Sylvia Martinez.

Back in town r u still coming over?

All of the blood in her body drained to her feet. Sylvia's here? Her mother had told her when they'd talked a few weeks ago that Sylvia and the Maceys had left the area about the same time she and Danny had moved. After the lengths Sylvia had gone to before, Rio didn't put it past her to move here from Arizona. Rio went to the table and took out her laptop, attempting to focus. Danny came out from the back of the house and into the kitchen. Out of her peripheral vision, she watched him dig through the fridge, walk to the counter, and pick up his phone. He read the message and smiled.

"I'm going out for a few. I'll be back later," he said.

And that's the way it went for the rest of the week. He'd get a text and leave. When their anniversary came around on Friday, he didn't deviate from his routine. He left her sitting at home...by herself...watching TV...just like he'd done when he'd taken Sylvia to the d.a.m.n prom. The longer she sat the more she fumed. She waited until one in the morning before she went to bed. Danny finally decided to come home at three. When he curled up beside her she got out of bed and went to the couch, but her reaction didn't seem to faze him. He turned over and went to sleep.

On Sat.u.r.day, she had errands to run, but anything that related to him, she left for him to take care of. While she did her ch.o.r.es and completed her busy to-do list, she thought about what she needed to do about Danny. If he was s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g around on her after only two months of being married, what could she expect for the rest of her life? She sure as h.e.l.l wasn't putting up with that s.h.i.+t. Not for one second.

What really p.i.s.sed her off was his lack of respect. He didn't give a d.a.m.n if she knew or not. It was just the way she remembered back in high school. Sylvia would snap her fingers, and he'd go running like a puppy to a treat. Last night, when he turned over and went to sleep, she seriously thought about tying him up and beating the s.h.i.+t out of him. She slammed the car in park and sat at the new strip mall near the house attempting to get a grip on her ever-increasing anger and fumed about the fact that she wasn't only his wife, but she'd somehow turned into his G.o.dd.a.m.n maid. When she dropped off her uniforms at the cleaners, the girl at the desk greeted her and asked her if she wanted to pick up the ones that Danny had left. She curled her fingers into a fist and almost walked out but didn't want make a scene at the already busy cleaners, so she smiled and nodded-something else he'd forgotten. He still hadn't picked up his uniforms-in four f.u.c.king days.

As she closed the back door to her Jeep, she saw a shop with a big sign advertising a grand opening. It was in the back corner away from the road, so she walked to the store and went inside hoping to get a grip on her mounting anger. It turned out to be a women's boutique that specialized in s.e.xy lingerie. After taking ten steps into the shop she knew she was wasting her time, but before she could turn to leave, a display in the back caught her eye. It stopped her cold, and she closed her eyes at the thought that had just run through her head. But she was drawn to it as she walked toward the shelves and picked up one of the objects. A woman asking if she needed help startled her.

"May I help you find something?"

"Tell me about this; is it good quality?"

"That one, not really, but I have some over here that are. Would you like to see them?"

"Please," she said.

As the woman explained the quality of what she was looking at, Rio decided to grant Danny a last wish before she left him to Sylvia.

Mistress would return...from h.e.l.l...with a vengeance.

Chapter 33.

118 Indigo Brush Cibolo, Texas February 10, 2011/0045 Zulu When Rio got home, Danny's truck was already gone, which was fine because it would give her the opportunity she needed to put her plan in place. Walking into the bedroom and seeing that he'd left the bed unmade-again-was the final straw. He knew that leaving the bed unmade was one of her biggest pet peeves. Knowing she was on a roll, she walked into the kitchen and saw the trail of dishes he'd left behind on the counter and in the sink when he knew d.a.m.n well the dishwasher was empty. He'd been too lazy to open it up and put three dishes inside. She cleaned up the kitchen, picked up all his stuff he'd left lying around, and made the bed. She needed to start some laundry, so she went into the master bathroom for the laundry basket-and promptly lost her s.h.i.+t. He'd left a towel on the floor after he'd taken a shower, and his workout clothes were like bread crumbs leading the way to the closet. He knew what a freak she was about the house, and now he'd made it crystal clear he didn't give a s.h.i.+t.

After cleaning the bathroom, she took a seat on the couch and read a few things on her tablet. When the door opened and Danny walked inside, she glanced at the clock on her tablet and noted it had been two hours since she'd gotten home. He walked to the kitchen, and as he pa.s.sed the counter, he laid his phone down. His phone vibrated, and her teeth ground in anger. That d.a.m.n noise had become like fingernails on a chalkboard for her, and it was grating on her last nerve. He read the message and smiled. Looking at her he said, "I'll be back later."

"You just got home. Where are going?" she asked.

"I'm going to hang out with a friend."

When she didn't respond, he shrugged and headed for the door.

"You walk out that door it'll be the biggest mistake you've made in a long time. You're not going anywhere."

"Do you have plans?"

"It doesn't matter. You're not leaving," she said. Scoffing, he turned and moved toward the door again. "Don't mess with me, Danny. Get your a.s.s back here now. Right. f.u.c.king. Now."

Walking to the center of the family room, he stood and silently challenged her before speaking.

"Now what? You've been acting like a b.i.t.c.h all week. Is it any wonder why I don't want to be here?"

"I'm about to take b.i.t.c.h to a whole new level for you. Now get over here, and get on your knees, right here," she said, pointing to the spot in front of her.

"I'm over it already," he said, turning around.

"You either get your a.s.s back here or walk out the door and do not come back. It's your choice."

Neither one of them moved as they stared at each other for a long time. A look came over him that she hadn't seen in a while; the tiger was back, and he didn't like not having his way. It didn't matter because her tigress would trump his tiger any day of the week. He walked toward her and stood in front of her. She snapped her fingers and pointed to the spot where she wanted him to kneel. He sank to his knees, but she knew he was still f.u.c.king with her by the smug-a.s.s look on his face, so she leaned forward and came nose to nose with him.

"I will believe whatever comes out of your mouth. No pranks, no jokes right now. Do you understand?"

He rolled his eyes. "I understand."

"Do you want a divorce?"

The question had struck a nerve, and she'd gotten his attention by the way his expression changed. It relieved her that the question alarmed him and wiped that smug look off his face in a hurry.

"No."

"You've been extremely disrespectful this week. Can I expect this from now on?"

"No."

"No? Is that how you talk to me?"

"What am I supposed to say? You said you didn't want to be my Mistress anymore. So, no."

"Don't f.u.c.k with me. You know what's happening and what's coming your way. No. What?"

"What the f.u.c.k do you want from me?"

Moving faster than he expected she grabbed the front of his s.h.i.+rt and yanked. "No. What!"

"No, Mistress!"

"Stop f.u.c.king with me, or I will walk out that door, and you can do whatever the h.e.l.l you want without me. Until I tell you any different, I am Mistress. Do you understand?"

Dan wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her not only did he understand, he was happy as h.e.l.l to have her back. But he knew Rio, and there was no way he'd make it easy for her. For the last week he'd been miserable. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep since he'd made up his mind to get his Mistress back. Last night when he'd come in so late, he'd tossed and turned when she left to sleep on the couch. It had taken everything he had not to come out, pick her up, and start another fight. Hurting her the past few days had been gut wrenching. But she'd driven him to the point of desperation, and he had to do something. He'd lost his Mistress, and he was scared that eventually it would lead to him losing his wife. Losing her frightened him when he remembered how empty and lost he'd been without her. He refocused; he had to drag her out from behind the wall she'd built again, even if it meant dragging her kicking and screaming. He sure as h.e.l.l wasn't giving her an out because she'd see right through him and withdraw. She had to believe this was serious enough for her to take some kind of action. She yanked him again and threw him off balance, and he realized he'd taken too long to answer.

"I understand, ma'am."

By the look she'd just drilled him with, he knew he'd pay for it. She hated when he called her that, and he did it just to push her b.u.t.tons.

"Go to the bedroom and get naked. We have a lot of catching up to do."

Digging in, he decided to push it a little more. "I have someone waiting for me. We have plans for the night."

Narrowing her eyes, she looked at him as if she'd shoot him if he uttered another word. He was a little concerned when her expression went cold. Maybe he'd gone too far?

"Go ahead, you have a choice. But remember, don't come back. So, either walk out the door right now, or shut the f.u.c.k up." He stayed put. "Now one more time. Get your a.s.s naked and in the bedroom right now."

Leaning forward, he put his hands on her knees and came nose to nose with her. "All right, Mistress. Game on."

A tremor of excitement ran through him because she was beyond p.i.s.sed. Mistress was now in full-blown cop mode by the way her body tensed, and her eyes went even colder. She remained expressionless as she stared him down.

"Move," she said slowly.

Her soft voice was low and firm. G.o.d, how he loved hearing that tone whenever she used it during playtime, and his c.o.c.k hardened in response. Taking a deep breath he relaxed and willed himself not to get too excited, yet. As he walked to their bedroom, he left a trail of clothes behind him because he knew it p.i.s.sed her off to no end when he left things lying around.

"Now what?" he called out when he reached the bedroom.

The sting to his a.s.s made him jump. He hadn't heard her walk up behind him, and he didn't recall seeing anything in her hand or around her that would cause his current discomfort.

"I told you to shut the f.u.c.k up. Do I need to gag you?"

"I don't give a f.u.c.k what you do. Let's just get this over with. I have plans."

Another smack landed on his a.s.s, and this time she'd managed to make it hurt.

"Ow! What the f.u.c.k?"

"Say your safe word or shut up, and do what you're told." She smacked him again. "Hands on your head and spread your feet."

Lacing his fingers, he put his hands on top of his head. When she came around, he saw what caused his discomfort. It was the crop he'd bought her as a present to encourage her to try something different on him. When he'd given it to her, she didn't like it because it was too heavy and would inflict more pain than she liked. He tried to explain that was the idea. He wanted her to kick it up a little more. Instead she'd gone out and gotten that d.a.m.n c.o.c.k cage, and decided to torture him a different way. Interestingly enough, she'd still managed to get him to his happy place and rock his planet when she locked up his d.i.c.k for two long, painful weeks.

She left him for a moment, and when she returned, she had some cuffs with her. "I said spread your feet and eyes forward," she ordered, kicking his feet apart like she would a prisoner being arrested. The sudden action of her kicking his feet apart made him slip. She caught him enough to a.s.sist his balance. The action of her attempting to catch him told him there was a little affection and tenderness still left in his Mistress.

"I know you can understand me, so why are you being slow? Do I need to say it a different way? Or are you trying to be a pain in the a.s.s?"

He realized her tenderness was short-lived, and her displeasure was still very much alive.

"No, ma'am," he said.

She shot him a warning look indicating her annoyance at his answer, then knelt down in front of him and secured cuffs around his ankles. These were new. He'd bought most of the gear they had, and he didn't remember them being part of their inventory. Curiosity ate away at him as she tightened the cuffs around his ankles, and when he stole a glance, he looked right into her eyes. She stood and grabbed him under his chin.

"You have three f.u.c.king rules you need to remember. Why do you want to p.i.s.s me off?" She released him. "Keep. Your. f.u.c.king. Eyes. Forward." She punctuated each of her words with the crop as she slapped his belly. He hissed and closed his eyes. "Eyes. Forward." Two more smacks.

Opening his eyes, he exhaled. The delicious pain set his skin on fire and sent the first rush of endorphins into his system. Goose b.u.mps danced to the surface of his skin and heightened his senses. He opened his eyes and glared at her. d.a.m.n, he'd missed his Mistress.

"Where's your collar?"

The collar had come off right before his mission in Mexico, and he'd been waiting for her to put it back on him. He wanted being collared by her after they were married to be something special, sort of like a different kind of wedding night. But since she'd s.h.i.+ed away from him, and he had to go to the lengths he had to in order to get her back, he decided to f.u.c.k with her a little longer and make her work for it.

"I threw it away." Smack. "Ow! That f.u.c.king hurt!" he said, raising his voice.

"Say what?"

"What." Smack.

He paid for his smarta.s.s remark with a sting from her crop that set his abs on fire.

"Where's that collar?"

It took every ounce of self-control he had not to lean down and kiss her and tell her he'd been f.u.c.king with her for the last week, but he didn't want her to stop. His Mistress had returned, and she was his perfect woman. Smack, smack, smack. The second rush of endorphins coursed through his veins and took his breath away.

"Where's that f.u.c.king collar? Now!"

It took him a moment to speak because he'd quit breathing. The rush from the pain was like free falling out of an aircraft. The moment the icy wind hit his body it would leave him breathless for a few seconds. Then, in order to concentrate on his jump, he had to remember to breathe and control the initial adrenaline rush.

"It's in the wooden box in my top drawer," he answered between breaths.

Closing his eyes, he let his head fall back when she disappeared from his sight. His heart rate had increased, and every nerve hummed with the after effects of her crop. He willed himself to relax and get his breathing under control.

"On your knees," she said. He slid down to his knees, and she draped the collar around his neck. When her hand brushed past his face, he unconsciously leaned in to it. She paused as he rubbed his cheek against her fingers. "You're not getting out of this, Danny," she said softly.

I don't want to. I need you. He swallowed his words before he could say them out loud. He had to focus and see this through for the both of them and the future of their marriage. The emotional rush made him clear his throat to move the sudden lump. He was sure she made that statement just now to keep herself in check.

As she secured the other cuffs around his wrists, he saw she had it under control because her strikes were tempered. A couple were meant to be harder correction swats, but over the time they'd played, she'd learned how to keep him on the razor's edge. There was no doubt she loved him. She could abuse the s.h.i.+t out of him right now, and he wouldn't stop her.

All of his obnoxious behavior over the last week had been designed to push her anxious tension over the edge, and he knew she'd either end up in tears or get even with him for all of his bulls.h.i.+t. But the course he'd chosen had even pushed his limits. Making her believe that he was messing around on her had been something he'd struggled with before deciding to press forward. Once he got her past all the demons that haunted her, he hoped she'd forgive him for all of his c.r.a.p.

"Up, on the edge of the bed."

Taking a deep breath, she regrouped. She had a plan and needed to stick to it. She treasured his small demonstrations of affection more than the huge displays he made at times. His rubbing against her fingers just now made her almost deviate from the plan and tested her resolve. Today would settle things one way or another. She would test one of his limits to see just how far he'd go to earn her forgiveness, and after she finished with him tonight, he'd never look at another woman again. If he was as dedicated to this as he claimed, he'd do exactly what she told him to do. But she also understood him and there was no way he'd make this easy for her.

Tempering his jaunt to subs.p.a.ce, she needed him fully conscious to what she said and did. Danny was quick to let go and give in to his feelings, so she watched him closely while she used the crop to settle him to a submissive state. In a few minutes, he'd be shaken to his core, and by the time she was done, he'd reach another dimension. She knew Danny. She'd known him longer than she'd known anyone outside her immediate family. In order to get him off his game, she had to give him the rush he craved but not allow him to get wrapped up in it. As much as she wanted to beat the s.h.i.+t out of him for everything he'd done over the last week, she maintained her calm and restrained her anger.

Despite what he thought, it wasn't pain he needed. He needed to be controlled. Creating all kinds of mischief was a signal that he wanted someone to draw the line and hold him to it. When she'd drawn those lines in the past, it tamed him and gave him stability. He fought it and wrestled with her, but in the end, her control calmed him. Pain gave him a short-term fix, like a drug. Controlling him gave him long-term constancy, a sharp contrast to his chaotic, violent career. Women he'd been with had been dazzled by the SEAL and sucked in by his charm. Instead of taking him in hand, they tried to manipulate him, and when his games left them frustrated, he'd get bored and move on.

Cupping his face, she stroked his cheeks with her thumbs because she needed an emotional connection with him to make her next move. When he closed his eyes and relaxed, she tried to formulate how she'd let him know her plans. What she was about to demand from him would stretch his limits farther than he'd ever imagined she'd go. But she'd done it before with the c.o.c.k cage and the results lasted for a long time. He said he'd hated it, but in reality, it stopped a lot of his topping from the bottom. This situation was much worse. This wasn't a game anymore. She was fighting her husband and her marriage. In order to get him back, she'd have to leave him no alternative but to surrender once and for all.

"I have something different in mind for tonight," she said. His eyes glazed over, and she watched the goose b.u.mps rise on his shoulders when he s.h.i.+vered. Their gazes locked. "You will do this if you want to stay married to me. Do you understand?"

The look of concern that crossed his face almost made her back down. Her words got his attention faster than any strike she could lay to his body.

"Okay," he said.

The hesitant tone told her that she'd gotten the seriousness of her point across. She wouldn't be cruel even though she had to make a point. She planned on blowing his mind and making it so good that he'd beg her to do it again.