Broker - CH8 -

“Drat, a second. I need my coat,” Valeria said, brushing her hand against Alex’s forearm.

Alex gave her a tight smile and stood next to his coach, watching her dart back inside.

“Two, as soon as we have her alone in my room, I want you to get something around her neck.

“Preferably something that’ll keep her from doing anything without harming her,” Alex said.

“Are you sure about this? What if she really just wants you to mount her like a cat in heat.”

“Yeah, the moment we’re alone.”

“And what exactly did you have in mind for me to use, by the way? I mostly just kill people.”

“Something firm. Pretty solid. A broom. Spear. Rolling pin, I dunno. Something you can get up under her throat and cut the blood-flow to her brain while I disarm her.”

“Fine. I’m going to put on my brigandine when we get home. Just in case she goes to stab me.”

Alex didn’t respond. It’d be awkward if they were talking when Valeria finally returned.

Taking longer than it should, Alex turned and got into the carriage.

“Whatever, let’s get out of here, Two. I’m not waiting.”

No sooner than the door to the carriage shut behind him, then he heard someone calling out.

Several heartbeats later and the door opened, and Valeria got in.

She was dressed as she had been previously, but had a pale green coat wrapped around her shoulders.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, taking a seat next to him in the coach. “A friend spotted me and was trying to find out what was going on. I had to get rid of them first.”

“Nothing problematic, I hope?” Alex asked.

“Not in the least. Now… where were we?”

Her hand slipped down between his legs again. Her fingers immediately pressed into his shaft and started to message him.

The ride back to the mansion was blessedly swift. Though not fast enough by half. By the time they rolled up to the house he swore he was drowning in his need.

Getting out of the coach he nearly stumbled.

She’d effected him far more than he’d ever like to admit. And she seemed determined to get him as riled up as possible.

Leading her quickly by the hand into the manse, she said not a word. It wasn’t until he’d gotten her in the middle of his bedroom that he heard anything out of her.

“My, it’s certainly far more charming than I’d expected,” Valeria said. “With how often people spoke of your escapades in Brit, I half expected mirrors.”

Her eyes scanned the room quickly, before settling on the bed. She dropped her coat on the ground as she made her way over to it.

“Ah, just what I was hoping to find,” she murmured, sitting on the edge of it.

“What a coincidence, I found what I was looking for too,” Alex said coming around the other side of the bed. He indicated to herself and the bed. “And just where I’d hoped to find it.”

Valeria turned to follow him with her head.

Moving to the head of the bed slowly he smiled at her. Trying to stall for time, and keep her interested, he slid atop the bed and patted the spot directly in front of him after a moment.

Every movement he took so far, was to put her back to the door and drag it all out.

Giving him a predatory smile, she shifted forward to the middle of the bed.

Carla had crept up behind the woman without making a noise. The ex-bandit was indeed stealthy when she chose to be.

Then she shot forward, her steel battle mace passed in front of the Valeria’s eyes and then came up under her chin.

Valeria’s eyes flashed in alarm, then something else, as Carla pulled her up off the bed and up to her tip-toes.

Her cheeks turned a faint pink, her hands coming up to pull at the cold steel pressing to her throat.

Alex could hear her choke once, her feet scrabbling at the foor.

“Good work, Two. Try not to hurt her. Just in case. Don’t let her move though.”

“Not-a-problem. This isn’t the first time I’ve done something like this,” Carla said.

Every time Valeria moved in any way, Carla pulled up on the mace, bringing a quick end to anything other than standing still.

Getting up out of the bed, Alex quickly went and checked Valeria’s jacket. There wasn’t anything in it.

Coming back to the front of Valeria he eyed her dress.

For her part, Valeria watched him. Her eyes were hard and her fingers tight to the mace. He doubted she could do anything if Carla decided for her to go nighty-night, but she seemed poised to try.

The dress was tight fitting and definitely hugged Valeria rather tightly, but Alex figured there was probably enough room to hide something in her ample bust.

As he looked her over he noticed that her nipples grew hard. Poking out through her dress as she watched him eying her.

Either she’s cold, or she’s really into this situation and thinks it’s sex play.

“There’s really only a couple places to hide something. Keep her steady,” Alex said.

Carla grunted and pulled on her mace, taking Valeria to the point where only the tips of her feet were on the ground. “You hear that? Hands up here with me or I pull hard enough to break your jaw till you pass out. Then I have to spend the night digging your grave. So do me a favor and let him do what he wants.”

Valeria grunted out something and Alex tuned it out, her eyes still watching him.

Reaching up to her shoulders he unfastened her dress and slid it down to her waist.

Her large breasts poured out of the top, her nipples very clearly erect in the lamp light.

Inspecting the cups of the dress, he didn’t find anything.

Carefully he slid his fingers under each breast and also found nothing.

Only leaves a few places. God I hope there’s something there.

Otherwise this night went to a strange place.

Pulling at the dress, Alex guided it past Valeria’s hips and down to the ground.

There was nothing strapped to her thighs, nor any underwear.

Reaching up between Valeria’s knees, Alex gently felt around, looking for anything hidden in there.

He heard a soft guttural moan from Valeria at his touch, her knees spreading apart, despite her inability to stand upright.

Is she a sexual masochist? She’s into me using her like this?

Last chance. Let’s hope that we're in a very strange world and we find something.

<Redacted for safety's sake>

Held between his two fingers was a very thin push dagger, no longer than two inches in length. The sides of the blade had a thin sheath of wood that was tied in place with thread.

Holy shit. Is this what she was doing while we were waiting? She thought she’d be searched and so she put it here.
I mean, I read those stories about people putting guns up there but this is insane.

Valeria was squirming now, her fingers flexing around the mace and her feet trying to find purchase.

Each and every movement was restricted by the much more muscular Carla, preventing her from doing much.

“Guess I got my answer. She wasn’t that into me,” Alex said ruefully.

“Alright, Two. Let’s see what she knows. I’m going to find Rudolph and see about converting a dungeon. You got her for the moment.”

“Oh sure,” Carla growled out, wrangling Valeria around with the mace. “Don’t mind me. I’m just having a dance with her, I guess.”

Alex managed to track Rudolph down rather quickly and explain everything to him.

The man caught on and had set to work.

It’d only taken him the better part of half an hour to not only create a dungeon, but one that’d do perfectly.

He’d converted an entire wing of a wine cellar that saw little use. Now it would be able to hold and house six prisoners without a concern.

He’d even converted the doors to have a smaller inset door at the top and bottom, respectively for watching a prisoner and trading things back and forth.

Far more useful than I thought, that Rudolph.

Carla shoved Valeria into the impromptu cell and followed her in, her mace replaced with a one handed club.

“Go ahead and try somethin’ little girl. I’ll knock your head open faster than you think it could be,” Carla threatened.

Valeria stumbled up against the back stone wall, and pressed a hand to her neck.

Valeria stood in a peasant smock and little else. Her green dress and jacket had been set aside.

A red discoloring was visible across her throat where Carla had been holding her.

Pressing a hand to her neck, she looked from Carla, to Alex.

“Suppose this is the part where you rape me, let your guards have a go, then kill me after you get what you want?” she said, a bitter smile crossing her face.

“Amazingly, no. Though you’re the second person to suggest that,” Alex said, sitting down on the clean, simple cot that’d bee brought into the room.

All in all, it was a near identical setup to the one back in Brit.

Though a bit cooler and far more “dungeon-y.”

“And who was the first?” Valeria asked.

Alex smiled and pointed at Carla. “She was. Apparently she was a bandit of some renown. She works for me now, don’t you, Two?”

“Shut up or I’ll break your head open.”

“Uh huh. Anyways, enough about Two, what about you? Tell me about yourself.”

“Whats there to know?” Valeria asked warily, moving towards the corner of the room furthest from Alex and Carla.

“Your name, for one. Is it actually Valeria?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. And are you actually a noble.”

“I was.”

“Ah. Family fall on hard times then?”

“Does that matter?”

“A little. Your manners, vocabulary, and way you carry yourself, speaks to an educated background. Though your forwardness at the table was certainly at odds to that.”

“Yes… I was given an education, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“And how did you end up playing the would be pillow assassin?”

Valeria didn’t answer that. She got down into a ball into the corner, laying her forearms across her knees and balling up.

“Alright. We’ll skip that for now. How about who you’re working for?”

Again Valeria said nothing.

“Could you at least tell me what your plans were? I can only assume you meant to kill me based on what I found. Only you can answer that though.”

Valeria laid her head against the stone wall and watched him, unspeaking.

“I see. Alright, well. We can try again tomorrow. You’ll not be leaving this cell obviously. I’m also invoking my right as a Count to have you tried for your crimes on my person, by my person,” Alex said, standing up. “I’ll be holding you in custody until such a time as we return to Brit and I can formally prosecute you.”

“What?” Valeria asked, her eyes narrowing, her head coming up off the wall.

“I’m going to try you. Hold a fair court, and then probably hang you. Will be a month or two at least though.

“If you suddenly decide you want to talk to me though, feel free to let the guard know. I’ll come ‘round and we can chat.

“Oh, another topic we could chat about is your accommodations. I have an interesting view on such things.”

Alex waved at her, and then left.

Carla followed him out, closing the solid wooden and banded door behind her, and locking it.

Alex motioned for the guard and Carla to follow him to the end of the cell block where Rudolph was waiting.

Addressing the guard, Alex pointed a finger at the man, and looked at Rudolph

“I’m trusting my prisoners to you. I’ll need one guard during the day, and another guard at night.

“I’ll have their oaths, and yours Rudolph, on the following. You will not speak to the prisoners. You will not touch the prisoners. You will not let the prisoners touch you, and you will not open the door under any circumstances whatsoever.

“If you need to look into the cell, you open the watch door. That’s it. They are to be no more than a bookcase that you give food and water to. Do you understand?”

“What about the waste?” asked the guard.

“That comes out through the bottom door at the end of the day. A servant will collect it. The door never opens.

“Now swear that.”

“I swear it on my oath, my lord,” said the first guard.

“I do so swear,” Rudolph said.

Satisfied, Alex nodded and left the dungeon.

He needed sleep and to vent some demons. Valeria had keyed him up way too much.

Part of him regretted that he hadn’t gotten a crack at her.

She really was right in his strike zone.

***

“My lord,” Walter said, getting Alex’s attention. “I was able to put together a ball of sorts for ourselves. I’ve only invited those I feel would be worth while to you, our county, or our political cause.

“It’s more a series of interviews and meetings than a ball, but you’re the only bachelor, and everyone else will be entertained, wined, and dined, while they wait their turn.”

Alex sighed and only nodded his head.

Interviews? For marriage? Such a strange thing.

It’d been a few days since he captured Valeria. No one had said or done anything about her, which meant she’d been cut loose.

Effectively she was his prisoner under a death sentence. No one was coming for her.

I could use that against her. I should visit her.

“Is that not to your liking?” Walter asked, his tone much softer.

“It’s very much to my liking Walter. I just don’t like that we’re being forced into this.

“Good work, Walter. Put the list on my desk. I’m going to go for a walk,” Alex said.

Walter gave him a sad smile and bobbed his head once.

Leaving his study he set off for the dungeon. Carla fell in behind him without a word.

She didn’t seem as tense lately, and at times, almost managed to be friendly with him.

“Gonna fuck her?” Carla asked.

“No. But I’m finally going to offer her a few deals.”

“Will fucking her be part of it?”

“No? Why, are you jealous? Would you like me to make you a deal that involves you bending over my desk again? Do you long for the feel of-”

“Shut your shit hole before I put my foot in it.”

Alex put on his neutrality face for Carla, and kept on moving.

She’s adapting fairly well. Harder to maintain the power. The control, over her with her being present so often.

Need to start thinking of a few offers to throw her way.

Like maybe hiring another personal body guard so she gets days off? Or gets more than a couple hours of sleep every day.

We’ll do that.

The guard at the door to the dungeon opened it without a word for Alex.

Stepping inside he found another guard standing in the corner.

“My lord,” said the guard.

“She say or do anything?”

“No, my lord. Quiet as a church mouse.”

Alex nodded his head. He hadn’t expected anything different.

Moving over to the door Valeria was he looked to the guard.

“Open it up. Two, you go in first and make sure she’s nice and calm.”

Carla wrinkled her nose but pulled her mace clear from it’s ring on her hip. She unfastened the small shield she kept on the other hip and belted it around her forearm.

The guard unlocked and opened the door for Carla, who stepped in with her shield up and mace ready.

“Sit down in the bed,” Carla commanded. “Good, now stay there.”

Alex took that as his cue and entered the cell, pulling the door shut behind himself.

Valeria looked none the worse for wear, though considerably dirtier, and her hair a wild and tangled mess.

“Come to rape me then?” Valeria asked, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging her legs.

“No. Besides, you look filthy. If I wanted to hump dirt I could go outside.

“No, I’ve come for something else today. I want to make you a deal,” Alex said, coming closer to her.

Valeria shook her head and rested her chin on her knees.

“I know. You probably can’t speak about your previous employer. And that’s alright. Whoever it was, gave you up to your fate. No one has contacted me about your release. Even though I had Rudolph put word out that we’d captured someone on the property.

“I mean, if you think about it, we gave your employer a very easy opportunity to claim you. Pay a fine maybe, and collect you.

“They did not.”

Valeria’s mouth became a flat line, her eyes glittering dangerous as she glared up at him.

“That more or less makes you mine to do with as I please. I’m as of yet, undecided what to do with you.

“So, while I make my choice, I figured it might be fun to make a deal or two with you.”

Valeria’s brow twitched, before she schooled her face to neutrality.

She was a trained assassin that relied on her acting and ability to get in close. One that probably studied politics and people.

He could use her.

He just had to figure out how to break her, first.

“What kind of deal?” she asked after a pause.

And there’s our starting point.

Alex smiled, and began to explain the oath of secrecy, the rules of the game, and all the ways things could go.