When Souls Collide

And do what with her? His subconscious had decided to chime in, throwing a proverbial bucket of cold water over Marcus' raging hormones. You don't do relationships, remember? So you bring her home and then what? Play happy families? Keep her chained to your bed? Do you really think she's going to want someone as screwed up as you? The minute you show her your true self, she's not going to want to have anything to do with you.

Leave.

Stay.

What the hell was he going to do?

Marcus had lost track of time arguing with himself when Cooper and Jaz came striding down the hall. He didn't like the grim expressions on either man's face and wondered what they had found out. Jaz carried a tray with cups of takeout coffee and held up a bulging fast food bag waggling it invitingly.

"Hey man," Cooper said, helping Jaz distribute the drinks and food. "We figured you guys wouldn't mind some breakfast."

"Forget that," Marcus barked. "What did you find out? Do you have the asshole in custody?"

"Sit. Eat." Cooper pointed to a chair and handed Marcus a paper covered sandwich. "You'll want food in your stomach when we tell you what we found out."

"Just spill it, Coop. What do you know?"

Cooper sat down and sighed. "The guy's a real piece of work. Scumbag is too pretty a term for this asshole. Turns out, Gerald Moran has a sheet longer than my arm. Drunk & disorderly, a few DUI's and almost a dozen assaults and sexual harassment charges that stopped just shy of putting him on the sexual offenders list. He was arrested five years ago on a domestic abuse charge but the charges were mysteriously dropped. It looks like the wife, now ex-wife, dropped the assault charges in exchange for an uncontested divorce. That's speculation, but she filed for divorce as soon as the charges were dropped and coincidently, he didn't fight it. She walked away with eighty percent of their assets and an ironclad restraining order."

"Shit. So he lied to Tabby about having a wife and has a history of beating on women. Has he been picked up?" Marcus asked. "Tell me that this slimeball is in custody, Coop."

Cooper sighed and took a long swig of his coffee. "That's the bad news, we sent a patrol car by his place and he's gone. Landlady says he slipped the keys under her door with a note to dispose of his things as she sees fit. He's in the wind, Sarge. We've issued an APB for him and his car but so far, the asshole's gone to ground."

"How's Tabby?" Jaz asked as he passed Marcus a cup of coffee.

"She's rattled and exhausted. The doc's getting a scan of her head to rule out anything serious but doesn't think that there's anything to worry about."

As if on cue, Tabby's doctor appeared holding a file in his hands. "I'm looking for Petra Simmons." He scanned the faces looking anxiously at him.

Diego nudged Petra awake and she sat slowly up, groggy from her mini nap. "That's me. I'm Petra Simmons."

"Your friend Tabby has elected you to be her medical contact."

"She did?" Petra sounded surprised.

"Yes, she was adamant that we don't contact her family and nominated you in their place. Now I have the results of the exam and scans, we can go to my office to review them if you'd like."

Petra shook her head and clasped Diego's hand tightly for moral support. "No need, doctor. We can talk in front of these men; it will just save me having to repeat what you tell me anyway."

The doctor nodded and opened his file. "Okay, first things first, Tabitha is going to be fine, physically anyway. She's suffering from a mild concussion but other than bruising, didn't sustain anything more serious. The concussion will resolve itself naturally with rest, though the headaches may persist for a few weeks. She should follow up with her GP if they worsen or give her cause for concern." He looked down on his notes before continuing. "There was no evidence of sexual penetration, though we ran the rape kit any way just in case. The photos and samples will be turned over to the police for analysis. Other than that, we'd like to keep her in for 24 hours for observation but she's pretty determined to go home. Do you know if someone can stay with her if she does? She shouldn't be left alone for at least 48 hours."

Petra perked up, "She's staying with me so I can keep an eye on her. She's okay though?"

"Yes, Miss Simmons. Physically, she is fine but I am going to give her the number for a rape crisis line and a victim's support group. I strongly suggest you get her to talk to someone about what has happened. Even though she wasn't physically raped, she's going to need help getting over the mental trauma from the attack."

"I'll try," Petra said dubiously. "She's pretty stubborn when she wants to be." Petra stood and shook the doctor's hand.

Marcus wanted to jump up and tell them that Tabby was coming home with him, the urge to do so was almost overwhelming, but the rational part of his brain kicked in and helped keep his mouth shut. He knew crazy when he heard it and his friends would have thought he'd lost his mind if he'd volunteered - check that - insisted that she stay with him. The best thing for all involved, would be for him to drop them off at Petra's and then get his ass home.

This crazy attraction will disappear with distance and sleep, he tried to convince himself.

Fifteen minutes later, Tabby appeared being pushed in a wheel chair by an orderly. Petra rushed up to her and gave her a hug and then Marcus took the orderly's place, behind her chair.

She was sleepy and her pale skin made the swollen, purple bruise on her right cheek and eye look even more vivid. She had redressed into her own pajamas and was clutching a sheaf of papers and brochures in her lap. Marcus just wanted to grab her up and hold her tight. She looked so fragile that he thought that she'd just blow away if the wind kicked up. He passed his keys to Diego again and they left the hospital. At Marcus's SUV, he helped Tabby into the back seat and got in beside her. Petra climbed up into the front this time and they set off home.

Tabby was beyond tired. Her body felt dull with the kind of exhaustion that went straight down into every cell and made her feel thin and transparent; so insubstantial that she thought she could feel her body disintegrating and pieces blowing away like dust. The Tylenol the nurse had given her had barely taken the edge off her pounding headache and the way her stomach was churning, she wondered if insisting on being discharged wasn't the brightest idea she'd ever had. She couldn't wait to get home and crash but she dreaded the ride there with her stomach so unsettled. On their way out, a nurse took one look at and rushed to give her a disposable container with a kind smile and pat on her shoulder.

"Just in case, dear. You're looking a little green around the gills," the observant nurse had said.

Marcus was being so kind and attentive, making sure she was comfortable and guiding her to lie down on his lap. Closing her eyes felt immensely better, it was bright out now that the sun was up and it really hurt her head. Between the rocking motion of the truck and Marcus's hand gently stroking her hair, Tabby was helpless to fight the fatigue any longer. His reassuring touch made her feel safe and protected and she relaxed against him completely, not wanting to question her reaction at that time. It felt good and Tabby let herself selfishly enjoy the comfort he was offering.

She'd think later, when her head wasn't trying to implode and her emotions were better under control. She tried to stay awake, forcing her eyes open and squinting against the sting but someone had weighted her eyelids with sandbags and each blink got harder and slower until sleep finally shut them for good.

By the time Diego pulled up in front of Petra's condo building, Tabby was sound asleep. Every so often, she would start to quiver, making soft whimpering sounds that tugged at Marcus' heart as if it was chained to an angry bull. When he discovered that he could soothe her back into restful sleep by just touching her cheek, his battered heart, which he had believed was jaded beyond repair, cracked wide open and threw out a welcome mat for the fragile young woman sleeping on his lap. When he carried her up to Petra's apartment, she murmured in her sleep, threw her arms around his neck and snuggled up with her head on his shoulder. The small, warm puffs of her breath tickling his neck and sending jolts of electricity pulsing into his cock.

Once again, Marcus found himself torn between running away and running away with Tabby in his arms. How the hell was he going to get this woman out of his system? No matter what his libido was screaming at him, he knew that wanting Tabby was wrong.

Wrong time. Wrong place. Wrong person.

Petra watched the struggle play out on Marcus's face. She'd known the Dom for several months now, long enough to sense the internal battle he was waging. She felt for the guy, she really did. Diego had told her a little about Marcus' history and how an ex-fiancé had jilted him by being caught sleeping with a groomsman on their wedding day. It came out later that she'd been carrying on the affair, behind his back for months and was only marrying him to get her hands on his money. Marcus had been crushed by the betrayal and refused to allow another woman close to him after that. He still played at the club, driving willing submissives out of their minds with pleasure and then moving on; never forming any attachments and never inviting any of his casual partners home. He was a kind, generous lover but his interest lasted only as long as his erection.

There were a lot of hearts pining for the elusive Master, but he remained distant and unapproachable.

Until Tabby.

Cracks in his armour had formed the minute he had laid eyes on her and Petra could see them widening with the conflict and confusion that the unexpected emotions were causing. She worried for the Dom and she worried for her friend.

Marcus placed Tabby on the bed, pulled up the covers and just stood there staring at her in bewilderment. Petra eased up behind him and embraced him. "You have to let her come to you, Master. That's the only way this might work."

Marcus looked down at Petra, meeting her bright eyes and seeing the truth. "I don't know if I can." He sighed, Tabby had started fretting in her sleep again and he instinctively reached out a hand and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. Tabby immediately calmed, a small smile appearing briefly on her lips before she sunk back down into deep sleep.

"I know leaving is the right thing to do, Petra. I just can't seem to make my feet obey. What if she needs me and I'm not here." He turned and paced a few steps before running his hand through his tousled hair and giving Petra a pleading look. "What do I do? Shit, I don't know what to do here. Why does the right thing feel so fucking wrong?"

"You're not leaving her for good, Master. But she needs time to heal, emotionally and physically. All I'm asking for is that you give her the space to do it, that way, when she comes to you - and I have no doubt that she will - it will be real and her choice. Right now, she is hurt and vulnerable. Her defences have taken a beating and she's going to be looking for a safe place." Petra led him out of the room, closing the door quietly behind them. "Trust me, Master. I've known Tabby for long enough to know that when she feels weak, she hides her feelings deep, deep down. She'll cling to you because you offer strength but in the end, she'll resent you for it. She needs to find her own way back and she will, that much I'm sure of. I saw how she looked at you, Master. What you are feeling...well, I'd bet a whipping that she's feeling it too." Petra gave him a sunny, albeit tired, smile and patted his arm.

Diego chose that moment to appear from the kitchen holding a cold beer. He offered it to Marcus who took it gratefully. "You have a smart little subbie there, Digs." He twisted off the cap and took a long pull on the beer. Then pulled Petra close and kissed the top of her curly mop of hair. "Thank you, Petra. If you or Tabby needs anything, anything at all, text me and I'll be here okay?"

Petra took his empty bottle and went over to her partner, getting a proud hug from the big man. "Will do, Master. Go get some sleep and don't worry about Tabby. She'll bounce back faster than you'd think, just give her time." She gave Marcus a wink and locked the door behind him when he left.

"Okay, pet, spill. What the hell did you say to him? He looks calmer than he has all night." Diego picked her up, giggling in his arms and kissed her soundly. He'd missed having his hands on his girl and couldn't wait to get her into the shower and spend some quality time with her.

"You've seen how strange Marcus was acting, right?" Petra stretched up so that she could nip Diego's earlobe playfully.

"Uh, yeah," he murmured, letting the shiver of arousal warm his belly.

"I think he's got the hots for Tabby." Diego wasn't expecting that bomb and almost dropped Petra.

"Excuse me?" he said, dumbfounded.

Petra huffed in amusement. "Men! You guys are blind, well except Cooper. I think he picked up on the vibes shooting back and forth between Tabby and Marcus all night. He likes her, Master. I mean, he really likes her, except he's too fucked up to see it right now. And she's too fucked up to deal with it." Diego took her into the master bathroom and stripped off her clothes, taking a moment to admire the sensual curves of her body. Petra saw the hungry look sparking like a string of firecrackers in her lover's eyes and felt a pool of moisture form between her legs. She closed the short distance between them, raised herself up on her tip toes and waited until his gaze locked with hers. "I told him to wait her out. Now," Petra looked down to where a very obvious bulge had developed at the front of Diego's pants. "are you just pointing that thing at me for fun or..."

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. Diego scooped her up and dropped her onto the counter, spreading her legs wide as he did. In blink, he tore his shirt up over his head and yanked his pants off, kicking them into the corner. His erection sprung free, bobbing at his hip and twitching like a dousing rod, guiding him to Petra's soaking wet pussy.

"I can't wait," he groaned, checking her readiness with two fingers inserted into her dripping pussy. "I've been dying to be inside you all night, pet. I need to be inside you now. I can't wait any longer."

Petra leaned back and opened her thighs for him, his eyes instantly dropped to her glistening sex and his cock gave a hard throb that nearly dropped him to his knees. He lunged for her, burying himself deep in one powerful thrust that joined them hip to hip in a split second. Petra gasped and then moaned and shivered as her body accepted Diego fullness into its loving embrace. The overwhelming rush of sensation made Diego's eyes fluttered shut as desire raced like wildfire through his body.

After hearing what Tabitha had endured and seeing the aftermath, he needed this connection with the woman he loved to reassure himself that she was still safe and still his. "I love you, pet," he groaned. He was thrusting into her hard and she wrapped her legs around him, drawing him close to her.

"I love you too, Master." She sighed and pushed up to meet his strokes, all traces of exhaustion burned away by the arousal fuelling her body. She needed this as much as he did. Fear and horror had taken its toll on her and despite her bravado, Petra had been badly shaken by Tabby's attack. This reaffirming connection, the strength of her Master and the protection he freely gave her, this is what she needed to be able to find peace again.

His thrusts were getting wilder, pushing her up the counter's surface, sliding her on a film of sweat and her own juices. Petra could feel the orgasm coiling in her belly, tightening all her muscles like a bomb waiting to go off.

Diego was starting to come apart, leaning over her and wrapping his arms around her back and lifting her onto his cock as he powered into her in desperate plunges. His hand dropped to where they were joined and found her aching clit with his thumb; primed and ready to go, Petra bit down on a scream as the orgasm erupted and she convulsed around Diego's shaft. He grunted and pulled her hips in tight, hammering his throbbing cock into her and flooding her with his sticky seed before he collapsed onto his elbows, unable to support his weight any longer.

They stayed like that for several minutes, breathing hard and inseparable. Petra could feel the tremors wracking Diego as his body downshifted from the intense orgasm and his muscles slowly unlocked letting him go limp against her body. She held him in her arms, kissing his neck and licking the salty beads of sweat until she found his lips and he claimed her mouth in a soul deep kiss that stole her breath.

"Let's get you in to the shower and then into bed, okay beautiful?"

"Hmmm," she murmured, writhing with languid sensuality beneath him, she felt him stir inside her and gave him a coy grin. "You sure about that, Master?"

He growled and nipped her bottom lip, then picked her up and stepped into the shower enclosure. He managed to get the water turned on before pressing Petra against the cold tile with a yelp and proceeded to show her what he really wanted from her. Petra clung to him like a limpet as he drove into her, eager to claim his woman again.

Petra thanked god for the endless supply of hot water as she stood under the spray and allowed Diego to wash her hair. She loved the care he showed her after their love making, he touched her so tenderly that it was as if he wanted to apologize for leaving her sore. She didn't mind at all, she secretly revelled in the ache between her legs after he'd used her, loving that she could provide something so vital for her Master. That he could go from feral to so gentle afterwards always amazed her. She wondered how many people realised the soft hearts these big imposing men hid inside their intimating exteriors.

They finished their shower, dried off and stumbled to Petra's bed, both so exhausted that they fell asleep moments after spooning together, naked, under the covers. When Petra opened her eyes next, the room was in darkness. She glanced at her phone and saw that it was 9:30 pm. They had slept the day away. She felt unsettled and not ready to be awake, yet something niggled at her. What had woken her up? Her ears picked up a sound and she waited for it to come again.

A whimper came into her room from the hall and she extricated herself from Diego's heavy arms, grabbed her robe from the chair and dashed down the hall to Tabby's room.

She entered the spare room to find Tabby thrashing on the bed, tangled up in her sheets and crying out in fear. She was fighting an invisible attacker off in her sleep and Petra was afraid that she was going to hurt herself in the process. She ran up to the bed and helped untwist the sheet that Tabby was wrapped up in.

"Shhh, you're okay, Tabs. No one is hurting you," Petra cooed trying to wake Tabby from her nightmare.

Tabby bucked on the bed, nearly tossing Petra off and scrambled against the headboard, her eyes wide with sightless panic, still caught in the grips of her vision. "Don't touch me, you bastard," she cried out, beating away Petra's hands.

"Tabby!" Petra called, louder now. She climbed onto the bed, dodged Tabby's flailing arms and grabbed her shoulders, giving her a gentle shake. "Wake up, Tabs. C'mon baby. You're having a nightmare."

Tabby must have heard her voice because her struggles slowed then ceased altogether and Tabby sagged with a pained whimper. Her terrified expression morphed into a confused, lost look as her awareness grew strong enough to break the hold of her nightmare. "Petra?" She blinked her eyes, trying to get them to focus on the shadow of her friend, the shade of Jerry quickly dissolving into the dim light.