Uncaged Beauty Read online

  Uncaged Beauty

  Smashwords Edition

  Written by Vivain Murdoch

  ©2012, Vivian Murdoch, Wild Orchid Press

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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  Publisher’s Note:

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places, businesses, and incidents are from the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual places, people, or events is purely coincidental. Any trademarks mentioned herein are not authorized by the trademark owners and do not in any way mean the work is sponsored by or associated with the trademark owners. Any trademarks used are specifically in a descriptive capacity.

  Uncaged Beauty

  Alexander stood in his new office, looking down at the people who were milling around, looking like ants from his penthouse window. Finally the curse had been handed to him. Folding his hands behind his back, he paced back and forth, looking over his new domaine. At 6' 2", Alexander cut an imposing figure; however, add his broad shoulders, thick blondish-brown, nape length hair, ice blue eyes and you had a lethal combination. No woman could resist him. What he didn't know was if it was for his looks or money.

  He stopped pacing for a moment to look at the mountain of paperwork littering the desk. Of course his father had to pass on, right as they were starting a new venture. After his father's death, Alexander inherited Dark Night Promotions, an agency catering to any and every desire, as well as all the problems with it. The thing was, they started a new guilty pleasure: the underground fighting arena. This was the one place you could watch a fight to the death, delivering another aspect of carnage and destruction for the masses.

  He sighed as he set down, a weary look passing over his eyes before hardening back up. There was no problem that couldn't be solved within the arena. There he could be himself. No one asked for money, no one begged to sleep with him, just to add another notch. It was just him and the poor soul awaiting death. Yes, it was brutal; but, he tried to end the fights with the person still living. Many times though, the masses were not satisfied.

  Reaching down into his desk, he pulled out the hideous mask that he wore, earning him the nickname, "The Beast." He could hear the chants in his ears as he leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes.

  A soft knock was all it took to jerk him out of his revelry. "Yes, come in." Tanya, his personal assistant opened the doors and approached him.

  "Sir, there is-"

  He cut her off, standing up, looming over his desk. "Tanya, is there something you are forgetting?" His eyes slid to the floor and back to her.

  A faint blush painted her cheeks as she slid down into a kneeling position before him. "I do apologize, sir," Her eyes staring down at the floor. "It will not happen again."

  "I'm sure," he mumbled, easing around the desk. Looping one finger around the back of her ornate necklace, he pulled her up. "Bend over," he whispered into her ear before turning to lock the office door. He saw her shiver with delight as she leaned forward, placing her palms on the desk. This was what she lived for, he could tell. He waited a moment before sliding off his belt. People like Tanya knew better. She was trained at his mansion since she was legal. However, like Tanya, most of these people got off on the punishment, not the actual submission. It was starting to irritate him. Just once, he wanted a person to kneel before him out of love and devotion, not just the off chance that he would get them off.

  Sighing, whipped his belt off, noting the slight tremble in Tanya's ass at the sound. He slid his hand up her back before fisting in her hair. Tanya could take a hard beating; however, that was not what she was going to get tonight. He knew that's what she wanted and he was not going to give in to her desires. Her role was to please him, not the other way around.

  Letting her hair go, he backed up and swung the belt, reveling in the sound of the leather smacking her perfectly rounded ass. She squealed, making him jerk up in response. Oh how he loved it, every sigh, every whimper, every plea. Too bad none of it was because of him, just what he was doing. After several lashes with the belt, Alexander couldn't take any more. He tossed it to the floor, letting his hands take over. Most of his subs hated his hands being used this way, they were strong enough to bruise almost instantly.

  Tanya jerked forward, trying to escape his onslaught. "Oh no you don't," he chuckled, his deep voice sending vibrations through her. "Isn't this exactly what you wanted?" He stopped and let her catch her breath. Her whole body trembled as she leaned there, waiting for whatever else he had planned.

  A smile eased onto his face as he hooked his thumbs around her skirt and brought it to the floor. "Step." After removing the skirt, he laid it neatly across the chair. He was nothing if not a stickler for tidiness. "Spread your legs." She had taken a good beating from him with very little fuss; she deserved a small reward.

  He leaned down, kissing the small bruises that were already showing on her pale skin. Tanya moaned, lifting her hips to give him access to what she really wanted kissed. Playfully, Alexander swatted the top of her ass, bringing it down to where it was before. "Patience. You should be grateful I am touching you at all. You did, after all break the rules."

  "Yes sir," she whimpered, burying her face in her arms.

  "Good girl," he replied, sliding his finger slowly down her cleft, stopping short at her pussy. She was already wet. It would be too easy to ram himself into her. Shaking his head, he slid his fingers into her, loving the sound of her voice echoing off the walls. He continued for a few moments, before withdrawing completely. "Stand up," he ordered, walking over to the sink to wash his hands.

  "Sir?"

  "You heard me, stand up."

  Confused, she rose, her clitoris throbbing.

  "Put your skirt back on." When she was fully clothed he opened his office door, calling for Ivan, another resident Dom. "Take Tanya back to the Rose. Deal with her as you see fit. She is yours now."

  He turned, ignoring the look on Tanya's face as she was led away by Ivan. Alexander had grown weary of the games, weary of training submissives who were only after the pleasure but not about what submitting truly means. There was no longer a challenge and he grew bored of the new subs being brought into The Thorne and the Rose for training and subsequent work.

  Rubbing his hand on his face, he walked back over to his desk to straighten up papers Tanya shuffled about while in ecstasy. He didn't feel bad for Tanya, Ivan was good at what he did and would fit her needs better than he would.

  Glancing at the clock, he realized that show time in the arena was about to begin. Alexander grabbed the mask from where he laid it and studied it for a moment. He was crazy to do this, even his father thought so when he was still alive. However, he needed release, needed a tension relief. One could smack asses and bark orders for so long before they went crazy. Besides, his father's fears of him dying in the ring were so far fetched. He had yet to find an opponent worthy of h
is skill and power. In the ring, he was truly an animal.

  And so, as many times before, he shoved the mask on, pulled his hair back into a ponytail, and whispered a half coherent prayer as he made his way to the crowd.

  The arena was packed. Everywhere fans stood and yelled, wanting blood, wanting carnage. A small part of him was always sickened by their need for destruction, but as the boss, he had to give them what they wanted.

  The roar of the crowd rose even higher as he entered the ring. He was their favorite champion and he reveled in that power. On the other side of the ring was his opponent. Alexander could tell by the man's stance that he was unsure and a little nervous. Hell, he'd be nervous too if he hadn't trained night and day before stepping foot in there.

  The fight passed in a blur. As always, it seemed to be an out of body experience for him. Maybe that was his true defense mechanism: the ability to rise above himself and not allow his soul to be tainted by the violence. Alexander was glad with it was over and he could relax in his shower. It felt so good to wash the grime and hate off of him. It gave him a small bit of satisfaction in knowing that he didn't have to kill the man who faced him. He was left bloody and very worse for the wear, but he lived. Tipping his firm jaw up into the water, he sighed as the hot water cascaded down his body. It eased the aches and pains of the day; however, it was the massage after the shower that had his body tingling. What good was it to have a harem of slaves if none of them could enhance his physical well being along with the sexual?

  Alexander toweled off, his muscles starting to relax in anticipation. He had worked hard today and would enjoy every minute; however, it wasn't his masseuse waiting for him, but Ivan instead. "I have seen you enough at work today; I shouldn't be seeing you here. Besides, don't you have a new toy to be breaking in."

  "Tonya?" Ivan snorted. "You have spoiled her my Lord. She spent the last several hours crying in my room. I think she wants out of her contract."

  Shaking his head, Alexander removed the towel and threw it to the floor. "This is what you are interrupting my massage time for? Let her out. She knows the rules and compensation. Besides, I gave her to you. You don't need to ask me to get rid of her."

  "It's not that my Lord...and you might want to put some clothes. You have a visitor from the company."

  Slightly confused, Alexander reached behind the bathroom door to grab his robe. "I am ready."

  Gerard stepped in, his suit perfectly pressed, as always. He was a regular at the Thorne and the Rose as well as the employee in charge of financial affairs at the agency. Alexander never saw him unless it was to bitch about one thing or another.

  "Greetings." Alexander reached out to shake his hand before motioning him to a plush seat, nearest to the door. "Who is trying to steal money from me this time?"

  Gerard gave a quick motion with his hand, indicating Ivan bring in the older man. He came in, his head hanging low. Disgusted, Gerard sneered at the man. "Head up, he's not going to bite it off."

  "I wouldn't be so sure," Alexander murmured taking him in. He looked familiar, but then again so many people came in and out of both establishments it could just be a coincidence. "So, this is the hardened criminal? What has he done?" His gaze shifted from Gerard to the man. "Well?"

  "He placed some very large bets, Sir. Idiotic amounts at that. Of course he lost and now can't pay them back."

  "Interesting." Alexander leaned back in his chair. "Who were the bets placed against?"

  Gerard paused for a moment and shook his head at the man's stupidity. "He placed a bet of 20 million dollars against The Beast."

  Alexander's eyes widened as he choked out a surprised laugh. "The Beast? you bet against The Beast? But he is undefeated. Why would you do such a stupid thing?"

  The older man remained silent.

  "He asked you a question; it's best to answer quickly."

  The man looked over his shoulder, giving Gerard a stern scowl. Turning back to Alexander he lowered his gaze to the floor. "I was given a tip."

  "Uh-huh. And how much did this tip cost you?"

  Gerard cleared his throat. "Seeing as the odds were almost entirely in The Beast's favor, and he did win, he ended up owing the corporation the 20 million he initially bet."

  "Hmmm." Alexander leaned forward, resting his chin on his steepled fingers. "This is a problem. What is his net worth Gerard?"

  He flipped through his papers for a few moments. "Last calculation put him at 10 million."

  "A problem indeed." He stood, clasping his hands behind his back as he paced. "What are your backups?"

  "I thought I would plead your mercy. You know, forgive all debt."

  Alexander stopped his pacing and barked out a sharp laugh. "Forgive all debt? Do you think we run this business on wishes and lollipops? You need to do better than that. Besides, what moron bets more than he owns?"

  The older man cleared his throat. "I was told it was a sure bet. I wanted to get a little ahead and thought this would give it to me."

  Alexander shook his head. How did idiots like this get past his thorough checks.

  "We could give him a turn in the Arena."

  Alexander narrowed his gaze on Gerard. Surely he couldn't be that heartless. The older man wouldn't last a minute against the younger fighters. However, it wouldn't be a bad play to keep him compliant. "Gerard has a good point. We could let you do that. However, I think we could all agree that you would die very quickly. That would be of no benefit to me. Gerard, seize all of his assets. All you own is now property of Dark Night Promotions. Still, you will have a hefty balance left. You will work that off here. Gerard, take him below to the trainer. I believe he would benefit nicely in the kitchen." Alexander looked at the massage table, groaning inwardly. This was a complication he didn't expect. Now he would have to put the massage off even longer. He couldn’t leave the assets sitting out there, and he didn’t trust Gerard to move them in a timely manner. As usual, it was up to him to get the job done. Glancing over at the table one last time, he sighed.

  Out in the hall, Gerard glanced over to see Alexander engaged in the transfer of funds before grabbing the man by the arm.

  "Please Gerard, you needn't be so rough with me. I treated you like a son and then you don't even open up your mouth to help me?"

  "I hung by you and family for your daughter. She still hasn't warmed up to me."

  "Maybe because she see you for who you are. I should have listened and not forced the idea of you upon her."

  Growling under his breath, Gerard, shoved him to Ivan. "You heard the boss man. Get him out of here." Things were progressing nicely. He couldn't believe that old man actually fell for the "sure bet." Rubbing his hands together, he planned to get the girl he had been lusting after.

  Isabel looked out over the pool, a thoughtful frown on her face. "I haven't heard from Papa. I hope he's all right."

  Her friend rose up from where she was tanning, took of her sunglasses and squinted at her. "Last I checked, you father was a big boy and perfectly capable of taking care of himself."

  "You don't understand. He always checks in with me if he will be somewhere overnight." The frown returned as she checked through her missed calls.

  "Maybe he just forgot."

  "Hmmm. Maybe." Isabel's phone rang, causing both her and the friend to jump.

  "There you see? All is well."

  "No, it's not," Isabel spat out. "It's that stupid Gerard. He will never take no for an answer."

  "Why should he?" The friend turned onto her side and ran her fingers up the lounge chair as she spoke. "Those perfect abs, those piercing green eyes, that voice. Ugh, why wouldn't you want that? Seriously, send him my way. I have heard rumors of his downstairs and can't wait to hop on board for a ride."

  Disgusted, she handed her the phone. "Have him then; I don't want him."

  "Now, now. Is that anyway to talk about your closest friend?" Gerard's deep voice interrupted the conversation. He was already on route when he called her, hoping
she'd answer and meet him in the foyer instead of having him look for her.

  "Hi, I'm Jeannine," she purred, holding out her hand.

  "Nice to meet you." Giving her a wolfish stare, he bent down to kiss her hand, letting his tongue swirl quickly around her knuckle. After giving her the customary once over with an emphatic stare at her breast, he turned back to Isabel. "Well? You never answered me."

  "Because we aren't closest friends; we aren't friends at all. You are just some horn dog that hung around my father because of me."

  Gerard's face turned red with anger as he heard Jeannine's laugh behind him. "Speaking of your father," he popped his neck from side to side and loosened his tie to get a damper on his anger. "That's why I was calling. I need to talk with you in private."

  Isabel's eyes widened as she followed him into the sitting room. "Something is wrong. I knew it. Is he okay."

  "No. However, I think we can arrange for him to be okay."

  She looked at him confused. "I don't understand."

  "See, it's like this. Your father is a member of a very, very exclusive club. I know because I work there. He made a wager that was not in his best interest and is now property of that club. All you see here is no longer yours. But, agree to marry me and I might cover the sum that he lost."

  She had been pacing but froze at the word marriage. It would be a cold day in hell if she ever married him. She knew slime when she saw it. "How much is he in trouble for?" Maybe if the amount wasn't too bad, she could get a loan from her friends. They may not be in luxury any more; but, he would be safe."

  "20 million."

  Her face blanched. There was no way she could raise that sum. "Maybe if I talked to the loan holder?"

  "He is, how shall we say, not a man to bend at the voice of a woman. It's better to let me deal with him."

  "And of course you wouldn't do this as a favor to him for all he's done for you. You have to throw me into the bargain."

  "Them's the rules sweetheart. Take it or leave it."

  "Leave it," she yelled going up to her room. "And do be a dear and show yourself out. You should know the way by now."