Sierra Rodriguez nudged her friend as they waited at the security gate was set up around the backstage entrance of their favorite local bar, Club 27. The club had reopened recently and now featured live bands on the weekends. She'd been a frequent customer ever since her ex-boyfriend introduced her to the wild and crazy hangout.

"He'll be coming out soon," she said, referring to her latest heartthrob. "I just know it."

Laci Palmer rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You spend way too much time here."

Sierra shrugged. "Well, I have to do something."

"Usually 'something' means you take off for weeks at a time without telling anyone."

This time Sierra rolled her eyes. She kept her retort to herself and looked back at the door. She knew her friend was jealous of her inheritance, which enabled her to do anything and everything she wanted. Sierra's parents had been the kind to covet the money they earned. They had lived modestly by choice on her father's salary as a senior partner at Rodriguez, Taylor and Associates. Her mother had been a doctor and all her earnings went into investments.

But her mother hadn't lived long enough to enjoy any of it. She'd been killed by a drunk driver when Sierra was very young. Roberto Rodriguez had sued for millions, and actually collected most of it, as the driver was himself a wealthy banker.

Sierra hadn't known the final settlement amount at the time but she sure knew now. When her father died from a heart attack a few years ago, when she was nineteen, he left everything to her. Her trust fund alone could sustain her for life. She could do as she pleased and not worry about a thing. Ever.

Sierra had long dark hair that came to the curve of her ass. Her father had been Latino and her mother had been the all-around perfect American woman. Sierra was blessed with naturally tanned skin from her father, dark blue eyes with long lashes from her mother, and a perfect figure from the both of them. She was tall and lean with just the right amount of curves. Her only regret was that she didn't have the "J. Lo" ass she wanted, but she wasn't complaining too hard.

Many men had tried to take hold of her but Sierra wouldn't let them. She was only twenty-three. She had many years to go before she even thought about settling down. She learned from her parents' deaths that life was too short not to take chances--which was exactly why she often took off from her hometown of Madison, Wisconsin to follow a whim or the occasional rock star who took her fancy.

She glanced back at her friend and smiled as she studied her. Laci was the exact opposite. Short and blond with a few extra pounds here and there. She had striking green eyes that shot off sparks if anyone dared to piss her off. Sierra herself didn't want to get into a catfight with Laci and she loved her for that. Laci had a presence that on occasion upstaged Sierra. In fact, right now Laci's boyfriend was a man Sierra had wanted for her own, but Derek Lockhart preferred Laci's tell-it-like-it-is attitude over Sierra's fluff, which was perfectly fine with her. At least one of them had him.

Laci smiled back. "You're too much, you know that?"

Sierra nodded. "Why do you think nobody can handle me?"

"You just haven't met the right person." She paused. "Yet."

Sierra laughed. "Laci, I don't want to meet that right person--at least, not right now. I just want to have fun."

"That's fine, but why does it have to be here? This used to be an underground bondage hangout. Guys who sold women sat in the very same seats we use when we're in there," Laci pointed out.

"Oh, I know. It probably still happens. We just don't see it."

Laci shook her head. "And you're okay with that? We're talking about women just like us being abducted and sold to strangers for sex. And ... crazy rituals."

Sierra laughed. "Oh, Lace. You're too funny. Those women probably wanted it. That's why they were in a bondage club in the first place. They probably got off on it. Besides, have you heard of any women being kidnapped?"

"Well, no."

"Then lighten up. Abductions are not high on anyone's to-do list around here. I'm sure of that."

Laci shook her head and frowned. "Sierra, I just worry about you."

"I know, but you know me. I'm all about the fun."

She sighed. "Okay. Promise me that if you take off again, you'll at least call."

"Laci..."

"Sierra, I'm serious. Humor me for once, okay? This club gives me the creeps."

Sierra grinned knowingly. "Why? Because you secretly want to be kidnapped?"

Laci laughed. "Yeah, right." She grinned. "Unless it was Derek doing the kidnapping."

Sierra gasped. "Oh, no way! You're into it, aren't you? I mean, bondage and shit?"

Laci blushed a bright shade of red. "No."

"Liar! Oh, my gawd! What do you guys do?"

The short blonde blushed deeper. "Nothing," she peeped.

Sierra laughed. "Oh, Lace. I never knew."

"Shut up!"

Sierra shook her head. "No way. Come on, tell me! Does he tie you up? I can't believe this! I mean, I always thought he was too much of a wuss to do something like that."

Laci smacked her lightly on the shoulder. "Hey! He's not a wuss, and anyway, don't knock it until you try it."

"Yeah. That'll happen. I'll never let a man have that much control over me," she declared proudly. She looked at Laci who suddenly gasped. She stared past Sierra with a shocked expression on her face. "What?"

Laci nodded slightly to her left.

With a sense of dread, Sierra slowly turned her head to her right, and came face to face with the reason they were waiting outside the back doors. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared into the sky blue eyes of her latest crush. It was him. Gabriel Locke. The lead singer of Warranty Unlimited.

She found herself speechless for the first time in her life. It was something in his eyes, something she couldn't identify. She stared into them, searching for whatever it was.

He smiled at her, the corner of his eyes crinkling in a way she found sexy. "Hello," he said. "Waiting for me?"

Sierra stood perfectly still for several moments, trapped within herself by his gaze. She finally snapped out of it when Laci nudged her discreetly. She flashed him a megawatt smile as she regained her composure. She silently cursed herself for letting her emotions get the best of her.

"No, actually, we're waiting for your drummer," she lied, hoping she didn't come across as overeager.

His smile broadened and Sierra felt like she could drown in his gorgeous eyes. He took a step toward her. "You'll be waiting awhile. He's already got groupies."

She forced herself to remain calm which was nearly impossible with him so close to her. She'd only seen him from a distance before, watching him while he belted out his songs. She'd fallen in lust with him almost immediately. Tossing her dark hair off her shoulder, she asked brazenly, "And you don't?"

He took another step towards her. "Who do you think I'm looking at?"

Once again, she was speechless. She opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out. She stared at him, unable to connect one coherent thought with another.

"The band is staying at The Plaza. I'll leave a key at the front desk for you. Just ask for the key for 'Gorgeous'," he murmured, his deep voice resonating through her entire being. He winked then walked over to where a white limo waited. He climbed in back and a second later the car pulled out of the parking lot.

The two young women stood in complete silence for several minutes. Sierra finally turned to look at her friend. "Oh, my shit! Do you believe that just happened?" she breathed out, excitedly.

Laci shook her head. "Sierra, don't tell me you're honestly thinking of going over there."

"Of course I am! He's a hottie!"

"You heard him. You're nothing but a groupie to him. Someone to just use and toss away. He probably has someone else waiting for him back at the hotel," Laci said, trying to dissuade her.

Sierra knew her friend would never approve of her hooking up with the rock star, so she pretended to think for a moment before she finally nodded. "You're right, Lace," she conceded, knowing it was what her friend wanted to hear. She sighed in what she hoped was a depressing tone. "It sucks, but when you're right ... you're right."

Laci nodded. "Sorry, Sierra. You should know by now that guys like him only use and abuse. Remember that last creep you followed to California?"

She laughed. "You mean the one who was snacking on his band mate? Who would've thunk?"

Laci chuckled. "No, you knucklehead. Kris something or other, from that other band. Creepshow, I think."

"Oh, him. He was the knucklehead. He didn't know what he was missing," Sierra declared.

"Obviously. Anyway, at least you got a chance to meet Gabriel in the flesh. So let's go home now. I have to get to work early in the morning."

Sierra followed her friend back around the building to where their car was parked in the front lot. It was a good thing she had driven because now all she had to do was drop Laci off at home and head over to The Plaza. She just knew Gabriel would be waiting for her.

Gabriel Locke rolled his neck to get the kinks out as he strolled down the hall toward his suite. He'd fallen asleep on the short ride back to the hotel. He smiled as he remembered why he was so exhausted. Staying up all night with his band mates wasn't good for performances, but the reason they'd been up all night was worth the occasional lackluster performance.

He smoothed his shoulder length brown hair away from his face as if brushing away the familiar tingle of wanting. It wasn't a matter of not getting what he wanted. He could do that easily enough. It was the fact that what he wanted simply wasn't with him at that particular moment, but he knew it was just a matter of time until it would be.

Gabriel had grown up an only child in the small town of Big Springs, Ohio. He'd known from early on his parents hadn't wanted him. As long as he could remember, his father would beat him. His mother didn't care, or at least did nothing to stop it, but it did stop eventually one night when Gabriel was fourteen. He'd stood up to his father and told him not to lay another hand on him. Of course, his father didn't listen and ended up in the hospital. Gabriel was taken to jail, but as soon as he told his side of the story his parents were hauled off for child abuse. He'd spent the next four years in a foster home in Dayton where he met Jason, with whom he became fast friends.

Once they were eighteen, they left the foster home and started their own lives. Gabriel had always wanted to be a singer and soon formed the band that eventually became Warranty Unlimited. They traveled around the Midwest playing gigs in bars, hoping for that one big break. He knew they were good, and it was only a matter of time for a big record label to discover a band that was making so much noise in the Midwest.

That big break still eluded him but the perks were amazing nonetheless. Women threw themselves at him--or at least articles of clothing. He had an amazing collection of bras and panties. By no means did he figure himself to be sexy. He stood only five foot eleven, not short, but certainly not tall either, and had a slender, not overly muscular frame. He could hold his own if he ever got into a fight.

Gabriel slid his key card into the slot and opened the door. He shut the door and turned only to come face to face with the barrel of a .45 pointed directly between his eyes. He stopped dead in his tracks and raised his arms.

"Easy, Jason, it's just me," he said.

The gun was lowered and his good buddy, Jason, grinned at him. "Sorry, Gabe. Thought it might be one of your groupies," he commented as he stuffed the gun in the waistband of his jeans.

"You should know me by now. I only have one at a time."

Jason nodded. "Which is why you called me here. To get rid of this one?" He jerked his head toward the other room.

Gabriel smiled. "You know it. Think you can do it?"

"Now, what do you think?" quipped Jason as they strolled into the main room of the suite.

They stood at the doorway and gazed on the woman in the middle of the room. Her arms were bound with white rope at her elbows, forearms and wrists and pointed almost straight up in the air as another rope attached to her wrists drew them toward the ceiling. The severe strappado forced her to bend at the waist, sending her long auburn locks cascading toward the floor, and allowing gravity to emphasize her already large bosom.

A spreader bar ensured her legs would be kept wide apart as she half-dangled precariously, with only the balls of her ankle boot-clad feet in contact with the floor. A huge ball-gag was strapped in her mouth with several layers of tape sealing it deep within to ensure her complete silence--not that she could be heard with the TV blaring.

She still wore all her clothing, although it was now rumpled and disheveled. Her peach tank top, which barely contained her breasts to begin with, was stained with sweat as she struggled for each breath, and her white leather miniskirt had crept even further than normal up her thighs, permitting easy viewing of her soaked pink satin panties.

Jason shook his head. "Nicely done, Gabe. I guess the lessons I gave you paid off."

"And the women I find for you are exceptional, are they not?" Gabriel turned casually from the spectacle of female suffering and went over to the fridge to get a bottle of beer. He opened it and walked back to the woman. He took a long swig before dribbling some of the cold alcohol on the intricate tattoo gracing the woman's exposed lower back. She squealed as he leaned down and licked it off.

"They always are," Jason conceded. "What's her name?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Lisa ... Liza ... Hell if I remember. I just call her groupie."

The woman moaned when Gabriel licked her again, but wiggled her ass and whined when he moved away from her.

Jason stepped forward to examine her. He ran his hands over her body, pinching and squeezing every so often. When his fingers probed the moist folds of her cunt beneath her panties, he chuckled at the deep, hungry moans his touch elicited from her.

"Very nice," he remarked. "She responds well to the strenuous bondage. I think I'll catch a hefty sum for her at the auction."

"I guess she actually digs it," Gabriel sighed.

Jason arched an eyebrow and regarded his friend. "And that's a problem? Probably likes being the center of attention, too. Don't ya, bitch?"

The woman groaned and shifted her position as if she was trying to find the hands again, that might grant her some pleasure.

Gabriel sighed and smacked her ass. "It's ... tiresome. I mean ... the women. They're all the same. Just because I'm a singer in a band they bend over backward to please me. Or forward," he laughed, eyeing the doubled over girl. Serious again, he continued, "Don't get me wrong, man. I know it's been very lucrative for both of us, but...."

Jason smiled knowingly and nodded. "You want a challenge."

"No. Well, yeah. Maybe. I don't know."

"You're not dropping out of our partnership, are you?"

Gabriel shook his head. "No. Hell, no! I'll still find you the occasional girl, but..." his voice trailed off again and he shrugged.

"She must be quite the bitch," Jason commented.

"What? Who? I never said--"

"You don't have to, my friend. It's written all over your face. Believe me. I've been there. Preston has, too. Hell, he has two girls. Which, don't tell Cathy this, but wow! Preston has all the luck. A spunky redhead who now helps him with the training plus that blonde, Sharae."

"Don't tell Cathy that you're drooling over a fellow slaver's girls? Please. I don't want to come under her wrath. Anyway, Cathy's a babe herself. That long dark hair and those chocolate eyes..."

Jason scowled at him. "Keep your eyes off my girl."

Gabriel returned his glare with one of his own. "Don't you think Preston would say the same?"

The two men stared at each other for a minute before they both chuckled and relaxed. "To be honest, if anyone ever looked at Angel and Sharae the wrong way Preston would make minced meat out of them."

Gabriel laughed. "I'm glad I'm not a slaver."

"But in a way you are. Kind of a contractor. Now, just be quiet. Everything's cool. Nobody knows I have you on my payroll." Jason laughed, but Gabriel knew the threat underlying his words.

Gabriel grinned and gazed into space. "She's a babe, Jason. Tall, lean--but not too lean. Curvy," he sighed. "And I heard the last part of the conversation she was having with her friend. Something about not letting a guy have control over her, then she mouthed off, tried to be cute, right to my face. It kind of ticked me off, but, god, was she hot. Being under a guy's control is exactly what a girl like that needs."

"Yes, insolence needs to be addressed," Jason agreed. He resumed running his hands over the bound woman's body. "Oh, I'm pretty sure I can find a home for this one. Or I can just sell her at Justin's auction. He's become quite famous for his clearance sales."

Gabriel threw his head back and laughed. "I really don't need to know anymore about that. Just pack her up. Hopefully 'Gorgeous' is on her way here. That is, if she knows what's good for her."

Meanwhile, the helpless girl began struggling again, apparently in response to the talk of selling and auctions. The two men paid no attention to her as they worked together to release the strappado rope and lay her on the floor.

"How do you want her?" asked Gabriel.

"The usual. Ball-tie. The trunk. Something to keep her occupied for the trip."