Dark Desires: Deliverance by Kourtney King

think of anything he had said that
would be considered out of line. "Just general pleasantries," he
replied after a moment of thought.
    "Why is
that?"
    He was getting
nervous. The beads of sweat gathered on his brow and his heart rate picked up.
"Sir?" he asked, reverting back to his army ways of addressing his
superiors.
    "Why is it that
you exchange general pleasantries? What is it that you normally say to each
other?" Keyaan's voice was deceptively calm.
    Mohammed couldn't
decide whether this inquisition was routine or whether it would determine the
sentence for whatever crime it was that he had committed. He went with his
instinct and reported the events of the day impassively. "S-she learned my
name after Gabriella brought her dinner last night. Starting this morning, she
has addressed me by my name. She greets me when I enter her room, and thanks me
for the meals I bring in and the dishes I clear out once she is done. This
evening she wanted me to join her for dinner, but I declined. I told her that
my post was at her door. Before today, she was a quiet and reserved
woman." He had given a brief summary, similar to those of army reports.
    "Very
well." Keyaan had
watched their small talks with the sound clip on after sending for Mohammed.
This little exercise was to gauge whether his guard would tell him the truth
and to what extent. He was glad he'd passed the covert test. "Just don't
let her get out of hand."
    "Understood." He gave a respectful bow, the same bow he had given Valerie. Keyaan realised that the gesture was a part of Mohammed's
impeccable training rather than a suspicious signal that passed between the
two.
    "Goodnight."
The man was dismissed when Keyaan turned his
attention back to the laptop on his desk. "This evening she wanted me
to join her for dinner" … his mind began to churn on an idea. He had
been trying to formulate a way to gain Valerie's trust after Gabriella had sown
her seeds of discourse. The more he stared at the screen, the clearer his path
became. He shut down his laptop and got up to retire for the night.
     
    Val was in bed. Other
than the couch, using the bathroom or pacing the floors, there was no other
place she could be. She had started sleeping in the nude so that she could hand
wash her clothing to dry overnight. She thought again of the object of her
affection and simultaneous loathing – Vlad. Was he also thinking of her? Did he
miss her as much as she did him? She shut her eyes to her surroundings and felt
his phantom lips trailing a path down her body. God, she missed him – all of
him. No matter how furious she was with the predicament he had gotten her into,
she could never hate that magnificent, hard and erotic part of him.
    She heard the door
unlock and swing open. This was strange, definitely not part of the routine she
was indoctrinated into. She kept still and feigned sleep, remaining alert to
what was happening around her. The muffled footsteps on the Persian carpet made
their way towards her. They stopped right in front of her but she refused to
open her eyes. Please go away, please go away, please go away , she chanted in a prayer-like fashion. After a few excruciating
minutes of trying to keep her breathing steady, and inhibiting any eye movement
from behind her closed lids, the intruder retreated away from the bed and
walked back out. She took a deep breath to calm her rapidly beating heart and
finally opened her eyes. Her senses were on high alert. The only remnant of the
stranger that had come in was the distinct smell of sandalwood and vanilla that
permeated the air.
    *****
    Andrei heard the bell
ring while making his way back to the guest-house-turned-operation-centre. He
had just retrieved another bottle from the basement wine cellar. He was by no
means an alcoholic but Vlad was driving him to drink more than usual. Looking
through the monitor of the newly installed camera, he saw three young women
waiting outside. Maybe his brothers had decided they were