Desert of the Damned (14 page)

“No, we’ve been waiting. Decided to start without you. Would you like to join us?”

He nodded, while the man tied a few more knots, and connected chains. Dante studied the elaborate collection of chains, pulleys, rings and ropes hanging from the ceiling, walls and columns. Funny that he never noticed all this before. But then he hadn’t been in this particular room before. He didn’t know this side of Gwyllain. This would be interesting. “I guess. Does he have a name?”

“Zorian,” Gwyllain answered. “He’s a servant and a trainer. He doesn’t travel to the Earth plane yet like you do. He’s here to protect and please me as I request. My personal slave as you will be if you don’t complete your offering on time.”

“Ah. I see.” Dante smiled.
Not a job I care to have.
“Trainer?”

Zorian studied Dante with an intense gaze. “The Drones sometimes need assistance with their duties.”

Great. Another reason to stay in Gwyllain’s good graces.

Her legs spread as Zorian tugged on the ropes. Her clit ring glistened in the firelight burning in the sconces. He smelled sweet, spicy incense but it wasn’t the torch. On a marble table a thin coil of smoke rose from a censer. A large carafe of red wine and goblets were also on the table.

“Tighter,” she ordered.

The ropes creaked as the servant tugged the ropes and looped them several times around a cleat on the wall.

She closed her eyes and groaned, gyrating her hips. “Yes, that’s good.”

Finished with the shackles and ropes, the servant dropped his loincloth, revealing an engorged penis that curved upward, nearly touching his hard abs. He slipped a hand between her legs and stroked her pussy for a second or two, then withdrew his hand, teasing her. Gwyllain groaned. Her head lolled to the side and her mouth opened. “Dante, get naked and come here. Touch me.”

“No, she’s not ready to be touched,” the servant said firmly.

Dante removed his clothes anyway while he considered the situation. He had the chi he needed to give Gwyllain. Was this bozo going to hassle him? “Hey, this is your party but I have chi to give her. It can wait if she wishes, though time is short.”

“My servant is acting through my wishes. I don’t always have to be the dominant one, Dante. I can be very obedient and enjoy a good amount of pain and bondage.” Her body was quivering in her bonds. Was she in pain or anticipating pleasure?

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“Come here,” the servant demand. “I will show you. Hold this a moment and don’t touch the tip.” He handed Dante a long rod with a cone-shaped object and a metal loop at the end.

Gwyllain giggled as Zorian secured a silk blindfold over her eyes and tied it behind her head.

“Do you remember your signal words for me?” Zorian asked Gwyllain.

She smiled and nodded, rotating her hips again.

“Good. We’ll get started. I’ll take the boltstick.”

Dante tried to hand it to Zorian but Zorian held up his hand, making a sign not to say anything. He showed Dante how to turn it on and tiny blue sparks shot out of the metal loop, crackling with electricity.

Hearing that, Gwyllain sucked in a breath. “Oh yes, touch me with it, Master Zorian.”

“Was that a request?” Zorian asked in a scolding tone.

“My mistake, Master Zorian.”

“I’ll forgive you one mistake,” he said.

“Thank you, Master Zorian.”

Dante looked at Zorian as if to say, “You’ve got to be kidding.”

Zorian placed his hand over Dante’s and guided the boltstick loop over Gwyllain’s inner thigh. Her body jerked, then quivered. She moaned with pleasure. Letting go of Dante’s hand, Zorian crossed his arms and smiled, then cocked his head for him to continue on his own.

“Does that please you, Gwyllain?” Zorian asked.

“Oh yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, thank you, Master Zorian.”

Zorian smirked. “That was a second mistake. I think a punishment is in order.” He pointed to her nipples.

Dante brought the loop to her nipples. Blue-white sparks danced around the peak like tiny stars, bringing the tips to fine points. Gwyllain arched her back and twisted as if she ached for the other breast to have equal attention but didn’t dare ask. Dante then brought the electrified loop to the other nipple and that peak hardened to a point too.

“Yes, thank you, Master Zorian.” She moaned and rocked her hips a few moments more then cried out, “Oh, edge, edge.” She breathed heavily.

Zorian pulled the boltstick away from her nipples. “Very good, Gwyllain. I did not give you permission to have an orgasm yet.”

Dante had to bite his lower lip to keep from laughing. Damn, she was so turned-on by this freaking sex toy that she could come by teasing her nipples? Zorian guided 76

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Dante’s hand with the boltstick along her arms, her abdomen, her legs. When her breath slowed, he eased it up to her pussy. Gwyllain’s breath caught.

“Yes, thank you, Master Zorian.”

She cried out as the loop made contact with her swollen clit. Dante’s cock pulsed at the same time, as he imagined the sensations. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold off his own climax. Saying “edge” was not going to be a magic word for him. With his free hand, he took himself in hand and slowly stroked his cock.

“I think your Drone is getting turned-on, Gwyllain.”

“Yes, Master Zorian.” Gwyllain sounded pleased.

As Gwyllain cried “edge” again, Zorian took the boltstick out of Dante’s hand.

“Take her now,” Zorian ordered.

Dante nodded and almost said to himself,
Yes, thank you, Master Zorian.
He hooked Gwyllain’s legs around his hips as he thrust his hard and aching cock deep inside her.

“Edge,” Gwyllain screamed.

“You may come as you wish,” Zorian said.

“Yes, thank you, Master…” Gwyllain never finished. She climaxed and arched against her binds. Spreading his legs wide for balance, Dante thrust harder and his orgasm consumed him, pulsing and straining, draining him of chi. Gwyllain clung to him while he gripped the chains for several moments more while their heartbeats returned to normal.

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Chapter Nine

When Betty didn’t open her door, Amy and Jake went around to the back of the house. “She target-shoots back here,” Amy told him.

He blinked, the corners of his mouth twitched in a slight smile. “How old did you say she was?”

She shrugged. “Early sixties. She looks good for her age.”

“Oh boy, a Grandma Moses type. Should we give her a warning that we’re coming so she doesn’t shoot us?”

“No, it’s only a pellet gun. She saves the .357 for the target range.” She grinned as Jake rubbed his face with his hand and stared at her in shock.

“Is she any good?” He frowned, walking slower.

“She seems to think so. Even crocheted a holster for it.”

Jake burst out laughing. Amy didn’t think she’d ever heard him laugh like that and she liked the sound of it. And she liked the look of honest joy in his eyes.

“I think I like her already.” As they rounded the corner of Betty’s house, Jake froze.

The smile tightened to a fierce look of dread.

Amy scanned the backyard for her neighbor. Several yards past her fifty-yard bull’s-eye targets mounted up on a stand, Betty was crouched down on one knee.

She had her hand out toward a coyote who was sniffing her hand, its tongue licking the tips of her fingers.

“Betty!” Amy shouted but Jake hushed her by raising his hand. He didn’t run but swiftly walked out to her.

Calmly, he spoke to her as he got close. “Betty, slowly pull your hand away from the coyote and stand up.”

Betty didn’t move.

She frowned at Jake. “Who are you?”

“A friend of Amy’s. That coyote may seem friendly but he can bite and may have rabies. You can’t take a chance.”

“Oh, I doubt that. Rabid animals are usually vicious or behave strangely. He’s just tame. Must be use to people around the park.”

To all appearances the coyote was friendly but after Amy’s experience with the coyote up on the mountain earlier, she was worried.

Amy moved closer and noticed the coyote eyeing Jake, its eyes narrowing as if in warning as it continued to lick Betty’s hand.

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“Betty,” Amy whispered forcefully. “You should know better. He’s a wild animal and unpredictable.”

She pulled her hand away and rested it on her knee. “Oh, for heaven’s sake. You two are worrying for nothing.” She stood up. The coyote took a step back but continued to glare at Jake. The intelligence in his eyes made Amy’s skin crawl.

“He wasn’t going to bite me. He’s been here before and I will wash my hands.”

Betty folded her arms and glanced at the coyote. “Sorry, buddy. See you later.”

Jake approached the animal, Amy thought either to scare him or test to see how it would react.

The coyote trotted back several paces then stopped next to a saguaro cactus as if it would give it protection. “Go on, git,” Jake yelled, then ran toward the animal and stomped his feet.

The coyote ran a few more steps back then stopped and turned to stare at Jake.

“Crazy. It’s almost like he’s being defiant.”

“Could that be the same coyote that attacked us earlier? Look, his tail is short too.”

“Not likely,” Jake said. “It’s too far for him to travel in a short time.”

Betty strolled past Amy, heading toward her house, arms crossed, her shoulders taut. Amy followed.

“Attacked?” Betty asked, making a face. Obviously she didn’t believe it. “A coyote attacked you today?”

“Charged us. Jumped up on Jake like a big old dog would, then snatched my sandwich. We think he was after our lunch.”

“I doubt it’s the same one. Too far away.” Jake followed. “They often get their tails caught in fences or bitten in fights or shot, not unusual to see more than one like that.”

“I didn’t shoot it,” Betty said defensively. “He was hungry, is all,” Betty said, standing up for the animal. “This one’s come around here before.”

“How was Sienna today?” Amy asked, changing the subject.

“Oh, she’s a sweet thing.”

Amy spied the kitten’s box sitting on the picnic table and her heart tightened.

Didn’t Truly say that a coyote could go after kittens for prey if it was hungry?

“I fed her an hour ago, so she should be good for a while.” Betty reached into the box and the kitten hissed and snapped like a tiger cub. Betty yanked her hand away.

“Yeow. What’s got into her?”

“Don’t worry, Betty. Sienna can be a bit manic.”

Jake picked up the kitten and she purred and curled up into the crook of his elbow.

Amy glanced at Jake and shook her head in disbelief.

The look Jake gave her was unmistakably scorching, lustful and made Amy catch her breath.

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“Lupi will be here in less than an hour. I have just enough time to shower and change.”

“I’m a little worried about you going out with this guy after that hitchhiker,” Amy said.

Betty rolled her eyes. “I should never have told you that story. And he looked so young, like my grandson who’s thirteen.” She looked at Jake to explain. “How was I supposed to know he had a gun? He just wanted money.”

“Did you report it?” Jake asked.

Betty huffed. “This happened years ago and no, I didn’t report it because I didn’t want anyone thinking me a fool for picking up a hitchhiker. After that, I bought a .357

and started going to the range.”

Jake gleamed with a smile he was holding back.

“If you’re so worried, why don’t you come out to the Los Olas Café tonight and meet him, both of you.”

“I’m sure Jake has other plans tonight.”

“No, I don’t. Mexican sounds good to me.”

* * * * *

At the lab, Jake helped her carry the boxes of specimens into the specimen receiving area. On the way in she’d noticed Dante’s car was still in the parking lot.
Terrific. He
rarely works late.

The thought of facing him made her cringe. She wasn’t sure how he was handling her breaking up with him and she would rather not have a battle with him at work and in front of Jake. Considering Dante’s possessiveness, she expected he was not going to handle it well.

“I reckon we’ll want to clean up and change before going out.”

“So how did it go?” Dante asked from behind them.

Amy spun around. “Very well. Collected thirty-two specimens from various animals along three park trails.”

“You must be exhausted,” Dante said sympathetically.

“A little,” she said, not meeting his eyes.

“She did great,” Jake said, smiling with a professional manner. “We covered a lot of ground. I’d like to try another area in a few days when it’s convenient.”

Dante nodded. “We’ll have some results for you in a couple of days,” he said to Jake then turned toward Amy and cracked a wide grin. “Can I see you in my office?”

“Can’t it wait until tomorrow? I’m ready to head out and get something to eat. The evening shift will take care of these.” Amy pointed to the specimens. The sooner she got out of there the better. She had an idea what Dante had in mind by calling her into his office. Flashes of him yanking up her skirt, ripping off her panties and finger-fucking 80

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her came to mind but she was turned-on. She was embarrassed. And he had opened her blouse too, exposing her breasts. Anyone could’ve walked in. She could’ve lost her job, they both could’ve. Stupid.

Dante stood straighter and examined them both, first glancing at Jake then at Amy, then back at Jake as if he suspected something was going on that he didn’t like. Nothing was going on. She didn’t think, not yet anyway.

“This won’t take long.” Dante persisted.

Amy cursed to herself. After all his speeches about being a free spirit, not getting serious, dating other people—he even bragged about the other women after him—he had to pull the possessive crap tonight. But since he was also assigned to oversee this project, she couldn’t tell him good night and leave. “My cat’s in the car. Jake was kind enough to invite me to dinner. We have to clean up first.”