Wallace vehemently disagreed. “You found my donor on the other side of the world when I’d all but given up, and Brie cared for me in the hospital—even making sure I had chocolate.” He met Thane’s gaze, adding, “I remember when you told me ‘There are families formed by blood, and others by character.’ Well, you guys, and that crazy Russian, are now part of my family.”
Brie lowered her head and let out a quiet sob.
Thane felt a punch to his chest as he relived that moment when Durov’s unconscious body was dragged out of his hospital room by Koslovs’ men. “We are both…still in shock.”
“Is there anything I can do to h—”
A familiar voice came bursting through the door, stating emphatically, “Of course he wants to see me. And even if he didn’t, nothing would stop me.”
The nurse following behind, apologizing to Thane. “He wouldn’t take no for an answer!”
Anderson ignored everyone else in the room, breaking into a wide smile when he saw Thane. “It’s a damn good sight to see those eyes open, buddy.”
“Master Anderson,” Brie cried, melting into his embrace as she laid her head against his broad chest. Anderson wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug as he lifted Brie off the floor, and carried her back over to Thane.
He looked at Thane, shaking his head, as he set Brie down and grabbed him in a muscular embrace.
Thane closed his eyes, soaking in Anderson’s strength—needing the power of his friendship to navigate what lay ahead.
When Anderson let go, he wiped his eye and pointed a finger at Thane. “Damn it, man. You gave us all quite the scare. Don’t be pulling that shit again, buddy.” Anderson looked over at Brie and added, “Neither she nor I can handle it.”
Thane stared intently at Anderson’s legs with a raise eyebrow, having heard about the car accident. “No…more…crashes.”
Anderson chuckled. “That’s a deal. No more crashes for either of us.” He made a wide sweeping motion with both his hands. “Ever.”
Brie let out a sad laugh. “I’ve had enough scares to last me two lifetimes.”
Anderson put an arm around her and winked. “Didn’t l tell you he would be okay, darlin’?”
“You did.” Brie looked at both Thane and Wallace, and said, “He never gave up believing Sir would recover, and he was unwavering in his belief in his innocence, no matter how calculated Lilly’s accusations became.”
Brie turned her attention back on Anderson. “You helped me hold onto the truth.”
Thane stared at his old college friend, unable to express the gratitude he felt. He’d heard from Brie how unfailingly loyal Anderson had been, not only to him, but to Brie herself. Even though Thane’s speech was limited, he yearned to express how grateful he was for their friendship, and summed it up in one simple word.
“Buddy.”
Anderson shook his finger at him again, tears in his eyes as he grinned. “You got that right, bud.”
It wasn’t until then that Anderson addressed Wallace, his tone hostile. “Explain to me exactly why you are here.”
Thane attempted to explain. “He’s helpin—” Unfortunately, the effort caused him to break into a violent fit of coughing.
Brie immediately grabbed a cup of water from the tray and tipped it up, helping him to drink. She turned to the other men and insisted, “We have to keep our questions to a simple yes or no.”
Anderson nodded, looking concerned as the nurse rushed in to check on Thane.
After she left, Wallace asked, “Do you know where they took Durov?”
Thane shook his head, upset he had no answer. Durov had once shared that the Koslovs were famous for making people disappear.
“Is there someone you need us to contact?” Anderson asked.
He nodded, his heart racing, knowing that time was ticking away.
While they continued to ask yes and no questions, it quickly became apparent to Thane that Anderson had been left out of most of what was going on.
The man was none too pleased about it and took it out on Wallace.
“Look, Anderson, I wasn’t Durov’s first choice, by any means,” Wallace replied in a defensive tone.
Anderson shook his head, growling. “I don’t get it. I would do anything for you both. Why was I kept out of the loop?” He closed his eyes for a moment and then sighed in frustration, muttering, “That sadistic bastard…”
While Thane could not explain what was going on between Durov and Anderson, he didn’t have time to concern himself with it. Top of his list was reaching the Koslovs with an offer they could not refuse.
“Call Titov,” Thane commanded, his throat painfully hoarse after coughing so hard.
Wallace dialed the number, but shook his head afterward. “His number is no longer working.”
Thane frowned, the feeling of desperation eating at him.
“Why is the phone disconnected. What does it mean?” Anderson asked Wallace.
“They are all…in danger,” Thane answered.
“All of them?” Brie cried out.
Thane could not spare her from the truth. “Koslovs are ruthless.”
He heard the worry in Brie’s voice when she asked Wallace, “Do you have any other way to reach him—anybody?”
He shook his head sadly. “No. As far as I am aware, there was no backup plan.”
“Damn…” Anderson muttered. “But they all can’t have vanished into thin air.”
“They must to survive,” Thane informed him.
Brie looked at Thane in desperation. “What do we do now?”
Thane struggled to sit upright, determined to help his brother, but his body was too weak. His attempt only caused another bout of coughing, leaving him weak and out of breath. “I have to get out of this damn bed.” He tried again, but only succeeded in starting another round of coughing.
The nurse ran in, concerned.
“Sir’s pushing himself too hard,” Brie explained.
“I have to get out of bed,” he stated, looking to the nurse for help.
“I’m sorry, but that’s going to take some time,” she answered. “You need to rest.”
“I don’t have time!”
Thane glanced at Wallace and Anderson, the fear and desperation he felt impossible to hide. “He cannot die.”
Thane made the call to Timur after he’d had time to collect himself. In his condition, even a short call would take great effort, but he steeled his mind for the task, determined to bring Durov home.
Timur’s number was the only one he had of the brothers, kept under the name “Tammy”, in case Durov ever got hold of Thane’s phone. He knew of the bad blood between them, but being a prudent man, Thane had kept the contact number in case of an emergency. He never thought he would ever have to use it.
Speaking in Russian, Thane explained to Timur who he was and why he was calling. He was surprised by the cold reception he received.
“I have no interest in helping Anton.”
Thane was shocked. When he tried to explain the dire situation, the man refused to listen.
“Can I have the numbers of your siblings?”
“Nyet. They feel the same as I.”
“This is a life or death matter,” Thane insisted.
“Fine, you may have Vlad’s, but he disowned Anton long ago. He will not help, I guarantee it.”
Before Thane let him go he felt the urge to ask, “Have you never questioned it?”
“What?”
“Whether Anton deserves your wrath?”
“Do not speak to me again,” Timur stated, hanging up the phone.
Thane didn’t skip a beat, calling Vlad next. He met with the same resistance, although Vlad was more vocal about his hatred of Durov. Unlike Timur, he freely gave out his brother’s numbers. “It won’t make a difference what you do. They already offered a ransom and I turned it down.”
Thane stared at his phone in shock as he set it down. Vlad, oldest of the Durov brothers, had t
urned down the only chance of getting Anton, his own blood and kin, out alive.
How was that possible?
Thane glanced at Brie, who obviously knew something was wrong, but was too afraid to ask him about it.
For the first time, Thane began to doubt he could save his brother. He lay there with the knowledge that his friend was headed to certain death and there was nothing he could do about it.
Thane picked up his phone again and called Wallace. He’d mentioned speaking to Durov the day before. It was possible he might have information Thane could use.
“Can you come back? We need to talk.”
Stolen Moment
Knowing him well, Brie had found a way to empower them both during this uncertain and difficult time.
Returning to his room after speaking with the nurses, Brie took his hand and explained with a coy smile, “I just had a conversation with Miss Abby, and she agrees. It’s important that I love you.”
“Meaning?”
“Well…” She playfully ran her fingers against the rail of the bed. “I had to promise not to barricade the door, but she gave her solemn promise that we will not be disturbed for the next hour.”
“An entire hour?”
“Yes,” she whispered seductively. “And I was thinking about how much I miss those long sessions of pleasing your cock with my mouth.”
The instant those words escaped her luscious lips, Thane felt the familiar ache of desire.
Brie’s eyes drifted down as she licked her lips suggestively. “What would you think of schooling me for the next sixty minutes, Master?”
“I think you should lower this railing and strip for me, babygirl.”
The excitement in her eyes as she slowly lowered the rail and backed away from him stirred the Dominant in him. It had been far too long since they had been together intimately.
The way she swayed her hips back and forth as she began to unbutton her blouse reminded him of the first time she’d stripped for him at the Training Center after a formal lesson by Mr. Gallant.
At that time, he’d been impressed by her enthusiasm and desire to please, but it was that smile, her fine ass, and the undeniable chemistry between them, that had truly captivated his heart. At the time, he had tried to hide his growing attraction from her and his colleagues.
Although he’d been successful for the most part at keeping his emotions toward Brie a secret, Gray had seen through his carefully crafted façade, calling him on it right from the very beginning.
“Sir Davis, may I have a word with you?”
Thane knew from the tone in the trainer’s voice that Marquis was not asking, but insisting.
“Certainly. Let me finish up my paperwork and we can talk on the way out.”
“Very well,” Gray replied, his tone carrying a harsh note behind it.
Gray had wanted to dismiss Brie’s application after seeing her entrance video because she’d moaned the name “Sir” several times throughout it. Gray claimed there was a relationship already established between them, which was strictly against the Center’s policy.
Thane had been thoroughly insulted by Gray’s accusation, and stood behind his assertion that she was a stranger to him.
Master Coen had taken Gray’s side and agreed her application should be excluded based on her obvious attraction to the Headmaster. Thankfully, Samantha had prevailed, championing Brie’s inclusion into the program by stating that the girl’s natural curiosity and submissive nature made her an excellent candidate. She stood firmly behind Thane’s recommendation, convincing the rest of the training staff that Brie would not only benefit greatly from their program, but that she should be granted an exclusive scholarship.
Due to Samantha’s skilled arguments, she was finally able to sway the vote and Brie was officially admitted into the program against Gray’s better judgement.
It was a victory, but based on Gray’s tone just now, Thane knew he was in for a long battle ahead.
With an exasperated sigh, Thane got up from his desk and walked out of the office, locking the door behind him. As expected, Gray was waiting impatiently in the lobby.
“Let me get straight to the point.”
“Let’s,” Thane agreed without hesitation.
“It’s obvious that Miss Bennett has feelings for you, so please explain to me why you escorted her to your office while class was still in session tonight?”
Thane raised an eyebrow, resenting the insinuation that he had acted unprofessionally. However, he had to hold back his indignation, because Gray was correct on one point. Although Thane had acted professionally, he did plan to take the young woman’s anal virginity tomorrow during class, and had told the girl as much.
Thane couldn’t deny that he was attracted to Miss Bennett and that shapely ass of hers. He’d envisioned taking it ever since their chance meeting at the tobacco shop, and he’d be damned if he would let Gray interfere now.
He knew with certainty that, once that carnal desire to claim her virginity was satisfied, he would easily fall back into his role as her impersonal trainer. It was simply a matter of lust, a desire that needed quick release. The sooner he satisfied that desire, the sooner he could move beyond it.
Besides, Thane reasoned to himself, the girl deserved her first experience to be in the hands of an expert. It was only appropriate, being Headmaster of the school, that he be the one to handle the responsibility. He had no doubt that he could get the other trainers on the panel to agree.
In response to Gray’s accusation, he explained, “I’m sure you noticed that Miss Bennett was distracted near the end of class. If I had not taken her out and spoken with her privately to assess her thoughts, it would have been irresponsible on my part as her trainer and as Headmaster of the school.”
Gray understood Thane held the power because of his position and countered with, “May I suggest, then, that you allow others on the panel to handle dealings with the young woman?”
Thane stopped walking and turned to face Gray. “I am quite capable of keeping a professional distance with my students. Have I not proven that time and time again these last five years?”
“Yes…” Gray agreed, inclining his head toward Thane. “Until now.”
“Why do you insist on looking for trouble where there is none to be had? I find it extremely insulting.”
“So you have said, repeatedly. However, I feel thou dost protest too much.”
“Just say what you mean,” Thane growled irritably.
“The more you assert that you have no designs on the girl, the less I am inclined to believe you.”
“I’m not the one constantly bringing it up.”
“If things are as you say, we won’t have an issue. But know this, Sir Davis, just because Miss Bennett has a submissive spirit, does not give you the right to take advantage of her. If you do, there will be severe consequences. Our duty is to the student, not our own selfish desires.” He glanced at Thane’s crotch for emphasis.
It took everything in Thane not to rip into the man, but he had found through experience that the harder people pushed, the better it was not to react. It was a calculated response on his part.
Verbal attacks often ended when Thane refused to engage. It also gave the individual a false sense of victory, while leaving Thane time to think further on the issue. If it turned out that the person truly had a valid point, Thane would not have to come back later and apologize for reckless words said in the heat of the moment.
With this particular situation, however, the more the man goaded him, the more determined Thane was to be the one to claim Miss Bennett’s anal virginity.
No one was going to stop him, especially Gray.
Instead of scening with her on stage in front of the panel during the practicum as he had originally planned, Thane made the decision to meet with Miss Bennett alone—after class.
Thane liked the idea of being the only one to hear the beautiful Miss Bennett crying out his name repeatedly as he sli
d his cock deep into her virginal ass…
Thane refocused his thoughts on Brie as she continued her sensual striptease for him, exposing ever more of her irresistible body.
Thane remembered how he’d fought with righteous indignity against Gray’s accusations during her entire training, only to discover at the Collaring Ceremony that the man had been correct all along.
Brie was not the only one compromised during their first meeting. The truth was, the minute he walked into that tiny tobacco shop, he never stood a chance.
She turned away from Thane as she let her blouse fall to the floor, smiling back at Thane as she did so. “Do you like what you see, Master?” Brie asked in an innocent voice while wiggling that sexy ass of hers.
“You know I’ve always admired that delectable body.”
Brie giggled, turning around to expose her bare belly to him. Seeing it was a jarring reminder of how much time had passed—how much he’d missed. He struggled to keep the feelings of regret from his face, but Brie instantly abandoned her striptease as she rushed over to him. “What’s wrong, Sir?”
Not wanting to ruin the moment, he smiled at her lustfully. “It’s been so long…I may not last.”
Brie licked her lips in a suggestive manner. “I don’t mind, Master.”
Thane watched as she grasped his cock with her hand and those perfect lips slowly descended on his needy flesh. Fighting the urge to close his eyes, Thane groaned as the warmth of her mouth encased the entire head of his shaft.
“Fuck me…” he groaned with a satisfied sigh.
Brie looked up at him, breaking the seal of her lips momentarily. “That’s what she said.”
Thane chuckled as he pushed her head back down.
Over the span of two years and after hours of thoughtful training, Brie had acquired the skills of an artisan. Her knowledge of his sensitive areas and her natural ability to read him meant that she could bring him to the edge and ease him back down repeatedly.
It was pure, masculine heaven.
He eventually closed his eyes, so he could fully enjoy the feel of her throat’s constriction as she took him more deeply.