by Jules River
The marketplace was colorful, loud, and crowded; while they shopped Mira relaxed as she began the age-old process of haggling over a lovely, handwoven rug. Warin enjoyed watching her, but at the same time he had the feeling they were being watched, just as his brother Cenric had felt in Dubai. The security team was milling about, close but far enough away to give them some privacy as they shopped; still, Warin was glad to know he had his sword at hand. Completing her purchase, Mira and Warin wandered close to the street, and a loud fight broke out back behind them. The crowds were oppressive, and while Mira looked toward the fight the security team surrounded her; Warin was jostled apart from them in the crowd and pushed off the curb to the busy street. He felt a sharp stinging pain, and his vision immediately began to blur. He shook his head and looked down at his upper arm and saw a dart, which he quickly removed. Disoriented, he looked around for Mira, stumbled, and bellowed her name into the crowd, “Mira!” Her name had barely left his mouth before he was shoved into a dark van by three men, who were doing their best to incapacitate him. He started fighting them in earnest once he had a moment of clarity and realized what was happening.
Mira jerked her head around when she heard her name, and saw Warin being forcefully shoved by three non-Indian men into a van. Knowing she could not be heard over the noise, she grabbed one of the security guys and pointed at Warin. He took off toward the van as it sped off, leaving her with the other three security men.
Mira made her way to the street, surrounded by guards. She had a minute of complete panic, nearly freaking out, thinking of all the things she should have done. I should have kissed him more, I should have forgiven him sooner and talked to him more, I should have let him make love to me. But regrets were a waste of time, and Warin needed her. She disciplined herself to think rationally and calmly. She needed to make a plan with her security team. Fortunately, the heavy traffic kept the van in sight of the team member who went after Warin on foot, and he was able to see ahead as it turned onto a side street and disappeared underground.
The van had stopped at a large, dilapidated apartment building, and Mira quickly texted Lyra for help in getting information or schematics of some sort on the structure. Leaving the one security guard in place, they quickly went back to the hotel to get additional gear and look over the plans of the building that Lyra had been able to find. Mira offered a silent thanks that Lyra’s hacking skills were so good.
Despite being impaired by the effects of the dart, Warin viciously fought the three men who had pushed him inside the van, even managing with his bare hands to kill the one who came after him with a knife. He was still fighting the other two with all his might, when the driver of the van shot him with another tranquilizer dart. After he was hit with the second dart, he finally went down.
Mira’s adrenaline was pumping; it had been one hour and twelve minutes since Warin had been driven away in that van. Nothing good could have happened during that time. They were all suited up in protective gear and heavily armed as they crept into the apartment building through the underground garage. Mira was right there with them; there was no way she would be left behind. Using standard military protocol, they searched the empty building room by room.
Warin woke with a start, his head and nearly every part of his body throbbing. He had taken as much of a beating as he dished out in the van. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious. He slowly opened his eyes to find himself tied with his hands behind his back, on the floor in the corner of a room. His coat lay beside him, and the men who had taken him were in the next room, talking quietly as they examined his sword.
Though they had removed his coat and sword, and his hands and feet were restrained, they had not removed his belt. Warin quietly used his fingers to slide the belt around until the buckle was in his hands. He unbuckled the belt and gave it a slight twist, releasing a knife built into the buckle, a handy little gift from Lyra. He cut the zip ties from his wrists, then cut the ties binding his ankles together. Flexing his stiff hands and muscles, Warin silently stood up, holding onto the wall for a moment until the room stopped spinning; the effects of the darts had been powerful, and were still in his system. He carefully made his way to the open doorway separating the rooms, noting the positions of the three men inside.
Taking a deep breath, he rushed the man closest to him; to his surprise, he knocked him out with one solid punch. Spinning around, he took a step forward and kicked the second guy in the chest, leaving him on the ground and temporarily gasping for air, as he reached for the third man. The third man had pulled a gun and was about to fire it, but Warin was already in motion, grabbing the man’s wrist and squeezing until the gun fell to the ground. Picking up his sword, Warin held it against the third man’s throat just as the second man started to rise; he kicked him in the face, stopping the attack.
He was just about to start questioning his captor when the door burst open. Two members of the security team, guns raised, rushed through the opening, Mira followed with the remaining two guards behind her. They immediately trained their guns on the kidnapper, and Mira ran to Warin. He pushed the man he was holding toward Mira’s security team and picked her up in a hug when she threw herself into his arms. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, and held his face in her hands, noting the cuts on his mouth and over his eye and the dried blood around his nose. He was a mess, but none of the injuries seemed to be serious.
She kissed him gently, so as not to open the cut on his lip again. She almost wept with relief, so grateful was she that he was all right. He put his face in her neck and breathed her scent deeply into his lungs. “God, how I worried about you,” Warin said on an exhale. “Me? You were the one they took.” Mira looked confused.
“I did not know if there were more men, or if they had taken you as well,” he explained. “I just came to and was about to question that one.” He gestured to the man the security team were holding. “And we came to rescue you, but you already had everything under control.” Mira was astonished.
“I killed one of their men in the van,” he stated without qualm. “He pulled a knife on me.” Mira brushed her fingers through his short hair. “I know, we found him when we first came in looking for you.”
Warin finally put her back on her feet and let her go so he could question his former captor. “What did you want with me?” The man was securely held by two guards, and he looked at Warin and decided he wasn’t getting paid enough to keep his silence. “We were sent for the sword. We were originally going to get her, but we saw you had it on you,” indicating first Mira and then Warin.
“Who do you work for?” Mira asked him directly.
“Don’t know, and don’t care, we were just hired to get the sword. We never spoke to anyone in person. It was all done by email.” Mira asked, “Where is your phone?” He gestured to his pocket. Mira quickly searched him and took his phone. She pulled up his emails and found the one she was looking for, forwarding it to Lyra to see what she could find out about those who hired these men to get the sword.
Realizing they had all they could get from the kidnapper, they bound the three men with zip ties and left them on the floor, locking the door behind them. After the conclusion of their meeting with Mr. Manda the next day, and once they were in the air on their way out of the country, they planned on calling the authorities to report the location of the criminals. The men could sit tied up for eighteen hours or so until they were arrested; it was the least they deserved.
When they got back to the hotel, Mira told Warin to get in the shower while she had food and bandages sent up. After she ordered the food, she went into the bathroom, took off her outer clothes, leaving on her bra and panties, and stepped into the shower with Warin to help wash the blood off his body and make sure he was not hurt anywhere else. He was very aroused by her wet undergarments, but at the same time humbled by the care she took in gently cleaning his body all over with a soapy washcloth. Mira touched and kissed every scrape and bruise she came across. S
he was giving him the utmost care. Mira needed the assurance that he was safe.
Warin was having a battle with himself. He refrained from touching her, knowing that his control was such that if he did so he would take her there in the shower. He needed to touch her, possess her, to feel to his deepest that she was safe and alive. He had been so worried for her. Finally, unable to endure another of her soothing strokes, he rinsed off and stepped out of the shower. Mira removed her wet undergarments and completed her bath before she joined Warin in the bedroom.
Mira was admiring Warin’s broad shoulders and narrow waist, emphasized by the white robe he was wearing as he turned and closed the door after accepting the room service delivery. He paused when he saw her standing there with a hungry look in her eyes. He knew his eyes must carry the same look.
“Please, have a seat so I can bandage you. That cut above your eye needs some butterfly strips to keep it closed, and I have some salve for the cut on your lip as well as your busted knuckles.” Mira spoke softly as she pulled out the supplies she needed from a first-aid kit. Warin walked over to the table, pulled out a stool, and sat so she could patch him up.
“You look pretty good, actually. I saw the other guys, you did a number on them,” Mira said on a little laugh. “They would have never taken me if it were not for the second dart they shot me with,” Warin stated confidently. “How long was I gone?” he asked.
“One hour and twelve minutes,” she immediately answered, then quickly looked away, grabbing the salve to hide her embarrassment. “Good, then I was probably out for just under an hour,” he speculated.
“I don’t know how you were not knocked out with the first one, and then for such a short time after being hit twice with darts. You should have been out for hours,” she told him, amazed. “You are so strong. You didn't even need saving. How did you kill that guy in the van?” She spoke quietly as she gently rubbed salve on his busted knuckles.
Warin looked a little uncomfortable, and did not answer right away. He was not sure if this was going to change the way she looked at him. He looked down, hesitant, then looked from the floor to her eyes, before speaking. “He came at me with a knife, I knocked the knife out of his hand. To keep him at bay, I had my hand around his throat, while I fought off the other two at the same time, and I didn’t even realize I was killing him until they shot me again. But I don’t think I would have done any less if I had realized. He meant to kill me with his knife. My only concern was what was happening to you. I was unsure if they had taken you, too. Not knowing if you were safe was driving me crazy.” He ran his hands through his hair, as if to rub away the anxiety and bad thoughts contained within his mind.
Mira reached over and gently touched his cheekbone, where a bruise was forming, then she stood up and started putting butterfly strips on the cut above his eye. When she was done, she asked, “Are you hungry? I ordered some fruits and cheeses, dried meats and nuts.”
He shook his head no and placed his hands on the silky robe covering her hips, pulling her closer to him until she stood between his legs; his own robe gaped at the chest and barely kept him covered below the waist. She raised her hands and placed them on his chest, moving slowly up to his shoulders, opening his robe further, pushing it half off his shoulders. He rubbed circles on her robe and lightly squeezed her hips. Both of them were breathing erratically as she leaned in and kissed him softly, aware of his cut lip and not wanting to hurt him further. But he needed to feel her too badly after today to be gentle and slow, so he kissed her firmly, and when she opened for him he took possession of her mouth, dominating the kiss. His arms went around her, bringing her closer still as he stroked her back. She had one hand thickly buried in his hair, holding his head tightly with one hand as her other outlined the muscles on his oh-so-touchable chest.
His hands went farther down and cupped her ass, as he pulled her into his hardness, until only the thinnest bits of silk separated his need from hers. A moan escaped her as she pushed against him harder. Warin slid his hands up to her breasts under her silk robe, squeezing, circling her nipples. She arched her back, thrusting her breasts into his hands, causing the belt to loosen as the robe slipped from her shoulders. Warin pulled back from the kiss so he could look at her stunning, near-naked body. Mira reached out to trail her hand from his hair to his chest, on down to his stomach. She could not wait any longer. She had to see all of him, feel all of him. She had to know he was alright, every bit of him. Carefully, she opened his robe so he was completely exposed, and she looked in awe at the picture he presented. Sliding her hands to his hips and his groin, she extended her finger and skimmed the part of him that excited her most. Without a word, she went to her knees and pressed a kiss first to his navel, then to the prominent muscles over his hip bones, and finally, finally, with love in her heart, she gave Warin the most intimate kiss of all.
Warin could not look away from the beauty she presented. His hand went to her hair, gently, his eyes to her face, her lips, her tongue. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. He had never felt emotions as powerful as he did at this moment. Mira rubbed her cheek against his hardness, deeply inhaling his scent, and turned as he guided her mouth over him to show her what he wanted, what he needed.
She was watching him watch her, it was so evocative, she let out another moan. He had never seen anything so erotic in his life as Mira on her knees before him. He was afraid he would lose control and be too rough, so he stopped her movements and pulled her up into his arms. Mira quickly wrapped her arms and legs around Warren and started rubbing her entire body against his, placing open-mouthed kisses on his neck. He let out a hiss between his clenched teeth. She was about to push him past his civilized veneer and leave herself without a choice, so before he laid her on the bed he stopped. With a strained, husky voice, he said, “If you are not careful, you are about to give to me more than you may have wanted. Do we need to slow down, Mira? Tell me now or not at all. I am near the point of taking the decision from you.”
She looked at him for a moment, then slowly dropped her legs until she stood in front of him, his arms still encircling her body. She pulled at the robe that was hanging on her arms, searching for the hidden pocket, and pulled out a foil packet. Before he could ask what she held, in one fluid motion she had ripped it open with her teeth, knelt before him, and rolled a condom over his pulsing length. He jerked in her hands and let his robe slide from his arms to puddle around them.
Mira stood up as she gently stroked him, then she backed up and laid down on the bed in front of him, propped up on her elbows. “It’s a condom for protection against pregnancy and other things,” she explained to him, as he reached down and stroked himself with the unfamiliar condom in place. “You have to wear that if you want to do this,” she smiled at him, motioning him forward as she opened her thighs slightly.
He gave her a slow and wicked smile as he climbed onto the bed and settled between her thighs, stopping at the junction of her legs to return the pleasure she had gifted him. She fell back on the bed with her hands twisted in the sheets, her breathing erratic, and a sensual cry from her lips. He took her to the brink and pulled back, again and again, teasingly increasing her desire with each kiss, each stroke of his hands. Kissing his way up Mira’s sexy, sensitive body, he reached the perfection of her breasts, and gave them all the attention they needed and deserved. Finally, he could wait no longer. Her sexy legs were rubbing up and down Warin’s thighs and butt, her hips were coming off the bed. He throbbed; he was so hard he thought he would burst. She needed him. He needed her. It was time.
Looking into her eyes, Warin positioned himself at her opening and slowly started entering her. She was so ready for him, but so tight, that he was concerned about hurting her. When he reached her barrier he leaned down and started kissing her deeply as he slowly, torturously slowly, pulled nearly all the way out, before immediately plunging all the way in, breaking through and holding deep. Mira screamed her pleasure-pain into his mou
th, but he held still inside her and continued to kiss her passionately as he stroked her breasts and flicked her sensitive nipples. Slowly, he started to move in and out again, she started kissing him back, until she was meeting his thrusts feverishly, urging him to move faster and faster. They were near frantic in their single-minded pursuit of their ultimate release.
Soon she started riding the most beautiful orgasm. Tearing her mouth from his, she made broken, breathy sounds, little screams with every thrust he made, milking him with the strength of her orgasm. As she clutched at him savagely, his seed pulsed out in an incredible, strength-robbing orgasm that left him drained to the core with satisfaction. Neither of them had ever felt so close to another person than at that moment. They both realized they were forever changed. She could never settle for less than him, and he could never want another more than her.
After Warin caught his breath, he eased from her onto his back, removed the condom, and pulled Mira into his arms. She snuggled up to him and fell into a deep sleep. Twice more in the night, Warin awoke her and brought them both to spectacular orgasms. At one point they ate the meal that had been delivered hours earlier.
Warin and Mira woke late the next morning. Mira ordered coffee and breakfast from the room-service menu before heading to the shower, hoping to alleviate some of her soreness in new-found places.
Later in the day, they prepped the security team for their visit with Mr. Manda, working out all the details to ensure that the journey would be a safe one.
Mr. Manda’s residence was huge and ornately lovely, with mosaics, fountains, and gardens filling the courtyard where he was set up to meet them. They were all on alert.