Five years ago, Sal Raniero stood a loyal son and responsible friend. Giving everything he had to his family and friends, Sal continued on his way to becoming the man everyone expected. But he harbored a dark secret.

He needed pain… A lot of pain.

When the offer is put before him to push further, he cannot resist his masochistic cravings. Praying and playing on his knees, he is confronted with the last thing he expects.

His heart.

Torn between being the golden boy of Juliet and just another guy with a fetish streak, he makes a decision that will chart the course for the rest of his life. Will Sal survive his initiation into the deep waters of Juliet?

Hold on tight and get ready to ride.

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An excerpt from The Initiation:

In the club, the dance floor thumped uproariously with bodies jumping, bumping, and grinding. Amidst the hoots and hollers, they were locked within the bodies unable to turn back, even if they wanted. Kaci held the leash to him like a seasoned pro, leading him through the crowd. Reaching the bottom of the grand staircase, Sal saw them.

Twelve Dominants.

Lining opposite sides of the stairs, they waited with Jack at the bottom. Sal knew the time with Kaci was all to get him geared and out there in front of them. They wanted to test him, to see how he would react in different dungeons and in the crowd—and now, in a spectacle in the middle of the dance floor.

His knees shook. His hands sweat. And his heart raced. The sudden vulnerability contradicted Kaci’s controlled comfort. She handed off the leash to Jack and disappeared into the crowd.

With a smirk and a look of I-got-you, Jack said, “Good Evening, Sal.”

Unwavering, Sal looked straight ahead, “Good evening, Sir.”

“There's my boy!” Jack yelled.

Sal noticed a proud Serene looking on as Kaci paced up the stairs behind her. Jack patted him on the shoulder, drawing his attention.

Jack asked, “The only question left is who are you choosing tonight, Sal?”

He assessed each one, knowing he could learn something different from every one of them. But as his eyes traversed up, he saw Kaci standing in a black hoodie and leather hip huggers.

And then he requested the unthinkable.

“I want Mistress Kaci.”

Serene looked stunned. Her boasting smile recoiled to raging anger as she scowled at Jack. He glanced questioningly at Kaci, and scrutinized Sal. He took a step closer to him with his charming smile and threatening tone.

“You are aware what you are asking, right?”

“Yes, Sir. I am asking for the Mistress who wasn’t on Serene’s guest list.”

Jack cackled at the boy. “You got balls, Raniero, I’ll give you that.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“You do realize there is only one reason I won't smack your ass to the ground right now, right?” Jack said, pacing in front of Sal. “And you realize that reason isn't your peon scrub ass, right?”

“Yes, Sir,” Sal huffed, irritated. Sal shifted a glance to Kaci, his eyes intent. He knew exactly what he wanted. And it had nothing to do with the twelve Doms. Sal lifted his head up at the man. He whispered in confidence, “Your reason is Kaci, Sir. You hired her to work me over; let her finish. You have made it fairly clear you have conflicting feelings about how Serene runs a scene, so let the girl you hired do it.”

Sal shot Jack his prize-fighter glare. He damn sure wasn't in the mood to get into the ring with Jack. He prayed Jack wasn’t going to push.

Jack continued pacing and scanning the staircase. As far as a group of Doms went, Sal was right—they were not the best. Serene haphazardly threw them together just to get him initiated and up on the roster. Her main concern always close to the bottom line. Jack thought about Sal’s placement strategically. The best way would be to beat her to the punch.

Or take Sal seriously under his wing before Serene did.

“Alright. You…” Jack said, pointing at Sal and then up to Kaci, “…are hers.” Jack smirked at Sal, popping his finger under his chin. “You aren’t like the others.”

A harsh look swept across Serene’s face. She never lost and couldn’t believe what just happened. She knew it wasn't her call, but that didn’t alter the outcome or the insult. At that point, she knew almost all the Doms would have all sided with Jack. Kaci held qualifications well-beyond what most of the Doms on the staircase had. Her biggest problem was she hadn’t thought of Kaci first, and the embarrassment reeked on her fake smile.

Sal’s night was out of her hands.

Near the top of the stairs, Mierne watched the entire transgression. With an approving nod, she smirked at Sal and walked away. Evident by her reaction, she won the round. The quiescent battle between the two women – Serene and Mierne – continued on.

Remembering his promise to surrender, his confidence surged through him like a lightning bolt. Surrendering didn’t necessarily equate to serving her. Surrendering meant doing what was best for him. With his new lesson learned, he was one step closer to actually convincing her he was worth her time.

Bearing into Sal, Jack warned, “You better fucking behave. Or I swear you won't walk after tomorrow night. Got me?”

Jack patted him on the shoulder like old friends. His perfect smile glossed over menacing threats.

Sal knew he wasn’t playing.

“I won't hurt her, Sir. I promise,” Sal vowed.

An odd thing for the submissive to be saying - he wouldn't hurt the Dominant - but Sal knew Kaci was special. He didn't understand what the connection between Jack and Kaci was, it was obvious Jack cared about her. With Jack's hand still on his shoulder, his face still close to his own, Sal upped the ante.

“I’ll let her do whatever she wants to me, Sir,” Sal mused.

In an instant, Sal found an in with the most unexpected of choices. Beyond proud, Jack smiled knowing Sal would take his crown and protect his own legacy. Jack had an understudy; Sal had a mentor.

Jack beamed, “Good boy! You keep behaving like that, and I'll make sure you have everything you could ever want.”

The Doms dispersed quickly, except for one.

“I want a moment with Mr. Raniero in my dungeon,” Ella Hemsworth whispered, grabbing Jack by the elbow. She didn’t really ask Jack. It was a command, an order from a superior. Sal made mental notes, trying to piece together the inner hierarchy of Juliet.

Up on the stairs, Kaci overheard Ella’s request and nodded at Sal. She approved, and because he didn’t want to disappoint her, Sal would go. Ella pivoted away from Jack, running up the staircase and saying something to Kaci that Sal couldn’t hear.

“You’ll need to be in dungeon room 410 in five minutes.”

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