Page 57 of Beneath the Surface

The memory of Isobel standing her ground flashed before him, her defiant expression as maddening as it was admirable. He wanted to be furious—needed to be. She’d put herself in danger again. Her reckless bravery was both her strength and her curse, and it was going to get her killed if he wasn’t careful.

Jace Rodriguez’s interrogation was fresh in his mind, like a splinter he couldn’t remove. An hour of relentless pushing had finally cracked him.

"Fine! Fine!" Jace had snapped, his hands gripping the edges of the metal table in the interrogation room. "I’ll tell you what I know. But that place, man... that place gave me the creeps. You don’t know what it’s like being there."

Brad had leaned forward, his voice low and steady. "What place, Jace?"

"Hot Shots. The private club over on Carson in Pierre. The Viper Lords’ head and fangs use the basement as a meeting place. They’ve got these… playrooms, or whatever. People act out weird fantasies. You know, like... doctors and patients, that kind of thing. It’s all legal, or so they say, but it’s shady as hell."

"What happened with Tyrone Morris?" Brad pressed, his patience hanging by a thread.

Jace exhaled sharply, his shoulders slumping. "I took him there, alright? He had a day pass from the hospital. I didn’t want to, but one of the fangs was so insistent. So I drove him there, like I was told."

"And then?"

"And then this guy… he called himself The Doctor… he was waiting in one of the playrooms. Freaky dude, man. The way he looked at Tyrone..." Jace shivered, running a hand over his face. "I left. I didn’t stick around. The guy told me to come back in five hours."

"When you picked Tyrone up, what was his condition?"

"He was… normal, I guess? Sleepy, but not talking crazy like before. I drove him back to the hospital. They discharged him the next day. Whatever they gave him or did to him, it made him… okay for a while."

Brad’s mind replayed the confession, the pieces of the puzzle refusing to fit together neatly. Hot Shots, The Doctor, the unsettling transformation in Tyrone.

Why couldn’t she just trust him to handle it? Why did she have to run headlong into danger?

But deep down, Brad knew the truth. Isobel’s determination was what made her so damn good at what she did. And maybe… just maybe, it was what they needed to solve this.

Isobel shifted nervously beside him,sensing the storm brewing. The silence was unbearable again, and despite knowing it would do no good, she couldn’t stop herself from trying to explain. "Brad, the report, when I downloaded the draft, it was completely messed up. The supporting documents were moved. I had to take the correct version to the judge. I couldn’t let my client’s mother and her boyfriend stop her chemotherapy. I didn’t know what else to do."

Her voice, shaky but determined, seemed to ignite his anger even more. Brad remained silent, eyes fixed on the road, his grip on the wheel tightening further. She could feel his unspoken frustration bearing down on her.

"And then," she continued, her voice faltering, "when the body was found, the two officers got me out of there. I wasn’t trying to?—"

Brad cut her off, each word sharp with controlled fury, "Isobel, you were there at the same time as the murderer. Don’t pretend you didn’t know exactly what you were doing when you defied me. You had choices."

His words landed with a heavy blow, and Isobel swallowed hard. She knew, deep down, no explanation would soften his anger. She disobeyed him, and the consequences were inevitable. He was right. She was being stalked by a madman. Things could have gone very badly. She should have called him.

The rest of the drive passed in suffocating silence. When they arrived at Brad’s home, he drove inside the garage and reset the security system with methodical precision, his body tense. Onceinside, he turned to face her, his eyes blazing with fury and concern, emotions he had kept in check until now.

“Do you have any idea how dangerous your actions were, Isobel?” Brad’s voice cut through the room like a blade. “You could have been hurt. You could have been killed. And for what? To drop off a report?”

Isobel stood frozen, her chest tightening with guilt as his words sank in. She had messed up badly, and his anger felt unbearable.

Brad stepped closer, his tone softening slightly but still stern. "I told you not to leave the office. I gave you clear instructions, and you chose to ignore them. That cannot happen again. Stay right where you are. I’ll be right back.”

Minutes later, he returned, no longer wearing his uniform. Instead, he wore dark blue sweatpants and a white tee shirt. She hadn’t moved from the spot. He walked over to the couch and sat down, his gaze never leaving her. The intensity in his eyes made her breath hitch. “You need to understand there are consequences to defying me, Isobel. In this relationship, my word is law when it comes to your safety. You’re going to learn that now.”

Isobel’s heart raced, her pulse pounding in her ears. A mix of emotions swirled inside her—fear, guilt, and a strange sense of anticipation she couldn’t quite place. She had trusted Brad implicitly from the start, but now, that trust was about to be tested.

Brad’s voice was calm but commanding as he spoke again, “Come here, Isobel. You need to be reminded what it means to defy me.”

Her legs felt heavy as she moved toward him, her heart pounding. She stopped in front of him, her breath shallow.

Brad looked up at her, his gaze steady and unyielding. "Take off your slacks and panties and lie over my knees," he commanded.

Isobel hesitated for only a second before obeying, draping herself over his lap, her body feeling exposed and vulnerable in a way she had never experienced before. Brad’s hand rested on her lower back, letting her feel his control.

“Grab my ankle.” He inhaled deeply. “I’m not doing this to hurt you,” he murmured, his voice low and measured. “But you need to understand that disobedience comes with consequences. I won’t tolerate you putting yourself in danger.”

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