Too Much: A Loveswept Contemporary Erotic Romance (All or Nothing) (30 page)

It had been two weeks, and Daly was finally able to get through a day without breaking down into tears. Anger tingled at the edges of her mind, but the pain was still so consuming that it was hard to grasp the white-hot threads of her rage for very long.

Soon, maybe.

She’d found out that Jeremiah had not been charged with anything, but her father had been charged with murder in the first degree. Premeditated and with malice aforethought. He had a long road to hoe. Daly didn’t care.

Her brother had called her the morning after everything had gone down. DeLeon had a lot of dirt on their father and Heyward killed him, threatening to pin it all on Jeremiah if he told anyone. David had been nothing more than a pawn this time. Heyward wanted his kids back in the fold and had known the way to get Jeremiah’s attention and ensure his compliance all at once. Ultimately, he’d wanted Jeremiah out of the picture entirely. Daly still could not fathom the depths to which her father had sunk.

Toby had gone on to fill her in on everything she hadn’t managed to piece together herself. They’d spoken briefly, and he’d promised to stop by the following weekend to check on her. Her attorney had informed her she was absolutely in no trouble, but that Jeremiah’s attorneys had contacted him seeking to ensure that Daly attempted no contact with Jeremiah.

The thought that Jeremiah had threatened her with a restraining order brought several of those white-hot threads together for a brief moment. She’d dropped them. They’d just been too hot to hold onto. He didn’t want to see her? Fine. She could abide by that.

So she went through her days, filling them with all manner of things related to her mentor program and the children she was responsible for through Juvenile Justice. And she spent her nights huddling under the covers, cold to the bone and crying.

She hadn’t heard from Ruthie and refused to put her friend in an awkward situation by choosing Daly over her brother. David had sent her a short note, apologizing for any part he’d played in her problems. Daly had crumpled the note and taken a lighter to it.

So she established a pattern of work, home, and work again. The weeks passed and she attended a function for DFCS at the Westin Plaza. Thoughts of what happened in the security room above the ballroom had forced her to plead sickness and run and hide at home.

Her brother had finally stopped by yesterday and he’d looked haggard. She wondered what was going on but refused to ask. He told her he wasn’t working for Jeremiah anymore and
she wept. They’d been best friends for years. He and Jeremiah were like brothers.

“He needs you, Toby,” she’d told him.

“You needed him and he skipped. I can’t forget that, Day-day,” he’d returned.

Daly had hugged him, sobbing on his shoulders until she fell asleep, waking up alone once again.

It was Saturday, and she didn’t have shit to do. She debated trying to reach Ruthie but decided against it. She’d just reached for the phone, intent on calling Candace, when her gaze fell on the suitcase she’d brought in with her the night everything had gone down.

Daly had shoved it in a corner and forgotten about it. But now her curiosity was piqued. What was in the suitcase? She’d left nothing at Jeremiah’s place. What could it possibly be?

She dragged it to her bedroom and placed it on the bed, heart racing, palms sweating. There was something in there that was going to change her world; it was a surety in the pit of her stomach.

Slowly, she popped the latch and opened it. Her breath left her in a whoosh. Nothing but red lace and satin. Her eyes filled with tears and the sob that escaped her chest hurt. He’d returned her red lingerie. All of it. Everything she’d left the first time.

It was another cut among the myriad wounds he’d already inflicted on her soul. But in the midst of those red bras, panties, and corsets was his reason.

She’d been so blind, and once the blinders were removed the anger rushed in, hazing her mind with a red deeper than anything in the bowels of that fucking suitcase.

He’d thought to push her away before she had a chance to hurt him again. And he’d done a damn good job of it.

But did Daly want a man who refused to trust her? Did she want a man who closed off at the first hint of difficulty?

Thoughts came at her so fast she could barely process them. Yet the predominant theme was that she didn’t want a man who closed himself off. She didn’t want a man who didn’t trust her. But she did want Jeremiah Copeland.

The plan formed before she could stop it. Oh, her grand plans—she was having more of them lately than ever before. But this one was insidious, creeping along the pathways of her brain, down her spine, and invading her heart, demanding she listen and follow through. The anger rushed through her, making her clench her hands and grit her teeth.

She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t open herself like that again. Could she?

What if she didn’t? What if she gave up on him and didn’t give him a chance to make things right with her?

It was unacceptable. Because Daly trusted what he’d told her. He loved her. He’d given her the words and by God, she was going to make him live by them or tell her to her face he
didn’t mean them.

She scribbled one word on a piece of paper, tossed it in, and closed the suitcase.
Everything.
It was what he’d promised her and what she’d given in return.

Plans, plans, plans, but first, she had to call Candace and after that, Ruthie. This was going to be tricky. Jeremiah was a hard man, but she was his softness. She was his submissive, and it was time to use that to her advantage.

“You’re insane, Day. He’s like a surly bear and you’re going to poke him?” Ruthie’s voice was a beguiling mixture of worry and delight.

“I’m what he’s made me and it’s time for him to own it. He fucked up, and I’m simply giving him an opportunity to make it up to me,” Daly responded, then grunted as Candace pulled tight on a corset string. “Damn, Candace, I won’t be able to breathe much less bend over in this.”

“Pain is pleasure, dear,” Candace said with a laugh. She and her husband had come to The Underground tonight as support.

“Toby is staying far away, I take it?” Ruthie asked.

“I wouldn’t think he’d want to watch his sister in this particular situation, Ruthie,” Candace chided. “He’d probably want to see you, but not Day.”

Ruthie turned bright red but said nothing to that. Daly wondered if Ruthie and Toby would ever get it together.

“Just a little more,” Candace said through closed lips. “There! Turn around and let me look at you.”

Daly did, and Candace whistled, then described in detail what Daly looked like so Ruthie could picture it in her mind.

“Lovely,” Ruthie said. “Now, we have to get you into the main room and Jeremiah here. Candace, I’m going to leave it up to you. Daly? You got this? I’m upstairs if sugar goes to shit. Have Candace get me and I’ll be there in a second if you need me, okay?”

“I won’t need you,” Daly said, and both women smiled.

“You will, however, need a donut to sit on when he gets finished wearing that ass out because you’ve shown it to everyone in the club,” Candace said with a laugh.

“Serves
his
ass right. He threatened me with a restraining order and he had that fucking bitch Detective Cavanaugh tell me.” Daly growled.

“Calm down, woman. Tonight is about getting your man to understand what he’s done and what he needs to do,” Ruthie teased. “We’ll go after Savvy together once your mission is accomplished.”

Daly hugged her and turned to Candace. “You ready?”

“The question is, are
you
?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Daly said in a rush.

“Fingers crossed,” Ruthie called out as the elevator doors closed.

“I don’t need luck,” Daly whispered. Her eyes met Candace’s in the silver of the door.

“You need a fucking miracle,” Candace breathed out.

“You’ve got the rope?” Daly asked nervously.

Candace chuckled. “It’s all waiting on you.”

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Candace’s husband had made sure to have Jeremiah gone from the club, and Ruthie had snuck Daly up to her apartment by the private elevators. As Daly stepped from the public elevator, her nerves nearly had her stepping back in and calling it off.

“This is for forever, Daly,” Candace whispered.

Those words steeled her spine. That was exactly what this was for. If he rejected her, at least she’d tried. She’d break completely, but she’d be able to rebuild because she’d gone after what she wanted, not run from it. She’d done that once and lived a half life the past three years.

Her legs shook, but she was affirmed. She spotted the spanking bench on a short platform in the main alcove of the club. It was the biggest stage, but the bench was brand new. Plush red leather with mahogany handles and rests, and the titanium hooks at the sides were guaranteed to hold the strongest subs in place.

Her nerves were shot, but heat bloomed in her abdomen. She would submit it all to him tonight and in doing so, she would have her Dom.

People milled to and fro. It was a Saturday and the club was relatively busy. Her extremities tingled at the thought that people would be watching. She knew instinctively that he didn’t want to share anything they did, but tonight it was the only way to capture his attention and make sure she held it.

He was her Dom and if she knew anything about him, it was that he wouldn’t turn away from her in her need. Jeremiah wasn’t that cold.

He threatened you with a restraining order
, her head reminded her.

He was hurt
, her heart shouted.

“You need to relax,” Candace said at her side. Her friend was dressed in a cat suit. The leather delineated her luscious curves to perfection. She and her husband were in the lifestyle, a true Master/slave relationship that Daly both admired and wanted for herself. That she’d taken on the possibility of losing Jeremiah’s friendship by helping Daly hadn’t gone unnoticed.

The cool air of the club brushed over Daly’s flesh, reminding her she was in a corset, thong, six-inch heels, and nothing else.

“You got this,” Candace said from the corner of her mouth. Louder and for the benefit of everyone else she said, “On the bench, sub.”

Daly did as she’d been told, going to her knees on the wooden support rest and bending at the waist to lie facedown on the bench, but she didn’t say anything. She’d never call anyone Sir
but her Dom.

“Relax, Day,” Candace murmured.

Daly felt the rope begin to twine around her wrist. She opened her eyes and watched the lovely red bamboo rope wind around her arm, slip through the hook, and then double back to knot at her wrist. The other arm was done the same way.

“Feet now, Day,” Candace warned her.

The process was repeated with the rope on both legs and she was completely bound to the bench. Facedown in a cutout for just that purpose she waited, feeling the stares of everyone in the club.

Candace took a deep breath at her ear. “And cue music.”

Daly knew what the music signaled. He was here. Candace had come up with that telltale sign from her husband.

“He’s here, Day. Good luck.”

She felt the air stir as Candace stepped away and then the music invaded her body. Slow, thumping, and so deep Daly wondered if she could come just listening to it.

“What the fuck is going on?”

His voice moved her. How she’d missed him! So damn much. Nobody moved. Nobody said a word. Daly had not been given permission to speak, and therefore let the situation speak for itself.

This was a bad idea
, her head mocked.

It’s bloody brilliant
, her heart screamed.

“Tell. Me.”

She remained silent.

“Speak, Daly,” he bit out.

“I would think it obvious … Sir.”

“No, it isn’t,” he said in a nasty voice.

“I am here for you, Sir. Only you,” she said softly.

“Speak louder, goddamn it.”

“I am here for you, Sir. Only you!” she shouted. Then she smiled because she heard him suck in his breath, felt his frustration reach out and stroke along her skin.

“I don’t want you.”

It hurt. But she’d known he’d resist. She wanted him. She would have him. “Yes, you do, Sir. And I have no other need than to give you what you want.”

“Candace, untie those ropes and get her the fuck out of here,” he demanded. His voice was ugly. Deep, gruff, and pained.

Oh how his pain tugged at her heart! Determination filled her muscles, locking her in
place, and she prayed that her will communicated itself.

“No,” Candace said. “She’s here for you. She needs you.”

“She’s practically fucking naked!”

Candace laughed, and it made Daly smile. “And she needs you. I’m sure if you can’t fill that need there are others here who would?”

Mentally, Daly was high-fiving her friend.

Jeremiah growled and Daly went wet.

“Nobody touches her but me.”

Candace laughed again. “That’s what I thought. I’m off now, J.C. I’ll expect a call thanking me tomorrow.”

Jeremiah didn’t respond, but Daly felt his perusal like a hot brand on her skin. It was a calculated risk, and she’d had no other option. This was the way to crawl back into her man’s heart. So she’d taken the risk, but now the waiting was painful.

“You thought you’d have her tie you to a bench and I’d what, Daly? Fall at your feet and beg you to come back?”

She remained silent. Rhetorical questions sucked.

“Answer me.”

“No, Sir.”

“Then what did you think?”

“I knew I loved you, and the only way to get back in front of you was to be bound and at your mercy.”

That shut his ass up. So now, Daly was high-fiving herself, until the music went silent and she heard the sounds of people leaving. Then she was high-tenning herself because he’d made everyone go. Unable to handle anyone seeing her, seeing them, he’d made them leave.

“I don’t want to see you,” he said harshly.

“Yes you do, Sir,” she said around a lump in her throat.

“No, I don’t. I don’t want the pain you bring with you.”