Love in the Land of Fire, Brochu, Rebecca [best free novels .txt] 📗

and for the first time he notices the blemish, the swirl of damaged silver that marks her as Disavowed.

She’d been Bonded once, had vowed her loyalty and her life to a single dominant only to be rejected and thrown away sometime afterwards, the dominant’s family sigil forcefully removed from her collar. To undergo such a thing was to be Disavowed, to be marked as unworthy or useless. Josiah knew that she would be unlikely to enter into another contract or to ever Bond again. There were few who were willing to take a chance on a submissive that had already been turned loose after being Bonded.

Feeling his already flagging desire fully deflate, Josiah presses down firmly on the center of his oricula and listens as the voice of the Lead Enforcer of his unit, a man named Eagan, comes across the communication line he’s just opened.

“Marx, I was wondering if you were going to answer me or not.” Eagan’s voice is amused and Josiah knows that the other man isn’t actually bothered by his delay in answering his comm request.

Eagan’s a lighthearted individual with a temper to match his fiery mane and larger build. He’s also been happily Bonded for over twenty years to a serene blond from The Land of Water and is one of the kindest and most intelligent enforcers Josiah has ever met. It’s no wonder he’d made L.E. at the tender age of thirty-five.

“I was…indisposed, Eagan. I thought I put in for leave today?” His voice is sharp and he makes an effort to soften it when he catches the submissive flinch slightly out of the corner of his eye.

“Damn I’m sorry about that, Marx, but I just got sent a p.a.t.c.h about a case that I think you’re the best one to handle. I wouldn’t have interrupted you if I had anyone else that I think would be suited for this kind of thing.”

Josiah pinches the bridge of his nose with his opposite hand, clenches his eyes shut and breathes out a low hissing sigh. If Eagan thought he was the only one for the job then it was either one of two things; first, something that required his particular skill set from the Crimson Elite, or second, it was something that would be best handled by someone with Josiah’s particular feelings when it came to the care and treatment of submissives.

Neither option promises a particularly pleasant assignment.

“Is this a Crimson Elite thing or more of a morals issue?”

“Ah, I would say that it might be a little bit of both to be honest with you.”

“Fine. Give me a minute to get back to my transport and then you can p.a.t.c.h me the file.”

“Thanks, Marx. I’ll make sure you’re put in for time and a half for this one since it’s interrupting your leave.

Eagan out.”

Josiah gets to his feet slowly, still aware of the submissive in the corner, and redresses with quick and efficient movements. When he’s done he approaches the woman carefully, fully aware of the dangers of cornering anyone, even a submissive, and crouches down to make himself less intimidating.

“It’s alright, sweet; I’m not going to hurt you.” Josiah’s careful to keep his voice gentle and coaxing but she sits still and silent and after a few moments he sighs deeply once more, rises to his full height and heads for the door.

“I’ve got to go, but you can keep the credits and the time that I paid for. Take the rest of the night for yourself as well. Rest, eat, sleep, do whatever you need to do in order to regain some strength and peace. If your madam has any issues with what I’ve told you to do have her comm me and I’ll set the situation straight.”

He’s almost gone, the door sliding open in front of him and one foot over the threshold when her voice stops him cold.

“Why would you do that? Why would you be so kind to someone like me even when you didn’t get what you paid for?”

He takes a moment to consider and then answers her with something as close to the truth as he’s willing to get at the moment.

“Let’s just say that I knew someone in your position once and I know how hard it is. A good meal and an undisturbed night’s rest is less than you deserve but it’s all that I have the power to give you.”

Josiah resumes his movements and the door slides closed behind him, the submissive’s soft sobs ringing in his ears.

Chapter Two

Josiah moves swiftly through the wide-open corridors of The Crimson Lotus, stopping on the way out to have a quiet word with the handler at the front desk in an effort to make things easier for the submissive he’s left behind. It only takes a few moments to convey his wishes before he leaves and he knows from the way that the handler’s eyes take in his tier gems and the feather that marks him as Crimson Elite that he will be obeyed.

There are not many who are willing to defy direct orders from an individual of his tier and skill set and that fact is something that Josiah uses shamelessly in this situation.

He moves seamlessly through the bustling street outside the pleasure house, gaze as watchful as always and his stride eating up the sidewalk as he moves to the charging station where he’d stored his transport. He enters his pass code to release the locks that keep his sleek black model grounded and is inside in a quick series of fluid movements and queuing up the startup sequence in seconds.

Once he’s settled Josiah takes a moment to prepare, to roll his shoulders and stretch his neck in an effort get into the correct frame of mind for the task ahead. He stops after a few seconds and reaches down to activate his