EMBERS
By C.P. Mandara
Book Five of A Sexy Special Agent Series
Embers © 2019 C.P. Mandara
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EMBERS
I did the unthinkable. I slept with James. It wasn’t as if I had a choice - but now that the deed is done, I am paying the price. One more mistake, and I’m dead.
At the moment, I’m doing my best to make sure he can’t stand the sight of me. It’s not working. Every day we spend together is torture, and the more I am around the man, the more I want him. We can’t get this close and hope to stay alive.
Our next assignment will push us to the limit in every way that matters. I’m not even sure we can work together after what I’ve done to him, but we have to rescue Adie, who is being held hostage.
Our goal is to kill Alain, but the chances of us achieving that are virtually impossible. I can work with those odds, though. There is no other option.
To torture a man, you have to know his pleasures.
– Stanislaw Lem
Chapter One – James
Death is a little too final for me. There’s no coming back from it. You never see anyone smile at a funeral, and there’s a reason everyone’s dressed in black. It’s a fucking miserable experience. Although I can dole out death with the finesse and speed of a predator, I still have the greatest respect for human life. Sure, there are good apples and bad, but the majority of people have their heart in the right place. The innocent will never see the killer in me, even when they’re looking straight at me. It’s only the sick and twisted individuals that get to lay their eyes on me, and even then, they never see it coming.
Lois is not going to die. That’s all I can think about as I carry her through the endless corridors that are part of Alain’s Monaco ‘Couleur Lavande’ facility. Only Alain could come up with a name like that for a criminal enterprise. Apparently all his buildings have a colour somewhere in the title, so that should make Sharkey’s job a little easier when she comes to dissect them. The way we’re going, it’s more of an ‘if,’ though.
Adie calls this place ‘Lav,’ for short, mostly to wind his brother up, and I, of course, join in the fun. We get our kicks where we can. One day his brother will become sick and tired of tormenting us, or we’ll kill him. As Alain currently seems to be enjoying himself immensely at our expense, we need to work on getting rid of him – but we’ve been trying to do that for years without success. The stakes have recently been upped, though, so maybe that will inspire us to try harder. Neither of us can stomach the thought of another death on our hands.
The lady whose imminent demise is the focus of all our thoughts is Lois. She is currently residing in my arms because I’ve just knocked her out, and yes, I feel guilty about it. I should have ceded our fight and taken the whipping. If Adie wanted to fuck me afterwards, he could have a piece of me. That wasn’t what I was concerned about. What bothered me was the thought of going to Il Piacere and not being able to get Lois out of a tight situation because I was crippled with pain. As Adie found out this week, pain meds will only get you so far. At the moment, it feels like I’m walking a tightrope to try and get Lois out of here alive. So, it was either take the whipping and risk killing her later, or don’t take the whipping and pray she gets out of Alain’s next stunt with her life intact. It’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation, which is why I let her make the choice. I’m now wondering if I made the right decision. If I didn’t, and she dies in the tank this evening, I am going to go nuts. If that happens, I’ll kill Alain, and I won’t care about the repercussions – so I need to make sure she comes out the other side. If anyone can get through this, Lois can. At least I’ll be the one guiding her through it.
Looking down at the beautiful woman pressed to my chest, I sigh. She’s as light as a feather in my arms, and I’d like to say it’s because of all the gym work we’ve been doing this week, but the reality is she hasn’t been eating. Some of that is my fault. We haven’t been on very good terms lately, and I haven’t forgiven her for what she did to me a few days ago when she handcuffed me to the bed. She took something from me that no one has a right to take, and the thought of it still smarts. I think I’m more annoyed with myself for letting her get away with it. If I hadn’t just woken up, if I hadn’t been half-starved, if I hadn’t been pumped full of drugs… if I hadn’t been any of those things it wouldn’t have happened. I need to accept the fact that it has happened and move on, but I’m still fucking annoyed. At Il Piacere, I’ll get a chance to even up the score between us as Alain’s very kindly given me a freebie fuck, but I’ll need to use that wisely. If I sleep with Lois again after the freebie, he’ll make sure she’s tortured and chopped up. I’ve seen him work. When he’s finished, the pieces are so tiny, they’re good for nothing but fish food. There’s no way I’m letting that happen.
I’m already dreading our assignment. As we’re posing as husband and wife, people will expect us to be close, and that’s going to be hard when all eyes are upon us. I can barely look at the woman without wanting to get into her pants, and if I had any sense, I wouldn’t be going anywhere near her. If we don’t do this, though, Adie dies. I can’t lose my best friend. I’ve lost too many people already, and the guilt is beginning to weigh me down. We’ll need to walk on eggshells if we want to get out of that place alive, and Lois needs to make it through today first. The thought of her going in the tank scares me witless, and with good reason. One hurdle at a time, I tell myself. Keep jumping through the hoops and eventually an opportunity to escape will present itself. It had better.
“Where are we taking her?” I twist my head over my shoulder to glance at Adie, who is following behind me. He’s been unusually quiet these past few minutes, so I guess he’s probably thinking the same depressing thoughts that I am. He’s already voiced his concerns, and I’ve told him nothing is happening to her on my watch, so I need to keep that promise.
“Basement level. Alain has a room specially set up for all his water sports.” Adie’s tone is grim.
“Lead the way.” Stepping to the side, to let him move past, we don’t speak again for the duration of the walk. We’re both lost in thought. I’m running through all the possible outcomes of this scenario in my head and wondering what to do for the best.
Taking the lift down to the lowest level, it doesn’t take us long to find the room we’re looking for. It’s mostly barren, bar a large, clear, Perspex tank that resides in the centre of the room. Above it, are a collection of hoses for the water to run through, and a set of chains in which to restrain the poor victim. The rest is brick and concrete, with a couple of central cast iron drains to enable the water to disperse. I’ve seen prison cells that look more inviting.
Adie and I have both seen Alain subj
ect his whores to this kind of torture, and it has sickened us. More often than not, the victim dies – which is why Alain loves it so much. A part of me wonders if it wouldn’t be a kindness for Lois to die this way. It’s better than going under his knives, that’s for sure. Another part of me can’t bear to think of a world without Lois in it, and that’s the part that wins. If she dies, I’m going to hell, one way or another, and I think Adie knows it.
“Are you going to strip her or shall I?” In all honesty, there’s not much stripping to do because all Lois is wearing is a torn t-shirt, a sports bra and a pair of black running shorts. Everyone who goes in the tank is naked, per Alain’s orders, but that’s only to make them feel more vulnerable. Lois is used to being naked. That tactic won’t work with her. It’s why I made sure she spent a week entirely naked with me before this shit began. I think it tested my self-control more than anything else, and I’m used to seeing naked women. Lois might have been embarrassed for the first hour or two, but she soon got used to it, and the woman never made a murmur of complaint. That was probably because she was afraid I wouldn’t train her if she did, and she’d have been right.
Adie stands alongside me. “I’ll do it while you hold her.” I’m relieved. I don’t want to look at the whip marks that are all over Lois’s back. They’re just another example of the madness I’ve introduced her to, and one she seems to embrace with far too much enthusiasm. I wonder if I’d even be able to handle her love of pain, if there was ever a chance we could be together. Perhaps Adie is her perfect match, after all. The thought sours my stomach. If we ever manage to finish this and Lois wants to be with Adie, I won’t stand in her way, but the rejection is going to smart. I have never fallen for someone this hard before, and at the moment we’re just a bunch of secrets and lies. At least – that’s what I think we are. I’d give anything to be able to read her damn mind.
Sitting Lois down, Adie slides her T-shirt over her head, and the sports bra goes the same way. She’s limp and uncoordinated in his hands, but Adie’s used to dealing with that. It takes him a few minutes as he wrestles her arms this way and that, but eventually her top half is stripped down. The running shorts are considerably easier. He slides these and her panties down her legs at the same time, and once again my beautiful temptress is naked in my arms. Even though we may not be the best of friends at the moment, I still want to fuck her, and the need is growing daily. It scares me senseless. She’s a weakness I can’t afford to have.
“You want to tip her upside down while I fasten her in? If we wait until she’s conscious, she’s going to go wild.” Adie sighs and stares up at the ceiling which is rife with mildew and damp. He doesn’t want to do this anymore than I do, but we have no choice. While under Alain’s roof, we need to obey his orders. If we try to wriggle out of this, Alain will be the one standing behind the tank, watching as Lois flounders about while her lungs scream for air. He won’t help her in any way, shape or form, and worse, he’ll take great delight in her suffering.
Nodding my head, I say, “Hold her while I step in the tank, and then pass her back to me, okay?” Handing over my precious cargo, I watch as his face dips towards her. I see the look he gives her, and I feel my temper flare. It has no place here, so I push it back down again sharply. I know we’re both in love with the same woman, but neither of us can have her. Relationships are dangerous territory around these parts, and all they are able to deliver is misery. Adie knows this as well as I do. We have both learnt that the hard way.
Striding over the plastic tank, I position myself in the middle and wait for Adie to give Lois back to me. He does so reluctantly. At least his love is reciprocated. Lois can’t stand the sight of me and walks away whenever I get close to her - not that I blame her. No one wants a relationship with me. If you’re a female, you’d be wise to run in the opposite direction. Dating me is like playing Russian roulette with your life. Adie is the sensible choice in this equation, even if he is a bloody sadist. I want to be happy for them, but it’s hard to be happy for someone who’s taken what you want. I’m not even sure he appreciates or realises what she’s given him. Although I think the world of Adie, it’s no secret that he’s damaged goods. Mind you, so am I. If you asked me who is the more twisted and screwed up between us, I’m not sure I’d be able to give you a straight answer.
“I’ll get her through it,” I say, when I see his eyes upon me. I know what Adie’s thinking because I’m thinking it, too. She’s going to die. There’s no point saying those words out loud, though. This whole escapade is horribly depressing and we’re both miserable enough as it is.
“You’d better.” Adie jumps on to the corner of the tank with remarkable agility and brings the long, silver chains towards me. Tipping Lois upside down, we begin to fasten her in. Neither of us speak as the restraints are wrapped around her legs. I’m trying my best to keep it together, but it’s not easy. This is on me if it all goes pear-shaped, and Adie will never forgive me.
Watching as her arms are tied behind her back, my gaze then drops to her face. It’s now obscured by her falling masses of hair, the ends of which dust the bottom of the tank as she swings gently back and forth. The poor woman doesn’t deserve this. No one should have to go through what I’m about to do to her, with perhaps the exception of Alain himself. I wonder if Lois would have changed her mind about this mission, if she’d got a tiny glimpse into her future. I’d like to think she would have, but I wouldn’t put any money on it. The woman is as stubborn as they get.
“You can let her go.” Adie hops down from his precarious perch on the tank’s ledge, and I release Lois slowly, making sure the chains hold. It’s not that I don’t trust Adie, I do, but I always err on the side of caution where possible. They hold. Adie then tosses me a long, thick plastic tube, which will enable Lois to breathe when the water level rises over her face. I slot it inside her mouth and attach it around her head by means of an elastic band. At the moment, the fit is snug, but the elastic will be cut before she’s fully submerged, and she’ll then have to concentrate if she wants to keep it inside her mouth. That’s all part of the game.
The trick to surviving this little mind fuck is to keep that tube inside your mouth. Once you’ve lost it, you’re done for. The only way to breathe after that, is to pull your body up from the waist, until you break the surface of the water, and there’s only so long you’ll be able to do that for. If there’s only one piece of advice I get to give her it’s this: do not let go of that fucking tube. The trouble is, everything else she’ll be suffering while inside that tank of water is designed to make her drop the damn thing. This is some of Alain’s finest work, and lots of men and women have died in here. I should know because I’ve had to watch them.
“Might as well put the floats and vibe on now.” Adie passes me two nipple clamps with balloon floats attached to them and an oval shaped, curved vibrator. The clamps aren’t vicious as I let their jaws clamp around her, but they’ll serve as annoyances when Lois is underwater, helping to disorientate her. If she drops the breathing tube and has to pull herself out of the water, they’ll sting a bit as they rise up and down, too. Lois isn’t going to let that happen, though. She’s a smart lady. She’ll figure out the rules of the game before her eyes have even opened. She’d better.
I tackle the vibe next. It anchors inside her cunt by means of a tapered plug and works on battery power. It features little ears that will come up around her clit and hopefully work her into a steaming, hot mess. We’ll need every trick in the book to get her to orgasm fifteen times, but the sooner this episode is over, the better.
Striding over to the side of the tank, I then get out and appraise the situation.
“She’s not escaping in a hurry,” I remark, somewhat dryly.
“If she did, Alain would just strap her in again and start all over. You know that, James.” I did. It didn’t mean I had to like it.
When both of us hear the door opening, we swivel round to find Alain surveying our work. He
’s early, and the look of excitement he wears makes me want to push my fist through his face. It looks like everyone’s favourite psychopath is eager to begin.
“Gentlemen. We’re going to start in ten minutes. James, you need to complete your last two miles on the treadmill before you can come back. If you’re late, we’ll start without you.” The fucking bastard then grins and dares me to argue.
I know better than to bother wasting my breath. I’m already sprinting towards the door, and I don’t look back. If I want to be in time to say anything worthwhile to Lois before this begins, I will have to belt out that distance with my lungs screaming for each and every breath.
“You can’t do that, Alain. He won’t make it back in time to tell her the rules.” Adie sounds outraged, but I know his complaint won’t sway his brother. Alain lives for these sorts of games. “Make it a mile. You at least need to give him a fighting chance.” Even though I couldn’t see him, I could already envisage Alain shaking his head, smug grin still intact.
Sure enough, Alain’s next words were, “Oh, and James? If you don’t make it back in time – I’ll happily take your place.” Over my dead body. His sentence tapered off behind me as I made a beeline for the gym. I would need to run my two miles as if someone had just thrown a grenade at my back, but there was no way I was leaving her in Alain’s hands. My lungs were about to take a vicious beating, but I’d run the distance with a couple of bloody bullets in them if it would keep that monster away from Lois.
Chapter Two - Lois
I am not scared of the dark. Most of an assassin’s life is spent under the cover of darkness, and you learn to embrace the shadows and the soft, sultry nuances of night. This is when all the nasty people come out to play. It’s when I woo my mark into thinking I am not a threat. I flirt, giggle, make horrendous jokes, and pretend to be drunk. This usually disarms them. It helps that I’m usually wearing stockings, a short dress, a ton of makeup, and a pair of five-inch heels. I swear women should get paid more in this job because later in life my feet are going to be crippled from those ridiculous shoes. I’ve had to sprint in the damn things, too. In a few years’ time I am going to be a podiatrist’s worst nightmare.
Embers: A Dark Romance Love Triangle (A Special Agent Novel Book 5) Page 1