Rounding the bench, I glanced over to the wall to an old chest where all the items Martin used for play were kept. Moving toward it, I was curious to see what was inside. Lifting the lid of the chest, my eyes got wider as I looked down at the contents. I was familiar with almost everything inside, the items had been used on me by Master Winston.
Shutting the lid, I pulled out the first drawer to find several smalls whips and floggers neatly placed inside on red velvet lining. I was about to close the drawer when something caught my eye. One corner of the lining had come loose and I could tell something was underneath it. Talking hold if it with my fingers, I pulled the piece of cloth back to see that there was a thick piece of paper hidden beneath it. Grasping it between my fingers, I tugged on it gently. Once I had it in my hand, I could tell that it was a photograph. Flipping it over, my heart fell to the pit of my stomach as I stared at the woman in the picture. It was me, or someone that looked a lot like me. Bringing the photo closer to my face so I examined it closely, the resemblance was amazing. The woman could have been my mother or sister. There was one difference: her eyes were blue, whereas mine were brown.
The guilt of being here consumed me and there was nothing more that I wanted than to escape. Closing the drawer, I tucked the picture inside my pocket and hurried up the steps. I was sure that Martin wouldn’t be coming back soon, but finding what I did made me feel uneasy about this place.
As I headed down the path to the main house, I could hear voices in the distance. The last thing I wanted was to get caught this so close the small house. Leaving the path, I ducked between the trees and remained quiet.
“She must be here somewhere.” There was no mistaking that it was Martin’s voice I heard.
Holding my breath, fearing that they would hear me breathe, I stared at the pathway hoping that they would pass quickly so I could make my escape back to the main house. I could only see their feet between the trees, but as soon as they were a safe distance away, I ran as fast as I could towards the house. All I wanted was to get there, and thinking about what I would tell them when they returned would have to wait until I was safely back in my room.
Out of breath, I paused a moment to catch it before I entered through the patio door. I turned to take a quick look behind me to confirm that I was alone and they hadn’t heard me. I opened the door, trying the best I could not to make a sound. Making sure that the coast was clear, I headed up the stairs to my room. It was only when I was inside I finally relaxed. Leaning my body against the door, I took a deep breath and started to think of something that would satisfy where I was. Without warning, there was a knock at the door and my time to come up with an excuse had lapsed. “Lanie, open the door. I know you’re in there”
Martin’s voice was sharp and crystal clear as he continued to twist the knob on the locked door. My body trembled and knew I had no option but to open the door. My hand was shaking as I turned the knob afraid of what my punishment would if they found out the truth. Opening the door, I raised my head and saw two sets of eyes with nothing but concern behind them. “Lanie, thank God, you’re okay. Do you know how worried we were?”
“Worried… why?” I questioned hesitantly, watching Martin and Roman look at each other as if to find an answer.
“What is going on?” I demanded after no answer.
“We were just worried, that’s all.” I could feel the hesitation in Roman’s voice. I knew that it was much more than them being worried about me.
~Eleven~
ROMAN
I wanted to tell Lanie the real reason why we were so concerned about her, but when I looked at Martin, I knew not to say anything. He was right. The less Lanie knew about what was going on the better. We had only just learned that Winston was up to his old tricks, just like he had been in Yreka when he took Lanie from me. Martin and I knew what a snake he could be.
Without hesitation, I walked closer to Lanie and pulled her close to me. I didn’t give a damn about what Martin thought. I knew she was scared and right now she needed to be assured that there was nothing to worry about even if that wasn’t the case. Holding her at arms-length, I bent my knees to her height so she could look directly into my eyes. “Everything is fine, Lanie. Martin and I will never let anything happen to you. You are safe with us.”
Nodding her head, she did the most unexpected thing and wrapped her arms around my head. I knew it was inappropriate, but I couldn’t bring myself to tear her away. The connection we shared was more than just love. There was trust and respect.
“Ahem…” Martin cleared his throat, breaking our connection. It was evident that the attention annoyed him. “I think it is time for dinner. Lanie, why don’t you freshen up?”
Waiting until Lanie closed the door, Martin pulled on my arm, stopping me where I stood, “I think it’s best you keep your feelings for Lanie to yourself. Our purpose is to train her. We need to focus on that only. If you can’t, it may be best for you to step away from her training.”
I became annoyed at his insinuation about our relationship. Even though he was right about becoming emotionally connected to Lanie, nothing would stop me from training her. She needed the one thing that Martin could never give her. Love. I wasn’t sure he could if he tried. “Don’t worry about my feelings for Lanie. They will never interfere with my training.”
As we headed down the stairs, I could feel Martin’s eyes pierce the back of my head. There was only one thing that was keeping our hatred for each other hidden and that was Lanie. Something about him kept her loyal and the only way I would find out what it was, was to remain close to him. Maybe it was time I observed his training techniques to see exactly what they had together.
Entering the living area, I helped myself to a Scotch and took a seat on the couch. Martin must have felt the same tension as he poured himself a drink and sat in the chair across from me. The silence was becoming uncomfortable, but that all changed the minute Lanie stepped in the room. She had changed into an attractive floral dress with thin straps and a neckline low enough to tease me with her beautiful breasts hidden underneath the material.
Standing to my feet, I headed to where she was standing only to interrupted by Martin. “You look lovely, Lanie.” Martin’s couldn’t have been more correct. Lanie was breathtaking.
Watching him lower his lips to hers caused my temperature to rise, but as much as I wanted to pull her away from him, doing so would have been the wrong move. Holding back my anger, I let the PDA play out, keeping Martin unaware of just how much it pissed me off.
Turning from Lanie, he had a grin on his face that only I could see. “I think we all deserve a treat. I think it is only fair we have a little fun, but first, my cook has prepared an excellent meal for us.”
Following Martin out of the living room, I was happy he went ahead of us. This was the only time I would get the chance to get Lanie’s attention without him knowing. Taking a soft grip on her arm. I leaned into her. “We need to talk, Lanie, but not here.”