Yes, the cabrón had set him up.
At least Jessica and her friends had taken over answering the door. Raoul concentrated on the barbecue, needing to stay occupied. Although his family’s visit had lightened his heart, the sight of so many couples in the lifestyle rubbed his nose in the fact that he had no one.
Mistress Anne walked out on the patio, her favorite submissive trailing behind her. She patted the pretty young man’s face. “Joey, look lively and help the others set up the tables.”
The redhead gave his mistress a meltingly sweet smile and moved stiffly toward the kitchen. Considering Anne’s sadistic streak, she’d probably shoved an overly large anal plug up the poor sub’s ass. Oddly enough, Jessica was moving in the same fashion. What had the little blonde done to get herself in trouble with Z this time?
The subs trotted back and forth, carrying platters, covering the long patio tables with food. A hum of conversation came from the guests sitting on the patio, splashing and squeals from those in the pool. Some had taken the chance to walk on the beach and enjoy the bright afternoon sun.
Sam walked over with a cold beer. Raoul took a small drink before putting the bottle down. The way he felt, the alcohol looked too appealing, and he didn’t drink for escape.
“I took her home,” Sam said, as if continuing a conversation.
“I know. Thank you for caring for her.” Hoping Sam wouldn’t continue, Raoul turned the chicken, the scent of the sizzling meat filling the air.
“She call you?”
“No.”
“Hell. She was—”
“I checked with Marcus yesterday to make sure she’d gotten home.” And heard about her flight time. He glanced at his watch. Her plane would have left a while back. Gone. That was good. It was good.
“You going to let her just go?” Sam asked, his gaze on the ocean. “After what she’s been through, you figure she won’t get over it?”
Raoul sighed and shut the grill top. After wiping his hands, he picked up his beer again. “At one time, I thought she might be willing to try. But it is better this way. She’s been hurt, and to be with me in…in the type of relationship I want is more than she could take.” More uncertainty than I’m willing to risk. When had he turned so cautious?
“Pretty much the conclusion I’d come to,” Sam muttered, and Raoul decided he wasn’t talking about Kimberly but about Linda. Sam had kept the redheaded slave safe, as Kimberly had asked, but apparently something else had happened.
Not that Sam would confide in Raoul. A man wouldn’t…not unless drunk. He winced. The last time he’d drunk that much was three years ago, after Alicia’s betrayal.
“You know, about Kim,” Sam started. “At the courthouse, she didn’t—” His voice was drowned out by the arrival of the Shadowlands trainees, all dressed in civilian clothing. Sam turned away at a hail from Cullen.
Raoul almost didn’t recognize the trainees: Uzuri in a pale yellow halter-top and shorts that accented her dark chocolate skin and with her kinky hair in dreadlocks. Dara’s blonde spiked hair was tinted purple. In a pink sundress, Maxie looked cheerful and sweet.
Pretty Sally brought up the rear, in short shorts and three tank tops layered in the odd female way. After exchanging greetings with the milling submissive group, she leaned over to Jessica and whispered something, receiving a smile and a big hug in return.
Both women turned to look at him…and saw him watching them. Color rose in Sally’s cheeks, and she shifted so her back was toward him.
Raoul took a sip of his beer, his interest aroused at the un-Sallylike behavior. No greeting. No hug. Was something wrong?
When Sally said something, Jessica glanced at him and met his eyes. She whispered to Sally, and the trainee’s spine grew stiffer.
Raoul’s suspicions started to rise. He hadn’t lived with slaves and submissives without learning a few things—like the ability to detect body language that sang of a guilty conscience.
None of the other doms received the darting looks. So whatever they’d done had something to do with him. And Kimberly? No. She’d been home with Gabi yesterday evening. As a trainee, Sally would have been at the Shadowlands last night. His eyes narrowed.
Sally was a bubbly, talkative little submissive who’d been part of the club for maybe five years. None of the other trainees had been around as long. Raoul rubbed his chin. Ever since his mamá and sister’s visit this morning, he’d wondered how they’d learned about Alicia’s betrayal. The only person he’d told had been Dan, and his friend never revealed a confidence.
But no one paid attention to the submissives in the club. They’d been trained to be invisible. Perhaps too invisible. Could she have overheard something when he’d been talking with Dan?
Sally peeked over her shoulder, saw him watching her, and jerked back around.
Hmm. Not looking away, he drank his beer.
“Sandoval, how are you doing?” Vance Buchanan walked out the door onto the patio, Kouros beside him. “Who’re you staring at?”
Raoul nodded toward the group of submissives. “The little brunette.”
The two FBI agents turned. Sally darted a look at Raoul and saw all three men looking at her. The color flared in her cheeks. She edged closer to Jessica.
“If she was my sub,” Kouros said, “I be wondering what she’d been up to.”
Buchanan grinned. “Yep, looks guilty as hell, but she’s the prettiest little perp I’ve ever seen.”
Raoul considered. If Sally had been the one to tell his family about Alicia, she’d done him a favor. Yet a submissive should know better than to divulge a dom’s private affairs. As a trainee in the Shadowlands, she fell under the authority of all the Masters—including him. He didn’t have the heart to punish her but was obligated to teach her discretion. “I think I know what’s up, and a bit of intimidation would be appropriate,” he said. “Want to interrogate her while I watch?”
Kouros leaned on his cane. “It would be a pleasure.” He waited until Sally turned, then gestured. Come here.
The color drained from her face, and Buchanan covered his laugh with a cough.
She crossed to them, all bounce gone, her gaze down. Across the patio, Z looked up, studied the situation for a second, grinned, and returned to talking with Olivia and Sam.
Jessica was watching, her brows drawn together. Definitely worried. Raoul leaned over to Kouros. “Better hurry, or Z’s sub will spoil the fun with either a confession or a tantrum.”
Kouros followed his gaze, and his lips quirked. “Got it.”
Sally stopped in front of the men and lifted her chin. “Did you need something, Sirs?”
Raoul smiled at her. “Trainee, these two doms want to speak with you.” His use of the word trainee put her on notice that she was expected to obey.
“Yes, Master Raoul.”
Buchanan moved behind her, blocking the sight of her from the other submissives.
Kouros stepped forward. Big men, both doms, intimidating in size and personality. “What we need from you is the truth,” Kouros said, his clipped New England accent striking the sub like sparks from a low burning fire.
Sally tried to back up and bumped into Buchanan. He grinned at Raoul over her head. “But—”
“We’ll start with something easy,” Kouros purred, setting his hand under her chin. “What is your name?”
“Sally, Sir.” She made an obvious effort to stand straight, but Raoul could see her melting under the force of Kouros’s personality. Experienced doms, years as FBI agents—the girl didn’t have a chance.
“Very nice, Sally. You can tell the truth, see?” His voice turned silky with approval. His free hand stroked her hair back behind her ear, both a caress—and exposing her face more.
She stared up at him like a cornered mouse, an unusual change in the spirited sub.
Buchanan stroked her bare arms, adding to the sense of reward.
“Now tell me what you did to Master Raoul,” Kouros demanded, his voice as cold as a New England winter.
She moaned, her hands rubbing on her hips in a self-comforting motion. She tried to look at Raoul, but Kouros shifted, keeping her gaze on his face.
Raoul smothered a smile, making mental notes. He rather liked interrogation scenes, and this one was pretty lightweight…except for Sally’s obvious guilt and the agent’s undeniable experience with breaking down hardened criminals.
“N-nothing.” She pulled in a breath, lifted her chin. “I haven’t even seen him for a long time.”
“Oh, you definitely did something, little one,” Kouros said softly. “I don’t want to get angry with you, sweetheart.” He moved closer until she could probably feel his body heat, until she had to tilt her head back to stare up at him. “There are other things Vance and I would rather do…to you.”
Her eyes got bigger, and the combination of anxiety and sudden arousal was a fine sight.
“What are you doing?” Jessica stepped around Buchanan. She actually shoved Kouros back a step and pulled Sally out from between the two agents. “Leave her alone!”
As Buchanan and Kouros moved back, Sally recovered her spirit. Her spine straightened, although she quickly edged out of grabbing distance.