bargaining him back to life. “You
can take me to Brisbane’s for dinner tomorrow night. You love their grilled
salmon. I’ll order it, too, and you know how I hate salmon. Come on, George.
Wake up for me. Please. Please!”
The sound of sirens grew near, and I longed to tug the sheet
off the bed, drape it over his naked body, and grant him a sliver of dignity.
But I couldn’t stop giving him CPR...Couldn’t let go of the hope that he would
draw in a gasp of breath and come back to me.
Within seconds, our bedroom was choked with EMTs and police.
The chaos and their thunderous voices made me dizzy. Someone wrapped strong
arms around my waist and plucked me off George’s body, as others swarmed in
around him. A uniformed officer helped me into my robe, and as two somber faced
paramedics set up their equipment, I clutched my waist.
I watched as the EMT’s attached two rectangular white pads
to George’s chest. The room grew eerily quiet. One of the medical techs called
out a command to clear before volts of
electricity surged through Master’s body. George jerked, and his back arched
from the floor. He sagged back to the carpet with a sickening thud, only to be
partially levitated once again.
“Please, don’t hurt him,” my bleak cry of torment pierced
the silence.
“I’ve got her,” another officer announced as he stepped
through the doorway.
I felt the man’s gentle hand wrap around my elbow as he led
me out of the room and down the hall. He sat on the couch and pulled me next to
him, placing his warm hand over mine.
“They’ll do everything they can for him, Leagh .
Tell me what happened, sweetheart.”
Leagh ? Sweetheart? I frowned and, for the first time, looked
at the officer’s face. Staring back at me were familiar hazel eyes. James. The young man was a member and Dungeon
Monitor at Genesis. Until that moment, I’d forgotten he was on the police
force.
“Oh, James,” I choked. “Please tell me he’s going to be
okay. I’m scared.”
“They’ll do all they can, honey. I know you’re scared, but
hang in there. We can’t give up hope.” He wrapped me in his arms and strummed a
hand over my hair. His kindness was intended as reassurance, but being away
from George, confined to another room, had me crawling out of my skin.
Peeling out of James’ embrace, I bolted off the couch.
“What are you doing?” he asked, standing up and latching
onto my elbow once more.
“I have to get back in there. What if George wakes up and
I’m not there? He’ll be scared with so many strangers in our room. I need to be
there when they bring him back to life.”
James gripped my arm with firmness. Compassion swam in his
eyes. Holding me tight, he eased me back onto the couch with him.
“The EMTs are doing everything they can. Mika and Julianna
will be here in a minute. I phoned them when the call came in and I realized it
was George.” James’ words were measured in a firm but gentle tone. “I need you
to stay with me, so the medical team can do their job. Can you do that?”
“Yes, Sir,” I responded automatically. James was a switch,
which meant he was both a Dominant and a submissive. He fashioned as either a
Top or bottom, depending on the type of fulfillment he desired. I’d addressed
him as Sir, because George had insisted I view James as a Dominant.
A slight smile tugged his lips, and he nodded. “Good girl.
Now take a deep breath and tell me what happened.”
I broke down several times as I relived the horrific details
to James. He both soothed and coaxed answers from me as he jotted notes in a
small spiral notebook. He was a trusted friend and understood the dynamics of
my relationship with George. While it gave me a small sense of comfort, it was
still hard as hell to speak the words.
Moments later, Mika and Julianna rushed through the door,
worry lined their faces. Julianna raced to the