Her sweet cries of passion rang through the club as she came a final time.
The rattling of the chains came to an end as he released her from the cuffs and escorted her to the corner of the alcove. He held viri close to him, stroking her hair and talking to her in a low, calming tone.
When he glanced up, he saw the mystery girl disappearing into the crowd. He wanted to chase her down, but his duty was to the sub he’d just played with. Curbing his curiosity, Faelan returned his attention to the girl in his arms.
All in all, it had been a triumphant return.
Rytsar’s Enlistment
Faelan answered the doorbell for Marquis and saw the surprised look on Rytsar Durov’s face as he stood at the doorstep.
The Russian frowned. “What are you doing here?”
“Didn’t you know? I live here now,” he said with amusement.
Durov grunted his displeasure but entered the house, brushing past him. “Living with the parents. Fitting, I guess,” he replied dismissively as he made his way down the hallway.
Faelan smiled to himself as he followed the man, finding the Russian’s early morning rudeness entertaining. He did not engage him further, however, because Marquis had warned him that the man was here on serious business.
“Mr. Durov, what an honor to have you join us this morning,” Celestia said in greeting, giving a quick bow as he passed.
Faelan would have retreated to his room, but Marquis called out to him. “Please join us.” While Marquis and Durov took a seat in the study, Faelan chose to stand—suddenly feeling on edge.
“I did not expect the boy to be here,” Rytsar complained. “The news is not meant for his ears.”
Marquis looked at Faelan with confidence. “I want you to know that Mr. Wallace is someone I have come to admire and trust.”
Faelan was humbled by Marquis’s words, but Durov was not impressed and glared at him in distrust.
“You know how I feel about you.”
Faelan raised an eyebrow. “The feeling’s mutual, I assure you. However, Marquis mentioned that Brie is somehow involved and needs help.”
“Why would I let you have anything to do with Mrs. Davis, after the shit you pulled on them after the collaring?” he scoffed.
“I have matured since then. Thane, Brie, and I have made our peace.”
Durov looked back at Marquis. “Would you trust this man with Brie’s life?”
Marquis didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
The Russian looked back at Faelan, sizing him up. “If Thane wasn’t conscious, I wouldn’t even consider it. But now, if you make a misstep, you will have to answer to him.”
“Did you say Mr. Davis is conscious?” Marquis questioned.
Faelan felt a surge of relief hearing that he was recovering from the plane crash. “I knew he would fight his way back. He’s an even tougher bastard than I am.”
“And you remember that, Wolfpup,” Durov warned, pointing at him.
Marquis directed them back to the reason for Durov’s visit. “You do not appear to have time to waste if I’m reading you correctly.”
“True.” Durov motioned Faelan to sit, physically including him in the discussion. “I’ll make this quick and to the point. Thane’s half-sister plotted to kill Brie’s baby and send Brie off into slavery. She came dangerously close, but Nosaka prevented the kidnapping.”
Both Marquis and Faelan were shocked by the revelation.
“What the hell? You can’t be serious,” Faelan exclaimed.
Marquis’s voice remained calm. “Lilly is behind bars now, I assume.”
“No!” Rytsar shouted angrily, as if it were his fault. “Your American authorities were unable to catch her and the threat being too great for Brie, I took it upon myself to handle the situation. With a little time and persuasion, she finally confessed to her crimes.”
Marquis stiffened. “Are you saying you kidnapped and tortured Thane’s sister?”
“Half-sister, and no. I merely detained her and manipulated her living conditions. Because she carries a child, I was extremely careful not to cause harm to the baby.” He looked at Faelan. “The woman is deranged. She has been blackmailing Thane since China, claiming the child she carried was his even though it is another man’s child.”
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Faelan growled.
“I assure you I’m not. Her level of madness goes even deeper. She is in love with him and hoped to become intimate partners.”
Marquis’s expression became more somber as he listened to Rytsar, but he was resolute. “This woman should be in the hospital, not under your care.”
Faelan could see that Marquis’s statement vexed Durov, and for once he was on the Russian’s side.
“You do not appreciate the grave threat she poses to Brie,” Rytsar insisted. “If the authorities were unable to arrest her, what makes you think a psych ward would be able to keep her from escaping?” he asked, adding, “I guarantee she will harm Brie if she escapes, and will remain a threat until her dying breath.”
Marquis sat back for a moment, taking in what had been shared.
But the path was much clearer for Faelan and he asked, “What is it you want us to do?”
“I may have to leave suddenly in the next day or two, but I must be assured the threat will remain contained.”
“I will not participate in a kidnapping,” Marquis replied. “Whatever we do must be done legally and through proper channels.”
“What are you suggesting?” Durov asked, trying to keep his irritation in check.
“Despite what you think, I do understand the danger she poses to both Brie and Sir Davis,” Marquis assured him. “Therefore, we must ‘arrange’ for the police to find and arrest her, and it must be in a neutral area so you are not connected in any way.”
The Russian chewed on the suggestion for several moments before asking, “What if she escapes?”
Faelan felt as if everything had come into focus. This was the role he was destined to fill; already a solution was playing in his mind. Without hesitation he vowed, “I will do whatever it takes to protect Brie.”
“Anything?” Durov pressed.
“As far as I am concerned, I owe Brie and Thane for every breath I take.”
Durov stared hard at him. “You have to swear on your life that Lilly will not escape.”
“I swear.”
Marquis was more cautious in his reply. “I promise I will do everything in my power to keep this woman behind bars—not only for Brie’s sake, but for her own.”
While Durov accepted Marquis’s stance, he turned back to Faelan and said in earnest, “I’m depending on you to fill in when the judicial system fails her.”
“I will be ready,” Faelan assured him. “I am not afraid to get my hands dirty.”
The very next day Faelan looked down at his phone, surprised to see the Russian word daleko flash on the screen. Durov had informed him it meant “far, far away” and was the code word he would use if shit hit the fan.
This was much sooner than expected, but Faelan had spent the night discussing with Marquis in detail what they would do so he immediately put their plan into action.
Grabbing his car keys, he met with Marquis before heading out. After a quick glance at the address Durov had written, he nodded.
Marquis struck a match and lit the paper, throwing it into the fireplace to destroy any link to them. “I am curious why this is happening sooner than anticipated,” he said as they both watched the flames take hold and the small piece of paper burned to ash.
“Something bad must have happened. There was no reason for him to rush this,” Faelan stated, his heart rate increasing as he considered what lay ahead for them.
“It will all go as planned regardless,” Marquis replied, unflustered by the unexpected turn of events.
“I’m headed out to verify the package makes it to the proper authorities. Otherwise, we will be facing a far bigger problem.”
&n
bsp; “Good. I will proceed to the payphone and report the location to the authorities just as we discussed with Durov.” Marquis picked up a rag and stuffed it in his pocket. Faelan assumed it would be used to wipe off his prints once the call was made.
Marquis looked at Faelan and warned, “We must be thorough. Neither of us can afford to be implicated if things go awry.”
Faelan grasped Marquis’s arm. “If, for any reason, something goes wrong I will be the one to take the fall for this.”
“It’s not—”
Faelan shook his head, stating in a hushed voice, “You have Celestia and the Training Center’s reputation to worry about. I refuse to put either in jeopardy.”
Before Marquis could argue the point, Faelan headed out the door. He understood what was at stake. He had vowed to protect Brie and was determined to protect Marquis and Celestia in the process.
This decision was easy for him. Here was a concrete way to make up for all the harm he’d caused in the past. The fact it might require sacrifice made him that much more determined. These people had become as dear as his own family and he would not let them down, no matter the cost.
Faelan shook his head as he drove away from the house. Not once had Marquis ever called him Wolfpup, even though Faelan had acted immaturely on more than a few occasions, and he deeply respected Marquis for that.
The man was uncommonly wise—to the point he did not quite seem part of this world. And yet, Marquis related to all manner of people as long as they could accept his intensity and directness.
To be associated with Marquis Gray, much less invited into his private life, was a true honor no one else had been afforded. Faelan understood the privilege he’d been given.
He drove directly to the address Rytsar had written. The apartment building looked old, a humorous nod to the unusual architecture of the 60s, but Faelan spotted no police cars parked outside yet.
It made him anxious, but he remained where he was, trusting Marquis had already placed the anonymous call, and the police were not far away. It would be folly to risk being seen, so Faelan fought the urge to enter the apartment building himself.
Instead, he pulled out his phone and started scrolling through the newsfeed to keep himself from worrying. He stopped suddenly when he spotted raw black and white camera footage of Rytsar’s violent takedown at the hospital.
“Oh shit…”
Faelan could see the outline of Brie cowering as Rytsar was beaten unconscious next to her. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as he watched them drag the Russian’s limp body out of the room, all the while threating the staff with guns.
Now he was worried for Durov’s life as well. Although he’d known the Russian was facing a bad situation, he never suspected it was as terrible as this.
Faelan was about to turn the volume up on his phone to learn more when he saw a police car pull up to the building. Slumping low in his seat to avoid being seen, Faelan watched as the two officers entered the apartment building quietly.
Keeping his eyes on the fourth-story window, Faelan watched just in case Lilly tried to make an escape.
The loud wail of a siren behind him made Faelan nearly jump as another police car pulled up to the front of the building behind the first one. Keeping himself hidden, Faelan watched as a bald, and very pregnant, woman was dragged out of the apartment building and “helped” into the backseat of the first car.
He could hear her screaming at the men as she struggled in her cuffs.
Faelan smiled to himself, appreciating Rytsar’s creativity in using such a harmless tactic as shaving Lilly’s head to humiliate her. He was determined to be equally resourceful.
Keeping his distance, Faelan followed behind the cops as they drove to the police station. He wanted to see that she physically made it inside the building before he left.
Faelan was taking no chances, having been warned by Durov about how conniving she was. Once she was escorted in handcuffs into the station, he called Brie, wanting to report to her directly about Lilly’s incarceration, and to make sure Brie was all right after what had just happened.
It took several tries before she finally picked up.
“Hello?” she answered, her voice shaking.
“Hey, Brie. I just saw what happened to Durov on the news.” He paused for a moment, knowing discretion was vital. “There is something I must to talk to you about, but not over the phone. Is it okay if I come there to meet you?”
“Mr. Wallace, thank you for your concern, but Sir and I are fine,” she answered unconvincingly, then added, “and we’re not up for visitors…”
It was obvious Durov hadn’t had a chance to inform her of his involvement with Lilly. Certain that she would want to know, he headed to the hospital anyway. He texted Marquis to inform him where he was headed, certain Marquis would deduce the reason without explanation.
Faelan avoided the crowd of reporters at the entrance of the hospital by heading to the employee entrance through the back. He was able to sneak into Davis’s room when a reporter made a ruckus trying to push his way through the staff of orderlies at the nurses’ station.
Upon entering the room Faelan stopped short, unprepared for what he saw.
It was jarring to see how just how thin and gaunt Thane Davis was after being months in a coma. Brie was beside him by the bed, holding his hand and crying softly.
While Davis appeared diminished physically, the power of his presence was unmistakable. When Thane’s gaze landed on Faelan, he fell momentarily mute.
“I…I’m sorry to disturb you both.”
Brie looked up and protested in a weak voice, “But I told you not to come.”
“I know,” Faelan acknowledged, but he looked at Davis. “I’m here to speak to you on the orders of a mutual friend.”
Davis narrowed his eyes and said in a gruff voice, “Come…closer.”
Faelan moved beside Brie and spoke in a low tone, “I have news about Lilly.”
Brie’s face went white.
The nurse walked in and saw Brie’s shocked face, so she immediately called for the orderlies to come.
“No,” Brie told her, wiping her remaining tears away. “This is our friend, Todd Wallace. Please let him stay, and would you shut the door behind you?”
The nurse nodded, quickly exiting the room to explain to the orderlies that she’d made a mistake.
Once the door was closed, Davis turned his attention on Faelan. “Go on.”
Not wanting to expose Marquis’s involvement, Faelan explained, “Durov spoke with me yesterday. Together we formulated a plan to get Lilly behind bars as quickly as possible.”
Brie broke into fresh tears.
“I want you both to know she has been arrested. I made sure personally so you can rest assured she is not a threat to you. I will continue to monitor the situation with her to guarantee it remains that way.”
“You should not—” Sir began.
Faelan interrupted. “Durov asked me to manage the situation and that is what I intend to do without fail.”
Brie’s voice broke between sobs. “You…saw him…yesterday?”
“Yes, Brie. When he filled me in about what had happened with Lilly, I vowed I would protect you.”
Brie whimpered, “He knew this was coming?”
Sir held out a shaking hand to touch Brie. She instantly quieted at her Master’s touch, but the tears still fell silently as she looked up at Faelan.
“Although he mentioned his time was short, none of us were prepared for this.”
Davis picked up on his choice of words and instantly questioned, “Who else?”
Faelan was instantly reminded just how astute Sir was. Being careful in his answer, he explained only part of the truth. “Durov’s men were ordered to scatter. He was concerned about their safety.”
Davis nodded. “The Koslov brothers are dangerous.”
“As is Lilly,” Faelan countered.
He noticed again how pale Brie became at the
mention of the woman’s name. “I promise I will not let her harm you.”
Brie nodded, wrapping both her hands around her husband’s hand for comfort.
“Thank you,” Davis stated hoarsely.
Faelan explained, “I’m here for you both in whatever capacity you need. I owe you for my life.”
Davis shook his head. “You owe nothing.”
Faelan snorted in disagreement. “You found my donor on the other side of the world when I’d all but given up.” Faelan looked down at Brie kindly. “And you cared for me when I was being a total jerk in the hospital—even making sure I had chocolate and dubstep.”
Brie’s sad eyes softened.
Faelan confessed to Davis, “I remember when you told me ‘There are families formed by blood and others by character.’”
Davis nodded slowly.
“Well, you guys, and that crazy Russian, are now part of my family.” Faelan smirked, adding, “Whether you like it or not.”
Brie lowered her head and let out a sob.
Faelan looked to Davis apologetically, realizing Durov was a touchy subject for her.
“Tell us what…you know,” Sir rasped, petting Brie’s hair gently.
Faelan pulled up a chair beside the bed, keeping his voice low and his eyes on the door as he shared what had transpired with Lilly. He knew any overheard mention of her name could put everyone he cared about in jeopardy.
“Do you know where they took Rytsar?” Brie asked desperately, when he told them about his meeting with the man.
“I only know he said his time was short, Brie. He didn’t go into detail why.”
Brie buried her head in her hands.
Davis looked at him sadly. “We are both…still in shock.”
“Is there anything I can do to h—”
The door swung wide as Anderson walked in with the nurse behind him.
“I hope this is okay,” she apologized. “He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
Anderson broke into a wide smile. “It’s a damn welcomed sight to see those eyes open, buddy.”
Brie looked up and smiled through her tears. “Master Anderson.” She got up and walked over to him, laying her head against his chest.