Boned2 (Mandarin Connection Book 5) Page 13
He tried to assure her with his eyes that it was all going to be okay. Of course, now that he thought about it, he probably wasn’t radiating that intent all that well about now.
“Maybe this time, I can get you to say something?” the masked man said.
“To be frank, I do not enjoy this,” he said. He gestured around the room, and nodded at the other two men.
“It is usually unproductive, and it does nothing for my sense of professionalism, do you understand?” he asked.
The Masked Man lifted Om’s head up a bit, and turned it side to side. Then he let it drop.
“I can see why she likes you, Mein Herr,” he said. He walked over to an ashtray, where a lit cigarette smoldered. The man picked it up and took a long drag. He blew the smoke out, stoically and in a straight line. It dissipated, and the tip of the cigarette dimmed slightly.
Walking over to (wife), he took another deep drag, and then put the tip on her right thigh.
Wife screamed against her gag, and jumped at the pain.
“You fucking bastard! Leave her out of this!” Om shouted.
The man laughed tunelessly, and repeated the act. This time, he put the tip closer to the inside of her thigh.
Om began to shake in rage and fear of what was happening to his wife. He struggled as hard as he could against the bonds.
But, to no avail. He was trapped!
The man motioned to the other two men in the room.
Each one took a hold of one of wife’s legs.
They spread her legs apart, and the man took a scalpel and sliced her undergarments away.
“Very well kept, Fraulein Jaeger. I must say I approve of your topiary stylings!” he chuckled.
Sweat began to bead on Om’s forehead from the strain of trying to break free. He groaned loud and gave a mighty heave, but only succeeded in bouncing the chair a fraction.
“Now, you see, Herr Jaeger,” said the man, as he moved his glowing cigarette closer to wife’s most intimate areas, “This, this is what I really enjoy!”
Om stared in silent horror as the Masked Man moved in closer, unable to do anything but pray.
EPILOGUE – Part Two
Harlon Calloway was afraid.
For him, this was a relative rarity.
But, he knew that he’d fucked up royally.
The attack on the Jaeger family had failed.
His primary assassin had not been seen since the attack, and she was the key to understanding just what had gone wrong.
And now, his stepbrother wanted to see him.
This never had gone well.
Harlon Calloway feared this man, in spite of his inner tendency to ridicule him.
It was a given that they’d be almost enemies, but their other sibling had managed to keep the peace for decades.
Now that he was gone, his shield was also gone.
The light that let him know he had a visitor illuminated.
“Come in,” he said, trying to sound in control of the situation.
The man who entered was handsome, and ruthless.
He walked over to Harlon Calloway and grasped his hands in his own.
Calloway hated to touch other people, being a germaphobe.
The man just reached out and touched him!
He shook the trembling hands, smiling at his stepbrother.
“Harlon, how good of you to see me,” he said.
“Do I have a choice, Jonathon? Did I ever?” he asked, his voice finally cracking from the strain of trying to not just run away.
Jonathon Reighland laughed out loud.
“No, brother! You didn’t. No one ever does!” he said.
Calloway tried to move away, but Reighland had his hands pinned.
“Now, old fool, you and I are going to have a talk, are we not? And, you are going to make some very important calls, to some very important people, correct?” he said.
—————
The receptionist answered the phone with her usual neutral tone.
“Yes, may I help you?” she intoned nasally.
“Porfirio. Ten. Four. One. Five. Pyramid. Mars. Two. Four,” said the voice.
A number of mechanisms, put in place to record communications for posterity, and security, suddenly clicked off as the receptionist pressed a series of buttons on her phone console.
“This is Harlon Calloway. I need to speak to the President. Now,” came the voice from the earpiece.
“One moment, please,” she said.
She pressed another series of keys, and four red lights on her console changed to amber.
Then, one changed to a green light.
Then, two more.
When all four lights were green, she pressed the TALK button.
“You may proceed, Mr. Calloway. The line is secure,” she said.
“Mr. President, we have a proposition,” he said.
“We, sir?” said the President, on his phone in the Oval Office.
“Yes, Mr. President. Jonathon and I have a request. Can you accommodate us?” came the voice.
Calloway recited the script Jonathon had written for him.
Then, he hung up.
—————
The leader of the free world began to sweat, as he considered the enormity of what was being asked of him.
He knew the consequences of refusal as few did.
He knew the details, the dirty secrets, behind the real powers backing his throne.
He pondered the problem for some time, before finally realizing a method to solve it.
He picked up a secure line.
“Connect me to the Vice-admirals of the Chinese and Russian navies. Three-way, landline secure. Highest priority. Twenty minutes. I will be in the Cave,” he said.
As he walked to the Cave, the most secured room under the White House, he planned out his discussion with the two men.
They didn’t need to know the details.
He’d somehow convince the media it had been an accident.
There would be loss of life, but it was an acceptable price to pay, considering the alternative.
“Sir, you have a secured connection,” said his Aide.
The President sat into a special seat, which then rotated into the Cave.
The door sealed shut behind him.
He heard the hiss of the air conditioning, and sipped some water from the glass next to him.
“I need a favor, gentleman,” he began.
For the next hour, the three of them spoke, and listened and planned.
When they had finished, the President left the Cave.
He had a charity event to attend.
Maybe, that would salve his conscience regarding the terrible thing he had just put into motion.
Within three days, the nuclear submarine “USS Betsy Ross” would be at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, the victim of an apparent reactor malfunction.
And, God help him, the complement of nuclear weapons it carried would be in the hands of Jonathon Reighland, and Harlon Calloway!
THE END OF BONED2
THE MANDARIN CONNECTION SERIES
By Stephanie Brother
Just for YOU, dear readers, I am including SPECIAL BONUS EXCERPTS from all of the previous Mandarin Connection books!
Enjoy!
Steph
SPECIAL BONUS EXCERPT ONE:
Billionaire Stepbrother - Addiction - The Complete Series
Kady and Brett Were in Love – Unfortunately, So Were Their Parents!
Kady watched as her mother married the father of her soul mate, all the while wishing it were she and the muscled and athletic man standing with her at the altar taking their own vows.
She knew that Brett secretly felt the same for her – she was sure of it!
On the rare times they had seen each other before this fateful day, Kady couldn’t help her taboo lust for Brett’s hard, lean body.
She ached to drown in his beautiful blue eyes, and feel his passion as he possessed her
voluptuous curves.
But now, he was going to be forever unavailable to her!
Her need fought against her strong will…and her emotions were winning over against sound judgment!
She looked over at Brett, who stood staring at her, and the tears began streaming down her face!
She suddenly bolted from the altar, and ran out of the church!
Their dreams of happiness were being crushed forever!
OR WERE THEY?
When Brett’s sudden business success propels him to the upper echelons of the rich and famous, things take a decidedly unusual turn.
When she and Brett are thrust into a web of lies and deceit, Kady finds her heart won’t let her abandon her forbidden desires.
Will their love be dashed upon the rocks of unforgiving tradition?
Can she and her man emerge victorious?
Follow the passionate, romantic and VERY HOT adventures of these two different couples, as their worlds are suddenly turned upside down, and as they struggle to come to terms with what is right, wrong, forbidden or even possible!
Billionaire Stepbrother - Addiction - The Complete Series is a stepbrother romance novella with no cliffhangers, and a very satisfying happy ending.
Book 1 of the Mandarin Connection series by Stephanie Brother
–––––––––––––––––-
Kady was on the rebound, having weathered a disastrous relationship with a fellow classmate named Jeff, who was one of the Varsity golf team players.
She had caught him cheating on her with another member of the Varsity golf team, whose name was Juan Rodriguez.
She was more amused than disgusted or surprised.
She always had a pretty good gaydar, and it surprised her that Jeff had been so attentive to her needs.
She chalked it up to experience, and decided she just wanted a night to decompress.
On a whim, she called Brett, since he was in the same vicinity.
His new offices were located in a trendy area of the city, near the riverfront.
There were many fine eating and drinking establishments along the river walk.
Perhaps she’d get lucky, and find a nice young man to tickle her fancy…or fuck her righteously.
She chuckled a bit at that thought.
She’d been pretty plain vanilla in her last couple of relationships, always holding herself back a tiny bit.
She wasn’t really sure why, and it never occurred to her that she was aching for Brett to be her lover.
Kady walked around the shops, killing time while waiting for Brett to arrive.
They had agreed to an Italian joint that had great pizza and cold beer.
She couldn’t drink, of course, but there would be plenty of college aged guys who might find a bit of Dutch courage, and ask her to go home with them.
Kady found she was unusually aroused by the thought, but did not even connect her state with Brett’s arrival.
He saw her and waved, and they walked to the restaurant.
Brett’s sudden fame had not translated to recognition and being known by the frat crowd, but the owners of the various establishments knew full well who was loaded and who deserved special attention.
Neither Brett nor Kady found it unusual to be seated at the finest seats in the house within seconds of having entered.
They were so caught up in each other’s attentions, they were oblivious to the ballet and choreographed situation in which they were the center attraction.
As they ordered a white pizza, with basil and sun-dried tomatoes, water glasses magically appeared, filled with San Pellegrino.
A slice of lemon was in each marvelous goblet, and then fresh baked bread with bruschetta graced their table.
They talked and ate, giggling at their shared stories about their parents.
The waiters moved precisely into position at the most beneficial time, removing or adding an item as was needed.
It was perfectly orchestrated to provide the ultimate dining experience.
Kady said, through a mouthful of pizza, that she was only slightly pissed about Jeff and Juan.
“What’s that?” asked Brett.
“Oh, you know,” she said archly. “All the good ones are either taken or gay!”
They both laughed at that.
“Or your step-relation,” she added, whimsically.
Brett almost choked on his food.
He coughed and manfully washed it down with some water, trying mightily to not seem so taken aback.
Kady laughed, and pointed at him, at first.
Suddenly, she looked at him, realizing that he was truly in some manner of distress.
“Garçon!” she yelled.
Almost instantly, four waiters appeared, ready to assist.
Brett assured them he was fine, but he had spilled some water on his shirt.
He excused himself, to go to the men’s room to clean up.
He walked into the bathroom to clean up, and noticed over his shoulder as a large, somewhat inebriated man heading towards Kady.
He shrugged and went in to find a towel.
Kady was mortified when she considered what she had said to Brett.
His reaction was predictable, now that she thought about it.
How could she have been so stupid, to think he had the same feelings for her as she had for him?
She felt more alone and down than she had for a very long time.
She remembered how things had gone south at her mother’s wedding, and that she had thought long and hard on that situation, for months.
She had thought she was finally past the issue of her true emotions about Brett, and had put it behind her.
Yet, here she was, facing it once again.
Maybe it was the San Pellegrino, or the fact that this had been one of the easiest dates she had ever been on…
Wait a minute.
Did she really think Brett and she were on an actual date?
Was that what was going on here?
Had she gotten so caught up in the romantic notions in her silly head that she was actually entertaining the idea of them being on a date?
Her thoughts were occupying her so deeply that she did not really see the large, rugged man sit down next to her.
“Hey, gorgeous!” he said to her.
“My name’s Scott!” he said, smiling cheerfully.
He stuck out a hand, and she considered not shaking, but then decided to be polite after all.
He gently gripped her hand, and gently brought it to his lips.
She supposed he thought he was being gallant, but his sloppy kiss left a fair amount of his saliva on her skin.
She found herself repulsed, and shocked.
He grinned, and took Brett’s napkin and rubbed his spit from her hand.
“Sorry, darlin’,” he drawled. “Didn’t mean to do that…”
“It’s okay,” she said, feeling everything was totally NOT okay.
Her realization that this drunken guy was hitting on her brought her back to reality, like an ice-cold slap to her face.
She got very wary and also decided to end this encounter as quickly as possible.
“What’s your name, beautiful?” asked Scott.
“I’m sorry, umm, Scott?” she said.
“Sorry for what, sweetheart?” he said.
“Well, Scott, quite frankly I am here with a friend. I am truly sorry, but we already have plans,” she said.
Scott’s eyes darkened, but his smile remained.
“Well, the more the merrier, I always say!” he feigned a good-natured response, but she picked up on his innate jealousy instantly.
“Let me buy you a real drink, honey,” he said.
He motioned to one of the worried-looking waiters, who started over.
“I’m only nineteen, Scott,” she said.
She waved the waiter away.
“Ah, hell, baby! I won’t tell, you won’t,” he said, slurring his words a
bit.
“I don’t roll that way, Scott,” she continued, “and my friend is coming back in a minute, and we will be leaving. We have plans, as I mentioned.”
She raised her eyebrows and moved in her chair to present a blocking body language, looking over in the direction of the rest rooms.
She wished Brett would hurry back.
Scott grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.
“Look here, bitch” he said.
“I was only trying to be friendly. Why did you have to go and make it something serious?” he said.
He had his nose pressed up close to her face, and his breath reeked of cheap booze.
Apparently, he had been drinking for quite some time before he had gotten to the pizza place.
He seemed as though he was about to actually kiss her, when a hand grasped his shoulder.
“Hey buddy, why don’t you leave?” asked Brett.
He had appeared from nowhere, like a ghost.
Brett dropped his hands into a relaxed posture that looked harmless, to the uninitiated.
A seasoned fighter would have known at that point to back down.
Brett was as taught as a wound spring, but also as flexible as a whip.
Scott eyed Brett, looking him up and down.
He’d been in a few brawls, and even in his drunken stupor, some part of his brain must have recognized the danger.
Then, his mouth wrote a check he would never be able to cash.
Scott said “Why don’t you make me, faggot?”
He swung on Brett, which was a very drastic mistake.
Brett had been a Tang Soo Do champion in high school and on the martial arts team during his first year of college.
His other courses soon took more precedence in his life, but he always found time once a week to spar and just let off steam at the dojo.
Sometimes, he would ask to instruct a class, and was always welcomed.
Scott, a pretty burly man, had swung high, so Brett ducked under him, and grabbed his shoulder.
He kept the man spinning around, until his back was to Brett.
Then, Brett kicked him in the backside, and shoved him over the table.
The man crashed onto the ground, but was up almost instantly.
He grabbed a wine bottle and broke the neck off on a corner of the table.
Brandishing it fiercely, he growled at Brett.
“Come on, you pussy!” he yelled.
“I don’t want any trouble!” said Brett.