Chapter 51

I kept my leg propped up until dinner. The swelling receded and I was able to bend it again. What I wouldn't give for an ice cold beer. Marguerite served dinner at six sharp. She seemed a little upset with Monroe and only spoke to him in clipped sentences when she had to.
Monroe acted as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. "Has Angel eaten her dinner?" he asks Marguerite before she can leave the room.
The older woman's eyes flash and I look between her and Monroe. "I took it to her, Se駉r, but she only nibbled."
Monroe slowly unfolds his napkin and places it in his lap before looking back at her. "Please keep a plate warm and I will take it up to her later and see that she eats."
"S?" With that, Marguerite marches from the room with her shoes striking the tiles a little heavier than normal.
Monroe rolls his eyes before turning his dark gaze to me. "She is angry that I punished Angel."
"Ya think?"
I receive another eye roll. "Yes, I think."
"Do you mind if I ask what Ang... your slave is being punished for?" I purposely change the word and emphasize "slave."
Monroe's hands tighten on his fork and knife and he cuts into his first bite before answering. He also doesn't look at me, which is telling. Monroe meets your eyes when he speaks. Hell, he controls you with that heavy gaze he's perfected through the years. "She is not happy that I will be leaving and showed her displeasure in an inappropriate way," he finally says.
I'm treading in deep water here but that doesn't keep me from asking. "Is she locked up?" My distaste is clear in my voice.
Monroe's knife clatters on the table. "No, I assure you, she is comfortable in my room."
This conversation isn't adding up. "Do you love her?" I ask suddenly because it's like a light went off in my brain.
His gaze meets mine instantly and he doesn't hesitate in answering. "Yes, I do. It has not been an easy relationship." He leans back in his chair and I see frustration in his expression. "Our relationship works for us and our bond just seemed to happen. This was not planned and she has special problems: night terrors and the very occasional panic attack. I have been worried about leaving her. But I cannot back out of the current situation overseas. I must go." I'm stunned, and before I can turn thought into words, Monroe throws out another bombshell. "I am thinking of retiring soon."
Okay, I need to carefully think about my answers because a wall of jealousy has suddenly blocked rational thought. I inhale and exhale slowly to calm myself. It's ridiculous that I even contemplate jealousy. "Then you're definitely in love," I say lightly when I'm in control again.
"I assure you, the shock is quite real to me too."
He's taking my expression and words as shock, which is better than the truth. "What exactly will watching over your slave entail?"
Monroe's eyes intensify and for some reason I don't think I'll like his answer. "Whatever you want it to."
Relief fills me. "Then you don't love her enough."
"We have shared the same woman before," he snaps. Monroe never loses his cool, but this conversation is shaking him up.
I don't back off. "You and I know this is different. You've never taken a slave before. Sure, you share a bond with your subs, but it always seems centered in the scenes and doesn't go much beyond that. Your subs never stay for more than a night or two."
"True," Monroe replies while seeming to consider his next words carefully. "Angel has needs and if I put restrictions on your interactions, neither of your needs will be met. I could be gone longer than usual, and that would be completely unfair to you both."
"Is this why she's being punished? Did you tell her I would be her master while you're away?"
Monroe's heavy sigh fills the room. "That is not why she is being punished. And yes, she does know you will be her master. If you agree."
I'm no longer a cop and helping him can't hurt my career, but what he's asking goes against my moral code. The problem is Monroe rarely asks anything of me besides helping in his art every now and then. "Christ, I can't believe I'm even considering it," I mutter because really how can I turn him down? He's given me so much.
"Meet her and then give me your answer."
Meet the woman he loves. I have no desire to see her at all. "And if my answer is no?"
"Then I will be forced to consider someone else. I am not leaving her alone and I am leaving. Now, is your knee up for a game of billiards before I go force food down my slave's throat?"
This conversation is at an end and so is dinner. "I think I can manage to soundly kick your ass even with my gimp leg, but maybe she needs to eat first."
Monroe grins for the first time this evening. "That is exactly why you are my first choice as her keeper." Monroe stands. "This time she can wait as part of the punishment."
***
The following day, Monroe is silent and introspective. I'm accustomed to his artistic moodiness before a show and I remain respectfully quiet. There is no sign of Angel, and I refuse to ask about her. I tossed and turned most of the night. I couldn't get the thought of Monroe being in love out of my head. It's stupid that I never considered something like this happening. It doesn't make my hidden feelings any easier to manage, though.
My knee has noticeably improved. Marguerite supplies more hot and cold compresses throughout the day, which keeps the swelling down. The tense pre-show atmosphere is something I've put up with many times and it doesn't bother me.
Before leaving for the club, I place a black elastic brace around my knee for added support. I walk into the den wearing my go-to black cotton pants and a black skin tight T-shirt. My brown hair is longer than my usual police cut, but it's still short enough to be out of my eyes.
Monroe wears his customary black jeans and a white dress shirt. His hair is short but unlike mine, it's well-groomed. He's placing bundles of rope in his large bag and our eyes lock when he finishes. "Stephens will drive you to the club. I will be there shortly. Cheri is a new bondage model I have been working with, and I will start the exhibition with her. Angel will be next and then Sara will do the last scene."
"Is her husband good with that?"
Monroe laughs, which is rare before a demonstration. "Do I look like a fool? Philip will be participating. They asked me about letting her work every so often. Her body is even more beautiful since having her last child. She asks about you often and she will be thrilled to see you."
"Is there some reason Angel isn't going last?"
"Yes, Damian is providing quiet rooms for the subs after each demonstration. I plan to use you in the scene with Angel, and then I would like you to handle her aftercare. Cheri has a Dom who will be available and Sara has her husband."
"You're setting this up with an ulterior motive."
"Yes," he agrees easily. "I will be answering questions and showing basic binding techniques afterwards. I would very much appreciate your help with Angel. She is... needy after a scene. I do not trust her with anyone else. Because of certain peculiarities, her eyes will be covered during the demonstration. You should not remove the blindfold until she begins responding to aftercare. I also think this will put you more in my corner when it comes to staying here with her."
"You know I would never refuse you a favor, right?"
Monroe exhales and I realize he's unsure of me. For a man who reads people as easily as Monroe, this is revealing. "Yes, Zach. I know," he says softly. "But I also want you doing this of your own free will and not out of your sense of loyalty."
I don't know what makes me answer as honestly as I do. "All those years ago, you told me I wasn't a sub. It didn't take long to figure out that I was." I give an abrupt laugh. "I'm dominant, but I respond to you just as the women do."
Monroe's eyes turn even darker. "Is this really a conversation you want to have now?"
We both know this conversation is way overdue. He's right, though. Now is not the time. "No, but I thought you needed to know that I'm no longer an officer and no longer need to hide this lifestyle from the department. I have no plans to wear a mask tonight."
His eyes spark with something I've seen before. He's always so careful but I would swear I see lust in his gaze. "I think you are ready to submit to my art, which is something I had not planned for this demonstration. I will keep your knee in mind tonight, but this is exactly what Angel needs. I am placing a great deal of trust in you and I cannot think of anyone I would rather give it to." His expression softens and I wonder what it would be like if he kissed me. "I will leave you so I may prepare."
Why am I even having these thoughts? I am not gay. Or at least I've told myself that too many times to count. Monroe weaves a spell over me the same way he does his submissives. I don't need to like it to know it's true. And right now, I don't want to fight the new feelings coming to the forefront. Time will tell.