CHAPTER THREE
Hold Me
Startled, I jolted awake. Instinctively, my hand was reaching for a weapon of some kind, but I stopped as I took in the sight of Sonia standing nearby.
Blinking, I straightened up in the chair. Glancing at a clock I saw that it was nearly 2 AM. Rubbing at my eyes, I then focused them on her.
She was holding the passport I had made for her. She looked troubled and on the verge of tears once again.
Was it the last name?
“Sonia I……” She glanced at me and said with heartfelt emotion, “This is good! Very good! You do good work. I…. I never be able to repay you for this! I love my country, but I want out of Russia and you now make it possible.”
She nodded, as if talking to herself and set the passport book down. She folded her arms around herself and remained standing there solitarily staring at the far wall of the room.
Her body jerked on a sob.
“Sonia?”
She glanced at me as big tears started to fall, whispering she said, “I know I ask for a lot, but could you…” Her lips closed emotionally and then she looked away as if embarrassed to say more.
“Could I what?” I asked gently.
She glanced back to me and on an open sob said, “Hold me?”
My arms opened and she was climbing onto my lap in the next second. Her weight on me and proximity was nice, but her crying was not.
Each bitter pain driven sob hurt my soul to hear. I didn’t know what to say so I didn’t say anything. I just held her and rocked back and forth gently in the chair.
Time went by and her sobs settled down. Her head was pressed against my chest as she huddled in against me as if she was a child and not the full-grown woman that she was.
Her voice thick with emotion she spoke, “Do you think of me as a whore?”
“No, I do not.” I said with conviction.
She sobbed harder then and pressed her face in against me, even as her hand glancingly touched at my throat before darting away.
Whispering, she spoke, “I fight so hard still I go nowhere, just used. I die, if not for my God. He tell me to hold on. I did so just for Him. I not really know why. I just remember as girl that He is real and I believed, and in my worst moment He sent me a good man.”
Still holding her I looked away to the far side of the room. It was hard to speak, but needful just the same, so I said, “Sonia, I’m not a good man.”
“Say what you like, I know different story.”
I wanted to convince her of the truth, but at the same time I wanted to believe she could be right. Her head lifted away and with those gorgeous eyes she inspected me as if aware of my internal struggle.
She asked me then something that actually angered me, “You hurt little kids? Boys? Girls?”
“No!!!” I exclaimed.
“You rape woman or man?”
I about dumped her out of my lap onto the floor. Tight-lipped I said, “I don’t do men and I’ve taken no woman against her will.”
Gazing deeply into my eyes, she took one finger and pressed it against my chest over my heart and said, “See, you prove point. You good man.”
I started to speak, but her hand covered my mouth. “Passport says I am your wife. True?”
Her hand moved away.
Unsure of myself, I said, “Just to get out of Russia. After we’re free and clear, I’ll give you different papers. Set you up with a place, a job, and some money.”
Gazing deeply into my eyes, she said, shaking her head, “What if I don’t want? What if I want to stay…… with you?”
Gathering in a shaky breath I said, “At some point you likely will die if you stay with me. I do not live an easy life. I….”
She cut me off with a shrug and a smile, “So. Who wants easy life?”
“Most people actually.”
“I not most people.”
“No, you definitely are not.” I confirmed.
“So, if I choose to stay…… I be your wife?”
“Yes.”
“You want me as wife?”
“Yes.”
“I yours. I serve you. I take care of you. I do whatever you want. One request though. Please…” Her emotions had risen again.
Feeling sharply driven by emotion myself, I asked, “Pease what?”
“Please do not ever sell me. I not bare that again!”
Oh God, what had this girl been through? Emotionally angry at the reality of this girl’s past, I said, “I would never do that!”
She smiled and pushing her hand over the top of her own heart, she said, “I know. It makes me happy.”
I stared at her at a complete loss as to what to do. The woman completely undid every layer of protection I had erected to shield my inner core.
I looked away only to look back as her fingers stroked across my cheek. She was going to kiss me.
I put my hand between us and said, “No, you need to think this through. You’re emotional and you’re still dealing with the aftereffects of a traumatic situation. You need rest.”
I stood up and carried her into the bedroom and all the while she did nothing but smile at me. I laid her down on the bed and stepped away.
Still smiling, she said, “Good night Rorian. Thank you for holding me.”
I nodded and backed away, all the while knowing that if I wanted to I could stay and pull the fluffy white robe open and satiate myself with the body I had already mostly seen, but now was ever so much more desirable as I took into account the thriving intellect and sweet persona this woman was made of on the inside.
I closed the door of the bedroom and leaned back against it. Why was I resisting?
God had already told me she would bear my child. With surety I knew that would happen.
So why not go back in and take her?
I rubbed a hand across my face and mopped the sweat away. Because it wouldn’t be right. Not tonight.
She needed time. She may not think so, but she did and I would give her that time.
I would give her time to be free. How many days that would be I did not hazard to guess. I hoped it wasn’t many and yet I hoped my resolve lasted for more than just one.
I looked upward, “Am I doing the right thing?”
No answer. The only answer from that I could discern was apparently I wasn’t doing the wrong thing at least. If I was I had no doubt that God would have set me straight.
The girl had faith and a soul still tender enough to love. God surely loved her more than me.
Within my soul, then I felt my Creator say, “I love you the same.”
*******
The Next Day
Tanya had outdone herself. I had picked up the clothes at a secure drop point early this morning, swept them for the digital version of bugs and made it back to the hotel unfollowed all before Sonia had woken up. Now she was wearing just one of several outfits.
She looked back and forth from herself to her image in the bathroom mirror. Glancing at me for like the 20th time she asked, “You like?”
What was there not to like about this woman?
“Very nice. Tanya is getting extra. Ready to go?”
“Yes.”
We left and I carried both suitcases even though Sonia tried to fight me for the one that was hers.
“Nope, allow me to be a gentleman and carried the lady’s bag.”
She stopped fighting me after that and quite docilely followed along happy as could be it seemed with the world. I wouldn’t be happy until I had her outside of Russia and had my shaft buried to the hilt in her warm silken depths.
I had not slept the rest of the night at all. At one point I had almost gone to her, but my resolve had held.
Right now it was a near thing. The clothes were nice and she made them beautiful, but all I wanted was for her to be without anything on.
Seemingly overnight after being in her proximity for but not even a full day yet she had turned me into a caveman. Odd as it sounded I very much wanted to put my child within her.
It was a complete reversal for a man who’d never wanted to have kids before. In truth, I’d always wanted them, but I could never face the fear of how I might endanger them.
What had changed? Nothing really, except God had said that was going to be the way of it and I believed Him now more so than ever.
*******
Stepping aboard the private jet I set the suitcases down. Nervously Sonia eased by me and stood in a spot that I knew she considered to be out of the way, but she actually had just gotten in the way.
I went to brush by her. Her hand touched my arm and I stopped.
Hesitantly, she said, “This rich man’s plane. I…… is yours?”
“Well, I’m not poor, but no the plane is not mine. I decided last night on a different tactic. Instead of risking a border crossing and so on I called in a favor a man owed me in order to bypass all the dangers and get you out of Russia safely and quickly. Admittedly the man’s character is in question and I wouldn’t at all put it past him to be the kind of man to frequent such a place as you were kept in, but when it comes to his word I’ve found him to be trustworthy.”
“And if he’s not?” She queried.
“Then I’ll kill him and once more he knows that.”
I eased on by her and went forward to speak with the captain. Before long the plane was taxiing towards the runway.
I went back to the cabin musing on the fact of how one never quite knew what one would do. Never would I have dreamed of myself cashing in a favor owed to me by a Russian crime syndicate boss.
The man was wicked no doubt about it, but for all that he did have something of a code of honor and once upon a time I had done something for him that he’d taken very personally. Last night when I had called him and bluntly told him the situation and what I wanted he had just laughed and laughed.
“That was you! Oh my dear Rorian what I wouldn’t give to have you on my payroll! Consider it done. My plane will be ready and it will take you wherever you wish.”
“I appreciate this Dmitri.”
“It is nothing! It pleases me to know that it is to be a Russian flower to grace your heart. She’ll be good for you. Better than some American woman. They know nothing of men like you and me. Yes, do not worry, I will handle everything.”
“One more thing Dmitri. I don’t want some kind of vendetta following after Sonia for the rest of her life. If there’s a price to be paid for the lost henchmen along with a grievance of some kind I’ll pay it in order for her to be free of the past. If you could see to arranging that I would appreciate it as a personal favor that I would owe you in return.”
“Nonsense! I will deal with it Rorian. Consider it a wedding gift. Sonia is yours and there will be no doubt about it and anyone who says otherwise will answer to me.”
“I appreciate that Dmitri. I still owe you one though.”
“No, my mysterious American friend, we are even. Allow me to be generous this time. Tomorrow we may be looking each other over a gun barrel.”
“So long Dmitri.” And that had been that.
Sonia was free and clear and soon we would be in Spain. It wouldn’t be soon enough though.
Sonia was reading something printed on a fine letterhead. I recognized Dmitri’s handwriting.
Uh oh.
I waited for disaster to unfold.
She glanced up from where she was sitting in an expensive leather seat and asked, “Just who are you?”
“Something of a man of mystery. Why, what did Dmitri say about me?”
Silently she handed me the envelope. There was something besides just the letter in the envelope.
It was a bill of sale written three years ago for one Sonia Tarenkov aged 17 years old. The seller was listed as Kanislav Tarenkov.
I glanced at Sonia.
“My uncle.” She whispered, as she went and read my mind again.
Taking out the letter I silently read Dmitri’s note, “Dear Sonia, fate has picked you a wild one. Russia is full of many sad stories and yours is just one of many. I hope those hard days are over for you. While life will never be safe with a man such as yours, I know you will be happy just the same and that is good. You are free to come and go as you wish in Russia, but honeymoons are best taken somewhere warm. Sincerely, Dmitri Pavalov.”
The sly old dog, maybe I had underestimated him. Maybe not.
One thing was for sure the man loved his granddaughter. Bullets had been flying and I had purposely stepped into the path of one shot off by one of his own henchmen that would’ve killed his granddaughter caught in a crossfire and strange dude that Dmitri was he had called the fighting off on the spot.
He’d walked up and shot his own man responsible for the ill aimed bullet in the head. Then he had called an ambulance for me and walked away from $100 million in drug money that I had been in the process of liberating for a more noble cause.
Russia, love or hate the place it certainly had an intrigue to it, but not half as much as some of the people in it. I handed the note back to Sonia, but I kept the bill of sale, which I then tore up before her eyes only to let the pieces fall to the floor.
Tears streaked out of her eyes and I asked, “What’s wrong?”
Giving me a watery smile she said, “Nothing. I’m just so happy. God, He is good.”
Looking at her I simply didn’t trust myself to speak. She was so sweet.
She had no right to be after what she’d gone through for three years and who knew what before that. Before I could turn to go she slipped off her chair onto her knees before me and started to undo my pants.
“What are you doing?” I asked startled.
She glanced up with passion turning her amber eyes aglow, “You have a need. I am your wife.”
That was really all that needed to be said. I’d already been erect, but now things got a lot harder.
Fittingly though, just in time to spoil the moment I heard the captain cough somewhere behind me, “Uh Rorian, we’re ready for takeoff.”
Before I could say anything Sonia glanced around the side of my leg and said, “Thank you. Rorian is busy. I will relay the message. Please be free to take off though.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The door closed behind me. When Dmitri heard about this he was going to die of laughter.
“So what?”
I glanced down into the most beautiful pair of eyes God had ever created and asked distractedly, “What?” Even as I felt the cool grasp of her hand settle in around the base of my shaft.
“So what if they think whatever they do. Don’t let it bother you.”
“You don’t understand how something like this will travel.”
She smiled and I felt myself get harder. She whispered, even as she nuzzled her smooth cheek into the wet head of my shaft, “Who knows, maybe they envy you.”
Before I could think of a comeback to that her lips parted and she was kissing the most masculine part of me like she loved it and the strangest thing of all was that I believed that she did. I was a good read of people and you couldn’t fake the emotion with which she was openly expressing.
Her mouth beckoned and then slid over me. I groaned at the warm wet feel of her mouth loving the way her teeth gently scraped back and forth on my shaft.
My hands clenched into fists at my sides only to release as I felt her hands grasp them. Opening my eyes, I looked down as she brought my knuckles up to rub against her cheeks before she framed my fingers around the back of her head.
Her eyes were on mine and they spelled out an open invitation to me. She wanted me to take her mouth, however hard I wanted to.
I didn’t want to hurt her. Slowly she shook her head as if in admonishment of me and then blinking those amazing eyes of hers at me once more it was as if she compelled me to do what I wanted to do.
Closing my eyes, I gripped her head and shoved the length of my shaft through her open lips and into the tightness of her throat beyond. I did so again and again until I exploded with an orgasm such as I’d never had in my life.
I actually felt unsteady on my feet for a moment, but her hands were there on the back of my thighs as a steadying force. My eyes opened only to see her rising up off the floor.
Her face near to mine and with her eyes more radiant than ever she whispered, “You are a beautiful stud, my husband. I want you. Do you want me?”
“You have to ask?”
She laughed softly, but then grew serious faced, “No, it’s just that I worry that….that you not be happy with me, because of…… the so many…… that have had me.”
She was crying again and looking at me with her heart in her eyes, she whispered, “I wish you had been first and last.”
Framing my hands around her face I said, “I’m grateful for now and Sonia…… I’m the last man who will ever have you. Got that?”
“Yes, my husband.” And then her lips were on mine and I tasted the very essence of how grateful she was to be right here in my arms.
Never would I have expected this kind of emotion to be directed toward someone like me, but she was so different. She was absolutely perfect and I told her so with my kiss that I pressed back onto her lips.
The plane started moving faster and gracefully I maneuvered us down to the floor. She laughed and good-naturedly I said, “Shut up.” Before continuing to kiss her with a force more passionate than I had ever had with any woman, because in a way it seemed this woman already knew me better than anyone ever had before and the miracle of it all was that she seemed to like me even still.