Esther bowed her head. “He saved you.”
“He did, and he became like a son to my brother. He was honoured, but he never truly fitted in with any of us. Jahn didn’t agree with what my brother was doing and in the end he killed him and the rest of my brothers.”
“But he didn’t kill you. Why?”
“That’s another story, and one I don’t want to talk about. And it’s time I was going.” He pulled a large, slim phone from his inner jacket pocket and tossed it on the bed. “You obviously know how to cover your tracks and this is too fancy for me. You have food, water, everything you need. It’s time I was going.”
Esther frowned as she looked at the phone. “Where did you get this?”
“It was Asya’s. She won’t be needing it.”
Esther was frowning as she thumbed through the apps. “You shouldn’t have taken this.”
“Perhaps not. It was just there and I thought you might be able to use it.”
“No.” Esther shook her head. “You don’t understand. Anyone who knows Asya had this phone would be able to find her.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You need to get us both out of here, now. They’ll know our exact location.”
Eddie frowned. “Asya is dead. Leo’s men are dead. There is no-one left to want either of us…”
The phone suddenly began chiming a melody and Esther tossed it down on the bed. Eddie frowned and reached for it.”
“Hello?”
A refined and quiet voice replied. “Mr. Utkin. Having found your niece and Leo’s men deceased, I must assume my business is with you now.”
Eddie breathed deeply. “Who is this?”
“My name is not important. What you need to know is that there are two sniper rifles trained on your flat, but I’m reluctant to do anything that’s going to invite unwanted attention. I’d rather negotiate a transaction between us. I assume you’re eager to leave the country and I’d like to help you do that, in exchange for the girl, provided you haven’t killed her or harmed her too badly.”
“The girl is fine.”
“That’s good. Within twenty-four hours, I can get you a new identity, passport, flights and a generous amount of money. All you need to do is bring the girl to me today, quietly and without attracting any attention. The least people who know about this, the better.”
“Bring her where, and what guarantees do I get that you won’t put a bullet between my eyes?”
“Because it is not in my interest to kill you. There are enough bodies to contend with without yours, and you are no threat to me. You killed your niece. I have to assume you are as eager as I am to tie up loose ends and benefit from a very messy situation. All I want is the girl, but you are welcome to choose the time and place we meet, but it has to be today.”
“I need to think about this.”
“Of course. I will ring you back in half hour, but understand, that the snipers will remain outside your flat. They will also be accompanying me to your choice of meeting place, until our deal is concluded.”
Eddie hung up and looked at Esther who was eyeing him angrily.
“I take it, that your plans have changed.”
“What can I say?” Eddie shrugged. “I either hand you over or I get shot walking out the door and they take you anyway.”
“Do you really believe he’s going to leave you alive?”
“Of course not, but I have more chance of staying alive if I do what he wants, and so do you.”
“He’ll torture me to get what he wants. I’d rather they just shoot me.”
“Asya told me they want the location of Zaleski’s house. What’s so fucking important about it?”
“It’s not the house, it’s what’s inside it.”
“Which is?”
“A computer.”
“Then let them have it, and we might both live.”
“No, because there are lives at stake, hundreds of them worldwide that could be traced through information on that system. I would never betray them.” She looked up at him. “You could kill me first. Then they’d have no reason to come after you.”
Eddie’s face grew furious and he leant in towards her. “Get it through your blonde head that I’m not going to kill you. I paid a high price for your life, and I’m not going to give up on it as easily as you’re prepared to.”
Esther frowned at him. “Why would you care?”
“Because I do. Let’s just leave it at that. We have half an hour to stack the odds in our favour and maybe we might both get out alive.”
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
.It was becoming clearer that Yvette and Carl were doing a remarkable job. Dylan looked at the artillery all back in the underground safes of the shed, along with his black canvas bag and leather jacket. Ignoring the heavier weapons, he selected a Berretta to go into his shoulder holster as he slipped a spare magazine into his pocket. Unfolding a velvet cloth, he took three of six small curved knives and clipped them to his belt. A larger one was put in the sheath in his boot.
His black military trousers and thick belt were far from the comfort of track pants. The worst was crouching down to do up his boots, with the agonising pain in his ribs.
Taking a last survey of what he would need, Dylan noticed the phone that Mairead had given him to track her. Pushing the power button, it was lifeless, but a further search in the bag found the charger.
Going to a power point, he plugged it in and powered it up. Thumbing the tracking app, he frowned to see that the red dot was still active and not where it should be. Mairead was in a private hospital, north of the city. The dot was central. For a moment he was confused and then he grinned.
“Well done, Mairead.”
He dismissed any idea of calling Yvette, without knowing who was at the location. Checking the time, it was under two hours before Vanessa would be there. All he could do now was keep the phone charging and watch for any change, and he still had Lena to contend with. Picking up his jacket, he put it on to cover anything that would alarm her.
Returning to the house, he spied her sitting out on the seat near the rosebushes. Her dark hair shone in the sun and she wore a loose white top over three quarter pants. She sat leaning her arm on the back of the seat and staring out at the mountains in the distance. Even from where he stood, he could see how miserable she was.
Perhaps being brutally honest hadn’t been the wisest decision, but it was pointless to tell her now how wrong he had been. It had taken him years to realise that she was all he had ever needed.
It was only when Tammy had barged into his life that he had understood his attraction to women like her and Lena. It was in the caring for them, having that gentle, playful innocence near him, needing his authority. Neither of them wanted to be ruled by him. They wanted to be cherished and loved, while their desire for discipline was met in a much more paternal manner.
For someone who had tried so hard not to love, he had failed with Tammy and Lena. Both of them had required something from him that was far more challenging than the harshest sessions with a slave. He had never forgotten how he had stressed over perfecting that first time with Lena, fearing he wouldn’t live up to her expectations. His ego would have taken a battering, something like it had done in the past few months. The very least he owed her was to try to explain that to her and offer a decent apology, as long as he didn’t fuck that up as well.
Just looking at her, he ached to hold her and would have given anything to see her happy. It had been so much easier in Ukraine, when he his stern demeanour had only incited her mischief and determination to test him. Dylan frowned as his thoughts stirred other aching parts of his body.
“Don’t do it,” he whispered, even as he headed in her direction.
As he approached, Lena turned to look at him and he was surprised to see her smile. It didn’t hide her eyes that were red and weary with crying.
“You look very dangerous,” she remarked, looking at his clothing. �
��Is it time to go?”
“No. We still have a couple of hours to go.”
“Good. I like it out here. This is beautiful.” She gazed up at him. “Are you going to sit with me for a while?”
He nodded and sat down. He was still trying to gather the right words when Lena spoke again.
“Jahn, I’m sorry. I’ve behaved very badly and I’ve tried to blame you for the mistakes that I made.”
Dylan shook his head. “Lena…”
“No. I’ve been sitting here thinking about how foolish I have been over something that existed between us so long ago.” She laughed softly. “It has to be some kind of record for holding a grudge for being dumped. It’s good that you got out or I might have been one of those psycho stalker girlfriends.”
“Lena, I…”
“I would like it if we parted as friends. I think our friendship was very real and we had some good fun together. I’d like to think that friendship would always exist between us and maybe if our paths crossed again some years from now, we would have a good laugh about this, and…”
His kiss brought her words to an abrupt end. Its passion demanded her surrender to him and Lena relaxed into his embrace, allowing him the release of what he had wanted to do the moment he had seen her in that spa bath.
It was about the most foolish thing he could have done at that moment, but Dylan no longer cared. All that mattered was how good she felt in his arms, the taste of her mouth and the scent of her body. He released her lips enough to see her gazing at him in confusion.
“Jahn, I…”
“Shut up,” he told her firmly. “I want to hear yes or no out of you. Do you still love me?”
She smiled. “Yes.”
He nodded. “Good, because you’ve have behaved badly and I plan to do something about it.”
Lena swallowed nervously. “Like what?”
“You’re going to return to your room, stand yourself in the corner and I’ll be along in a moment to tan your arse as promised, whether you want it or not, or whether I have the right to or not, and then I’m going to make love to you, and the only thing I want to hear out of your mouth right now is ‘yes, Jahn.’ Is that clearly understood?”
Lena swallowed again. “Yes, Jahn.”
He smiled. “Good girl. Get moving.”
She was up and walking quickly, even running, back to the house. Dylan watched her as he slowly got up and followed, shaking his head. There was every chance that she would come to her senses and not be there waiting for him, and then his own heart would break a little. At least the decision would be hers.
It would take a few minutes to disarm himself and remove his boots before he went to her, and once he got there, the pain in his ribs was going to be enormous. Not that he would allow her to know that. Anything he suffered for her now couldn’t compare to his last chance of seeing her happy.
* * * * *
“What the hell am I doing?” Lena clutched her hands and gazed nervously about the bedroom.
The night before, she had acquainted herself with the sinister props in the room, the restraints on the massive four poster bed; a cupboard that housed canes, belts, floggers and whips, and drawers with condoms, anal plugs, dildos and vibrators. There were two paddles and a heavy wooden hairbrush on a mirrored dresser.
She stood there, trembling and looking at herself. This was a far cry from the tiny bedroom in Ukraine with all its simplicity. What she was seeing was the representation of a man she had never met, but who existed in her Jahn. Maybe it was time to know this unseen side of him.
It was too late to change her mind. The moment he had kissed her, all her effort to retain some dignity had gone. If she had been able to summon an ounce of pride, she would be getting out of there.
Lena smiled at her reflection and shook her head. “What’s love got to do with pride? He wants you and that’s all that matters, even if he only feels sorry for you.”
She felt excited as she went to a corner in the room and stood there, allowing her imagination to take free rein. Once again, she was the naughty wife who had disobeyed her husband and had to be punished. It was all there, the vulnerability, the anxiety and that wonderful edge of fear, and there was a lot to be fearful about.
Jahn had tolerated her behaviour far beyond what any husband should endure, and now her bottom was going to pay the price. After so long, it was hard to remember what a spanking felt like. Lena could remember having had a few heartfelt howls when Jahn had last spanked her, but it couldn’t have been that bad. Of course it would hurt, but it was that warmth that worked its way right between her legs that made it so exciting.
Her musing came to an end as she heard the door open. She wanted to look at him, but her silly act of contrition suddenly felt quite embarrassing. Jahn was probably highly amused. She heard him move about the room, open and shut a drawer and then silence. It was the longest minute of her life.
“Lena.” His voice was quiet but firm. “Come here.”
Her face was burning as she made the short journey to where he was sitting on the bed, stopping a foot away from him.
“Right here,” he said, moving his legs apart.
The embarrassment factor was always exciting. When she was close enough his hands came around to cup her bottom. Lena breathed out slowly, gazing down into his frowning face.
“I was pleased to see you standing in the corner,” he said. “It tells me that you understand that you accept that there are some behaviour issues that need to be dealt with.”
“Yes, Jahn,” she nodded, glancing at what he’d put on the bed. There was a jar of something and a conical shaped device in clear packaging. “What are they?”
Dylan grinned, and picked up the package. “This is an anal plug which is going into your bottom after your spanking.”
Lena shook her head. “I don’t think I want that.”
“It’s not about what you want, Lena. You’re being punished and I decide how punishment is administered.” He picked up the jar. “This is a lube of my own making. It has a little heat to it, but nothing that will be unpleasant. You’re going to have to trust me.”
“I do trust you,” she pouted. “I trust that you’re going to make my bottom very sore.”
“And you’d be right. Now let’s get these pants off.” He tugged them down and drew them off, throwing them onto a chair before patting his thigh. “Make yourself comfortable.”
Lena winced as she bent over and lay her upper body onto the bed. Unable to see his face, she felt embarrassed that his attention was now entirely on her bottom.
He pushed her top up high on her back and his arm went around her waist like a steel band. The entirety of her lower body was reacting. Her stomach felt taut and her vagina and anus were clenching. Even her thighs were quivering. She groaned quietly when his hand came to rest on her panties and glided over her plump mounds.
“Not too hard, Jahn,” she insisted. “It’s been a long time.”
“How long?”
“Since the last time you spanked me.”
“What?” His hand stilled. “Are you telling me Danil didn’t want a piece of this?”
Lena smiled sadly. “Danil thought I was a little strange. When we were first married, I made suggestions, but he got angry and said that he would never do something so disrespectful to a woman, and that I was wrong to want such things. He gave me lectures on abused women and how I was mocking them. He made me very confused in a way that I never was with you.”
“Lena, get up,” Dylan demanded quietly.
Frowning, Lena eased herself up to stand in front of him. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m about to bare your backside and punish you for your behaviour. It’s going to hurt… a lot, and you’ll be bawling by the time I’m finished. If you think I’m abusing you or being disrespectful, you need to tell me that now.”
She smiled. “I’ve never known anyone who has more respect for my bottom.”
“Lena, I’m be
ing serious.”
“And so am I,” she told him. “I told you, I never felt confused when I was with you, and I never felt ashamed.”
“I’m not going to lie to you.” His gaze was intense. “I love disciplining you and having authority over you, but if it became something you didn’t want, I wouldn’t harm a hair on your head. I want nothing now but your happiness.”
“Are you saying you would give it all up for me?”
He smiled. “Yes.”
“That’s good to know,” she grinned. “Now, I’ll have to find myself a man who does know how to deal with me. There was one I knew, in Ukraine. He was a handsome fighter, who didn’t put up with any nonsense from me. If I played up, it was straight over his knee and down to business, no questions asked whether I wanted it or not. If I didn’t want it, I learnt to behave myself.”
Dylan peered at her. “That’s not so easy these days. There are rules and…”
“There is trust,” she said, gazing at him. “And I’ve never met a man I ever trusted so much.”
“In that case,” he grinned. “Get back where you were and hurry up.”
Lena giggled as she lay back over him. Dylan took his time, peeling her panties down over her cheeks and sliding them all the way off. His hand skated over each bare cheek, cupping handfuls of them and gently squeezing.
“I could admire your bottom all day and night.” His breathing became heavier as he pulled back on a cheek and exposed her anus. “Every beautiful part of it.”
Lena blushed and clenched with embarrassment. “Jahn, don’t, please.”
“Keep quiet,” he growled. “And stick that bottom up with your legs wide open.
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