I didn’t see Jason Fry when I got to Birmingham. Lucky for him. I filled in the gaps based on what Alice told me on the drive back. He had arranged for her to be driven north and put in the cage in the club. Then he’d left her there, hoping she’d be so scared or weakened by her experience that she’d agree to stay with him. It was like threatening to kill yourself when someone breaks up with you, it’s not going to be the basis for a solid relationship after that. The chance has gone.

The chance had gone for him. As soon as he grabbed her in the car park, the chance was gone. That was even if I hadn’t been looking out for her.

I felt as if I’d let her down, but the plan had gone exactly how he’d wanted. What part did William Lawson play?

I thought about it as I drove back to London. He owned the club. He had put the red token into circulation. Off the back of that, the company had tanked. But I felt Jason’s hands on that too. Did he pay William to do it?

Time for that later, I thought, as I glanced across at Alice. She was asleep on the seat next to mine. She looked beautiful. There were marks on her wrists from where she’d been bound. He would pay for those marks soon enough and not in the way he might expect. I had something far more cutting than a simple punch up.

Roy had talked me through the idea as I’d driven north. I had him on speaker and the more he talked, the more the plan came together until by the time I got to the club, I only needed proof it was him. That came from Alice, telling me what he’d done, what he’d threatened to do to her. The bastard.

Seeing her in that cage, locked in by him, that had flicked a switch in my mind. I wouldn’t rest until I had revenge. He was going to pay the ultimate price.

Alice didn’t wake up until we were home. Home. My home. Our home. It was where she belonged. Where she should stay, forever, where I could keep her safe.

I felt guilty enough for leaving but the bait had been dangled well, what better way to get me out of the house than to shove financial ruin in front of me? It had worked. I was out. She was taken. A clever way of doing it too. Have someone dress up as a police officer.

I’d already checked in with Pippa after rescuing Alice. It wasn’t a proper officer who’d turned up, just someone Jason had presumably hired for the evening.

Poor Alice, thinking it might have been me setting up an elaborate roleplay. As if I would hurt her without her consent. Never.

“Are we here?” she asked as she shuffled upright in her seat. “Are we home?”

“Yes,” I replied, turning off the engine. “We’re home.”

I took her hand once we were out of the car, leading her up the steps and into the house. Only when we were in bed together did she speak again.

“You said he did more than just take me,” she said, her voice quiet as I wrapped around her, warming her with my body heat. “What else did he do?”

“I got a red token in my name.”

“What’s a red token?”

“It’s the ultimate punishment for a club member. It ruins their life.”

“Is your life ruined?"

“Not this time. Not now I have you back. I don't care about anything else.”

“What do we do now?”

“Now, I keep pressing myself against you until you’re warm. Then we sleep. Then I go to work.”

“I was hoping there might be something else in between warm and work.”

“Like what?”

She pushed her hips back against me. “Like you take those boxers off and warm me properly.”

A minute later, we were both naked. I was surprised. “I didn’t think you’d want to,” I said as I stiffened against her, the warmth of her ass making my cock tingle with need.

“Neither did I,” she whispered. “Maybe I just need distracting.”

“That I can do,” I said, reaching around her and playing with her nipples, stroking and tugging at them as she sighed into the pillow.

Her hips were continuing to rock back against me and I manoeuvred myself downwards a little, allowing my cock to slide between her legs. It found her clit and I felt something moving, realising a second later it was her hand. She was stroking herself while playing with my cock, pressing it to her folds, teasing me as much as herself.

I reached down, finding her entrance while kissing her neck at the same time. “I’m glad you’re back,” I whispered. “So I can do this.” Then I thrust into her.

She groaned deeply, pushing herself down onto my shaft until I was buried inside her. “I need this,” she said. “I need you. Fuck me, please.”

I did as she asked, sliding back and forth in place, gradually easing her onto her front and impaling her on my length. My knees were either side of her thighs and looking down, I could see myself gliding in and out, my shaft coated in her wetness.

Her hand was still under her, playing with her clit as I picked up speed, starting to slam back and forth, my breath becoming ragged.

“Fuck me,” she said. “Give it to me. Come in me. I want to feel it inside me.”

Her words faded away as she climaxed out of nowhere. Her whole body went rigid for a second before her legs started to shake. She let out a high pitched cry of delight and the sound tipped me over the edge.

As her pussy contracted around my cock, I came, spurting deep inside her. I fell onto her body, crushing her under me as our breathing slowly returned to normal.

She was asleep almost at once. I climbed out of bed a few minutes later and picked up my phone.

Roy had told me he would be ready to go by the time I got back. I rang him and said, “Do it,” then hung up. Then I waited. Rowena rang me at eleven. Alice was still asleep upstairs. I took the call in the study, watching my computer monitor, seeing the figures as they shifted and changed in front of me.

“Did you do this?” she asked.

“Do what?” I replied, innocence personified.

“Don’t tell me you’re not watching the news.”

“Why, what’s happening?” I loaded up a new Internet window.

“Fry Enterprises has gone under.”

“Has it really, how unexpected.” The business news presenter looked shocked. Failed within hours, out of nowhere. I smiled as I watched.

Rowena continued. “And apparently Powers stock has gone through the roof.”

“Well isn’t that interesting.”

“You did this, didn’t you?”

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Just tell me Alice is all right.”

“She’s fine. Everything is going to be fine.” I felt like laughing, I was so happy.

“Where was she?”

“Tied up.”

“Then I guess I’ll see her at work tonight.”

“I guess you will.”

I hung up, my smile broadening as I rang Roy again. “I owe you one hell of a bonus,” I said. “It bloody worked.”

“Did you have any doubts?”

“But using his own programme against him. I can’t believe it worked.”

“I guess I’m getting paid at the end of the month then.”

“Yes, you are. I can’t thank you enough, Roy. You’ve worked miracles.”

“I have one more miracle for you, just in time for Christmas.”

“What?”

“I have a white token.”