Page 6 of Absolution

“Yes, actually, that’s exactly what you should say.”

“Please. You and I both know the cops aren’t going to do a damn thing. I have no proof the calls are even coming from Gideon. He hasn’t physically threatened me. It’s all a mindfuck.”

“It’s that mindfuck that is going to make you fall off the wagon. Either way, you should at least have it on record just in case.”

“I’ll think about it.” I knew she meant well, but it really was useless.

“Stubborn girl.” I could visualize her shaking her head. “On the same topic, you’re coming to tonight’s meeting, right? We missed you at the last one.”

I winced at the slight reprimand. “I know, I’m sorry.”

“This shit is hard enough without the bullshit you’re going through. It’s important that you don’t miss any. Especially when you’re struggling like you have been. You know you can always call me, day or night, but being around a bigger support system is just as important for your sobriety. Make sure you’re saying your daily prayers and devotionals as well. It’s all part of the program.”

The urge to use grew stronger with every phone call. I just wanted to pop a few pills and not have this overwhelming pool of dread in my gut. It was spreading like a virus through me. Soon, my entire body was going to be infected, and the only cure was the pills it craved.

“You’re right. I’ll be there.”

“Good. In the meantime, if you need me for anything, you call me, girl. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I always felt better after talking to her, but today there was still a lingering thread pulling inside me. If I kept tugging at it, it would start to unravel. Once it did, it wouldn’t stop until it was too late.

Chapter 4

Leo

Returningto civilian life was a bitch. After a strict, regimented environment surrounded by people trying to kill me, I’d thought that coming back to the States would be a welcome change. It wasn’t though. The reintegration was a challenge. There was no structure or discipline. That was part of the reason I fell into the lifestyle. I could control things. Being in the Army served a purpose. People needed me. As a Dom, I now also had a purpose, which was to provide for the needs of the submissive I was scening with. It was a duty I took seriously.

I’d been living off my pension since my discharge, but I had begun feeling restless, and the work I was doing at Franklin’s just wasn’t cutting it. So I took on a probationary job at Blacklight Security. Connor Black, while not ex-military, ran a tight ship, one I highly appreciated.

“Marshall.”

I set down the paperwork I was filling out. “Hey boss.”

“How are things going?”

Connor cut an intimidating figure, leaning against the cubicle wall. Definitely not someone you’d want to fuck with. He’d built this company from the ground up with nothing more than pure determination.

“Not bad. Just writing up my report from yesterday.”

“I got a call from Congresswoman McAllister.”

His tone made me uneasy. “Is there something wrong?”

“Not at all. In fact, she had nothing but good things to say about you over the last month.”

The tension slowly bled out of me. “Thank you, sir.”

Connor narrowed his eyes. “Since you’re clearly not a submissive, you can drop the ‘sir’.”

My lips tipped up at one corner. “Sadly, the Army beat the honorific into my skull, and I don’t see it leaving any time soon.”

He merely shook his head.

“Yes, well,” he continued. “She was impressed. There are two weeks left of her daughter’s term at school, and she’d like to keep you on for the rest of it.”

Ah, so that’s where this had been heading. Connor must have been worried about my response. This was one of those less than glamorous assignments.

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