Salvage Her Heart (12 page)

ALEX

I fuck her with a ferocity that borders on illegal. I didn’t know that every single bit of anger, hate and disturbingly fucked-up like for the cruel and unusual could be sated by using women for my purpose.

The first girl, Kora, left my room on a stretcher. The flight to Chicago had allowed too much anger to boil up and over, making me need the kind of release that could only be filled with depravity. I whipped her, flogged her until her cries could no longer be heard. She silenced as another side of me took over.

Tonight a blonde thing called Charice is in my quarters, and now that my anger has tempered somewhat, I’m going to take my time and really enjoy dominating her without blind rage ruining the memory of it all.

Stavros has been adamant that he fills my time with a new girl each day, allowing me to sample different girls, exploring new desires with each one. I’m sure he’s buttering me up to sign the contract that I’m yet to put my mark on. I have to say, his tactics are working.

Charice is lying face down on the four poster bed, her muffled grunts almost inaudible as I push her face further into the duvet. The thought of her struggling from lack of oxygen excites me even more, allowing blood to swell and fill my shaft, engorging my dick to its maximum girth. Each shove forward reaches as far as I can possibly go, her cries letting me know that I’m too big for her to accommodate me. I don’t care. I still pound away, punishing, torturing her.

If she thinks this is all there is, she’s mistaken. I’m not that easy fulfilled anymore. A taste of the dark side and I know I can never go back to the sweetness of someone like Evie. I need more. I want more. Before I come, I pull out abruptly, letting go of her hair.

I catch my breath, allowing gulps of air to fill my lungs while I watch absently as Charice scrambles to the far corner of the bed, as if somehow the distance will shield her from my wrath. It won’t. It just means I have to chase her, which makes things all the more exciting for me. Her eyes stalk my every move, trying to anticipate what’s next. Unlucky for her, I’ve become quite fond of the flogger that hangs next to the other assortment of whips on the walls. The wallpaper suggests aristocracy to rival the previous tenants of the Palace of Versailles, yet the bondage and discipline toys that line the walls speak volumes of a different beast; one that will not be contained.

As I reach for it, she whimpers. It excites me that she is so weak, so powerless. I have to admit, I don’t think Evie would have had this much spunk. Her sudden infiltration into my
thoughts stirs wounds that haven’t healed, wounds that she herself has inflicted on me. No matter, I will get my revenge. In the meantime this little blonde will be a nice fill-in.

I flick the flogger against the end of the wooden bed, the loud crack widening the girl’s eyes like saucers.

‘Come here, whatever-your-name-is,’ I taunt.

‘No, please, no,’ she begs, a single tear sliding down her already bruised cheek.

‘Okay, your choice.’ I drop the flogger and lunge for the bed. Instinctively she dives off it, racing for the bedroom door that allows no escape. It’s locked, so I need not worry, but in the heat of the moment it’s hard not to react when your pray gets away. I give chase, knowing I’ve already won. Her fingertips are so close to the brass handle, and I have to admit, her momentum does her no favours. With brute force, I grab behind her neck and keep propelling her towards the solid oak door. Unable to stop her momentum, she crashes head first into the timber.

She sags to the floor, stunned by the impact. I grab what’s left of her negligee and drag her back to the bed. She’s limp, almost unconscious and unable to defend herself at all. Compared to me, she’s a fly
-weight. It makes tossing her onto the mattress seem easy.

Without her resistance, I methodically tie her, spread-eagled to the bed. As I’m finishing tying the last of the knots, she starts to come around. Normally one might wish to whip her back, or lick the flogger across her ample buttocks. Not me. I want her to hurt, and hurt badly. I opt for the sensitive flesh around her breasts and stomach.

With her on her back, I can see the glistening of moisture between her legs and remember what it felt like to have my cock in there just moments ago. The thought sparks my cock alive again, wanting more attention. For that, she’ll need to be awake. On the vanity is a variety of vials. I grab the one labelled Epsom Salts and take it to her limp form. She’s breathing, so I place the vial under her nose. She gags and wakes fully, realising she’s still in her nightmare.

‘Now that I ha
ve your full attention, darling… where were we?’ I straddle her chest, pleased with the feel of her breasts under my balls and backside. With my cock a little flaccid it allows me to bend it to my will, which unfortunately for her, is towards her mouth. It remains shut, refusing to take the appendage that was in her pussy and fucking her for dear life. I hold up the flogger and she physically recoils.

‘You don’t want me to use this do you?’ Her head shakes violently. ‘Well, open up then, darling.’ She reluctantly obliges by deciding it is the lesser of the two evils. Her mouth opens just enough to prod the tip of my cock inside.

‘Wider!’ I demand. She does. ‘Now suck me hard you fucking little minx or I’m going to punish you for being a bad girl.’ She starts to suck greedily.

‘Stop!’
I yell. Yes, something is missing.

I quickly scramble off her and head back to the vanity. I start to rummage through the endless amounts of tubes, vials and lotions. I find what I’m looking for. A tube of red lipstick in hand, I close in on my subject. She’s confused, not sure of my intentions. Grabbing her cheeks hard, I proceed to paint her lips hooker-red. I toss the make-up to the side and straddle her once more.

‘Again!’ I command. She opens up and starts to suck, this time without being told how to do it properly. Once again, I stop her before I blow in her mouth. When I get off, she realises this is not just going to be an easy blow-job. Her eyes go wild and she bucks and pulls against the restraints that hold her. I’m loving this way more than I should, let me assure you.

With the flogger teasing her from a distance, it’s time to show this girl who is really in control. The first lashing from the flogger lands right across her left nipple. The scream, I’m sure, could be heard in other parts of the house. I don’t stop, hardly giving her time to catch her breath and process the stinging bite of the leather on her skin. I land blow after blow on her porcelain skin, forever changing her and me in the process.

This is what it’s all about. This is what I need to feel completely whole and in command. I deliver blow after blow, never caring if I hit the same spot twice. I’m filled with desire as I see welt after welt, mark after mark. It’s only when blood trickles from a particularly hard lashing that I am somewhat brought back to my senses.

The screaming still continues, despite my removal of the discipline tool. What completely takes me by surprise is the door opening. Standing in there is Stavros, perfectly dressed as always. He walks in without saying a word, eyeing the situation before him.

Without being told, I hop off the girl, wondering for a moment if I’ve gone too far. Like a punished child, I stand back, allowing the master to look over my handiwork. The girl likes this reprieve, but she knows no better. She doesn’t know that Stavros is worse than I. After taking a very long look over Charice, he turns to me, admiration in his eyes.

Still no words he delivers, just actions. He takes his time, undresses. I’m confused. Is he taking over? Should I leave? But I can’t. I’m transfixed. He strips himself of the clothes that make him seem so well-kept. Dark hair covers his hard body, showing that he’s from European heritage. From a bedside drawer he removes a knife, the metal glinting in the light as he removes the sheath. For a second, even I’m a little scared as to what will happen next.

With careful precision he cuts the ties that hold the girl in place. She doesn’t move, doesn’t even flinch. She just waits, unable to hide from her destiny. When all her ties are cut, he hops on the bed with her, gently running a finger over her scars like a lover’s caress. He likes it, I can tell. With steady hands he eases her on top of him, his erection ready to fit snugly between her legs. I just watch, wondering what my role in all this is.

His hands grip her hips, rocking her forcefully back and forth on him, pleasuring himself with her body. I’m entranced and as horny as hell at watching another man fuck the woman I was just flogging. She’s enjoying this. Her moans have changed from one of pain to sheer pleasure. What happens next shocks me to my
core. Stavros half sits, peering around the body of the girl he’s fucking. He motions to me.

‘Come join us, Alex,’ he coaxes. I go eagerly, wanting this so much. I’ve never had a ménage a trois before, but I’m not about to knock back this erotic display of sex and lust. As I climb up onto the bed, Stavros bends Charice down onto his chest, so that her arse rises up in the air. I see his cock fucking her from below, sliding in and out with her movements. Her arsehole glares at me, inviting me unwilling to fuck her as well.

Without her permission, I enter her as well. The spit I slather my cock with does nothing to lessen the impact. She cries out, unaccustomed to having two cocks in her at once. She’s lucky that I’m already slippery from her juices and saliva. I’m not gentle. I don’t ease into it. I just pound away at her until I’m numb. I can feel everything from the inside of her tight butt down to Stavros’s cock and balls on the other side. I think I’ve just gone to heaven. I never knew I could be so sexually naïve before my little visit to Stavros’s house. We both pound away at her, not giving any one of us the chance to deny the inevitable orgasm that grounds our little session to a halt.

I can feel his dick pulsing through the thin flesh that separates her vagina from her arse. I know he’s coming, which spurs semen to flow from the eye of my own dick. With all this going on, Charice has no choice, no option. She’s too consumed with our pleasure to not come herself. Her body shatters around us, pulsing and clenching our manhood like a tight fist. The second we are spent, Stavros shoves us off him, sending us sprawling on the king
-sized bed in confusion.

He stands, gathering his clothes in the process. The feral look in his eyes has been appeased somewhat, but there is still the dark devil that resides eternally. He eyes us thoughtfully before tossing the flogger back to me.

‘Finish her off, Alex; then I trust I will see you in the bar to finalise our business contract.’

‘Yes, Stavros,’ I say obligingly.

Even though signing the contract will mean I have just gained from him, I can’t help feeling that I’m the one who has just been fucked over.

GRAYSON

‘Evie… Evie
…’ I gently shake her awake, having stared at her beauty way longer than I should. We’ve spent more than a week together but I’m aware that I’m torturing myself. How can I keep wishing for all of her when I’m so terrified it’s all going to be ripped away from me at a moment’s notice?
Life ain’t fair, son
. My dad’s words repeat in my head as I watch her stir next to me.

Her freckles have deepened this week, darkening from lazy days spent in the sun. Worry lines that used to cover her face have gone, contentment replacing them. I like the new Evie very much. She’s not looking over her shoulder every five seconds. I call her name again, but she just rolls closer towards me and slings an arm over my waist. It’s nice to be wanted, even when she’s not aware of it.

I’ve been avoiding discussing our life after Rocky Creek Dam. I want to so much to reassure myself that what we have is real, that she wants me just as much as I do her. On the other hand I’m avoiding disappointment and rejection as I have done all my life. A part of me knows that the only thing holding her back is fear. It’s not that she’s not into me—her actions show me that she definitely is. What I’m unsure of is just how deep her fear runs when it comes to her husband. What I need to know is how much of a hold he has over her.

‘Evie… beautiful
…’ I whisper softly, only half invested in actually getting her out of bed.

‘Hmm?’

‘I’ve got something planned for today. Are you ready to get out of bed?’

‘No, it’s so warm and snuggly lying in your arms. I don’t ever want to get up.’ Her words are muffled against my chest, although I hear her loud and clear.

‘You really make it hard for me to want to get you out of bed when you say things like that, you know?’

‘Hmm, maybe we could stay in bed all day?’

‘Well you’re doing a fine job, it’s already after ten.’

She jerks up abruptly, completely forgetting her desire to laze all day.

‘Are you kidding me! Why didn’t you wake me?’

‘I’ve tried; you just looked so peaceful that I didn’t have the heart to kick you out of bed.’

‘I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.’ She jumps out of bed, just a tee and a pair of panties covering her smooth skin. I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry at the sight of her in next to nothing. In the bathroom I can hear her quickly brushing her teeth and washing her face. She walks out towards me, her belly peeking out from under her shirt material. Just the sight of her bare flesh makes me want to trail kisses all over her skin until she begs me for more. My thoughts are shelved the minute she slips into a pair of jeans.

‘So, you said you had something planned? What did you have in mind?’ she asks excitedly.

‘Callum is bringing down a couple of horses he’s loaned from a neighbouring farm and Kirima has packed us a picnic. There’s a really nice horse trail that borders the Nightcap National Park.’

‘That sounds great! Do we need to take anything else?’

‘Just your sexy self,’ I grin, grabbing a baseball cap to wear, if only to tame my unruly hair.

‘Can do,’ she winks. Time away from Alex has done wonders for her confidence, her sense of fun and carefree nature. I’d hate for that to ever go away again. I know, that my biggest battle at the end of all this is going to be to convince her that I will keep her safe
—that I can provide her a safe haven from all of his torment.

‘Why the frown Mr Glines?’

‘It’s nothing. Come on, Callum’s been waiting for a while.’

I grab her hand in
mine, revelling in how wonderful and natural it feels to be so close to her. We set off at a steady pace up the path towards the main cabin, glad for the shade the pine trees provide. It’s already warm out, although in western parts like these, it could easily climb another ten degrees before the day is out.

At the edge of the main cabin is a fenced paddock that holds our horses. They’re both saddled and munching heartily on lush grass that covers the earth. They both have saddle bags bulging on either side, presumably with the food and water I’d asked Kirima to pack for us.

‘There you two are,’ yells Callum as we approach.

‘Sorry, we got held up.’

‘Mate, no explanation needed, thanks very much,’ says Callum, hands held up in a ‘keep-it-to-yourself’ action.

‘No, really, I was sleeping,’ offers Evie, embarrassed at the insinuation.

‘Don’t say another word, Evie, he’ll only use it as fuel to tease you more,’ I say with a laugh.

‘Hey, it’s only you I give a hard time.
Never the ladies, mate, never the ladies. They hold too many cards to put them on the bad side.’

‘Well, I see you’ve learned something in your years of marriage.’

‘Damn straight, no way I’m doing without.’

‘We’ll see. Horses good to go?’

‘Yep. Put Evie on the mare, Rooter is yours.’

‘Rooter?’
Evie snorts, unable to contain herself.

‘Yeah, the colt pig-roots all the time, you know?
Likes to buck people off. I wouldn’t do that to you, Evie, but Grayson? Well… he can look after himself.’

‘Great, thanks
,
mate
.’

‘You got it.’ H
e salutes us and walks back to the cabin. We make our way to the horses and eye them up.

‘I can ride Rooter if you like,’ she giggles, ‘I rode a lot when I was younger.’

‘That’s okay, beautiful, I’m used to the wild horses from these parts. Come on, let me give you a leg up.’

I know she doesn’t need the help, especially with her admission of riding previously, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to pass up an opportunity to hold her whenever I can. She’s so light that she slides into the saddle with ease, looking like a complete natural up there. I follow suit and mount Rooter.

‘Lead the way, Cowboy.’ Her replicated drawl does nothing to ease the flutter in my chest. Digging my heels into the horse’s girth, I set off at a slow pace out of the paddock. For the better part of the morning we follow the trail through thick forest and across little streams that have run off from the main creek in the area. I managed to make it to the highest ridge in the area by lunchtime with no fewer than five attempts by Rooter to get me off his back. Little prick. The only plus to his antics is the fact that I get to look all manly and shit by gripping on for dear life and getting him under control. If you ask me, Evie looks impressed.

The top of the ridge affords us views over the national park and surrounding terrain. The dense vegetation and absence of people makes me feel like we are on the edge of a frontier. It’s very peaceful to know you are the only two people around.

We tie the horses to a tree and stop to eat a late lunch. I’m by no means thinking this is going to be a champagne and crystal affair, but any time with Evie is like a special occasion.
She
is what makes the simple things seem like gold.

Kirima has certainly packed us a nice spread. Fresh baked bread, hunks of locally made cheese, pickled vegetables and cured meat from the local farmer they get all their produce from. There is a chilled bottle of white wine, but it has warmed somewhat from the hours in the back of a saddle bag. Evie doesn’t complain
, she just drinks happily from her plastic wine glass like it’s the best thing she’s ever tasted.

Our light-hearted lunchtime conversation had to turn serious at some point because I know we’re both very aware of the time limit we might be facing with this romantic little getaway. What I wasn’t expecting was the topic of conversation.

‘Grayson, do you see your parents much?’

‘Not really. I mean, we’ve never been really close in that way. Don’t get me wrong, they always supported me and I never wanted for anything, but after I got on the drugs in a big way, they kind of wiped their hands of me. It was like I’d tainted the family name enough for them to never really trust me again.’

‘That’s not really fair, especially since you’ve changed.’

‘Yeah, I suppose. I just don’t think they understand what I went through. I’m not sure if that’s my fault because I never really could articulate to them just how much pain it caused me or if it’s because they expected me to handle things better. Either way, we love each other, but the reality is they care more about other people’s opinions than their own. They like to hide problems rather than talk them through.’

‘It must be hard on you, not seeing them as much as you’d like.’

‘Not really, no. I know that sounds harsh, especially since I’m their only son, but when you’ve never had an overly affectionate relationship with your parents it’s easier to let them go. Now Jean, she’s different. She loved me, no matter what. She saw me at my lowest and still showed me love and affection. She healed me enough to believe that there wasn’t just one fish in the sea – that there was someone else out there who would be more deserving of me and would love me just as much back. Jean showed me that I didn’t need drugs to numb the pain, but that I should embrace it to move on and become stronger, to grow from it.’

‘She sounds like a wise lady.’

‘She is. Jean’s been through a lot in her life, but it has never dampened her spirit to love and show kindness and compassion towards others. In some ways, I see her more as my mother than my real one, despite the fact that she didn’t birth me.’

‘You know, I always felt that way with my own parents. That they loved me, no matter what—that they would protect me, no matter what. I had no idea that the monster I was introduced to was of my father’s orchestration. I didn’t think they could ever put me in harm’s way, but I was wrong.’

‘Oh, Evie
…’

‘No, it’s okay. I mean, I accepted what my dad did a long time ago. Of course I was angry and hurt that he would want me anywhere near a man like Alex. After a while, I realised that he was just weak. Too weak to deal with things and as a consequence, I suffered because of it. It was like his problems became mine. Now I feel like I have to honour the marriage agreement in order to protect them. If I leave, I not only put myself and them in danger, but I also make them penniless overnight.’

‘That’s not your fault and not your responsibility anymore. I can keep you safe, I promise you that, but it’s time to let your parents stand on their own feet. It’s time your dad came clean to your mum and released you from your obligations. You’re only there to save his hide.’

‘It’s more than that, Grayson.’

‘Tell me.’

‘If I go, I can’t come back. If I make that decision to leave, I have to say goodbye to my parents. I have to find a place where he’ll never find me. And that’s the problem. Despite everything, I still love my parents. I don’t think I’m ready to say goodbye forever, because if I do, it would be like burying them for good.’

A single tear trickles down her cheek. The internal battle she faces rages just beneath the surface. Even in the face of her anguish, I can’t back down. I won’t back down. She may love her parents, and they her, but I know one thing is for sure. I love her more than they do. I could never treat her the way that they have. I would give the last of my everything just to be with her. She may not want to say goodbye to her parents, but I will not say goodbye to her. I’m not sure yet how things will play out, yet one thing is certain—I’m never letting Evie go back to that life. Not ever.