Tortured Soul

by Kirsty Dallas

  “You’ve caused quite the conundrum, Pet,” drawled Jonas, bringing my attention back to him. “But it seems I have found a way to turn this all around.” He gave the mysterious man at his side a quick glance before he stood and moved towards me. It took everything I had not to take a step away from him as he got within reach. His fingers gripped my chin painfully, forcing my head to one side, inspecting the bruise, most likely already forming from Nate’s fist.

  “She was argumentative.” Nate shrugged.

  “Isn’t she always?” Jonas smirked. No, I thought to myself. I had been sickeningly submissive and compliant for far too long. “Kneel,” Jonas growled, any trace of humor gone.

  Before I had a chance to argue, my knees were hit from behind and I fell painfully to the floor. I breathed deeply through my nose, using all the strength I could muster not to cry out. Instead of relaxing into the submissive posture I had been taught, I held my head high and stared at Jonas defiantly.

  He snickered as he turned to the man who had been sitting at his side. “Mr. Grekov, your merchandise. I must apologize for the bruises, however, they will heal. The scars are...” He waved a hand in the air dismissively. “Well, as I told you, she’s a little banged up but still quite beautiful. And she is trained to the highest standard as a slave. I assure you this little act of insubordination will be easily removed with the appropriate punishment. Water has been quite effective on her in the past.”

  Mr. Grekov put out his cigarette and rose. He was indeed tall and solid. An air of danger radiated from him as he moved towards me. I couldn’t stop the shudder that slid over my body. This man was going to buy me—this man procured slaves—he was just like Jonas, filled with evil, but there was something else, something more to him. My new master circled me once before crouching down in front of me, too close for comfort. I tried not to squirm under his assessing eyes, which bored into mine as if seeking out my soul. This man was no doubt the scariest thing I had ever met, but there was definitely something else behind his stare. His large clenched fist rose to my shoulder, and I flinched ever so slightly. Rather than hit me though, the back of his knuckles slid down my arm. I tried hard not to recoil at the gesture. When his hand found mine in my lap, the most startling thing happened. A cold sharp pocket sized object was placed in my fist, and my fingers were encouraged to close over it. It was a knife.

  “Ona dovol'no prekrasen,” the man murmured with a thick accent.

  I looked nervously at Jonas who was partly hidden behind the hulking figure. He obviously didn’t notice the interaction to be anything out of the ordinary. Jonas glanced at a tall man standing close by with an arched brow.

  “He finds her attractive,” the man translated for Jonas. My hands trembled and I clenched them together to prevent anyone from noticing. The blade in my palm cut into my skin, reminding me of its presence.

  Mr. Grekov stood and moved away. “Den'gi,” the mysterious man growled.

  The tall man who had translated held up a briefcase that one of Jonas’ men took. He was quick to open it and started counting the bundled money inside. This was a transaction, an exchange of human life for cash. The thought filled my blood with anger.

  Jonas moved to stand in front of me again. “You lost me a buyer, tarnished my reputation, and forced me to close several of my businesses. You put quite a dent in my funds, Pet. Luckily for me, I found a buyer looking for someone just like you. Mr. Grekov has quite the reputation for depravity,” Jonas smiled, “which you are somewhat accustomed to.”

  “I’m going to kill you,” I snarled. The words spilled free from lips having come straight from my heart.

  Jonas laughed. “Of course you are, Pet.” His sarcasm wasn’t lost on me. Jonas turned to Mr. Grekov. “Before the transaction is complete, I am going to indulge one last time. As I’m sure you can appreciate, she has been servicing me for many years. I am almost regretful to let her go.”

  Mr. Grekov didn’t argue but it his eyes flared with something close to anger.

  Jonas began to move forward, removing his belt as he did. “What do you say, Pet, one last fuck just for old time sake? Since I was your first, it only seems fitting that I be your last on American soil.”

  Nate’s hard hand grabbed one of my arms ruthlessly from behind as he prepared to hold me down for Jonas. My body seemed to slip into a state of calm resolve. I would rather die than be a filthy slave to these men any longer, and I would take as many of these animals with me in the process.

  Mr. Grekov bellowed something in a language I didn’t understand. With the knife held steady in my palm, I turned and slashed out almost blindly in Nate’s direction. He stumbled back, surprised, and his hand clutched at the blood that gushed from the deadly wound in his neck. Everything seemed to slow in that instant as I watched Nate garble rather than scream, his alarmed eyes focused on mine.

  Firm hands grabbed me as chaos erupted around us. “You fucking whore!” roared Jonas in my ear.

  I tried to swing the knife in his direction, but his strong hands grabbed my wrist as he pulled me to his chest. He easily got the knife free and raised it to my neck. All around me the room had erupted into anarchy. Armed men moved so fast I barely had time to comprehend what was happening. It was only when the room had become silent that I looked up and realized what was going on around me. My dark and deadly warrior stood before me. Braiden was panting hard and blood was dripping down his arm, his gun aimed on Jonas’ head beside mine. His face was a mask of pain and fury as he watched Jonas. He didn’t need to say anything as his eyes spoke a thousand words, most of which were death.

  Bomber and Gabbie had taken out Jonas’ men, while Mr. Grekov’s men held their own weapons steady, also trained on Jonas. What the hell just happened?

  “Let her go, and I will make sure your death is quick,” Braiden said in a voice far too calm for the anger that was etched into his handsome features.

  “If I’m going to die anyway, I might as well take her with me,” Jonas snarled.

  “Not going to happen,” Braiden said with steely conviction.

  Suddenly a large hand gripped Jonas’ wrist. It forced the knife away from my neck, and I was thrust forward into Braiden’s waiting arms. He seemed ready for whatever had happened and scooped me into his chest, while his hand still held a gun on Jonas.

  “You’re fucking working with him?” Jonas yelled in outrage.

  I chanced a glance at Mr. Grekov, who was standing behind Jonas with the now bloodied knife at Jonas’ neck.

  “Actually, he worked for me for long time. Now, we are no more than father and son, even if he does not carry the Toporov name any longer,” Mr. Grekov said in a low husky voice, thick with a Russian accent.

  I gasped at the revelation. Mr. Grekov was Alexander Toporov, the boogieman himself, Braiden’s stepfather.

  “And you fuck with my family, you fuck with me.”

  Jonas’ face paled, and I smiled. Braiden took my arms and raised them over my head, then a shirt was quickly pulled over my nude body. All the while I tried to keep my eyes on Jonas’.

  “Son?” asked Alexander as he forced Jonas to his knees.

  “He is Emily’s,” Braiden said, stepping forward between Jonas and me. “If she still wants him.”

  It took everything I had to remove my manic gaze from Jonas. Braiden was watching me, and I knew he wanted to do this. He wanted to carry this burden, and I knew he wouldn’t lose a single night’s sleep over it. He wanted to kill Jonas just as badly as I did.

  “There isn’t a chance in hell she has the stomach to kill me,” growled Jonas. “She is nothing but a useless, broken fucking whore who has been defiled in every possible way.” Jonas looked to Braiden. “I personally made sure of it. I am her master. I control her.”

  I stepped forward and slid my hand down Braiden’s arm, my hand finding the gun in his. It took a strong tug to get him to release the weapon—he wanted Jonas’ death so bad. Eventually though, he allowed me to take the warm me
tal into my hand. I took the few steps towards Jonas.

  “Go ahead and kill me, Pet, I’ll still be with you though. I bet you still dream about me. Remembering all those times I fucked you—when I took your virginity, when I shared you for the first time and had my men fuck your cunt, your ass and your mouth. What about that time I whipped your beautiful skin until you bled a river? Do you dream about that, Pet? Or maybe you dream about the times you screamed with pleasure for my guests? You are just as depraved as me and my clients, Pet.”

  “No, I’m not. I don’t get off on forcing people, and I don’t need to be forced to have orgasms anymore either. When I’m with him,” I pointed at Braiden, “I don’t think of you, ever, and I give myself to him freely.”

  Jonas sneered at me. “You will always be a slave.”

  I tilted my head much in the same way Braiden did when he was deep in thought. “No, not anymore because now I give myself willingly. My body, my heart and my soul are mine, but I share them with him.”

  “You are one fucked up crazy, Pet.” Jonas laughed with evil malice.

  “I am no one’s pet and the only thing I am crazy of is not doing this years ago.” I put the gun to his head, everything inside of me eerily calm as I did so. The look of disbelief on Jonas’ face filled me with a peace I never knew existed. He knew I was going to do it—he must have seen something in my eyes that scared him—and that knowledge caused me to smile. I pulled the trigger. Blood and brain matter splattered over me and all over the floor. Jonas slumped to nothingness at my feet. Just as I had intended, I watched the life drain from Jonas with a smile on my lips. Unable to move, Braiden carefully took the gun from my hand and pulled me into his arms.

  “It’s done, Em. He’s gone now,” he whispered.

  “Braiden!” screamed Gabbie from behind us. Braiden automatically spun around, forcing me behind him as another gun shot rang out. Braiden fell backwards into my arms, and I fell under his weight. Holding him to my body, I looked across the room to Bomber, who had fired point blank at Nate’s head, but not before he got a round off. Even with a gaping wound in his neck, face pale and death looming, Nate had managed to shoot Braiden.

  “No, no, no, no,” I chanted as my hands clutched at the red spot spreading on Braiden’s chest.

  The room exploded into action.

  “Press down on the wound,” said Alexander, handing me a shirt.

  Braiden’s eyes blinked open as I pushed the fabric down against his chest.

  “Malen’kaya,” he whispered.

  “Don’t you dare leave me. You promised you wouldn’t leave me,” I whimpered, sobbing in his ear.

  “I love you, Emily Donovan,” Braiden murmured.

  “Don’t say that to me now.” I cried harder in anger.

  “I love you so much.” His eyes fluttered shut just as he was pulled away from me.

  “Noooooo!” I screamed, scrambling to get back to him.

  “Em, he needs a hospital. Come on, we’ll follow. We’ll be right there with him.”

  Bomber’s arms practically held me up, as my legs refused to co-operate. He scooped me up into his arms and carried me from the building. I was placed into a car and Braiden was laid down beside me. I held his head in my lap as my tears fell on his face, and my hands brushed through his hair. I began to do something I hadn’t done in a long time. I prayed. I prayed for Braiden. I prayed for his life, I even offered mine in its place. I had lost so much, I refused to lose Braiden. Once we reached the hospital, Braiden was wheeled away from me, and I wasn’t allowed to follow. I nearly collapsed into sobbing hysterics. Bomber and Gabbie pulled me away and finally calmed me enough to have a nurse look me over. I was given a pair of hospital scrubs to wear and eventually collapsed into a chair in the waiting room. Rebecca, Charlie and Larz arrived at some point, and I cried into Rebecca’s shoulder as Gabbie rubbed my back soothingly. Eventually I fell asleep on Larz’s chest. When I was gently nudged awake, a tired looking doctor stood in front of me and Larz. Dillon and Bomber jumped to attention, moving forward to hover over the doctor.

  “He’s going to be fine. Bullet missed his heart by five millimeters. He should probably buy a lottery ticket when he gets out of here.”

  Bomber snorted. “Rich bastard is ass-y enough he would probably win it.”

  A tear slipped free as I stood and took a tentative step forward. “He’s okay?” I whispered.

  The doctor’s kind eyes found mine and nodded. “If you are Emily, he’s been asking for you in recovery.”

  I found myself following the doctor down a hall and into a small room full of beeping machines, smelling strongly of disinfectant. Braiden was lying on a hospital bed in the middle of the room. His skin was pale, and his eyes were shut. The nurse at his side smiled at me as I approached. She moved away a little, offering us what privacy she could. I leaned over Braiden and kissed his cheek, my tears falling at the sight of my strong warrior hurt and weak. Braiden’s eyes opened and peace descended on me. I stayed close and held his face in my hands, feeling him beneath my touch, reassuring myself that he was here and alive.

  “Are you okay?” he asked in a low husky voice.

  The sound that came out of my mouth was caught somewhere between a sob and laughter. “You didn’t leave me,” I whispered, my lips so close to his I could feel his breath tangle with mine.

  Braiden grinned that lopsided cocky grin I adored. “I promised you, didn’t I?” His gaze suddenly turned serious. “I’m going to spank your ass ten shades of red when I get you home. If you ever run off like that again, I’m going to chain you to my bed. No safe silk ties either, Em, I swear it. It’ll be chains and handcuffs for you.”

  I smiled as I pressed my lips to his. There was a time the thought of chains and handcuffs would have sent me into hysterics. Knowing Braiden was alive and the threat of being chained to his bed was pretty much a turn on right now.

  “Yes, Shakhta,” I whispered. “My ass is yours for the spanking.”

  “Damn straight,” Braiden murmured.

  CHAPTER 26

  BRAIDEN

  I woke in a dark unfamiliar room and almost jumped from the bed, my hand instinctively searching for my gun. The only thing stopping me was the uncomfortable ache in my chest and the head of hair under my hand. Glancing down I noticed Em. She was sitting in a chair by my side, her head on the bed, fast asleep. I ran my hands through her hair, reveling in the feeling of her safe and sound at my side. I hope she was mentally prepared for the idea of an arrogant, dominant, overbearing male who wasn’t prepared to let her out of his sight, because that’s what she was getting. The door to my room quietly opened and a familiar figure stepped through.

  “Privet moy syn.”

  “Hello, Alexander.”

  He moved to stand next to me, watching Em through eyes filled with humor.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I wondered out loud.

  I had no idea exactly what had happened between Alexander and Jonas, or how he came to be here, in Claymont. I had gotten lucky finding Emily. Mercy remembered she had her cell phone on her when Jonas’ men snatched her off the street in the back of the shelter. We took a gamble and followed the GPS signal on the device, which led us to the large property for sale on the outskirts of Claymont. The RFID tracker under Emily’s skin had confirmed she was in that house. Bursting through those doors and finding my stepfather in that room had come as a complete shock.

  Alexander shrugged. “It happened last minute. I made inquiries, told people I wanted woman. Levier was desperate for den'gi.” Money. “If he research properly, he would know who I am.” Alexander tore his gaze from Emily to me. “She has suffered,” he whispered.

  “More than anyone should ever,” I admitted.

  Alexander nodded and gave me his best impression of a smile. It was stiff and awkward, but it was a gesture saved only for family. “You good boy, you be good for her. Be well, son.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned for the door.


  “Father?” I rarely called him father, not since I had all but abandoned him and my family. “Thank you.”

  Alexander nodded once more. “Vy dolzhny mne.” You owe me. A small grin tugged at my lips. I expected no less. What Alexander did for me this time was big, and he wouldn’t let me forget it. “Come for dinner. Mama needs to meet her, and I would like to meet her under different circumstances.”

  I was shocked speechless. Alexander was handing me a peace offering. He was allowing me back into the family.

  “I can’t come back to work for you.”

  Alexander sighed and nodded. “You call and tell me when you both come, da?”

  “Da,” I agreed. And with that he left. Emily moved under my hand at the sound of the door closing. She turned her face towards mine and seemed surprised to find me awake.

  “Are you okay? Do you need more pain medication?”

  I shook my head, drawn into her beautiful worried eyes.

  “No, Malen’kaya, I’m fine.”

  “Who was that?” She nodded to the door as she reached for my hand.

  “Alexander. He invited us to have dinner with the family.” Emily’s eyes widened. “No strings attached. He doesn’t expect me to come back to work for him; he just wants the family to meet you.” I rubbed a thumb over the blush that stained her cheeks. “What’s that for?”

  “He saw me...like that...”

  I lifted her chin. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Alexander moved himself into a position to help you. What he saw, what he heard, it will never go beyond him.”