For two years in Dylan’s compound, that had been my only role. And today, on this morning when the sun shone brightly, I couldn’t stomach it anymore. I got dressed in one of my own items of clothing. Functional bra and panties, a pair of olive-green cargo pants and a grey tank top. My hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Absolutely no make-up graced my skin.
On the first day of a three-month contract, it prickled to feel like property. I needed desperately to feel like my own person.
***
Of course I was followed. There was a team of three men that tailed me, alternating so they wouldn’t be too obvious. Had I not been trained, I would have never known.
It wasn’t a surprise. He’d paid a million dollars for me. You wouldn’t buy a diamond ring for a million dollars and fail to insure it, would you? It was the same with me. That was all these men were. Insurance.
I ignored the sour taste in my mouth. I’d come to the auction knowing full well what was going to be in store for me. As much as Alexander was kind to me, he was still on remarkably convivial terms with Sylvia. He was Dylan’s financier. He’d paid a million dollars for me without the slightest flinch.
It would be a mistake to focus only on the kindness. It would be a mistake to forget who he was. It would be a mistake to underestimate him.
I was too much of a trained operative to contemplate going anywhere close to Lucien. I didn’t even know where he was and I wasn’t about to use the phone Alexander had given me to find out. I wasn’t an idiot. Each call would be logged. I just knew that he’d be close enough to pull me out if I needed.
That was a reminder. I dialled the number of my ‘sister’ in Cleveland. This had been a carefully hatched plan. There was a woman standing by, waiting for my calls. The number was even registered to Alicia Fullerton. Enough of a cover had been created to fool Madame Lorraine’s investigators. Plus, since I knew I couldn’t call Lucien, this was a way to get coded messages to him.
“Jenny,” the woman on the other end of the line shrieked. She was good. She even sounded happy to hear from me. Lucien must have impressed on her the absolute need to maintain the cover story.
“Alicia,” I replied lightly. I’d told Madame Lorraine that my sister didn’t know what I was doing and that she thought I was simply taking a much-needed vacation. “I finally got a phone, so I thought I’d call and check in on you.” We exchanged shallow pleasantries. I asked some questions about her health. She responded with some assurances. It was weird having what was supposedly a loving, intimate conversation with your sister with a total stranger. If anyone was listening to our conversation, I wondered how convincing I sounded.
In code, I mentioned I was fine. Unhurt. I would call Lucien tomorrow morning.
Once I was done with that chore, I walked rather aimlessly. I headed out of the glitzy portion of Bangkok and back towards Khao San Road. There, I found a little café that catered to Western tastes. I ordered myself a latte and sat down, revelling in the blissful air-conditioning that permeated the space.
He found me there, when I’d finished about half my beverage. It was inevitable, was it not? I didn’t believe in fate, but it seemed that no matter where I went, he was there. Alexander. Marc. Whatever he choose to call himself.
“I thought it was okay to get a coffee,” I started in apology, hating the words out of my mouth even as I spoke. I sounded afraid and servile and I was none of that. All I’d done was go get a cup of coffee. Only someone trained with Dylan’s particular brand of punishment would deem that a sin.
“It is.” His only reaction to my nervousness was a slight tightening of his lips.
“I’m sorry,” I started again. I didn’t know why I was apologizing over and over. Too much was confusing. My brain was shutting down. The girl that Dylan had trained was rising to the fore. That girl wasn’t fearless or amused or brave. That girl only felt terror.
“Jenny.” His voice was firm. “Will you calm down, please? I’m not annoyed.” He sat down and ordered a latte as well. “Did you eat lunch?” he asked me.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, I forgot.”
“Apologizing again. Please stop. I haven’t eaten either. Shall we grab a sandwich here or do you want to head somewhere else?”
I didn’t care. “This is fine,” I replied. “How did you know where to find me?” I didn’t think he would answer honestly, but I was curious as to what he’d say.
“Some of my guards are following you,” he said openly. “Please don’t be offended. I don’t want to constrain your movements in any way. But I’m a rich man and as long as you are associating with me, you’ll fall under my protection.”
What would it feel like to be really protected by Alexander? Marc had made me feel protected and cherished in Paris but in a way that felt warm, not suffocating. But Marc didn’t really exist and Alexander was allowed access to Dylan’s Vietnamese compound whenever he desired.
“Okay,” I replied simply, before realizing that if Jenny had never left America, she’d be a lot more worried. “Should I be concerned for my safety?”
He shook his head. “Of course not, cherie,” he soothed. “Most of the time, you won’t notice the guards.”
We both ordered sandwiches and ate them in silence. When we were done eating, I reached for my purse automatically to pay my share and his eyes followed the movement. His lips twisted. “I’ve got this,” he said.
“I hate not paying for myself,” I replied quietly. I didn’t know why I was telling him this. But right from the start, I had found it difficult to maintain my cover around this man. Something about him made me want to tell him the truth and to show him who I really was. He invited realness. “Surely it’s enough that you’ve bid a million dollars for me for the next three months. And the dresses…” My voice trailed off unhappily. “I’m not used to being a kept woman, Alexander.” I didn’t mention the jewelry. I had to believe that was just a loan.
His hand closed over mine. “Jenny.” His voice caressed my soul. “The clothes are necessary so you don’t feel out of place in my world. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” He sighed. “I use the auction because it’s time-bound. A three month term, nothing more. For reasons I don’t want to get into, I’m not looking for anything longer than that. But beyond that, can we just let the auction go?” He tried a small smile. “I hate that you are afraid of me.”
My heart hurt at his tone but how could I be anything other than afraid? In Paris two years ago, I’d surmounted my fear because he’d just been a guy in a bar. But now I knew that wasn’t true and every memory of every torment I’d received at Dylan’s hands and at the hands of his bodyguards played in an unending reel in my mind.
But I needed to pretend in order to get to Dylan. Alexander was offering me the perfect way forward. I nodded. “I’m sorry,” I replied. “I guess I have a lot more baggage than I’d realized about my former master.” I tried to keep my voice sincere. “I wasn’t trying to fool anyone, Alexander. I thought I’d gotten over my issues. I didn’t think I’d be afraid. You haven’t given me any reason to fear you. Can we start over?”
“Of course, cherie,” he said warmly. “Now, I’m at your disposal all day. We fly out to Paris tonight, unless you want to stay and sightsee longer in Bangkok?”
I did want to be brave. That wasn’t a lie. But every time he said Paris, part of me thought of Sylvia and panic overtook me.
The other part of me remembered Marc and our night together with yearning. I wasn’t sure which part I should fear most.
“I’ve been here for nearly two weeks,” I told him. “I’ve seen most of the sights.”
“Do you want to go shopping?” he asked.
“Oh god no,” I responded automatically. I was never very good in malls. I’d been abducted from one. It had been six years since that day and I could force myself to go to one if I had to. But I much preferred to avoid them. “I hate shopping and besides, Mrs. Suramongkol set me up with more clothes than I’
m going to need in my lifetime. There’s one temple I wouldn’t mind going back to, if you don’t mind doing tourist things?”
“Lead the way.”
I took him to the temple complex of Wat Pho. It was crowded with tourists taking photos and Thai families worshipping but most of them clustered around the giant reclining Buddha in one of the buildings. I headed instead for the quiet tucked away corner, where smaller statues of seated Buddhas were set in arches all around the little courtyard.
There was no one around. The sun shone and I could feel trickles of sweat inch down the vee between my breasts. Far off screams of children playing could be heard in the air but we were very much alone. I folded myself down to a seated position at a corner. “Sit,” I invited.
He raised an eyebrow but followed my lead. I suppressed a snort of rather hysterical laughter. I had no idea why I had brought him here. Every time I was in Bangkok, I tried to come to this little courtyard at least once. It was quiet and peaceful and I felt nourished by the space. Here, I could close my eyes and allow the memories to recede to the background. Here, I could forget the rapes and the beatings and the men I’d killed in response to what had been done to me. Here, I could hope there was a way forward after I’d killed Dylan.
In this tiny courtyard, I would allow myself to dream. Now, I’d brought him here, the man who had featured in many of my dreams over the last two years.
It should have felt like a violation. But I leaned my head on his shoulder without even consciously thinking about it and I closed my eyes.
“Why do you like it here, Jenny?” His voice was barely audible.
“Look at it, Alexander,” I whispered. “It’s so peaceful. Here, I can forget things.”
“Things like your sister’s illness?”
It was my cover story, so I nodded. “Not just that, though,” I said. I needed to be real with him. I’d always needed to be real with him. “It helps me forget my former master.”
“You are very brave for going through with the auction.” His fingers linked in mine.
“Brave or desperate?” My voice was wry. “I didn’t have many other choices.” It was perfectly true, only I wasn’t talking about a sister with leukemia. I was talking about Dylan.
“Mm.” He kissed my forehead. “I like your honesty.”
“I thought you’d be angry that I’m not exactly what you bid for?”
He chuckled. “I’ve done this a few times before,” he responded. “No one is ever exactly who they think they are. People are complex and layered. Just because someone is submissive in bed, it doesn’t make them two-dimensional.” His fingers brushed at my neck. “I’m going to enjoy getting to know the real Jenny Fullerton. The one who is more than a very sparsely filled checklist.”
I shivered. Jenny Fullerton didn’t exist and Ellie Samuelson couldn’t be revealed to Alexander. It would be a death sentence to let him in too close. But I stayed where I was and I didn’t pull away. I was playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette.
***
Alexander:
Each little bit of realness she revealed felt like a precious gift.
Jean-Luc was doing his own investigations. No doubt it involved tracing her every movement in Bangkok, following the paper trail to Cleveland, and finding her supposedly sick sister.
Me, I did things my own way. I listened.
There was much more to her than was initially visible. There had been hints in Paris, of course. But I added up the pieces she revealed.
She was fiercely independent, unconcerned with material things. She hadn’t reached for any of the clothes I’d purchased. She was dressed in a pair of pants that had seen better days, and a faded t-shirt. No jewelry, no make-up. She’d reached for the check automatically, almost shocking me with the move. It had been a very long time since a woman had offered to pay for a meal around me.
Her former master had punished her painfully, and that helped explain why she was skittish. More than that, in Saint Denis, she’d told me she hadn’t had sex in four years. Whatever he’d done to her had made her afraid of sex.
That prompted my comment on her bravery, which had elicited an admission from her. She didn’t feel like she had a choice about this auction.
She found genuine solace in this temple courtyard. It was a place of refuge for her and she’d still brought me here. That knowledge filled me with pleasure. I’d done something very similar in Paris two years ago. Almost on instinct, I’d taken her to a home that I had never shared with anyone else.
I had no doubt she was dangerous, but I couldn’t muster up caution around her. If she was a threat, I was being a fool.
I had three months. There was time to win her trust, take her to my bed and uncover her secrets. Maybe there was enough time to even reveal a few of my own.
Chapter 15
Ellie / Jenny:
He had a private plane. Of course.
There were comfortable black leather lounge chairs. There were work tables and power ports where you could plug in your laptop. There was even a queen-size bed.
“Must be nice,” I said dryly. I gaped openly at the opulence. “It sure puts the auction into context.” We’d sat during take-off but the plane was now in the air, flying towards Paris. The scene of so many memories.
He laughed aloud. “This plane did cost more than a million dollars,” he agreed, “but then again, I get to keep it for longer than three months.” His eyes glinted at me. “I’m going to sleep, Jenny. Want to join me in bed?”
At some point during the hours I’d spent wandering through Bangkok with him, I’d unconsciously relaxed around him. He was still Alexander Hamilton, still an associate of Dylan and Sylvia. I wasn’t going to forget that. However, my tightly clenched knot of fear had slowly unravelled. I would need to be careful around him, but terror didn’t seem necessary.
There was chemistry between us that wouldn’t be denied. I nodded. “I’d like that.”
He held my gaze for a long instant. “Good.”
Alexander had made a phone call and someone had taken care of the packing of all my new clothing and jewelry for me, but I’d stuffed a pair of dresses and some pretty lingerie into a new brown calf-leather carry-on. I pulled out one of these pieces now, a night-blue silk nightgown that clung to every inch of my body. It dipped low in the front and the swell of my breasts were clearly visible, as was the bottom of my ass. If I stretched my arms over my head, my pussy would be on full display for him. I brushed my teeth in the bathroom and then made my way to the bedroom.
He was wearing a pair of boxers and I eyed him hungrily. I had remembered him having a perfect body and my memories hadn’t failed me. Tightly corded muscles, a flat stomach and a happy trail that disappeared into the waistband of his shorts...
I gulped as moisture flooded my pussy and he chuckled. “That’s a flattering reaction, cherie.” He patted the bed next to him. “Get settled.” He left to go to the bathroom.
I lay on my back on the luxurious bed and wondered if Alexander would have sex with me now. I wasn’t flinching away from him. I wasn’t terrified. All that was left was desire.
He came back to the bedroom and my eyes followed his every move. He raised an eyebrow at me as he settled down on the bed, facing me. I reached my hand out to touch his chest and he inhaled. “Your breasts are practically falling out of that gown, Jenny,” he said. “Your nipples are clearly visible under that fabric. Your body begs to be touched.”
“Touch me then.”
He gave me a slow, panty-melting smile. “You’ll have to be quiet,” he ordered, “or both Anne-Marie and the pilots are going to know exactly what we are doing here.”
“Yes Sir,” I whispered.
His eyes heated when I used that term. “Red, yellow and green okay as your safe words?”
“Yes Sir,” I said again.
I wondered if the choice of location was deliberately designed to reassure me. He couldn’t hurt me too much on the plane, not with t
he pilots and Anne-Marie only steps away. Or was he so powerful that they wouldn’t intervene to protect me?
Relax, I scolded myself. I had no evidence that he was going to hurt me. I was letting my imagination get carried away.
“Nervous again,” he commented.
“A little.” There was no point denying it. He could read my emotions well.
“Come closer,” he said to me. He got to his knees. “Here. Lie on your stomach.”
His hands ran over my body, pressing into my shoulders, helping me relax. I sighed and let him. I was being a terrible submissive, but I was going to take what Alexander had said at face value. He didn’t appear to be too concerned with the ‘rules’ of what I should and shouldn’t be doing. Besides, his touch felt like heaven.
I parted my legs in invitation as his hands traced the curve of my spine. I was ready for more. My flash of nerves had evaporated and arousal smouldered in its wake. “Sir,” I groaned. “Please.”
“Hush.” He kissed the back of my neck. “What’s your hurry, cherie?”
He had more or less used the same words two years ago when I had moaned and writhed in his arms. He’d smiled and asked me what my hurry was then and I remembered that I’d said something pert.
But with Alexander, my body went from smoulder to fire-alarm blaze in mere seconds. I couldn’t help my impatience. I didn’t want to wait. I yearned to feel his weight over my body, to gasp out his name as his cock plunged in me.
Two years back, I had been more assertive. I’d reached out and taken what I wanted. But now, he was my Dominant, though he’d yet to assert that right in any real way.
“I need you, Sir,” I whimpered. In a way, it was a relief that I’d have to call him Sir in a session. Because I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t slip up and call him Marc. Then, it would all be over. “I want your cock in me.”
“Life is full of unfulfilled wants, cherie.” His voice was amused. “But this isn’t one of them. Still, patience. What’s the hurry? We have a few hours before we land.”
Bought (Assassin's Revenge Book 2) Page 12