Read Online The Plume: The Second Anthology by Ella Ardent - Free Book Online Page A

Louise wanted to hear. “You
think he’s sexy?”
    “No, but being locked in the maids’ quarters
every night, with two or three dozen other women, that wouldn’t be
all bad.”
    “I see.” Louise turned away, rinsing off the
soap.
    Anna caught her shoulders from behind and
leaned close to whisper. “But probably they’ll kick me out,
especially since you’re not a member. I’m not so worried about
that, not now.” And she ran her hands down Louise’s arms, fondling
her with a mixture of power and tenderness that stole Louise’s
breath away.
    She glanced over her shoulder and met the
heat in Anna’s eyes. “I have coffee at my apartment.”
     
    * * *
     
    “You did what?” Rex must have heard
wrong.
    “I solved the problem,” Athena said,
uncontrite. They were in the office of the Plume just before nine
in the morning. Rex had arrived to do some paperwork and Athena was
just ending her night.
    Athena had kicked off her boots and was
drawing off her long gloves, tugging one fingertip at a time. Rex
glowered at her, certain he must have heard her incorrectly.
    She yawned, stretched, then reached for her
glass of champagne. “What do you think the Count really wants?”
    “You, but don’t change the subject. What exactly did you do?”
    Athena pouted. “We had an imposter. She said
you would never have approved her application so she snuck in,
pretending to be Tess. Amanda made a mistake, but don’t get on her
ass about it. She’s harder on herself than you’ll ever be, which is
saying something...”
    “The imposter!” Rex reminded his partner.
    “Oh, she really wanted to try to the Plume,
so I punished her for cheating her way in by sending her to the
Dungeon for two hours.” Athena shrugged and sipped her drink. “I
told them to put her on the cross.” She smiled. “I hear she liked
it.”
    “But she didn’t have a contract!” Rex roared,
seeing how startled Athena was that he’d raised his voice. “How
could you do that? She never signed an agreement to be captured or
enslaved or used for the sexual pleasure of another.”
    Athena studied him, then shrugged. “There was
a verbal agreement. She said it was what she wanted.” She smiled
again. “I made her beg me. She was quite cute about it.”
    Rex put his fists on the table and leaned
toward his partner, livid. His voice dropped low. “And how will you
prove it?”
    Athena paused in the act of taking a sip of
champagne, setting it aside and rolling her eyes. “We were in the
bar, Rex. There were literally hundreds of witnesses.”
    “Not a one of whom could appear in a court of
law to testify without compromising his or her privacy.” Rex paced
the width of the room. “They were masked, Athena. They are members
of a private club whose identities are protected as part of their
legal contract with the Plume. Only we know their real names.” He
pivoted to face her and spoke savagely. “Because that’s the way
they like it.”
    Athena considered this for a moment, then
finished her champagne. “I don’t see why it matters. She got what
she wanted. She doesn’t know who any of us are. It’s solved.”
    “She knows where we are.”
    “Whatever. The only threat there, I think, is
that she’ll try to sneak back for more.” Athena stood up and
stretched again, bending to grab her boots. “I need some sleep,
maybe a nice massage.” She cast a playful glance at Rex. “Oh, don’t
look so angry. It was my turn to deal with an intruder or
journalist. It’s done. Stop worrying.”
    “I will worry because it’s not done.”
    Athena zipped up her boots and headed for the
door. “You can’t know that...”
    Rex spoke sharply. “Did you ever think to ask
why I wouldn’t have approved any application she might have made to
the Plume?”
    Athena paused. She turned to consider him,
her expression wary. “You really know her? I thought she was
bluffing.”
    “I know her and I know she wants something
from me. Something I