“Be a good little girl and no harm will come to you.” My accent thickens when I’m aroused. “There will be time to teach you your place, and I can be an exacting master. But for now, obey and you will find our trip easier to endure.”
Though she’s silenced, her eyes communicate two words very clearly.
Fuck you.
If she stated those words, I’d have to punish her. The gag, for now, is for her own good.
“You want to curse me out,” I tell her. “The sooner you learn your place, the better it will be for you.”
I turn to face the men outside who wait like soldiers for my command.
“Come,” I instruct in English. While they obey, I carry her to the back of the plane, drop her into a seat, and buckle her in. I unfasten her cuffs and give her a look that dares her to defy me. But I don’t take my place beside her yet. I need to be sure everything goes according to plan.
Though it’s dark out, bright lighting outside the small window illuminates what I need to see. Luggage secure and fastened, neatly packed and tucked under our aircraft. Our pilot sits up front with his co-pilot, silent and ready to obey. We pay him amply for the work he does. He asks no questions.
I have two men traveling home with me under my command: Demyan and Maksym, as twin brothers Filip and Vladak will travel apart from us since they have work to attend to before coming home. Each have various roles of support in our small army of brothers, though Filip and Vladak are the only blood relatives.
Demyan sits to the left of Sadie. With his blond hair and blue eyes, he attracts the ladies easily, but he never settles down. The lives that we live are dangerous, and our lifelong allegiance to the brotherhood of the Bratva means most of us choose not to raise a family. Maksym, Demyan’s closest companion, as both of them are the main protection in our brotherhood, is the one exception to the rule. He’s broad and heavily bearded with long hair and black eyes that often grow wistful, likely thinking of the woman he’s left at home.
All men pay tribute to Dimitri, the father of our group, and all men defer to my authority.
Sadie observes everything, but my instinct says she’s only observing every detail she can. At this stage, she’s likely plotting her escape. An attempt would be futile, but I still expect her to try.
The five of us men converse in rapid-fire Russian. I watch the frustration in her eyes when she realizes she can’t understand a word we say.
Demyan mutters something about Dimitri being pleased we left on time, and says the girl looks compliant enough. With a jeer, he makes a comment about sharing our loot and wares when we return.
Maksym’s jaw clenches. He always has a soft spot for any girl under our command or instruction, and I give Demyan a look that makes him immediately silence.
“The girl is mine,” I tell him in Russian. “You do not look at her. You do not touch her.” I give him a piercing look. “Am I clear?”
His face pales when he nods and mutters, “Yes. I’m sorry.”
I instruct them all to settle down and stay seated until we’re allowed up, allowing the anger that flared through me at his insinuation dissipate. We’ve covered all manner of business, and soon will undertake the ten-hour trip we have ahead of us. It’s evening, and I wish for Sadie to rest as much as she can.
The sole attendant that meets our needs during air travel joints us in the back with a small cart of food and drinks after I escort Sadie to use the restroom. Once she’s comfortable, she’ll be seated by me. I order a drink for me and one for Sadie, remembering her fondness for wine back in the restaurant. She shakes her head when I offer it to her, and for a brief moment I consider allowing her to decline. But I only have ten hours to teach her. To begin her training. Neglecting to make her obey now would not be in her best interest.
I remove her gag with a quick tug and scowl my disapproval for her defiance. “Abstaining is not an option.”
Her face registers surprise with her raised brows and parted lips. “Excuse me?”
“You must sleep tonight, so I would like you to do so as easily as possible. The wine will help us avoid harsher sedatives. Drink.”
“You drugged me,” she accuses.
“I had to.”
She huffs out a breath and turns away from me, but I don’t let that stop me. I reach for her chin and grasp it between my thumb and finger, forcing her gaze to mine. “You will do as I say, or I will punish you in front of my brothers. Is that what you wish?” I don’t moderate my tone. I don’t bother to hide the fact that I will punish her. Sooner or later, she will defy me and earn a punishment I’ll be forced to administer. If my plan goes as expected, eventually she might like it, but she will learn to obey. She might as well learn now how little choice she has in this.