MASTERED: (The Novel) (22 page)

James served two tours of duty
during Desert Storm. That was over two decades ago. In the blink of an eye, he
was back in full combat stance; six senses fully activated. Prepared for
anything and everything, he noiselessly climbed the front steps and entered the
house.

The scene that greeted him was
nothing like Kuwait but was fraught with danger nonetheless. James took in the
big picture and the minutest detail simultaneously. He calculated how to best defuse
the situation while multiplying the odds of Missy coming out unscathed. She was
completely nude and was just regaining consciousness. She was doing her best to
wriggle out from under the huge man astride her.

Her best wouldn't be nearly good
enough!

He watched as the man hefted his
belly in order to unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants. James was thankful for
his timing, if nothing else. He listened to Missy's heart-rending pleas for
mercy and for the drunken beast to come to his senses. She called him 'Luke'
and begged him to think of his son.

James knew everything he needed to
know, and quickly formulated a strategy. Terrorizing the fairer sex was
scraping the bottom of the barrel in his book. Men were meant to protect and
provide; a detail this gelatinous waste of skin chose to disregard.

Luke, and those of his ilk, gave
real men a bad name. It was pathetically clear that he hadn’t assumed one iota
of accountability in his entire life. Not for his wife and not for his child.
And, certainly, not for himself! Instead, he chose the persona of a drunken,
misogynistic bully - effectively relieving himself of a real man's culpability.

James had to admit that the role
suited Luke to a T. Grubby and obese, the stench of stale wine and body odor
emanated from his every pore. The once-white undershirt that he sported was a
filthy shade of gray and at least two sizes too small. James never understood
where the term 'wife-beater' originated. He did now.

To Missy, sprawled terrified and
naked on the floor, Luke must look like her worst nightmare. To James, he was
simply an irritating gnat that needed to be quashed. He knew his type only too
well.

He spoke softly, but loud enough to
stop Luke dead in his tracks. “What do you think you're doing,
Lukie
boy?” He taunted. Luke's head snapped up at the
jeering belittlement that seemed to come out of nowhere. His eyes narrowed
threateningly, but not before James caught the spark of fear and indecision in
them. “Who the
fuck are
you?” Luke spat.

James advanced almost imperceptibly.
As distraction, he continued to taunt, playing to Luke’s bloated ego. “What's
the matter
Lukie
boy? Only the big man when it comes
to beating up women? I'm guessing a hundred and ten pounds is about your limit,
then?”

Missy, pinned immobile, began to sob
with relief…

Chapter 75

James's arm shot out so fast that
Missy wondered if she imagined it. Promptly relieved of Luke’s crushing weight,
she knew her prayers had been answered.

Ironically, James had Luke by the
throat and pushed up against a wall. Much the same as he’d done to her once
upon a time. She would have swooned at the memory if circumstances were
otherwise. As it was, she was happy just to breathe.

While his stance was familiar, his agenda
was markedly otherwise. Luke's face was turning a most interesting shade of
mottled purple. Missy thought it suited him remarkably well.

When he opened his mouth, she was
certain he would beg for mercy.
The same
mercy he hadn’t granted her
. In any case, all that came out was a strangled
gurgle.

Eye to eye with Luke, James spoke
soothingly to Missy. “You have nothing to fear any more, little one. This
pathetic excuse for a man won't be bothering you again.”

“Please fetch me a pair of your
stockings and call the police. I’ll wager that this time they do more than
simply file it and forget it.” He leered dangerously at Luke and actually
chortled, “The third time’s
gonna
be the charm, don't
you agree,
Lukie
boy?”

Still looking Luke square in the
eye, he continued, “Oh, and please cover
yourself
,
pet. This sorry boor wasn't smart enough to appreciate you when he had you.
He's seen far more of you than he ever deserved.”

For the first time since the
nightmare began, Missy realized she was completely nude. Covering herself as
best she could, she scooped up her phone and hurried from the room. Missy would
follow James's directives to the letter.

As
she was born to do...

Chapter 76

“And of course, you know better than
to bother with bra and panties.”

His words caught up with her halfway
down the hallway. To her, they were the most beautiful words ever spoken. She
giggled imagining her ex-husband’s apoplectic face upon hearing them.

After what she’d been through,
giggling wasn’t as insane as Missy condemned it to be. Tamping down the
euphoria borne of relief, she focused every ounce of her frayed concentration
on the task at hand.

Climbing into a short, simple
sheath, she called 911. Thankfully, there was a car in the area. They would be
there within minutes, possibly seconds. Opening her underwear drawer, she
grabbed a pair of panty hose and ran back to the living room. 'Stockings' were
something she’d never owned. Blushing, she handed the nylons to James. As
usual, he intuited her very thoughts.

 
“No stockings?” He wedged one knee snugly
between Luke's thighs; up close and personal to the faux family jewels. Only
then did he release the carotid artery. Effortlessly, he ripped the pantyhose
in two. “We shall have to remedy that, won't we, pet? Obstructing access to
what is mine is almost as insolent as removing your collar without permission.”

Missy couldn't tell whose astonished
gasp was louder; hers or Luke's. Pupils dilated, his eyeballs appeared to have
vacated their sockets. Without a simpleton’s clue when best to shut up, he spat
out a hoarse, “
Wha
' the fuck?”

Quickly and efficiently, James bound
Luke’s wrists and ankles. Hopping him clumsily to the only chair in the room,
he politely asked Missy if she might spare one more pair of hose.

Once procured, he proceeded to
scrunch them into a tight wad. The entirety was then shoved unceremoniously
into Luke's gaping mouth. There was nothing left to say.
At
least, not where Luke was concerned.

She watched in awe as James smiled
into Luke's furious countenance and taunted, “On the other hand, scumbag, panty
hose look simply
fabulous
on
you. Please consider these a gift.”

“From Missy…”

Chapter 77

“Speak freely, little one.”

And so she did. For the entire time
it took to navigate the shortest route between her house and his. Well, almost
the entire time.

Whore!

The police had arrived quickly, as
promised. Neither officer bothered to hide their snickering at the innovative
makeshift gag. Removing it from between Luke’s fetid teeth, they turned their
attention to the nylon knots at his wrists and ankles. Missy was mystified when
they chuckled yet again. In unison, they looked first at each other, then
directly at James. There was respect in their eyes.

James smiled enigmatically back,
innocently offering his assistance. Missy found herself wanting to take a much
closer look at those knots. Unfortunately, any opportunity to do so was dashed
when one of the officers produced what looked like a box-cutter. The knots were
quickly reduced to a pile of unremarkable frayed nylon.

Thus ensued the cuffing of wrists,
the reading of rights, and the taking of statements.
Finally, mercifully, she and James
were alone. He sat in the chair vacated by Luke and gently pulled Missy into
his lap. Wrapping her tightly in his arms, he buried his face in her hair.
James rocked her as a parent might a frightened child. He held her like a man
who had just came
this
close
to losing the most precious thing in his life.
Again.

Words would have been redundant.
Silently, they awaited the arrival of James’s contractor. The door would be
secured against intruders for the night. In the morning, it would be replaced.

She was to spend the night with
James.

Now, belted securely in the
passenger seat beside him; it was her opportunity to speak. At long last, it
was her chance to say the words which had echoed a thousand times in her head.
She grabbed at it.

Still somewhat dazed and confused,
she was determined to leave nothing on the table. There was too much at risk.
Missy loved him, it was just that simple. Her words shook with the strength of
her emotion. She was so sorry for how she’d behaved; for running away like an
immature, spoiled child. She should never have stuck her nose where it had no
business being.

More than anything, she felt
physically ill just thinking of how callously she’d dispensed of his beautiful
collar. She pleaded with James to understand; it meant more than she imagined
possible.

Apprehensive, she stretched her
little hand across the console, reaching timidly for his. When it was
immediately engulfed, Missy nearly sobbed.

His grip tightened meaningfully with
her last words, “And, Sir, I'm so terribly sorry for your loss…”

Chapter 78

“Ah, little one, it's been one hell
of a day. I think it's time you stopped talking and started sucking, wouldn’t
you agree?” Keeping his eyes on the road, James released her hand. Serenely, he
unzipped, pulling his flaccid cock from his pants. Feeling her eyes upon his
drooping member, he spoke as if he hadn’t heard a single word.

She would never have guessed how
tightly his throat constricted as she spoke. While he managed to barely avert
tears, James knew there would be no shame in crying in front of this
magnificent woman. He glanced over at Missy, smiled magnanimously, and shook
his tired cock at her impatiently.

He may have blown her mind, but her
body obeyed flawlessly. James was driving an Audi TT convertible. He was
nothing short of amazed at how quickly she managed to spread gracefully across
the tiny car's console and latch hungrily onto his cock. With the top down and
Missy's ass high in the air, James was almost sorry there weren't more cars on
the road to appreciate the splendid view!

There was no wiggle room to speak
of, yet Missy managed to take the entirety of him into her warm, wet mouth.
With her head in his lap, he spoke as she suckled, “I too have much to
apologize for, my precious. I demanded much of you, yet offered little in
return. There is no excuse for not telling you of Angeline. It pains me that
you discovered her in such an appalling manner.”

Reaching down with one hand to
stroke her cheek and adjust her lips on his member; he went further still, “I
am but human, little one. I allowed my ego to get in the way of my good sense
and it almost cost me what I value most in the world –
you!”

Inserting a finger between her lips
to join his cock, James was direct, “Can you forgive me, pet?” A verbal
response would not be forthcoming, for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, James
did
receive a response; and a fervid one
at that!

It came by way of Missy’s mouth, as
it pulled even more ardently at his cock. Tears of joy soaked clean through the
thin material of his slacks.

Submissive…

Chapter 79

”Kneel!”

She stopped dead in her tracks and
turned to face him. They were barely ten feet inside his massive front door.

 
Taking her by the elbow, James led her to spot
mere inches from the luxurious carpeting of the foyer. He repeated the command
with emphasis,
“Kneel, whore!”

She could tell by his curt tone that
he was in no mood for vacillation. Eyeing the carpet longingly, she knelt on
the cold planks of the hardwood floor. She positioned herself perfect; as she
was instructed months ago. For Missy, it was as natural as breathing.

Expecting praise, she looked up. His
visage was dark, foreboding. Missy could plainly see the storm approaching.
“Eyes down!” He said tersely. What came next was not praise. Not even close.

Bending, James twisted both
protruding nipples harshly. He spoke slowly and steadily over her anguished
yelps of surprise. “You are kneeling in the exact spot where I found your
collar. Apologies are one thing, whore. Disrespect is quite another. You will
learn that it will not be tolerated.”

Releasing the mashed nipples, he stood.
James hadn’t bothered to zip up when they exited the car. His suddenly titanium-stiff
cock leaped out to wave insolently before her eyes. The angry tip leaked a
stream of pre-cum, which he cavalierly smeared across her face. He alternated
between masturbating crudely one moment and availing himself of her wet,
accommodating orifice the next.