Dirty News (Dirty Network Book 1)

by Michelle Love

  “And you aren’t?” she asked with a laugh.

  She wasn’t taking me seriously and that was rubbing me up the wrong way. “Natasha, I’m being serious here. You don’t seem to understand things in my world, which you are now a part of, whether you like it or not. You walked into that club. You made it seem as if you are into that lifestyle. Now you will be a woman those men will seek out. You are stunning. I guess you have no idea just how much of a prize you are.”

  “I’m a prize in your world, Nic?” she asked with confusion on her pretty face. Her head began to shake. “I’ve never been highly sought after. I am no prize.”

  The light changed and I took off. I had no idea she was unaware of her beauty and poise. Her body was gorgeous. How did she not see that in the mirror?

  “Maybe you were not sought after much because you are of a rare quality. It takes a man with massive self-esteem to have women of your caliber as their own. Perhaps the men you’ve been around didn’t possess that kind of self-esteem.”

  She nodded and looked out the window. “Maybe that’s why he did what he did to me,” she mumbled.

  “Who?” I asked as I thought she was about to let me in a bit. She had to be broken inside somewhere too, just like I was. I could feel it.

  “No one,” she said too quickly. “That doesn’t matter anyway.” Her eyes scanned the area then she looked at me. “Are you taking me home?”

  “Yes,” I told her. “I had the package delivered to your dorm. It was placed on your bed. I need you to read the entire thing tonight. I want you in my home as soon as tomorrow. So please get to it as soon as you get in. I want to start this. It’s quite painful waiting.”

  “Painful?” she asked as sympathy filled her face. Her hand touched mine as it rested on the steering wheel. “I had no idea.”

  Another light had me stopping and I showed her a vulnerability I’d never shown anyone before. “I want you. I want you more than you can possibly understand. So please, do as I’ve requested. Read the bond and make your notes so we can discuss them tomorrow.”

  “I will, Nic. I promise.” She looked away again and went distant, retreating into her own mind.

  I was still unsure of what she’d do and what I’d do if she didn’t want to sign the bond. It was the first time I’d ever thought about having something other than a bond with a woman. I was positive I’d make any adjustments she asked for. Even if it meant no bond at all. But I wasn’t about to tell her that.

  It would be safer with a signed bond!

  NATASHA

  I unlocked my door to find the apartment empty with no sign of Dani there. Making my way to my bedroom, I started pulling my dress off. It was uncomfortably tight and now that I knew Nic didn’t even like it, I was mad at myself for wearing it. I knew it was too slutty!

  I couldn’t believe I gave a shit about what the man thought, but I did. It was as if I was dressing purely to please him without even knowing what did please him. And I had no idea why I was doing it. I had no idea why I was doing any of it.

  Sitting on my bed after pulling a thin blue robe around myself, I saw the white box which held the bond, sitting at the end of the bed. I stared at it for the longest time.

  Mentally, I was working out how things would go if I signed it. I saw me and Nic in a bunch of crazy positions. Naked, panting, sweating. It was making me hot and bothered and I had already been brought to that place and left dry twice. I wasn’t about to get myself into that trap again.

  My cell went off with a text. When I looked I saw it was from Nic. ‘I hope you’re doing as I asked you to. I also wanted to let you know I made it home, safely. This is a thing that you would receive from me and I from you as a courtesy to one another. Have sweet dreams, my princess.’

  A command followed by sweetness. Now that showed me where we were going. He may not have been aware of it himself, but the man was falling for me.

  And I was falling for him. I knew it was dangerous to be letting myself get that way. He was straightforward with me. There was no place for love. We were to be sexual partners without emotion.

  But I tapped back a text to him. ‘I am doing as you asked. Thank you for telling me you made it home, I appreciate that. I hope you sleep well, my prince.’

  I put the phone down and that’s when I got the bond out to start my editing of the document that would bind us.

  I was going to fix the fine print to exclude that little phrase about no emotional attachments. Why couldn’t emotions be a part of our arrangement?

  If physical pleasure was what he was after, what that lifestyle was about, then what about emotions? Not one of those people could say they had none. I saw their faces at that show. They were enthralled. Their emotions were all on display.

  If lust was an emotion they allowed, why not allow more of them?

  So I opened the box and pulled out the papers and found a layer of white tissue paper laying in between the bond and something else.

  I moved the tissue paper aside and there it was. The chastity belt I would have to wear if I consented to his absurd contract. Well, he said it wasn’t a contract but I saw no difference between the two, they served the same purpose.

  I pulled out the metal device that resembled the outline of a pair of panties. Even the crotch was metal with large enough holes for me to use the bathroom for both areas.

  A smile crept over my face as I was in total disbelief they still had those things hanging around. This shit was used in medieval times and it would serve some use in society at that time as kids were having kids.

  What he wanted me to wear it for was another story all on its own. I stepped into the holster and strapped it on, the cold metal against my skin made me shiver with a slight bit of sinister enjoyment.

  I made my way to look in the full-length mirror then I twirled around in it. I noticed that it made my ass sit a little higher. “Oh my God, I could get used to this,” I spoke to myself as I smiled in delight.

  I tossed a dress over my body and found my ass looked sensational. So I would leave in the chastity belt rule. I’d let him think I was wearing it for himt. Even though it was entirely for me. He could hold the key to the thing, I didn’t plan on having sex with anyone else anyway.

  It was time to set my mind on the rules and the rewriting of them. Nic could have me, God knows I wanted him. But he’d have me only as long as he would make some compromises.

  Now that I knew it was more an act than anything else, I was prone to accept it all. But the paper would have to read the way I wanted it to or there would be no act.

  I opened the notebook and started with the first rule. I wasn’t going to be called a slave. So that had to be ruled out. But I had a feeling he’d fight me on that one.

  I put an asterisk by that rule in my notebook. It reminded me that would be a hard one to change and quite possibly, impossible. I skipped over the benign ones. Ones that said I was to wash myself every day. I found it absurd those kinds of rules would even need to be included. Some of the women the elders dealt with must’ve been pigs. There was even a rule about brushing hair and teeth, twice a day.

  I found myself chuckling at many of the things I was reading. Some of them were comical, while others were just controlling. But I tried to really get into the ones I found hard.

  The gag ball had made its way into my mind as a reasonable thing to use to learn how to control the outbursts of passion. One could get away with much more in semi-secluded areas if one knew how to be quiet.

  With that thought, I stopped writing and thought about how the woman on the stage had a look about her that let all of us know she was indeed being pleasured by what was happening to her. Her face and body told us all that much.

  And I found myself dropping the pen and turning over on my stomach to think about Nic and how he must think about that. How he must want to see the feelings on faces and bodies instead of hearing things people can merely make up.

  I’ve heard plenty of fake orgasms o
n movies. Anyone can do that. But the body and face don’t lie. And that made me think Nic was much deeper than he knew he was.

  I turned over and jotted down a new rule. Must make love at least once a week, using no other objects but only our bodies. We must connect, emotionally, at least once a week.

  I had no idea if he’d fight me on the new rule, but I was willing to fight for it. I loved the way he handled my body. But I wanted to feel him handle me delicately too. And if what he said was true, that this was a mutual thing, then I wanted my way too. I was about to throw in the towel, essentially. I was about to become Nicholai Grimm’s slave.

  The idea of having an initiation ceremony of our own flew into my mind and I laid back on the bed trying to think about that. Could I really do that? Could I go that far in public? Was I ready for that?

  The Battered Part Four

  NICHOLAI

  I sat at my desk, going over the plans and contracts for the trip to Bangkok. Jennifer sat across from me in one of the overstuffed, black leather chairs, rambling on as if she was going to accompany me on that venture. But that wasn’t happening. I had another person in mind for the task of my personal assistant while traveling.

  I needed my cousin, Jen, to stay there, keeping the place in shape while I was gone. My younger cousin, Demetri, wasn’t in any position to take care of business, CFO or not.

  He only qualified because he was family. His wife ran him with an iron fist. She was more suitable for that job than he. “Nicholai, you have to close this deal or your father will vote against you. And we both know most of the board is eating out of his hands. He must have something on them the way they’re up his ass.” She laughed at her own joke.

  But little did she know she wasn’t far off base with that. I grabbed the contracts and looked them over once again, trying to see what in the contract would possibly be changed by the client. I always felt once you knew what they’d change, it was better to change it ahead of time so it would be easier to gain their trust.

  My phone rang inside my suit jacket pocket. I saw her name pop up on the screen and answered it. “Nicholai speaking.”

  “I wanted to know if I could see you for dinner to go over a few things,” her sweet voice spoke softly, making my ear tingle.

  I had a broad smile on my face. Natasha always brought something out in me that no one ever had. “Of course, I look forward to our discussion. I’ll pick you up at 8,” I said as I trailed my finger over the contract that was on the desk in front of me.

  “I’ll be ready. I’ll be wearing normal attire unless you have somewhere you’ll be taking me that will require something other than that.”

  “What is normal attire to you?” I asked her, since I’d seen her in over the top attire and business attire but nothing else.

  “Jean, tennis shoes, T-shirt,” she said, making my smile go even wider as I thought of her, cute all-American looking and scrumptious.

  “I can work with that. See you then.” We hung up and I looked over to see Jen with a wicked smile on her face. “None of your business, Jen,” I said before she even opened her mouth.

  Grabbing my briefcase, I stuffed the contract in it and closed it. I got up, then kissed my younger cousin on her forehead like I always did, and headed out of my office to adjust the contract in peace at home where I could also prepare a menu for my cook to make us dinner that evening.

  As I headed to the elevators, my cousin Demetri made his way over to me. Ending his flirting with one on the receptionists. “Nicholai, buddy, what’s going on?” He gave me a light punch as I continued to walk towards the elevator.

  “On my way home to work on this contract in peace and quiet,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  Demetri was like a brother more so than my own brothers, both of whom I wasn’t on speaking terms with at that time due to the fact I'd gained a job they’d been passed over for. “I’ll be right back, Staci.” He winked at the receptionist.

  I looked over my shoulder, pulling a little prank on my younger cousin. “Isn’t that Tabitha right there,” I said with a serious look on my face about his wife.

  He had a terrified look in his eyes. “Where?” He turned around so quick I thought he might fall. I burst out laughing when he didn’t see his witch of a wife stalking him. “Man! You damn near scared me to death. Tabitha has bionic ears.” He shook his head.

  “Look, I’ll catch you later. I have a lot of work to do,” I said as I stepped onto the elevator. “Go back to sexually harassing the staff, cousin.”

  He smiled and blushed a little. “Alright, man. I’ll catch up with you later. Maybe we can go out for a few drinks.”

  “I’ll let you know when I can do that. See you tomorrow.”

  Just as the doors closed my cell rang. I blew out an exaggerated breath then answered the call. “Hello, Nicholai here.”

  “Nicholai, it’s me, Jack, down here in the warehouse. An FBI car just pulled in. You might want to come down here,” he said with a worried tone.

  “I’m on my way down. I’ll be right there. Tell everyone not to talk to the agent,” I said, hanging up the phone.

  My driver was waiting for me at the curb and I told him to take me to the warehouse. The FBI was a constant thorn in my side and leaving the country to wrap up this damn deal was not a great idea for me at that time. No one handled the agency as well as I did. I knew the law and I knew we were running our business on the right side of it.

  I talked no nonsense with the agents who poked around our business. My father always acted nervously as if there was something to hide. That man had many things to hide, I had no doubts. But the company was a thing he made sure ran above board, always.

  Once we pulled up to the warehouse I could see the black Tahoe parked outside. I walked in to see Jack talking to the agent with a nervous look on his face.

  When he saw me, he looked relieved that I had come to his rescue. The agent saw his face and turned around to see me. “Nicholai Grimm, right,” the agent asked as he extended his hand to me.

  I shook the man’s hand, he didn't look familiar to mer. I had never seen that agent before. “And you are?” I asked in an unflattering unpleasant tone.

  He chuckled a bit, looking back at Jack. “Just like you said. He is a busy man who gets right to the point.”

  I’d told Jack not to talk and he did anyway, which irritated me. The fact he said anything about me, infuriated me. “Goodbye, Jack,” I said, dismissing the man.

  I stood, as the agent took a seat at the table in the break room that wasn’t offered to him. The agents liked to come in as if they owned the place. As if they were in charge of all things in the entire world. “Awe, come on, Nicholai take a seat with me. I was brought onto this case because all others are hitting dead ends here. Help me out, man.”

  I did not sit down, as I said, “Did it ever occur to your agency that everyone is hitting dead ends because there is nothing to find here?”

  “Well, the people who run the FBI think there is something going on here. Illegal gun sales to be exact. I’d like to talk to anyone I can about that.”

  “Well, you could’ve come to my office and I would’ve told you there, just as I told the others, your investigation won’t turn up anything. You’re wasting your time and mine. Which, thank God, isn’t slowing down our production.” I gestured to the door. “You can set up a meeting with my secretary. I’ve asked repeatedly for no agents to come to the warehouse or any of our other facilities. We do business at the office. I don’t know what any of you expect to find by coming down here, anyway.”

  “So, what you’re saying, is I need to hang around town until I get a meeting set up with you. I wasn’t planning to be here that long, I live in Nantucket, but I have things I can do to entertain myself while I’m stuck here, waiting on you to give me some of your precious time, Nicholai,” he said as he got up and allowed me to escort him to the door.

  “I’m a very busy man. I hope you can understand. So, I do hope
you enjoy your stay in our fair city. It may be a long visit,” I said with a chuckle.

  “I can wait. I have a daughter who goes to school here. I’m sure she could put her old man up for as long as I need to stay to wait for a meeting with you,” he said and something inside me went cold.

  “I have an overseas commitment to tend to next week. After that, we have the holiday season and we close our offices for a week during Thanksgiving, and two weeks starting at Christmas. Perhaps you should go home and come back after the first of the year,” I said as I opened the door and let him walk out first. I followed him out and we stood on the sidewalk, sizing each other up.

  “There are three more days in this week, Nicholai. Why not make an appointment for us before you leave? I think that would work out much better for us all. Don’t you agree?” he asked as he put his hands in his pockets.

  “Like I said, call my secretary,” I held out a business card and he took it. “We’ll see what she can come up with.”

  “I’ll do that, Nicholai.” He started to walk away and I realized I didn’t know his name.

  “Hey!” I said, making him stop and turn around to look at me. “Who have I just talked to?”

  With a smile, he said, “Oh, yes. I forgot to introduce myself. You can look forward to my presence, Nicholai. I’d hate to be on a no-name basis with you. I am Agent Norman Greenwell. I’ll be seeing ya, son.”

  My knees locked and I was frozen in place. The man was from Nantucket, his name was the same as Natasha’s father. He was her father and he was investigating my company.

  I never saw that coming!

  NATASHA

  As I walked out of my last class for the day, I turned my phone off silent and saw I’d missed a call from Nic. I returned it, hoping he wasn’t putting me off about dinner that night. I’d made all the adjustments to the bond and I was looking forward to seeing how he reacted to them all.

  “Finally,” he said as he answered the phone. “I need to see you. I have my driver waiting in your dorm parking lot. Bring your notes or whatever you wanted to discuss. Just grab those things and come on. No need to change clothes or primp for me or anything. Just hurry and get to me. And talk to no one. Promise me.”