Jake Read online

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Mama, this is Jake, and he’s going to marry our Emmy!”

  “What?”

  Jake stared at the woman who had half risen in shock from her chair. He could see where Emily got her beauty from. Even at seventy-seven this woman was still gorgeous. He nodded as she held out her hands, and he took them both in his.

  “You. You did it.” He cocked his head, puzzled. “It was you. You made our Emmy open up. You made her cry.”

  “Well, I didn’t mean to make her cry.”

  “No, of course not. That came out wrong. I mean you finally got her to move past her pain, accept her grief. We’ve tried, so help me, we’ve all tried so hard, but she wouldn’t even acknowledge it.” She began to cry softly, and Mark sat alongside, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “She refused to speak one word. She wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t do anything, and every day I saw her die a little. She’s been only an empty shell.”

  “Don’t cry, Mama.”

  “Please don’t cry, Mrs. Miller.”

  “It’s Eliza, or maybe you’d better call me Mama if you really are going to marry my daughter.”

  “I’m really going to marry her. I truly love her.”

  Eliza nodded through her tears. “Sit.”

  He let her hands go and sat opposite.

  “You’re a Dom?”

  Surprised, he answered, “Yes, although at my club I’m a Dom Master.”

  “Better still. Now I can see why she finally broke.”

  “You don’t mind? I mean you understand what I am.”

  “Mind? Definitely not. I’ve known about my daughter’s lifestyle since she was twenty-six. I know about Doms and submissives. Anyway, in this family nothing is a surprise. I raised my kids to be honest about who they are.” She beamed warmly at David. “David is married to a wonderful man, Trent, and Mark, well, Mark is bisexual and married to Mary, and they are in a ménage with Rich. So having a dominant Master in this family certainly won’t be a shock.”

  Jake marveled at this woman who it seemed nothing would ever shake her except the pain her daughter went through. He reached out across the table and took a hand again.

  “I’m honored to be part of your family.”

  “She scared me, Jake. She scared us all.” He could hear the pain in her whispered words, her fingers clutching his hand tightly. Her agony cut him deeply as she continued. “When the police rang and told us she’d been hurt, David flew to her. She…” Eliza caught her breath and exhaled raggedly. “She was still under sedation. They kept her under after the surgery for three days. When she came ‘round, she made him swear not to ask her any questions and, when he reluctantly agreed, she allowed him to be present when the policeman took her statement. She told him she would never talk about it again, and she never has. I guess I can understand not wanting to relive things, but instead she cut off everything and everyone.

  “David told us he’d listened to the horrible details. The doctors were worried about her, about her lack of emotion or talking about what had happened.”

  David nodded and sighed. “I was so worried about her. The cop who was handling the case was a really nice man who honestly seemed as worried as the rest of us. She’d told him I was to be there, and the doctors thought it was a good idea. Thankfully, he’d recorded it when she first came ‘round because after that she simply clammed up and wouldn’t say a word about anything. It was as if she became another person. She put up this wall and refused to say another word about the attack after giving her statement. Actually, I should say any talking. It was weeks before she finally began to speak again and only as long as what had happened wasn’t mentioned. If I hadn’t been there, none of us would have known anything until the court case, and that was the most horrible experience. Sitting and listening to what those women went through. My heart broke a dozen times over.”

  David’s face had paled, and Jake could understand completely. He remembered his own reaction when Ash had told him the bare facts. When he and Emily had spoken of some of the details part of him could understand her wanting to pretend it never happened.

  “David wouldn’t tell me everything, only that she’d been viciously raped and left for dead by those animals.”

  David, standing behind her, put his hands on his mother’s shoulders, “It wasn’t right for you to hear them, Mama. It was bad enough that I knew it all. I don’t want you knowing all the details.”

  “You don’t need to know, Eliza—Mama. Just know she told me.”

  “Everything?”

  “I know everything that happened. She and I have gone into most of the gruesome details, and we’ll certainly talk more as she gets stronger. But you should know that she finally accepts what happened, and now she can move forward. She has finally faced it all and realized it wouldn’t kill her like she thought.” Jake squeezed her hand gently. “I want you to know, Mama, that nothing will ever be hidden between us. We’ve cried together and will again whenever she needs to, but it’s no longer hanging over her, no longer draining her life away.”

  “Thank you.”

  Jake let go of her hands as David put a hand under his mother’s arm. “Mama, come on. I think you’d better take Jake into the back room and let Emily know you approve. I’ve got a feeling our little sister is worried you might say no.”

  She laughed and stood. Coming to Jake, she pulled his head down and kissed his cheek, whispering, “I can never thank you enough.”

  “You have, you’ve given your daughter to my safekeeping.”

  They walked through to the family room arm-in-arm, and Jake had to laugh at the look of relief on Emily’s face. She staggered a little then came to her mother, who opened her arms. Emily tried to choke back a sob, but then the two women burst into tears.

  “I’m sorry, Mama. I know I put you all through a lot of pain. I—I was lost, frightened I would die if I faced it. I was terrified, and I honestly couldn’t handle what had happened. I thought if I buried it then it wouldn’t hurt, but instead it almost killed me.”

  “Hush. We’ll talk about it another day, but I’m very glad I’ve got my wonderful daughter back. I knew at Christmas time something had happened inside you, and then we talked a little. I wondered what had made you open up, and now I understand.”

  She stared at Emily’s neck then at Jake, and the sigh she gave was one of relief.

  “You collared her.” He nodded. “Then I know you’ll never leave her unless she wants to go.”

  “Mama!”

  “Well, he won’t. I understand what a collar means. I know a lot about BDSM, and then you explained collaring to me years ago. And I know it’s a lot more than a damn marriage contract. If Jake has collared you, then I know you’re truly safe.”

  Roughly, Emily held out her hand. “He gave me an engagement ring too.”

  “Oh, my dearest, darling girl. I love you, and I’m very, very happy. I’m immensely proud of your strength.” Her mother admired her ring and hugged her again. Then she said, “Come on, let’s go annoy Aunt and Uncle Brownley.”

  Emily shook her head, and Jake wondered why suddenly she appeared extremely worried.

  He put an arm around Emily’s waist as she said, “Mama, you wouldn’t!”

  “Wouldn’t I? I didn’t want to invite them but knew I had to. Maybe now we can get rid of them once and for all.” Like a queen, she ordered, “Come, Jake,” as she sailed toward two people were sitting apart from everyone else and seemingly extremely uncomfortable.

  Jake wondered what the hell was going on as Emily’s two brothers burst into laughter. Eliza steered Jake and Emily toward the couple and then the brothers snuck around behind them. Jake guessed it was their three partners joining them as the two brothers whispered something to them. All five appeared exceedingly amused.

  “Jake, let me introduce my middle sister, Andrea, and her husband, Frank. This is Jake.”

  Jake shook hands with the couple as he felt Emily give a
shiver as if holding back a laugh, and he wondered what was going on. The small group behind the couple were now virtually holding each other up, trying to stifle their laughter.

  “So, Jake is Emily’s Master.”

  “Ma—master? Do you mean he’s a teacher, Eliza?”

  “No, he’s her Master, Andrea. Honestly, you know nothing. You really need to get out more and learn new things.”

  “What on earth are you talking about, Eliza?”

  “I’m sure I told you years ago that Emily was a submissive. Anyway, Jake is a Dominant. He and Emily are both into BDSM. Emily has to obey him or else he’ll flog and whip her. That’s right, isn’t it, Jake?”

  “Er. Yes, Mama.”

  The couple were horrified as Eliza said, “Yes. And he ties her up, too. She has to behave and do what he tells her. They belong to a club where he strips her off and, of course, he lets other men see her naked.”

  Jake saw the two brothers trying desperately to hold back their laughter. They quickly covered their mouths with their hands as the couple in front stiffened and stood.

  “That isn’t funny. I do hope you’re joking, Eliza. I must say you have a disgusting sense of humor.”

  “It’s no joke. You are a Master, a dominant, aren’t you, Jake? You do tie her up and you do whip her if she misbehaves, too.”

  “Yes.” Feeling as if more was required of him, he pointed to the ground, and Emily quickly knelt, looking contrite.

  “I’m sorry, Master Jake.”

  Eliza caught his eye and gave a slight nod, then dropped her head downward as if urging him on. For a little more color Jake added, “I do like to fuck her in front of everyone, and sometimes I might even let others play with her tits, fuck her, too. Of course, she gets no say in the matter. She’s my property. She has no say in what I do to her.” He grabbed her braid and pulled her head back. “Isn’t that right, little sub?”

  “Yes, Master Jake. You are my owner, Master.”

  “Who owns your cunt?”

  “You do, Master. You own all of me. I belong to you for you to do whatever you please and to give me to whoever you want.”

  “Don’t you think you are wearing too many clothes?”

  That group at the back couldn’t hold their laughter any longer and would have fallen to the floor if they weren’t still holding on to each other.

  Emily smiled at him. “Yes, Master.”

  The couple stared at him as if he had grown horns and as if he was the devil incarnate. Abruptly they moved, sure Emily was about to strip off her clothing.

  Andrea shouted as they stormed from the room, “We never want to see any of this disgusting family again!” to the obvious delight of Eliza, who stood clapping her hands with glee, and the loud cheers of the brothers and some of the nearby relations who had heard the exchange.

  “Thank goodness! I’ve been trying to think of what I could say to get rid of them completely. At last I’ll never have to deal with either again. They are the most racist, bigoted, and homophobic and sexually repressed evil pair I’ve ever had the misfortune to know. I have no idea why they have always insisted on coming to family functions even when I know how much they were disgusted with us all. You won’t believe the number of things I’ve said and tried to make them stay away. I’m ashamed they’re related to me. Come and meet my baby sister, Kate. Her you’ll like. I do, very much.”

  Bemused, Jake let the family lead him to another woman, another beauty. She gave him a wonderful smile as Eliza introduced them.

  “I think you will be a welcome addition to the family, Jake. I especially like how quick on the uptake you were. Mind you, I wish I’d been brave enough to go to a BDSM club in my younger days. I should think I’d enjoy being put on display.”

  “A woman as beautiful as you would certainly be a welcome addition, Kate.”

  “Ah, a flatterer, too. I think I’m too old now.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “Smooth tongued as well. I should have gotten Emily to take me years ago, but now I’m turning sixty in a few months. It’s too late to change.”

  “Actually, we have two couples in their late seventies who still come regularly as well as a number of members in their sixties. I’m fifty-three, and a lot of members are in the fifties. We have people joining at all ages. My best friend’s wife joined only last year, and she’s in her fifties.”

  “Oh, well maybe there’s hope for me yet,” she laughed. “By the way, I think you’d better release your girl.”

  Jake turned back and saw Emily was still on her knees. Her shoulders were shaking, and he panicked, thinking she was crying. Swiftly he went to her and pulled her to her feet only to discover she was laughing. She held onto him and stared into his face.

  “That. Was. Perfect!”

  Her brothers came over slapping him on the back and congratulating him as they introduced him to their partners. From then on it seemed he had gained another family. By the end of the day, he felt as if he’d known them all his life and really liked each one. Emily was sitting on his knee. Most of the guests had gone, and now only the immediate family was left.

  “So, when is the wedding, Sis?”

  “Oh. I have no idea.”

  “If I have my way it would be tomorrow. She’s agreed to marry me once we get the paperwork sorted. But I guess I should give my little bird a little longer to plan.”

  “Oh gee, thank you.”

  “Eliza said you’d collared Emily, Jake. I have no idea what that means, but she said it was important,” Mark’s wife, Mary, asked.

  “It’s very important, Mary. To those of us in the BDSM community it’s a lifelong commitment. It’s a huge responsibility because Emily has given her complete trust to me. It’s my duty to protect and nurture her. I must do everything in my power to make her happy and to cherish her.”

  “Oh, my goodness, it sounds more than a marriage contract.”

  “It’s a contract that only Emily can break. I would only uncollar her if it was her desire, otherwise we are together ‘til the end.”

  He felt Emily snuggled closer to him. “I won’t be changing my mind. He’s seen me at my lowest. He stood by me when I must have been the most frustrating person he’s ever met.”

  Jake kissed the top of her head.

  “She’s been that damn infuriating, but she wrapped me around her fingers that very first time we met. I just didn’t know it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Emily was really happy her family liked Jake. They’d left David’s home around seven but not before her mother had pulled her aside.

  “Emmy, I’m very happy for you. Jake is perfect. I know you will always be treated like a princess with him.”

  “I love him, Mama.”

  “I know you do, and it’s truly obvious he’s besotted with you. He wants us to come for lunch next Sunday, and we can all get to know each other.”

  “I heard. You will come, won’t you?”

  “Of course, Emmy. Don’t worry, we all like him very much.”

  On the drive over to Jake’s house he confessed, “Em, about my house. It’s kind of messy.”

  She laughed.

  “I think a lot of bachelors’ homes are.”

  “No. No, it’s not messy, messy. It’s unfinished, messy.”

  He launched into the tale of buying an old house ten years ago with the plan to renovate it. “It’s almost one hundred and fifty years old, but it’s a beautiful house. I’ve finished a few rooms like our bedroom and our bathroom. And the kitchen was done a few weeks back.”

  “Why did you wait this long?”

  “Because I was an idiot. I put work first. I did get the place structurally sound and repainted the outside when I first bought it, but work always seemed to be there. I would go away on jobs sometimes for over a year. Back and forth which meant I never had the time to work on her.”

  “Oh.” Emily was worried. “Does that mean you won’t be here all the time?”


  “No. Not anymore. I’ve handed things over to my team, something I should have done years ago.”

  “Your team? Does that mean the company’s yours?”

  “Yeah, I own Olympus Constructions.”

  “Olympus? Oh shit, oops, sorry. I know them. They built a place next door to where I was working up north, Jake. They’re huge!”

  He gave a shrug. “I know. Anyway, you’ll have me underfoot all the time.” He glanced at her then back to the road ahead. “Will you mind?”

  “Definitely not.” She was silent for a while. “We really do have a lot to learn about each other, don’t we?”

  “Yes, but it will be wonderful. As long as we love each other, Em, then the rest will fall into place.”

  They pulled into a long driveway lit by tiny solar lamps. It was hard to see anything in the darkness, but from the silhouette Emily could see it was huge.

  “Jake, this is like a mansion!”

  “Can’t see much at night, she’s big. I fell in love with her the first I saw her, and I hope you’ll love her like I do.”

  He drove down the side to where a large garage was attached toward the back of the house then waited as the doors opened.

  “Oh fuck! I forgot to ask. Do you like dogs?”

  “I love dogs. Why?”

  “I’ve got one. He’s an inside-outside dog.”

  “That’s great!”

  They drove in, and he got out then opened the door for her. Picking up her bag, Jake led her and opened a door with a large dog door and went inside.

  “This is the butler’s pantry, leads through to the kitchen.”

  As he came to the open doorway leading into it a huge dog bounded forward, put its paws on Jake’s shoulders, and licked the side of his head.

  “Linus! Get down, behave!”

  “Jake! That’s … that’s not a dog, that’s a horse!”

  The dog had dropped to his haunches immediately Jake spoke but now gave his attention to Emily. She was a little scared. Even sitting he appeared as tall if not taller than she was.