Merideth locked her arms and legs around him. “I…I…”
Don’t say it
. She pressed her lips tight against the declaration. He’d never believe it spoken in the heat of passion. Maybe she shouldn’t either. But her heart…her heart…
Her muscles clenched. “Yes. Yes, I am. Please come with me. Please.”
Oliver plunged deep and froze. A growl tore from his chest, calling to Merideth on a level she knew only mating wolves would understand. They came together, riding on the stars and winds of a force she’d never question again.
Love.
Lucas walked into Oliver’s office like he owned the place. Posturing did nothing to fluster Becky. She acknowledged him with the barest of glances. He was beginning to think the girl had nerves of steel. She had to in order to pull off her earlier act.
“Come to help me fight the good fight?” she asked.
“I did.” He stretched out on the sofa behind her and plopped his laptop on his thighs. “Not trying to crowd you. I have a feeling we’re going to be here awhile, and I want to be comfortable.”
“Not a problem. I like to spread out.” Becky waved her hand over the table. “I’m sitting on a nest of pillows.”
“So where are we?” he asked, looking over her shoulder.
“I contacted the mama and papa bears. They didn’t hesitate to join the fight. I’ve got social accounts linked and am using several different user names from four different browsers. Here’s the list of hashtags.” Becky pushed a pad of paper his way.
“Mama and papa bears?” He committed the list to memory.
“Lori, Julia, Rachel, and their respective men. Once people see that Soleil, Maneater, and Raven have come out of retirement to go after this group, others will come running.”
“And they told two friends and so on.”
“Exactly.”
Impressive. “Know any cops?”
“Several, but I’m letting my uncles handle that one. These bastards are going down.”
“Remind me to never piss you off.” He hooked up to Oliver’s wireless and followed her lead.
“Back at ya,” she said with a smile. “Nothing personal, by the way. Just doing as Oliver asked, trying to prove myself.”
“And did you?”
She tilted her head to one side. “I hope so. If not, I’m going to hang in there until I do.”
“I sensed some level of tension between you and the
mama bears
. Your sister doesn’t like you associating with Oliver.”
Becky stopped in midkeystroke. “Lori’s not my sister. She’s my mother. Long story. Leave it alone. And before you think it, Oliver’s not my father, we don’t have sex, we don’t engage in any activity in the playroom.”
“Then what
is
your relationship?”
A put-upon sigh turned her his way. “He’s the best. He trained them. He’s legend, powerful, and will keep me safe. I trust him to see I’m paired with someone compatible. Our relationship is that of student and Master, based on mutual respect.”
Lucas scanned the flurry of activity Becky had generated. “You do what he tells you?”
“I do what he
asks
of me and have the option to refuse.”
Lucas lifted his gaze to her. “And you exercised that option rather than observe the activity in the playroom.”
Her cheeks flushed, but she didn’t back down. “And you decided to come help me rather than play.”
“They needed time alone. The crack of a whip sent Merideth into fear-based mode. Oliver will help her with that.”
Becky narrowed her eyes. “Were you playing me earlier like I was playing you? You don’t behave much like a submissive.”
He shrugged. “I have my moments. You don’t behave much like a Domme.”
“I’m still in training.” She turned her nose up and resumed her work.
Several minutes passed, time Lucas used to catch up and make posts and comments of his own. Maneater, Soleil, and Raven were active and aggressive. Others chimed in, all outraged, all using the hashtags Becky had started.
“Yes.” She pumped her fist. “Look.” She pointed to her monitor.
Lucas leaned in and saw the words,
They hurt me too
, with an image attached. “Click on it.”
Becky did so. The woman’s back was latticed with fresh lash marks.
Go to the police
, she typed in.
Can’t. They know where I live. I…I’ve got kids. Threatened them.
“Fuck.” Lucas wished he were home. He’d help her. Not that she’d trust a stranger at this point. He typed in his own message,
Take the kids with you to the police station.
Hurts too much to move. Can barely take care of the kids.
Another post popped up.
Where R U? We can help. Contact off-line.
Becky shook her head. “It’ll never happen. That woman won’t trust anyone, and I don’t blame her.”
Merideth’s Lighted Portals Foundation would help. But it meant Merideth outing herself and putting what she’d struggled to protect at risk. “This is bullshit.”
He shoved his computer onto the cushion beside him and marched back to the playroom. It was time Merideth made a stand, time she fought. He burst in at the climactic moment of what looked like a damn fine session…and didn’t give a damn when Oliver glowered at him.
“A woman’s posted a picture of her attack. It’s recent. She’s got kids and is scared to go to the police. These assholes threatened to hurt her kids.” He stabbed his finger in her direction. “You need to quit feeling sorry for yourself and do something. You fucked up, yeah. Admit it, and go after these sons of bitches before they hurt another person. Or, God forbid, kill someone.” If they hadn’t already.
“I…I…”
“I nothing.” He stormed across the room until he was standing over them. “You post a picture of your back. Tell your story. You want to catch attention in the community, use your Domme name. You want to catch the world’s attention, use your real name.”
Merideth clutched Oliver and shook her head. “No.”
“Bullshit. These women need help. Only you can give it.”
Tears filled her eyes. “How?”
“Through Lighted Portals,” Oliver calmly replied and slowly extracted himself from her body. “Lucas is right, Merideth.”
“You wanted to be strong. You wanted to find yourself.
This
is how you do it. Playtime’s over. Get your ass in there, and do something.” Lucas left her staring at him, mouth agape. Right was right, and this was wrong. All of it.
“Don’t make me have to come back in here,” he shot over his shoulder and continued on his way back to Oliver’s office.
“Another woman’s posted,” Becky said when he walked in. “What did Merideth say?”
“Nothing. I’m not giving her a choice.” He’d mollycoddled her too much when they were together, and he was damned if he was going to do it now. If it meant losing her all over again, so be it. He was going to help her heal or be damned trying.
“I have a program on my computer to do composite sketches.” Becky opened yet another window on her computer. “All she has to do is give me a description.”
“Merideth works with renovations. She can draw a sketch quicker than she can describe it to you.”
“Good.” She closed the window and went back to posting. “She’s very much like them, isn’t she?”
“Like who?” He scowled at her, thinking she meant the men who’d hurt Merideth.
“Oliver’s Dommes. The mama bears,” she clarified. “She looks like Julia, loves children like Lori, is apparently a qualified artist like Rachel. It’s like Oliver…”
Becky shook her head. She didn’t have to finish the sentence. Lucas knew what she was about to say. It had taken three women to replace the one Oliver had loved. Yet the three had never truly captured Oliver’s heart. If anything, he’d done his best to see they were settled and happy with men of their own.
Lucas’s heart hurt. He, Oliver, and Merideth hadn’t survived their breakup. They’d just made do. Sadder still…he didn’t see any way they could reclaim what they’d once had. Someone had to bend. Maybe that someone had to be him. He wasn’t willing to have things go back to the half-life they’d been.
By the time Oliver managed to tow Merideth into the office, thousands of posts had poured in with more coming every second. Becky’s phone chirped with texts from the mama bears about which ones they felt were relevant. It helped sort things out and narrow the field as they targeted their prey.
“Did she let you take a picture of her back?” Lucas asked him.
“She did.” Oliver gave his phone to Becky.
Merideth locked her arms across her chest. “But that’s all I’m willing to do, and I’m doing it under duress.”
That would explain why the two of them looked frazzled. Oliver would have pushed her hard, like Lucas had. They were united in this. Merideth would have balked. Her bloodshot eyes showed she’d been crying.
“I’m not onboard with this,” she told them. “You think you’re being clever, but you are only going to drive them underground. They’ll wait until things cool down and resurface somewhere else.”
Becky twisted to face her. “They won’t have anyplace
to
resurface.”
Merideth snapped her fists to her sides and strode forward. “You don’t
know
these people.”
“And you do?” Becky shot back.
Anger flushed Merideth’s face. She spun around and stormed over to the window.
Oliver flicked his fingers toward the phone clutched in Becky’s grip. “I want it clear the upload came from me. That she is my friend.”
A damn powerful statement. One that would make more than their community stand up and take notice.
“You two need anything else right now?” Oliver asked.
“We’re good,” Lucas said. “Though a couple of New York cops within the community might help.”
“Working on it.” Oliver headed for the door. “Bring me my phone when you’re done with it. I’ll be in the kitchen making dinner.”
Occupying his mind. Calming himself. Oliver’s form of stress relief. Lucas hiked. Oliver cooked. Merideth… He didn’t want to think about that right now. He watched her stare out the rain-slicked window. A sigh pulled her around.
“You’re making a big mistake.” Her eyes were vacant, her posture screaming defeat.
Becky held the phone up. “You might find you have more support than you ever imagined.”
“Send it,” Lucas told her.
Becky wasted no time doing so.
Merideth blinked away a flood of tears and hugged her arms around her midriff. “You’ve got more Dom in you than I thought.”
Lucas glared up at her. “I wish I could say the same about you.”
She jerked like she’d been slapped. He hated to say the words, especially in front of Becky. Hated that doing so broke her down even more. She’d said he and Oliver were her strength. It seemed that was true. Maybe it’d always been that way, though he refused to believe it. Yes, she had weaknesses, but she wouldn’t have accomplished half the things she’d done if strength wasn’t woven in there too.
“You are Merideth Wainwright.” He kept his tone calm, matter-of-fact, nonconfrontational. “You are Lady Begood. You are Mary Wright. You have saved countless works of art. Thrilled children galore. Created a foundation that helps better the lives of
everyone
. You are fucking awesome. Remember that.”
He caught movement from the corner of his eye. Merideth walking their way. She hovered over him until Lucas looked up.
“And if I fight the way you two are pushing, it all goes away,” she said.
“And you would have shut down a group that preys on women. You will have protected others,” he responded.
“Or helped destroy their lives too.” Her shoulders sagged all the more.
“Then all they have to do is keep their mouths shut, suffer in silence, and no one will be the wiser. All it takes is one strong person.” He held up his finger. “You’ve made that first step with this picture. Make another, and tell your story in the open.”
“You and Oliver keep trying to push me to the cliff. How long before you push me off it?”
“It’s called a leap of faith, Merideth. We’re here to catch you, no matter which way you fall.” Other than coming right out and telling her how much he loved her, Lucas didn’t know how to make his feelings any clearer. Saying it outright, he risked her throwing it back in his face. Even if that didn’t happen, there was still one major obstacle they’d never be able to surpass. Neither of them could give the other what they needed.
“I’ll be in my room. I need to be alone.”
Haughtiness was better than broken, he supposed. “Do what you gotta do,” he tossed back. “We’ll be leaving for New York come morning. You
will
meet this head-on and go to the police.”
“I’ll do no such thing!”
“You are the one who called herself a Domme. You
will
assume the responsibilities that come with the title. You forget…I may prefer a submissive role in the bedroom, but I have no problem disciplining those whose behavior needs correcting.”
Her face flamed red. Lucas wasn’t sure if that was from rage or embarrassment. He braced himself for another tirade, absorbing the bullets she shot from her eyes. Her mouth curled in a sneer. A toss of her hair dismissed him. He swore she left a trail of smoke in her wake as she zipped from the room. The click of keyboards covered the intervening silence. Becky had certainly gotten an earful.
“The picture’s up,” Becky told him. “Want to see?”
“No.” Right now he couldn’t trust his reaction. Seeing the scars covering her back would elicit sympathy. Merideth needed him hard, and that was what he was going to be.
* * * *
Oliver watched the rain drip off the porch eaves from the kitchen window. Mother Nature cried because he couldn’t risk anyone seeing the cracks in his hard-ass facade. So why was there moisture on his cheeks?
He flicked the annoyance away yet again, but it wouldn’t erase the image of Merideth’s silent tears when she finally agreed to let him snap photos of her back. They’d pushed her too hard. Not exactly the type of help she’d envisioned when she’d come here. Yet Oliver knew it was the right help. To think it wouldn’t have happened if Lucas hadn’t taken the lead.