Emma’s hair was matted and looked lifeless, its usual golden blond was a dull dust beige. There were only faint bruises visible on her face. It didn’t look like any permanent damage had been done. But she looked like a walking dead. Her skin was dull, her eyes sunken in and she had a weary look in her eyes that Emma didn’t recognise. She sighed and wondered if she should strip out of her dirty clothes and lie on top of the bed. The thought of getting naked made her skin crawl. She sighed and went back into the room and slid down to sit next to the bed, resting her back against it. Emma fell asleep like that and was awakened by the klick of the lock. She struggled to her feet as the door opened. In walked the woman Walker had brought to Bane’s office. She looked as surprised to see Emma as Emma did to see her. “Hi,” Emma rasped. “The water has been turned on. It will be shut off in ten minutes,” the woman informed Emma, and held out a towel and small bottles with shampoo and conditio
Emma sat, newly showered, in her robe on her bed and waited. The lock clicked, and the door opened. Jacob walked into her room carrying a mug and a box. “This is for you,” he told her and handed her the mug. “Thank you, she said out of pure habit and started blowing on the hot beverage as she enjoyed the smell of coffee. “Do I need to drink it straight away?” she asked. Emma knew she would scold her tongue and probably her throat if she tried to force it down while hot. “No, you are allowed to drink it while you get ready, but don’t do anything stupid,” he told her. She nodded. “I’ll place this here. You have an hour to get ready,” he said. He placed the box on the bed next to her, took one look at her, and smiled. “You look really pretty like that.”“Eh, thank you,” Emma said. “See you later,” he told her before he left. Emma took her mug into the bathroom and placed it on the counter, taking a small sip of it. It tasted better than any other coffee she ever had. She knew it was
Walker yanked on Jasmin’s hair and she bent herself backwards until her body was like an arch, forcing her to look up at Walker.“I will fucking show you what happens when you think you can play me for a fool. Luckily for you, I still got something I wanted out of the deal, or you would have ended up dead,” he told her in a cold voice. “Victor!” he shouted. The door opened, and a man came inside. Emma had a vague memory of him from her first evening as Bane’s pet. “Take her to the guests. Tonight, and only tonight, we have a special discount. The madame is free for all, only restriction is no permanent damage and no killing,” Walker said, and pushed Jasmin towards Victor. Victor grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room. Emma could hear her objections getting weaker the further away he dragged her. Fear filled her. That could be her if Walker wasn’t happy with her. But to make him happy… She tried to swear in her mind, but as always, it just sounded strange and felt wrong. She h
“What have you done, pet?” Walker asked. Emma looked down at her hand and the glass she was still holding. Walker started walking and as he still held Emma by her hair, she was yanked along. They walked to where Jacob was shouting. “Shut the fuck up. What happened?” Walker asked. “The fucking little whore smashed my head with a glass,” Jacob screamed. Walker looked down at Emma, then at his son. “If I would have known that all it took for you to show some fucking balls was to let a whore smash you in the head, I would have arranged it years ago,” Walker said with a dark chuckle. “I find myself almost impressed. But just almost. She is yours to punish as you please. It’s your reward for finally showing what I have been waiting for since I found you,” he continued, pushing Emma straight into his son’s chest. Jacob grabbed her by the arm and started dragging her upstairs. Emma knew this was it. She had almost used up all her energy on trying to get away. She wouldn’t get a second chanc
Bane was sitting in the dark van that was parked in an alley, trying to be invisible, which was hard for a vehicle of its size. Bane had a hard time sitting still. He was bouncing his knee up and down, staring at the com system, willing it to come to life. Jax, that was sitting next to him, gave him an annoyed look. Bane glared back at him. Bane’s temper was not at its best. Three weeks. Fucking three weeks. They had made him wait. If Bane was being fair, which he wasn’t in the mood to be, it hadn’t been Jax’s, Luke’s or Tom’s fault that it had taken three weeks. If they had known where Emma had been held, nothing could have kept him from going after her. But that had been the issue. No one could find where Walker had been keeping her. It had taken Spenser less than three hours to find Emma’s aunt and uncle and drag them back. That had been an entertaining evening, Bane thought. Within thirty minutes of Bane stepping into the same room as Jonas Cobler, he had told Bane everything he k
Relief so powerful that it almost felt like a tidal wave flooded his system. That was, until he registered the state of her. She looked so tired, and why did it look like she had lost weight? But in her brilliant blue eyes, he could see hope. Then his focus shifted to the man that was dragging her backwards by the arm. Walker’s son, Bane realised. As Emma was dragged out of his view, Bane turned towards the chaos that was playing out on the ground level. Jax and his men had made progress. They were forcing most of Walker’s men to the right while some of Bane’s men herded the guests and workers to the left. No one was foolish enough to assume the guests and workers were harmless. They all knew that there could be numerous guns, knives and other things hidden amongst them. They would be searched and dealt with when this thing was over.“Found the item,” Bane shouted. Jax, Luke and Tom looked at him and he glanced toward the stairs. They all nodded. There was an effort made to clear the
Emma woke up feeling dazed. Her mind was fuzzy, and it took her a minute to remember what had happened. She tensed up as she remembered the small room she had been in the last weeks. Then she realised she was home. No, not home. She was in Bane’s bed. Someone was holding her hand, and she squeezed it to make herself relax. “Emma?” she heard Bane say, and she turned her head towards the sound. Bane had pulled up one of the armchairs next to the bed and was sitting in it, holding her hand. Emma smiled at him and felt herself relax. He looked tired, but he returned her smile.“Hi,” she said, her voice sounded hoarse and dry.“Hi, angel. How are you feeling?” he asked. Emma thought about it. She had a feeling she should be in a lot of pain, but she wasn’t. “Fine, a bit fuzzy, like my brain is wrapped in a soft cloud. And I’m thirsty and I think I’m a little hungry as well,” she told him. Bane reached out with his free hand and stroked her hair. “You are on some heavy pain medication. I
Bane was looking at Emma and at the spot on the bed next to her, but he didn’t move. Emma looked back at him and wondered what was going on. “Come on,” she said, patting the spot again.“I’ll just sit here,” he told her, heading toward the chair he sat in when she had woken up.“Why? I would like you to sit next to me,” she asked.“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said.“Don’t be silly. Simon was sitting there not five minutes ago. Come on, let’s have a talk,” she told him. Slowly, with hesitant steps, Bane rounded the bed and gently got on it. He watched her to see if she was uncomfortable or in pain. Emma just smiled at him patiently. As he sat down facing her, he took her hands in his and looked intently at them. Emma just let him be. He had something he needed to talk about, and she would give him the time to think it through.“I’m sorry,” he said, looking up at her. That was not what Emma was expecting. “For what?” she asked, genuinely surprised. Bane smiled at her and caressed he
Emma sat at her desk, she had gone through the last of the reports regarding the latest batch of potential new clients. She had selected three that she thought had potential. The rest would get a kind refusal letter, telling them the firm had too much on their plate to take them on as clients, but they could recommend the attached list of accountant firms. Simon’s and her business were blooming. They had stopped looking for new clients as they had their hands full with their existing ones and the ones that asked to join. There was a knock on the door and Tom opened it and came inside.“We need to get going in ten minutes if you want to have time to get ready, Mrs E,” he told her. “Thank you, Tom. Could you make sure that these three potential clients get wetted? I’ll just say bye to Simon and then we can go,” she told him. He nodded and took the folders from her. When Emma had started working from the office, Bane had insisted she needed a bodyguard. Since Tom’s injuries, his wife ha
It was time for Emma to deal with things. She had let Bane keep her in their room, with brief visits to the kitchen and the library, for weeks. She felt much better, especially since Bane had stopped thinking she was too frail for sex. Emma almost felt like her old self again. No, that wasn’t entirely true. She felt like a new and improved version, Emma 2.0. Somehow her time with Walker had given her a little more confidence, and the fact she knew she had Bane and Simon in her life left her with a sense of security that she hadn’t felt since she was a child. It was time she put this new version to the test.“I want to see my aunt and uncle,” she told Bane as they were eating breakfast. Emma had convinced him they should start having their meals in the dining room and not the bedroom. It felt like a good sign that he had agreed. “No.”“You said that it was my decision what happens to them,” she objected.“It is. You will tell me what you want, and I will make it happen. No where in th
Bane looked down at Emma. She was licking his still hard cock clean. She had not let go of his gaze and Bane admired the way the rhinestones sparkled in the soft light. His wicked angel. “On your feet, angel,” he told her, and she gracefully got up. It was evidence of how far along she was in her recovery. She had been right that he was trying to hold back, trying to not acknowledge how much better she was. Because if he did, he would have to let her go out into the world. And that scared the shit out of him. He just wanted her safe. But as he drew her into his embrace, kissing her like he had wanted to kiss her since she woke up, with a scoring heat. He knew he had to give in and let her keep going on with her life. “You have been a really good girl. Time for your reward. On the bed, angel, on your hands and knees,” he told her. He saw the radiant smile that appeared on Emma’s face as she almost skipped over to the bed. She was a needy little angel, he thought as he stripped out of
Emma was slowly healing and getting her strength back. The first days she had been on a strict diet that Linda had ordered. But as the week moved on, she gradually could start eating like normal. Bane made sure she got all her meals and snacks in their room. He also made sure she had dessert with every meal. As he had told her, he didn’t leave their room. He was constantly by her side. If he needed to work, he did so from the armchair by the TV. He helped her to the bathroom, and he helped her to shower whenever she wanted to. There was a constant stream of people coming to visit Emma. She was moved by how most of the men, some she had only met in passing, came by to look in on her. She made it a point to thank each of them for helping to rescue her. Then there was Anna. She made sure to bring Emma’s meals herself and stayed to talk a little. Tom and Luke were almost in the room as much as she and Bane. Luke was looking better by the day as Simon was finally talking to him, even thoug
Emma looked up at Bane with big eyes.“But…,“ she started.“No but. You need to stop doing things that put you in danger, angel. But we will save the punishment for later. Now relax,” he told her, and he savoured the feeling as she made herself comfortable in his arms. Having her back where she belonged felt amazing, like the world suddenly made sense again. Her body felt too angular and thin, and her hair had lost its shine. But he didn’t care. She was back in his arms, in his bed, and he had told her he loved her. Bane still had a hard time believing she loved him back, and she forgave him. He didn’t forgive himself and would spend the rest of his life making it up to her if she would let him. A cold hand clutched his stomach as he remembered he didn’t know what they had done to her. He knew she had been beaten from the pictures. Linda had told him she had seen all the signs of starvation and dehydration. But other than that, Bane had had plenty of time to think about what else they
Bane was looking at Emma and at the spot on the bed next to her, but he didn’t move. Emma looked back at him and wondered what was going on. “Come on,” she said, patting the spot again.“I’ll just sit here,” he told her, heading toward the chair he sat in when she had woken up.“Why? I would like you to sit next to me,” she asked.“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said.“Don’t be silly. Simon was sitting there not five minutes ago. Come on, let’s have a talk,” she told him. Slowly, with hesitant steps, Bane rounded the bed and gently got on it. He watched her to see if she was uncomfortable or in pain. Emma just smiled at him patiently. As he sat down facing her, he took her hands in his and looked intently at them. Emma just let him be. He had something he needed to talk about, and she would give him the time to think it through.“I’m sorry,” he said, looking up at her. That was not what Emma was expecting. “For what?” she asked, genuinely surprised. Bane smiled at her and caressed he
Emma woke up feeling dazed. Her mind was fuzzy, and it took her a minute to remember what had happened. She tensed up as she remembered the small room she had been in the last weeks. Then she realised she was home. No, not home. She was in Bane’s bed. Someone was holding her hand, and she squeezed it to make herself relax. “Emma?” she heard Bane say, and she turned her head towards the sound. Bane had pulled up one of the armchairs next to the bed and was sitting in it, holding her hand. Emma smiled at him and felt herself relax. He looked tired, but he returned her smile.“Hi,” she said, her voice sounded hoarse and dry.“Hi, angel. How are you feeling?” he asked. Emma thought about it. She had a feeling she should be in a lot of pain, but she wasn’t. “Fine, a bit fuzzy, like my brain is wrapped in a soft cloud. And I’m thirsty and I think I’m a little hungry as well,” she told him. Bane reached out with his free hand and stroked her hair. “You are on some heavy pain medication. I
Relief so powerful that it almost felt like a tidal wave flooded his system. That was, until he registered the state of her. She looked so tired, and why did it look like she had lost weight? But in her brilliant blue eyes, he could see hope. Then his focus shifted to the man that was dragging her backwards by the arm. Walker’s son, Bane realised. As Emma was dragged out of his view, Bane turned towards the chaos that was playing out on the ground level. Jax and his men had made progress. They were forcing most of Walker’s men to the right while some of Bane’s men herded the guests and workers to the left. No one was foolish enough to assume the guests and workers were harmless. They all knew that there could be numerous guns, knives and other things hidden amongst them. They would be searched and dealt with when this thing was over.“Found the item,” Bane shouted. Jax, Luke and Tom looked at him and he glanced toward the stairs. They all nodded. There was an effort made to clear the
Bane was sitting in the dark van that was parked in an alley, trying to be invisible, which was hard for a vehicle of its size. Bane had a hard time sitting still. He was bouncing his knee up and down, staring at the com system, willing it to come to life. Jax, that was sitting next to him, gave him an annoyed look. Bane glared back at him. Bane’s temper was not at its best. Three weeks. Fucking three weeks. They had made him wait. If Bane was being fair, which he wasn’t in the mood to be, it hadn’t been Jax’s, Luke’s or Tom’s fault that it had taken three weeks. If they had known where Emma had been held, nothing could have kept him from going after her. But that had been the issue. No one could find where Walker had been keeping her. It had taken Spenser less than three hours to find Emma’s aunt and uncle and drag them back. That had been an entertaining evening, Bane thought. Within thirty minutes of Bane stepping into the same room as Jonas Cobler, he had told Bane everything he k