Page 6 of Brutal Savior

I crack two beers, hand one to Seb, and park myself in the least offensive chair. “I’m not worried about the girl. I’m pissed off I’m not out there collecting her myself.”

Seb takes a swig of his own beer, grimaces, but manages not to comment, then sets it down on the table. “Will it do any good to remind you the Gilda have done this a few times before? Or do you just want me to listen while you complain?”

“Listen while I complain. It’s bollocks. I’m more experienced than any of that mob, and she’s my girl. I get where Kendrick’s coming from, but I’m not a normal scientist.”

“No, you’re infinitely more of a badass. The Gilda should fear your very name.”

I sigh, torn between amusement and irritation at Seb’s deadpan sarcasm. He doesn’t know the extent of my experience—it’s not the done thing to talk about your time in the SAS—but Gabriel and Seb both know I was special ops in my younger years. Only Kendrick understands my full history, and even that didn’t convince him to let me run one simple mission.

Just as I raise my beer to my lips, my phone buzzes. I snatch it out and read the message. “Collection successful.”

Fuck me. What a relief. I show Seb the message, and he holds out his bottle for me to cheers. The tight knot in my chest loosens. Suzy is safe and on her way. She’ll be here in an hour.

When Kendrick first approached me about the Brotherhood, I knew there had to be a catch. All the shadowy talk of initiation had me thinking the worst. Human sacrifice. Chopping your dick off. That kind of bollocks. When he revealed the secret, it was almost a relief.

Difficult to manage but not impossible with careful planning. And I get the sort of relationship I’ve always craved but never managed to find in the real world.

Lots of women talk about wanting to submit, but they only mean in the bedroom. I’m not interested in playing games for an evening, then living life as a normal couple. I came across a few women who claimed they wanted me to own them, but when it came down to it, they still wanted independence.

I’d given up on finding what I really wanted when Kendrick made his offer.

It’s morally wrong, but I’ve done a lot in my life that falls in the gray area and a few things that stray closer to black. I’ve chosen a woman who wants the life I’m offering and doesn’t have much to leave behind. A perfect candidate, and I know I’ll make her happy given time.

I’m so lost in my anticipation of what is to come that I don’t realize Seb is talking until he knocks on the table. “Hello? Jacob? You in there?”

“Sorry.” I stand and throw my empty bottle into the rubbish. Then, despite Seb’s protestation, I take a paper towel and wipe up the ring of condensation.

I’m neat to the point that it pisses people off, but I can’t help it. I don’t remember much from when I lived with mum, but the smell and filth stayed with me. It left me unable to bear a dirty plate or a few crumbs from a slice of toast on the kitchen bench.

“She’ll be here in an hour. I need to go. See you in a bit,” I announce, already heading for the door.

Seb’s quip follows me out. “Better go and check everything is ready again. Your apartment might have spontaneously messed itself up in the last fifteen minutes.”

***

Exactly one hour later, I’m standing in front of the main administration building, ready to take delivery of my girl. I managed to bend Kendrick’s ear enough to let me do things abit different to normal. Usually, the girls are drugged, medically checked, and given a tracker, then left to wake up in their Patron’s bedroom.

That’s not what I wanted because of Suzy’s past. She’s a nurse, and I’ve seen her medical records. She doesn’t have anything nasty. And when we place the tracker, I’ll make it into a ritual. Part of her submission.

Given my background, Kendrick trusts me to handle one girl for a few days before we get it placed.

The big man himself has made an appearance, along with Seb and a few other Brothers. You’d think a group of top-level scientists would have better things to do than gossip, but they’re like a bunch of dinner ladies here. Word spreads quicker than fire. Everyone wants to see the spectacle of a new Ward arriving wide awake.

The Gilda car pulls in, and a surge of adrenaline scorches me. “Jittery”, Seb called me. The bastard wasn’t far off, if I’m honest. I’m about to meet the girl I’ll spend the rest of my life with, and the importance of the moment settles over me like a weight. I wish I’d told all the looky-loos to clear off, but it’s too late now.

Kendrick claps me on the shoulder. “Ready?”

I straighten my spine. “Ready.”

He nods and steps back as Colonel Brackis, the head of the Gilda, gets out of the passenger side of the car. A younger soldier I don’t recognize exits the driver’s side. “She’s in back, sir. A real firecracker that one. We had to bind her tight. Good job you’ve got training. You’ll need it.”

A frown creases my brow. A firecracker? That doesn't sound right. But I shrug off the worry. The Gilda are used to bringing in unconscious women. They must be unused to any sort of struggle.

The back windows of the car are blacked out, and the doors only open from the outside. The back of the car is a tiny, dark prison cell. It would have been an uncomfortable trip.

I crack the door a little, letting in a bit of light to allow her eyes to get used to it. I expect her to shout or bang against the door, but she doesn’t. The car is silent. Another prickle of worry scrapes along my nerves. What if she’s injured? If the dickheads didn’t secure her properly and she’s hurt, I’ll…

I pull the door open. Before I can make out what I’m seeing, a head flies toward my face. If I didn’t have the reactions I do, she’d have smashed my fucking nose. I step out of the way just in time and manage to catch the girl before she face-plants the concrete.

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