by S M Mala
Reaching out his hand, he touched her face. She closed her eyes and smiled then slowly looked at him. Their eyes locked.
He knew what he was feeling was more than lust, it was something he’d never really experienced before.
‘Kit,’ she said, starting to groan. ‘Oh, Kit.’
‘Look at me,’ he begged, knowing she was going to come. ‘I want us to do this together.’
As they rocked to their unique beat, he watched her convulse with ecstasy, smiling all the way through then he joined in.
All you could hear were their groans and moans.
It sounded like music.
‘I love you,’ she said.
He gulped, nodding, because he felt the same way.
‘Have I upset you again?’
… Sasha asked, stroking his face after he came out of the bathroom. ‘Every time you look at me I can see you’re unhappy.’
‘Far from it,’ he scowled, moving closer. ‘You just say things I can’t reply to.’
‘I don’t expect a declaration of love,’ she laughed, moving her lips closer to his. ‘I’m not that stupid.’
‘Sasha, this whole thing is-.’
‘I know,’ she said, putting her fingers to his lips. ‘I didn’t expect to feel like this about you. I never thought I’d ever fall in love again.’
‘Please don’t say any more.’ Kit glanced down and examined her lips which were now being gently bitten. ‘And if you do that, it just turns me on.’
‘I’m just sex then?’
‘What did you say?’ His eyes darted up. ‘You think I’m using you?’
‘It passes the boredom of hanging out with me. I don’t mind.’
‘That’s a stupid thing to say!’ he snapped, seeing she moved her head back. ‘You know how things have been with me, what I’ve been through. Relationships don’t come easy and I don’t want to let anyone down again.’
‘You’re not letting me down.’
‘But I might.’
‘How will you know if you don’t give it a try?’ Sasha moved closer to stare into his eyes. ‘I’m not saying with me necessarily, but with someone else?’
Staring right back at her, he wondered if she could see what he was thinking, what he wanted.
‘Maybe,’ Kit shrugged. ‘In time.’
‘How long? I can pencil it in my diary,’ she cheekily asked. ‘I wouldn’t want to miss the window of opportunity.’
He turned on his back, looking up at the ceiling then glanced at her grinning face.
‘You can’t contact me after this, you do know that, don’t you? Captain was very clear today that we have to keep out of each other’s way.’ He knew it sounded harsh as he said it. Sasha nodded, her expression the same. ‘And that might take weeks even months. There’s some mess happening in your world that I don’t want to come into mine. It sounds selfish but I have people to protect, like my family.’ She nodded again, the smile starting to fade. ‘I don’t want anything bad to happen to you because of this.’
‘I’d protect you with my life,’ she quietly said and it just made his heart lurch for her more. ‘I’d have no choice because I love you.’
‘Sasha!’
Then they both jumped when they heard a bang from downstairs.
‘Did you hear that?’
… Kit asked, sitting up as Sasha rolled her eyes.
He was internally happy but held it all back in, wanting to find a moment to say the same thing and her words of love weren’t helping him focus.
Kit was getting drawn in because he was very much in love with the hostage who could tap dance better than him.
‘Oh,’ Sasha said, pulling the covers up under her arms. ‘Do you think Captain’s come early?’
‘What? To catch us at it.’ He grabbed his underpants, slipping them on. ‘I’m going to take a look.’
‘Can you get me a bottle of water?’ she asked and he turned to see her looking gorgeous in bed. ‘There’s nothing wrong with declaring your love for someone if you mean it.’
‘Not again.’
‘It’s how I feel. Why won’t you let me tell you again and again? You make me happy and you should know you have the ability to do that.’
‘Just stop it for my sake,’ he sighed, knowing he was going to tell her within seconds of returning to the room that he loved her.
‘Okay,’ she grumbled. ‘But I do and I don’t care if you don’t feel the same way.’
He knew she was adamant about conveying her feelings and it made his heart melt.
‘Let me go and see what’s going on,’ he smiled, blowing her a kiss and walking out of the room. ‘Captain! Ryan!’
There was no reply.
Knowing he put the security alarm on, so they’d know if Ryan or Captain had arrived, he realised it was nothing so descended the stairs, walking towards the kitchen. Getting a bottle of water, he headed out then stopped when he noticed two balaclava covered figures, dressed from head to toe in black, standing in the corridor.
‘What the fuck’s going on?’
The next thing Kit knew, he felt a sharp pain to the back of his head.
‘Kit!’
… he heard her sob. ‘If you’ve hurt him, I’ll kill you! I love him!’
He was unable to move or open his eyes.
Sasha was crying and he wanted to help her but he couldn’t.
Even flat out on the corridor floor, he knew something was wrong.
‘Sasha,’ he mumbled before passing out.
‘Is he okay?’
… he heard Ryan ask.
Slowly he was turned over and, through a haze, managed to focus on two pairs of eyes looking down at him.
‘Kit, where’s Sasha?’ Captain asked.
His eyes started to focus on the concerned expressions as his head pounded.
‘What happened?’ Ryan gently said, helping Kit to sit up. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Shit!’ Kit said, jumping to his feet then feeling a little dizzy, stumbling into Captain’s arms. ‘Fuck! I got hit and-.’
‘Hey, you need to sit down,’ said Ryan, guiding him to a chair.
‘I came downstairs to get some water and saw two figures in the living room. Next thing I know I got hit on the head and-.’ Kit felt his heart pound really hard while panic grew. ‘She was crying. I heard Sasha. Someone took her. We have to find out where she is and get her back!’
‘How did they get in?’ Captain asked, staring at Kit. ‘This is a secure house. Didn’t the alarms go off?’
‘I locked the doors, secured the alarms, I’ve no idea,’ groaned Kit, putting his throbbing head into his hands. ‘We were in bed and heard a sound so I went to see what it was.’
‘In bed?’ scowled Captain. ‘What did I tell you?’
‘It’s not just a fuck for me, it’s more than that.’
‘Whatever it is, right now, we need to know where she’s gone and who’s taken her,’ said Ryan sharply. ‘This is serious especially if she’s been taken by Cameron.’ He let out a deep sigh. ‘Which means he’ll know she’s been sleeping with you.’
The plummeting feeling in his gut made him feel sick.
‘How would they have tracked her down to here?’ groaned Kit, shaking his head.
Then reality hit him. He got to his feet and sprinted up the stairs to her room.
It was empty.
Immediately he searched the room to see all her things were taken.
There was no trace of Sasha.
It was awful, the feeling of panic surging through his body, the fear he would never see her again. Pinpricks of tears stabbing his eyes. He realised he couldn’t be apart from her and not knowing where she was, or who she was with, was going to eat him up.
Sitting down slowly on the bed, he lay his head where she had been and could smell her scent on the pillows.
If only he’d told her he loved her, there and then, maybe things wouldn’t have looked so bleak.
‘It’s all there,’
… Jeremy Wilton said, looking gravely at them, all sat around a table. ‘The money has been transferred into your accounts and we can leave it at that.’
They were gathered in a hotel suite at the plush St Pancreas Renaissance Hotel, being asked to arrive individually. The message had been texted to Kit who, for the past five days, had been wrecked with worry about Sasha. Captain didn’t tell him what had happened when Jeremy Wilton found out about her being taken from the house.
He was now waiting for the wrath of the man, considering Kit was supposed to be protecting her.
All he could think about was Sasha and it was killing him.
‘You won’t be implicated in any way,’ Jeremy continued, avoiding eye contact. ‘The job is done.’
‘It’s not done,’ said Kit, seeing Captain raise his eyebrows. ‘Where is she? Is she okay?’
‘Mr Foley, it’s no longer your concern.’
‘I feel responsible.’
‘Forget about her,’ Jeremy Wilton said gently. ‘You have to move on.’ Kit shook his head from side to side, catching Ryan’s sympathetic glance. ‘Is there something wrong?’
‘I want to know she’s okay,’ he said quietly. ‘I don’t want anything bad to happen to Sasha. If that fucking Cameron lays a finger on her, I’ll kill him.’
‘Fighting talk, Mr Foley,’ laughed Jeremy Wilton before turning serious. ‘I might take you up on it.’
‘Is she with him? Do you know?’
‘Cameron Lester is none the wiser of where she is than I am.’
‘But you’re not worried?’
‘I’m worried, obviously, but she’s away from harm’s way and that’s the most important thing. Cameron figured out I had something to do with her disappearance and started asking questions. As the man and I do not see eye to eye on certain things, it was thought she should be removed swiftly. His appearance at the dance school was cause for concern.’ He stood up. ‘Now gentlemen, I’ll bid you farewell. I have another meeting and, of course, please never mention this again.’
Captain stood up and shook Jeremy’s hand, followed by Ryan.
Kit sat there, wanting to scream but couldn’t.
‘Are you coming?’ Captain asked Kit, flicking a warning glance. ‘Mr Wilton’s a busy man.’
‘Sure,’ Kit replied, standing up slowly.
Jeremy Wilton walked closer to him as the other two left.
‘Mr Foley,’ Jeremy Wilton said softly. ‘I can see you’re worried and upset about Sasha. You know she told me she’d like to stay longer at the house. I know why.’ He gently laughed. ‘You have to let her go for now. This business is very messy and we are protecting her.’
‘From Cameron?’
‘He’s saying she’s unhinged, having another breakdown. There are rumours he needs to track her down, wanting to make sure she gets the right treatment. Do you think Sasha was unstable when you spent time with her?’
‘She seemed pretty lucid to me,’ he said, a flash of making love to her darting into his head. There was an almighty yearning in his body for the woman. ‘This seems like a big riddle and I’ve no idea what it’s about.’
‘It’s about business, justice but, most importantly, trust and love,’ Jeremy said quietly. ‘Move on in your life for now and be happy.’
Kit knew he couldn’t without Sasha.
‘What’s wrong?’
… Gracie asked, three weeks later. They were sitting in his bar at a corner table, away from prying eyes. ‘You seem sad.’
‘Just got things on my mind,’ he said, leaning forward, watching her eat a burger.
‘Grandma says you’ve been a right pain, moping around and she’s not sure what’s wrong.’
‘If she stopped coming to the tap lessons that would make me happy,’ he grimaced, knowing his mother was trying to be helpful but it irritated nevertheless.
‘What about that lady you were telling me about?’ she continued, taking a bite from her burger. Kit wiped her tomato ketchup covered cheek. ‘Aren’t you friends?’
‘She had to go away,’ he said quietly, feeling sick with despair.
‘When’s she coming back?’
‘I don’t know.’
It was when said out loud, he was on the verge of tears.
His head had been filled with Sasha since she was taken and he was deeply worried something bad had happened. There was no way to find out and he wasn’t any clearer what the kidnap had been about, other than to protect her.
Due to his turmoil, Kit was finding it hard to sleep.
All he could think about was her and he didn’t know what to do.
The times he could have told her how he felt, he didn’t.
His fear of being hurt and the ability to lay his heart open to her had gone.
Pretty much like she had.
‘Mum and Peter keep quarrelling,’ whispered Grace, snapping Kit out of his depressing thoughts. ‘I don’t think she’s happy.’
‘How’s your fat little brother?’ asked Kit, trying not to smile at his ex-wife’s relationship dilemma.
There was a sense of justice that she was going through a bad time.
‘Getting fatter!’ giggled Grace. ‘But he’s very cute.’
Kit examined his beautiful child’s face and wished he could hold her in his arms. All he wanted was a cuddle. Grace looked at him and smiled.
‘I love you,’ she said. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Gracie, don’t worry about me, I’m fine.’ Gently, he touched her hand. ‘I’m the adult. I have to worry about you, make sure you’re safe.’
‘You’re not getting ill again, are you?’
Her face said it all.
Etched with concern and anxiety, the eyes were starting to fill with tears. Kit got up and sat next to her, wrapped his arms around Grace’s small body. He felt her arms wrap around him and wished he could stay there forever.
The focus in his life now was his daughter.
All his hope had gone when Sasha went and the only smidgeon he had left was currently in his arms, hugging him for dear life.
‘What are you two doing here?’
… he asked, seeing Ryan and Captain standing at the bar. ‘I thought I’d never see you again. Is it safe?’
‘What a welcome,’ groaned Captain, dressed in a smart man’s suit. ‘Thought we’d come and see how you are. It’s been nearly six weeks.’
‘I’m fine,’ he said, forcing a smile.
‘You’ve lost weight,’ Ryan pointed out, grinning before giving him a hug. ‘How are things?’
‘Really good,’ he lied, seeing neither one believed him. ‘The bar’s doing great. We had some alterations to the place, updated the kitchen so it’s all going really well.’
‘I’m pleased,’ Captain said, deadpan. ‘And you’re happy?’
‘Couldn’t be any happier,’ Kit replied, forcing an even bigger smile.
‘Can you join us for a drink?’ Ryan asked quietly. ‘We just wanted to catch up.’
‘What’s there to catch up on?’
‘Look, let me get you a drink and we can have a chat.’
‘I’ll get them.’
Kit sat in the corner of the restaurant area with the two men, waiting for them to speak. He was itching to ask about Sasha, realising they both probably knew it.
‘Has she called you?’ Ryan asked quietly, sipping his beer.
‘No,’ Kit replied, feeling devastated at her inability to make contact.
‘That’s good.’
‘Why’s that?’
‘She’s protecting you,’ Captain said, supporting a wry smile. ‘I told you not to get involved.’
‘I’m not involved,’ Kit replied, looking at his lemonade. ‘It happened and now it’s over. Move on, so to speak.’
‘You’re saying she didn’t mean anything to you?’ pried Captain. ‘Are you sure?’
‘It was a little fling,’ he shrugged, avoiding eye contact and glancing around the room. ‘The
se things happen. The heat of the moment.’
‘That same ‘heat’ where you arranged to meet up for a date after a full on snog?’ said Ryan quietly, making Kit do a double take. ‘We had a few long chats when she was killing time waiting for you.’
‘She told you?’ hissed Kit. ‘What else did she say?’
‘Is it important?’
Kit sat there, looking at the pair of unconvinced smiling faces.
‘What’s the point? She hasn’t made contact with me. I take it, I was something to do.’ He hated saying it but that’s what he was beginning to think. ‘Maybe that was her intention.’
‘To achieve what?’ laughed out Captain, sipping his gin and tonic. ‘Find a way to escape? She asked Jeremy Wilton if you could look after her for a month and that’s when he figured out she fancied the arse off you. It didn’t take a genius to see it was mutual.’
‘Is that why you’ve come here? To tell me I’ve lost out on someone I care about?’
‘We’ve come here to keep you updated on that same woman,’ Ryan said quietly before turning to Captain. ‘Don’t wind him up. You can see he’s upset.’
‘I’m not!’ snapped Kit. ‘We said-.’
‘I’m sure you both said a lot of things in the heat of the moment,’ smirked Ryan, shaking his head. ‘But because I can see through your bullshit, as I work with teenagers who do the same thing, I thought you’d like to know what’s happening. Are you interested or don’t you care?’
‘I care!’
They looked at each other and Kit noticed Captain was staring.
‘She’s in danger,’ Captain said quietly.
‘What do you mean?’ Kit knew he was starting to get angry. ‘You think someone is going to kill her?’
He wished he could run away.
The idea she might be dead scared the living shit out of him as well as starting a panic in his soul.
‘No, don’t look so worried. We found out something that’s pretty troubling and it involves a lot of people, high up.’
‘Don’t tell me,’ Kit said, standing up. ‘I don’t want to get more involved.’
‘Sit down,’ Ryan said gently, looking at the chair. ‘We’re trying to find out where she’s gone. I think she’s left the country. There’s a massive bounty on her head to track her down and, before you ask, we’re not doing it for the money.’
