by I. T. Lucas
“Now,” Bridget hissed.
He obeyed her command, synchronizing his climax with hers and coming hard inside her—his shaft milked by the convulsing muscles in her sheath gripping him harder than any fist.
“God, Bridget…” He fumbled for words as he lowered her.
Her thighs trembled a little, but as her feet touched the floor, she was steady. “Come to bed.” She bent and pulled his pants up but left them unzipped. “I don’t want you to trip on the way. I still have a use for you.” She winked and walked away.
To his relief, he saw that although her back was slightly reddened, the skin looked intact. But as she sauntered ahead of him, he noticed that one of her curvy butt cheeks still bore a faint outline of his handprint. That one, he didn’t mind. Not at all.
In fact, he felt his shaft give a twitch. Good, the abstinence was paying off. Tonight, he would be able to last, hopefully for as long as it would take to satisfy the lustful immortal.
Two hours later, a Victoria’s Secret lineup naked parade wouldn’t have gotten a rise out of him. And if tongues could get sprains, his would’ve been sporting a brace.
The merry tune Bridget was whistling in the kitchen was like a slap to his manhood. She was going to kill him, pleasurably, but he’d be dead nonetheless.
Andrew closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. One didn’t need an immortal’s superior nose to smell the thick scent of sex on the bedding, and if he had an ounce of energy left in him, he would’ve gotten all domestic and taken them off for her.
Still naked, Bridget sauntered into the bedroom with a loaded tray and placed it on the side table. “Sit up. I’m going to nourish you. You look pale.”
“I wonder why?” he said as he propped himself up on the pillows and took the coffee mug she’d handed him.
“Poor baby. Too much for you?”
Now, that was mean.
“Not at all. Give me an hour and I’m back up.” Not if my life depended on it…
“Aha. Sure. Whatever you say.” She handed him a pastry.
As he chewed, he was reminded of the call he still owed Bhathian. It would have to wait until he could move.
“This is good. Where did you get it?”
“I was on Fairfax earlier today, and the smells lured me into this new bakery, I don’t remember the name, but it’s on the box if you want to write it down. I bought an assortment to try it out, but I’m afraid this is the only one left.” She smiled sheepishly.
“Oh, yeah? Who ate all the rest?”
“I did.”
“How many?”
“Eleven. There were twelve in the box.”
And here he’d thought that Bridget only ate veggies. With an appetite like this for baked goods, it was a miracle she wasn’t fat.
He appraised her lean midsection. “Where do you pack it all?”
“Breasts and butt.” She patted the aforementioned parts.
“Then by all means, eat more. I love your curves.”
A sad shadow clouded her eyes, but only momentarily. She shook it off so fast Andrew wasn’t sure if it had really been there or if he’d just imagined it.
She grinned. “You and the construction workers renovating that old office building on Olive. Every time I pass by, they whistle and comment.”
“Want me to beat them up for you?”
She laughed. “Why on earth would I want that?”
“Some women find it offensive.” He shrugged.
“I don’t mind the whistling, but the comments they think I can’t hear…”
“My offer is still on the table.”
She leaned and kissed his cheek. “You’re so sweet.”
“What is it with immortal females and calling me sweet? Even my own mother never called me that.”
She kissed him again, on the lips this time. “What’s the matter? Your machismo got hurt?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Yes.”
Bridget refilled his coffee mug and handed him a piece of an apple as a peace offering.
“Can you stay the night?”
And prove himself a liar when even three hours later he would remain as limp as a noodle? No way. “I wish I could, but I got to talk to Bhathian. There is something I promised him to do, and I didn’t have a chance because of that damn useless conference my boss sent me on with barely any notice.”
“You could come back later…I’m flying out to Baltimore tomorrow…”
“I thought Julian’s graduation was next week.”
“It is, but I wanted to spend some time with him, and he made plans with his roommates for a road trip after the graduation.”
Damn, he hated to disappoint her, but he hated the prospect of staying even more. His suitcase was still in his car because he’d come here straight from the airport, and tomorrow was another long workday. He needed to go home.
Andrew pulled her into his arms and kissed her lips gently. “I’m sorry, but I just have to go home and unpack, check what alien life forms are growing in my fridge…” He tried for humor, and it worked.
She smiled. “Fascinating, save some samples for me.”
“I promise to save something better than disgusting growth for you to play with.”
“And what might that be?”
“Life force? Energy?” He made a face.
Bridget laughed. “After another ten days of nada, you’ll need it.”
“I know.”
Chapter 2: Sebastian
Standing on top of the old monastery’s newly added third-floor balcony, Sebastian leaned over the railing and glared at the cars parked outside. A damned parking lot was one more thing Sebastian realized he had neglected to plan for his new base of operation in the picturesque Ojai.
The front of the building looked like a junkyard, and during daytime it was even worse.
From his balcony, he should be gazing at a grassy lawn and flowerbeds, not a bunch of used cars scattered on top of packed dirt.
A paved circular driveway and a fountain with a statue at its center, surrounded by rose bushes, would have made the place look grand.
But hiring workers now that the warriors were all in residence was problematic. Training would have to be suspended, and the guys would have to make themselves scarce.
The men hardly matched what one would expect of those visiting a restful spiritual retreat.
There was no helping the cars, though, the men needed vehicles to transport themselves to and from the clubs they were now scoping nightly in search of male clan members. Tom and Robert had gone shopping, and in a few days had managed to fill the lot with a bunch of used cars. Sebastian would’ve preferred to go into a dealership and lease a fleet, but Tom had insisted that buying from private owners was more discreet.
All in all, they now had twenty-nine vehicles at their disposal.
One was a big truck, for just in case, and the rest an assortment of minivans and SUVs. While the troops shared the used cars at a ratio of three to one, Sebastian had insisted that he and his two assistants each had their own brand new vehicle.
For obvious reasons, all had darkened windows.
The cars were serving dual purposes. The obvious one was transportation, but also, when needed, the back seats could be folded to provide a place for a quick fuck.
With his basement brothel low occupancy rate, his troop’s needs had to be satisfied off base.
Over the last two weeks, Sebastian had been able to find only five girls for his brothel. Not enough to take care of seventy-five immortal warriors, two assistants, and one sadist. But there was only so much he could do in a day, and snagging the right females required investigative work that took time.
Most hadn’t been the right fit.
Which reminded him that there was another issue he hadn’t accounted for. Human females required sunlight and fresh air to stay healthy and in a good mood. Thralling was not enough to counteract the underlying depression the lack of natural light and tiny jail rooms were causing.
&n
bsp; He’d come to the conclusion that he couldn’t keep them cooped up in the basement twenty-four hours a day.
On Pleasure Island, the women enjoyed several swimming pools, above-ground bars and restaurants, and the beautiful, tropical ocean. It was a gross oversight on his part to not realize the importance of those amenities.
Sebastian should have known that the exalted leader of The Devout Order Of Mordth, Lord Navuh, never did anything without a good reason. If Navuh had chosen to provide his whores with outdoor recreation, it had been only because it was crucial for the women’s health and their ability to provide the exceptional services his secret island was known for.
Sebastian pulled out his phone and selected Robert’s number. “Grab Tom and meet me outside.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything. Robert was a lost cause. Jogging down the stairs, he glanced at the spacious recreation room. The men were done with their chores for the day, and several were taking a break playing pool or watching a movie before going to their rooms to get ready for the nightly club patrols.
There had been a lot of grumbling about the domestic chores they’d been assigned, but he had no intention of getting more humans on the premises to perform the cooking and housekeeping duties. Perhaps once the basement rooms were all filled, he would divert his attention to finding at least a decent cook. He was sick of the barbecued steaks and hamburgers the men were taking turns preparing.
Other than that, the lazy fuckers could keep on doing laundry, sweeping floors, and cleaning toilets. It wasn’t as if they had that much to do during the day. Five hours of training was enough to keep them in shape, and the rest of their work was done at night.
Outside, the mountain air was crisp and cool, and other than the rumbling voices of the men inside, he could hear only the chirping of crickets and the hooting of the occasional owl. Even the coyotes didn’t dare go anywhere near the compound.
“You wanted to see us, boss?” Tom said from behind him.
“Yes, I want to do something about the grounds.” He waved his hand at the vehicles. In the weak moonlight, their colors were faded, all looking like different shades of gray and black. “I don’t want to see this out of my window.”
Robert glanced around at the gentle hills surrounding the former monastery. “This is the only flat area.”
The problem with subordinates who were good at taking orders was that they didn’t think independently, you had to chew everything for them.
“What do you have in mind?” Tom asked.
“I want the parking lot to be moved over there.” Sebastian pointed to the side of the building. “And I want a circular driveway with a fountain in the center. The rest of the grounds need planting; grass, flowers, trees, the works.” Sebastian began walking. “Come with me.” He motioned for them to follow.
At some point, the back of the property had had grassy lawns with gravel paths meandering through them, but now there was nothing besides overgrown weeds and construction debris that hadn’t been taken care of yet.
“I’m thinking of putting in a swimming pool over there, and an outdoor bar with shaded trellises on that side. We’ll need to bring in large, mature trees to create a green canopy around the whole thing. Girls lounging in bikinis are not exactly what one expects to find in an ‘Interfaith Spiritual Retreat’.”
Robert looked intrigued.
“And how do you suggest we do it?” Tom asked.
“That’s what I need to figure out. If it were only planting, I would’ve had the men do it, but for the pool and hardscaping we need a contractor with heavy equipment.”
Robert crossed his arms over his chest and started pacing back and forth. “Curfew,” he uttered a few moments later. “We need to coordinate several contractors with large crews to come and be done in a few hours. We’ll have the men on lockdown in the house while the construction is going on.”
“What about the cars?” Tom asked.
“We park them in a line on the side of the road, one behind the other.”
Sebastian clapped Robert’s back. “Great idea, Robert. We could tell the contractors that there are guests in the retreat and work needs to be confined to a predetermined number of hours a day. This will also explain the cars.”
The guy, who was tall to begin with, seemed to grow a few inches. “Thank you, Sebastian,” he said without stuttering or mumbling for the first time.
Clap, clap, clap. “Finally,” Tom said.
Chapter 3: Andrew
I’m back and here in the building. Want to meet me downstairs? Andrew texted Bhathian.
Come to my place. 37 floor, #4.
I’m on my way.
Bridget’s apartment was just one floor above Bhathian’s, and Andrew opted to take the emergency stairs down.
They had already said their goodbyes. He’d offered to come get her and drive her to the airport, but she’d declined. Her flight was leaving in the afternoon, and she’d said that she saw no reason for him to take time off work. A taxi would do.
To his shame, he’d felt relieved. There was a big pile of files waiting for him in the office, and to catch up, he would need to not only work through his lunch break but stay overtime. His damn bosses still expected him to deliver a report despite sending him on that useless trip.
Andrew rapped his knuckles on the door and waited.
After a moment, Bhathian opened it. “Hey, my man, come in, how was your trip?” He clasped Andrew’s hand.
“A waste of time.” Andrew shook it then followed him inside.
The layout and furnishings were similar to Bridget’s. But where hers had been personalized with all kinds of knickknacks, and everything was nice and tidy, the guy’s place was typical of what one would expect to find in a bachelor’s apartment.
There was an opened box of pizza on the dining table, and empty bottles of beer littered every surface. It seemed that Bhathian had appropriated all that had been left from Kian’s bachelor party because most of them were Snake’s Venom, the expensive, super potent Scottish beer Anandur had bought for the occasion.
Bhathian followed his gaze. “Want one? I have plenty.”
“Sure, why not?’
The guy ducked into the kitchen and returned with two cold ones.
Andrew took one. “I’m surprised so many were left, I thought we demolished all of them.”
“There were none. But they were good, so the next day I went and bought two cases for myself.”
“I thought they were pricey.”
Bhathian shrugged his massive shoulders and planted his butt in a chair across from Andrew. “I have plenty of money and nothing to spend it on.”
“You didn’t go to see her.” There was no need to specify which her he was talking about.
Bhathian winced. “The farthest I got was to stand outside her shop, but I didn’t have the guts to go in.”
“I’m sorry that I bailed on you.”
“Not your fault.”
“Do you want to go tomorrow?”
“If you can come, then yes.”
“So, did you get a peek?”
Bhathian nodded. “She looks like her mother.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Beautiful.” There was a definite note of pride in Bhathian’s voice.
“Does she have anything from you?”
“Luckily for her, not much.” Bhathian grimaced. “She has my thick eyebrows. Though, hers are pretty, not bushy like mine.”
Andrew tried to picture a woman with Eva’s exotic beauty and Bhathian’s surly expression and came up blank.
Bhathian took a swig from his beer. “I need to find out what happened to Eva. Any idea how?”
Good question. The fact that the police hadn’t found anything didn’t mean much. Their investigation had probably been superficial at best.
“We can start by following the money trail. The government is still depositing her monthly pension checks into her ba
nk account, and if she’s still alive, I’m sure she is accessing it.”
“And you can find out where she’s making withdrawals?”
“Not easily, but yes. Unless the money is funneled through a Swiss bank, then it’s next to impossible.”
Bhathian shook his head. “Just so you know, I’m forever in your debt. Whatever you need, whenever, just say the word.”
“I appreciate it, but save your gratitude for when I actually find something.”
“You already found my daughter, and for this alone I owe you big time. I’m not just blowing smoke up your ass, I mean it. Whatever, whenever.”
“Okay, I got it, but it’s really not necessary. If the roles were reversed, I’m sure you would’ve done the same for me.” It seemed like the right thing to say, even though Andrew wasn’t sure it was true. He was an outsider, tolerated only because his sister was married to the regent.
But Bhathian nodded solemnly, and leaned forward, extending his hand with the bottle. “That’s what family is for.”
Okay, so he might have been wrong. It seemed that Bhathian had really accepted Andrew as one of the clan. “To family.” He clinked bottles with the guy.
“To family,” Bhathian echoed.
Andrew emptied his bottle of Snake’s Venom and put the empty on the coffee table before pushing up to his feet.
Damn, the thing must’ve gone to his head because he had a moment of vertigo. But it passed almost as soon as it started. It was probably only the fatigue catching up to him. “Tomorrow after work I’ll come to get you, and we’ll drive to Glendale. Seven okay?”
Bhathian got up and escorted him to the door. “Whatever works for you.” The guy pulled Andrew into a crushing bear hug and clapped his back.
“Careful, my man. I’m still only a fragile human.”
A rare smile brightening his gloomy features, Bhathian let go. “You might be a human, but from what I hear there is nothing fragile about you, tough guy.”
And wasn’t that good to hear.
On his way home, as he drove through the deserted streets of downtown L.A., Andrew reflected on his conversation with Bhathian.
Family.
