Page 96 of His Keepsake

24

GRAYSON

I had never before had to hold a woman while she sobbed her heart out, hour after hour, broken as a side effect of something I had done.

Thank god, if there was one, Axl had fallen into line with the boundaries I’d set.

The first day, we packed up her important clothes and belongings from her apartment and brought them back to my house. Axl made it clear his friends were not impressed with her being loose.

Neither was I.

The second day, Axl had us sit out on the chairs on the patio. He scrubbed his hands through his mop of dark hair—making it even more moplike. Then he began to explain—and I half wanted to block my ears and not listen.

“This is how it is. It’s why I had those men with me out there on the boat. I provide services to people who need the sort of security you and I can do, Grayson.”

I nodded and pulled Emme closer between my knees. “Are you okay to hear this?” I felt her nod imperceptibly. Still not talking much. I had her on the ground at my feet.

“And in return, I get some benefits such as going to those parties. Those weren’t my men.”

It meant he’d lied about only going to one party, before.

I said what had to be said. “You’re too easy with ordering murders.”

“I guess I am. It’s happened before, once. And that is not a lie. I’ve learned to dissociate. It helped that the bastard deserved it.” His smile came and went. “I’ve talked to my clients. We keep Emme quiet. They promised to look for Charity, but so far, nothing. Her body hasn’t been found.”

“And what do your clients do?” Probably not a wise question.

He pursed his lips in a moue of dismissal, tapped one hand where it rested on his knee. “I’m not free to say. I try to keep myself separate as much as I can.”

“How did Martelle find out…you know.”

He shrugged, shook his head.

“Right.” And that was that.

Espionage, drugs, sex trafficking, assassinations? Manipulation of governments to bring about the downfall of civilization? I might never know what they did. I just hoped this last explanation was the truest one.

I checked the news for stories about the trawler and the murders and saw nothing. Ditto about Charity going missing. From what Emme had said, her family were not in the same country. Whoever employed Axl was efficient.

Emme? My guilt remained but ebbed. I’d abducted her at some risk and made her my sex toy, released her, found her again, and then we rescued her…the obstacles had been many. Until now. Having her here in our possession, acquiescent and obedient, if in shock, it felt as if she was my well-earned prize for being exceptionally persistent.

I had a girl, a human girl with dark needs. This had always been a fantasy. Win, win.

At first, we only kept her naked in the house and collared.

We leashed her to furniture.

We could have let her dress and behave like a normal guest in our houses, except that I didn’t want to let her think that was going to be acceptable. Grieving or not, I wanted to begin this how we would continue into the future.

Better to get it over with.

It let her know she would be used when we decided to do so.

It let me watch her ass, in all its magnificence, when she walked anywhere at all.

After those first few days of grief, I could see the restrictions we imposed gave her comfort. I assumed it was a freedom to let go, to simply be, to exist, without the need to fuss over anything else.

No one could do or think kink twenty-four, seven, but my balls were constantly aching just knowing I owned her.

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