Page 57 of Lukas

Lukas had heard enough. He put the gag back in her mouth, fastening it behind her head. He grabbed a blindfold and white noise headphones from a drawer.

“I’ll let you think about what you’ve done while we decide what’s going to be done to you.” She wouldn’t be able to see or hear anything as they talked about her fate, which would hopefully encourage the wronged people in the room to be willing to talk this out.

He hardened himself against the tear that fell down her cheek under the blindfold.

This was what she’d been trying to tell him at the restaurant and that night in his bed. He wanted to know all the details—know what the fuck she’d been thinking—but right now he needed to concentrate on crowd control.

“She stole from us, Lukas. There’s no way around that,” Thomas, one of the most long-standing members of the club, and an important part of La Cosa Nostra, said from where he sat at the conference table. Thomas was also a sadist. Enjoyed making people hurt—had been quite an effective mafia member because of it. He and Lukas had managed to co-exist but had never gotten along.

“And I appreciate you not taking matters into your own hands.” Although he couldn’t be sure they wouldn’t have if Brax hadn’t texted him. “And it sounds like she has the money still available to return.”

“That’s not what matters,” Thomas said. “Word can’t get out that someone stole from us and we let it go unpunished. It would be an unacceptable sign of weakness.”

“Reina will be punished, but it will be by me.”

Thomas stood, fists clenching on top of the table. “If it was anyone else besides your new plaything, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”

“She’s a hell of a lot more than my new plaything, and it doesn’t fucking matter what you want, Thomas, because I’m not letting you use your fists on her or break any bones.” Lukas was glad Reina couldn’t hear any of this.

Thomas looked around to see who supported him. Lukas hoped Roman and Dominic got here soon, because he was telling the truth: he wasn’t going to allow anybody to hurt Reina in that way. And if that meant getting her out of here through violence, he would do that. But it would be a hell of a lot easier with his brothers at his back.

“I support Lukas,” Victor said. “This is Reina Torres we’re talking about, a longstanding member of the neighborhood, not just some punk who broke in.”

Some of the other people standing around the room nodded.

“She stole from us,” Thomas all but yelled. “Got caught red-handed.”

“And she’ll be punished,” Lukas said quietly. “But not like that.”

Margo nodded. “I agree with Lukas, too. Our naked little pet over there broke the rules, but I’m not willing to see any permanent damage done to her. Especially not before we know all the details.”

Thomas sat back down, eyes narrowed. “Fine. But I want her punishment to be public and done here tonight.” He turned to Lukas. “You’ll excuse me if I don’t trust you not to let your better judgement get blindsided by a pretty pussy.”

“Fine. What exactly do you have in mind, Thomas?”

“We were all here for Timothy and Melinda’s public punishment display a few weeks ago. I think the same will work. Paddled, plugged with ginger lube, paddled again in diaper position, then fucked as she begs for forgiveness.” The sadist smiled. “You can even do most of the spanking yourself, Rinaldi. We’ll each just have three whales on her pretty ass.”

“Fine. My choice of paddle only. None of your whips, canes, or loopy johnnies.”

“If she safe words, then the deal’s off,” Thomas continued. “She’s not getting out of here scot-free, just because she calls red.”

It would be pushing Reina’s limits. Most of it was stuff they’d done before, but not all at the same time, and never in public. Could she handle it?

She would have to. And if she couldn’t, he would have to get her out of there because there was no way in hell he was leaving her to a beating at Thomas and the others’ hands. He hoped his brothers got here soon in case he needed backup to get Reina out.

“She won’t safe word.” He looked around at everyone else. “Is everyone in agreement?”

They all nodded. It was time for Reina’s punishment.

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