Deviant

by Natasha Knight

  I groaned and he shook his head. “Dirty girl,” he said, his thumb back on my clit. “Tell me where it is so I can fuck you, and you can come.”

  I nodded again — it seemed it was all I could do — and instead of waiting, he thrust inside of me one final time, the passage so tight he had to force the last of it. I cried out, but he stilled inside me, and this time, bit my shoulder lightly.

  When he spoke, it was a deep timbre I felt as much as I heard. “I’m all the way inside you now, Mia. I can make this good for you or I can make it hurt. I don’t mind either way. The ledger. Where is it? Last time I’m asking.”

  He withdrew slowly, readying to make good on his promise.

  I had to tell him. I had no choice. But it wasn’t only that. He could help me. He was already helping me. For a price, yes, but there was more between us, wasn’t there?

  Fool.

  No, I couldn’t listen to that voice. All of the events of the last days played like a movie in my mind, and I knew I had to tell him.

  “At the train station.”

  He smiled and moved a little in and out, in and out, still ready to punish me unless I did what he wanted. “Good girl. Go on.”

  “In Rome. I put it in a locker when I took the train to Cosenza. It was all I could think to do with it.”

  “The key to the locker?”

  “In my purse.”

  He looked at me, studying me as if to see if I were lying. “Look at me.”

  I did. I already was, but his face had grown much more serious.

  “If you’re lying to me, I will take the whip to you until you bleed. Understand?”

  “I’m not lying. I swear.”

  His gaze narrowed for a moment, then his lips quirked with a half smile. “Good. Now face forward and take your ass fucking like a good girl.”

  I did as he said as he pulled all the way out and thrust into me hard.

  “Ah… Julien…”

  “You’re so fucking tight,” he said through clenched teeth, fucking me harder, pushing my head down so my face lay on the ground. “This asshole belongs to me. As well as that pussy, and that mouth.”

  “Julien,” it came as a gasp. He fucked me harder, faster, all while his fingers rubbed my clit, taking me to the very edge.

  “When you misbehave, I’ll punish all three of them. Understand?”

  I nodded fast, biting my lip. I was going to come.

  “But if you’re good, I’ll make you scream my name.”

  “Julien!”

  He rammed into me then and didn’t stop, sweat dripping from his forehead onto my back, all those parts of me where the lash had struck burning with a different sort of fire now, intensifying the pleasure, the pain merging with the orgasm that took me, took us both. When he stilled after one final, hard thrust and I felt him shudder and release inside me, I came, the world disappearing around me. It was raw bliss, utter and complete, nothing but sensation.

  Once he’d finished, once I’d milked every last bit of his essence from that thick cock, Julien pulled out of me, making me look back at him as he kept me in position. His gaze held mine then moved to my throbbing, stretched ass as he watched his seed spill out of me, the humiliation of it somehow completing this scene between us, this punishment that had come out of anger… and turned into so much more.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Julien

  It was over.

  Wrapping Mia in a blanket I kept in the car, I sat with her on my lap for a long time inside that broken down house just watching the sky darken, seeing the stars revealed, listening to her breathing when she finally slept.

  After her punishment, I’d cleaned her, checking every one of the stripes that crisscrossed her body. I’d not broken skin — and it hadn’t been my intention to do so. Although the whipping was a harsh punishment, I’d not struck as hard as I could have. I knew that once I’d begun concentrating the strokes at her back, that pain would evolve, transform. There was still pain — that was unavoidable, and the point of punishment — but she found some peace in it. I could see it in the way her body took the lashes, in the look in her eyes.

  And beyond that, she’d grown even more aroused.

  I wondered if I could perhaps train her to always link pleasure with pain, and pain with pleasure.

  But that was for another time.

  My cell phone buzzed in my pocket just as I was about to wake her. I pulled it out and checked the display. It was Cash.

  Mia groaned and moved a little, waking up slowly.

  “Cash,” I answered.

  “Got your next job lined up,” he said. I guess Cash could be called a sort of broker. Well, if you could have such a thing as a broker in my line of work.

  “Oh yeah?” I looked down at Mia who was now looking up at me, listening, and at that moment, I wasn’t sure I wanted another job.

  “It’s a good one. Hell, you don’t even have to exterminate this one. Delivery only.”

  “Really?” That was curious.

  “I’m sending the file now. Check your e-mail in a few minutes.”

  “Timeline? I’m a little… tied up.” I moved my lips into a smile, tucking Mia closer.

  “Then get untied. It’s a lot of money.”

  “All right. Send the file.”

  “Just hit send.”

  With that, Cash ended the call.

  “Who was that?”

  I tucked the phone back into my pocket. “Colleague.”

  “You have colleagues?”

  “I guess that sounds cryptic.”

  She shrugged her shoulder, then grimaced as she moved. Her cheeks flushed red and she lowered her lashes over her eyes.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about the ledger earlier?”

  “We didn’t exactly meet in a way that made me trust you.”

  “No, I guess not. Tell me how this story plays out.”

  “That money my sister left me, Samuel gave it to her to make sure she kept quiet about the rape. I guess it was also to make sure I kept quiet. If I don’t claim it, it goes back to them. I don’t even really care about the money, I mean, a million is a lot—”

  “Half a million.”

  “Still, a lot of money. But if Jason would leave me alone, just let me live my life, I wouldn’t care about it.”

  “But you know he won’t?”

  “No, he won’t. He’s sworn it and he’s vengeful.” She studied me for a minute, the look in her eyes heavy. “I wasn’t the only one he hurt.”

  It was my turn to study her.

  “My sister. I don’t know if Samuel knows.”

  “How do you know?”

  “The letter she left me, and something Jason said, the thing he said that made me decide. The night she died, she was leaving. She was running away. Maybe Samuel couldn’t protect her from Jason? I don’t know. Samuel loved her and she trusted him. Or she used to. She wouldn’t have stolen from him. I kind of wonder if the book was my sister’s way of giving me some insurance, you know what I mean?”

  “Do you believe your sister’s death was an accident, Mia?”

  “It’s too terrible to think otherwise, Julien. I can’t do that.”

  “And it was after that that you went to the police?”

  She nodded. “Maybe telling the police what he’d done to me was stupid, maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut, but I was scared. I had no money, no job, no college degree and at the memorial service for Tanya, he made this comment, this gross suggestion…”

  “Hinting he’d hurt Tanya.”

  She nodded. “And that it was my fault. But with her out of the way, I was alone. He made sure I knew that. Those years I wouldn’t talk to her”—she shook her head, looking down—”can’t get those back, you know?” She looked at me with the saddest eyes I’d ever seen.

  “I know.”

  “But maybe I should have kept my mouth shut and run away, not been so stubborn, so hell bent on making sure he got what he deserved. My siste
r couldn’t make him pay, but I still could. There is no statute of limitations for raping a minor.”

  “You did the right thing. The courageous thing. He raped and beat you to the point you miscarried. To the point you can’t have children. Is that certain, by the way?”

  She nodded, despair shadowing her eyes. “The doctor said it would be a miracle if I ever conceived, given the damage.”

  I nodded.

  “He deserves to still be rotting in prison, Mia. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “I know that. I just wish I wasn’t in this whole heap of trouble. What do we do now? Are you still going to help me?”

  “I’m not sure you’d survive if I didn’t. Plus, half a million dollars.” As soon as I spoke that last part out loud, I knew I was lying. To her. To myself. This wasn’t about money for me. Not anymore. But I didn’t have time to think about that yet. “You wanted to know what happens now? We get that ledger back and we get you the money you’re owed — and disappear. Same plan, just expanded.”

  She smiled a little.

  “Ready to go? We’ll stop at the house to pick up some things and tell my grandmother we’re leaving. I want her to be aware, just in case.”

  “You don’t think anyone would hurt her, do you?”

  “I can’t see how they would have linked you to me, and without that, they wouldn’t know who she was. Let’s go. Can you stand?”

  “Why did you do it? Why did you punish me like that?”

  “I told you the answer to that the last time. I like to. Remember?”

  She flushed red. “I… you didn’t need to punish me at all.”

  At that, I chuckled and hauled her upright, gripping her ass cheeks hard. “As long as you’re in my protection, you’re mine to do with as I please. Punishment is part of that. Keep that in mind.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about calling Allison.”

  “As long as you understand you’re not to have contact with her again, it’s good between us.” I inclined my head. “You paid the price. Or your back and your ass did.”

  She dropped her head down and the red on her neck and cheeks intensified as she nodded.

  “Let’s go. We’ve got a long night ahead of us.”

  * * *

  First thing was first. We drove to Pitigliano. I wasn’t sure what I was going to tell my grandmother. It was unlikely anyone would hurt her, but I didn’t feel right just leaving her defenseless. Once I checked that the house was secure, I left Mia to pack up our few things and went to the café.

  “Julien,” she greeted me while stubbing her cigarette out.

  “You should stop smoking, Gianna. It’s bad for you.”

  Almost as bad as knowing me.

  “And for you.” Even though she chuckled, her expression was expectant.

  I sat at the counter while she made an espresso. “We have to go. Mia and I.”

  She frowned. “So soon? Why?”

  “She’s in trouble and that trouble caught up with us this afternoon.”

  She put the small cup of espresso in front of me but didn’t speak, just kept her eyes on mine. I reached into my pocket for my revolver, but as soon as she saw it, she shook her head no.

  “Gran.” It was what I used to call her when I was little. It had been a long time since I’d called her that.

  “Put that away. What sort of trouble?”

  “Bad sort. I don’t want anyone to have linked you to this somehow.”

  She studied me. “I’m sorry I couldn’t take you and Charlie, Julien. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there when you needed me. I regret that still. Daily.” Her eyes moistened but she didn’t cry, just waited for me to respond to her confession. It was probably the first time she’d said that out loud.

  I looked at this old woman in front of me, this aged version of my mother — even though I didn’t really remember what my mom looked like anymore. It was the eyes. They were the same.

  “Past is past,” I said, meaning it, knowing I’d forgiven her even if it wasn’t a conscious thing. In a way, realizing that, knowing that I’d forgiven her, I’d also forgiven myself — at least a little.

  Mia walked into the café then. The girl just couldn’t seem to listen, couldn’t do as she was told.

  “I have everything,” she said.

  “You were supposed to stay put.”

  “I wanted to say goodbye to your grandmother.” Gianna came around the counter and hugged her while I took the bags out of Mia’s hands.

  “Will you be back?” Gran asked once I stood, ready to go.

  “I hope so,” Mia said, before I could answer — and I realized then how close they’d grown over the short time we’d been here.

  “If anyone comes, Gran—”

  “I may be old, but I can take care of myself, Julien. Don’t worry about me. “

  One of the old men who always seemed to be at the café stood up. “Your grandmother is safe. If anyone wanted to harm her, they’d have to deal with me first.”

  “And me,” another man added.

  I smiled at the crew of them, the two old men and my grandmother, and I believed them. They may have looked past their prime, but I had a feeling they could indeed hold their own.

  “Take care of Mia. And Mia, you take care of my grandson. He’s all the family I’ve got left. I expect to see both of you back here soon.”

  “We have to go. Gran. You have my phone number. Call me with anything. Understand? Anything at all.”

  She nodded and for the first time since I had been a kid, I hugged my grandmother again. She felt small, but strong, and I squeezed her tighter. “I’ll see you again, Gran.”

  “Promise it.” She sniffled at my shoulder and I patted her back.

  “I promise.”

  When we pulled back, she quickly ran the back of her hand over her eyes, then gave Mia one more hug. “Take care of each other.”

  “We have to go.”

  “Good bye, Gianna,” Mia said as I pulled her along. I looked back once more just before we walked out the door.

  I’d made a promise, and I intended to keep that promise.

  “I just have to check one thing. Get settled, Mia.” After loading the bags, I retrieved my phone and opened the email from Cash. It contained the usual, a coded file to which only he and I knew the password. The file downloaded slowly, the text appearing first before any photos, and my chest tightened as I read the message.

  The amount was one million dollars for delivery. Alive was preferable, but they would take dead — for a lesser payment, of course. But dead was only once she’d disclosed the location of a certain book. A telephone number and the delivery address were listed, along with the name of the buyer.

  I felt like I was going to vomit.

  The target’s name was listed next along with birthdate and last known whereabouts. I closed the trunk as the photograph slowly loaded, almost pixel by pixel, and there she was, the photograph of Mia taken before I knew her. I looked at it, looked at her smiling face, then looked at the back of her head as she settled in before she turned to me and smiled.

  I smiled back and pushed my phone into my pocket, making my way to the driver’s side.

  “Ready, Mia?”

  She nodded. “You called her Gran,” she said as I backed the car out.

  “I did.”

  She squeezed my arm. “I’m glad.”

  * * *

  We drove until midnight then took a hotel along the highway. I know Mia noticed the change in my mood, but she didn’t ask about it. After a quick bite to eat, we went up to our room.

  “So do you think we can just disappear? I mean, what are we going to do if Jason is—”

  I gathered her up in my arms, loosening the embrace when she flinched. Her back would still be sore and I wasn’t in the mood to talk about Jason. Not yet.

  “Come here, let me have a look at you.” I kissed her as I said it, my cock already standing at attention at the thought of having
her naked soon. The intention was to distract her as much as it was to be close to her again.

  One million dollars. One million to deliver her to her stepfather. It doubled the payment she offered me.

  “Tell me something. Did you tell Allison about our deal this morning?”

  “Am I in trouble again?” she asked, stiffening.

  “No, I already told you we’re clear. I just want to know what you told her.”

  “I told her you were helping me. I told her how I ran into you the day Jason’s men had come and why you were helping me. Why I couldn’t call her again until everything was settled.”

  And I guessed Allison had passed that message on to her brother or father, or both, who would know about the murdered woman at the hotel across from Mia’s hotel room, the one Jason had sent his goons to. I wondered if father and son were working together now, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was that if they contacted Cash, they knew about me. I didn’t believe in coincidences like this one.

  “Julien?” Mia said, looking nervous.

  I shook my head, shrugging off the thoughts. There was time for that, but not now. Now was time for something else. Looking down at her, I saw how small she was, how vulnerable. Without another word, I pulled her to me, one hand at the back of her head, the other on her hip. I crushed my mouth onto hers, my hard cock pressing against her soft belly while she opened for my tongue.

  “I’m running out of clothes,” she mumbled through my kiss when I pulled her blouse out of her jeans.

  “I will take care,” I said, smiling a little. “Although naked is always nice with you.”

  Breaking our kiss, I pulled her top off. She wasn’t wearing a bra, but her breasts were small enough that she didn’t need to, and I imagined the straps would have cut into her shoulders and back. Kissing her again, I undid her jeans and pushed them off as she worked my t-shirt over my head. Placing my weapon on the nightstand, I helped Mia step out of her jeans so she stood naked but for a pair of lacy white panties.

  Sitting on the bed, I grabbed her wrists to stop her when she began to push them down. I held her like that and looked at her, at the faint pink lines of the whip, at her otherwise flawless skin.