by S F Draven
He wasn’t anywhere near finished with me. He held both my hands behind my back with just his fingers, his grip so strong on me, while his free hand reached down to rub up on my clit. I was squirming, unable to take the pleasure that flooded my entire body, while he thrust upwards inside of me, his body tensing up but he never did lose my gaze. I could barely keep my eyes open because it was just so good, but he rested his hand on my cheek and I knew he was ready to cum.
“Oh, fuck! Steph-Stephan!” I screamed, another orgasm erupting through me, while I felt his warm load shoot up, filling me entirely. He slowed his pace, still sliding his dick in and out of me until he was finally done, and then he pulled me in for a soft kiss, while I struggled to catch my breath.
We returned back to a quiet home, with nothing guiding us through except for the outdoor lighting streaming in through the windows. Stephan and I both looked at each other, while he turned to kiss my forehead before I took off upstairs.
I wondered if Eduard and Feliks were even home because I’d gotten used to their late-night chatter, and making a mess in their kitchen at all hours of the night. I thought for a moment about Natalia, and how I didn’t tell her how long I’d be gone. I felt quite bad that she was here unsure of what was going to happen, afraid to go home because she didn’t want to bring up what happened to her parents.
I shared her feelings, but now I felt like my perspective on the entire situation had changed. I enjoyed the hunt today, heading out into the streets to act like a criminal, to learn the ropes from someone who knew what they were doing, and someone I certainly began to have feelings for.
I wanted to stay, to be a part of his life, but I understood how difficult that was going to be once my parents returned back home. I could only imagine that a man like my father would be very much aware of who the threats were to both his business and his family, which made me worry that he wouldn’t view Stephan in a very favorable light.
I worried that he was going to make me choose, decide whether I wanted to stay under his roof and follow his rules or go off with the stranger that had single-handedly changed my life, but that was still trying to find his footing in the crime world. I wanted to grow alongside Stephan, to learn from him the way I learned today, but I didn’t know what our future was going to hold.
I was still trying to get comfortable with the idea that I even enjoyed being out there, stealing, running from other criminals, and shooting the gun in my hands the way Stephan had taught me. It was a lot to take in for one night, but at least I could relax knowing that Stephan had my back no matter what.
I know he cares enough to look out for me, and I promise myself that I would do whatever I can to do the same for him.
I made my way up to the shared guest room where Natalia was sitting on the edge of the bed. The moment I walked through the door she stared back at me with the most disgusted look on her face, like she’d just found out what I’d been up to the entire day, but I knew there was absolutely no way that she’d be able to know.
“Where the fuck have you been all day, Annika?” she asked, angrily.
“I was out with Stephan. I went to pick up the key to my gallery, and then we just got a bit caught up, is all.” I failed to mention the fact that I helped Stephan steal a car after he taught me how to shoot a gun.
“I didn’t want to tell you this earlier, Annika, but I think you’re getting a little deep over your head by falling for that guy. You barely even know anything about him, and while I appreciate everything he’s done for us, I have a hard time trusting him. We grew up knowing how our parents operated, all the shady phone calls and secrets, and I just don’t want to see you get hurt,” she said, with genuine concern in her eyes.
“Stephan isn’t like that. He’d never do anything to hurt me,” I said, defensively.
“He may truly like you, and he may very well not do anything to hurt you but that doesn’t mean that he’s going to try to save us all in the process. I have a feeling that he’s hiding things from you, that he knows very well who our families are, and no one should have that much information. No one.”
“Whatever Stephan knows, it’s because I shared it with him, okay? I trust him, and I think that he is going to look out for all of us. He’s made it exceptionally clear that he just wants to help, and I have to trust that, because what other options do we have, Natalia?”
“I’m thinking of heading back home and I want you to come with me,” she said.
“I thought you said you weren’t going to bring any of this up with your parents,” I replied, feeling betrayed that she’d make this decision without at least consulting with me first.
“I don’t have to do it alone, Annika. You can come with me. My parents will protect you, even though they may not like your father, I can assure you that they won’t do anything to harm you,” she said, but I wasn’t buying it. I knew how much her parents hated mine, and I trusted Stephan far more than I’d ever trust them.
“I’m sorry, Natalia but I’m not going to come with you. I can’t stop you from walking out that door, but I can’t protect you unless you’re here. If you do go and tell your parents what happened, the news will eventually find mine, and I’ll have to figure out what to do then. Right now, I’m going to trust my gut on this one.”
“Fine, suit yourself.”
I was hurt, but I knew I couldn’t do anything to stop it.
I just hope I’m making the right choice.
Chapter Nine: Stephan
I didn’t think I’d feel so close to her this quickly, nor did I think she’d be the kind to enjoy what we just experienced, but I have to say that she surprised me. It’s not often that I meet a girl with her skill, knowing that she’s never done anything like this in her entire life. It was a refreshing experience, but I’m starting to think that there’s going to be quite a bit of trouble once she figures out what I’m keeping from her.
I can already tell that the guys are starting to get a bit suspicious, but I have to keep them in check for now, because I can’t face them ruining my plans.
I was sitting at my desk in our shared office, counting cash while they sat there smoking a few cigars, glancing over at me, while I heard Annika and Natalia rustling upstairs. They tried to keep their doubts discreet, but I was waiting for the moment they’d start grilling me about what I was really doing yesterday. Eduard was the first to stand up, taking the cigar between his fingers, letting out a puff of smoke before he spoke.
“Stephan, I don’t mean to pry, seeing as we’ve been at this a very long time together, but Feliks and I have begun to feel like you’ve been keeping secrets from us,” he said, and I started to think of all the possible ways I was going to get out of this one.
“We’ve noticed that you’ve begun spending a lot of time with Annika, and I can tell that you have a thing for her, but you can’t let that get in the way of the work we’re trying to do,” Feliks chimed in, and I shook my head at them both.
“So, you’re telling me that I’m not allowed to spend time with a girl I’m interested in but we can spend every night going out drinking and bringing home a woman on each arm? Where’s the sense in that? My feelings for Annika aren’t going to get in the way of anything,” I said, sounding much more defensive than I would’ve liked.
“Whatever you say, Stephan. I just have to warn you, because we’ve been going by your rules for such a long time, it would be a shame to see us all have to part ways,” Eduard said, and I was starting to get a bad feeling like they knew more than they were letting on.
“Why would we have to part ways? We’re a great team, and we’re not greedy with each other’s cuts, so what’s the problem?” I asked, trying to figure out why they were acting so strangely.
“I just have a hunch that you’re not being entirely honest, but if it turns out that this really is all about your fascination with that girl, then I promise I will be the first to apologize,” said Eduard, and I could only hope that he had no idea about the p
ainting and possible fortune I was hiding from them.
“You both have nothing to worry about, okay? Annika and I have gotten close, and I’m starting to think that there may be a place for her in my life, is all. I know that’s not what you want to hear because you like the way things are, but I have a right to explore the possibility of a relationship with her,” I said, and they both nodded at me.
“We’re not going to come between you and Annika, we just want to make sure you still have your head in the game. I can’t afford to have one of our jobs going south because you’re caught up thinking about her, okay?”
“That’s not going to happen, Eduard. I can promise you that,” I replied.
“We’ll see, Stephan. We’ll see.”
A few hours had passed, and I started to think that it was rather strange that Annika and Natalia hadn’t come down to eat. Looking over at the clock hanging on the wall I saw that it was well after three o’clock.
I know Annika had a long night, but I didn’t think she’d sleep in this long.
I walked out into the living room to see Eduard and Feliks going over a few papers on the couch, not taking a second look to acknowledge me while I went upstairs to check on them. I started calling out to Annika softly in case they were both still asleep, but once I got to their door and knocked, there was no answer.
I waited a moment, knocking again before I entered to find that the guest room they were sharing was empty. I looked around at the unmade bed, the scattered toiletries and clothes on the floor, wondering what happened. I didn’t think anything of the noises I heard earlier, thinking they were just getting ready, or dropping things, but it never occurred to me that something could’ve been happening right under my nose. I rushed through the house, nearly tearing it apart looking for the two of them, but they were nowhere to be found.
“Annika? Annika! Natalia?” I called out, hoping that they were on the other side of the house or out in the garden, but I couldn’t find them. Eduard and Feliks both caught on to what was happening, rushing upstairs while I frantically continued my search.
“What happened?” Eduard asked, his eyes wide.
“They’re gone. Annika wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye,” I said, and Eduard pushed past me into their room, genuinely believing that they must’ve stepped out for some air, but I knew something bad must’ve happened. He went off into their ensuite bathroom, calling out for me to come look at what he found.
“Stephan? I think you need to see this,” he said, and I rushed in seeing that the bathroom floor was covered in blood, so much that it started to soak into the grooves of the tile.
“We really do have a problem,” Eduard said.
Where are you, Annika? Where the hell did you go?
The three of us searched the entire property, running through the security camera footage to see that one of them had been disconnected a few hours prior. I didn’t understand what happened or who could’ve taken them, but it just didn’t make any sense. There were no other signs of an altercation other than in the bathroom, and that told me that there must’ve been a fight that occurred between the two of them.
Neither of them would hurt each other, so what really happened here?
She was just starting to get accustomed to this lifestyle, and now she was possibly being thrown into the thick of the parts that made it so dark. I didn’t want her to be introduced to this side of the crime world so quickly, if something indeed happened, but I tried to calm myself down.
Maybe there was an accident, and they thought it best not to tell any of us.
I pulled out my phone, calling Annika only to hear a distinct ringing coming from their bedroom. Both of their phones were tucked under their pillows, as though they were taken abruptly, and it left me even more confused. I didn’t know where to go about looking for her, or how this could’ve even happened without one of us noticing, but I wasn’t going to rest until I figured it out.
Eduard and Feliks came to find me, and I was hoping that they were going to help me find out what happened, but they just stared at me blankly.
“We have to go out and find her,” I said, pushing past them.
“No we don’t, Stephan. They probably just got scared and took off. To be honest, it’s probably for the best anyway because that girl was holding you back,” Eduard said, and I wanted to slam him into the door.
“That girl has a name, and how are you going to just ignore the fact that the bathroom is covered in blood? Something terrible obviously occurred, and you’re going to try to tell me that I need to focus on my job right now?” I said, punching the wall.
“You barely know her, Stephan. It really is a waste of your time,” Feliks said, and I couldn’t believe the audacity of the two of them.
“You two are the ones wasting my time, and if you aren’t going to help me look for them, then I’m just going to have to go out and do it myself,” I said, running down the stairs to my car, before they could give me another reason why I should stay back and forget everything that I saw.
“Well, we have work to do. I told you, Stephan, if the two of them came between you and the job, we’re just going to have to start doing things without you,” he said, and I couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.
“Fuck off, Eduard. Go do what you have to do. You both can only hope that you do enough small, pointless jobs to pay your rent because that’s probably as far as you’re going to go in life. It’s a shame, and it’s also a shame to see just how detached you both are from reality. Don’t even bother trying to involve me in whatever you have going on, I want no part. I’m going to save the girl I care about, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t touch my things until I can come back and claim them,” I said, making it clear that it was time I took my business elsewhere.
“Come on, Stephan. Don’t be like that,” Feliks said, but nothing either of them could say would change my mind. I needed to save Annika, to make sure that both her and Natalia were safe from whatever trouble occurred right under my roof.
I didn’t say another word to them, getting into the driver’s seat of my car, knowing that the painting I’d been harboring like a fugitive was sitting safely in the trunk. I started up the engine, pulling out of the driveway probably never to return, heading in the direction of Annika’s parents’ house. It was the only place I could think to start looking for her, hoping that there would be a clue in there somewhere to find out who could’ve possibly taken her and what they wanted.
I tried to replay the few hours before I figured out they were gone, recalling the few noises I heard coming from the floor above me, but they didn’t sound like someone had broken in, and I was well aware of what that would be like.
There was no shouting, no gunfire, nothing to indicate that our home had been breached, but they were still missing, so whoever took them had to be skilled. My heart sank to my stomach the moment I thought it would have to be the same people that showed up at Annika’s house demanding that I give them the painting I stole from them.
I banged my hand against the steering wheel out of frustration, realizing that I could’ve prevented this in the very beginning if I had just done more to make sure that the house was secure, checking in with the girls every once in a while to make sure they were okay. Now, they were missing, and I had no idea how I was going to find them.
I pulled up outside of Annika’s home, breaking in through the front door by fiddling with the lock long enough, taking in how well we were able to restore it to how it appeared before everything went down. Everything seemed to be virtually untouched since we were last there, but I wasn’t any less concerned that something had happened to the both of them. I felt it in my gut that something wasn’t right, that they were both in some danger that even I wasn’t aware of.
I was warned by those men what would happen if I didn’t give up the painting soon enough, Is this their way of collecting?
I thought, rummaging through everything I could find
, looking for a clue, or something to point me in the direction of where they could’ve gone.
I kept replaying the last few moments Annika and I had before she went off to bed to sleep off the day, kissing her on her forehead, letting her know how incredible a job she did. It hurt to think that she was out there somewhere suffering, and if there’s a sliver of a possibility that Eduard and Feliks were right and they took off, I just wanted to make sure that she was safe.
If you really did get second thoughts Annika, I’m not going to be angry. I just want to make sure that you’re alright, and that no harm ever comes to you.
I searched the entire house, nearly turning it upside down looking for something, anything that would give me any indication of where they might’ve disappeared to. Before I was just about to give up hope there, I noticed a stack of mail sitting on the entryway table, and I made my way over to it, running through each name and address before I stumbled on one that caught my eye.
Chadova? I’m pretty sure Annika told me that’s Natalia’s last name.
I opened up the envelope, rereading the letter over and over again until I could fully take in what it said.
“What the fuck? There is no way you didn’t know about this, Annika. There is no way you didn’t know that Natalia’s father had been using you to get to your father,” I said aloud, frustrated, angry that I didn’t see the signs earlier. When Natalia had said that their parents didn’t get along, the last thing I would ever think would be that they were in a constant war together.
It seems that both of your families are operating on much higher stakes than either of you realized unless one of you did.
The letter had said that Annika’s father needed to pay back the money owed to Natalia’s father, otherwise there would be consequences.
Natalia didn’t strike me as the type to be interested in this world, but if she had been helping her family all along, then Annika was in much more danger than I thought. I wondered if I would even be able to save her knowing how much cavalry Natalia’s family must have at their disposal.
