by Dee, Bonnie
“My dear.” He stood, not because he was a gentleman, but because he wished to remind her who was the master.
Her anxious gaze followed his movement, sweeping quickly over the bulge in his pants. Gasping quietly, her right hand covered her heart, calling attention to her full, firm, completely natural breasts. She wasn’t sexually teasing him; she was afraid. He could sense her heart racing with dread from clear across the room.
He smiled and licked his lips at her palpable fear, at the memory of how her rosy brown nipples tasted. At the memory of the lush fullness of her breasts filling his hands. At the memory of her freshly shaved labia glistening with his spent seed. The images acted like a powerful aphrodisiac to his already rampant libido. He was forced to ratchet his desire down a few notches. He would have her—soon.
The anticipation of the sexual act, the buildup of Autumn’s fear of what he would do to her, were all part of the fun.
“I need to spend some quality time with you,” he said, his hunger for her evident in the husky, deep tone of his voice. “Go to the Chamber and prepare yourself. Be in position by the time I get there.”
“But Algernon … we just buried Raymond, surely—”
He liked how she’d startled at the mention of the Chamber, his little playroom in the basement below the den off their master bedroom. The fact she’d mildly protested his plans for this afternoon showed just how rattled she was over Raymond’s death. Such disobedience always rated the harshest of punishments. After an initial period of recalcitrance, his young bride had learned to submit, learned the futility of attempting to use her femininity to dissuade him. He was far stronger than she, both physically and in his Terran abilities. She’d stopped challenging him within a month of their marriage, after learning the punishments for disobeying him were more than she could handle.
“Are you questioning my need of you, Autumn?”
Clasping her hands in front of her, she turned her gaze toward the ground and whispered, “No, Algernon. I’m sorry.”
“As well you should be, my dear. However, I can’t let it pass. After I seek my pleasure, you will be punished.”
He eyed her slowly. The black mourning outfit suited her fragile, red-haired and pale-skinned beauty. He liked her in black, just less of it.
“I think your hair should be French-braided so it does not get in the way. I have plans for your mouth. Wear the black leather outfit I purchased in Amsterdam. I think steel cuffs today since we will be pushing your limits. We will spend most of what’s left of the day in the Chamber. Dr. Bessen has told me you are in your fertile period. I think it is time to conceive a new heir—now that Raymond is dead.”
The only reaction to his pronouncements was the tightening of her lips and the closing of her eyes. Remaining silent, she nodded, then turned to leave the room, giving him a perfect view of her heart-shaped ass cupped in expensive black wool. Maybe after spilling his seed in her several times, he’d use her ass during the punishment phase of the session. He loved the pained guttural sounds she made as he pounded into her tight hole from behind.
“Autumn, my love, aren’t you forgetting something?” She turned, confusion evident in her eyes, her porcelain skin even paler than usual. “You didn’t acknowledge my instructions in the proper manner.”
“I’m sorry, Algernon. I will go to the Chamber and prepare myself for you, if it pleases you, sir.”
“Very good, my dear. Oh, and I think you should wear diamonds in your piercings today. Diamonds go so well with the black leather, don’t you think?”
“Yes, Algernon. May I leave now, sir?”
He approached her and lifted her chin with bruising fingers so he could see her expression. Her emerald-green eyes filled with tears. Her facial expression reminded him of a wounded and cornered creature. He smiled. Yes, today’s little play session should prove to be immensely satisfying—for him—but not her.
Dragging her toward him, he took her pale, full lips in a ravenous kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and brutally claiming it. She made no sound. Did not fight him. He almost wished she would—he loved to punish her for the slightest disobedience. Of course, he never let it stop him from punishing her anyway.
Breaking off the kiss, he muttered, his voice rough with lust, “Put on some red lipstick and a little blush. You are far too pale, my dear. Now go. Be ready in fifteen minutes.”
He didn’t have to add “or else.” Her rapid flight from the room proved she knew she’d be punished far worse if she were not in position and ready for his sexual advances within the allotted time frame. Adjusting his cock within his trousers, he returned to watch the continued unfolding of the destruction he had wrought. As foreplay, it was incomparable.
*
Trent met Autumn when she came out of the theater room. Pacing her hurried steps down the hall, he whispered, “What did the bastard want?”
“The Chamber.”
He reached for her arm and pulled her to a stop. Keeping his voice low so the omnipresent microphones would not pick up their conversation, he continued, “No, not again! Let’s leave now! We’ve got enough information about his plans now. It’s all started—we need to go to KOTE.”
“He advanced the schedule. He might have changed the plans.” Her eyes narrowed, shooting sparks of anger that she only showed to him. “You know how he brags to me. One more time, Trent. Just one more time, then we can leave.”
“Autumn—”
“Let go,” she whispered. “He’ll hurt me worse if I’m not there ready and waiting for him.” She shrugged off his hand with a force that surprised him. “You can’t touch me like this. The cameras. He’d kill you if he knew we were lovers.”
“We’re leaving tonight.”
“I’ll be ready. Watch your ass. I couldn’t handle the guilt if you died trying to save me.” Now she gripped his arm. “Stay alive, do you hear? The pain, the humiliation are nothing, but my soul won’t survive one more death because of me. I have to go. I only have twelve minutes to get ready.”
Trent stood, shoulders hunched and his gut boiling with acid, and watched the woman he loved more than anything in the world run down the hall to face degradation of the most prurient and evil kind. He understood why she did it—revenge for the death of her parents added to the instinctive need to protect the Earth and all living things. Her pure love for him had given him the guts to plan his final break from Brody. Trent would do anything to protect Autumn, but so far she had done all the hard work. She had strength that belied her youth. Her courage humbled him.
He clenched his fists as he entered his office to issue the last press release he would ever issue for the devil. Tonight they would leave—and nothing would be allowed to harm her again. Being a mixed breed Terran, half-human and half-Air Keeper, he had only minor abilities, but he had a brain and had trained what powers he did have to the best of his ability. He would kill anyone who tried to hurt Autumn.
Chapter Five
Monday, 9:00 a.m. (PST). A supersonic jet somewhere over the Rockies.
Carr Madoc cursed the slowness of the Air Force jet. Never mind it was one of the fastest experimental aircraft on Earth, but every second he delayed in getting to Indiana meant his Talisman was that much closer to danger—or death. It had been a mere hour ago he and his colonel had called into KOTE headquarters and explained Carr’s astral journey and his role in aiding the Talisman to save everything east of the Mississippi River from becoming the world’s newest island continent.
Donovan Callahan had requested that Carr rendezvous with him and other Terrans in New Madrid, Missouri, the largest staging area in the Midwest for Earth Keepers. Callahan’s reasons for not allowing Carr to head straight to Indiana were militarily sound, but he still hated any delay in getting to his woman.
Gods! His woman. His Talisman. Lily Redfern. Donovan had told him her name. It suited her, a child of the Earth element. He prayed Earth would sustain her until he found her.
He’d tried the amulet several
times. He sensed Lily’s life signs, but couldn’t connect with her astral consciousness to check on her physical status. He settled for sending telepathic messages, asking her to hold on. But still no response.
He feared the worst as he tried once more to connect with her.
* * * *
12 noon (EST), southwestern Indiana.
Awakening slowly, Lily turned over and stared down at the formerly lazy Ohio River. Scooting back under the shady overhang of the ancient fortifications, she distanced herself from the crumbling edge of the newly formed cliff upon which she lay and then took another look at the massive body of water below her. The river now ran like a Category 5+ set of white water rapids. Anything or anyone in its path would die. Plain and simple.
Even if Lily’s talent had run toward water, she had no energy to do anything about taming the raging river. For some reason, her essence was not replenishing. Gaia knew there was plenty of excess Earth energy seeping from the ground, leftover from the quake and from the ley lines running through this part of the continent, but she wasn’t able to process much of it. It was as if she’d overloaded her circuits and was temporarily burned out.
Or, maybe, she was just plain exhausted.
She yawned and attempted to stretch out the kinks from lying on the ground. Her short—she glanced at her watch, amazingly unbroken after she’d been tossed around like a ping-pong ball in a hurricane—one hour nap hadn’t revived her much.
Collapsing once more onto her back, she closed her eyes against the extremely bright blue sky and concentrated on sensing the power of the amulet she’d clutched since shortly after the quake had begun. Cramping fingers aside, the amulet soothed her somehow. Just as she was about to drift off once more, a voice startled her wide awake.
Little Talisman! Lily! Answer me!
Her eyes flew open. She glanced around, expecting to see the Protector who’d saved her. Nope, nothing. All she saw was empty skies, an impossible climb out of her predicament, and a potentially lethal fall to a watery death.
Besides, no man—Protector or not—could have found her without a map, a good GPS—and maybe some wings. She closed her eyes and lay back. Tears pricked the corner of her eyes. Goddess, she hated being weak. Stupid, stupid, Lily. Of course he isn’t here. Logically, he couldn’t be—he’d traveled the ether to reach her. Hell, he could be in Istanbul for all she knew.
If you hear me, Lily, know that I’m coming. Donovan Callahan and other Terrans are gathering in New Madrid. I’m meeting them there. The region where you’re located is considered geologically unsound and we have to approach it carefully.
“Well, big duh, of course it’s unsound,” she mumbled as she fingered her amulet furiously. Shit. How in the hell does this thing work? It had seemed so effortless while they’d fought the quake.
A masculine chuckle tickled her mind. Language, baby. A pause. Thank the gods you are alive. I didn’t want to leave you. I…
Sssh, She sent him the thought. I figured that out for myself. I mean, you don’t really seem like the kind of guy to fuck a gal astrally, save the world, promise protection, then flee.
I’m not. His tone was firm. Rock-solid. Now … where are you?—if you can tell.
I’m at an archeological dig just northeast of Vincennes—or more likely where Vincennes used to be. The mound used to be ten miles north of the Ohio River, but…
What! What’s wrong?
Gee, I didn’t think I sounded that scared. I’m okay. I’m on a narrow ledge overlooking a very turbulent and angry Ohio River. Tell Callahan we need some Water Keepers too.
The masculine growl coming over their shared psi path shot a frisson of pleasure throughout her body, firing up a libido she thought Darcy’s actions had packed in ice. Images of Darcy attempting to put his ugly cock in her forced their way to the surface. She shuddered. Damn Darcy to hell and back. Why couldn’t he have taken no for an answer?
Don’t worry about Miller, Lily. If he survived the quake, he’s a walking dead man. Just keep your mind on staying safe until I get there—we’ll sort out all the rest later.
Knowing Darcy, he’d survived. Slimy invertebrates always did.
Violent spasms wracked Lily’s body, causing her to moan. She wasn’t over the toll the quake had taken on her body yet. For some reason her usually swift regenerative ability was taking its fine time today. And Gaia knew, her mind still dealt with the lingering memories and physical side effects from Darcy’s attack. She sure didn’t feel up to thinking about what sorting it all out with her Protector might mean, so she shoved those thoughts right out of her mind. Have I mentioned that I don’t like pushy men?
His answering chuckle triggered a reaction somewhere just below her navel. Shaking off the involuntary sexual response he invoked, she said, You know my name. What’s yours?
Carr Madoc.
Carr Madoc—a strong name for a strong man. Not the name of a man who would settle for a physically platonic relationship.
She wasn’t sure she could ever give a man more than what she’d managed to give Carr during the quake. That had, of course, been business … duty … fated. Sex had never been a big deal for her. Her work was her life. And most of the guys she’d dated, if you could call meeting colleagues after work dating, had turned out to be shy, retiring scientific types. Carr didn’t sound or act like a sensitive, metrosexual kind of guy.
An amused male snort whispered through her mind.
Then there was Darcy—an abusive bastard no self-respecting woman could want unless she was into masochism. Lily let out a sigh, wondering if astral sex would be enough for a man like Carr?
An unhappy male growl rumbled around her head like thunder.
Gotcha. That would teach him for lingering in her mind. An amused grin twisted her lips as her exhausted body sank once more into a deep, healing sleep in which dreams of a sexy Protector sharing his energy with her through utterly physical acts of mind-blowing sex featured prominently.
* * * *
Monday, 12:30 p.m. (EST) Brody’s Finger Lakes Estate.
The knock on the door to his playroom irritated Brody. Snarling under his breath, he pulled out of Autumn’s body, his cock covered in her juices and the seed he’d spent in a previous climax.
He slapped her naked mound. “Hold that position, darling. I’ll get rid of whoever it is and be right back. One more load of semen ought to get you nice and pregnant.”
Autumn said nothing; the ball gag he’d placed in her mouth preventing her. Nor could she move, chained to the stainless steel table he used in their games, her elevated hips ensuring gravity would aid in fathering another child. Whoever was at the door had better have important news—or they were dead. He had strict rules about being disturbed while at play.
Shrugging on a robe, he belted it as he strode toward the door. He jerked it open and glared at Trent. “What the fuck do you want?” His tone was low and harsh with sexual frustration. “You know I’m never to be disturbed when this door is closed.”
“Ben Miller called.”
His red-faced aide looked anywhere but at him. Steed was such a frigging wuss; any hint of sexual activity embarrassed the pansy. Brody had never found a gay lover in his aide’s past, but wouldn’t be surprised if there had been one. The man wouldn’t know what to do with a woman.
“That’s what you interrupted me for? A call from that incompetent Miller?” He clenched his hands at his sides. He would love to strangle Steed, but the idiot had his uses. “Do you want to live, Trent?”
Some odd emotion flared in Steed’s eyes, then disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Odd in that Brody had never seen such strong emotion in the man before. Especially this emotion—it had felt like anger. No, it couldn’t be that strong—Steed’s nature was so blancmange. Plus the fool would never dare show anger to Brody. His aide had seen what happened to those who had made that mistake.
“Miller called to say the Earth Talisman has arisen,” Steed said, his tone even and
without any sign of emotion. “He saw the Book shooting energy. It wrote the Indiana quake story while it unfolded. The end-times prophecies have been engaged.” He stopped and took a deep breath, his next words sounding strangled. “Your actions have jump-started the end of the world.”
“Bullshit!” Brody stepped into the hallway and closed the door. “My operatives had orders to create isolated catastrophes. There should be no carry-over,” he scoffed as he brushed past Steed and headed toward the stairs to his den. “Is Miller still on the phone?”
“Yes.” His aide hurried to catch up with him. “He also got a call from his son.”
Brody snorted. “Darcy? That pissant? What does the little bastard have to do with any of this?”
“I’ll let Ben tell you.” Steed hurried to keep pace.
Brody looked back at him as they climbed the stairs. “You really need to work out more, Trent. You’re out of shape for such a young Terran.”
“Yes, sir,” Steed mumbled, his eyes trained on the steps. A muscle ticked in his jaw.
Brody shook his head. Steed seemed extremely pissed. Was his aide getting a conscience all of a sudden? That would not do at all. With the actions his people would be taking and the huge fallout in terms of death and destruction, Brody couldn’t have a vacillating aide conveying his orders and messages. Steed might have outlived his usefulness as the public persona for Brody Industries.
Exiting the stairwell, he moved to his desk. Sitting at it, he hit the flashing button, putting the call on the speaker phone. He pointed Steed to a chair in front of his desk. “Ben, are you there?”
Steed sat, his hands fisted on his lap and his eyes wild with some intense emotion. His underling’s body language convinced Brody: Steed had to go. The man had become a wild card.
“I’m here, Algernon.” Miller’s voice sounded even more tense than Steed’s had. “Did Trent tell you about the Talisman?”
“Yes.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers. All these superstitious people gave him a headache. “This has to be a mistake, an act put on by that upstart Callahan and his mongrel human wife.”
