Chapter 18
Adrian....
“Maître, are you sure you want to deal with him alone?”
“Yes. Take her back.”
Nodding his head, Lucas walks past me to get my slave. I take a few steps forward and wait for the two cars.
Balthazar isn't one of those people who make good of their promises. I know that the money won't be enough for him to give her up. He had never plotted out a plan before to get a single girl. He could have easily picked her up with the help of his men but he chose to fool her with a debt.
“Um, Maître. The girl isn't in the car.”
I whirl on my feet to face Lucas who's looking at me with a confused frown on his forehead. “What do you mean she isn't in the car?”
He turns his head to the side and following his cue, I notice the dark forest which surrounds the Grandiose Palace.
“Fuck.” I totally forgot to keep an eye on her. She must have run away while I was talking to Lucas. “Do you think there can be any wild animals inside this forest?”
“It's not really a forest, Maître. These trees line up the property, inside the boundary. It's just for show.”
“You mean they aren't as thick as they appear to be?”
“No.”
“Well, this is news for me.” I mutter and glance at the forest then back at the road. An idea pops up inside my head. “Take the van and leave. This way it'll appear like I've sent the slave away with you. I'll come back with her tomorrow morning. Inform Bert about the change in plan on your way out.”
“You're the boss. But where are you going to spend the night?” Lucas pauses.
“I'm going out of the city tonight. I think it's time to start her lessons.” I keep my face straight as I tell him about my plan.
“Alright then.” With that, Lucas gets in the car and I turn to the road.
The cars are closer now but they haven't slowed down. I frown as I watch the cars approach me…. Then speed past me as though they didn't even see me. What the hell?? Isn't Balthazar going to do anything? Has he made peace with the exchange?
No, I don't believe that.
“Maître, the cars didn't stop.” Lucas gets back out of the car and approaches me, frowning as his eyes follow the cars.
“I can see that.” I run my hand through my hair as I try to make sense of this situation. A sudden thought hits me and I turn to face Lucas. “How did you know those were Balthazar's goons?”
“The cars were painted in red colour. So, I thought that they must be….” Lucas trails off when I turn back to glare at him.
“You thought!?” I hiss through my teeth as my frustration heightens. “You fucking thought!?”
“I'm sorry, Maître.”
“Get out of here before I explode. Just get lost.” I take deep breaths as I try to control my rage.
Lucas bows to me, hesitantly then scurries back inside the van and speeds away. I stalk back to my car and see the empty passenger seat. “We'll, hell.”
She had to disappear now only. Fuck!!
I turn back to the forest and start walking up to it. But something lying on top of the wild grass catches my attention. I cautiously approach the flat patch of grass and discover a pair of stilettos.
She's running barefoot inside that forest! That girl is fucking out of her mind. I'm going to make her pay for adding fuel to my temper by running away at such a time and that also, barefoot!
I might have enjoyed this chasing game if I wasn't so damned pissed off at my stupid commander in chief. Why do I only have to deal with all the idiots of this world!?
Shaking off my anger, I drop the heels back on the ground and reach the edge of the forest. I pause near a tall tree with a thick stem and peer inside to realise that it's darker than hell in there. How the hell she has managed to escape inside is beyond me. If she was some other girl, she would have thought better and stuck near the car, where she would have been safe…. But away from her freedom.
This girl is really something else….
Determined to find my esclave, I dash inside the forest and manœuvre through the numerous trees standing in my way like some kind of obstacles. After walking around with no sense of direction, I slip out my phone from my pocket and turn on the flash light.
Where are you, my esclave?
I flash the light around me to look for the right way but when the white light falls on an extended branch of a dead tree, I notice a piece of torn lace hanging on to it. That black lace….
I hurry my steps and reach the branch to untangle the scrap of cloth. This is proof that I'm on the right path. I continue down in the same direction and it doesn't take me long till I'm standing over my esclave.
“Oh shit!”
I slam down to my knees and grab her wrist to feel her pulse. She's still alive, just unconscious. I trace my fingers over her lips and feel the cracked ridges. She's passed out from severe dehydration. I have to get her out of here.
I put her head on my shoulder and wrap my arms around her unmoving form before getting up to my feet and tracking back out of the forest.
This night is just getting better and better….
~~~~
After 3 hours of driving, I finally breach the city limit and maneuver my car to my hotel. I have the original keys of my suite. All I have to do is show my face to the manager and I'll have access to the elevators.
I park my car in my private garage and carrying my slave in my arms, I take the swift elevator up to the main floor. Michael, the manager of my hotel greets me near the reception as we had talked to complete the formalities which were left. I take care of important details and leave the rest up to him then escort my slave up to my suite.
I carry her through the foyer and up the stairs to the second floor. I open the first room that comes in my sight and take her to the bed and lay her down. I jog out of the room and go back downstairs to bring her something to eat and drink. After I've got what I need, I return to her side.
She's still unconscious, covered in dirt and filth. I need to get her cleaned and check her body for any injuries. Without any hesitation, I walk up to the dressing table and pull open the last drawer to see if it's still there or not.
It's there, the pair of scissors I'd left the last time I was here.
I take it to her and, starting from her ankles, I move up to her chest and cut the lace fabric of her dress in half from the middle. I delicately cut down her sleeves and collar then roll her to the side to slide out the remaining fabric from underneath her body. I bundle up all the scraps and throw them into the dustbin before coming back to stand at the foot of the bed to admire my hand work.
My dark beauty's flawless skin is glowing under the fluorescent lights. She's stunning, even in just a strapless bra and black cotton panties…. Such a contrast. She's ash white and her undergarments are pitch black. I want to touch her and watch her respond to me in the way all those girls respond to me, whom I pay to fuck.
Hmm…. But I know that I would never be able to even kiss her and feel the plumpy softness of her lips if she never allowed me to. It's all about agreement to me, it always has been and this is the one limit I will never cross with anyone.
Not even with the girl I have bought for my pleasure.
But there's another way and I have all the intentions of exploring every last option to make her submit to me…. To make her want to please me….
I amble up to her side and sit down on the edge to take her in from a little closer. Her peaceful features sooth the ever living chaos inside my chest that it feels like I never had to struggle to get a piece of silence. I immediately stand up from the bed and turn away from her.
Her presence, solely, has quieted down my violent thoughts. Watching her lying down here, without tears in her eyes and a worried frown on her forehead, has given me the exact thing I've been looking for all of my life.
I was always right. She's not some ordinary girl. But whoever she is, I'm not letting her go again. No matter the price.
I walk to the table where I had put the drink and food then carry it all the nightstand beside the bed. I cup some water in my palm and sprinkle it on her face.
Her eyes flutter open, ever ready to consume me in the sweet sweet depths of their darkness.
An unbidden half smile graces my lips as I stare down at the girl, for whom I've given up a billion dollars and put my whole team's life at stake. But our being still alive only shows that she was worth it.
She is worth everything.