Abby let her head fall back as she laughed. She was in for a rough day. She looked forward to the experience.

Slater turned the volume on the television down and picked up his phone.

"He hasn't left the club." Jeremy's voice was hushed as though he was afraid someone might be listening in.

At least he had that much. He sat down on the edge of the bed housekeeping had made up not an hour before as he considered what was happening in the hotel across town. "Have you seen him this morning?" He wasn't exactly sure how the drugs he'd had Jeremy put in Lucas's drink last night worked. He was pretty sure they wouldn't kill him, but he could always hope.

"I took room service up to the room he's staying in. I didn't see him, but I heard Barnes' slaves talking about him. They didn't seem terribly concerned. He was sleeping it off," Jeremy explained. His voice was so quiet. Slater had to listen intently. He turned off the television in his room. He'd been watching C-Span, but this was far more important to Slater's future than anything Congress was doing.

He'd come across Jeremy Walker last night after watching the disgusting display Barnes had put on with his wife in the club. Slater had been shocked, but he couldn't turn away. He'd noticed Lucas's 159.

reaction. The little pervert had been fascinated by the scene before him. Lucas had eyed the blond man first and then the female. He'd practically drooled over his brother's wife as she was displayed in that vulgar fashion. It had just hardened Slater's resolve. Lucas was going to ruin everything. Cameron was running on family values. How could he do that with not one, but two perverted bi-s.e.xual sons?

Barnes could be counted on to keep his mouth shut, but Lucas?

Jeremy Walker had stood out in the crowd. He'd been just as disgusted, though Slater believed it was for different reasons. Young Jeremy hadn't actually watched the cowboy spank his wife and put her on display. Slater noticed the slender man staring at Julian Lodge and the odd woman who sat at his feet. The blonde had clung to Julian, and he'd shown her great affection. It hadn't gone over well with Jeremy. There was jealousy in his eyes. Slater had known immediately he could use the boy to his own purposes. Slater had worked long enough in politics to know a stooge when he saw one.

Jeremy had supplied the "roofie" as he called it. He'd explained that it would make Lucas very malleable. Lucas would be vulnerable under the influence of the drug. Slater might have misled Jeremy into thinking that he was of the same persuasion as he and Lucas. He might have inferred to Jeremy that he just wanted Lucas. It was distasteful but necessary. He'd slipped Jeremy enough money to play his part. He was supposed to get Lucas to drink the drugged rum and c.o.ke and then talk him up a bit. It had worked brilliantly. It hadn't taken long before Lucas was heavily under the influence of the drug.

Jeremy agreed to get Lucas downstairs and into Slater's car. The young man had no idea Slater had been taking pictures with his cell phone. It clearly established Jeremy as the villain of the piece. When Lucas's body was found, it would go one of two ways. Either they would a.s.sume the troubled young man had simply come to the bad end he so richly deserved, or they would find the drugs in his system.

At that point, Slater would come forward with his photos. He would admit he had been worried about his boss's son and followed him.

160.

He'd tried to convince him not to go with the stranger, but Lucas never listened to sound advice.

Jeremy Walker was the perfect patsy. If only that f.u.c.ker Barnes hadn't shown up.

In the back of his mind, he'd rather hoped Barnes had decided to follow through on his threat from the previous night. Apparently, he had no such luck.

"Do you have any idea what Barnes intends to do with Lucas?"

Slater asked.

"A little, sir," Jeremy replied politely. Slater had found that Jeremy was very polite, but the look in his eyes gave him away. "I overheard my master speaking with Master Barnes earlier this morning. He's been very busy. He said something about taking Lucas with him to the ranch he owns. My master sounded pleased with this.

I do not believe Master Barnes intends to harm his brother. I know that they are staying at The Club tonight. Master Barnes will publically punish his slaves. They deserve it."

Slater was glad they were speaking over the phone so he didn't have to hide his distaste. The way these people behaved disgusted him. It could never get out that the senator had a membership. It would ruin his wholesome image. Lucas knew about that now, too.

"So I'll get another chance with Lucas?"

Jeremy sounded eager. "Oh, yes. I'll help you, if you help me. I'll make sure it works this time. Master Barnes will be very involved in his scene. No one will notice you slipping away with your little treat."

Jeremy had turned out to be a young man of very flexible morality. He didn't seem to think anything of drugging a potentially difficult lover. He did, however, want reciprocity. Slater had promised to dig up dirt on one Sally Hanover. He had no intention of wasting time doing it, but he had to string the young man along. Jeremy wanted Julian Lodge all to himself, it seemed.

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"Yes," Slater promised in smooth tones. "I have a private investigator working on it even as we speak. If he can't come up with something, I'm sure we can make something up."

"Good. I hate that b.i.t.c.h. The sooner she's gone, the happier my master will be with me."

Slater wasn't sure. The "master" seemed pretty pleased with the blonde the night before. It didn't matter. All that mattered was the accident Lucas was going to have this evening. After tonight, Slater could put this mess behind him and concentrate on the upcoming campaign.

A candidate in mourning was a sympathetic man. After he hung up with Jeremy, Slater began writing a powerful eulogy for one Lucas Cameron.

162.

Chapter Fourteen.

All around him, The Club's bar was buzzing with excitement over the evening's entertainment, but Sam found himself strangely calm.

"Does it hurt?" Lucas examined the elaborate tattoo that now covered the back of Sam's neck.

"Nah," Sam replied. He was lying. It had. It hurt like h.e.l.l. He'd liked every minute of it, too. He was seriously considering another one. Of course, he'd have to convince Jack, but he thought putting the Barnes-Fleetwood brand on his right bicep was a cool idea.

Lucas carefully put the bandage back on and took the seat across from Sam. "It looks good."

Sam sat back in his seat in a particularly comfortable section of the bar. He couldn't remember a time when he felt so relaxed. Even knowing what was coming, he was quiet deep down. He wasn't worried or afraid. He was excited, but he could wait. Jack would take care of it.

Sam stared at Lucas. He looked like a completely different man.

No one who had seen him here last night would even suspect it was the same sad-sack boy who Jack had threatened to kill violently. His hair was short, and he had on jeans that fit and a plain black T-shirt.

Getting that hair out of his face made him look more like Jack than before. It showed off his square jaw line and made him look harder, sharper. Sam knew he would never have Jack's authority. Lucas just wasn't that guy, but boy, he resembled his brother.

"New boots?" Sam asked.

Lucas held out his foot, admiring the snakeskin boots Jack had claimed were the most comfortable, durable boots he'd ever worn.

163.

"Yeah. Apparently Mr. Lodge has a bunch of people who do nothing but shop for the guests."

Sam smiled at the thought. What Julian had was a bunch of submissives willing to do just about anything to get the master's attention. He'd come close to being one of those slaves. Sam glanced around the bar. It was a richly decorated room, but it wasn't a home.

Julian's penthouse was spectacular, but in Sam's mind it was more of a museum than a real home. A real home was the ranch house with its big fireplace where he cuddled up with Abby. He would never admit it to Jack, but he'd thought about Julian's proposal. He'd thought about becoming his slave. It had seemed like a safe thing to be. Sam had followed his heart, and he was glad he did. If he'd stayed with Julian, he would have been one of many, and Julian didn't share. He would have been Julian's plaything. He was Jack's partner and Abby's husband. It was a good place to be.

Jack walked into the bar, followed closely by Abigail. He wore tight black jeans and a black western-style shirt he hadn't bothered to b.u.t.ton. It showed off his cut chest and that six-pack that always made Sam drool. It had been h.e.l.l seeing that body for years and years and not being able to touch it. Even now he looked away for fear that his desire would be on display.

"Sam." Jack sat down next to him. He didn't just sit. Jack occupied whatever s.p.a.ce he happened to be in. "Are you ready for tonight? We start in thirty minutes. I'm going down to get set up. You two give me a couple of minutes and meet me down there. Julian and Lucas will escort you down to the dungeon."

"I'm ready." Sam was getting hard at the thought of Jack wielding a whip. He shifted in his seat. He'd seen it so many times before, but he'd never been the one to feel the lash in public.

Jack's arm went around his shoulder. It was a friendly gesture, but now there was intimacy in it, as well. Sam relaxed against him. Abby was suddenly on the other side, her hand a welcome presence on his knee.

164.

"Sam, I want to talk to you about something," Jack said quietly.

"It's a decision I want us to make together. You know Julian has decreed thirty lashes as a punishment."

Sam nodded, but a thought struck him. "That's not for each of us.

That's just all together. That's fifteen each, but I can handle more than Abby can."

"Sam," Abby began.

"Abby, hush," Jack interrupted. "Sam knows exactly what I was thinking. He can handle more than you, sweetheart. It's been a long time since I did anything like this. I practiced last night, and I'm confident it will be fine. If I wasn't, both of you would be in my truck right now, whether you wanted to or not. Now, I say Sam takes twenty, and Abby takes ten."

"Why can't I just take them all?" It made sense to Sam. Abby didn't mind a spanking, but if Jack got the whip even the slightest bit wrong, it could really hurt. Sam wouldn't mind the experience, but he hated the thought of Abby being in pain. She wasn't wired the way he was. "That way Abby just stays out of it."

Abby's pretty mouth was a stubborn line. "I don't think that would satisfy Julian. I can take ten. How much worse is it than a spanking?"

"Well, it's a flipping whip," Lucas pointed out. "I don't think it's supposed to feel good."

"It can be horrible." Jack ran his hand along Abby's arm gently.

She shivered at the sensation. "Or it can be like a little whisper across your skin."

"Screw that," Sam said, and then wished he hadn't said it out loud.

"I'll be sure to note your preferences, Sam," Jack stated with a sarcastic smile on his face. "Sam likes a pretty big bite of pain, Abby.

You like a little one. If you like the whip and want to play with it at home, then we can talk about it. But I'm not putting you through that here. I'll give you ten light ones and then move on to Sam. What I'm 165.

going to do to Sam should satisfy the crowd. While I handle Sam, Lucas is going to take care of you, Abby."

Lucas sat up and leaned forward. "I've been fully instructed. I'm to hold you if you cry and rub some salve into your b.u.t.t so it doesn't sting anymore. I am not to play with your b.o.o.bs."

Jack sent his brother a stern look.

"Or anything else," Lucas concluded with a gulp. "I can pat your back and try really hard not to get an erection."

"That won't happen." Jack stood up and affectionately ran a hand through Sam's hair. "She'll be naked. Every man in the room will have an erection."

"Sally would, too," Sam interjected. "If she had a p.e.n.i.s."

"Lucas, Julian will come for them in twenty minutes. You walk down with them," Jack instructed. "I'm trusting you with this, son."

Sam noticed that Lucas sat a little straighter, and his voice was deeper as he answered. "Yes, sir. They'll be there safely."

After Jack left for the dungeon, Lucas stood and walked across the room. He stopped at the bar. When he came back, he had a beer in his hand and a small gla.s.s of pink stuff. "You're allowed two. Beer for Sam, vodka with cranberry juice for Abby."

They could hear the table next to them discussing the day's events including the miraculous rain storm of fine lingerie.

Sam laughed and downed his beer. He cuddled Abby as she bemoaned the loss of her undies. It didn't take long before Lucas was watching for Julian's entrance. Sam took Abby's hand. He felt a magnificent sense of antic.i.p.ation, but he could feel her trembling.

Sam wrapped his arms around her. She was perfectly placed in his lap. "Baby, it's going to be fine. Jack is great with a whip. I promise you'll barely feel it. He's going to go so easy on you."

Her eyes were wide as she peered up at him. "What about you?"

Sam grinned. "He's going to tear me up, and I'll love it, Abby. I like the pain. Did I ever tell you what Jack caught me doing when we were still in the foster home?" She shook her head, and he told her 166 something he'd never told another person. "He caught me cutting. I used to run a knife along my thighs and my calves."

"You told me those were old rodeo wounds."

"Nah, I did those myself," he admitted. "It made me feel better.

Jack caught me and made me stop. That was about the time I started getting into a whole lot of fights. It was harder back then. I'd just lost my parents and my brother in a car wreck. I was the only one who survived. I liked the pain because it made me feel closer to them. That went away, but I still like pain, Abby."

She pulled him close and murmured something about understanding. Sam sincerely doubted that she did or ever really would. The important thing was she would accept it. She would accept him and try to give him what he needed. Sam believed that.

"It's good to see Jackson followed at least one of my dictates,"

Julian said as he walked up. He was dressed for the dungeon. Unlike Jack, he'd left off the shirt. Sam understood. Jack would eventually ditch the shirt, too. Julian's pants were leather and rode low on his hips. His long, dark hair was down for the occasion, released from its normal sleek ponytail. "You look lovely in your collar, dear." He nodded to indicate the three strands of diamonds around Abigail's throat. "Normally it's all leather and metal down in the dungeon. I believe your husband wants you to stand out."

"Her husbands think she deserves diamonds," Sam corrected.

"She's our jewel."

Abby's face softened, and she kissed his cheek. Sam indicated it was time to go, and she hopped off. She wore only a silk robe and her heels. Abby nervously straightened the thin, fine fabric around her body.

"I don't see your collar, Samuel." Julian's irritation was plainly written across his face. "Have you decided to forgo your punishment?"

Sam pulled his T-shirt off. He wouldn't need it. "If you don't see my collar, Julian, it's because you're not looking close enough." He 167.

got rid of the bandage. He wouldn't need that, either. Abby would redo it later.

"I wondered about that request from your master." Julian inspected the tattoo. "It looks good on you, Sam."

Sam nodded and took Abby's hand firmly in his. He noticed that the man from last night was in the bar. Sam had taken note of him the night before because he stood out. He'd been wearing a suit and not enjoying the scene Jack and Abby had unwittingly performed. He looked like the type of man Sam usually tried to avoid.

Julian noticed him, too. He didn't seem particularly happy to see the man, either. "Mr. Slater, I would have a.s.sumed you would be back in Washington this evening."

The man with the bland face and graying hair crossed his arms over his chest. There was no small amount of belligerence in the gesture. "My business is not finished here, Mr. Lodge. Lucas still threatens everyone in this club and his father."

"No, I don't," Lucas protested.

"You don't have to worry about Lucas anymore." Abby squared her shoulders and straightened her spine. She was as dignified as a totally hot woman in a short robe with pretty pink toenails could be.