Saving Master Rafael [Prometheus in Chains 11] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  A little voice whispered that he didn’t want to be laughed at either. If he was being honest, that was true, too. Whatever the reasons, it must never be known. She was dead and couldn’t defend her actions, if indeed they were defensible. Rafael loved her enough to make sure her wishes were carried out and that she’d not be the object of gossip after her death. He would do his grieving and railing against her in private. He picked up the phone to contact their solicitor and put an end to the whole episode. He thought it was going to be a simple matter to put them out of his mind. For the third time he was mistaken.

  Chapter Two

  Six months later Rafael was still a grieving and changed man. Gone was the carefree Dom who teased the female subs and flirted with the males. He was taciturn and nasty-tempered. Prometheus had had words with him on more than one occasion when his bitter and sarcastic remarks had reduced some poor sub to a weeping heap on the floor, and Rafael had just glanced down in disdain before walking away. In the uncollared subs area, that was their favourite topic of conversation.

  “Everyone knows he was devastated by the loss of his two subs, but surely it’s time for him to be getting over it?” a small female sub asked.

  “Well no-one can talk of anything else and it’s getting boring. It’s not half so exciting as that Biker Dom and his attempted kidnap of Rosemary. Goodness me, what would have become of her if Master Jack hadn’t gone outside for a breath of fresh air,” a lithe young male sub said.

  “You and your Master Jack. I keep telling you, Roland, that he’s not gay and he won’t look at a man in that way. In any case, he only sees Rosemary now, or Jill as she likes to be called. Jack and Jill were never like that in my nursery rhyme.” She giggled and nudged her neighbour.

  “Do give over, Melissa. They are so much in love they’re bound to be starry-eyed. What I want to know is why he’s changed so much,” the small female sub remarked.

  “Master Jack?” Roland asked in puzzlement.

  “For goodness’ sake, I mean Master Rafael. Why is he so cold and distant? He looks at you as if you were something smelly he’d scraped off his shoe. Why hasn’t he started to get over his loss? I’m not saying he should take another sub just yet, but he ought to lighten up.”

  “Yes and we all know who you want that sub to be, sweetie. You talk about me and Master Jack, but you are just as obsessed by Master Rafael,” Roland said sarcastically.

  “Hello, everyone. How are you all tonight?”

  “Hello, Kristina. It’s nice to see you back here,” Roland said.

  “What do you think about Master Angus’s son then?” Kristina asked, obviously avid for all the gossip.

  “He seems okay. He’s certainly a lot like his father,” Melissa said.

  “Have you seen Master Rafael lately? We were just saying that it’s really odd that he hasn’t started to get over his loss yet.”

  “No, I haven’t seen him in a couple of weeks. Do you mean to tell me he’s still going about with a face like a dying duck in a thunder storm?” Kristina asked.

  * * * *

  Rafael overheard the conversation and snorted to himself. So they thought he ought to get over it, did they? They weren’t in possession of all of the facts, and he’d be damned if he told them. He had no intention of taking another sub. Take another sub and get betrayed again? Not on your life. I’ve been hurt enough, and no other sub is going to get under my skin.

  The little voice whispered in his ear, “Be honest. That’s not all of it, is it? What if you’d checked that phone? What if you’d not been so obsessed about getting those waiters up to scratch? You would have been at home where you belonged. She wouldn’t have had to deal with it on her own. If anyone could have stopped Johann drinking, it was you. You weren’t there, so they both died. You daren’t take another sub and risk the same happening again.”

  Listening to the voice in his head, Rafael couldn’t deny there was a lot of truth in what it said. Thyme could never stop Johann doing anything he wanted to do. It was my job to be there and to protect them, a job I failed to do. I can’t risk hurting more people.

  Nevertheless Rafael was very lonely and unhappy. He did his job in the club, and he trained the waiters for the hotels in Sheffield as only he knew how. He heard them all making plans to go out to meet in a pub, to have a night in watching a film, and he had difficulty holding onto his composure. Memories of visits to pubs in the country, meals together, followed by a film and a night of passion tormented him. They were gone, and he could never get them back. No-one would ever replace them. Even though Thyme had betrayed both him and Johann with her online lover, Rafael still loved, missed, and wanted her with a longing so deep it hurt. Would he ever get over his loss?

  He was still in such a state of turmoil that he was not best pleased when, at the next Doms’ meeting, Catriona proposed another sub’s auction.

  “The last event raised a lot of money for our pet charities. The last one was comforts for our soldiers, and a very worthy cause. It’s one evening, and surely you can all contribute one evening of your time.”

  “Put like that, we can hardly refuse,” Prometheus said, laughing. “What charity are you supporting this time, Catriona?”

  “Well, that’s another thing. I do think that the rest of you ought to have some say in which charity benefits. I propose we all put the name of our chosen charity on a piece of paper, and then we get Linda from reception to pull one out of the hat.”

  Catriona’s idea was received with enthusiasm, and they all took the square of paper she offered. Rafael didn’t have a pet charity. He overheard Prometheus trying to decide whether to go for the Salvation Army or the Lifeboats. When Prometheus decided for the latter, Rafael wrote the Sally Army on his paper. Linda was summoned as they all folded their entries carefully and tossed them into the hat. Linda came in, and when they explained what they needed, she put her hand in the hat, swirled the papers around, and pulled one out. She handed it to Catriona.

  “Thank you, Linda. Now the winner is the Salvation Army, proposed by Rafael.”

  Rafael was stunned. He never won anything, and it was just perverse luck that he had won this. He knew it meant that he’d have to be more involved than he’d like in all the preparations, but he couldn’t back down now. It crossed his mind that maybe it had all been fixed, but he really couldn’t see how they’d done it if they had dropped him in it. Catriona was speaking to him.

  “Rafael, honey, you will be present on the night, won’t you? I shan’t need you to help auction off the subs and their services, but I would like you to appear in that Sandeman port outfit. It’s mysterious and romantic, and all the ladies will love it.”

  “Next you will want me to wear a mask,” Rafael said none too graciously and was horrified when Catriona seized upon it as a genuine offer. Now he would be wearing a black mask over his eyes. “You are mixing him up with Zorro.”

  “No I’m not. I am just accepting your offer to make this a bit more romantic. Don’t say you’re backing out now.”

  “No. I’ll do as I promised.” Rafael was furious with himself for getting so caught up with it all, but he liked Catriona and wouldn’t let her down. Now she smiled blindingly at him, and he managed a sort of smile back, which seemed to satisfy her. They went on to discuss details. The special catering would be overseen by Rafael, and Catriona had a red-and-black theme going, so he would consult with the catering manager and see what they could come up with between them. He breathed a sigh of relief when the meeting was over.

  Prometheus had insisted that all Doms employed in the Club be present at the meetings or Rafael wouldn’t have attended any at all. He wasn’t feeling sociable and he wasn’t in the mood for chit-chat tonight. Needing to get away, he didn’t stay for the refreshments at the end, excellent though he knew them to be. He wanted to be alone. He wished he hadn’t written anything on his piece of paper, and he had the feeling that it had been a big mistake.

  Chapter Three

&nb
sp; Though the meetings to discuss arrangements and planning of the evening seemed interminable to him, they did come to an end, and the day of the auction arrived. Rafael put his cloak, hat, and mask on the front passenger seat of his car and grimaced at them. Well, at least it would soon all be over, and he could go back to normal, whatever that was now. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was going to happen tonight. He shrugged and told himself it was just his imagination. It was going to be another in the boring succession of evenings since he lost his subs, no more and no less. He sighed, and getting into his car, he drove to the club. He got out and went inside. Leaving his outdoor coat in his locker, he put on the mask, the cloak, and the hat.

  When he entered the main room, there was a buzz of excited conversation. Banners proclaimed the auction, and although there were no representatives from the Salvation Army present, there were extra collecting tins about the room. Rafael stationed himself at the back of the room. He had no intention of bidding for any sub, but he might as well enjoy the spectacle. It might keep him from being too bored.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second charity auction in Prometheus in Chains. My name is Catriona, and I shall be conducting the auction tonight. All proceeds will be given to the Salvation Army, which is a very worthy cause as I’m sure you’ll agree. I shall give you a little information about each sub. A written list of their offer as well as hard and soft limits will be handed to the successful bidder as he or she comes to collect their lot.”

  The auction began. Catriona urged and cajoled larger bids out of the audience as sub after sub was led onto the raised platform and paraded for all to admire. Some of the subs were stunning, even Rafael had to admit that, but his cock didn’t even twitch as he looked at beautiful males and females offering all manner of services for periods varying from a couple of hours to a whole night. As he stood at the back of the room watching events unfold and feeling detached, he wasn’t expecting to bid for anyone. Instead he’d give a contribution, then he’d leave and he’d have done more than his part.

  Bored to tears as sub after sub strutted their stuff and Catriona sold them to their Doms for the night, Rafael fell to daydreaming to alleviate his ennui. The thought of a Doms auction occurred to him and brought a smile to his lips for a short while. He thought about broaching the subject with Catriona. It would take some persuading to get Torquil to agree. Llewellyn might refuse outright unless it tickled his sense of the ridiculous. As he mentally reviewed the Doms in the club and considered their reactions to the suggestion, his eyes unfocused and then he thought of Angus being auctioned in full Highland rig. No, that bird would never fly. If he agreed to do it, Jane would have kittens.

  Suddenly Catriona’s voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up at the raised area.

  A pair of subs was led onto the stage. His gaze fixed on the female of the pair. Her gaze flicked back and forth about the room, and it was plain that she was not altogether comfortable with the situation. The woman had huge, frightened eyes. There was something about her. She had a vulnerability and a need in those eyes of hers, and the Dom in Rafael responded to that. It struck a chord within him, too. Damn it, I’m not getting involved with another sub however needy she may be. She seemed to look directly at Rafael, and his ever-wayward cock had other ideas. It twitched, swelled, and throbbed. When, very briefly, his gaze met hers, he felt a jolt so fierce it shook him. He felt recognition, and when she tore her gaze from his and looked down, he saw the blush bloom in her cheeks and was glad. She kept her head down and her gaze fixed on the floor. However much he willed her to look up at him, she didn’t, and he made a sudden decision.

  * * * *

  Heather Saxton looked out at the audience in fear. Her eyes were drawn to the man at the back in the black cape, hat, and mask. He was striking and somehow radiated menace. She shivered, and she hoped to goodness he didn’t decide to bid for them. What the hell am I doing here? It seemed a good idea, a bit of a lark when Jess suggested it. I thought it would be a fun evening. Some of those Doms look to have anything but fun in mind. No-one here looks very friendly, and what they might do to us scares me witless. I filled in that form, but some of the stuff I’d never heard of before. I hope I didn’t make any mistakes.

  She knew that by the end of the pages and pages of choices with boxes to tick, she’d not been paying that much attention, and now she wished she had. Some of the Doms looked intimidating in the extreme, and here she was offering to put herself in their hands. As her gaze flicked back and forth over the Doms in the club, she got the impression of determination, leashed power, and the assumption that they would get their way in all things. These were men wouldn’t take kindly to being refused anything they demanded as their right. She shivered. She’d done her best with that form, but she couldn’t for the life of her remember what she’d given her consent to, so how was she to tell them when she’d had enough? She hoped she hadn’t left any box unchecked that would allow them to inflict more pain and humiliation upon her than she could bear. She wasn’t sure, and panic gripped her. She took deep breaths to calm herself.

  Silly creature, I have my safe word, and in a club like this they will respect it. There are dungeon monitors to ensure they do, and Jess went on and on about the exclusivity. Still that could be a bad thing. Men of wealth and power always got what they wanted in her experience. Well, no use to repine now. I have to accept the consequences. Best think no more about it.

  To distract herself, she began to look about the room and was trapped by the dark gaze of a man at the back. He wasn’t as tall as the others. He stood in the shadows and was clad in a long dark cloak, a wide-brimmed hat, and a black mask that covered his eyes. He blended into the background, and she wondered if that was deliberate. As her eyes met his, she felt a jolt of electricity and a rush of moisture through her pussy. Who was he? His eyes were deep and dark. They were filled with pain and loss. Who or what had hurt him so very badly? Something flared in their depths as he looked at her. Resolutely she tore her gaze from his and looked at the ground. She knew she was blushing furiously. She tried to control it, but that made it all the worse. She must look like a bloody tomato now. That was not a very attractive look on her, and it wouldn’t help their chances of getting bought for the evening. So far the interest had been conspicuous by its absence

  “Come along, ladies and gentlemen. This is the last lot of the evening, and so far the bids have been derisory. This is not a bargain basement. Here you have two subs for your pleasure. Between them they are willing to do all manner of things to please you. Now let me hear a meaningful bid, or are you all afraid of taking on two subs?” This last sally of Catriona’s was greeted by a deep growl from several male throats. Before they could react and offer a bid to prove how wrong she was, a voice was heard.

  “One thousand pounds.”

  Heather saw several heads turn, and a murmur arose when they saw who had bid. She hadn’t been looking, but it was someone toward the back to judge from the number of heads that turned. There were no more bids but a buzz of excited conversation and many glances toward the back of the room. Well, someone had bought them, so best face what was coming.

  She heard Catriona say, in a bemused sounding voice, “Sold to Master Rafael.” It was all over, bar the shouting. She saw it was the Dom in black. Who was he? Why did no-one want to bid against him? Well, she had wondered about the pain in his eyes, and maybe now she’d find out.

  As if in a dream, she was led off the stage, clinging tightly to Jess’s hand and not very reassured by the squeeze he gave to hers.

  “Where do you want them, Master Rafael?” The respectful tone of the Dom who was in charge of herding the auction “lots” made Heather wonder just who this Master Rafael was and why everyone was so considerate of him.

  “BDSM playroom, stripped and ready for me.” The clipped tones with the hint of a foreign accent cut into her musings. The Dom escorted them up the stairs, turned left at the top, and opened
a door.

  “In here. Strip, fold your clothes, and place them neatly on that shelf over there. Don the blindfolds and wait in silence. Master Rafael will be here when he’s good and ready! If you know what’s good for you, you will be obedient.” Chuckling, he closed the door behind him as he left.

  Chapter Four

  Heather started to grow fearful. She clutched Jess’s hand and with her other hand hugged herself, protecting her ample breasts. She whimpered in distress.

  “Jess, what’s going to happen to us?”

  “Nothing. Now, remember we have to be silent. It will be all right. You have your safe word.”

  “Disobedient subs, you will regret that,” the voice of Master Rafael said. Heather jumped. She’d not heard him open the door and come in, and she had been listening. She could only assume that he had followed them in, and that did explain the chuckles of the other Dom.

  “You were told to be silent, and you chose to disobey me. Well, that’s all to the good as there’s nothing like a flogging to encourage a sub. What are your names?”

  “My name’s Jess.”

  “What?”

  “My name’s Jess, Sir.”

  “That’s better, but my name’s Master Rafael, and you’d do well to remember that.”