Sadly, Lexie looked at her, seeing little of the girl who had been like a big sister to her in high school. “What happened, Shelby? You had such big plans for your life after graduation.”
The tears overflowed then. “Oh, Lex, you wouldn’t believe what I’ve been through. I got involved with some bad people. I’m so ashamed of what I’ve done.”
“What can I do? They said no one has visited, not even your parents.”
“They disowned me when they learned I was working at The Club. They were humiliated that their daughter had become a whore.”
Shocked at the harsh word, Lexie protested. Her parents had been kind, loving, generous people as far as she knew. “Surely not! Your parents adored you.”
“Not after my life took a turn. When I wasn’t their sweet, bubbly angel any longer, they turned on me. If they had loved me, they wouldn’t have abandoned me like the others.
“What others?”
Shaking her head, she looked away as the tears ran unchecked down her cheeks. “You don’t know the things I’ve done, Lex. I can’t hardly blame them.”
“Things you did as a club submissive? That’s sex¸ Shelby. No matter what people think, that’s not wrong and certainly not illegal.”
“No, but blackmail is, and drugs and spying. I got involved with some really awful people. Worse, I betrayed people at The Club that befriended and trusted me.” She paused, looking down at her hands, sadly. Suddenly, her eyes flew up. They were wild and unusually bright, despite the tears. “I just wanted to find someone for me, like the other girls. Megan and Regan found their men, and that bitch Elena. This is all her fault. She stole my master. I had to make her pay.”
Lexie was taken aback at the vehement hatred in her voice. She blamed Elena. The blame didn’t extend toward Dex at all. She still called him her master despite it having ended months ago. In fact, Dex had broken it off with her well before he and Elena got back together.
Considering the disturbing look in her eyes and her irrational thinking Lexie was beginning to suspect she was sick. She’d seen similar looks on some of the psych patients in the ER, usually when they were off their meds. Shelby had changed so much since high school, not just in appearance. She appeared illogical and moody. In the few minutes she’d spent with her, Shelby had gone through a wide range of emotions, from sad and guilty to angry and spiteful, possibly delusional. Was she mentally ill? That would certainly explain the change in her personality.
She needed help; then again, that wasn’t why Lexie was there. Put your clinical hat away and stay on topic. She reminded herself of Jonas’ warning: “Get what you need, then get the hell out.”
Lexie tried to redirect the conversation to the blackmail and her current legal situation. “If you cooperate, won’t they be lenient, honey?”
“No! If I talk, he’ll go after my—” she choked off her words, anger turning instantly to fear. Lexie could see the panic in her eyes. The girl was terrified of someone.
“Who?” Lexie’s mind replayed what she had told her so far. Shelby’s life was in turmoil. She had no one left, except her parents. Although estranged, they were the only leverage to gain her compliance. “Someone threatened your parents.”
“Vic—uh . . . No, I can’t tell you. If he finds out I talked, I’m dead. Besides, I don’t want to drag you down with me.”
“So are you just going to take the blame for all of this yourself?”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“The police can help you and can keep your folks safe if you just tell them who it is, Shelby. There’s always witness protection. If this guy is a criminal, maybe they’ll want to catch the biggest fish in the pond and will cut you a deal.”
Shelby sat quietly for a moment with a forlorn look on her face. She looked lost and alone. No matter what her crimes were, she was a vulnerable woman, and Lexie’s heart ached for her.
“Why did you come, Lex?”
She expected that question, had prepared for it even. “I read about it in the papers and just had to check on you.”
Her response was a short snort of humorless laughter. “You’re a terrible actress. Angie put you up to this, I’m sure.” She seemed resigned, looking sadly at Lexie. “That’s okay. Tell her the key in my purse goes to a safe deposit box at First National, #25407. It was nice to see you and get out of that cell for a while. Now that I’ve given you what you came for, there’s no need to come here again. You’ve done your job. I’ll always remember you as a good friend. I’m going to go now. Goodbye, Lexie Berry.” She stood and signaled to the guard that she was done.
Lexie watched her go, tears misting her eyes. Dimly, she walked out of the room replaying her parting words. They echoed hauntingly in her ears, so fatalistic—so final.
Jonas was waiting for her in the hallway. When he saw her face, he gathered her in his arms and held her close. “I’m sorry you had to do that. Pretty tough, huh?”
“She was afraid, Jonas, terrified even. Someone named Vic threatened to kill her if she talked. There’s no way she was the mastermind behind this. She told me about a safe deposit box. There must be something important in there.”
“We heard it all. Angie is getting a warrant as we speak.”
“I think she’s ill—mentally ill. Can they get a psych consult in here? They also need to keep her safe, from herself, that is. I’m worried she might do something drastic.”
“Do you think she’s suicidal?
“Possibly. She didn’t threaten to harm herself, but she was despondent, hopeless. Those are signs.”
“They can put her on suicide watch. I’ll talk to someone.”
“Thank you, Jonas.”
“You did a great job, Lexie. You may have missed your calling.” He was teasing, but she was too shaken to notice.
“No way! That was awful, and if I never have to come back here, I’ll be grateful. Can we go now?”
“Absolutely. Let’s get you home.”
***
The next day found Jonas ready to pull his hair out in frustration as he ran into one dead end after another while researching the judge’s emails. He was grateful for a reprieve when Cap called him to his office. When he walked in, followed closely by Dex, he found an agitated Angie Hixson pacing. She was fuming. As soon as the door closed behind Dex, Angie delivered her shocking news.
“Shelby’s dead. She hung herself last night.”
“Good God!” Dex cried out in shock.
Jonas immediately thought of Lexie. She was going to feel responsible for this. As the last one to have spoken to Shelby, she would feel that she’d pushed her to this end—he knew she would. “How did this happen while on suicide watch?”
Angie paced in frustration. “I told them what Lexie said, about her concerns about Shelby’s mental health. I told them to get the psychologist involved, that she might try to harm herself. Obviously, they ignored me.”
Dex rubbed his face in obvious distress. “I’m to blame for this. I knew she was off when I was topping her. I should have done something then. Dammit, I should have gotten her help.”
Cap, who was usually unflappable, shot to his feet. “Stop with the bullshit, Dex. You can’t take the blame for this, particularly if she was mentally ill. You’re not a mind reader, nor is Sean, or T, or any of the other Doms she played with at The Club. This is the reason we ask for medical clearance and a mental health screening for all of our members.”
Growling, he speared his hands through his hair, clearly agitated, a state that was uncharacteristic for Cap. This had definitely tweaked him.
“Too many things are going wrong at The Club to be a coincidence—unauthorized guests, assaults on members, leaked pictures, blackmail, kidnappings, now this. Dammit, this whole thing stinks to high heaven. I’d like to see her background check. There should have been something there if she was depressed, or abused or vulnerable. That’s why we do them, for fuck’s sake.”
Jonas looked over at Angie. She was upset and visibly shaken, but he had to ask. “What did you find in the safe deposit box? I’ll have to tell Lexie something that makes her involvement easier to bear. What the hell that could be, I don’t know.”
“It was a treasure trove of more questions, not answers.” Pulling a thick file out of her briefcase, she spread the documents and pictures over the table. “I haven’t had a lot of time to study it all, so bear with me. In addition to about 50 G’s in cash and jewelry, there’s a threatening letter from some guy named Victor and a lot more pictures from The Club. Most are starring Judge Jenkins,” she said, listing each item as she spread them out on the table. “Here’s a few of one Hollywood heartthrob and the local chief of police.” She laid down a few more glossy photos before she got to the final bombshell. “And hold on to your jock straps for this one boys.” She laid down several photos of a ménage. “This interesting little threesome stars a U.S. Senator in fetish wear with a spiked collar. It appears he is giving it to Shelby and if I’m not mistaken, the Dominatrix flogging his ass while he does it is none other than Sean’s ex, one Mara O’Brien.”
Cap sank into a chair, his hands raking his scalp again. “Fuck me.”
Dex, who was equally stunned, quietly picked up the photo to examine it more closely. He flipped it over and noticed the date. “This was taken a while ago, right around the time we opened The Club. Do you know what this means?”
Jonas softly said what the others were thinking. “Yeah, it means Mara was cheating and Sean is going to lose his shit when he finds out.”
“It also means you’ve had a spy in your midst for a while. Look at what else we found in Shelby’s private stash.” Angie held up a leather bound book. “She kept a ledger.”
Dex and Cap moved to the desk where Angie flipped open the accounting record.
“It’s very detailed. The events listed correspond with deposits. You’re right Dex, the threesome with the Judge and Mara dates back almost two years ago, and Shelby logged it. There are dates when each email was sent and a tag line with an IP address, which Jonas I’m sure will be able to track down. She even gave us a name.” Pointing to the entries, she read the name aloud, “Charles Anderson of Raleigh, North Carolina.”
Three sets of eyes rose to her in shock.
“You know him?”
“He’s from our unit,” Dex said in disbelief.
“He retired when the rest of us did. Wanted in on our business, too. I declined.” Cap rubbed his face. “He was a bit of a loose cannon.”
“Ya think?” Angie’s derisive remark earned her a frown from Cap that clearly stated he didn’t appreciate her sarcasm.
Jonas flopped down in a chair and rubbed his neck in agitation. The incredulity was clear in his voice when he said, “This is a fucked-up, tangled mess.”
Cap agreed, stating, “No joke. When we’re done, I’m writing a book.”
“You’ll have to list it under fiction, Cap,” Jonas deadpanned, “because no one is going to believe any of this twisted shit is true.”
A week passed with Lexie seeing very little of Jonas. He had come by to break the news of Shelby’s suicide to her in person and had held her as she wept and worked through her initial feelings of guilt. They had spent hours on Lexie’s couch just talking and holding each other. After that, he’d only had time to check in by phone with all of his time consumed by the investigation. As Rossi’s computer expert, he was focused on tracking the source of the emails to see if it could all be tied to Anderson and in hopes of pinpointing his location for arrest. In addition, he was assisting with the increased security at The Club all while running his new studio.
Lexie knew all of this was true, but she was still feeling sorry for herself and suffering a bad case of the mopes. Because of the responsibility she felt over the role in Shelby’s death, Jonas had arranged for her to speak to a trauma specialist. The therapist helped her see that Shelby was on a downward spiral and that Lexie’s visit had little to do with her suicide. Most likely, Shelby had been considering taking her life for a long time, the therapist had said. Even though she knew she was right, Lexie she still felt the guilt, or maybe it was grief over the loss of an old friend.
At work, she was distracted, her thoughts full of Jonas. She even began to have doubts about their budding relationship. Maybe she had misread his attraction or maybe he decided she was too inexperienced. She had erupted like Mt. Vesuvius during the introductory class, for heaven’s sake. What kind of model did that?
She was working the late shift and finding it difficult to stay focused. Her mind kept wandering to their next class, scheduled for the following afternoon. During a lull between patients, she was sitting in the dictation room trying to catch up on her charting, when a trauma came in. She was startled to see Dex and several police officers entering behind a stretcher. The patient, in obvious cardiac arrest, was receiving CPR from two EMTs. She moved to assist, stopping short when she saw Cap and Rick walk in behind them. As they approached, another stretcher rolled in, and she paled, her heart lurching in her chest. The other patient was Jonas. He was shirtless with a large bloodstained dressing on his left shoulder. She quickly assessed his status—alert, breathing—thank God—oxygen in use, IV already started, before her eyes returned to the thick dressing. As she watched him grimace in pain, she noticed he was still able to talk to Sean, who was keeping pace at his side—a good sign.
The paramedic started giving Lexie the run-down as the stretcher pulled up alongside her. His words penetrated her shock-numbed brain, but just barely. “Thirty-four-year-old male with a GSW to the left shoulder. The exit wound is clean and there’s no sign of pneumothorax. Moderate blood loss in the field. Vitals are stable: BP 110/60, pulse 100 and regular, pulse ox. 94 percent on 2 liters. He’s got 4 mgs of morphine on board. He’s also damn lucky that bullet wasn’t an inch or more to the left.” Holding his tablet out to Lexie, he waited for her to sign off on the chart.
Jonas looked up at her and managed a smile. His pain-filled eyes were dark blue and hazy from the morphine. “Sunshine, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”
“You know him, Lex?” The paramedic asked, but it was as if he hadn’t spoken. Her focus was solely on the injured man on the stretcher.
“Jonas? My God, what happened?”
Although her attention was fixated on Jonas, Lexie looked to Sean for answers as she listened to his lungs and began checking the bleeding beneath the dressing. Blessedly, it had slowed and was just oozing a bit.
“We tracked down Charles Anderson,” Sean told her, giving her the basics. “There was some gunfire exchanged, and C4 took one in the shoulder.”
“C4?” Lexie looked down the hall to where the other patient had disappeared into Trauma 1.
“That’s me, Lex,” Jonas chuckled, groaning when the movement jarred his shoulder.
“Be still, you’ll start it bleeding again. I thought you were Tech.” Applying a thick ABD pad to his shoulder, she nodded at the paramedics indicating for them to move him.
“It’s one of many, Lexie,” Sean chuckled. “C4, Tech, pretty boy, I could go on. Although bullet magnet may be added after tonight, although we better not to abbreviate that one.”
“Screw you, Sean.”
The paramedic, who was still waiting for her signature, waved a hand in front of Lexie’s face, “Lex? I need you to accept the patient, honey.”
His endearment had Jonas scowling, but brought Lexie out of her daze. “Sorry, Jeremy,” she murmured as she scribbled her name.
“Are you in much pain, Jonas?”
“I won’t lie, Sunshine. I’m feeling that morphine, but it still hurts like a son of a bitch.” His eyes narrowed on the paramedic, as he said pointedly, “Nothing a little TLC from my woman won’t fix.”
Jeremy got the message loud and clear. “Hey, we’re just friends and co-workers, man. I’m not a poacher.”
Whether from jealousy or the morphine, Lexie rolled her eyes at Jonas’ male posturing. “I don’t have time for a macho pissing contest, boys.”
“Just making it clear to old Jeremy here that you’re taken and he’s wasting his time.”
Her eyes rose to his face in surprise, finding his glare still fixed on Jeremy. Lexie shook her head, deciding to ignore his comment, blaming his behavior on the pain meds and blood loss. She addressed the two nurses who had walked up just in time to see the whole scene play out.
“He’s stable. Please take him to Trauma 2. Get a Biochem, CBC and chest X-ray. I’m going to check on the other patient to see if Dr. Benson needs any assistance. I’ll be right back.”
Before he was rolled away, she bent down and whispered in Jonas’ ear, “Please behave, honey. I have to work with these people.”
His eyes met hers and after searching her face, he nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” Then he winked at her before he was whisked away to the trauma room.
She returned to him in moments—Anderson, the alleged blackmailer, was DOA.
Lexie knew that it was probably a bad idea for her to treat Jonas herself, but she didn’t trust anyone else—sad to say—in particular the attending, Dr. Benson. His X-rays showed no bullets or fragments and no fractures. Luckily, it was a clean shot, straight through. Still, she got a surgical consult, and they stitched him up. Lexie stayed close by the whole time because with the additional morphine she’d ordered, he’d become quite a motor-mouth.
“I’ve missed you this week. I can’t get last weekend’s rope session out of my mind. It was sexy as hell, and I can’t wait for more.”
Thankfully, Sean was the only one in the room or she would have died of embarrassment. Since it was just the three of them at this point, she felt safe to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Please hush about all that, Jonas. I’d really prefer to keep my afterhours activities to myself if that’s okay.”
“Sorry, babe, guess the morphine is working on my brain.”
“I know, or else I’d be reading you the riot act by now.” She smiled at him and brushed another kiss against his forehead. “We’re going to keep you for observation overnight. You can go home in the morning if you’re a good boy and cooperate for the nurses.”
“I’m always a very good boy, Sunshine. I’m going to prove that as soon as I get you in my bed again. Hey, since I go home tomorrow we won’t have to cancel class. I’ll have you tied up in knots and at my mercy again in less than 24 hours—hot damn.”
Lexie heard Sean chuckling in the background. She ignored him, addressing her idiotic patient instead. “Jonas! You can’t have class tomorrow. It will be weeks before your shoulder is healed enough for that kind of activity. At a minimum, those stitches will have to stay in for ten days.”
“Rigging and suspensions won’t be for a few weeks. We’ll work on knots and floor work, stretching, and aftercare. I know you’ll enjoy the aftercare lessons, baby.”
Her eyes flew to Sean’s for support.
“Don’t look at me. He’s stubborn, and no matter what you or I say, he’ll do what he pleases.”
“Damn straight.” Jonas’ words were becoming slurred as the additional drugs worked on him. “You’ve got tonight to be the boss. Come tomorrow, I’m back in charge.”
Sean chuckled at Jonas; even injured, he still managed to have the last word before falling asleep. He left soon after, saying he’d be back shortly with Jonas’ clothes and essentials for the trip home. He also offered to stay the night with him since Lexie had to work. She agreed and, after he left, reluctantly went to check on her other patients.
***
Hours later, after the oncoming shift had arrived, Lexie sipped her cold coffee as she hurriedly finished her charts. All she needed was Dr. Benson’s signature on two and she’d be able to head upstairs to Jonas. Looking in his normal haunts, she was told by one of the off-going nurses that he was in the lounge. She grimaced at that. Dr. Benson was a “white skirt chaser,” what the staff called a doctor who hit on the nurses all the time. He was also a sacred cow for some reason. A parade of nurses had gone to human resources with sexual harassment charges time and again, yet he somehow managed to keep his job.
Taking a deep breath, she walked into the lounge with her tablet, the two forms she needed signed pulled up and ready to go. She purposely had everything prepared to keep their interaction as brief as possible. “I’m heading out. Could you sign off these charts for me?”
“Ah, there she is, the beautiful Alexis.” He gave her his patented slime-ball smile as he walked toward her. At sixty, he had a really bad comb-over and a potbelly, which was bad enough, but he also had short man’s syndrome. He liked the power of being in a male-dominated profession and being able to order others around, especially women. He thought he was an alpha male, only he was really just a pathetic wannabe.
“I need to check on my friend, so if you could just sign off.”
“Friend? He’s more than just a friend, isn’t he, my dear. He’s your master.”
Her mouth fell open in shock and heat suffused her face. He’d obviously overheard Jonas’ loose-lipped revelations.
With a self-satisfied smirk, he stood and approached her. “Yes, naughty girl, I heard every word. You have this sweet air of innocence about you, but lo and behold, you’re actually a very bad girl and a kinky one at that.” Stepping up close, he pulled the tablet from her hand and set it aside. “He mentioned ropes. You’re into bondage then? I’d love to tie you and flog that delectable ass of yours. I bet you like those tits whipped, too. I can do all of that while I fuck you.”
“You’re disgusting. What makes you think I’d ever go out with you? Did you see Jonas Mitchell? You don’t hold a candle to him.”
“Yes, he’s young and handsome, but he looks like a player. He’ll tire of you soon, and I’ll be happy to fill in when he’s done with you. I’ll only spank you a little bit for that nasty remark. I think we’ll get along fine.”
“You’re insane. I’ll go to HR.”
“Really? You want the whole hospital to hear about the kinky nurse we have working in our ER?”
“You’re blackmailing me?”
“Quick, aren’t you? Meet me on Thursday or I’ll share your sordid BDSM fetish with all and sundry: Facebook, Twitter, HR, administration…” He tucked a card into the breast pocket of her lab coat and patted her, giving her breast a squeeze. Recoiling at his touch, she angrily knocked his hand away.
“You are a pig.”
“Adding to your punishment is probably not a wise idea, Alexis. My address is on my card. Be there at eight o’clock sharp. Clothing is optional, until I say otherwise, of course.” He chuckled nastily as he walked out the door.
Lexie shuddered, the bitter gorge of her disgust rising up in her throat. Tears of frustration pooled in her eyes. She needed Jonas.
When she got off the elevator, the first thing she saw was Sean and Dex talking outside of Jonas’ room. Damn! He didn’t need this stress while recuperating. It was probably best that Jonas didn’t find out just yet. He’d want to kick Benson’s ass. Blinking away the tears, she took a deep, calming breath before she approached them. “How’s the patient this morning?”
“What’s wrong, Lexie?” Dex asked without answering her question.
She blinked in surprise. She’d used Visine and washed her face. How did he know?
“You’ve obviously been crying, honey,” Sean agreed. “Fess up!”
“It’s nothing, really.”
Dex crossed his arms and gave her his best intimidating Dom glare. “Jonas might not be up to it, but either Sean or I are happy to fill in if you need a paddling for lying, little sub. Now, spill.”
“It better be me, Dex. Elena’s not going to appreciate you paddling her best friend—it could get awkward.” Looking at Lexie with the same quirked brow and frown as his friend, Sean stared her down.
The submissive deep within was unable to maintain her composure before these two six-and-a-half-foot tall behemoths. “Please, I didn’t want Jonas to find out until he was healed. He’ll go ballistic and reinjure himself. His sutures are fresh, and he’s lost blood. He can’t be kicking anyone’s ass for at least a month.”
Dex’s hand came to her shoulder. Lexie knew he’d keyed into the fact that her control was on a very fine thread and she was heading for a meltdown. She needed to calm down. His had squeezed firmly as he spoke. Like Jonas, his low tone dripped with authority. “We can’t help unless you tell us, Lexie. You need to stay calm and tell us what happened.”