Page 38 of His Darkest Desires

"You are my sub as well and you will do as I tell you, your punishment is growing by the minute."

As I watched her eyes widen at the realization that I wasn’t kidding, she started to squirm in her seat, taking her feet down off my desk. "You already punished me earlier in the car, remember."

Stalking closer, I growled through clenched teeth. "I'm not going to tell you again, Sloane."

As she slowly got up and walked towards me, she moved in close. "And I'm not going to tell youagain, Archer, I can make my own choices. Sub or not." Pushing her finger into my chest and challenging my patience, she started to walk past me to the door, thinking some how she was the one in control right now.

Reaching my hand out, I grabbed a hold of her wrist and twisted it up behind her back in a controlling maneuver, not a painful one, pushing her up against the wall face first with my hand around her neck, squeezing lightly to get her full attention. "So, are you going to talk to me like an adult now? Or are you going to continue to act like a brat?" As she struggled against my hold on her, I could feel her heartbeat begin to race and heard her breathing turn to a pant, I knew she's getting just as turned on as I already was. Leaning forward, I took in the smell of her vanilla scent she always wore and bit the shell of her ear before I said in a low voice. "I can tell this turns you on, angel. You like it when I'm rough with you, don't you?"

Hearing a low moan escape from her, she answered my question without hearing the words from her mouth, even though she tried to deny it. "No, Archer. I'm not getting turned on. I'm getting pissed off! Now let. Me. Go!" She protested, lying to me through gritted teeth.

Dropping her arm, I spun her around to face me, pinning her against the door. "Why do you lie to me, Sloane? I don't enjoy hearing such bullshit come out of that pretty little mouth of yours. Now, are you ready for your punishment or do we have more of your lies to listen to and make the punishment you're already receiving that much worse?"

Watching the reaction in her eyes, I could see her anger melt into desire and regret. "Look, I know allowing Jared to kiss me was wrong, but what you pulled in the car was beyond worse. You played with my emotions, telling me you love me and then torturing me in the car the way you did."

"And you don't think knowing that asshole had his lips on what’smineisn't fucking with my emotions? I..." My phone ringing interrupted us. Seeing Detective Hamilton's name pop up I told her. "I've got to get this." Releasing her, I answered. "Jennings here."

"Archer, Detective Hamilton here. I believe we found that girl Sloane witnessed being attacked at the club tonight. She was found dead in a dumpster out back near the club. I thought you might want to come down. This murder seems to be another one that I think could be connected to your friend’s murder."

"Yeah, sure, I'll be there in twenty."

"See you then."

"Yes, okay." Disconnecting the call, I looked at her now with her head down, seeming to realize what she'd really put me through when she kissed another man. "I have to go; they think they've found that girl you saw in the dungeon."

At that she snapped her head up. "Oh my God, is she alive?"

Shaking my head, I placed my hands on her shoulders. "No, she was found dead in a dumpster near the club."

Tears started to well up in her eyes. "That poor woman. He knows I saw him Archer, what am I going to do?"

Pulling her closer, I hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head. "Look you're with me now and I will protect you. He's not going to get to you here. But I do have to go and talk to the Detective right now to see if they have any clues as to who this guy is. Will you be okay here by yourself or do you want me to send Gage over to stay with you while I'm gone?"

"No I'll be fine, really. Your building is like a fortress with the security, so I know he can't get in here." I kissed her slowly and tenderly on the lips, but then deepened it into a passionate one before ending it and kissing the tip of her nose, tapping it as I informed her. "This doesn't get you out of your punishment or the discussion we were having by the way. It only delays it."

She nodded her head. "I know, Archer. You're like a dog with a bone, you just can't let anything go."

Gripping her chin, I pulled her eyes up to meet mine. "When it comes to you angel, you'll never know just how true that statement really is."

Pulling up to the crime scene, I spotted Detective Hamilton speaking with a couple of the other officers. Getting out of the car, I head towards the taped off area and approached the officer on watch. "I'm here to see Detective Hamilton. I'm Archer Jennings."

Lifting the tape up, he said, "Yes, he left your name, you can go through."

I thanked the officer and strode over to where everyone stood around. "Detective."

Turning around, he walked towards me with his hand stretched out, shaking mine. "Good evening, Archer. So, I can tell you what we have so far. Her name was Gretchen Johnson, twenty-eight years old, both parents are deceased, but she had an older sister who is coming in from California to identify the body tomorrow. She worked at the Kinkade law firm as an assistant for William Kinkade." He lifted the sheet that laid over her body. "Do you recognize her at all?"

Looking over her lifeless body, I couldn’t recall ever seeing her at the club. "No, I don't. Was she new to the lifestyle like the other victims?"

"Yes. It seems that is one of the things all these ladies have in common, he's somehow plucking only the novices that don't know the rules yet."

"I know Will Kinkade, maybe I can go visit him and see if I can get anything out of him."

"That would be fine, but I will be at his office Monday afternoon. If you want to catch him off guard, which is what I'm assuming you're up to, you'll need to get there before me first thing Monday morning. And Archer, I want any and all information you get out of him. Agreed?"

I knew that he was allowing me to meddle in this case as a favor, so I assured him. "Everything I find out you will know." Shaking hands, we parted ways and I headed back home to Sloane.

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