The Velvet Caress: On the edge of life and death (Velvet Lies Book 2) by C. P. Mandara (1)

Chapter One - Mark

The first drop of rain exploded like a bomb inside my head. In reality it was just a tiny splash on the back of my neck, but I felt like I was in an ocean. Drowning somewhere dark and unfathomably deep, the water icy cold, and unforgiving. Although it was two o'clock in the afternoon, there was no light to be found. Everything was draped in miserable shades of black and grey. It matched my mood.

The black suit I wore afforded no protection to the wind as it ripped through my body, but I welcomed the discomfort. It might have been almost summer outside, but it felt like winter in my veins. Everything was filled with a nothingness that might never be a something again.

Several faces around me offered their condolences, but they might as well have been invisible, for my gaze passed straight through them. I was adrift in a sea of agony, and no one could reach me here, let alone rescue me from a hell that was all too real and right down here on earth. Its tendrils were long and deep, piercing my body in several places, wrapping themselves around all of my vital organs, and squeezing for all they were worth. Like I said, I welcomed the pain. I deserved all of this, and so much more. It would take several lifetimes to atone for all the wrongs I'd managed to commit, and I had no idea where to start.

As soon as the rain came down in earnest black umbrellas sprouted up like weeds all around me, making my world even darker. A few friends tried to shield me from the fury of the heavens, but I wasn't having any of it. The darkness was insidious and it felt like it was trying to consume me. Pushing past the mass of pitying faces that swarmed all around, I strode away brusquely, needing to escape. The air around me was suffocating, sucking the life out of me, and I didn't want any witnesses to watch me when I fell.

There are so many ways to fall apart. There's frustration, anger, fear, pain, and grief. I'd been through all those emotions and more. Now I was left with helplessness and utter despair. Oh, and a burning desire to eradicate Michael Redcliff from the face of the earth. Perhaps that's why I hadn't broken down, as much as I wanted to. There were still things that needed to be done.

I'd thought I was so strong, and for a time, perhaps even invincible. When things are going well you can be king of your little universe, but you only ever really see the measure of a person when things are going to shit. That's what separates the men from the boys: the ability to recover from any given situation. There are only so many things that you can bounce back from, though. When too many rungs of your ladder have been taken out from under you, falling seems inevitable, and I was looking down a long, black hole that had no end in sight.

'You don't have to do this you know.' The smell of cigarette smoke announced Vincent's presence before his voice had uttered a word. As his black-suited form came around the back of the church he propped himself up on the wall with his left leg and took a long, slow drag.

'Actually, I think I do,' I said dully. Although I would dearly have loved to get straight back in my car, run home, and lock myself behind the comforting confines of four walls, that was not an option available to me.

'Still afraid of what the press will write about you?'

Turning towards Vincent, I let my mouth compress into a hard line. Although he meant well, the man had definitely overstepped the line. 'Believe it or not I loved my wife, and the least I can do for her, Mr Maxwell, is be in that church for her today.' The use of his surname would let the bastard know I was pissed, and he was bright enough to know when to back down.

'Fuck. At the wedding I thought you might be, but after a few glasses of wine I decided that after the stunt you pulled there was no way you could have fallen for her.' Vincent looked thoughtful for a moment, and took another long drag on his cigarette.

'You thought wrong.'

Blowing out a long line of thick white smoke, Vincent chewed his lip. 'So what are you going to do now?'

'Attend my wife's funeral. After I've paid my respects, I might go over and kill her father with my bare hands, too.' The look on my face was brutal.

'You'll be lucky. Word on the grapevine says he's not coming.' Taking another drag, Vincent then threw his cigarette down and trod it into the dirt.

'What kind of father doesn't attend his own daughter's funeral?'

'The kind you're about to murder in cold blood.'

Vincent had a point. Still, Redcliff could only hide for so long. Eventually I'd uncover the little hole he'd stashed himself in and blow his brains to smithereens. Although I suspected it wouldn't erase any of my guilt, or make me feel any better - it just might put a smile on my face.

'Any pointers for making a goodbye speech to a wife you've known less than a week?' I couldn't help but wonder if I held the record for the world's shortest marriage. This could not be happening to me.

'Keep it short and sweet.' Vincent offered me his pack of cigarettes in sympathy, but as always I refused with a quick shake of my head. They couldn't ease the type of pain I felt, so what was the point?

'If I'm putting anything in my system right now diamorphine would be nice. I really don't think nicotine will cut it.' I sighed.

'You have a point, but alas I'm all out of hard-core drugs.' Vincent pulled the lining of both his trouser pockets out and looked forlorn.

I smiled wanly. 'It's probably for the best. It's not going to look good if I'm high whilst reading her eulogy.'

'Good point. If it makes you feel any better though, I know a guy that can get you some good stuff. Just say the word.'

Shaking my head again, I took a deep breath and straightened my tie. 'Whilst the offer is much appreciated Vincent, I have plans for this evening.' My eyes darkened.

Vincent's head swung around at the tone of my voice. Damn it. I should have been a little bit more careful. The man knew me too well.

'Please tell me they are not what I think they are.' He stared at me for a long moment and I could see the wheels turning in his head. Worry and concern were etched all over him, and I was about to get a big lecture if I wasn't careful.

Running a hand through my hair, I pushed myself away from the wall and prepared to do battle with the church.

'See you afterwards, Vince?' It was a rhetorical question. He was my right hand man; he'd be there come hell or high water.

'Jennifer's death was not your fault,' he called to my retreating back and I could hear the concern in his voice. 'Don't go heading back to the past, Mark. She'll make a mess of you and the last time I had to scrape the pieces back together it wasn't pretty.'

'I'm a big boy now, Vince. I'll be okay.' That was a lie. I might never be okay again, but that was my problem.

'Damn it, Mark. You can't atone for this by suffering. It's madness to even consider it in the emotional state you're in.'

I didn't look back, but I knew he spoke the truth. My suffering was not going to right any wrongs. It would not turn back time, and it certainly wouldn't bring my wife back from the dead. There was only one thing it would achieve, and I had a feeling I would need that release after today. My sanity was on the line, so it had better.

'Get your ass inside the church, Vincent. I can't be late to my own wife's funeral. I already look like the biggest jerk in the history of men, let's not add another misdemeanour to my tally.' There was a lot of muttering behind me, but the sound of his footsteps behind me indicated that the matter was over for now.

 

The service went by in a blur. The priest's voice was monotonous, but even if it hadn't been I couldn't focus worth a damn. My parents sat beside me for moral support, shell-shocked for the most part, as the rest of the congregation tried to come to terms with the idea that my wife had been poisoned just a couple of days after our wedding. What they didn't know was that the poison had been meant for me. I should be the one in the heavy oak coffin, covered in massive sprays of calla lilies and a blanket of ferns. I should be the one who was cold and lifeless, without a breath of air left in my body. If I had been, all this pain would have disappeared instantly.

'You'll get through this,' my mother whispered, as she wiped away a flurry of tears with her handkerchief and patted my knee. I guess she was right. Wallowing in self-pity wasn't really my style, and there were several issues I needed to take care of that would take my mind off things for now. First I needed to interrogate Marianna, and with any luck she might give me some clues as to Redcliff's whereabouts. He wasn't the only one on my shit list by a long shot, either. I wanted Katrina and Kyle at my complete and utter mercy, too. My thirst for revenge was going to take a large river of blood to slake it. So what if I ended up inside? What did I have to live for except so much money I could barely spend it in a lifetime? What joy did that hold for me now? Prime real estate, fast cars, women, parties, empty whispers and false platitudes, that was the extent of my life. I couldn't live it any more. It meant nothing, and I wanted no part of it.

When it was my turn to approach the lectern and say a few words I was not dry-eyed, though I'd managed to hold the tears at bay. My poor mother, on the other hand, was in fits of hysterics. She'd almost gotten over the fact that there was never going to be any grandchildren, and then there was a sudden, reasonable chance there might be (or so she thought), and now even that fragile hope had been dashed. She'd be inconsolable for weeks. After Jen's death I was going to be inconsolable permanently.

Kids. Dammit. I'd never even considered children before, but then again I'd never been in love before, either. How did I get so close to having it all, before the rug was brutally yanked from beneath me? Perhaps it was God's way of repaying me for all my sins over the years, and they were many and numerous. Was this just what I deserved?

The vicar stepped down from the pulpit as I approached, and I nodded at him, before turning slowly around to view all of my fellow mourners. Black. All I could see was black. It was a depressing colour. Opening my mouth to speak I felt my throat seize up with emotion. Taking a moment to clear it, I tried to think about what I was supposed to say. How could you sum up a person's life that you knew so very little about? Even worse, the things I did know were mostly unrepeatable. The last thing I wanted to do in a church was lie, though. There'd been far too many lies as of late, and that was going to end. I'd stick to the truth as far as I was able.

'Jennifer was an amazing woman.' She was, how she managed to cope with everything I threw at her was beyond me. 'Her fighting spirit and determination were probably two of the qualities I loved most about her.' Especially when she was in handcuffs or strapped down to my bed. 'You see, Jennifer was never a quitter. She took everything life threw at her, and then came back for more.' So why in hell's name had she taken the poison meant for me? Had I been so awful I'd driven her to the point of madness? What made someone take their own life? What had gone through her mind just before she drank that glass of water? 'There aren't too many people prepared to stand up to me, so let me tell you she was braver than most.' That garnered a few hiccups, coughs, and sobs. It was the truth, though. When I backed her into a corner she always came out fighting with both guns blazing. 'Up until I met Jennifer, I really hadn't considered spending my life with anyone special, but once I'd met her I'd quickly realised I couldn't live without her.' That was more down to her dad blackmailing me into marriage initially, but thick-headed oaf that I was, it took her death for me to realise that I was in love with her. It was a little ironic really. Now that I knew I loved her, I couldn't have her. 'So it is with complete and utter horror that I stand here today, feeling that not only has my life been ripped apart, but that somehow I've been left in permanent free fall.' I didn't mention that the sun no longer shone, the moon no longer rose, and I felt like a shell of a man inside a body that no longer belonged to me. 'I can't figure out why someone would have wanted to poison my wife.' Although I had more than a few pointers on why someone might want to poison me, and couldn't wait to confront him on the matter. 'Though most of you know the inquest is still in progress, I fully intend to prosecute whoever is responsible for her death to the very best of my ability.' Actually, I preferred the thought of killing them, so we'd see how that one panned out. 'I just don't understand why anyone would want to do that to Jennifer.' A few months ago, when she was still the rich spoiled brat I'd met, I might have begged to differ, until I'd found out the act was all a charade for her father. 'She was such a bright, intelligent young woman, and every moment I spent with her was precious. Had I known how short our time together was going to be I'd have got down on my knees and begged God for a reprieve. Those two short, beautiful days will replay in my head over and over again. Whilst she may be gone from this earth, she will live in my heart forever.' All the women were sniffling into their hankies now, so I figured I'd done enough damage. Short and sweet, that's what Vincent had said.

The question was: how did you wrap up an untimely death nicely? Was there a nice way to do such a thing? I wasn't even sure I could say anything else without breaking down, and that wasn't something I was prepared to do in front of all these people. It wasn't even pride, just years of being trained to hold my head up high and keep a stiff upper lip. Perhaps that's why I've ended up the way I am - utterly fucked up. Pausing for a moment, trying to gather the strength together to thank everyone for coming, a beam of light caught my eye and made me blink. As my gaze turned towards the end of the church, near the entrance, I noticed that someone had cracked open the door a couple of inches, but then the light was extinguished. They'd probably realised they were late to the party and decided to wait for the buffet and copious amounts of alcohol that would be coming their way soon. There had to be some incentive to come to a funeral, right? Okay, wind it up Matthews. Let's get these poor folks out of here.

'I'm sorry I don't have anything more eloquent to say on the matter, but I still can't believe she's gone. I keep thinking that this is all going to be a horrible dream and that I'll wake up in a moment. Thank you so much for coming everyone, and I hope…'

The heavy oak door opened once again, but this time it was flung open wide and the light almost blinded me. Everyone turned around to see who on earth would make such an entrance at a funeral, and there were more than a few gasps as the lone comer stepped into the light. Vincent was already on his feet, making a beeline towards me, his arm shooting out to restrain me, but it was too late. I was already running down the aisle as if I was an athlete competing in the one hundred-metre dash, and I had only one goal in mind. The man in front of me had killed my wife, and I was going to tear him apart. I would rend each and every limb from his body, and to hell with whoever was watching. They'd better be prepared for a blood bath.

Chapter Two - Mark

'Mr Matthews. Mr Matthews.' I didn't know who was calling my name, but they were disturbing my fist smashing into Michael Redcliff's face and I wished they would just shut up. Then it felt like I was shaking all over and I wondered if Redcliff had managed to get a punch in somewhere nasty. What the hell was going on?

'Mr Matthews, can you hear me?' There was more shaking, and Michael's face kept going in and out of focus. What the fuck was wrong with me? I could usually go a couple of rounds without passing out. These last few days must have really taken their toll on me.

'Wake up, Mr Matthews. It's nurse Johnson. I wouldn't disturb you unless it was important, but I'm afraid it is.'

My eyes blinked open. I sucked in a great big ball of air and found nurse Johnson directly in front of my face. The hospital. I was at the hospital. Jennifer wasn't dead, was she? Oh God, please tell me Jennifer isn't dead.

I scrambled upright, shooting up from my chair and nearly head-butted the nurse in the process.

'Is she okay? Do you have any news?' My hands were shaking as I gripped hers. My eyes begged her not to say the words I was dreading.

'She's hanging on, Mr Matthews, but just barely. The private toxicologists you employed work far quicker than our laboratory associates. The information we needed was delivered back to us much sooner than we expected, which gives your wife a fighting chance. I don't want you to get your hopes up, because she's not out of the woods yet, but the doctors are doing everything they can to save her.'

I gripped her tightly and looked her in the eye. 'Your team know that money is not an object, right? Anything you need, and I mean anything, I'll immediately pay for. Do you need more help, or some more…'

'We have everything under control, Mr Matthews. Money can't save your wife at this point, I'm afraid. What happens next is up to her. She'll either respond to treatment, or not, but we thought we should update you on what's happening.'

'How long have I been asleep for?' I asked, running a hand through my dishevelled hair, before feeling for the scratchy stubble I knew would be there.

'Seven hours, give or take a half hour. You'd been up for nearly forty-eight hours though, and your body was probably close to collapsing.'

'Dammit. I should have been there for her. I can't believe I fell asleep.'

'You aren't allowed in there when they're working. They need to concentrate on what they're doing. You had to let them do their jobs.'

What she actually meant was, they had to jump start my wife's heart twice with the crash cart and I'd have thrown a major fit if I'd been in there.

'Can I see her now?' I knew she wasn't conscious, or the nurse would have told me by now, but I desperately wanted to be in the same room as my wife. At least I could hold her hand, and reassure myself that she was still alive, if only just barely.

'Yes. That's why I thought I'd come and wake you. The doctors want to talk to you and I'm afraid a police offer is here and he wants to ask you a few questions.'

Ah, so that was the real reason. The law was breathing down my neck. That was going to be a fun conversation. I could imagine it now, 'Where were you last night, Mr Matthews?' Then I'd reply, 'Oh I was out at a sex club, and then some mysterious stranger came and offered my wife poison, which she then drank, even though it was meant for me.' Yep, that was going to go down really well. I couldn't wait to get started on that one. Praying to God that the poison was something really exotic that I could never be reasonably expected to obtain was too much to hope for, wasn't it? Yes, I suspected it was, and Redcliff was nobody's fool. Taking my cell out of my pocket, I immediately texted Khalil and asked him to send a lawyer over. There was a good chance I was going to need one.

 

Forty-eight hours earlier

 

When Jen crashed to the floor in Escape, it took less than two minutes for a trained first-aider to be on hand, but they could do little more than monitor her vital signs. Her pulse rate was all over the place and she was vomiting repeatedly. The poor guy tried to get as much information out of her as possible, but she couldn't talk to him because she couldn't stop retching and that was as good an indication as any that what she'd just taken was going to kill her.

Jen had been virtually unintelligible as she tried to answer his questions, and she kept slipping in and out of consciousness. The words burning, tingling and numb were all I managed to catch. When Jen did open her eyes there was so much pain in them I could hardly bear to look at her. It seemed that she'd already accepted her fate and her face was pale, bleak, and completely devoid of hope. Standing by the side-lines I felt utterly helpless. There was nothing I could do. The ambulance had been called, and that was her single best chance at survival. If traffic was bad, or there was a shortage of paramedics this evening, I could probably kiss her life goodbye. You can't think like that. Oh, but I was. Having already contacted a private ambulance company the best they could do was forty-five minutes. It wasn't going to cut it. Jen was already gasping for breath and unless I was much mistaken, it wouldn't be long before she needed to be intubated.

Dear God, I know we haven't had a great relationship in the past, but I really need a huge favour right now. Please don't let my wife die. If anyone needs to die, let it be me. We both know I deserve to.

Standing in panicked silence I held Jen's hand and willed her to breathe.

'Don't let him win,' I whispered. 'You can fight this. Fight this for me.' I shook her hand gently to let her know I was serious. 'We'll both take him down together when you get well. Don't let him win, Jen.' I had no idea if she heard me. Her eyes were glazed and beginning to roll about. The strain lines upon her face were truly terrible, and I would have given all that I owned to ease her pain, but there was nothing I could do. Never having felt so helpless in all my life I prayed again for a miracle. Please let them get here in time. Don't let her die.

A small crowd had gathered round us, but I barely heard or saw them. My attention was focused solely on Jennifer. I refused to let her leave this world without me.

'Mark, Mark, the ambulance is here. Can you help me clear a path for the paramedics?' Dominic had an arm at my shoulder and he helped me up, which is when I finally heard the sirens. They were blaring so loudly it was hard to miss them, but my focus had been elsewhere.

'Yes.' Fully aware that speed was of the essence Dominic and I recruited a few of the bigger lads, who swiftly moved everyone back with sharp words or brute force where necessary. While the paramedics did their initial assessment the staff of Escape made short work of dispersing the crowd around us, for which I was thankful. The last thing we needed was an audience.

After a quick check of Jen's breathing, pulse-rate and blood pressure, there was some animated discussion and from the looks on their faces there was no good news to be had. One lady paramedic went rushing off back to the ambulance, and when she returned she was carrying a heavy red bag. All sorts of apparatus came out, but when she got out a steel pole with a curved hook I knew things were not looking good. When they'd finished securing her airway they lifted her up onto a trolley and began to wheel her along, shouting for me to follow. They needn't have worried, because they weren't going anywhere without me.

A young male paramedic turned to me and asked, 'Are you a relative?'

'I'm her husband,' I replied.

'Okay, hop on up.' He helped me into the back of the ambulance, where they began plugging Jen into all sorts of bleeping machines. 'Do you know what happened?' He didn't look at me as he talked, he was far too busy doing his checks, but it was an important question.

'Yes. Yes I do. She's been poisoned. Can you help her?' My tone was pleading. I'd have let someone pull out every single one of my teeth if there was a way to save her, and without an anaesthetic.

'Do you know what she's taken? If we can figure that much out she stands a fighting chance.' He looked at me and waited for my answer, but all I could do was shake my head.

'I don't. She was given something that was soluble in water, but that's as much as I know. What I do have, though, is a few granules of the poison that were left on the table. Can you work with that?'

'We can, but that might take time she doesn't have.' I nodded, and my mind went into overdrive. Where did I go from here? Pulling my cell out of my pocket I phoned Khalil and gave him an update on the situation. Knowing he'd pull all the strings necessary to get a toxicologist report as soon as humanly possible, I arranged to meet him at the hospital. That was plan B, though. Plan A was preferable, but I didn't fancy my chances of success. Scrolling through the names in my cell, my finger hovered upon Michael Redcliff. As much as I never wanted to speak to the man again, Jen's life dangled in the balance and if I didn't make this call I'd never forgive myself.

Although I called Michael's private line, which was a present since the wedding plans had been instigated, there was no answer. Looking down at my watch I realised it was two thirty am in the morning, so that was no great surprise. Pinching the bridge of my nose I decided I'd get Khalil to send someone round there and bang the door down. I had no qualms about disturbing Michael Redcliff's beauty sleep. His face was going to be a picture when he realised what he had inadvertently done with his vicious scheming. There was no guarantee he'd tell me what the poison was, though. Already knowing there was little love lost between Jennifer and stepfather, I suspected he'd deny everything. It would be nice to think that he wouldn't be able to kill his daughter without a hefty attack of conscience, but I certainly wouldn't count on it. Having seen Redcliff in action on several occasions I knew the man didn't have too many morals, and if he did understand what the word 'family' meant, he wasn't the type to show it.

There was no more time to dwell on the horror that had currently befallen me, for there was more to come. The ECG machine that had been slowly but irregularly beeping away with two concerned paramedics glued to it, chose that moment to flat-line. For a moment I just stared at it in horror. There had to be some mistake. Poison didn't work that quickly, did it?

There was no mistake. The crash paddles came out and before I knew what was happening my wife's heart was being jump-started. After the first shock I prayed to the guy upstairs with everything I had, but he must have been busy, because bar a brief blip that line didn't move. Come on, I begged silently. Don't let her die. Not like this. Not here. Not now. Clenching my fingers into tight fists I watched as they charged up the paddles again. Never having felt so helpless in all my life I sat and watched while the life drained out of my wife's body. This might be it. My last two words to Jennifer might have been spoken, and I'd never get the chance to say sorry. Come on, Jen, I pleaded, rocking back and forth on my seat. Come on.

The second shock was delivered and I could feel my whole body tighten into taut lines as I waited for that green line to magically start beeping. It didn't. There was another brief flicker, that was all. Fuck, how was I going to live with myself? Guilt would claw at me, and quite rightly so.

Hearing the thin electrical whine of the paddles charging for their third and final round, I closed my eyes and prayed. I mean really prayed. If the devil wanted my soul in order to seal the bargain, I offered that up too. Just let her live.

There was a big thud after the paramedic said 'Clear' and then complete silence surrounded me. My head swirled with grief, pain, and disbelief. This could not be happening to me, to her. She was so young. Jennifer, just a few scant minutes ago, had her whole life to look forward to, and that would have been at least another sixty years or so. What had Redcliff been thinking? Why was my death so important? Did he need to get his hands on my money so badly? If he'd told me what he was planning to do in order to get it I'd have happily given it to him.

My thoughts were smothering me, until it got to the point where I could barely breathe. 'What if's' crashed into 'how could's' and there were no answers to be found. No answers that made sense, anyway. Nothing made sense any more.

I have no idea how long I sat there rocking like that. It felt like a lifetime, but in actual fact it couldn't have been more than five minutes. Time was warping into painful shards that pierced my body from all angles, before letting my blood drain out to the floor beneath. Mumbling 'please' over and over again I prayed for a miracle I knew would not be granted. Any God worth his salt wasn't going to look twice at a prayer from me. I wanted to scream out, but no sound would leave my lips. This was a pain that could not be voiced. Sooner or later I would have to deal with what just happened here, but I was happy for that to be later. Coming to terms with this whole mess was going to be hard.

'Sir.' Someone was shaking me. 'Sir, we're here.' I opened my eyes and blinked up at the glare of floodlights that greeted me from outside the Accident and Emergency Unit. Then I heard it. A bleeping sound. It was still erratic, but that meant she was somehow still alive, didn't it? Oh fuck. Thank you, God.

'You managed to get her back,' I said in astonishment.

'Yes. We didn't think we would, but somehow she made it. Now we need to get her seen to immediately.'

 

When Jennifer went through the double doors to the emergency ward, I was left behind. A nurse grabbed my arm and told me the doctors needed to be left alone to concentrate, but I'm not an idiot. I can read between the lines. There's a very good chance your wife is going to die within the next few minutes, and they don't want you throwing a fit. Punching Redcliff's number into my phone again, I was once again met with a ringing tone that went swiftly to answer message. Shoving the cell back in my pocket with considerably more force than necessary, I cursed him every foul word I could think of under the sun. Staring despondently at my hands, I wondered what the hell I should do next. What could I do? I wasn't a doctor or a paramedic. Until Khalil got here my hands were tied, and I was just going to have to sweat it out and hope for yet another miracle. It was going to be the longest wait of my life.

 

'Khalil. Thank God. Did you manage to get hold of him?' My eyes lit up with hope, but they were dashed almost immediately as he shook his head.

'No one was answering the door and all the lights were out, as you'd expect at this time of the night. So we snuck in through the back and busted up his back door. There's no one there. We searched the whole house, but it's neat as a pin and there's virtually nothing in the refrigerator, so it looks like he's not at home. Any idea where he might have gone?'

'None. There'll be no one to give me answers at this time of night, either. Can you look into it first thing tomorrow?'

He nodded and then produced a small square case for me. 'For the poison,' he added. 'I've got a courier waiting to take it to a private company that will give us a report within a few hours or so.'

I had no idea how Khalil accomplished that at this time of the morning, but I guessed it had something to do with lots of money. However he'd managed it, I was eternally grateful. Reaching into my pocket I pulled out the envelope into which I'd managed to scoop some stray grains of poison. Khalil could have half of them and the hospital could have the rest. It didn't matter who figured it out first, but it needed to be done quickly. Jennifer didn't have a lot of time, judging by what had happened in the ambulance on the way over.

As soon as I'd put a few grains in the plastic box he held out for me he shot off towards the exit at full pelt, before I'd barely had time to say thank you. After this was all over I was going to owe the man big time, one way or another. At least he was on my side. These days it seemed that everyone was out to get me.

 

Waiting on a cold hard plastic seat, my backside slowly went numb. The wait seemed endless, but I knew that no news was good news in this place. If a doctor or nurse came towards me with a sympathetic glance I was going to throw an epic fit in the middle of the waiting room, and I didn't care who saw me. Right now I was so angry, at Redcliff, at Jennifer, and at the world in general. Although I'd be one of the first to admit that life wasn't fair, life generally wasn't this unfair.

Having already given a hospital technician the rest of the poison that was left, there was nothing further for me to do, except drink endless cups of watery coffee that tasted more like the Styrofoam cup it came in, than any attempt to resemble a caffeinated beverage. Drinking my plastic and chemicals with a shudder, I slowly plotted my next moves.

Now that Marianna had been found she would need to be questioned. I wanted to know about her involvement with Redcliff, and how close she had gotten to the man. Anything I could learn at this stage would be a bonus. The trouble was, I wasn't sure I had the stomach for that kind of thing any more. There was no way I'd be able to focus with Jen in hospital, and neither hell nor high water would drag me away from this place without knowing that Jennifer was going to be okay. That meant I might have to enlist outside help to do the job for me. I'd have to think that one through. Who owed me a favour?

When I'd dealt with that little problem I also needed to discover the whereabouts of Michael Redcliff, and more importantly, why he wanted me dead so desperately. Logically, Jennifer Redcliff would have inherited everything if I had died, so if he thought he could control her - and I suspected he could - he would have a very large income at his disposal. That was the most obvious reason that came to mind. If Jennifer died I would be of little interest to him any more as he would have nothing to gain through my death, but if she recovered I might still be living on borrowed time. It was yet another thing to add to my list of seriously depressing thoughts which were getting more numerous by the second.

 

The nurses gave me regular updates on my wife's progress, but the news was always the same. Unless the nature of the poison was discovered, the outlook was not promising. I took to pacing up and down the halls, and frequently got dirty looks from the cleaning staff. Clearly I was making the place look untidy. Seconds turned slowly into minutes, minutes took years to become hours, and hours were almost an eternity of anguish.

In the end even pacing became too much for me. The adrenaline was wearing thin, and even though my body desperately wanted to continue on full throttle, it needed rest. That was a laugh. Sleep was an elusive beast at the best of times, and the chances of me getting any rest in this place were less than zero. Sunlight was beginning to stream in through the blinds, and the nurses had just had a shift change. Someone tried to bring me some food, but the thought of eating was nauseating. A couple of people tried to strike up a conversation with me, but I didn't have the attention span necessary to speak in answers more than one syllable long. My head was everywhere. When my cell phone finally rang, just after nine o'clock, I wanted to get down on the floor and weep. Please let it be good news, I prayed.

It wasn't. Leyland Forbes, of all people, had chosen that moment to ring me, to add insult to grievous injury.

'Leyland, this had better be good. I'm at the A&E, and my wife is at death's door. Don't say anything that will make me want to kill you more than I do already.' He didn't laugh, which said something.

'God, Mark, I'm so sorry about what happened. I don't know who the hell would do something like that, but I hope you find him and tear off all the delicate parts of his anatomy slowly.'

'Leyland, is there a point to this call, because I could do without exchanging pleasantries with you at this moment in time.' Talking to Leyland was annoying at the best of times, and now he had taken a shine to Jennifer, even more so. I was tempted to just hang up on him, but some inner sense told me to hang on and wait.

'Yes, I have the results of your toxicology report.'

'Fuck. Khalil went to you?' He might as well have approached the devil himself, he'd have probably offered much more reasonable terms.

'Who else was going to be up at this time of the morning?'

It was a good point. Why hadn't I thought of that?

'In that case, thank you, and I'm almost sorry I hit you.' Almost.

'No you're not.' He was right, I wasn't.

'Leyland spit it out, time is of the essence.' Thankfully, the man didn't beat about the bush.

'She's been poisoned by aconitine. Symptoms include paralysis, cardiac arrhythmia, vomiting, numbness, breathing difficulty… any of that sound familiar?'

It sounded all too familiar. 'Look Leyland, can I call you back? I need to get this information to the doctor immediately.' I was already walking down the hall, beating a path through several wheelchairs and a stretcher.

'I've already faxed a copy of the report to her doctor. Calm down. I've had confirmation that they've received it and are acting accordingly.'

Taking in a lungful of air I put my hand against the side of the wall to steady myself. There were so many questions I needed to ask and I wasn't sure which ones should be given priority.

'What's a lethal dose?' Although I didn't have an accurate idea of how much she'd ingested, judging by the small packet I'd found it couldn't have been very much, especially as she'd left half of it over the table.

'Two milligrams of aconitine, possibly less, can be lethal. That kind of dose could cause death in just a few hours.'

'Holy fuck.' I digested that for a couple of seconds. Jennifer was lucky to be alive, but I had no idea how much poison she'd put in her glass. Thank God it hadn't been the whole amount. If she'd taken the whole lot, I knew with absolute certainty that she'd be dead by now.

'Is there a cure? An antidote?' My voice was breathless and my whole body tensed as I waited for an answer. There had to be a cure. I could not watch Jennifer die a slow and painful death. Already on my knees, there had to be a God out there who would not grind me into the dirt.

'No.' Well, that took the floor out from under me. I thumped the wall a couple of times in utter desperation, and then closed my eyes.

'Well, not exactly. Providing she hasn't been given a lethal dose she can survive, but there's no real antidote because the plant is highly toxic. It contains mesaconitine, hypaconitine, diterpenoid alkaloids, lycoctonine… I could go on.'

'Don't,' I said firmly. 'What is the normal protocol for treatment of aconitine?'

'Aconitine, also known as Monkshood, or Wolfs bane, was originally used as poison for arrowheads in the medieval period. As soon as the toxin entered the bloodstream it had the victim falling down paralysed within seconds. It's very similar to strychnine poisoning. Remember curare? Native Americans used it with blow darts to kill their prey. Aconitine works in the same way; it paralyses the respiratory system, leaving the victim unable to draw breath. It's pretty horrible stuff. To counteract it you need to dance with the devil. The doctors will probably try atropine or digitalis, which is an active agent in Belladonna. Belladonna is another of the world's most poisonous plants, but if she wants a fighting chance at survival this is probably the avenue they'll go down. Did she vomit initially?'

'Yes, lots.' I guess I could be thankful for that, if you could ever be thankful for vomiting.

'That's a good thing. Her body was trying to get rid of the poison.'

Leyland continued talking to me for a few more minutes, but whilst I made the appropriate noises in the right places I barely listened to a word he said. Had Jen taken a fatal dose? Could they counteract it? And if they did manage to get her stable, would there be any lingering side effects? Only time would tell.

'Mark, are you still there?' Leyland's voice was concerned.

I realised I hadn't spoken in a while and banged my head against the wall before answering, 'I'm sorry, Leyland. I can't think straight at the moment. Jen crashed badly in the ambulance and I have no idea what's been happening since we got to the ER, because no one will let me anywhere near her.'

'No news is good news. Hang in there, Matthews.' Easy for him to say.

'I'm hanging,' I said wryly.

'I'll just bet you are. Okay, I'd better be off, but if you need me you know where to reach me. As much as I detest your sorry ass, I'm half in love with your wife. If there's anything I can do, just call.'

'Leyland, you son of a…' There was no point continuing my sentence because the line had already gone dead.

That meant it was back to pacing and praying once again, whilst hoping that Leyland's news had come just in the nick of time to save my wife's life.

Chapter Three - Mark

Present Day

When I entered the intensive care unit I was unprepared for the amount of tubes and wires that surrounded my wife. If that wasn't bad enough, she was hooked up to half a dozen machines that bleeped noisily and spat out wriggly lines.

Less than two days ago Jennifer's skin had been glowing, and she'd been full of life. Now she had a grey pallor that spoke of sickness and decay, and she lay there motionless, as if she was almost waiting for death to come and claim her.

'Is she…?' My voice choked up. I couldn't get the words past my throat. All I wanted to do was rip out all those wires and crush her close to my chest. She's alive, I told myself. It was more than I'd let myself hope for.

'Is she going to be okay?' The doctor gently finished my sentence for me. 'We don't know yet. We managed to counteract some of the poison and get her heartrate under control, but she needs to regain consciousness before we'll know more. We thought you might like to sit with her for a few moments, though. Feel free to chat with her, on some level she may be able to hear you, and it may encourage her to wake up. Though I suspect she may be unconscious for a few more days yet. She's been through a particularly nasty experience and her body is trying its best to recover.' I nodded numbly and walked over to the chair beside her bed. 'I'll let you spend a little while with her, and we'll talk more later.' He then picked up the clipboard from the base of her bed, wrote something down, and made to leave.

'Doctor?' My voice was rough with emotion. Whilst I knew Jennifer wasn't going to be in a good way when I walked into the room, she looked so frail right now I was almost afraid to touch her.

He turned around and smiled sympathetically at me. 'Yes, Mr Matthews?'

'What are her chances of making a complete recovery?' I had to ask the question. I knew the odds weren't going to be good, but I figured it was better to know what I was dealing with.

'I honestly don't know, Mr Matthews. We don't see many instances of this kind of poisoning in the UK. Let's just hope she's a fighter and we'll take each day at a time.'

'She is a fighter.' That much I knew. He gave me another quick smile and left me to my thoughts.

 

Taking a deep breath I picked up Jennifer's lifeless hand and squeezed it tightly. She was so cold I immediately enveloped her hand in both of mine in an effort to warm her up.

'Jen,' I whispered, 'where have you gone?' There was no answer bar the infernal beeps and bleeps that at least reassured me she was still alive. 'Are you coming back to me?' I wasn't sure if I was talking to her or myself, and it was eerily odd having a one-sided conversation, but I ploughed on, because there was something I needed to say. 'Jen, I have no idea if you can hear me, or even if you want me anywhere near you after what happened, but I need to tell you something important. It's an apology for everything I did to you, because I've just figured out that it was me in the wrong, not you. It took me long enough, didn't it?' I laughed ruefully and studied the ceiling in depth. Looking at Jennifer like this was too painful. 'You need to get better, and then we can get even with dear old Daddy. We'll take him down together. You need never fear that man again. Just please get well. I promise I'll never mention the word divorce ever again. Swear upon my honour. You just need to get better so I can apologise properly. Can you hear me, Jen? Get better. You need to fight this. I won't be able to live with myself if anything happens to you, and whilst I know that's no more than I deserve, I'd like a second chance to make it right. Please give me that chance. There won't be a man alive who'll take better care of you than me, I promise.' I squeezed her hand tightly again, but there was no response. I hadn't expected one. All I could hope for was a miracle, and I wasn't sure I deserved one.

'Mr Matthews?' The nurse was back and her voice snapped me into the here and now. She stood awkwardly in her pristine blue dress and looked rather uncomfortable. I could hazard a guess as to why.

'The police?'

She nodded and wrinkled her nose at me. No one was a fan of the police, but they did have a job to do, and I would need to answer some questions in order to extricate myself from this mess. Hoping a lawyer would appear for me in very short order, I gave Jen's hand one last squeeze and kissed her cold, clammy cheek.

'Hang in there,' I whispered, pressing my face into hers and closing my eyes.

Now it was time to face the music.

Chapter Four - Mark

My lawyer was not waiting for me when the police detectives greeted me on the other side of the ICU. As I thought it unfair of myself to ask for more than one miracle in a day, I decided to take this setback on the chin. They were in for the silent treatment until my legal team decided to arrive, but that was their problem, not mine.

'Officers.' I greeted them cordially, with a nod.

'Mr Matthews. We'd like to ask you a few questions. Would you follow us, please?'

It wasn't as if I had a lot of choice in the matter. If I made a run for it down the hospital halls they'd chase me down, arrest me, and then ask their questions. So following them was the most sensible option, even though I wasn't particularly keen on the idea.

In short order I was taken to a small box room, tucked away in a remote corner of the hospital, and sat down on an uncomfortable plastic chair. In a couple of hours my backside would be numb, but hopefully I wouldn't be here for that long. Perhaps I was being overly optimistic.

 

Ninety minutes later we were all done. I had refused to answer any questions without my lawyer being present, and though the police were unhappy about this they could do little but wait. Thankfully they weren't required to wait long. Ten minutes later a knock sounded at the door, and a snappy suit and briefcase announced that help had arrived.

Both officers winced when the gentleman introduced himself as Jonathon Hammond, QC, as well they might. They weren't going to be having any fun and games with him present in the room. Although they fired off a series of pertinent questions aimed at accusing me of poisoning my wife, most of these were artfully deflected or dismissed out of hand by my counsel. When we'd completed all the rounds of questioning required, Jonathon did make the point that I'd have to be very stupid to poison my wife in a room full of witnesses, before helping her into an ambulance. The police officer in charge of the investigation didn't bat an eyelid.

'Stranger things have happened,' he remarked, and I didn't disbelieve him. Thankfully they had no grounds to arrest me, but did enquire whether I had any plans to leave the country in the imminent future.

'Not while my wife is on her deathbed,' I shot back, infuriated. Although Jonathon gave me a veiled warning in the form of a stern look I didn't care. It had been a long couple of days, and I was beyond exhausted. Feeling every bone in my body begin to ache, all I wanted was a soft place to lay my head for a few hours. Was that too much to ask?

Reluctantly the officers let me go, but I knew it wouldn't be long before they came calling again. Nothing stayed secret in these parts for long.

 

Stuck in an endless line of London traffic on the journey back to my estate, my foot tapped anxiously against the floor of the limo. The hospital had insisted I go home and get some rest, but I suspected they would also very much like me to take a shower. Why were hospitals so horribly warm? Probably in order to keep people on the brink of death alive, and wasn't that a sobering thought?

Anyway, I did not smell pleasant and the Armani shirt I was currently wearing was going in the bin. Mind you, I wouldn't have left had I not had the assurance that I would be contacted immediately if there was any change in Jennifer's circumstances. I'd also had a security detail posted at her door. Although I didn't think Michael Redcliff wanted his daughter dead, after what had happened I wasn't prepared to take any further risks with her life. He was not getting anywhere near her without my say so.

Although I was looking forward to getting under the hot tap, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I would not be getting any sleep tonight. Sleep was difficult enough normally, and now that my mind was racing once again it would be about as easy to find as platinum. I should know. I was heavily invested in a couple of South African mines. The truth of the matter was that I didn't want sleep. I wanted relief, and therein lay the problem.

Yanking my cell out of my pocket, my hands paused above the numbered buttons, debating the wisdom of the call I was about to make. Sophia. The dream I'd had earlier came back to haunt me. Did I want this? Hell, that wasn't even the question. I needed this. Whilst I was aware that the taste of pain wouldn't wash away my sins, it would make me forget them for a while. Pain had a way of focusing your thoughts like nothing else could. Although I hadn't used her services for years I was craving them now. Sighing, I dialled her number. It might be that she wouldn't want me after all these years. I needed to bear that in mind. She probably had better fish to fry now, and it wouldn't surprise me if they were considerably younger than me. Sophia had a way of drawing men to her, like bees to a honey pot. She had some kind of animal magnetism or lure you were unable to resist. The trouble was that once you entered the spider's lair it was damn near impossible to escape. That was back then, though. I had escaped and now I was going back for more. That probably made me certifiably crazy, but I didn't care.

'Mark? Are you okay?' Her throaty voice was laced with a touch of concern, and you didn't hear that very often from Sophia's lips. It was rare that you got anything more than a business-like tone from her, and if you did you were sleeping with her, though that never involved any sleeping from my limited experience.

'I'm fine, Sophia.' It was my turn to pull the tone on her, although I knew it would be worthless. No one told Sophia what to do.

'Is Jennifer okay?' Another amazing sentence doused with a liberal sprinkling of concern. Today I was truly blessed, although in all honesty I just wanted to get this conversation over with.

'My, how fast gossip travels these days, or has it reached the papers yet?' The sarcasm dripped off my tongue.

There was a long moment of silence, which usually happens when I've gone too far.

'I'm sorry, Sophia. Jennifer's finally stable, but it's been a long couple of days.' I sighed.

'I'll bet,' she said, not unsympathetically, and then back to the business-like tone I knew and loved. 'Is there anything I can do for you, Mark? You know you need only ask.'

Oh, I knew that all too well. That was the trouble. Do or die, Matthews. Which is it to be?

Taking a measured breath I said, 'I want a session, Sophia.'

There was a very unladylike snort, and the sound of gurgling liquid. Coffee? In any case, it appeared I'd managed to shock Sophia, which should have made my day.

'Are you serious?'

No, I'm asking for kicks while my wife is on her deathbed. I then heard the clunk of a mug being set down. Better safe than sorry, I guessed.

'Of course I'm serious, but it's a one-time only offer and it expires midnight.'

'How very apt. You shouldn't be doing this, you know. You should probably talk to Vincent.'

Well, in a way I kind of had, and he wasn't impressed by the idea. It was sweet that she was trying to talk me out of this though. The woman wasn't a complete animal after all.

'I don't want to talk to Vincent.'

'Maybe I don't want to play with you.' The business-like tone had disappeared and she purred into my ear. Oh, Sophia. We both know how badly you want to play with me.

'In that case I wish you a very pleasant evening and hopefully we'll catch up soon. Goodbye, Sophia.' It was my turn to be brusque. Without further ado I pressed the red end call button and severed our connection. Now the games would begin. There were only two possible outcomes. Either she wouldn't ring me back, or she would. My money was on the latter. Either way I'd left my evening in fate's hands, although I'd probably given it a sizeable nudge in the right direction. Or should that be the wrong direction? Did I even care?

Now I just had one more call to make. Scrolling through my cell phone contacts I found the one I was looking for and waited for him to pick up.

'Afternoon, Matthews. What can I do for you?' I rolled my eyes. Here I was, once again dancing with the enemy who was soon to become my best friend. Someone had turned the world upside down while I was out cold back at the hospital, I was sure of it.

'I was wondering if you'd like a fun little assignment?' I knew I'd pique his interest with that, so I just sat there and waited for him to take the bait.

'Does it pay?' It was amusing that those were the first words out of his mouth. It didn't, but he'd probably take the job anyway.

'No.'

'Doesn't sound like much fun then.' My lips twitched. They couldn't help themselves.

'It involves one of my very beautiful ex-employees and I know you've been dying to get your hands on one for years, Forbes.'

There was a pause as Leyland considered my offer, but I knew he'd bit as soon as I heard the words, 'I'm listening.'

'This one has been a very naughty girl and was working for Jen's father whilst in my employ. She had me drugged and tortured, amongst other things, and I'd like someone to pump her for information.' If I emphasised the word 'pump' for effect, did that make me truly evil?

'What am I allowed to do to her?' You could almost hear the excitement in Leyland's voice. He was like a kid in Willy Wonka's sweet shop.

'Whatever the hell you like, but I draw the line at anything permanent, as do you, if I remember correctly.'

He laughed. 'That still leaves me plenty of scope, Matthews.'

'You'll need it. I don't think she'll talk easily.'

It was probably for the best. I wasn't in the right frame of mind to tackle Marianna at the moment. I'd end up doing something I would regret and I had enough on my mind as it was. There were two reasons I'd decided to ask Leyland. One was that he was just as ruthless as I was, and would stop at virtually nothing to get the job done. Reason number two was that Marianna might distract his attention away from my wife. I had a feeling Leyland had developed a soft spot for her, if he had any soft spots, which was questionable. Perhaps 'unhealthy obsession' was a better term? Or was I just being paranoid?

'Would you mind if I dropped in on Jen as soon as she's feeling a little better?' he asked, completely changing the subject. It appeared my paranoia gene was just fine after all.

'She's not able to have visitors at the moment, but yes, when she's feeling better you can pop over.' No way are you seeing my wife without my being in the same room, Leyland. I smiled darkly to myself.

'So you are in love with her?' He sounded mightily pissed. Good.

'Leyland, don't push your luck. There are plenty of single women in the world, go find your own girl to marry.' He snorted, clearly thinking as much of marriage as I had, and then we drew the call to a close. It was perfect timing as it happened. Fountaine Bleu had just come into view.

Walking briskly towards the lift, I was in my shower less than two minutes later. Staying under the hot spray for much longer than necessary I replayed the events of the last two days over and over in my head. Why did Redcliff need my money so badly? Whichever way I looked at them the dots did not add up, and I knew I was missing something. Perhaps Leyland would discover something when he questioned Marianna, or hopefully when Jen woke up she might be able to shed some more light on the situation. If she woke up. Even if she did wake up, there was no guarantee she would be okay. The poison could have wreaked havoc with her body, and the doctors had already mentioned that it was better to prepare myself for the worst. Grabbing a towel I slammed the shower door shut. I didn't want to think about worst-case scenarios. I'd go crazy if she ended up irreparably damaged because of me. I was the one that deserved to suffer here, not her. Please not her, I whispered to myself.

Towelling myself dry, I then sank face first into my bed. The monochrome tones of my room were oddly soothing, as I lay there lost in my head. Misery, frustration and rage all clawed for my attention, but in the aftermath of my shower they had all been beaten into submission for the time being, although I was well aware they would shortly return.

The shrill tone of my cell snapped me out of any possible attempt at sleep, but as the chance had been a slim one I wasn't too upset. So, who could this mysterious caller be? Ten to one it was Sophia ringing about my earlier offer, now deciding she wouldn't mind grinding me under her spike heels after all.

Groping around on the bedside table I found my cell and rolled over, blinking a couple of times to refocus my eyes. Sure enough it was Sophia, but I ended the call before she got a chance to leave a message on my answerphone. It would piss her off, and I wanted her in that kind of mood for what I had in mind. Shaking my head wryly I wondered what I was letting myself in for. I'd been calling the shots for so long I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be the one squirming around on the floor. Maybe it would do me some good to learn how to be humble once again. These days I got my own way far too much, and I almost took it for granted. The thing was, you couldn't take life for granted, it was precious and you had to savour each and every day you were given as if it were your last.

Propelling myself to my feet I gathered a robe and tied the belt securely around my waist. Padding through to the kitchen in my bare feet, I decided to treat myself to the first cup of decent coffee I'd seen in days. Although I wanted to suffer this evening, I wasn't that much of a masochist that I needed to add caffeine withdrawal symptoms to my list. The first whisper of coffee under several bars of pressure was enough to have me salivating, and I'd snatched the cup away before the machine had even finished its delivery. To hell with the mess, I didn't care any more. Lounging on the sofa, I then channel hopped in abandon with no real hope of finding anything decent to watch. There was zero chance of me concentrating, in any case. Finally picking up my phone, I dialled the hospital and waited to be put through to the nurse's station.

'Could I have an update on Jennifer Matthews please?' I asked. The name didn't feel quite as strange upon my tongue as it had a couple of days ago and I suspected that I'd get quite familiar with it in the upcoming weeks - with any luck.

'Of course, Mr Matthews. Bear with me just one second while I go and check with her doctor.' Music then flooded my ears as I was put on hold. Although the telephone call was a futile one I had to reassure myself one more time that Jennifer was okay. What I wouldn't have given, just to hear the sound of her voice again. My right arm or whichever damn limb she pleased was up for grabs. Don't die on me. I've just discovered I'm in love with you, so please don't die on me.

'Mr Matthews?' It was the nurse again.

I cleared my throat and responded with a hopeful, 'Yes?'

'There's been no change since you were last here, I'm afraid, but I promise we'll keep you updated. As soon as she wakes up you'll be the first to know, although we don't expect that to be soon. Try to get some rest if you can.'

'I'll try my best, and thank you for the update.' After the pleasantries were finished I ended the call. She was still alive. I had to be content with that for the time being.

As soon as I set my phone down it immediately began to vibrate, which startled the hell out of me, and I grinned ruefully as I found out it was Sophia yet again. Sucking in a deep breath I let it ring four times and then answered the call.

'Good afternoon, Sophia,' I said pleasantly enough.

'Mark, you are an utter bastard.'

Tell me something I don't already know, I thought ruefully.

'I am?' I asked innocently.

'Do you still want to play?' Her voice was deep, raw and sexy, and it sent tremors of fear and excitement through me.

'It's probably not a good idea,' I said truthfully, but this was mostly to wind her up. Good idea or not, I very much wanted to play. I wanted to be at the hands of someone who would show me no mercy, no matter how much I screamed, and Sophia, in the right frame of mind, was that woman.

'It isn't, and if I was any kind of decent Domme I'd say no.' The sexual undercurrent in her voice sent sparks of desire straight down to the parts that mattered. Fuck. Life wasn't meant to be easy, was it? Being dominated was a part of my life I thought I had put behind me long ago, but yet here I was, actively seeking to recreate my past, and excited by the prospect.

'Then say no,' I drawled. Although my tone suggested I didn't give a shit either way, I was going to be pissed if she said no. It was unlikely, especially after she'd taken time out of her day to chase my cell phone twice, but you just never knew with Sophia.

'Will I ever get this chance again if I do?' She was thrilled about the prospect of having me on my hands and knees. I could hear it in her voice. Once upon a time we were good together, she and I.

'I think you already know the answer to that question,' I replied. It wasn't up for negotiation, either. This was a one-time deal and she could take it or leave it.

'What will you do if I say no?' I could almost see her running her finger along her lip as she said it, trying to convince herself to refuse me. I almost wished she would, because then I'd have to think long and hard whether to take this any further, though she didn't need to know that.

'Get what I want elsewhere.' That was doubtful, to be honest. Although I had the contacts it would require too much effort on my part to put things in motion, and I wanted this tonight or not at all. I suspected I'd feel very differently in the morning.

'That's what I thought.' She sighed prettily and I smiled. Her mind was already made up, but she wanted me to wait for her answer. That was fine by me. She was the one in charge, for tonight at least. 'Meet me at my place at seven. Your ass is mine for six hours. That's the deal, take it or leave it.'

Ah, the sweet taste of victory. Whilst it tasted like honey on my tongue now, tomorrow morning the taste would be more like acid. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

Knowing better than to try and negotiate with Sophia I merely said, 'See you at seven,' before cutting the call dead.

Chapter Five - Jennifer's Mother

Seeing your daughter fighting for her life in intensive care is something no parent should ever have to see. It was all the more heart breaking for me as I hadn't actually set eyes on her in person in well over ten years. That was my fault, not hers, but I still felt the loss keenly. Watching your daughter grow up from afar is a painful experience, but I'd made my ex-husband a promise that I needed to honour.

Holding Jennifer's heavy cold hand, I brought it to my lips and kissed it, inhaling her scent. All those years I had missed. What must she think of me now? That I'd abandoned her? Of course she would think that. In her eyes I would now be a monster and there would be no changing that fact. Parents do not walk out on their children and expect to waltz back into their lives several years later and be welcomed with open arms. In any case, that wasn't even an option. Pressing my lips into her deathly cold cheek I ruffled her hair gently and then stroked her head.

Although I didn't know the particulars of how she ended up here, I could guess. From what I could gather Michael had blackmailed Mark Matthews into marrying my daughter, and that hadn't sat well with the man. If my sources were to be believed, Mark Matthews had been brought to his knees rather unpleasantly in order to be convinced into marriage, and it appeared he had wanted the ultimate revenge. To a certain extent I sympathised with his plight, but I couldn't allow him anywhere near my daughter again. He would have to be disposed of, one way or another. Trust Michael to pick an extremely rich man for a husband. This wasn't something I was going to be able to bury under the carpet. A fuss was going to ensue if he suddenly disappeared without a trace, so I'd have to be more creative than normal.

Michael would also have to be dealt with. What had he been thinking? In a year or two Jennifer would have so much money she would be richer than Croesus. She didn't need any man's money, and she certainly didn't need to marry for status. Perhaps Michael had aspirations that I wasn't aware of, but he certainly wouldn't be forcing my daughter into another loveless marriage. I'd have thought he would have already learned his lesson the hard way, but it appeared I was wrong.

Shaking my head at this ridiculous situation, I wanted nothing more than to turn back the clock and have my chances all over again. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible. What I could do was clean up the mess that was all around me. At least I was good at that.

Chapter Six - Mark

How do you go from sadist to masochist in the blink of eye? I wasn't sure I understood it myself, but I knew this much: tonight had to happen. The weight of the world was on my shoulders and I needed relief, if only for a few hours. Did I expect the big guy upstairs would see my suffering and take pity on me? No, but one could hope, right?

In all seriousness this was probably selfishness on my part, but Jen had suffered so much in such a short time under my hands that I felt the need to atone, and I couldn't think of a better way. If Jen had been awake I'd have asked her to do it, because it was only fair she got a chance to get her own back, but I needed to face facts. There was a chance that Jen might never wake up. There were no guarantees when your body was in the ICU and filled with several yards of plastic tubing. So, I would atone for my sins with Sophia this evening, and hope that Jen might stay alive long enough to sate her revenge with me another day.

Fuck. What if she woke up and refused to have anything to do with me? How did I handle that? And now I knew I was in love with her, what happened if the sentiment wasn't returned? Be reasonable, Mark. How could she love you? What could you have possibly done that could have made you anything less than a monster in her eyes? Putting my head in my hands, I realised I needed Sophia now more than ever. This was a mess I would never untangle.

Glancing up at the clock I realised I had a little under an hour until our date, if you could call it that. Dragging my body up off the couch, which was an almost inhuman effort in itself, I decided I'd better feed myself. As I suspected I'd be screaming my lungs out later, whilst at the very limits of my endurance, I couldn't go there on an empty stomach. Thankfully my housekeeper had left some fresh soup in the fridge, which was about all I could tolerate right now. Shoving it in the microwave, I cut myself a couple of slices of bread. My head was going into meltdown. So many thoughts clamoured for my attention, I wondered if I'd ever be able to separate them in order to give each the attention it deserved. Maybe tomorrow. Tomorrow was another day.

Finishing the soup in short order, I flicked through my closet and tried to figure out what I should wear for a date where I was expected to be naked for the most part. There was no need to debate long and hard over it, at least. A suit was out of the question. I wouldn't be able to put it back on tomorrow after Sophia had finished with me. Maybe just some slacks and a sweater. They would be easy enough to get into in the morning. A pair of slip-on loafers would be a good choice, too. I wouldn't have to bend down to put them on, and that would be an important factor after tonight's games, I suspected.

Taking a trip down memory lane was almost inevitable as I began dressing myself. Once upon a time I'd have been frantic with nerves at the prospect of serving Sophia for the evening. I'd also have been filled with resentment. It was probably why she'd toyed with me for so long back then, when she usually went through men like underwear. She enjoyed the fact that I'd been coerced into serving her, and the idea that I had not come willingly was a major turn on for her. I guess it was like everything in life. If things came too easily the element of fun was lost. I never gave her exactly what she wanted, and this proved to be a challenge she relished. We would butt heads frequently, and she made it her mission in life to make sure she always got the upper hand. I made her work for the privilege, of course. Whilst I might have been green back then, I was no fool. Sex was all about the chase, and making sure she never had quite what she wanted served me well. Our bedroom relationship might have been fraught with tension and torment, but our business relationship thrived. She went out of her way to teach me everything she knew, and let me tell you; the woman was a veritable mastermind. She also had contacts nearly everywhere around the globe. Powerful contacts that could make or break you. I owed Sophia a hell of a lot, but she made sure she extracted her pound of flesh. At the end of our relationship I almost looked forward to our meetings. It was kind of like a personal test, seeing how much agony I could endure at her very beautiful and talented hands.

We continued this way until one day I suddenly decided it was time I make it on my own. There were several reasons for the break. In my own strange way I enjoyed my submission, but I didn't want to rest at someone's feet for the rest of my life. I wanted to be the one in charge. I wanted to call the shots. Most of all, I wanted to be my own boss, so that's what I did. Once my mind was made up, there was no going back.

I allowed myself one final session with Sophia because I figured it would be the easiest way to tell her I was moving on. No words needed to be spoken. All I did was obey her every command without question. It shocked the hell out of her at first, but it didn't take very long before the penny dropped. I remember the look on her face quite clearly, even now. She had been heartbroken and very emotional, though she would never let me see her tears. Instead, she had foregone her session to make love to me, before wishing me well on my journey ahead. It was a bittersweet gift. She didn't love me, but I was so in love with her back then it nearly broke me. How I ever managed to walk away and stay away was beyond me, but eventually I got over her. Like most things, all it required was time. At least I wouldn't have anything like that to worry about tonight. There was only one person who could break my heart now, and there was a good chance she might snap it in two and leave such a bloody mess that it could never be put back together again. Think positive. She'll be okay. She has to be okay. It was one thing to think it, but another thing entirely to believe it.

 

I rang Sophia's doorbell exactly five minutes later than I should have. Once upon a time I'd have been quaking in my boots for being this late, and it was probably her influence that now had me early for nearly all my appointments. Still, she wouldn't miss my meaning.

She made me wait, of course. It was to be expected. I'd put on a warm sweater just in case her wrath decided to leave me here for half an hour, but as it was I was only left to twiddle my thumbs for a couple of minutes. When the door finally opened she almost made me jump.

'Enter.'

Hearing her imperious voice so very close almost made me shudder, but I quelled the reaction. I refused to let her rattle me so soon.

'Mistress. How delightful it is to see you again.' I wasn't lying, either. Sophia looked utterly resplendent in a floor length, jade green, Oscar de la Renta gown. It flowed forth in a waterfall style and was exquisitely embroidered with cream silk across the neck and shoulders.

'Let's dispense with the crap, Mark. We're taking tea before I decide if the fun and games should commence, so follow me.'

Reining in the grin that wanted to leave my lips, I did as instructed. Following her clicking heels was no easy task, either. How she managed to move so fast in them was beyond me, but somehow I managed to keep up. When we reached the drawing room I was almost relieved.

'Sit.'

It had been a long time since someone had ordered me around like this and I found it most entertaining that I was enjoying myself.

'Sitting,' I commented, knowing I was pushing my luck but unable to help myself.

'Don't test me,' she said, her tongue in her cheek as she settled down in a red leather wing-backed chair. It must have been Italian in origin, because the thing looked more like a throne. How fitting.

Sophia made a great show of pouring the tea from an exquisite, turn of the century Limoges bone china tea set. When she picked up the milk jug she looked at me enquiringly, and I shook my head. Then the cup and saucer were very gently set down in front of me. As soon as I picked up the pretty white cup with flowers festooned all over it my manhood was effortlessly whipped away, but that was the whole point of the evening, wasn't it?

'Earl Grey?' The flavour was distinctive and the smell fragrant.

'Yes, but let's not talk tea,' she said. 'Why are you here?'

'I thought we'd already covered that,' I said. 'I'm here for a session.' I knew I was never going to get away with that for an answer, but it was worth a try. Taking a sip from my ridiculous teacup I grudgingly admitted to myself that the tea was quite nice.

'I know what you're here for, the question is: why after all these years have you suddenly decided you want to submit again?' Her delightfully posh English accent was music to my ears. I was looking forward to hearing more of it, preferably at top volume, if I was lucky.

'I didn't know I had decided that,' I said truthfully. Was I here to submit? No, I didn't think so. I was here for something else entirely.

Sophia gave me a dark look. 'You want pain, don't you?' She sighed prettily and took a dainty sip from her cup.

'So?' I countered 'You like giving out pain.' I wasn't going to get away with that either.

She let out a giant huff of air, and her reaction was almost comical. 'I do, but it's not half as fun when someone actually wants it.' She waved her hand in the air to add a touch of drama.

'What if I promise to make it fun for you, Sophia? I don't think I've let you down on that score before, have I?'

She looked thoughtful for a moment and then pursed her lips. I knew she was trying desperately hard to find an example of where I had been tiresome, and sure enough her next words were, 'Remember that time where you…'

'I had the flu, Sophia. It's hard to make things fun when you have the flu.'

'But you didn't tell me…'

'I did. You just chose not to listen.' We'd been very wrapped up in each other back then and I would have done anything for her. That including serving her when I was so ill I could barely move.

She pouted and mewled prettily. 'I should tell you to go home. You're in no fit state to serve. There's only one reason you want to suffer under my hands, and I should tell you that it won't make you feel any better, nor will it bring your wife back.' She said the word 'wife' as if it was an anathema to her.

'And I still want to go ahead with it, even though we've put all those cards on the table. So what's it to be, Sophia? Are we going to play or are you going to pat me on the head and send me on my way?' Taking a final slug of my tea I set the cup down and waited patiently for her answer. The hairs on the back of my neck were already beginning to prickle, so I knew I wanted to go ahead with this, and unless I was much mistaken, she did too. I was about to find out.

Sophia crossed her legs, and then she uncrossed them. She placed her chin upon her hand, and then she traced the outline of her top lip. Although she might have been several years my senior she was still a very attractive woman. There was every chance she might say no to me as yet, but I hadn't released my ace in the pack. The thing with Sophia was that she relished a challenge. If she had something to aim for, she was always the biggest achiever in the room. I was now about to make things slightly more entertaining for her, but I made her wait first. It was only fair. When she'd fidgeted for a good few seconds I dropped my bombshell.

'Oh, did I mention there will be no sex? I just want to be dominated.'

Her jaw dropped from the top end of the Empire State building to the bottom. There was a long pause, where she tried to get her head around that. It took a while.

'Can you repeat that?' she finally managed to splutter.

'Certainly.' I sat forward in my chair and clasped my hands together firmly. 'I do not want to have sex. The term is non-negotiable.'

Sophia's tongue snaked out and slid along her lower lip as she considered this. I knew the 'no sex' rule wouldn't bother her personally. The amount of times she'd left me in an agonising state of arousal were too many to count. It was one of the perks of being in charge. What was going to turn her on was the fact that she could torment me immeasurably as she tried to get me to change my mind.

'You're one of the biggest sex addicts I know, Matthews. There is no way you'll finish a session with me without begging to have your cock attended to.' A bright pink nail reached up to trace a path around her lips and she then sucked the finger into her mouth, before releasing it with a loud pop. I blinked.

'Ten thousand pounds says your wrong.' I smiled. Now I knew I had her.

'Fifty thousand pounds says I'm right,' she purred. The look in her eyes was now predatory and I knew I was in for one hell of a ride. Still, that was what I had come here for, so it looked like we were on.

'Deal,' I replied.

'Oh, Mark,' she drawled, 'you have no idea how much fun I'm going to have with you this evening.'

She was right, I didn't, but I could form a good enough guess.

 

Thirty minutes later we'd agreed on my limits for the scene and the next steps I would be taking. I'd refused to agree to a couple of things, which Sophia hadn't liked, but she wasn't going to have things all her own way; mostly, perhaps, but not all. I'd only made two requests of her, and they were simply that I be allowed to telephone the hospital before we began and leave my cell on for the duration of our session. After I'd voiced my conditions she looked at me sideways, told me she wasn't a complete monster, and that she'd leave me to my own devices for now. I was to go down to the dungeon when I felt ready. Then she rose elegantly from her chair and flounced out of the impressive set of panelled oak doors, but just before she'd closed them she turned around to face me and sighed.

'Are you sure you want to do this, Mark? Although it pains me to say this, maybe you should take a night to think about what you're doing, and call me again in the morning.' Her eyes saw straight through me, and I knew she had an idea of what I was going through. Sophia was very much an empath. She fed off other people's emotions, both good and bad, and could read them very well. She was also someone who could never relinquish control. It was a shame. It kept her from meeting the right man. Whilst she adored a submissive in the bedroom, she also wanted someone she could spar with on occasion. The two didn't usually go hand in hand. I genuinely hoped she'd find someone special soon. She certainly deserved to.

'It's now or never,' I said, and I meant it.

She shook her head and closed the doors quietly behind her. I could almost see her rolling her eyes at my stubbornness. When the room had been plunged into silence for a couple of minutes I roused myself into action. Picking up my cell I dialled the hospital again.

'Hello, my name is Mark Matthews. I'm ringing to check on my wife's progress - Jennifer Matthews.' I literally held my breath while someone went off to check for me, but as I suspected there was no further news waiting for me. Another 'I'm sorry, but we'll call you as soon as anything changes,' was relayed, and I had to be content with that. Tomorrow was another day. I'd be back with my wife, first thing tomorrow morning, come what may. I might even manage to catch a couple of hours sleep if I was very lucky, although I thought that was being overly optimistic.

Trying to mentally prepare myself for what was to come, I began to undress. She would want me completely naked, and that was as good a way as any to get my head in the game. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the hem of my sweater and yanked it over my head.

Chapter Seven - Mark

Pain. I wanted pain. In fact, I wanted so much pain it would enable me to forget everything that had happened around me, and leave me to wallow in nothing but suffering and sensation. Throwing my sweater on the gilt-edged, velvet-upholstered chair I'd been sitting in, I set to work on everything else. There was no rush, so I took it slow. Sophia would now be in her dressing room, choosing one of her many outfits with which to infer terror or lust, sometimes both. It would be at least an hour before she got herself ready, so that left me plenty of time to get myself fully acquainted with her dungeon. I hoped she hadn't got too many new toys since the last time I'd been here. It wouldn't take me long to find out.

As my sweater fell to the floor my hands were already working on my belt buckle. Everything seemed to slide from body slowly, almost as if someone were doing it for me. If only. When my slacks had slid down my legs I hooked my thumbs inside my boxer shorts and removed those too. Now there was nothing to hide behind, and that was just the way I wanted it. I needed raw emotion, skin on skin contact, and a taste of something brutal. The dominant male had left the building, and all that remained was a shell of the man I once was. Would I always feel like this? I hoped not.

As soon as I was naked I felt adrenaline begin to flood my body. I'd have thought I would have exhausted my poor adrenal glands as of late, but apparently that was not the case. My body was already gearing for fight or flight mode, and I wasn't flying anywhere. I would fight, as I always had. Putting one foot in front of the other I pulled open the doors and walked slowly towards my downfall. My head was still a mess, my pulse rate was accelerating, and I knew that things would get worse before they got better. That was part and parcel of the package. Padding down the long startlingly white hallway, adorned with various palm trees, frescos and murals, I kept my head high and I walked tall. Now was probably not the time to wonder if I'd keep my shit together, but I thought I could pull it off. Somehow.

Before I was more than halfway down the hall a member of her staff came scurrying the other way. I politely tipped my head in his direction and carried on. Whilst the poor guy had probably gotten an eyeful, it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before. This was an old trick of Sophia's. She loved humiliating her 'slaves'. Unfortunately for her I wasn't in the mood to be humiliated, and she'd have to try a lot harder than that to get a reaction from me, but she'd figure that out soon enough.

The dungeon was set down in the bowels of the earth, exactly where it should be. Gripping the bannister of the wooden spiral staircase the journey down seemed to take forever, but this was probably due to my anticipation, or perhaps trepidation, of what was to come. The further downwards I travelled the darker it became, and I found it matched my mood perfectly. I wouldn't mind being lost in the darkness for a while. There were worse places to be.

Pushing the solid oak door open I stepped into something that could have resembled a medieval torture chamber. There were thick pillar candles encased in ornate glass lanterns that scattered ambient light upon the terracotta tiles below. There were also a few iron sconces that decorated the walls, with tapered cream candles. Their scent was thick, cloying and spicy. Cinnamon, orange, and… it was something I couldn't lay my finger on. The smell was vaguely redolent of Christmas, but I was pretty confident I would not be celebrating any time soon. The walls all around me were bare red brick, and the ceiling was adorned with several old oak beams, stained a dark brown in colour. A mere sliver of light appeared through three narrow, rectangular, leaded windows embedded into the top of the high ceiling, all of which had been heavily tinted. I would just about be able to tell whether it was day or night, if I paid very careful attention.

The furniture was of a standard dungeon-grade edition, which meant it was made of wipe clean black leather or metal. The cast iron slatted table in front of me looked rather intimidating, coupled with a set of matching wrist and ankle cuffs, but it wasn't anything I hadn't seen before. Then there were clamps, vices, a whipping post, a pillory, an X-frame, a bell cage and all the standard stuff you'd expect to see in a well-equipped dungeon. No expense had been spared, and it was pretty much exactly as I remembered it. No whips or paddles were on display, nor had I expected them to be. Sophia kept them hidden in a large wooden chest that was almost the focal point of the room, with its large cast iron shackle. She always made you face that box, so you could watch as she picked out her instrument of torture. Sophia took her games very seriously.

Setting my cell carefully down on the floor beside the door, checking one last time to make sure I hadn't received any messages in the two minutes it had taken me to walk here, I began to get my head around submission once more. I wished I could say I'd forgotten the rules since the last time I'd been here, but that would have been a lie. There were some things you never forgot, especially if you'd learnt them at the tail of a very large whip.

The first thing I would need to do would be to assume the position. Whilst I didn't exactly intend to play fair, the least I could do was show willing. I was the one that wanted this, after all. So, getting down to my knees, I bent my body forward until my nose was touching the floor. Widening my legs a little, I lifted my ass into the air and stretched both hands out in front of me, palms flat, facing the floor. I had already made sure I was facing the door, as that had always been a requirement of Sophia's. Upon her entrance I would be required to kneel up and bow my head, before returning to my original position. Then all I had to do was wait for her instructions. They would be many and varied, unless I was much mistaken. As this was a one-off deal she would have just a single night to get her own back for me leaving her behind all those years ago. What the hell had I let myself in for?

Although she made me wait I enjoyed the peace and quiet. It gave me a little time to prioritise the thoughts inside my head and figure out what I would do as soon as tomorrow dawned. There were already plenty of questions floating through my mind. Had Forbes started work on Marianna, did Khalil know where Redcliff was hiding, and was there a chance Jen might wake up or was I being too optimistic? They weren't the only questions. How long would it be before the police came calling again? Could Jonathan somehow manage to stop me getting arrested for my wife's attempted murder? And should I increase my security detail? All of these and more were boring holes in my head. Please hurry, Sophia, I pleaded. I couldn't remember another night under her hand where I was so anxious to begin a session, but tonight was most definitely an exception. My head was shortly going to explode if someone didn't take pity on me. Then I laughed to myself. The thought of Sophia 'taking pity' on me nearly had me in hysterics, but the laughter bubbling up my throat quickly had to be shelved. The sound of spike heels tapping against tiles could clearly be heard coming towards the door, and they were coming my way. God help me.

Chapter Eight - Mark

The door opened quietly and in my sights there could have been the body of a twenty year old. Sophia's slim curves were cloaked tightly in red and black latex and she looked fucking fantastic. She sported thigh-high black boots, red latex suspenders, a waist-cinching black corset with red trim, black panties, and red latex gloves that reached past her elbow. I wanted to lick her boots. I suspected I would be shortly, too.

Getting to my knees, I placed my hands behind my back and bowed my head to my chest. As I was about to return to my original position I found a crop stuck underneath my chin that prevented me from doing so.

'It's good to see you remember a few of my instructions,' she said softly.

I resisted the urge to smile or reply. Either would get me whipped. Wait a minute, wasn't that why I was here?

'Does this mean you're going to be a good boy for me today?' she purred. The crop stroked a firm line up my neck before it buried itself in my cheek. I think it was fair to say that it ticked me off a little.

'I fucking doubt it,' I replied. Like I said, I wanted my hide to get tanned, so there was no point beating about the bush, was there?

The crop slammed into my thigh, hard enough to produce a wince, had I not been expecting it.

'Thank you, Mistress,' I said, embracing the sweet kiss of pain. It wasn't nearly enough, but it was a start.

'You do realise I know that's exactly what you want?' Walking behind me she grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked my head upright. It appeared I was already annoying her, so I was right on track.

'Since when have I ever underestimated you, Sophia?' The low murmur could barely be heard, but it earned yet another stroke of her crop, this time on my left buttock. It burned.

'Silence! If I want you to speak I'll let you know.' The crop pressed into my shoulder blades as a warning and I heeded it, for now. 'Nose back to the floor,' she barked, highlighting her point with another vicious swipe of the crop on my backside. I did as instructed, and although the action might have been reluctant on my part you'd never guess.

'Crawl to the pillory, and place your head and hands in the correct position.' The heel of her boot caught my little toe and crushed it, nearly bringing tears to my eyes, but not quite. This was the Sophia I remembered and adored. My Mistress without an ounce of compassion was back. She'd been scaring me earlier, with her sympathetic comments, but thankfully that lady had left the building.

Blinking, I tried to get my head back in the game. Sophia preferred her slaves to crawl with their noses a centimetre or so off the floor, so that's what I did. It was awkward and you couldn't see a damn thing, but you generally got where you needed to go. Encouragement was usually provided in the shape of pain, and as usual, she didn't disappoint.

A five-inch spike heel found its way to the centre of my right buttock and pushed forward sharply. With the pressure she'd exerted I almost wondered if she'd let all the air out of my body, but everything still seemed to work as it should, although a damn site quicker. I didn't intend to let her get another shot if I could help it.

When my face nearly bumped into the wooden frame I stood up quickly and, placing my head in the widest semi-circle, with my wrists situated in the smaller ones, I waited for her to lock the top of the stocks in place. Crazy thoughts were running through my head. What the hell was I letting myself in for? Was I going to lose my shit? Did I actually care if I did?

'Having second thoughts?' Sophia murmured, as her latex-covered hand stroked a slow line along the back of my neck.

'No,' I lied, as the latex fingers continued a meandering path down my back. They stopped briefly as soon as they reached my buttocks, but only to grip each glute and squeeze cruelly. I refused to utter a sound. Coming around to face me, she grasped the top of the stocks and slowly lowered them down onto my neck and wrists, smiling at me as she did so.

'Any last words?' she whispered devilishly, as she fastened the cast iron latch securely.

There weren't.

'Oh how I've missed that proud and infuriatingly regal demeanour. It won't last long around me, my darling. You know that, don't you?' A swift slap was delivered to my backside, just in case I was in any doubt.

When she came to stand in front of me a red finger perched on my bottom lip, pressed hard, and dragged itself down my chin. I guess I could be thankful there weren't any mirrors in here. She took her time releasing it, but then continued her downwards exploration of my body. I had an idea of where she was headed.

Counting the seconds quietly in my head until she reached her goal, it took her a good minute before her fingers finally trailed down to my cock. I sprang up smartly to her touch, of course. There was only so much of my body I could control, and she knew this as well as I did.

'Are you sure about the no sex rule, darling? Should I give you one last chance to reconsider?' Her fingers wrapped around my length and squeezed tightly. Time stood still for a couple of seconds and the air in my throat froze, but somehow I managed to answer her by shaking my head fiercely. I didn't care what she did to me; I was not having sex with her. This was all about atonement, not pleasure. It would be wrong. It was not why I was here.

'Suit yourself.' She began stroking me up and down, with nothing more than light, teasing touches. I tried to think of something else, anything else other than sex, but it was a nigh impossible task. Where was the vicious pain Sophia always managed to deliver? Now that I actually wanted it, was she perversely going to withhold it? It appeared so. It was probably time I rocked the boat a little.

'Can you go a bit faster, darling? You need to tighten your grip a little too.' I added a smile for good measure.

'And here was me thinking you were going to play by the rules. I knew it was too good to be true.'

Striding off to her toy box she bent over to open it, giving me full view of her ass covered in black latex. My cock wanted to bust free of my body. Down boy, down. She rummaged in there for a moment or two, which gave me plenty of time to try and guess what she would pull out. A paddle, a flogger, a whip or a tawse? My eyes kept themselves glued to her sinful body, but when she finally found what she was looking for it was not at all what I was expecting.

The woman came back carrying a chastity device. I wanted to throw a fit but it was hardly going to have much of an impact, restrained as I was.

'You're taking my no sex vow very seriously then,' I remarked casually.

'Very,' she purred. 'We wouldn't want you losing all that money because you couldn't control yourself, now would we?' She knew damn well I didn't give a fuck about the money. The bet was there for her benefit, not mine.

'I had no idea you were so considerate.' There was more to this than met the eye. I was sure I'd figure it out soon enough.

'I'm not.' Dangling the cage in front of my nose for a moment, she let me get a good look at the thing. Like most standard chastity devices it featured a clear plastic cage for my cock and an adjustable ring to go around my balls. It didn't take a genius to notice that this particular device had wires dangling from it, and when I looked a little closer I saw that silicone e-stim attachments had been added inside the cage. It looked like I was going to be in for a fun session. She was going to torment me mercilessly.

'Now, let's see if we can squeeze you into this thing.' Squeeze, as it happened, wasn't the word she was looking for. 'Cram' was better. Even though Sophia used a generous amount of lubricant, she almost broke several blood vessels as I was forced into the tiny cage. It was a good job the thing featured a padlock, because the pressure I was exerting upon its design would probably have managed to crack concrete.

'You're going to be begging me to take it off in less than ten minutes, unless I'm much mistaken.' Satisfied that I was now tightly secured in my new plastic prison, she gave my straining cock a tap with her crop. I gritted my teeth and clenched my ass as tightly as I could.

'You'll just have to learn to live with disappointment, darling,' I rasped. My breathing might have been a bit unsteady, but I was still in control here. Fuck. Who was I kidding?

She must have read my mind, because she snorted in laughter. 'We'll see about that.' Walking around my naked body several times she surveyed me very carefully. Perhaps she wanted to know if I still found her desirable, even after all these years. It wouldn't take long for her to answer that question. I don't know what it is about chastity devices, but as soon as you're made to wear one all you can think about is sex. Knowing you can't touch yourself, or that anyone else can touch you, is a horribly arousing thing. As soon as you know you can't have something you want it all the more. The device is a constant reminder of all that you can't have, too. My cock was pressing up against the plastic cage in protest, pulsating in abject misery. Let me out, let me out, let me out, it begged. I ignored it to the best of my ability, but it was hard with Sophia's long, lithe legs parading around me in bright red latex stockings.

Finally stopping in front of my face, she rubbed her gloved hands across her chin as if deep in thought. 'Hmm. How shall we warm you up, darling? It's been so long I've almost forgotten what you like.' That was accompanied by more pacing in those thigh-high boots, and my cock fought a futile bid for freedom.

'You never managed to remember what I liked,' I said sweetly. 'You generally remembered the things I loathed, though.' These were the kind of battles we always fought. Back and forth this would go, much like a game of grand slam tennis. I didn't anticipate being the victor in this round, but I wasn't giving up just yet.

'Ah, yes. Those things. Care to remind me of them, darling?'

'Oh gosh, I suddenly seem to have a mild case of amnesia. Fancy that,' I said, and the sarcasm dripped off my tongue. Besides, I knew she hadn't forgotten, but now she had me exactly where she wanted me she was going to play. In her place I'd have done exactly the same thing.

Suddenly she gripped my chin fiercely and shook my head back and forth a couple of times. My eyes felt like marbles for a few seconds as they bounced around, but finally I managed to refocus them and admire the dark look of displeasure that was trying to bore its way down my throat.

'Maybe I should just gag you now. I could stopper that nasty mouth with a big black ball and watch you dribble like a baby, darling.' It was no idle threat. She'd done it before on many occasions, but I didn't think she'd do it today. Sophia would want to hear my moans and screams, and she'd also want to hear me begging for sex. Time would tell.

'Sounds like fun. Let's do it,' I remarked. I have always enjoyed provoking my Mistress, mostly to the detriment of my flesh, and even now the thought of pain was almost as arousing as it was abhorrent. Perhaps I had missed this life?

'Don't tempt me. Her whip cracked in the air, and I just held back the wince as it landed across my ass. Things were beginning to heat up in the room. 'So, as you seem to desire a taste of pain, I feel inclined to deny it.'

'Are you going to cover me in kisses instead? In that case, can we dispense with the pillory? It's not particular comfy and I know you have a nice king-size bed in that Japanese-themed bedroom of yours. I bet there's a giant fluffy duvet just waiting for me.' The verbal sparring was almost fun, but I had reservations about her plans for me. If she didn't intend to let me suffer through pain, what did she have in store for me?

'That was years ago darling. It's more of a Tibetan hideaway now, all colourful prints and thick Asian carpets, with lots of carved wood and soft furnishings. Needless to say, you won't be visiting me there. You had your chance.'

She sounded wistful for a moment, but I think we both knew I had made the right decision. Had I stayed with her we'd have both made each other miserable and she knew that as well as I.

'So what are you going to do with me? Dress me up in frilly knickers and put me in six inch heels?' It wasn't something she had ever tried with me, and she wouldn't do it now if she wanted our session to last longer than a few cursory minutes.

She laughed. 'Whilst the idea is tempting, I have other men for that.' I didn't doubt it. She had a man for everything - that had been the problem. I'd been just one cog in a modern day harem, and I hadn't realised it until it was too late.

'Then what are you going to do with me? As a heads-up, I liked whipped cream and chocolate sauce being slathered around and licked off my body. Oh, and being read the Financial Times would also be fun, in that sexy, bedtime voice of yours.' I winked at her.

She rolled her eyes. 'I'll just bet you do, darling, but that isn't what you're here for, is it? Shall I tell you why you're here?' The crop began to explore my body. At first it was long, sensuous strokes accompanied by light taps and flicks. She caressed my calves, thighs, the inside of my legs, my back, buttocks, and finally my chest. The taps became firmer, and the odd crack of her whip here and there kept me on my toes.

'I'd rather you left it as a surprise,' I said dryly.

'Too bad for you, I don't like surprises.' Were we even talking about the same thing here? I was beginning to doubt it. 'But first, I think we need to warm you up with a little pain, so you can fully appreciate what is to come.'

And those were the words I had been waiting for. Finally. A little bit of pain was going to take the edge off things, with any luck.

'Am I going to be allowed to come?' The crop smacked lightly into my balls after I'd made the request, and for a minute I bit my lip as a delicious bite of pain sliced right through me.

'You'll just have to wait and see, darling.' Her tone of voice did not sound at all promising. 'But you might want to remember that you're here to suffer.' Another slice of the crop, brutally hard, but thankfully across my backside accompanied that remark.

'Thank you for reminding me, Mistress.' I had no idea whether she'd heard that comment. She was already striding towards the toy box with a purposeful look on her face and I knew I was in for it. Bracing myself for the worst I waited with bated breath, wondering what hell I would shortly be forced to endure.

Chapter Nine - Mark

My breathing may have been slightly erratic as I watched her stretch over the toy box yet again. The lid came up, her delightful ass wiggled around as she searched, and I held my breath in anticipation. I already had a rough idea of what she would bring out, and sure enough I wasn't disappointed. In one hand she held an impressive set of anal beads, and in the other a couple of wooden clothes pegs and a paddle. As this was the warm up, things could only get better from here on in. Or should that be worse? I couldn't decide.

Dragging a small wooden table alongside the pillory, Sophia set down her items with care and then went straight back to the box. Oh goody. It looked like I was in for even more fun than I thought. This time she brought back a jar of something that clanked and clicked as she moved, a rubber flogger, and a cat-o-nine-tails whip, complete with knotted rope ends and small metal beads that would sting like a bastard. I should know.

'Are you still smiling?' Sophia's hands were back upon my chest and she twisted my left nipple sharply. I'd been expecting it so I didn't make a murmur, but my silence was not appreciated.

'Answer the question,' she barked. In order to make sure I complied with her demand her gloved finger began stretching my nipple as far away from my body as it would possibly go, and then a little further before she elicited a yell from me.

'Darling, I'm grinning like a necrophiliac in a graveyard,' I bit out.

Sophia didn't laugh, but then I hadn't expected her to.

'You are itching to get your ass tanned tonight, aren't you?' There was no point in denying that statement. I guess I was, although not specifically my ass.

She didn't waste any more time on words, and for that I could be grateful. Her next move was to fasten one of her vicious wooden clothes pegs on my left nipple, which completely took my breath away, but only for a brief instant. There was no respite, though, for she then repeated all of her unpleasantness on my right.

'It usually takes me around half an hour to wipe all traces of sarcasm away from that beautiful mouth. Do you think it will be any different today?' she commented, as she picked up the wicked set of anal beads and slowly fingered each bead, which gradually increased in diameter from manageable to damn right impossible.

'I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise,' I said, trying desperately hard not to look at the things.

'Fair enough. Now should we use lube, or just ram them up there?' Her voice sounded far too cheerful at the prospect. I knew she was enjoying this, but did she have to make it quite so obvious? Prudently deciding to keep quiet, I waited patiently and wondered what fate had in store for me.

'Suck.' It was her finger resting at the entrance to my mouth, rather than the beads, but I suspected they'd come later. Taking the latex covered digit deep into my mouth I swirled my tongue around it, before gently sucking back and forth. She let me continue for a moment or two, before withdrawing her finger and wiping the spittle off her glove by dragging it slowly across my arm.

'Now you're going to take every single last one of those beads down your throat, darling. Make sure to get them nice and wet because you know exactly where they're going next.'

So, I'd been dead on the mark. Eyeing the beads warily I looked up at her.

'You're enjoying this, aren't you?' I remarked sourly.

'Immensely. Now shut up and do as you're told.'

It wasn't as if I had a lot of choice in the matter. The beads were nearly forced down my throat. All I could do was try not to gag, as she pressed them forward.

'That's it. Be a good boy. Swallow them all down.' She patted my head condescendingly, and then said, 'How does it feel to be on the receiving end for a change? Are you enjoying yourself?'

I think she knew exactly how much I was enjoying myself. My throat felt like a bus was driving down it sideways, and if she wasn't careful I was going to vomit all over that nice black latex corset she wore. At least it was wipe clean.

'Take it. Take it all, baby.' On the other hand I didn't exactly want her to rush. What came next wasn't going to be any more fun, unless I was much mistaken.

Sophia left me like that for a minute or so. She liked to regularly remind her subs who was in charge. When my eyes began to stream and my hands began madly clawing at their wooden prison she finally took pity on me and pulled it free. Sucking in air like a drowning man, I began coughing and spluttering as I tried to rid myself of the sharp taste of rubber.

'Oh dear. We're out of practise, I see,' she said, frowning. As she was now behind me I felt it safe to roll my eyes. 'Are you looking forward to being filled, darling?' The first bead was already being threaded inside me, so I didn't feel it necessary to voice my opinion on the matter. Concentrating on relaxing all of the muscles in my body, which I seemed to be holding a little more rigidly than normal, the first two beads went in without two much protest.

'Did I mention I'd invited a few guests around this evening?'

I instantly became a ball of tension once again, and the third bead made me gasp out loud. Fuck. This was not something I had bargained on.

'How on earth did you round up the coven on such short notice?' The witches usually required at least a week's warning to attend any engagement and generally much more. I'd given Sophia less than twelve hours' notice. Having an audience should have been a near impossibility, but somehow she'd pulled it off.

'All I had to do was mention you'd be at their beck and call for the evening. I was amazed at how many of them instantly dropped what they were doing in order to see you.'

Yeah, I just bet. When the fourth bead went in I growled long and hard.

'Did you not think to mention that to me before our session started? The last thing I need is company right now. Call them off or I'll safe-word.' I already knew it wouldn't be that easy.

'You won't.' The fifth and final bead was making my eyes water and I began rattling my hands in the stocks in protest.

'Give me one good reason why I shouldn't?'

'Because you won't get a taste of the Cat you've been eyeing up on my table and I know that's the only reason you're here.' She sounded very sure of herself, as well she should be. The woman knew me too well. 'They're part of the deal darling, take it or leave it,' she purred.

I made a mental note to make sure that at some point Sophia would pay for this. For now I'd just have to take it on the chin. Yelling again as the last bead slotted into place, I panted through the pain barrier for a couple of seconds before my eyes managed to refocus. I'd forgotten how much fun this submission lark was.

'There, there. That wasn't so bad, was it?' She patted me on the head again and I wanted to snap her hand off. Easy for you to say, lady.

'Now, I'm just going to give you a little warm up with the paddle, and finish you off with the flogger. That should give you a nice rosy glow. Wouldn't want the girls to think I'm losing my touch.' Her hands caressed my backside gracefully with a very light touch, and my throat ran dry at the thought of what was to come. Thankfully I wasn't given much time to contemplate my fate.

The paddle came down upon my ass with a reassuring smack, and before I could fully appreciate the resulting sting another one was already in its wake. For a few brief moments in time my mind shut down and all I could do was feel the power of the blows raining down upon my flesh. Absorbing the sting took all my concentration and never had I been more grateful for the fact. All thoughts of guilt, hospitals, death, and retribution left me as I battled my body's response to the physical stimuli it was receiving. It was an uphill struggle, quite literally. My cock was already battling to free itself from the tiny cage, and each stroke further enraged it. Sophia gave me the full works with the paddle for a good ten minutes or so, and by the end of the warm up my ass and legs were on fire. It was hard to believe that once upon a time I submitted to this on a daily basis. What had happened to that man? He'd grown stronger, tougher, and smarter.

'Nothing's changed then,' Sophia remarked as she finally laid the paddle to rest, before standing directly in front of me.

'What do you mean?' She'd caught me unawares with the question, so my mind whirred as I tried to catch up.

Raising her eyebrow she pointed to my straining cock and I stifled a laugh. Oh, that.

'Plenty's changed, but some things will always stay the same.' Down boy, down.

'You're going to be very popular around these parts soon.' Sophia patted my nose. 'Admit it, you're looking forward to serving them.'

'I admit to nothing, and I hope you've informed them about my "no sex" rule. It hasn't changed and whip or no whip, I'll safe-word if you cross that line.' I meant it.

'Relax darling. They can still have plenty of fun with you, even if you aren't hammering back and forth between their thighs trying to puncture a few vital organs. You were always very good at that, you know. You'll make someone a lovely husband one of these days.' Her tone had softened, so I knew we were back in 'friend' mode, but I had a feeling she was just trying to distract me before the main event began.

'The jury's out on that,' I said. 'I've been nothing but monstrous to my wife. If past performance is anything to go by I'm probably going to rot in hell one of these days.'

'For richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. She'll come round, just give her time. Then you'll really have your work cut out. A woman scorned, and all that.' She looked at me and winked.

'Don't.' I didn't even want to think about that.

'There's one thing I don't understand, though. Why didn't she just poison you? Call me selfish, but that's what I would have done. Did she take the poison meant for you? Or were both glasses poisoned, so you could have a Romeo and Juliet-esque ending?'

Trust Sophia to get straight to the heart of the matter. That was something else that had been bothering me, but I wasn't about to discuss it here.

'No comment,' I replied.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. 'I think you might have just answered my question. Unfortunately we haven't got time for chitchat right now. The ladies are waiting.' Picking up the rubber flogger she caressed its wicked-looking flails in her hand. 'Are you ready for this?' She performed a couple of strokes in mid-air that landed on her left glove with a resounding smack. This was going to hurt, and I was oh-so-ready for that. It might even take my mind off the witches for a while.

'Let's go,' I said.

Sophia needed no further encouragement. The whip began whirring in her hands, and before she'd even walked around my body I felt a sharp sting to the top of my right shoulder blade. Now this was more like it. Another two vicious flicks of her wrists and I was seeing stars. Big, bright stars, which had a white-hot intensity. Forcing my body to go limp in the stocks I absorbed everything she had to give without a murmur. My time for screaming would come, but it wasn't yet. At least she was giving me the full works, and not holding back. I don't think I could have borne it, had she been gentle with me. Thankfully that was not the case. This woman was going to keep me on my toes, and I had better up my game if I wanted to survive the session.

After a mere five minutes it was safe to say that the flogger was winning and I was losing. This was the suffering I had been craving. The pain was intense, and my skin was being fried. It actually felt good. It had been a long time since I'd felt anything like it. As each fresh blow landed my endorphin level ratcheted up another level, and the adrenaline that was flowing through me was almost caustic. Being flogged to within an inch of your life feels a bit like being buried in battery acid, everything starts to burn and liquefy at once.

'Any special words for me yet?'

Sophia stood in front of me once again and had to prop my chin up with the whip handle, I was so limp. Me, not my cock. That was still standing rigidly to attention and would be until she'd finished with me. Staring at her with glazed eyes I wondered if she'd repeat the question for me.

'Mark. Is anybody in there? Are there any special words you want to say?' The handle was nudged into my cheek several times to make sure I was paying attention.

I sighed and unglued my tongue from the roof of my mouth. She would expect an answer to her question, one way or another. Shaking my head, I gave her a half smile. It was all I was capable of.

'Can you even remember your safe-word?' She gave me a sideways look as she drew the flails gently across my chest. At least I could be thankful that that part of me still remained fully intact and mostly unscarred by her expert whip hand.

Swallowing a couple of times, I finally managed to get some saliva flowing. 'What will you do if I've forgotten it?' Now I'd caught my breath back I was feeling much better. I couldn't be too bad if the old sarcasm gene was still in good working order.

'I'd probably spank you,' she drawled.

'Then I've forgotten my safe-word,' I drawled right back.

'Oh goody,' she laughed. Pulling the anal beads out in one foul swoop, she let the flails continue their journey over my body. I howled. The sound of her spike heels echoed in my ears as she began to explore her handiwork. The woman checked out every single inch of me, and some areas were considerably more tender than others. By the time she'd finished her thorough perusal sweat was pouring off my forehead, making a mess on the tiled floor below. I was sure I'd pay for that later. Gritting my teeth ruefully, I realised I had so much more to look forward to. As the thought entered my head the sound of footsteps and laughter began to float down the wooden stairs. Oh shit. Now the fun and games were really about to begin.

Sophia let me suffer as their slow steps began to get louder and louder. Unfortunately I could hear all the things they wanted to do to me, and they made sure they said them loud enough for my ears. The witches were well trained. They knew how to inspire fear and awe with minimal fuss. I should know.

'Don't listen to them,' Sophia whispered softly in my ear. Easy for her to say. She wasn't the one who was going to be left at the mercy of all those beasts outside.

'Tell them to go away.' I might have been pleading just a little bit, and though I knew it wouldn't do any good I couldn't help myself.

'My poor baby. Don't tell me you're frightened of a few girls?' Sophia cracked the flogger against my backside once more and my knees buckled. 'Man up, darling, and take your punishment like a good boy.'

The cool, latex fingers came back to gently soothe away the nasty ache and distract me. The trouble was, I knew exactly what was waiting for me.

'Are you ready for this?' She gave my ass a light tap and I had to grit my teeth to prevent myself from spluttering. God, I wasn't sure I could do this.

'No.' And I meant it. Those women always sent the fear of God into me. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Ha! Whoever had said that hadn't counted on a pack of Sophia's dominatrix friends heading their way. They might have reconsidered, otherwise.

'Good. Then that's exactly how it should be. Better put your hands together and pray, darling.' There was a snort of laughter. 'Too bad you can't, huh?'

Holding my breath, I watched the door anxiously and wondered if there was any chance in hell that they might take it easy on me. Then I shook my head. Who was I kidding? Those women were going to grind me into the floor, stamp all over me, chew me up and then spit me out without breaking into a sweat. Hands or no hands, praying was probably a good idea.

Chapter Ten - Leyland

I don't remember Mark Matthews ever having given me a present before. Whilst we might never have actually been 'enemies' it was general knowledge that we were 'friendly rivals' and we both took great pleasure in yanking each other's chain whenever possible. Today it seemed all of that had changed, because I was doing the man not one but two favours, and all in the space of a few hours.

What did you wear to interrogate someone? I decided I wanted to look brooding and mean, but couldn't quite decide how that was going to work. My life was generally spent in a suit, but that just didn't feel right for the scenario I had planned. I wanted to scare the damn woman witless, whilst at the same time make her believe I had no scruples whatsoever. So that meant I needed to be offbeat, a little unhinged, and a spot of absolutely fucking crazy wouldn't go amiss, either. I didn't think it would be a problem. In all honesty, I hadn't stopped thinking about his proposition all day. It wasn't every day you got a beautiful submissive woman delivered to you gift-wrapped with a bright-red bow. The idea was all the more appealing because the woman had originally been Mark's. I could pick her brains to my heart's content, and maybe discover a few little things about Matthews that might come in useful at a later date. It was doubtful, as Mark probably wouldn't have let me near her if she knew too much, but he was under a good degree of stress at the moment, so it was worth a shot. Besides, I was a fucking sadist, and this kind of shit got me off in the worst way.

What are you going to wear, Leyland? The excitement bubbling up inside me was bizarre and distracting. I felt like a bag of microwave popcorn that was in full explosion mode. You've played with pretty girls before, Leyland. Get a grip. Whilst all of that was true, I hadn't played with one of Mark's pretty girls before. The idea was intoxicating and I couldn't wait to get started.