Bound By Duty (The Singham Bloodlines Book 3)

by P. G. Van

  Neil dropped the dress on the floor and looked at her. She was wearing a thin slip, and he grit his teeth when he saw the telling scratches on her shoulder and neck.

  He reached out and ran his fingers over the bruised skin.

  “Neil… I feel dirty. I don’t want you to touch me where the animal touched me.’” She sobbed hiding her face in her hands.

  Neil moved closer and pushed her hands away from her face. “Hey… listen to me. Just because a little bit of dirt splattered on you, you don’t become dirty. You just wash it off.”

  She looked into his eyes. “I want to wash off every memory I have of that fucking animal. I need a shower.”

  Neil hesitated for a moment before scooping her off the bed and carrying her to the bathroom. It wasn’t until he placed her on the bathroom floor, did she notice that they were not in the hotel room.

  “Where are we?”

  “A friend’s place. It’s safe, and I’ll be right outside the bathroom. Call me when you are done.”

  He took a step away from her, but she clung to him. “I’m scared, don’t go. Please.”

  “I’m right here, no one will ever get that close to you again. I promise.” He took her into his arms, and she felt his lips on her temple.

  “Neil, can you give me a shower?” she pleaded.

  He moved slowly, her hands coming up to cup her cheeks. “Will that make you feel better?”

  “Yes,” she whispered closing her eyes as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

  Neil walked her into the shower and turned on the water. He stepped into the shower with her, fully clothed. He guided her to be right under the stream of warm water. The slip she had on was drenched in seconds and was pasted to her body.

  He reached for the shampoo and looked at her standing under the water, her eyes shut.

  “Narmada,” he uttered her name inadvertently.

  She opened her eyes and looked straight at him. He didn’t need to say another word—his eyes spoke volumes. She took one small step, and he pulled her into his arms.

  His lips came down on hers hard and hungry, and she took in the sweet pressure only wanting more. She moaned when his tongue slipped past her lips eager to explore her mouth.

  She kissed him back with everything she had wrapping her hands around his neck. She anchored his neck and lifted herself off the tiled floor to wrap her legs around his waist.

  He kissed her like he couldn’t help himself, and she kissed him back with the same intensity. He turned them around and flattened her back on the shower wall and leaned in closer.

  She moaned when his lips left hers to trail down her neck. She dug her fingers into his damp hair as he swirled his tongue down her neck.

  “Neil, I want you… I want you to take me,” she moaned into his ear.

  Intense thrills ripped through her body as he nipped the skin along her collarbone. His lips grazed over the scratches on her shoulder kissing away the pain with feather-light kisses.

  She felt his hands on her waist pushing her higher against the wall until his face was buried between her breasts. She let his hand go to pull the strap of her slip and bra at the same time. He pushed aside the bra cup with his mouth and claimed her pebbled tip.

  She moaned his name as he sucked on her breast, nipping and twirling his tongue around the yearning bud. She tightened her legs around his waist when she felt his hand leave her bottom to cup the other breast.

  Her body arched toward him as he feasted on her every inch. She felt the anticipation building as he moved closer to her throbbing folds. Her body slid down the shower wall as he explored southward with his mouth.

  Narmada was having a hard time containing the new sensations her body was feeling. No man had come this close to her ever, and she couldn’t wait to be claimed by the man she had loved—the only one she ever loved. Her heart banged against her rib cage unable to handle the rush of blood, her skin felt reborn with the way he worshiped it with his lips, and her folds wept for him.

  Her inner muscles clenched when he set her feet back on the wet floor and went on his knees in front of her. She let out a moan when he nuzzled the apex of her thighs.

  He looked up at her], his eyes dark and dangerous. “Do you still want me?”

  She nodded unable to find the words to respond. He stood up to claim her lips again with an urgency, and this time, he swept her off her feet before she could hoist herself on him. His mouth never left hers as he carried her back into the bedroom. Her slip was dripping wet, and his clothes were partially wet.

  He placed her on the bed ever so gently like she was a porcelain doll and slid in beside her, his lips devouring hers. Her hands roamed his chest fumbling with the buttons. She groaned an objection when he pulled away to take her wet slip and bra off.

  She lay in front of him, her wet hair sprawled on the pillow, streaks of her makeup running down her face, full lips begging him to kiss her, and her body yearning for him like it was made for him to touch and caress.

  “You are beautiful, Narmada.” He started by kissing every inch of her body and finally made it back to where her wet panties lay as a barrier between him and what was his to claim.

  He moved toward her epicenter, her arousal calling to him. He nuzzled her deepest and darkest layers briefly before pulling down her panties. He lifted his head to look up and saw her eyes were pools of lust as she eagerly waited for him.

  She called out his name when she felt his lips, followed by his tongue in her wet folds.

  “Baby…” he groaned making her body tremble with thrills.

  She tossed her head as he slowly ran the tip of his tongue along each fold like he was memorizing every single detail of her body. The thrill and sensations were now a dull ache deep inside, and all she wanted was for him to take the ache away and relieve her of the pressure.

  Neil was no stranger to a woman’s body, but no woman had ever driven him over the edge like she did, and it scared him. He was always the one under control, dominating the engagement, but even when he was the one driving it, he was at her mercy.

  A gasp escaped her when he sucked in her clit between his teeth and pushed two fingers into her darkness. She felt his fingers start a burn on her inner walls, and it was so promising, she wanted more.

  “I can’t wait,” she pleaded.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” he hummed.

  “You won’t hurt me, you cannot.”

  He pulled his fingers out of her and gave her folds a little more love with his tongue before getting off her. He reached for his belt buckle, and in a flash, he kicked off his pants and his boxers.

  When he came back to claim her lips, he introduced his steel rod to her tenderness, making her jittery. “How much do you want me?”

  “I want all of you,” she mumbled against his lips.

  He pulled away from her mouth to drop kisses on her skin as he rubbed the tip of his hardness over her clit.

  She closed her eyes unable to handle the intensity.

  “Look at me.” The command made her open her eyes. “Look into my eyes, I want to watch you when I take you.”

  She moaned feeling a dull pressure build up inside her as she felt him inch into her. She reached for his arms and held onto him as he entered her, the burn threatening to consume her while the pleasure of him taking her gave her the ultimate high.

  Her body arched, the small of her back coming off the mattress to welcome him deeper.

  She smiled when he lowered himself to kiss away the moisture at the edge of her eye. “Are you okay?”

  “Never felt better,” she whispered.

  He smiled at her and pulled out slowly as his thumb caressed her throbbing clit and buried in deeper slowly building up a rhythm.

  Her body struggled to keep up with the new sensations, and her mind tried hard to memorize every feeling, every moment, but it was way too powerful to absorb it all. She finally let go letting him rule and dominate the moment. The ripples of pleasure swirl
ed around her deepest spot, and she came undone with his name on her lips.

  Moments later, he groaned in pleasure and pulled out of her to come on her belly. She felt his warm release on her delicate skin and came again with dirty pleasure.

  He collapsed on her—hot, wet, and heavy—there was no other place she’d rather be than in that hot mess. The hot mess and the killer of a man who stole her heart were all she wanted. She was finally home, and the last thing she could remember was his weight crushing her, and a state of bliss transporting her to a land she had never seen or heard of.

  Moments later, she woke up to warm strokes running on her body. She opened her eyes to see Neil wipe her down with a warm towel.

  “I love you, Neil,” her words a soft whisper.

  He didn’t respond but came to lie next to her and hugged her, kissing her into sleep.

  *****

  The sheets were soft and warm, but the body that ignited her senses and set her on fire was not within reach. Narmada opened her eyes to a room she didn’t recognize. It took her a moment to remember he had said it was a friend’s place.

  She sat up in bed looking around for her clothes when she realized she was naked under the sheets. She pulled the sheets around her and gingerly walked toward the door.

  The door was slightly ajar, and she heard slight sounds outside. She stuck her head out and looked on either side. She saw a small dining table to one side and a living area to another.

  She took a step out of the room when she realized there was no one outside. The smell of food caught her attention, and she walked in hunt of something that would stop the rumbling in her tummy.

  Neil was in the small kitchen with his back to her as he stirred something. He turned as if he felt her presence and smiled at her. A smile she hadn’t seen in ages, the one that made his eyes twinkle. It had made her fall for him six years ago, a smile so pure it made her heart flip. “Hey… did you sleep well?”

  She nodded and stood rooted to her spot, her body wrapped in the thin blanket as he walked to her, his one arm wrapping around her waist. Pulling her to him, he reached lower and planted a kiss on her lips. “Are you hungry?”

  She smiled, kissing him back hungrily.

  “I am hungry, what did you make for me?” she whispered against his lips.

  His hands curved over the perfect globes on the back bringing her mound to his crotch. “You can eat whatever you feel like eating.”

  “You have one dirty mind, mister,” she teased.

  “I like that dirty mind of yours.” He laughed making the sound ring in her ears.

  “Neil, I missed you. I missed you so much.” Her voice was soft and was weighed down by the pent-up pain she had ignored for years.

  “Your clothes are on the shelf next to the bed if you want to change out of this sheet.” He gently patted her bottom.

  “I’m gonna change, and I want to talk before I eat. Promise not to go silent on me.” She looked into his eyes commanding a response.

  “Sure.”

  “Be right back.” She smiled turning away from him and stopped when something caught her eye.

  A folded newspaper lay on the dining table, and the article read, ‘Chaos at Amnesia.’ It caught her eye because of the word ‘Amnesia’ as it happened to be the name of the club they were at the night before.

  She slowly reached for the newspaper and opened the full article. The image in front of her made her gasp. She recognized the tiles in the ladies’ room she was in the previous night. The wall-to-wall mirrors were broken, the door lay flat on the ground, and there was blood all over the light-colored walls and tiles.

  “Neil…”

  He turned to look at her and caught the fear in her eyes. “Don’t look at that, it’s nothing.”

  “How badly did you beat them up?” She felt her knees go weak, and her head started to spin when a memory of the moments in the ladies’ room came to mind.

  He took the newspaper from her and set it back on the table. “Don’t worry about those animals.”

  She gently pushed him aside and reached for the newspaper, and her eyes widened when she started reading the content. “Coma? Holy shit, they are all in a coma?”

  He gritted his teeth. “You feel sorry for them?”

  She ignored his question and continued to read. “What the… the guy is the Chief Minister’s son? What the fudge is this?”

  “Doesn’t matter who they are… they will never do such a thing again.” His tone was calm to the point of being scary.

  She flipped the pages to continue reading the full article and froze when she saw the image on the page. A pencil sketch of a woman stared back at her, and a moment later, her mouth went dry.

  “Is… is this my picture?”

  He nodded.

  “Neil… what do we do now?”

  He snorted. “What do you think you should do?”

  “I don’t know,” she yelled unable to handle the chaos in her head.

  He took the newspaper from her hands and put it away on the table. “There is nothing to be scared about, and the bastards deserve no sympathy. They will live to repent every time they treated a woman badly.”

  She looked up at him, her rational brain telling her it was inhumane to hurt someone, but her heart was overflowing with joy—the joy of knowing he would protect her and would do anything to keep her safe.

  CHAPTER 12

  Dev stepped into the Intensive Care Unit and looked at Raidu. He no longer had the oxygen mask on his face. It had been a few weeks since he had confirmed that Rana was alive and had drifted back into silence. Anika and Sabitha stood by the bed waiting for Dev.

  Dev looked at Anika. “Can he talk?”

  Anika nodded.

  Dev dialed Abhay’s phone number and put his phone on speaker. Abhay had sent Dev to talk to Raidu while he stayed on his brother’s trail.

  “Where is Rana?” Dev’s voice held a plea.

  “ I don’t know.” Raidu’s voice was weak.

  “You took him from the temple.” Abhay’s voice resonated in the small room even though, he was on the phone.

  “Yes, I took him to the orphanage.”

  “Why didn’t you bring Rana back?” Dev sounded calm even though he was furious.

  “I… I was scared.” Raidu was visibly shaking.

  “Why?” Abhay demanded. “You have been with our family for years. What were you scared of?”

  “I… let them in… I trusted them and let then into the temple.” Raidu looked at Dev.

  “Who?”

  “They were the men I grew up with, and they work for the Senanis. They said they wanted to talk to Vijay, and I let them in.”

  “What happened?” Abhay’s voice was chillingly calm.

  “I… I think I let the man who stabbed your mother into the temple,” Raidu sobbed.

  Chills ran through everyone at Raidu’s words.

  “Who is it?” Abhay asked softly, and Anika wished she was with her husband at that moment.

  “I don’t know, he was with the men I knew, and all I remember is her loud cry. By the time I got to her, she had a knife stuck in her chest and Harshavardhan Prajapathi was holding her.”

  “Did my father stab her?” Sabitha’s voice was soft but shaky.

  Raidu looked at Sabitha blankly.

  “Did Harshavardhan Prajapathi stab my mother?” Dev asked.

  “No… no, he was the one who asked me to take Rana and leave,” Raidu said in a shaky voice.

  Dev looked at the pale face of his wife but did not say anything.

  “I was going to take Rana back to the mansion, but when I saw the explosion from afar, I knew Rani Devasena would slit my throat… I didn’t know what to do…” The older man cried.

  “Who stabbed Mum?” Dev asked after a long pause.

  “It has to be that man… the man I had not seen before.”

  “How did the explosion happen?’ Abhay demanded.

  Raidu shook his head
. “When I left, the people were slaughtering each other, and I don’t know how the explosion happened.”

  “How can we trust you? You ran away with our brother and never came back? What were you hiding?” Dev asked, trying real hard to maintain his calm.

  “I was scared. I was burned with guilt… Vijay… I saw Vijay being stabbed… How could I face your grandmother? All I could do was keep Rana safe because I didn’t know what the region would turn into after what happened.”

  “Who did you say accompanied the man?” Abhay asked.

  “The Senani men. I knew them but not the man who was with them.” Raidu shook his head.

  “The Senanis?” Dev scrunched his nose looking at Sabitha.

  “Yes, they said they wanted to talk to Vijay so I let them in… I knew them… they were our friends.” The man wailed.

  “Raidu… who shot you? Who wants you killed?” Abhay’s voice was soft even on the phone.

  “I don’t know, I didn’t see who it was… I entered the hotel room, and I don’t remember what happened.” Raidu shook his head.

  “Why did you come to India instead of talking to Abhay?” Dev asked.

  “I was worried you would kill me before I could explain.” Raidu shivered.

  “Who knew you were at the hotel?” Abhay continued his questioning.

  “No one, I don’t know who wanted me killed,” Raidu confessed.

  “Who did you contact as soon as you landed?” Dev snarled.

  “I… I called Brahma Raja Senani,” Raidu declared.

  “Brahma Raja Senani can barely talk, how did you reach him?” Dev asked. The oldest member of the Senani family, once a powerful man could barely move unassisted now.

  “He had a person tell me what to do. When I told him I needed his support to tell you and your brother what really happened, he agreed to help me and asked me to meet someone at a certain location. I went to that location the next day, but no one showed up.” Raidu kept weeping.

  “Raidu, thank you for saving Rana. Dev, I need to talk to you,” Abhay said, and Dev turned off the speaker. He nodded at the women who stood in silence processing everything and stepped out of the room.