her cunt, she gasped.

  “Wet. A good wet whore. Fabulous.”

  She bit her lower lip as he shoved his fingers in and out. She was turned on, excitement building. You can do this. You’ve hungered your entire life. A filtered vision swam in the back of her mind. Figures loomed as eerie lights swooshed in a circular format. Mystery lover was trying to show her something. But what?

  When he removed his fingers, she fought to keep her eyes on the floor. The suckling sound as he licked her juice from his fingers thrilled her. No man had taken her in this way. Montana. The thought brought another gasp. He’d wanted her this way. The detective had almost fucked her, but he wasn’t a detective when he… The thought remained lingering in her mind.

  “Bend over and touch the floor. Keep your legs apart.”

  “Yes, Sir.” She tottered on her heels as she bent over, her fingers just touching the floor.

  He moved around her, his fingers never leaving her skin.

  Crack!

  The single slap on her ass sent a chill down her legs.

  “There will be more of these.” He chuckled as he traced her spine with a single finger. “Many more.” Wiggling the finger between the cheeks of her ass, he exhaled and placed his other hand on the small of her back. “When you return, you’ll wear a dildo. In fact, you’ll wear a dildo every day, only removing when you need to shit. Am I clear?”

  “Yes, Sir.” A butt plug? Her mouth watered at the thought. Still, this man thought he had paid for all of her time, not just a session.

  “Good girl. Now open your sweet ass cheeks for me.”

  Skyler’s body swayed as she reached back, exposing her asshole. She willed herself to stay in position as the tip of his finger circled her puckered hole.

  “Have you had a thick cock in your ass before?”

  “Once, Sir.”

  “And did you enjoy?” He shoved a finger into her asshole and grunted.

  A single whimper slipped past her lips. “Not really, Sir.”

  “You’ll learn. A tight asshole like yours needs to be trained.”

  She closed her eyes as sweat formed on her forehead. You can do this. You can do this. “Yes, Sir.”

  He continued probing for several seconds before easing his finger from her dark hole.

  Crack! Slap!

  She realized she’d arched her back as if asking for more.

  “I see you understand your place. You please me, sweet slut. Tonight you’re going to feel the power of my belt.”

  The sound of him unbuckling his belt, slipping the smooth leather from the loops was a moment of realization. She wanted nothing more than to have his strap slapped against her ass, her thighs, even her pussy.

  Whoosh! Crack!

  She jumped when the belt was slammed against the floor. Panting, she stayed in the same position. This was a test of her resolve. She was woozy, unfocused.

  “You can stand up.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He pinched her nipple then patted her stomach. “Go to the sofa. Lean over the back. Tonight we’re going to begin your training.”

  Every move shaky, she did as she was told.

  Kicking her legs apart, he dragged the tip of the belt down her back to her ass. “You’re going to make one fine slut, my dear.”

  Skyler moaned as he slid the leather in between her legs. She’d never been so euphoric. She was high on adrenaline, desire engorging her pussy lips. She longed to beg him to fuck her, use her, but she remained quiet as all good submissives should. This was everything she’d ever wanted.

  “You’ll receive ten tonight and you’ll count for me.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He issued a single strike.

  “One.”

  “One?” he hissed.

  “One, Sir.”

  “We begin again.”

  She held her breath and concentrated on the sound as the belt was lifted into the air. Her ears continued to ring as he brought down the belt, cracking hard against her ass. “One, Sir.”

  “Better.”

  “Two and three, Sir.” The anguish was unimaginable. She moaned and dug her nails into the smooth leather of the couch. This wasn’t what she’d expected.

  Ping…

  The clanging noise came from another location in the house. Skyler lifted her head, scanning the room. A single muffled cry could be heard over the melodic strains of music. She tensed. There was someone else in the house. Dr. Destiny Blade roared to the surface. Concentrating on the sound, she homed in on what had to be a muffled cry. Get out. She had to get out.

  He rubbed his hand across her reddened ass. “You’ll wear my marks for days. And again.”

  “Four…and…” Destiny lifted her body from the couch, twisting to look into his eyes. They weren’t the eyes of a killer but one of a madman. “I’m very sorry. I can’t do this. I can’t.” Another moan was emitted, this time loud enough the man who called himself Master flinched.

  “You can,” he demanded.

  Whoosh! Crack!

  Electricity churned through her gut. For a few seconds a black haze surrounded her eyes. She blinked several times as an image flashed in front of her.

  You’re mine… Leave now.

  The vision ebbed and flowed, her mystery lover’s face becoming evident. His eyes were pinpricks of blackness. He was warning her. Her entire body tensed as she struggled to catch her breath. She pushed hard against the couch, tumbling backwards. “Leave me alone!” There was someone her, a woman held captive. Yes, she knew. She knew! Get out. Get out!

  “Come her, sweet slut. We’re not finished.” He lunged at her but she managed to jump out of his reach.

  Destiny stumbled as she grabbed her things, surprised he didn’t try and follow. Racing down the hall, she could only think of the words. Leave now…

  CHAPTER 12

  “What do you mean she didn’t show up?” Montana hissed and slammed the case file on top of his desk. “I told her that she had to come down here and give a statement.”

  “You told her?” Grant shook his head. “Perhaps she doesn’t like being ordered. She’s not under investigation at this point.”

  Being ordered. The woman wanted nothing more. He placed both hand on his desk and leaned over, lowering his voice. “Three of her patients were murdered in cold blood. She could be in danger. Hell, she could be the killer. Don’t you think she should be under investigation?”

  “I think you’re too close to this case.”

  “Too close? What the fuck does that mean? And where does the Sergeant weigh in on this?”

  Grant took a sip of his coffee before answering. “It means, partner, that you seem very interested in the wellbeing than you are solving this case. Sarge is talking with the District Attorney. It’s a wait and see and do our jobs. Remember our job?”

  “Fuck you!” Montana snapped and walked toward the window. He hadn’t been able to take his mind off of her since their experience. While he couldn’t understand what was happening between them, he knew the answer was buried in the reason for the murders. He’d bet his life on the comprehension. He paced back and forth, beads of sweat dripping down his back. This was insane. He was too close. Of course he was. His cop’s instinct told him she was in trouble. Hell, or maybe his lust for her was doing the talking.

  “Did you find out anything from the illustrious Mistress Jade?” he asked after a full minute of silence.

  “What?” Montana couldn’t get Destiny’s look off of his mind.

  Grant inched in front of him. “You did go see Jade Devereaux, didn’t you?”

  “Not yet.”

  “What do you mean, not yet? We need to see if she was one of her girls. You said so yourself, there are no coincidences.”

  Montana shook his head. “I will bet you Jenna Gammon isn’t a submissive for hire. I think the killer picked at random.”

  “To throw us off the Club Noir connection.”

  “Exactly.” He rubbed his jaw, contemplating asking the good Mistress is he could go undercover. Would she allow?

  “I’ve been checking up on Dr. Blade,” Grant said quietly after a full minute.

  “And?”

  “And she cancelled all of her appointments yesterday. She’s never done that before.”

  “Perhaps she’s sick.”

  Grant laughed. “I had a patrol go by her house. Her car was gone and she didn’t appear all day.”

  “Maybe she took a day off and had some fun.” Montana knew better. The words registered in the darkest corner of his mind.

  “As I said, you care more about her wellbeing.”

  Montana gave him a harsh look. “I have a feeling she’s being stalked. That’s why I worry.”

  “Well, we certainly have a suspect.”

  He jerked around to face his partner. “Who? Michael?”

  “Fascinating.” Grant opened his eyes wide. “You know more than you’re telling me, partner. We really need to work on your communication skills. Yes, Michael Cavanaugh.”

  “Her records are held in confidence.”

  “Perhaps,” he said and winked. “But I have my sources.”

  Montana huffed. “You’re right. We do need to work on our communication skills.” He paced back and forth. “What did you find out?”

  “That he was investigated for a series of murders when he was seventeen.”

  The news hit Montana hard. “Was he charged?”

  “No. An alibi suddenly appeared the day they were going to arrest the kid. Interesting, huh?” Grant tossed a file in Montana’s direction.

  “If he was seventeen then the file should have been on lockdown.”

  “Not if you have friends in high places.” He grinned and swiveled in his chair.

  Montana gave him the finger. He thought about Destiny’s comment on abuse. “Who’s talking about communication skills again?”

  Grant shrugged. “Remember the weatherman?”

  “The one from last year?”

  “The very one.” He fiddled with his keyboard.

  “What are you thinking? Connection?” How many times had he attempted to put the pieces together, make any kind of line drawn between the cases?

  Leaning forward, Grant looked down. “Look. I might be going out on a limb here, but did you ever think of going undercover for this one?”

  “Me? I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “I do. Let’s face it. Mistress Jade owes us a favor. She’s a smart lady, knowing if we start investigating everyone on her list we’ll be shut down faster than you can say peanut butter.”

  “Maybe.” Montana walked closer. “What good is that going to do, anyway?”

  He rose to his feet and gave his partner and glanced from right to left. “If you’re really concerned about the doctor’s safety, then I suggest you consider. This isn’t a high priority case in the department. You know that.”

  “Yeah, kink style murders usually aren’t. What if we tell the Sarge about the list?”

  Grant looked over his shoulder and lowered his voice. “You really believe that by the book Sargent Wallace is going to allow us to investigate the most prominent men in this town? Never. You know that.”

  “Yeah. You’re right. Still, what do you want me to do, learn to flog women?”

  Grant sniffed and looked away.

  “Hold on here. No matter what you think you know about me, I’m not going to delve into a lifestyle I have no business being in.”

  “You mean something you crave?”

  Montana sucked in his breath. A single night of drinking with his partner had led to secrets being told. “Drop it. Now. Get it?” When Grant gave him a hard stare, he took two long strides forward, shoving his finger in his partner’s face. “Did you hear me?” He realized he’d drawn attention from the others in the precinct.

  Grant held up his arms and backed away. “Got it, partner. Just a suggestion. I don’t think we’re getting anywhere.”

  “We’re playing this case by the book. Period. Understand?” Montana’s breathing was ragged. His partner was right. No one was going to talk to the police, no matter how many murders were committed. “So where do we go from here?” When Grant remained silent, he titled his head. The challenge was met with a nod.

  “I say we go have a talk with Michael Cavanaugh. That’s the only lead we have at this point. I think he knows what’s happening. If what Destiny told us about his behavior is trust, he’s unraveling. Killer or no killer, he knows something about what’s going on. That’s just my gut instinct kicking in. I have his address. I asked one of the patrol officers to go by and see if he’s home.”

  He nodded. Yes, he should have delved into the young man’s past, especially given what Destiny had told him. Maybe daddy-o had raised a killer. “Agreed. And we need to find Destiny. I’m going to put out and APB.”

  “A little early, don’t you think?”

  “No. I don’t think so.” Montana picked up the phone. “My instinct tells me she’s going to be next.” An ominous series of sensations rushed into every cell in his body. She was indeed in danger. For a few seconds he stood, frozen as a penetrating vision rolled in front of him, every detail vivid in color. He pushed back a deep seeded feeling that remained gut wrenching. How in the hell was he going to protect her from the inside?

  “Okay. Then we do it your way.”

  Montana said the words in a perfunctory manner, issuing the APB on a woman he cared about far too much. The words echoed then a dull buzz swam around him in a dense fog. The air was stifling as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

  Destiny was naked and tied to a cross, bloody welts crisscrossing every inch of her body. Her breasts were bound, purple in color, weights swinging from clamps attached to her nipples. Writhing, her expression was one of pure bliss.

  A shadow appeared from behind and in the glow of the intense moonlight he could see what the man was holding.

  A machete.

  He fell against the desk and gasped. His cock was rock hard.

  CHAPTER 13

  My name is Maria. My name is Maria. “My name is Maria.” The words were strangled given her parched throat. She whimpered and wrapped her bloody hand around the metal bars of her cage. There was little light in the room and the stench no longer stole her breath. Death and decay meant nothing in comparison to the wrath of her Master. She was a dead woman. He would come and kill her soon, just like the wretched girls kept like mummies. Shivering, she would never forget the blackened eyes of the dozen or so women, their mouths gaping open in horror.

  Maria licked her swollen lips and swayed back and forth. Every muscle ached from nonuse more than the wounds inflicted by his bullwhip. She pushed against the door of her prison. The clanging noise reminded her she was still breathing. No, she was just alive in body. Her spirit had already been crushed. How long had she been here? There was no way to tell time, no light and darkness.