The Taking of Lena Ch. 09

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Renz paced anxiously as he waited in the bar of the lounge. He craved a strong drink, but he knew he needed to remain as alert as possible. Lena had been missing for four days, and he was no closer to finding her.

For his brother was as elusive as he was cunning. Not even yet thirty years old, he navigated the seedy underworld of München with a prowess that rivaled the experience of a man twice his age. To the world that knew him as Ludovic Wolfenbarger, his money was a result of successful coal mining. But to those that knew him as Aleksandr Rikhard, he built his fortune on the bodies of desperate and poor young women.

Renz had checked every "A.R." brothel he could find, for he was certain that was where Lena had been taken. To his disappointment and increasing fear, Lena was nowhere to be found in these standard whorehouses. He knew she'd been taken to a place especially deplorable, where women rarely survived longer than a few months.

He waited several more minutes, becoming increasingly agitated. But finally, a young man, perhaps around Erich's age, approached him. Renz quickly glanced down at the man's wrist, and sighed with relief when he saw the red spade.

"Are you the one searching for Aleksandr Rikhard?" he asked. Renz nodded, and attempted to remain as collected as possible.

"Yes. I want to buy one of his girls," Renz said.

The man appeared briefly suspicious, and Renz rolled his eyes, knowing instantly what he needed to do.

He reached into his jacket pocket and handed the man a roll of bank notes. The suspicion vanished, and the man greeted him much like an old friend.

"Of course, sir. We have many lovely women here—"

"I'm looking for something...much more specific. Alek will know what that means," Renz said. The man's eyes suddenly filled with recognition, and he seemed to become slightly nervous around Renz.

"Ah...those girls. I understand. How soon were you looking to acquire?" the man asked.

"As soon as possible," Renz replied. The man nodded knowingly.

"It may be as many as several hours...you may sample any woman here while you wait," the man offered. Renz shook his head.

"I have very specific tastes. And I am in a hurry. How soon can I see...these particular women?" Renz asked. The man swallowed hard.

"I understand that a...man of your stature may strongly value discretion. However, a name might...expedite the process," the man said.

Renz sighed, fully prepared to play his brother's sick game, as long as it meant getting Lena back.

"Give him the name Jäger Niklas."

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Aleksandr had called Felix back into the room, for Lena had not yet lost her will to fight. He'd tried hitting her face again, but Lena continued to spit blood at him. The coughing had definitely damaged her throat, and Lena knew she needed to worry about it. But right now, she was going to take advantage of whatever rupture had occurred.

But Lena was momentarily shaken when Aleksandr ordered Felix to strip her of her shift. Lena squirmed and thrashed, but the shift fell from her body with ease. Lena released a cry of humiliation as she curled up against her chest, desperate to hide her nakedness.

"You know what's next, Felix. Put her on her stomach and keep her still," Aleksandr instructed.

Felix didn't even look directly at Lena as he repositioned her body. Lena tried to reign in her panic, to go back to that place of strength, but these two men were overpowering her.

Her chin dug into the carpet as Felix held her body down. She could hear Aleksandr sliding over that horrible iron stand he'd attached her to the first day she'd met him, and her heart began to pound fearfully. The two men gripped her chains, fastening her to the stand.

All of a sudden, Lena felt herself hoisted into the air, dangling at knees' length above the spaded carpet. The chains of her ankles and wrists were supporting her weight, and the pressure was close to unbearable. She could feel her skin chafe painfully, and Lena wondered how long she'd be kept in this position.

"Hand me her shift," Aleksandr said.

Felix did as he ordered, and Lena had to strain to see him, but the cuff around her neck would not allow her to turn her head very far. She could hear the men moving behind her, but she couldn't see what they were doing. The only comfortable position for her head to be in was staring straight down at the floor.

"This will hurt, Lena. Probably more than anything you've ever felt. I've taken measures to avoid breaking your skin, but you will feel powerful pain nonetheless. Do you understand me, worthless whore?" Aleksandr asked.

Lena bit her lip in anger, and she shook her head, chafing the skin of her neck.

"I am not a whore," Lena said quietly.

She felt a sudden, excruciating strike against the naked skin of her back, and Lena screamed in agony. Lena couldn't tell what it was, but it felt heavy and metallic, perhaps covered by cloth. She wasn't certain, but she felt like it would break her back.

Lena's body swayed precariously above the rug, her wrists and ankles grinding against their cuffs. Her stretched body made the pain of the blow even more excruciating, but nothing could have prepared her for the strikes that followed.

"My patrons...pay large sums of money...to humiliate...weak...whores. You are nothing...but a worthless whore," Aleksandr shouted between assaults. Each blow was more powerful than the last, and Lena felt like her spine was moments away from snapping.

She could hear Aleksandr breathing raggedly, and she wondered if he was beginning to tire. But he quickly regained his strength and began beating her again.

"I am not a whore!" Lena cried out.

Lena heard a disconcerting cracking sound after one especially violent strike, and a sharp pain shot through the left side of her torso. The searing force of the pain felt like she was being repeatedly stabbed, and it was so powerful that Lena began feeling nauseous. Her vision blurred with hot tears as she tried to suppress the sickness, but it would not be contained. After several painful heaves that burned her throat, Lena retched onto the carpet.

Once her stomach contractions stopped, Lena felt dazed, almost blissfully. She became less and less aware of the pain in her body, and she knew she was approaching that safe, dissociated place.

Aleksandr wordlessly unhooked her from the iron stand, and Lena fell to the floor, her body heavy and weak.

Lena noticed that Aleksandr looked very disheveled. He was sweating, his hair had fallen, and Lena saw that he'd removed his jacket and pushed up his sleeves. His breathing was labored, and he looked like he'd performed some great exercise.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, Lena?" he asked.

Lena smiled faintly at him, and it caused Aleksandr to look at her in angered bewilderment. Lena blinked several times to clear her vision, and stared back at him determinedly.

When she finally spoke, her voice was barely a whisper.

"I am not...and will never be...your whore," Lena said.

Lena's mind entered that safe space again, and she was no longer aware of Aleksandr Rikhard.

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"Well this is certainly a surprise...Jäger Niklas," Aleksandr said, overly annunciating Renz's middle names. Renz gave an insincere smile and slightly bowed his head.

"You look well, brother," Renz remarked.

Aleksandr smiled widely, and suddenly lunged forward, locking Renz in a tight embrace. Renz tried not to show his revulsion as he lightly returned the affection.

"After all these years...I knew you'd come around eventually. Please, come in!" Aleksandr gestured cordially to his office.

Renz entered the office, which was located underground, directly beneath the brothel. His eyes immediately went to an iron contraption of sorts, which Renz recognized as a torture device.

He hoped desperately that his brother hadn't used it on Lena.

"Can I offer you a drink? Sherry? Brandy? Scotch?" Aleksandr asked.

Renz sighed impatiently, but he tried to maintain composure. He needed to get Lena out as soon as possible, and he knew that wouldn't happen if he overreacted.

"Scotch for me, thank you," Renz replied.

He sat down in a red armchair, and a very tall, bald man handed Renz his drink.

"I would have never guessed that you would come around to this...genre of my business," Aleksandr mentioned. Renz quickly downed his drink, swallowing far too fast to appreciate the flavor.

"I've had a bit of a change of heart. When you first proposed this all those years ago...I was far too closed-minded. I now understand that there is a viable market for this type of business," Renz replied. He studied Aleksandr carefully, wondering if he believed everything he said.

"Well, I am very glad to have my brother back. Ava is due any day now, did you know?" Aleksandr asked.

"Already? You must be quite thrilled," Renz answered. Aleksandr's smile widened enthusiastically, and he sat down in front of Renz. He lit a cigar, and spicy smoke began to fill the room.

"Certainly I am...and you must know...if the child is a boy—"

"You don't need to worry about that. If you have a son...he will receive what is entitled to him when he comes of age. He will be a Wolfenbarger," Renz answered truthfully.

Aleksandr slightly frowned, and he paused for several moments.

"What if...what if we combined, and put the past behind us once and for all. We are Johann Wolfenbarger's last heirs. Surely you know of how powerful our name can be if we're together, as true brothers. We'd be the most commanding force in the German empire," Aleksandr suggested.

His eyes were wide and hopeful, and for a brief moment, Renz felt slightly sorry for his younger brother. He'd grown up with the family name, but none of the privileges of having it.

But the feeling immediately vanished when Renz remembered the course that Aleksandr had chosen to take. Renz had originally offered Aleksandr a substantial portion of the Wolfenbarger fortune once Johann had died. But the illegitimate son had wanted nothing to do with Johann's money. He'd been determined to become wealthy on his own, even if it meant exploiting young women.

And now that he'd achieved a highly competitive level of affluence, Renz knew that Aleksandr only maintained this depraved form of prostitution for his own twisted pleasure.

"Perhaps we can discuss sometime at Schloss Wolfenbarger. Wouldn't you like to see your niece?" Aleksandr said suddenly.

Renz hadn't even realized he'd stopped paying attention, and he nodded tersely.

There was a knock on the door, and Aleksandr stood up excitedly.

"I was hoping I might collect what I came for. I need to return north very soon," Renz called. Aleksandr adjusted his jacket and slightly tugged on his collar.

"You will, brother. But you see...you've come on a very special night. We're going to have a lot of fun," Aleksandr said. He smiled in a sadistic way that reminded Renz of his father, and Renz suddenly began feeling very uneasy.

Aleksandr opened the door, and five men in formalwear casually strolled inside, two of whom Renz vaguely recognized from Berlin.

"Welcome gentlemen, as you can see...we have one more joining us tonight. But I assure you, none of you will be going home empty handed. Felix, why don't you bring in our entertainment for the evening?" Aleksandr said.

Felix bowed cordially, and silently slipped past Aleksandr's clients.

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Lena stared blankly at the wall in her cell. She found that if she breathed as softly as possible, and didn't move, she could almost control the horrible pain that shook her entire body.

The wounds on her face stung terribly. Her bruised back felt like it was only moments from shattering. The cell was becoming increasingly cold, causing Lena to cough harder and more often, straining her already damaged throat and chest. That broken piece inside of her made it hard for her to breathe, rendering each harsh cough even more unbearable than before.

Lena had a feeling that she wouldn't last much longer. But that idea didn't much scare her. Her body was beaten, but she'd protected herself from a far more devastating form of violation. She would not die as a violated woman. She would not die as a whore.

Lena began to drift in and out of consciousness, her body's natural defense against her pain. As she became sleepier, Lena tried to latch onto something, a happy memory that would give her pleasant dreams.

Her thoughts automatically centered on Renz, during their trip to Berlin.

A part of her thought she should feel ashamed, longing for Renz after everything he'd done. But Lena knew in her heart that despite her pain, lying in bed with Renz, after the opera, after she'd offered herself to him, and after he'd taken her, was the happiest she'd ever been.

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"Are you sleeping, Lena?" Renz asked. Lena slightly shifted and looked up at Renz. He was giving her that same look he'd given her at the opera, the look of a man in sheer wonder. Lena slightly blushed, but she enjoyed his admiration.

"No. I took a nap today, remember? Just like you told me to," Lena answered. Renz smiled widely, teeth glittering in the moonlight.

"That was only for your own good. You needed the rest," Renz replied teasingly.

"I was not tired. I am accustomed to very long hours of work, you know," Lena answered defensively. Renz chuckled and kissed her forehead, subtly solidifying his grip around her waist beneath the silky sheets of the large hotel bed.

"I know, Lena. But you're no longer a servant. You're going to have to learn how to exhaust yourself with activities of leisure and pleasure instead," Renz said.

Lena considered this, unsure of how she felt about his words.

"That's not who I am," Lena said softly. Renz brought his kisses to her cheeks.

"I think it is, Lena. You were delectable in a maid uniform and even my shirts, but you're a vision in fine clothing. Surely you noticed everyone staring at you today," Renz said. Truthfully, she hadn't noticed any stares. She'd been far too engaged in observing each part of the city Renz had taken her to.

"I remember stares yesterday...before I had clothes. I'm certain everyone thought I was a lowly perversion," Lena replied. She could feel Renz pause briefly, but then he resumed his soft kisses.

"And today, I'm certain everyone thought you were a visiting princess," Renz said playfully. Lena couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of his statement.

"I'm hardly royalty, sir," Lena replied. Renz suddenly sat up, and Lena stared at him in anticipation.

"Have I said something wrong?" she asked, beginning to grow nervous. Renz smiled softly at her.

"I think I take exception to that, Lena," Renz said, getting out of bed. His absence made her aware of just how cold the room was, and Lena curled up in the sheets as tightly as possible, missing his large warmth.

She watched him as he stood out of bed, facing away from her. He was tall and proud in all of his naked, muscular glory as he walked out of the room, and Lena watched him in awe. She felt a slight ache in her heart when the moonlight caught the scars on his back, but then she lowered her eyes, and was unable to look away from the tempting sight of his muscled, taut buttocks.

When he re-entered, Lena slightly whimpered as her body began to react to the frontal view of his naked body. She licked her lips as his athletic form approached her, his cock large and dominant even at rest. By the time Renz crawled back into bed, Lena was eager to take him inside of her.

But to her surprise, he did not initiate another session of sex. Instead, he handed her a black velvet rectangular box.

"What is this?" Lena asked, nervously sitting up. Renz slightly smiled, his gaze impish and seductive.

"A small piece of royalty," Renz replied.

Lena tentatively opened the box, and only a tiny peek was enough to make her gasp and close it in embarrassment.

"This must be a mistake...you need to return it!" Lena exclaimed. Renz seemed to find her discomfort amusing, and he chuckled as he shook his head.

"You haven't even looked at it yet, Lena. How do you already know that you don't like it?" Renz countered.

Lena sighed and reluctantly opened the box again, and she was breathless when she observed the necklace it contained.

A large, softly squared bright yellow diamond sat at the base of a double strand of colorless, smaller square diamonds. Even in the darkness of the room, the necklace was scintillating. Lena thought for certain that if she looked at it in daylight, she would be blinded. The center stone reminded Lena of the sun.

"You agreed to allow me to buy beautiful things for you," Renz reminded eventually. Lena exhaled sharply, finally realizing that she'd been holding her breath as she stared at the necklace.

"I don't feel comfortable with this, sir. I beg you...please return it," Lena said.

The teasing faded, and Renz stared at Lena seriously. They maintained eye contact for several prolonged moments, and when Renz spoke again, she felt his words pulling at her heart.

"I did not buy this for you because of access to your body. I do not think of you as a prostitute. I bought this for you...simply because I think you will enjoy it, and wear it beautifully," Renz said.

Lena swallowed hard, feeling suddenly overwhelmed by what he was saying.

"Would it please you...to see me wear it?" Lena asked shyly.

"Very much, Lena," Renz replied. Lena nodded slowly, and after one last glance at the tiny piece of sunshine in the box, she closed it and handed it to him.

"I would feel better if you held onto it...please. I don't know how to keep jewelry like this," Lena admitted. Renz's smile returned, and he placed the box on the cushion at the bottom of the bed.

"Is this why you forced me to nap?" Lena asked as Renz settled back into bed, pulling her along with him. Renz released a low tone that sounded like a rumble in his chest.

"Partially. I also needed a bit of privacy," Renz replied.

Lena suddenly became oddly alarmed by his admission, and she wondered if he was already beginning to tire of her. She hated that the idea of Renz being exhausted of her actually filled her with fear and sorrow.

Almost as if he could sense her thoughts, Renz pulled her tighter against his body and began gently stroking her arms.

"It's a good thing, Lena. We'll talk about it more when we return home," Renz said, dipping his mouth into her neck. His low, slightly sleepy voice was beginning to have an odd stirring effect in her lower belly, and Lena pushed her thighs tightly together, slightly embarrassed.

Lena bit her lip as he kissed her sensitive skin. She'd never heard him use the word home, with the intention of including her. Lena felt confused and excited all at once, and she felt her heart begin to race in anticipation.

"What's wrong?" Renz asked, sitting up on his elbow. He looked down at her with concern in his eyes, and Lena felt a sudden, overwhelming fondness for him.

"Take me again," Lena said suddenly. Renz softly smiled at her, and stroked her cheek with his fingertips.

"You're going to be very sore in the morning if we do anything else right now Lena. I was...quite rough with you tonight," Renz said. Lena shook her head quickly. She knew she wasn't thinking properly, but she needed Renz again. The warm feeling she had for him was so strong, that she needed to do something physical about it.

"Please sir," Lena pleaded softly. Renz's gray eyes twinkled, and he reached beneath the sheets, and pulled Lena's body against his solid chest as tightly as possible.