Page 15 of Vienna Bargain

“Your decision?”

“Oh yes. Your ‘bargain’. I can choose between an uncertain fate at the hands of the Serbian police, or three weeks of rape and torture with you.”

Alexander fell back a step, her words hitting him like a physical blow. “I would not… I would not…”

“Which one will you not do?” She cocked her head as if merely puzzled. “No rape or no torture?”

“I would never rape a woman.”

“Ah, so it’s to be torture then.”

Stop. Think. Then talk. “You enjoyed my torture the past three nights. Or was that an act?”

She sighed and seemed to sink into the chair. “I told you the truth before, when I said what happened between us when we were playing was real.”

He wanted to believe her, which was exactly why he shouldn’t. “How did you become a member?”

“Of the Orchid Club? I didn’t lie about my personal experience, if that’s what you’re asking. I was active in the lifestyle for several years, until I discovered other outlets for my needs.”

“Such as being a spy?”

Alena pursed her lips. “You know, I always thought I’d make a good spy, but most of the time I have trouble following orders.”

“You followed my orders.” He hadn’t meant to say that, the words slipping out before he thought better of it.

Alena looked away from him, towards the windows that overlooked the park. There was traffic on the streets and people walking along the sidewalks bordering the green space. Wien was waking up.

“The window is reinforced. You can’t break it.”

“I wasn’t planning to attempt it. I do hope to get out of this situation alive.” She looked back at him, her eyes large, lips almost trembling. “And because of that, I accept your bargain. Three weeks as your slave rather than Serbian prison.”

Alexander sat on the end of the table and put a finger under her chin, tipping it up. “You think a sad look will fool me?” He leaned in close. “I may not know exactly who you are, but I know how to hurt you, and how to please you. Once you’re on your knees for me, you’ll tell me everything I want to know.”

Alena jerked her chin to the side, breaking the contact. “That’s your plan? Top me, fuck me, until I tell you everything?”

“It is. Do you think it won’t work?”

“I think that coercion invalidates the trust necessary for BDSM,” she snapped.

“Communication is also necessary, but you lied to me while you submitted.”

She closed her eyes. “After that first night, after I knew—”

“Knew that you wanted to fuck me? Or was that part of your act?”

“Knew that we had chemistry and—”

“You limited how I touched you, then pretended to change your mind. Fabricated the feeling that there was something special between us.” His anger rolled through him, bitterly cold. “It worked. I trusted you. I worried I was pushing you too hard, too fast. All the while I was the one being manipulated.”

Alena wouldn’t look at him.

He grabbed her hair, forced her to face him, forced her head back as he straightened. Her big brown eyes, ringed in gold, looked up at him, and for a moment he was able to forget about everything that had just happened. For a moment he could pretend she was his sweet, willing submissive.

“I wonder if you’ll enjoy submission when I’m not a puppet dancing on your strings.”

He released her hair and stepped back.

Alena didn’t say anything, merely watched as he scooped her passport off the table and tucked it into his pocket. Without it, her options for escape were very limited.

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