Abby scrambled to get up. All around her, people were rushing to get a good place to watch the fight that was going on. The heels and the miniskirt she wore hampered her every movement. She tried to push her way toward Sam, but she kept getting shoved toward the back of the crowd. A big hand clamp down on her arm, hauling her up, and she found herself against a large, masculine body.

Leo, that was what the other man had called him. Leo’s blue eyes were blazing with impatience as he towered over her.

“Where is your Dom? Does he know you’re wearing that rose?”

She tried to turn away from him, his words not really registering. She didn’t have to answer him. Then she saw Sam take a punch to the gut that made her eyes water. She tried to pull away to go help him, but that big hand held her tightly.

“No way, sub.” There was a bit of kindness in his voice now. “He’s a big boy, and he started this fight. Please tell me your Dom is somewhere in the building.”

“He’s probably with Julian Lodge.” Maybe it was time to bring in Jack. She had wanted to give him a little shock to his system. She’d thought he might be pissed about the shopping. She knew he’d be upset about the motorcycle and the impromptu trip to The Club. She figured he’d blow a gasket over this. It had been such a mistake. What had she been thinking? She’d brought Sam into this.

She clutched at Leo’s arm. “Don’t get him, please. Look, I’ll tell him everything, but if he walks in on this…I don’t know what he’ll do.”

Leo shook his head. “I do. You’re going to look lovely on a St. Andrew’s Cross, dear. I’ll lend him my single tail if he didn’t bring his own.”

Abby wasn’t sure what a single tail was, but it didn’t sound good. She knew exactly what a St. Andrew’s Cross was and wondered briefly if Jack would really strap her to one for public punishment.

“Stay here,” Leo instructed her. He squeezed her arm one last time. It felt like a warning. “I’m going to get your Master. Don’t move.”

The minute he was gone, she started to force her way through the crowd. She wasn’t going to let Sam fight that man alone. He was bigger than Sam. She brushed past bodies and tried not to think about the hands that groped her as she moved through. All she could think about was getting to her man.

She fought her way to the front just in time to see Sam kick the hell out of Baldie. Baldie groaned loudly because Sam was mean. That boot of his caught Baldie firmly in the crotch. It should have been the end of the fight, but Baldie had some friends and Sam refused to go down.

Sam swung out at the two men, obviously security guards, trying to pin him down. He’d more than likely moved past the time when he could make the sane decision to retreat. He was running on pure adrenaline at this point. She needed to get to him so they could make a getaway. Julian Lodge might not care that she wasn’t his sub to punish this time around. Then there was the potential that he would bring Jack. Tears sprang to her eyes. Jack might decide she wasn’t worth all this trouble.

“Sam!” she yelled over the betting now going on around her. “Sam!”

He wasn’t listening to anything but the inner Tyler Durden he’d unleashed. She should never have let him watch Fight Club. She was about to walk into the middle of the fight when she felt herself being pulled back.

She turned quickly and looked into dark eyes. The man was tall and dressed in head-to-toe leather. He was slender, and there was a certain cruelty to the set of his mouth.

“No collar, sub,” he whispered into her ear. “Someone’s got to protect you. And tonight’s capture night in the dungeon. All unattached subs are ripe for the picking. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”

Abby pulled away, but that hand was strong and attached to a lean, powerful body. Before she could do anything to stop it, she felt cold metal pressed to her skin. She couldn’t hear it over the crowd, but she knew the cuff probably snapped as it closed over her wrist. That asshole had handcuffed her.

Now she was panicking a little. She tried digging her stilettos into the hardwood of the floors. It didn’t work. She twisted and fought. Her eyes sought anyone who might help, but everyone around her was focused on the fight.

“Sam!” Abby screamed, not to save him this time, but to get him to save her. There were too many people in the crowd. She couldn’t see him anymore.

“You take your fucking hands off her!” she heard Sam shout. She breathed a sigh of relief even though she was still being pulled along. Sam wouldn’t let some guy in leather carry her down to the dungeon.

“What the fuck is going on?”

The whole room got still at the loud roar.

Jack! Relief infused her, even as dread rolled through her belly. She’d wanted to shake him up, but not this much. On the bright side, while she could yell all day long and no one paid attention, the minute Jack said a word, the world stopped.

Jack’s low growl could be heard easily now. There was a slight parting in the crowd. Abby could see her husbands. Jack’s back was to her, but Sam was on full display. “Samuel, would you like to explain why the hell you aren’t at home with our wife?”

“Jack.” Sam sounded breathless. He stood still. His shirt was torn and there was blood on his face.

Leather Guy decided to ignore the scene playing out behind him. He started to pull Abby along.

“Hey.” Abby pulled the other way.

“You stop!” Sally shouted. She was shaking as she stood up to the Dom.

“Get out of my way, little girl,” Leather Guy said. “I don’t have time to punish you, sub. I have a plaything for the night.”

“She doesn’t belong to you and she doesn’t know what that rose means. She doesn’t understand.” Sally’s voice was tremulous, but she held her ground. She walked back to take Abby’s free arm. “I’m taking her back.”

Abby found herself being pulled in two directions. Sally tried to force her away from Leather Guy. Leather Guy tugged on the other side of the handcuff he’d attached to her wrist.

“Girl, I’m about to make the time to punish you,” Leather Guy swore.

What had she meant about the rose? Abby tried to move closer to Sally. The crowd around her seemed to slow and then she heard a roar.

“What do you mean she’s here?” Jack’s question came out as an accusation.

“Abby?” Sam yelled.

She saw the small sea of people parting as Sam fought his way to her. He’d taken a couple of rough hits, and she worried his left eye was going to swell.

“Abigail Barnes!” Jack barked.

“I’m here, Jack.” She wanted to fling herself against his broad chest and revel in safety. But part of her was terrified that whatever Jack had in mind was going to be so much worse than anything Leather Guy could dream up.

Sam took Sally’s place. Sally stepped away quickly, allowing Sam to take the lead. He faced down her would-be kidnapper. “Take your hands off her.”

“No collar,” Leather Guy insisted. “Face it, sub. You should never have brought her here. If you didn’t want to lose her, you should have collared her.”

“Perhaps you would like to explain to me why you’ve cuffed my wife?” Jack’s question came out between his clenched, bared teeth. The crowd moved around him, respecting his space.

He was on the edge. She pulled away, trying to get to him. She needed to calm him down. The brow above his right eye was twitching ever so slightly. It was a sure sign that his blood pressure was rising. He would want blood soon. She already had to deal with Sam getting in trouble. She didn’t want Jack getting hurt, too.

“I’m fine,” she tried to reassure him.

Jack ignored her, choosing to spend his intimidation on Leather Guy. The Dom suddenly didn’t look so sure anymore.

“She’s not collared,” he insisted.

“The wedding ring she’s wearing is collar enough,” Jack bit out. “I know. I put it on her finger. You can see that fucking diamond from space.”

Oh, shit. She hadn’t thought about the fact that her wedding ring was upstairs. Unfortunately, it was her left hand that was currently shackled. Leather Guy held up her perfectly ringless finger.

Abby felt the room get extremely cold as Jack stalked up to her. Sam held her hand.

“You’re serious. You’re not playing. Oh, shit.” Leather Guy seemed to deflate as he quickly used his key and uncuffed her. He dropped his hold on her and held his hands up as though surrendering. “Man, I’m sorry. We’re playing capture games this evening. The rules of the game include that submissives who agree to play would wear the white rose. I honesty thought she was fair game and that the fighting was part of her kink. I’m so sorry, Master… I don’t know your name.”

Sam pulled her into his arms. He cursed under his breath. “I didn’t know that was going on.”

“Really?” Julian’s cold voice cut through the now quiet dungeon. “Because the rose would have come with written instructions on what scenes and games would be going on tonight.”

Abby shook her head. “It was by itself. I thought it was a gift.”

Jack stepped in, gently pulling the rose out of her hair. “I understand why you wouldn’t know what that meant. Sam should know that every single thing has meaning in this club. Everything. Now, Abigail, would you like to explain to me why you’re half-naked in a sex club without your wedding ring on your finger?”

Every single word that came out of Jack’s mouth dripped with menace.

Sam pushed her slightly, encouraging her to handle Jack. She knew what he wanted her to do. She thought it was a good idea, too. She sank to her knees at Jack’s feet and put her head down. Her hands were trembling as she curved her body into a submissive position.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. This had been a terrible mistake and she wasn’t sure he would ever forgive her for it.

“That is not going to cut it, Abigail.” Jack loomed over her. She could practically feel his rage pounding at her. “Answer me now. Where is the ring I put on your finger? I swear to god if you lie to me, I’ll strip you down here and now, and you won’t be able to walk when I’m through.”

A perverse tremor went through her. Jack was using that voice on her. It was the voice that got her wet and ready in seconds. She didn’t like to think about the fact that a small part of her wanted to keep pushing him to see what that would feel like. How far would he go? How much could she take? The majority of her, however, went into survival mode.

“It didn’t fit under the gloves I had to wear,” she explained softly.

Jack’s hand came out, lifting her chin up. He forced her to look him in the eyes. “What gloves, Abigail?” She tried to turn to look at Sam. Jack held her in place. “Don’t you dare look at him. You look at me. You’re answering me. He’ll get his chance to answer for what he’s done. What gloves? What gloves were so important that you would take off the ring I put on your finger?”

His deep green eyes were practically black in the dim light. It didn’t frighten her on a physical level. She trusted him implicitly. Any pain he’d given her before had only enhanced her pleasure. But her heart was a different matter.

“I had to wear gloves or Sam wouldn’t let me on the motorcycle,” she admitted.

Jack’s eyes closed briefly and when he opened them, Abby knew she was in for a bunch of that pleasure and no small amount of pain.

Jack let go of her chin. He nodded as though coming to a decision. He turned and faced Julian. The club owner was a commanding presence in the center of the room. He stood with his hand on Sally’s bent head, stroking her as though attempting to give her comfort. His eyes weren’t comforting as he looked at Jack.

“Your subs upset my business, Jackson,” Julian said evenly.

“I’m sorry.” She was starting to think she couldn’t say that enough. From the look on Julian Lodge’s face, this was more serious than she’d thought.

“Silence,” Jack ordered harshly. He stared at her until she closed her mouth. He stood beside her, and his hand went to the back of her neck. His fingers curled around the nape of her neck, and there was no mistaking the warning in them. “I understand, Julian. I apologize for both of them. Their behavior reflects poorly on me. You have the right to require any punishment you think fit. I ask you, as an old friend, please let me administer it.”

Julian appeared to think it through. “It will be public. I cannot let this go unpunished or everyone will think such behavior is acceptable. They interrupted scenes that many of my clients practiced weeks for and looked forward to. I wish I could let it pass, but I cannot. Tomorrow night in the dungeon, I want both she and Samuel to feel the lash.”

“Damn it, Julian.” Jack’s hand tightened slightly around her neck. It wasn’t at all painful, more a sign of his growing panic. Though she knew he was upset, his voice was steady as a rock. “I’ve never used anything on her before but my hand and a crop.”

“Then you should practice between now and then,” Julian replied. “I will allow a single tail, but nothing less. You used to be an artist with it. I have no doubt you can be again, for her sake. If you agree, then they can stay. If not, I have to ask them to leave and I will revoke Samuel’s membership. But Jackson, put collars on your subs before they leave their rooms again. Do you understand?”

Jack nodded. The hand on her neck relaxed. “Yes. She won’t leave the suite without it. Sam might never leave the suite alive again, so we won’t have to worry about him.” He glanced over at Sam. “I assume you took out the Platinum Suite.”

“Yes.”

“Yes?” Jack’s voice was sharp.

“Yes, Jack.”

“Get down there with her,” Jack barked.

She felt Sam kneel beside her. His eyes were down, but his hand found hers and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

“Are we done, Julian? I would like to take my subs upstairs. It’s time I had a long talk with them.”

She held her breath as Leo stepped forward. “I’m not done.” He stood in front of Jack, going toe to toe with him. “I’m the Dom in residence now, Master Jack. I know that used to be your job, but you’re a guest now. Had two subs caused the trouble yours did tonight, what would you have requested then?”

Jack’s jaw tightened. “I would have immediately requested punishment. Julian would have wanted punishment for disrupting the scenes, but I would have requested punishment for the insult to me.”

Leo nodded. “They both will pay for abusing Master Julian’s trust. I want her to pay for the insult to me.”

The hand on the back of her neck tightened almost painfully, and Abby decided not to argue.

“What insult?” Jack asked.

Leo’s eyes skimmed over her. She watched from beneath her lashes. “She started everything. I was attempting to watch over Master Julian’s possession. She questioned my authority over Sally in public. She proceeded to ignore direct orders given to her for her own protection. Though the male is the one who fought, I understand and forgive his actions. He was protecting her. He’s your partner?”

There was not an ounce of condemnation in the Dom’s question. He was merely attempting to outline the relationship.

“We share our wife. But I am the head of the household.”

“Well, your wife is topping from the bottom,” Leo accused. “I can’t let the rest of the subs see her get away with it. Twenty tonight, over my knee, right now.”

The hand came off her neck and she heard a sigh. His voice was low, and she couldn’t stand the defeated sound of his reply. “We’ll be out of here in an hour. Julian, I’m sorry. Consider my membership revoked. Come along, Abigail. Sam, I expect you to pack whatever you need and meet us in the lobby.”

“No!” She reached for his hand. Jack did business with the members of this club. It meant something to him. It was the whole reason she wanted to come here. She wanted to see this side of him. It had been the first place he’d called home. Now she would be the reason he lost it. Jack growled at her. She kept her head down, but she couldn’t keep quiet. “Please, Jack. Please don’t. I couldn’t live with it. I’ll do whatever he asks. I can handle it. Please don’t let this happen.”

His hand found her chin again, and his expression was softer now. “Abigail, he could hurt you.”

“Nothing will hurt me more than knowing I did this to you.” She could feel the tears streaming down her face. “Please?”

He forced her to look him straight in the eyes, his gaze steady. “I will never allow another man to put his hands on you like that. Do you understand me? I don’t care what you’ve done or what their rules are. I only trust Sam. This relationship is between the three of us. I won’t let anyone else in, not even for a moment, no matter what it costs me. All right?”

Though it hurt her heart, she knew he wouldn’t move. She nodded.

“Leo, I wonder if you would indulge me.” Julian’s voice cut through her misery. “If Jackson administers the punishment, will you be satisfied? He’s serious. He will leave and not come back rather than allow you to touch her. It will more than likely cost me a friendship I would prefer not to lose.”

The slight incline of the dungeon master’s head indicated his assent. “But I expect him to take this seriously. It’s obvious to me he has no control over his subs. He needs to reestablish control or allow them their freedom so they can find more appropriate Masters.”

“How about you let me worry about my wife and my partner and you keep your hands off of her.” Jack took a threatening step toward the other man. “Don’t think I don’t see the way you look at her. You don’t want to punish her. You want to get your hands on her. It’s not going to happen while I’m still breathing. Get me a chair.”

Jack hauled her up and she let him. If this was what it took, she could handle it. Hell, a part of her was already soft and wet. Deep down it was what she had hoped for. She glanced around at the crowd of people watching while Jack was brought a chair. They were going to watch him spank her. She hadn’t really hoped for this part. She felt her skin flush as they watched her.

Julian and Leo seemed particularly interested, but Sally’s head was up, too. There was a strangely familiar face in the back. He had black, fashionably tousled hair and wore trendy clothes. He was young, but he watched the scene before him with a fascination that was hard to miss. An older man in a suit, however, stood right behind the young man, and his disdain shone on his pinched face. It took her back to a time when she saw that look on a lot of people’s faces. She felt seventeen again, with the contempt of her hometown all around her. She’d been young and pregnant, and they’d called her a whore.

“Abigail.” Jack’s voice brought her back to reality. He sat on one of the office chairs from the horny ad execs scene. “Come here.”

She turned away from the man with the disgusted expression. The rest of the room didn’t seem shocked at what was about to happen. They were excited. A thrill went through her. Screw the guy in the back. She wasn’t going to let people like that affect her anymore. She walked to Jack and let him pull her over his lap.

Her pussy throbbed in anticipation. Her mouth went dry as Jack’s big hands stroked up her legs and began to push her skirt up. She was suddenly glad she’d fought Sam on her choice of underwear. He’d pushed for a thong, but she was eager to wear the cute silk bikinis that matched her corset. Now it would give her a bit of modesty.

“What the fuck?” Jack fingered the underwear. “Since when do I allow you to wear panties? Get me a knife.”

So much for modesty. She felt a touch of metal as Jack cut the super-expensive underwear off her body. She watched them fall to the side.

“You’re just running wild aren’t you, baby?”

His erection poked at her belly. How long had it been since she’d felt that? She would do anything to get to that hard cock. God, she’d missed him so much. Abby felt her eyes fill with tears. He’d been right there and yet so far away for the last couple of months. This was the first time she’d felt close to him in forever, and it pierced her heart.

“Twenty,” she heard Leo say.

That was a mighty big number, but before she could protest, Jack’s hand came down on her ass and she struggled to breathe. It had been a long time since she’d been spanked. She’d forgotten how much it hurt at first.

Just as the pain was starting to bloom into something more, he struck again. He counted it out. She was grateful he wasn’t making her do it. Her brain was whirling, emotions far too high to do anything as logical as count. Her ass was on fire as he brought his hand down. He struck her right cheek and then her left. He moved down, striking her thighs, and then back up to the soft place where her cheeks met.

Unable to hold it in any longer, she cried out. She cried, and it wasn’t merely about the pain. She’d held it in for so long. She’d been strong. God, she’d almost lost him to that bullet. It had been a close thing. She could still feel his blood on her hands as she worked to save him.

For so long she’d been strong, holding it all in because he was the one who’d taken the pain. She hadn’t processed what had happened, had kept a wall up between them as surely as he had erected one.

She could still lose him. The count hit seventeen. She didn’t care who was watching. She cried because she couldn’t not cry anymore.

“Twenty.” Jack was breathing heavily as he finished. He immediately flipped her over. He was careful with her tender ass, placing her on his lap and pulling her close. “Don’t cry, baby. I’m so sorry. I won’t do it again. We don’t have to do this. Damn it, I knew I was too hard on you.”

She put her face close to his. He didn’t understand her at all. She pressed her lips against his. “I love you, Jack. I love you so much. I’m not crying because you hurt me. I’m crying because I’ve missed you. I’ve missed this. This is part of us. Please don’t pull away again. We need you.”

Jack leaned back slightly, as though trying to read her face. His deep green eyes studied her carefully. Whatever he saw there convinced him. His hands tangled in her hair. “I wasn’t trying to pull away, baby. I love you.”

He tugged her close and his lips sealed over hers. His tongue plunged into her mouth, devastating her with his dominance. He turned her in his arms, and she found herself straddling his lap, her wet pussy on display.

“Who does this belong to?” Jack’s arm wound tightly around her waist, holding her up. The other hand slid in her juices, parting her labia.

Everyone was watching and yet arousal screamed through her. She felt Sam’s eyes on her. They were hot, and she could see the erection tenting his jeans. He smiled slightly at her, letting her know he was there with her always.

“You,” she breathed. “It belongs to you. You and Sam.”

“Damn fucking straight it does.” Jack thrust two fingers straight up her pussy. He stretched her, adding a third finger. It still wasn’t as big as his cock, but it was enough to make her feel tight and almost painfully full. Her head fell back against his shoulder as she gave over to him. This was what she’d missed, knowing that she could give him everything, and he would take care of her. “You come for me, Abigail Barnes. You come for me now.”

His knees spread her legs wide. She was completely on display as he fucked her with his fingers. The hand on her waist tightened around her as he picked up the pace.

His fingers curled up and scissored inside her. He brushed his thumb firmly against her clitoris, and she came apart. She rubbed herself against him, desperate to prolong the soaring feeling. It rushed across her every nerve ending and left her shaking. As she came down from the high, he kissed her again and then stood with her in his arms. His lips curled up softly as he looked at her.

“Are you all right, baby?”

Perfect. That was what she was. Perfect and languid and sexy. She’d come in front of a crowd, and damned if she wasn’t willing to do it again. She nodded.

“I’ve been selfish.” He softly kissed her hair. “I was foolish. I won’t be again.”

“Is the boss back?”

“The boss is back, baby,” he replied surely. “You’re in for a rough night.” He turned his attention to Master Leo, who stood silently watching them. Jack’s face became gloriously arrogant again. “Are you satisfied, Master Leo?”

“Not even close,” Leo muttered. “She’s beautiful, Master Jack. You’re a lucky man. I believe that scene makes up for the ones we lost.”

Jack turned to Sam, who was still on his knees. “Samuel, take our wife. I have something I need to deal with before we retire for the evening.”

Sam stood, and she was passed to him. His blue eyes gleamed as he looked down at her. Jack stared across the room, his face taking on a distinctly predatory expression. Abby followed his line of sight and noticed he was staring down the young man who seemed so familiar.

“Oh, my god.” Sam gawked at the man, slack jawed.

“What?”

“That’s gotta be Jack’s brother,” Sam said. “His biological father had three legitimate kids and that has to be one of them. It’s like looking at Jack ten years ago. Well, if he’d dressed like a metro douchebag, that is.”

Lucas Cameron. Now she knew where she’d seen him. He was on some of the worst tabloids she bought at the supermarket for the kitsch value. She had a thing for ridiculous headlines. It was a guilty pleasure.

Jack didn’t look like he was pleased to see his baby brother. He stalked toward the young man, the crowd parting and giving him a wide berth. Lucas’s eyes went big, and he took a couple of steps back. It brought him in contact with the wall. She had the feeling Lucas would have run if he could, but Jack was quick. He wrapped a single hand around his brother’s throat and suddenly Lucas was dangling a good foot off the ground.

“Listen here, you little shit,” Jack ground out. “I’m not paying you a dime. You will keep your mouth shut. Do you want to know how I know you’ll keep your mouth shut? Because if you don’t, I will kill you. I will beat you to death, and then I’ll take your body apart with a chainsaw. I own a whole lot of land, boy. I’ll be burying your body parts all across it. They won’t ever find you, Lucas. You’ll disappear, and no one will know what happened except you and me. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” Lucas managed.

She sincerely hoped he didn’t pee himself.

“Good, now get back home and don’t bother me or mine again.” Jack let his quarry fall to the ground. “Samuel!” He barked the order and then walked out without looking back, certain his command would be followed.

Sam trotted after him, carrying her all the way. She stared back at Lucas, who looked a bit lost. He didn’t seem scared. He seemed almost sad as he watched his brother walk away. He was shaking his head as though he should have known that would happen.

Abby watched his face fall as they left the playroom.