by R. M. Walker
The cold look to his eyes as they assessed me was unnerving. When he spoke, it was with a thick Russian accent. “Come, kotyonok. We have much to discuss.”
Who the hell was this man?
“I’m not known for my patience. Don’t anger me, Veronica.”
Realization dawned as my father’s words from this morning resurfaced. “Sergei,” I whispered.
“Ah, I see he did mention me. Good, this makes it easier.”
Knowing this man was someone I didn’t want to piss off, I followed him out the door and looked both directions. Geron was gone. Maybe he spotted the tall Russian and decided to retreat a safe distance away. Not that I could blame him. Sergei Ivankov was intimidating. The big man oozed confidence and a deadly calculation that proved he’d seen plenty of bloodshed in his life. He never checked to make sure I followed but moved his way stealthily through the halls and down the stairs, pausing at the front door of the massive estate as he asked for my coat.
Seconds later he was draping it around my shoulders while I obediently left with him. A nervous flutter beat in my chest. What if he planned to hurt or kill me? Why didn’t I struggle?
The Russian stayed by my side but made no other move to touch me as we walked. Another limo was parked at the curb as Sergei’s hand met my lower back. Ushered inside, I didn’t expect who greeted us within.
My father sat on one side along with several of his goons, including Vinny. Directly across from me was Geron, his dark mask still in place. His hands were held together by black zip ties in his lap but that wasn’t what made me gasp. A sharp hunting knife rested against his throat. Any slip or light jostle would result in slicing his skin.
The cool blue of his eyes met mine and the hint of a smile played on his full sensual lips. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking but this wasn’t the time for heroics. Both my father and the Russians wouldn’t hesitate to kill him the second he resisted. We were surrounded. There was no choice but to do whatever was expected of us.
I sat back against the seat, clenching my trembling fingers in my lap. Geron noticed and frowned, opening his mouth to speak when the knife pressed closer, nicking him slightly. A couple of droplets of bright red blood appeared on his tanned skin. One slid into the stark white collar of his button-down shirt.
“Not a word, svo-lach’.”
Sergei smiled as several of his man laughed. The big man sat to my left, completely relaxed. His gaze roamed over me often as I swallowed, concerned for Geron.
“Idi na hui,” Geron replied smoothly in Russian. Go fuck yourself.
The man with the knife growled and fired off a string of Russian that I couldn’t understand. My experience was limited. The few words I knew were gained from a Russian security guard that served my father several years ago. He mysteriously disappeared and I never asked if he was found. Some things were better left unsaid.
“Enough, Misha.” Sergei’s low tone never had to raise. Misha moved the knife closer, watching Geron as if he awaited him to fight or insult him again.
Geron didn’t move as the knife returned to his throat, his gaze locked on Sergei.
My father used the silence to reprimand me in front of the entire group of men. “You were warned not to embarrass me in public again. You’re nothing but a whore, just like your mother.”
Stiffening, I narrowed my eyes, unable to stop my vicious response. “Maybe if you weren’t such a worthless asshole, she’d still be alive.”
Shocked gasps filled the interior as Sergei burst out laughing, one hand resting on my bare knee as it poked through the slit in the material of the red cocktail dress I wore. “Such a defiant spirit, milaya moyna. Your father has his hands full with you.”
“I told you as much, Sergei. She needs that spirit broken.”
Turning my head, I glared at my father.
“Not another word, Veronica. We must discuss business. Pleasure, later.” He tilted my head up until our eyes met. Within the dark irises was a combination of lust and amusement but also a deadly confidence that bordered on narcissistic. He dropped his hand as it rested on my thigh possessively.
Sergei began speaking to my father as I released a shaky breath. Geron’s eyes were focused on the hand on my thigh as a small tick pulsed in his jaw. His hands clenched into fists as his cheeks flushed with repressed anger. I shook my head slightly, afraid he’d make a scene.
The limo stopped a few minutes later outside an old abandoned warehouse. We exited the sleek black interior of the car as Sergei led me through the front entrance. From the outside the building looked condemned. Broken windows and glass littered the perimeter along with cobwebs and overgrown weeds and bushes. No one would suspect this place was fully functional.
Men armed with light machine guns patrolled the upper levels of the room, suspended by a metal staircase and platform that spread from one end to the other. I could hear noises coming from several rooms. Women cried out amid the sounds of sex. Were they making porn?
Several tables at the far end of the room were covered in white powder and small clear bags. Girls dressed in nothing but skimpy panties cut the drugs as their handlers kept a close watch. Bruises marred many of their bodies and I fought the sudden bile that rose in my throat. Sergei was worse than my father. I’d never become his prey.
Geron was tied to a chair with rope and duct tape, his arms and legs immobile. I hoped he wouldn’t be harmed but I knew there was no other reason to bring him than to teach me a lesson. He would be tortured because of his association with the daughter of the great crime lord. My father watched with a cruel smile as several of his men punched, smacked, and kicked at Geron. The man I knew as my lover remained mostly silent, groaning only once as the chair tipped over and his head bounced off the concrete floor.
“Please,” I pleaded, crying out in despair, “don’t kill him.”
Sergei stood to the side as he discussed something privately with his men. He wasn’t paying attention to my father or his brutal show of authority. Not that I thought he would come to my rescue, but I wished he would intervene if no other reason than to stop this barbaric show of force.
“Do you know the man you wish to save?” My father’s tone was amused, as if he knew a secret he would never reveal.
“I met him three nights ago,” I whispered.
“If only that were true.”
Arturo Valente meant to teach me a lesson this day. I could hear it in the mocking tone he used and the sneer that lingered on his lips as our eyes met. He wanted to hurt me, and I knew whatever revelation he saw fit to disclose would do exactly as he wished. I’d be left with nothing. He would make sure I was stripped down, broken, and unable to resist his plans any longer.
“Remove the mask,” he ordered, his eyes glittering with excitement.
Geron struggled, growling at the men as they approached. He was unsuccessful in delaying the inevitable. The dark mask was removed as I gasped in shock, taking a few steps in his direction.
How the hell was he still alive!?
“David?”
My eyes must have deceived me. There’s no way he was here, right now, after all this time. It just wasn’t possible. I went to his funeral. I saw the casket. My heart was buried with his that day.
Blue eyes held mine with a glimmer of hope.
He’d changed so much from what I remembered. His hair was longer and darker. The color of his eyes was brighter and clearer. Even the accent and the deep timbre of his voice were unlike my memory of him from so long ago. Deeper. Sexier. Haunted.
Five agonizing years.
He wasn’t Geron back then. He went by his middle name now – David Geron Pierce.
The man I loved and never stopped, returned from the dead.
~ Part Two ~
6
Geron
“This will never work,” I blurted, staring at my reflection in the mirror. “Veronica will know it’s me instantly.”
“No, she won’t. The dark superhero suit and mas
k conceal your real identity just like I said it would.”
“Why am I doing this again?”
“Because she loves comic books like I do. It’s perfect.”
“Jay.” Turning to my best friend, I planted a hand on his shoulder and shoved him back a little. “This is the stupidest idea either of us ever had.”
“Really? Because my sister thinks your fucking dead.” I cringed at his words, but he didn’t stop there. “She’s been in love with you for five years and hasn’t been able to find anyone else. She hangs onto your memory and lives under my father’s cruel thumb every damn day. This isn’t stupid. It’s the only choice we’ve got left.”
Sighing, I knew he was right. We’d been planning for weeks and this was the only solution. “I know,” I admitted, dragging my fingers through my hair. “I have to get her out of there before Arturo Valente kills everyone I love. She’s the only thing I’ve got left.”
Jay leaned back against the wall, his expression grim. “I’m sorry. You know Veronica and I had no part in that, right? I didn’t have a clue until that awful night when the ship sank.”
“I don’t blame you or V. This is about the man who stole everything from me and left me for dead.”
“I still can’t believe he shot you and tossed your body overboard. How the fuck did you survive?”
The answer was a lot more complicated than I could ever reveal. “Lucky, I guess.”
Jay snorted, glancing at the clock. “She’ll be there soon. I’ve got Vinny watching her room.” His cell vibrated as Jay slipped it from his pocket, typed a quick message, and sent it back. “She’s gone. Better hurry. I don’t want some piece of shit hooking up with my sister because you’re late.”
Suppressing a growl, I turned back to the mirror and made sure my costume was in place. I looked different than the man she knew five years ago. The same guy who swept her off her feet one summer in the Hamptons as she vacationed with her aunt. Every day for a month we met in secret until she had to leave. That final night we made love under the stars on the beach as she gave herself to me. I promised to love her, cherish her, and whisk her away from her unhappy life.
Jay was the one who introduced us. My best friend in college and more like a brother. I almost didn’t come with him that summer and it would have been the biggest mistake of my life. Meeting Veronica and falling in love with her had changed everything. Before that summer I was a smartass rich boy who loved to party and sleep around, blowing my parents money and living life to the fullest. Once the pretty hazel eyes of my sweet little darlin’ met mine, I was a goner.
To this day, I don’t regret a single moment that I spent with her, even when it claimed my life, my inheritance, and the woman I loved. That was why I was here now. Four years I watched in the shadows and plotted, following Arturo Valente and his shady business dealings, waiting for the moment to strike. He was going down and revenge was the only thing that occupied my mind apart from Veronica. I had to take my time and make sure she wouldn’t be harmed in the process.
A year ago, I approached Jay. He was shocked to find my sorry ass on his doorstep but pleased with the reason I arrived. Jay had cut ties with his father and refused to assume his position next to Arturo’s side. As a result, he was left with nothing but his freedom. A small price to pay. The only problem was now Veronica paid the price for Jay’s escape. She lived in a gilded cage, chained to the man who murdered, stole, bribed, and paid his way to the top.
He killed my parents when they refused to fund his corrupt agenda. They were among a select few who stood up to the criminal. That same night, he also murdered the young man I had been. I rose from the ashes and overcame death as I swore my vengeance. It was five long years in the making and nothing would stop me now.
“David?”
My thoughts returned to the present as I spun, a determined step to my stride. “Geron. Don’t forget.”
“Right. Good luck.”
“Thanks. I’m going to need it.”
My black BMW M5 sat in Jay’s garage as I headed downstairs. A careful plan of seduction had been weaved as I drove toward the location of the party. Tonight, I would sweep Veronica off her feet and remind her she was beautiful, desirable, and worth every effort I made. The penthouse apartment had been leased for the next few months, my costume was the highest quality, and even the suits I bought were perfectly tailored and all designer brands. Everything was for her.
I wanted to entice Veronica and make her fall in love with the man I was now and not only the ghost of a memory from her past. It had been five long years since I sank my cock into her perfect little cunny. Her virginity was a gift to me that last night we were together. Her orgasms tonight would be my first gift to her.
The Halloween party was in full swing by the time I arrived. Costumed and half naked bodies gyrated all over the sorority house but the only woman I wanted remained elusive. Ten minutes later I was afraid that she’d already left with someone else. If that was true, I would probably lose my shit. Fortunately, her sultry laugh could be heard as it trickled from the kitchen.
I wasn’t prepared for the jolt of longing that pierced my heart or the beautiful woman that stood before me. I had kept my distance from Veronica on purpose prior to this night. It was too hard to see her every day and not try to reconnect. Arturo kept her well-guarded and any attempt on my part would have blown my cover. He would kill me just to prove a point and I could never allow my girl to suffer like that twice.
She was discussing her Black Widow costume with her friend as my gaze roamed over her greedily, taking in every luscious curve and the supple shape of her rounded hips, trim waist, and plump ass. Visions of spanking those cheeks and thrusting hard into her tight pussy from behind filled my thoughts and I had to hold back a groan. I’d chosen this costume because the material was durable and molded my body, but I quickly realized that my erection wouldn’t be hard to miss.
“It’s kickass and much better than anything you could find in a store,” her friend remarked.
“I agree.”
The words left my lips before I could stop them. Veronica’s hazel eyes brightened with mischief as she appraised me from head to toe, and I held my breath in anticipation. Would she recognize me?
“You have a name, hero?”
She didn’t recognize my voice. Maybe it was deeper than it had been when I was only twenty-one. The young man had grown and changed in many ways. There were some I couldn’t wait to show her, and only one had to do with my cock.
We bantered back and forth as she flirted, and my ego skyrocketed. I didn’t waste time and made it perfectly clear she was all I wanted.
“Your place or mine?” She finally asked.
“Mine. Always mine, darlin’.” The possessive words were so obvious, but my sweet little angel didn’t put the connection together yet.
I wasn’t worried. This night was about introducing her to Geron. David could stay in the past with her memories for now. His time would come but I had to ensure she was ready before that revelation took place.
Back at my penthouse, I undressed her slowly, savoring every inch of her soft alabaster skin. My lips followed my fingers as I claimed her, marking and branding Veronica as mine once more. Her mind may not remember but her body did as she came apart in my arms. Every stroke, every thrust, every kiss was expertly placed. I made love to her with all the longing and need that had built since we last met. Every whisper in her ear, every brush of her skin was proof of the love I felt.
She could sense it.
Please let her heart connect to mine again.
“You’re perfection, darlin’.”
My heart longed to say the three words that had lived dormant for five long years. I love you! My mind screamed the words as I fucked her, grinding my hips into hers, desperate to make the moment last forever. I clasped her fingers in my hand and raised them to my lips, gliding in and out of her body with long slow strokes. Knowing that she’d not been with another
man since we were together added another layer to my obsessive need for Veronica Valente.
Pushing her knees up higher as I let go of her hand, I watched my dick slide in and out of her tight cunt. Little gushes of fluid surrounded my dick as she tightened her walls and nearly spasmed. My girl was close. I lifted my thumb and pressed down on her clit, circling with enough pressure to send her over the edge.
She released as I picked up pace, fucking her harder as her nails gripped my shoulders. I’d have marks later and loved the idea of carrying visible scars on my body of her love. Her hips rose off the mattress to meet mine as she gushed all over my cock. Thrusting into her faster and deeper, I pulled her hips to mine and kissed her with all the passion I felt.
Roaring her name, I came hard inside the love of my life, wishing my cum could coat her womb.
Holding her close, I knew that I was the one truly tamed and seduced this night and not the other way around. My feelings had deepened, my need grew, and I was certain I wouldn’t be able to last very long before I took her away forever.
7
Geron
Two nights later I paced in front of Jay, anxious about the upcoming masquerade ball. The annual event brought in people from all over the city. The fundraiser was supposed to benefit some of the inner-city dwellings that were in poor repair and clean up the dirty crime-filled streets. My parents began this initiative while my father was seated on the city council. The mayor and his wife hosted the ball in their grand estate, acres of gated land that boasted an immense three-story home. The grounds were a historical site. Every mayor since the city was founded resided there during their term.
“We’ve got a problem.”
Pausing mid stride, I turned sharply to the left and met Jay’s concerned gaze. “What is it?”