The Princess in the Tower

by Cordelia Gregory

  “There is nothing to say. I had to leave. Our father never touched you. I didn’t even know our mother was pregnant with Anishin. I was cast out and isolated by the family when I left. You were always the favourite. He never laid a hand on you.”

  Ilya got in his face.

  “He only ever beat our mother. He forced himself on her and she became pregnant with Anishin. She needed you.”

  “She needed to leave him, but she wouldn’t. When I begged her to take us and leave, she told me she wouldn’t leave because of the money and the status. She’d been brought up to take it…”

  His words fuelled the fire constantly raging in Ilya over his family’s past and before he knew it, he was lashing out and punching his brother on the chin.

  Alexandrov’s head shot to one side. He brought it back and rubbed his jaw.

  “You take after him. You punch as hard as him,” he sneered.

  Ilya stared at him in shock, the horror of being compared to his father hitting home and the fact Alexandrov had been beaten by him.

  “He hit you?” Ilya blurted the question out.

  “Yes. All the time.”

  “I never knew. You were in trouble at school a lot, always in fights. I didn’t think. He never touched me, and I assumed he never laid a finger on you. He always beat our mother. You left when she was pregnant, and I tried to take over your role and protect her. It never worked, he always seemed to get to her no matter what I did. It felt like you had abandoned us. Anishin was born and he hated him right from the start. He hated his screaming when he was drunk. He couldn’t stand the noise then. I tried to keep Anishin safe, but he killed him one night in a fit of rage. He was just a baby.”

  Ilya could feel the tears brimming in his voice.

  “I thought you had abandoned us. She told me you just walked out and left.”

  Alexandrov shook his head.

  “He beat me badly one night and tried to finish me off with his hands around my throat. He was a big man and I stood no chance against him as a fifteen-year-old. That was the first time she managed to stop him hitting me. She told me to leave that night and never come back or he would kill me. That was why I left. She didn’t tell me she was pregnant. I would have stayed. There would have been no question.”

  “She never told us that.”

  “No, she wouldn’t have. Being abused by my father is not something I want to admit to or remember. I will never allow myself to feel that helpless again. I had to live on the streets and hide from the press until I could join the army.”

  There was heavy sarcasm in Alexandrov’s tone.

  “Years later I heard from someone that she deliberately got pregnant with me to trap him in marriage for the money. That was why he hated me so much. He loved you but Anishin would have reminded him of the monster he had become. Our mother didn’t deserve what happened to her, but she could have prevented a lot of what had happened by leaving him. She had people ready to help her, but she chose to stay out of greed,” he informed Ilya with passion. “I was relieved when I heard the bastard had hung himself.”

  “He did it the morning he sobered up in that jail cell and realised what he’d done. I hated him,” Ilya told him with bitterness.

  “We are not alone in that feeling. She always protected him no matter what. I can’t say I was sorry when she passed away when her heart gave out five years ago.”

  Ilya hung his head feeling remorse for his brother.

  “We need to stick together, Ilya and work this out between us if we are going to protect Diana because James Logan is more than capable of killing her and I am not going to lose anyone else I love to domestic abuse.”

  Ilya nodded.

  “Now let’s get this plan in motion and get Diana and the Empyrean-629 out of here.”

  Chapter 6

  After breakfast with Empyrean’s other prospective clients, Ilya and his brother were taken by car with the others to a private airport owned by Empyrean.

  “This is what we have been waiting for,” Alexandrov said as they stood outside a hangar waiting while the large door opened to the side in front of them. Ilya nodded.

  “All of my research and information from contacts say it is everything it portends to be.”

  Ilya felt a thrill as the doors opened to reveal the large passenger aircraft.

  “Here it is, ladies and gentlemen, the beautiful Empyrean-629,” James Logan said gesturing to it with his hand.

  Ilya’s eyes widened with excitement. He’d loved aircraft since he was a child and could rightly have been referred to as a plane nerd. Growing up in a family in the aircraft industry had been a Godsend. James Logan continued his speech as they were invited into the hangar to take a closer look. Many of the clients referred to their brochures but like his brother, he didn’t need to. He knew all he needed to know. He stared at the shiny new toy in front of him untouched by passengers and lamented he had never actually learned to fly.

  “The Empyrean-629 doesn’t just boast superior environmental factors with more efficient energy consumption that no other aircraft in the business has been able to attain, it also offers reduced noise and can carry seventy percent more passengers than any of its competitors. The Empyrean-629 is in a class of its own and marks a volcanic revolution in aircraft design and the aviation industry as a whole.”

  “It is a beautiful aircraft,” Alexandrov whispered to him. “The woman is a genius.”

  “She’s that and more.”

  “They have been trying to make a fuel efficient, environmental aircraft for years and she is the only one who has been able to do it.”

  “No doubt about that,” Ilya answered.

  “Worth teaming up for and reuniting the company?”

  Ilya looked at him.

  “Do you really think we can work together?”

  “I don’t see why not if we put our minds to it,” he said slowly.

  Ilya had been hard on his brother, blaming him for everything. It prompted him to confess it.

  “I am sorry I blamed you for everything.”

  “Let’s put it behind us and start afresh. Let’s get the girl and the plane.” Alexandrov grinned. Ilya grinned back.

  “You’re on. I’m not leaving her with that bastard,” he answered with gritted teeth while smiling at James Logan who was looking their way.

  “The aircraft can accommodate your needs and be customized the way you see fit,” James was finishing. “Now let’s take a look inside.”

  The presentation ended an hour later with everyone enthusiastically clapping before being taken back to the house. The rest of the morning was spent discussing terms of contracts and all had signed up to take the aircraft. Ilya and Alexandrov informed James they would be reuniting their company to take more aircraft, upping the amount Alexandrov and Ilya had already agreed on their own thereby making their bid to be the first to get the new plane undeniable.

  “I will be announcing who will be the first to take the three aircraft we have already assembled, this evening. We will then set about assembling the others to fulfill the rest of the contracts. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen,” James finished. “Now let us get some lunch. I don’t know about you, but I am starving,” he laughed.

  “I am pleased you have decided to work together. I think we will do good business together,” James said to them both before leaving to return home in his own car.

  “Is that a hint?” Ilya whispered to his brother.

  “It doesn’t matter. This is just for show. Diana has the final say which means we already have the plane,” Alexandrov informed him.

  They got in the back of the limousine that had brought them to the hangar and Alexandrov’s mobile rang. Ilya stared at him, suddenly feeling anxious for Diana, when he pulled it out of his black suit jacket and answered it. He spoke in Russian making his questions and answers short so the driver couldn’t understand him.

  “What’s happened?” Ilya asked in Russian.

  “We have a l
ead on Diana’s son. He can’t tell me the name of the family, but they have gone on the run from Bazanov and are hiding the child from him. He doesn’t know where they are. He is working on finding out more. But it should be enough to convince Diana to leave and prevent us from having to drag her out of there against her will. I don’t want to put her through anymore torment but if it means kidnapping her I will.”

  “Agreed. I am not leaving her there to be abused and held against her will anymore. We have to reassure her that we will find her son and keep her safe.”

  Ilya was relieved. The car drove up the drive to the castle.

  “Now, for the next part of the plan. Let’s get Diana out of that tower room so we can easily exit with her.”

  “Is your team ready to protect Diana when we leave?”

  “Yes, they are already in place and Bazanov will receive the call I have arranged to distract him soon so we can make the break as smooth and as safe as possible for everyone concerned.”

  Ilya grinned. “Just like old times.”

  Chapter 7

  That evening James led them into his study and away from the crowd.

  “I am sure you know why I have brought you in here, gentlemen,” he said gesturing his hand towards the two seats in front of his desk while he sat down behind it.

  Alexandrov undid the button on his tuxedo jacket and sat down next to his brother. He said nothing.

  “Diana and I have decided to offer Dyeus Airlines merged with Ataksak and jointly run by yourselves, the first contract for the Empyrean-629, for the fee we discussed, which you will be able to run exclusively for the first six months before we complete the other orders. Congratulations.”

  The brothers stood and shook his hand.

  “I will be making the announcement soon but, in the meantime, I think this warrants a celebration.”

  There was a knock at the door and one of James Logan’s staff entered carrying a bottle of champagne and glasses. James stood when it was poured and offered a toast.

  “To the Empyrean-629 and all those who travel in her,” he laughed.

  Alexandrov nodded with a smile and took a sip of champagne. He sat back in his chair before speaking.

  “I have a proposal for you, James.”

  “Really? I look forward to hearing it. We have other aircraft, airships and helicopters you may be interested in purchasing.”

  Alexandrov could hear by the sudden slur of James’ words he was on the way to being drunk already, which was no surprise after watching him consume large quantities of alcohol since lunch time. He had him exactly in the state he wanted him to be in so he would agree to the indecent proposal.

  “No, it is something more special than that. We are prepared to order five more Empyrean-629s if we can both sleep with your wife,” he suggested in a dark, firm tone.

  James looked down into his glass, which he had now swapped for whiskey and laughed loudly. Alexandrov smiled and stood his ground.

  “I have heard you are amenable to sharing your wife to facilitate the conclusion of a business deal or to satisfy any gambling debts. I am offering to give you more than you anticipated but if I am incorrect in my assumption I apologise and withdraw our request.”

  James took another swig of his whiskey and looked at Alexandrov.

  “It is a very generous offer. If I agree to your proposal, I have one condition.”

  “Name it.”

  “I get to watch.”

  Alexandrov glanced at Ilya. It wasn’t going quite to plan. The idea was to get Diana in Alexandrov’s room for the night and extract her from there when Bazanov was forced to leave with the planned distraction and the other guests had safely retired. Ilya covered it well with his trademark wicked grin the women appeared to love so much.

  “By all means. I like an audience when I fuck a woman.”

  “You should inspect the goods first before you do,” James said with a grin, making Alexandrov’s stomach churn with anger.

  Alexandrov and Ilya were asked to wait in a private lounge not open to the other guests where they were served drinks while they waited. They hadn’t been able to have a conversation and discuss the deviation in the plan but like his brother, Ilya was undeterred. It was just going to take a little while longer than they thought to extract Diana from the castle. It wasn’t the first time either brother had made love to a woman in front of an audience as a Dominant, and it probably wouldn’t be the last considering the games they played, but Ilya worried Diana would have a problem with it. She was a natural submissive, he had been able to tell that from the first time they’d met at the conference by her delicate, gentle behaviour when she allowed him to take the lead in their discussions and in the evening when they had met in groups for drinks, but he wasn’t sure if she was ready for this. She was a novice in need of training. Still it was the only way to get her free and he and Alexandrov would have to guide her through it. With the pace James was drinking he would probably pass out in the middle of it and they could accelerate the plan. Now Diana needed to play her own part for the full effect.

  They sat on a long, red chesterfield in the huge, high-ceilinged room. Ilya had been poured another cognac, but he didn’t want it. He felt nervous for Diana. She was going to be annoyed but it was the only way to keep her safe. And, if he was honest, he was more than willing to make love to her with an audience or not. He would show her what making love truly was compared to the rape she had no doubt experienced with her husband. But he had a lesson for James and a way to force Diana’s hand into taking action and coming away with them.

  Diana was brought to them in an evening dress with full make-up. She looked as beautiful as ever, but he wondered if he preferred the natural beauty he’d seen confined in the tower room. She wore a stunning red, sequined dress that defined and flattered her sexy curves to perfection. His desire for her swelled the moment she walked into the room and it was an effort to appear unconcerned or unaffected by her haunting beauty.

  She looked nervous and the billionaire’s heart leapt for her. Her eyes darted back and forth between himself and Alexandrov. His older brother nodded to her communicating she was safe with his eyes and to continue to carry out the plan they had discussed. The dress had been designed with a high collar. It hid some of the fading bruising they had both seen on her neck as well. Then it dropped away at the back leaving her delicate skin bare. He remembered how his hand had gently stroked it the evening before and how soft to the touch it had been. On the front of the dress there was delicate crystal beading and a thin transparent layer between her cleavage giving a tantalising glimpse of those sexy plump breasts he always had a hard time distracting his gaze from. She was small and curved. Long-legged models had often been on his arm, but he had found little pleasure in them. Diana was everything he wanted in a woman and she wasn’t yet his. Time to change that. He was used to always getting what he wanted, and Diana would be no exception even if he had to share her with his brother.

  James led Diana by the hand towards them until he paraded her directly in front of Ilya and Alexandrov as though he was putting her up for sale in an auction. The Russian billionaire remained where he was in his relaxed position holding his cognac, knowing what was to happen next.

  Diana’s blue eyes were a deep sky blue and he couldn’t help but be drawn in by their beauty and the haunting pain behind them. His immediate instinct was to hold her in his arms and soothe her. The protective feeling grew intense when a light pink blush brushed her delicate pale cheeks as James began to undo the small intricate buttons at the back of the collar pulled tight around her throat. Ilya couldn’t wait for the moment he and his brother would place their own collar around her soft neck to mark their ownership of her and lead her on her hands and knees to their bed. His cock twitched at the very thought while James pulled the glittering bodice down over his wife’s breasts to bare them for the billionaires’ assessment.

  Diana remained impassive, not daring to speak as her husband strip
ped her. She let out a breath when the bodice was pulled down to her waist and her breasts bounced free of their confines. Ilya loved the way the large plump mounds jumped and wobbled to settle back on her chest. He could see Diana’s hands scrunch into small fists at her sides, itching to stretch her palms across her chest to hide it but she did not move them upwards. How many times had she been stripped and paraded by her husband to a man for his use? Ilya didn’t want to think about it.

  She looked so fragile, like porcelain china yet he wondered how she kept herself in check and didn’t try to bolt from the room. Her strength to survive this long with James was undeniable.

  The Russian billionaire remained in his seat watching Diana’s forced stripping, taking a sip of his cognac as though it were a natural act, he had seen many times before. His brother struck a similar pose. He swept his blue eyes across her breasts immediately assessing and making note of her cup size. He smoothed his hand around the curved glass he held as though it were one of the luscious pink globes he was caressing.

  James wasted no time in pulling down the skirt of the sexy evening dress and what he revealed underneath took the Russian billionaire’s breath away just as it had done the previous evening. She wore no panties and was now completely naked apart from her red high heels.

  “I took the liberty of removing any inhibiting garments before I brought her to you,” James grinned at him allowing Diana’s dress to drop to the floor and pool around her ankles. “Why don’t you inspect her?” James suggested to them both with a grin.

  It was Ilya’s turn to grin. He put down his glass on the side table and stood waiting for the prize to be brought to him and his brother. James took hold of Diana’s hand and helped her step out from the dress in her red Louboutins and led her to the billionaires.

  Ilya was mesmerised by every sway of her hips as she walked towards him. She could barely look at him and the blush on her cheeks had deepened.