Page 8 of Soul Of A Villain

“He broke the rules,” was his gruff response. His large hand splayed across the bare skin of her stomach, his fingers gently stroking her and familiarizing himself with her curves. Inexplicably, he abruptly stripped off his elegant formal jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

She didn’t want to, but Londyn huddled into its warmth. “You cheated, too,” she mumbled, the adrenaline of the chase and the innate desire for survival quickly wearing off. Suddenly, she was so very tired. Exhausted, cold, hungry, and thirsty.

“There are no rules against my actions, but he would have raped you before being declared the winner.” The injured man chose that moment to groan, and Londyn’s captor shifted to him. His amused laughter tickled her ear as he tugged her even closer. “Can’t say I’m terribly sorry about this turn of events, Barlow,” he said to the man who was now pushing himself up to a sitting position. “Better luck next time.”

“Fuck you, Oliver,” Barlow muttered, glaring up at them. Noting the jacket slung over Londyn’s shoulders, he smirked. “I should have known you were stalking us both.”

“Now, now. Don’t be such a sore loser. It’s poor sportsmanship.” The man gripped Londyn’s wrists, turning her away from Barlow’s stare and pushing her toward the narrow trail. “I hope you won’t forget I showed you mercy,” he called over his shoulder, his voice chipper as though he’d just won a game of bingo rather than ownership of an unwilling woman. “I just as easily could have bashed your head in, and no one would have blamed me.”

ChapterFive

Oliver

“Willyou be staying with us for the remainder of your reservation, Mister Winter? Or have your plans changed?” the front desk concierge inquired.

Oliver rubbed a thumb over his bottom lip. Every fiber of his soul screamed that he should get the hell out of Diamond Lake Ranch sooner rather than later. But the impossibility of finding suitable lodgings at this hour could not be ignored. Besides, he couldn’t check into a new hotel with the bruised, naked girl he’d just chased through the forest. No, leaving the ranch would wait at least until morning.

“Staying, Mister Phillips. Although I’ll need a change in accommodations due to current developments. One of the outer cabins equipped with a cage will do nicely. I would greatly appreciate your handling the necessary arrangements.”

“Of course, sir. It will be taken care of immediately.” The concierge snapped his fingers to gain the attention of a porter. He spoke quietly to the man and handed him a master key to Oliver’s rooms.

“I do not blame you for being in a hurry, Mister Winter,” Erik said with a smile of approval. “Knowing how rough you play; I hope she lasts through the remainder of the night. For the sake of your bank account, anyway.”

“Thank you, Erik.” A familiar tingle of warning nagged Oliver as he accepted a congratulatory cigar from the Russian. Something felt off about this entire situation, but damn if he could ferret out the precise cause for concern.

Sure, he’d backed out of a lucrative deal of selling them the woman his brother loved, but the organization offered multiple assurances that his standing had not suffered. Besides, in addition to the exorbitant sum he coughed up for acquiring a new prize, he’d been assessed a sizable fine for reneging on that contract. Money had a way of smoothing out problems. The Russians would overlook many things if paid enough. That was a universal truth in many aspects of this life he led.

“Enjoy, my friend. You will let us know if you need anything, yes?” Erik asked, his gaze shrewd.

“As long as Barlow doesn’t want payback for those knots on his head, we should be good.”

Erik waved a hand in dismissal. “Ruel gave him thechoice of girls in the play dungeon. He’ll be kept busy and will forget about the hunt.”

Oliver nodded before heading to the expansive bar area mere steps away from the ranch’s lobby. While waiting for his cabin to be prepared and his new possession cleaned up, he might as well have a drink and contemplate everything he planned on doing with her.

The cabins of Diamond Lake Ranch were hardly cabins in the traditional sense. The buildings along the outskirts of the main lodge were luxury chalets. They came complete with a lower-level room set up for all manners of erotic play and heated plunge pools overlooking the huge lake. They had an isolated feel, surrounded by mature aspen trees with leaves that shimmered and sang in the spring and summer months. They were very popular with guests requiring more privacy and no prying eyes.

Oliver had never stayed in one before this visit. He preferred the convenience of staying in the main building and having the amenities close at hand. Staying in a cabin meant one either undertook a short walk to the main lodge or used the ranch jeep assigned to that cabin.

Having settled in almost an hour ago, Oliver now waited impatiently for the delivery of Item Number Fifteen.

Although he’d been given a dossier file containing all pertinent information related to his new toy, Oliver did not open it. He preferred to unpeel her layer by layer. Piece by ragged piece. He truly was curious to see what she would reveal on her own. Would she share her secrets willingly in exchange for promises of mercy? Or would she stubbornly keep it all hidden while waiting for death at his hands?

Taking a drink of his favorite scotch thoughtfully stocked in the well-appointed bar, Oliver drifted around the luxurious cabin. At one point, he paused in the living room area and admired the beauty of the lake below the wall of windows. The moon illuminated the water while creating dark shadows in the trees still holding onto the late summer leaves.

Oliver continued his exploration while lingering in the doorway of the cabin’s sole bedroom. A circular iron cage occupied one corner, standing about seven feet high and six feet wide. The cage door had a number keypad and a padlock to secure whatever real-life treasure was placed within its confines. An elaborate but sturdy birdcage that he intended to make full use of.

Oliver’s cock hardened at the images his mind conjured. Item Number Fifteen. His little killer. Naked and shivering. Locked in this beautiful cage. Unable to escape while he made use of her lithe, warm body.

A knock on the front door alerted Oliver, and a quick check of the security camera confirmed it. The girl hung limp between the same two burly guards. Her head was lowered to her chest, and despite the chill in the air, she was scantily clad in the same bandeau bra and thong she’d worn at the auction. She was also sporting handcuffs, although this time, her arms were not pulled behind her back like before. Oliver’s annoyance at the lack of care demonstrated for his property revealed itself in a heavy scowl as he flung open the cabin’s front door.

“Where do you want her?” The guard speaking was the same who’d kicked the girl at the start of the hunt. A fresh scratch marred his cheek, and frustration radiated off him. In his hand, he carried an overnight bag. Oliver realized it must belong to the girl. It was probably filled with personal items from home. Her own clothes. Toiletries.

“Bedroom.” Oliver stepped aside so the men could enter. They practically carried their charge through the foyer, and Oliver’s anger simmered when he saw the girl trembling from exposure to the cool air. Whose decision was it to deliver her in such a state? It was unacceptable.

“Not wasting any time, is he?” one guard muttered as they half-marched half-carried the girl down the wide corridor. Oliver watched with narrowed eyes from the doorway as she was unceremoniously tossed onto the bed.

Instead of remaining there, however, she rolled to the side of the mattress, her movements lethargic. New bruises adorned her upper arms, and although she’d been washed clean of the grit and scrapes associated with her desperate foray in the woods, her cheeks were wet with tears. The leather collar was still around her neck, but there was no longer a leash attached to its center ring.

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