“Seriously, I don’t think I can see you tonight,” Lucas was saying. “I have to be up early in the morning. I don’t know exactly what happened last night. I didn’t drink anything except that one of glass of Scotch and the drink you gave me. I guess I got sick. Maybe I’m allergic or something. It was weird.”
Jack was helping Sam toward a chair and a small table. It was a little recovery station, Jack had explained earlier. Sam would need immediate aftercare. He wouldn’t be given the option of waiting until later as she had.
“Come on, Lucas,” Jeremy cajoled. “If this is your last night, then you should party.”
Something was off, Abby decided. There was a problem with this scenario. Abby quickly estimated Lucas’s weight with the trained eye of a nurse. “How did you pass out from two drinks? Jack said you blacked out. You wouldn’t do that from two drinks.” She glared down at the glass in Jeremy’s hand. Several things were falling into place. Matthew Slater walked up behind Jeremy. He glanced around as though to make sure no one was looking.
“Lucas, I need to speak with you,” he said urgently.
“I don’t have anything to say to you. You’re wasting your time. Tell my father not to worry about me. My days as a blackmailer are done.” Lucas looked through Slater. He was kinder when he turned back to Jeremy, but just as sure. “And I’m not hooking up tonight. I’m going back to my room. I have to leave early. I promised Jack I would take care of Abby and then turn in.”
Abby took the glass out of Jeremy’s hand. Though she knew if her suspicions were right she wouldn’t smell anything, she sniffed it anyway. “Lucas, I think this has drugs in it. Surely Julian has some of those test strips.” She knew that women had started carrying them into clubs to make sure no one slipped something in their drinks. Her daughter, Lexi, had shown her some. She never went into a club without them.
Lucas’s face bunched up in confusion. “Why would he drug me? I was perfectly willing to sleep with him last night.”
“I have no idea, but he isn’t going to do it in my club,” Julian said smoothly. He was behind her, Abby realized. Jack had Sam over a chair, smoothing salve into his back and buttocks. Jack nodded over at her. Sam was draped over the chair, his eyes slightly hooded. Abby could see the pleasure on his face as Jack’s hands slid across his skin.
Abby noted that Master Leo was standing behind Slater. Slater was too busy to notice. His eyes were on Julian. Jeremy had gone completely white. He tried to toss the drink, but Julian’s hand came out.
Julian pulled the glass from Jeremy’s hand. “It doesn’t matter, Jeremy. Do you think I don’t know everything that goes on in this club? I see everything. There are video cameras in places you can’t imagine, little sub. I saw you spike his drink last night. I just wanted to see if you would try again.”
Jeremy fell to his knees. “Master, I can explain.”
“I am no longer your master.” Julian nodded, and the bald guy from the night before pulled Jeremy up by the neck. “Please escort Jeremy off the grounds. He is no longer welcome in The Club.”
“Master!” Jeremy’s face flushed, and his mouth opened to protest, but before he could say another word, he was being hauled bodily out of the dungeon.
Slater turned to walk away. Master Leo didn’t move to let him by. He smiled. It was an intimidating thing. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Julian stepped forward. “I also saw what you did last night, Mr. Slater. You were the one who talked my slave into betraying his home. I do not allow drugs of any kind on the premises. You should have noted that in the contract you signed.”
Slater’s eyes darted around the room, looking for a way out. He was surrounded. One minute he appeared defeated, and the next he was grabbing Abby, pulling her into his clutches. Abby winced as she felt something cold and metallic against her ribs. It was a gun.
Again.
Abby really wished people would stop trying to kill her.
Chapter Fifteen
Lucas took a step toward her.
“Don’t.” Slater pressed the gun into her belly. “Don’t you come any closer, and the guy behind me better move, too.”
Abby held herself still. She looked over at the stage where Jack was talking to Sam. He was fully into his aftercare, talking Sam down, soothing him. His hands ran over Sam’s skin. He wasn’t paying any attention to the fact that his wife had a gun shoved in her belly. Julian was, though. The club owner’s face had lost its color, but other than that, he appeared very calm.
“We can talk about this, Slater,” Julian said in that authoritative voice of his.
Lucas was trying to get Jack’s attention, but there was an awful lot of noise now that the punishment was over. People were milling about, some starting scenes of their own.
Leo moved up to stand beside his boss. Abby felt his eyes on her. She realized he was waiting for any opportunity. There was an air of competence about him. If Abby had to guess, she would definitely say Master Leo was ex-military. His voice was steady as he stared at Slater. “Where do you think you’re going, Mr. Slater? Do you honestly believe you can get out of here with Mrs. Barnes?”
Abby gritted her teeth as Slater’s hands tightened around her upper arm. She’d just had a whip applied to her ass, but this hurt far worse. Her mind was racing. Jack was going to flip out. He didn’t need this. In her panic, she knew just who to blame. She felt her face get stubborn. It was the only way to stem the tide of panic. “Maybe you should install some metal detectors, Julian.”
Julian’s eyebrow shot up. He glanced around. “Have you seen my clients, dear? No one would make it through.”
Leo shook his head ruefully. “That little sub still needs a spanking.”
They were being awfully calm about her kidnapping. Julian actually checked his watch. Lucas was the only one who appeared concerned.
“Look, Matthew,” Lucas started. Abby could see his hands were shaking. “I’m the one you want. I’ll go with you. Let Abby go. She doesn’t have anything to do with this.”
“I think she’ll be easier to deal with than you, Lucas. I’m leaving, and I doubt Lodge there is going to call the cops on me.” Slater was trying to be tough, but Abby could hear the tremor in his voice. “I’m sure he doesn’t want the police to know what goes on in this place.”
Julian shot Leo an acerbic glance. “I thought I saw the police chief in the playroom.”
Leo nodded. “Yes, I spoke with him earlier. He was with the district attorney. They brought their ‘nieces’.”
“And I am not going to be easier to deal with than Lucas,” Abby proclaimed. Jack was staring over at the group, a worried look dawning on his face. Abby tried smiling at him to keep him calm. The last thing this little scene of hers needed was her bull of a husband rushing in to save her. He’d been shot once in defense of her. It was someone else’s turn.
“You are going to be quiet, Mrs. Barnes, or I’m going to shoot you.”
“I doubt that, Mr. Slater.” This time Julian’s voice was all smooth satisfaction. “Look, Leo, our guests have arrived.”
Slater turned. It was just the opportunity Abby needed. The gun dropped slightly from her side. She brought the heel of her four-and-a-half-inch purple peep toe Christian Louboutins down on Slater’s toes. He howled, and the gun dropped from his hand. Lucas reached forward and pulled Abby away. He quickly covered her body with his.
“What the hell is going on?” Jack’s shout resonated through the dungeon.