Natural Submission: Book 1 of the Submission Series (23 page)

This one had already been activated and like her iPad had already been set up. Now that she was -
free
she had her own Apple ID too.

Whoop-dee-fucking-doo.

Using the pad of her finger she started sliding the icons around; there was a recorded voice memo. K’s voice started to play “Hello Angel, if you’re hearing this- it’s because I’ve failed to return to you, that is, I won't be returning to you.

Remember our talk and my instructions. If I don’t return, you are to leave immediately, it’s no longer safe for you here. Don’t wait for me. Don’t stay in the cabin. It’s essential that you follow my last instructions. If you’ve ever trusted me at all, please obey me in this. The instructions I’ve left will lead you to the nearest airport, but once you get to the city you don’t have to go there. Just
please
leave the cabin, then your days of doing what I tell you are over, forever.

OK, this is goodbye then, inside this safe you will find everything you need to leave this place safely: warm clothes, money and keys to that truck outside. I can’t explain why what was done to you was done to you but I want you to know that I am sorry about everything. It might not mean anything to you, but I have enjoyed our time together.” There was a long pause.

“Be well”. The recording ended.

Francine just continued to look at the iPhone as if it would give up more secrets, but there were no more recordings. There was nothing else on it, no contacts, no history, it was bare. Except for the one recording. She suddenly wanted to throw it out the window, but placed it down instead and went through the rest of the safe.

Warm clothing. A beautiful soft green wool sweater with soft denim jeans, along with a second set of luxurious clothing bathed in winter’s rich colors. Heavy silver fur lined snow boots with thick socks and a heavy white full North Face coat with warm fur lined silver leather driving gloves. A warm scarf and a pretty white fur trimmed hat would complete the warm snug look, along with her own delicate pair of silver Oakleys.

She tried to imagine her stern Dom picking these things out for her so early on in their relationship and felt her eyes burn. Putting the things aside she reached for the paperwork she found inside. Ownership papers to a Starfire Pearl Lexus LX with her full legal name on them and the insurance prepaid for the next three years in her name. She didn’t even know you could do that, but when you were struggling from check to check those weren’t questions you usually asked insurance companies. She didn’t have to look too much further in the safe to find the heavy expensive looking key fob.

Almost afraid to examine the rest of the paperwork with trembling hands she examined it anyway. At least 100 thousand dollars in cash and what must be at least a million dollars in bonds if not more. Not only that but there was the name of the “friend” that they had discussed whom he had said might help her handle any money that she “might” come into one day. Turns out he had known something she didn’t.

Francine had to fight to not let her mind wander through some of the conversations, but now she wished she had been paying more attention. She had seen the how drawn he had looked the last couple of days. The strain around his eyes, how haunted he had been. She’d know they could not stay here forever. All of this money, all of these preparations. The fact that he had just disappeared… Where was he? Was he dead? What had happened?

She sat back on her heals and held her new clothes to her chest and wiped at her cheeks wet with her burning tears. Now she’d never see him again and her sorrow threatened to overwhelm her. All of the questions she should have asked... She should wait, he’d come back eventually right? Then she’d insist that he respond! But no, no she couldn’t stay. If she respected him at all as her Dom his last instructions deserved to be followed.

She looked down again, there was one more thing way back in the corner of the safe. a black box. She picked it up and opened it. A handwritten note with a piece of paper was folded over a smaller back box inside.
I really wanted you to have these, but didn't know if you’d accept them. K

Her hands were shaking again, as she opened the smaller velvet box. Two perfect clear diamond stud earrings winked up at her from the velvet box. Francine had never owned anything so lovely. Even K had never given her something that was so
impractical
before. She looked down at the scrawled note, honestly, how would she have responded if he
had
tried to give them to her before? A part of her even now wanted to throw them hurtfully back in the safe. But she palmed them carefully and went to the closet for the duffel she knew was there placing them carefully in the inside side pocket and zipped it closed.

She collected everything from the safe and packed it into the duffel she found in the office along with the laptop and iPad he had given her. She changed into her new warm fitting clothes. They fit like they were custom made and made her feel like quite the winter fashion plate. She packed her clean underwear and the extra change of clothes he had provided in the simple sturdy duffel, not bothering with any of the shorts and tanks. She took one pair of the serviceable comfortable flip flops for the shower in the hotel.

She was done with climatically inappropriate clothing.

After packing she grabbed the key fob to the truck and stepped out into the clear cold day. Her boots crunched into the soft snow and she looked around her. Rounding the cabin she noticed the truck covered under the tarp. Months ago she remembered seeing him covering a second vehicle with a tarp from the safety and warmth of the cabin and asking him about it. He had simply said it was part of the " insurance" if something happened and she hadn't asked again. She hadn't gotten a good look at it and he had towed it up here the same way he had towed Armin's car away.

K had had so many
damned
secrets.

It had been here as "insurance" even early on when she had fought him, yelled at him, run from him, defied him,
hated
him.

Removing the heavy snow covered tarp from the LX took a little elbow grease, when revealed, boy was it’
struttin’ its stuff
, blending beautifully into it’s surroundings, like it had been waiting for this day for a long time. She stowed the tarp in the trunk and lets herself in with the key fob. She recognized the keyless entry like the one in K’s truck from so long ago. Spotting the on button and looking over the the instructions written in elegant script against a black card from the dealer, the truck’s engine rolled over easily with the pedal and the touch of a button. It settled in with a sexy purr as she grabbed for the gear shift.

The navigation lit up with a safety message and a pre-programmed route to the nearest airport- BWI; from there she had no idea where she would go.

Releasing the gear shift she leaned back for a moment enjoying the atmosphere of the leather and wood interior, using the touch control panel she turned the heat, wanting to give the truck time to warm up. Almost before she could grab the door the heat was already coming through the vents caressing her with a heated breath.

Still she had to return to the cabin to grab the packed duffel and some supplies from the small kitchen. She collected a few of her more important samples and stowed them carefully in the truck. Finally packed up she turned toward the front door ready to go her hand on the door- and paused.

In her head she heard herself begging for release,
please Master
while tied to his bed, she saw herself cuddled up next to him on the sofa while he was on his computer, a blizzard raged outside. His big hands through her hair, stroking her scalp at two am when she couldn’t sleep. Sitting across from him in her shorts and tank eating her favorite pizza, him in his very warm clothes across from her. The love of the pizza had mixed with her resentment for him for providing it.

Their relationship had been - complicated. Yet still, so many little moments crossed her mind. K- She looked not far from her booted feet. Her leather collar with it’s gold lock winked dully from the floor, the light was dark now. It no longer broadcasted it’s signal to a monitor far away. Her heart rate, and location were again solely her own concern.

 She picked it up, it was already cold and felt dead in her hand without the warmth of being settled against her pulse, but the leather was still so soft under her thumb. She slid it in her pocket before she could think anymore about it, like she did with the earrings. She opened the door one last time and crossed the short pouch the heavy duffel over her shoulder. It was a short walk, a cozy one this time with her feet snug in her winter boots to the now warm truck. She tossed the duffel across the back on the floor before getting behind the wheel of the car.

The windows had fogged up from the heat and she located the defroster as she set up the seat and the wheel to her body proportions before putting the car in reverse and completing a three point turn. To her delight a
backup camera
came up on the monitor to show her what was behind her and assist her with her turn. Completing the turn, she moved slowly away from the cabin and slowly down the drive thinking,
this wasn't driving this was more like piloting a spaceship
.

The security system was off, she had no worries about the vicious little spikes rending her tires, like they had with Armand’s. All of the little checks and balances K had put in place, all of that was over now. She was free now, safe. Life would be a lot less eventful. These were her thoughts as she drove a few miles down the road, before she heard a violent rendering of wood and metal and realized it was the cabin behind her exploding in a fiery death. The heat and ash from the explosion permeated the air, debris twisting and floating through the black smoke.

She stopped, looking in the rear-view behind her and then twisted her body as she tried to get a better look.

That was - unexpected.

She turned not wanting to think too hard about what had just happened, shifting the car into gear and continuing onward. She put the peddle down just a bit more, deciding if someone did see what happened, she didn’t want to have to be the one providing an explanation. She finally hit the main road, the LX’s alloy wheels hummed quietly on the pavement before merging onto the interstate and tackling the hills and valleys with no sweat. Unlike her old SUV (she couldn’t help giving it a thought) which she had to encourage as it coughed and sputtered like an old woman going up steep inclines. The LX sped swiftly along, parting traffic and sliding by other vehicles like a champion yacht on the high seas.

Needing a distraction she switched on the radio. The music floated up from the stereo system and flooded the cab, REM’s
Orange Crush.
For some reason that made her laugh and cry at the same time. She wiped at her wet cheeks as the truck took off beneath her, it carried her swiftly to a new chapter in her life. With every mile she felt stronger and stronger, she finally felt liberated, free.

Chapter 24

Some months later...

K felt his battered body as it was dragged up from the bowels of one of The Boss’ yachts. He’d put up a hell of a fight and knew he was lucky to be able to stand upright, even if one leg was in better shape than the other... The boss’s lackeys put a gun in his face, ready to execute him. “On your knees.” K hesitated, Francine was not the only one without a fondness of
that
position.

They’d finally figured it out, dullards that they were, at primate speed they spotted the deliberate trail he’d finally had to resort to leaving for them before they’d caught on to what he’d been doing for months, hiding their money in the bank accounts of the very whores who they’d been abducting and selling. He was like a
goddamn
reverse pimp Peter Pan.
What kind of
sick fuck
does that they wanna know?
“Well, what can I say? Pussy has always been my weakness.”

K spit blood, still on his feet, trying to stall for time, inching toward the yacht's guard rail. “I didn't want your blood money,” his lips are bruised and bleeding, one eye swelling shut “and why should it go to the state? So I channeled it where I thought it would do the most good.” They hit him again, inadvertently shoving him closer to the side of the boat, K couldn't hide his smirk.
The dumb fucks.
They gun rose a little higher. Too bad The Boss wasn't here, he was always much better at interrogations. A few drops of rain fell through the murky dark and hit the yacht from above. A storm was coming and a sudden a gale rocked the boat and sent K overboard with a splash, his silent form disappeared beneath the glacier cold of the waves.

The sea was an inky black, embracing him quietly like a jealous mistress. They could barely see a few feet in front of them and K had been beaten and bruised. The lackey raised his gun, but another stopped him, “Idiot! Don’t shoot that over the side of this boat, what if there’s a ricochet or something? Where miles off shore!” The gun was regretfully lowered. K would never have told them what happened to the money anyway, and as far as they knew he had no family. It’s not like he’d kept any of it, and now it would seem he’d found a watery grave.