Love and Possibilities

Shots Fired

He takes off his clothes, throws them in the hamper and takes a quick shower. He grabs some shorts, puts them on and sits in the corner by the window in his recliner. It is one of his favorite places in the house, a cozy place where he can have peace and quiet when he has guests. He picks his phone up off the table and calls Bella.

“Hello angelo, how was your day?” Her voice is like honey.

“Tiring, but interesting.”

“Did you claim your gift?”

“Yes, she did a very good job on the website so far and…”

“And…” She purrs.

“And she, um, served me during our break. I wasn’t going to, but she was so disappointed and I couldn’t deny her.”

“What did you have her do for you?” Her breathing increases.

He told her what she did.

“She has an exquisite mouth, yes?”

“Oh God, yes.” Heat moves through him as he remembers.

She  chuckles, “I’m glad you are enjoying my gift, Lexei…that makes me very happy.” She sucks air between her teeth.

“I’m glad, but I still think this is weird.” Bella sounds like she is very excited more excited than he thinks his words are doing for her.

She moans into the phone and it shoots straight between his legs.

“Bella?”

“Mmmmm?”

“What’s happening?”

Her breathing increases and she is gasping and moaning. “Luna…” she moans louder.

“Is she, Oh wow…” He is instantly hard as he realizes what’s happening.

He hears Luna say, “C*m for me.” And then Bella is crying out.

“Holy f**k…” He whispers. He hears Bella panting and moaning and slowly becomes quiet and then Luna is on the phone.

“Hello Alexei, that was for you. Sweet dreams.”

“T-thank you, Luna.” And then she is gone. He is going to need another shower.

***

He tosses and turns through most of the night trying to figure out what to tell Maria. Megan had seemed convinced that he should tell her the truth, but he wasn’t sure if Maria would be able to accept it. Besides Charlie, Maria is one of his closest friends and of course she is also his assistant. It isn’t easy for him to work with just anyone in his studio. Although he worked really well with Megan, which had surprised him a little. Maybe it had something to do with her being so submissive.

The problems he’s had before were with people trying to do things their way instead of how he wanted it. How easy going he is often has people thinking he will roll with it, but when it comes to his sacred space he won’t tolerate anyone telling him how things should be in his own studio.

He went through a lot of assistants until Maria volunteered to help him one week when he was between assistants. They had worked so well together he had convinced her to come to work with him. He really didn’t want to lose her, not her friendship or as an assistant.

He rolls out of bed Wednesday morning feeling more tired than when he went to bed and still undecided how to handle things. He makes his way downstairs, grabs a cup  of coffee, which thankfully he had set up the night before, and begins making breakfast. Maria walks in and is surprised by Erin meeting her at the door and asking for ID before she’d let her in. “What’s going on, Alex?”

He continues what he is doing and doesn’t turn around. “I had a threatening phone call on Monday night and Luna felt it was best if I had a couple of bodyguards until we could figure out who it is and if it’s a real threat or not. You just met Erin, Bailey is still sleeping and this is Megan.” He points to her sitting at the island.

“You have three bodyguards? Isn’t that a bit much?” She looks at Megan with a frown and probably because she is in another short dress this morning, this one is dark blue with light blue polka dots.

Erin chuckles, “I think I’ll wait in the living room. Let me know when breakfast is ready, Alex. Good luck.”

Maria frowns. “Why do you need luck? What else is going on?”

He swallows hard and doesn’t look at her as he throws the eggs in the pan. “Bella and Luna couldn’t be here this week and Bella decided to send me a gift.”

“Okay, that was nice of her. What did she send you?”

“Me.” Megan says smiling at Maria.

“What? I don’t understand.” Her eyebrows raise and then she frowns.

“I am Bella’s pet and she decided she wanted Alexei and I to become special friends so she gifted me to him. So for now, I am his pet. Please don’t get angry with him. He is very worried about how you are going to take this.” Megan looks beseechingly at Maria.

Maria is looking from Megan to Alex, and then back again. “You’re joking right, you can’t gift a person, she isn’t a piece of property. Tell me she’s joking, Alex.”

He turns and finally looks at her. “She isn’t joking. You know Luna and Bella want me to be their third, but what I didn’t tell you is there is more to their lifestyle than that.”

“They are into b**m, right? f**k, Alex, do you know what you’re doing? What you’re getting into. s**t, you haven’t even had a girlfriend before this.”

“It is more D/s than b**m, Maria.” He huffs.

“Really, you’ve never had a girlfriend?” Megan hadn’t known that and she was looking at him with an odd expression on her face.

He pushes his hand through his hair. “Yeah, it’s true.” He tells Megan. “Thirty-two years old and I’ve never had a girlfriend. I’m a freak so why would it surprise you, Maria, that my first relationship I finally have is completely crazy.” He is progressively getting louder. “I mean it isn’t like I haven’t kept all women away from me, kept from getting the slightest bit intimate beyond s*x because God forbid something bad should happen to them, say someone shoots them in front of me. Why in the world would I want to set myself up for pain like that again!” Now he is yelling. “f**k!” Both women look pale and he turns and storms out into the backyard. 

Erin follows him, but keeps her distance. She calls Bailey. “Hey, sorry to wake you but I think I need your help. Maria and Alex are fighting and I’m out back with Alex, can you keep an eye on the house?”

“Yeah, no problem. I’ll be right down.”

Erin follows Alex at a distance as he walks along one of the paths.

Alexei can't believe he just lost it in there. He never yells. His heart is beating fast and he suddenly can't breathe. “f**k!” He stops and puts his hands on his thighs as he gasps for air.

“Hey, Alex, slow down your breathing, you’re going to hyperventilate.” She moves to stand in front of him and he is still gasping and breathing too fast. She jerks him up and slaps him hard on the face. That stops him. He’s blinking rapidly and staring at her with his hand on his cheek.

“Sorry, but it was the only thing I could think to do. You okay?”

He takes a long, slow breath in and out. “Yeah, it’s okay, thanks.”

Erin chuckles, “You’re thanking me for slapping you?”

“Well, it worked.” He sits down on a nearby bench.

“It’s going to be okay, Alex, just give Maria a little time to adjust to the changes. I’m sure she’ll come around.”

“I don’t know she seemed pretty appalled.”

“If she really cares about you she will come around.” Erin suddenly looks behind her, toward the back of the property. She grabs Alexei’s arm and pulls. “Come on, we need to get inside.” She practically drags him back to the house.

“What’s going on, Erin?” He sees the look on her face and how she keeps looking back and he stops struggling and they quickly get inside.

“What’s wrong, Erin?” Bailey asks as soon as the door is shut and locked.

“I think someone is at the back of the property. Alex, take your friends and go downstairs, lock the doors. We have to take a look. Don’t come out until we tell you to, understand?”

“Yeah, okay. Please be careful.” His chest constricts as he thinks of Bailey and Erin risking themselves for him.

They both grin at him. “This is what we do, don’t worry about us.” Bailey says.

Alexei takes Maria and Megan downstairs and locks the door. He takes out his phone and calls Luna.

He starts talking as soon as she picks up. “Someone might be here, they are checking it out now and we, Maria, Megan and I, are in the studio with the doors locked. I know it would take too long for you to send backup but I wanted you to know what’s happening.”

He looks over and Maria is standing by the desk at the opposite end of the studio and Megan is hovering nearby, staring at him worriedly.

“It’s okay, Alexei, they are very good at what they do. Stay where you are until they tell you it is safe. But I will send two more out to you so there can be someone inside and someone outside at all times.”

A loud pop rang through the air and then another and another. “f**k!”

“What is it, Alexei?”

“I think I just heard gunfire." Where are Bailey and Erin? He holds his breath trying to listen. He hears footsteps coming down the stairs.  

"Do you still want me to come to your place? I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me. I’ll let people know there’s been a family emergency and the orders are going to have to wait! I am not going to put anyone else in danger. I think we will be safer in your building or Bella’s building than here.”

“Yes, just breathe, Alexei, it will be alright.”

"Bailey shouts through the door. “It’s okay, you can come out now.”

Alexei yanks the door open. 

“Do you have a first aid kit, Erin needs a little attention.” Bailey says, her face sweaty from exertion.

Alexei pushes past her and runs up the stairs two at a time.

“It’s okay, Alex, it’s just a scratch.” Erin tries to reassure him as she rinses her upper arm over the sink. There’s a gash about two inches long on the side of her upper arm. “She just grazed me, it’s no big deal. I just need some antiseptic and some butterfly bandages. It’ll be fine. I’ve had worse.”

“She? It was a woman?” Alexei says as he pulls the first aid kit out from the cabinet above the refrigerator.

“Yeah, she had long flaming red hair and she was probably five foot six or seven, Do you know anyone like that?”

“No, I don’t.” He pulls out the alcohol and looks at Erin.

“It’s okay, go ahead and douse it.”

Maria is watching everything and hasn’t said a word since all this began.

Erin holds her arm at an angle over the sink. “Come on, pour it and get it over with.”

Alexei opens the bottle and pours it freely over the wound and Erin sucks air through her teeth but doesn’t make any other sound though she looks pale.

“Why aren’t you people calling the police?” Maria asks.

Alexei pats the wound with some gauze and then puts triple antibiotic ointment over the wound. He makes sure the edges are dry and then applies quite a few butterfly bandages as Erin pinches the wound closed. He doesn’t know how she is doing all this and acting like it isn’t a big deal. He’s pretty sure he’d be cussing up a blue streak from the pain. He attaches the last butterfly bandage.

“There, I think that will do it though you will have a scar.”

“It won’t be the first. Is Luna sending more help?”

Oh God. He picks up his phone. “Luna, are you still there?”

“Yes, is everyone alright?” She sounds concerned.

“Erin was grazed on her upper arm but it’s going to be okay. She wants to know if you’re sending reinforcements. I forgot to tell her we’re going to you, or are we going to Bella’s?”

“Here for now. Tell everyone to pack up and head over here. Including Megan. Bella says she is still yours even if you are here.”

Megan brightens as she had been looking worried when she heard they were going to Luna’s.

“Alright, we’ll be there in about three hours or less. See you soon, Luna.” There was excitement in his voice. He turns and looks at Maria and she frowns. “I’m sorry I yelled at you, but this is my life and I’m living it the way I want to live it. I hope you can accept that because I love you, you are one of my closest friends and I want you in my life too.”

“Fine, I guess you won’t need me until all of this is sorted out. Call me when I can come back to work.” She leans in and hugs him hard. “Please take care of yourself. Even though I’m mad at you I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

“I will be careful, I promise.” He hugs her back.

“I guess this means Friday with Friends is canceled for now. Everyone is going to be disappointed, but I’m sure they’ll understand.” Maria says.

“Hopefully we can figure out what is happening soon.”

“Don’t you think you should call the cops? I mean she did shoot a gun on your property and she hurt someone.” Maria looks at Alexei and then the others.

“Maybe we should call the police, Bailey.” Alexei frowns.

“Luna wants to keep this under wraps for now.” 

“Why? I mean whoever this is the police will have a better chance of finding her than we will.”

“Not necessarily, the cops have to follow all the rules and we don’t. Luna has people out there right now investigating this. She will find her.” Erin says.

“I think all you people are crazy and are leading Alex right down the crazy road with you. Call me later, Alex.” She huffs and heads out the garage door. Bailey follows her out.

Almost three hours exactly they pull up to Luna’s building. Alexei is fidgeting and feels like he can’t breathe. He hasn’t seen her since last Friday. Megan reaches over and takes his hand.  The four of them get out of the car and the valet takes the keys. The doorman opens the door for them and they make their way to the elevator. Bailey has a key fob so they don’t need the concierge to help them.  The elevator takes them up, the doors open up to the huge foyer and Clara is standing there, breasts on display as usual. No one around him acts like they even notice. Of course they have been here before and know how she dresses.

“Luna is in the main room.” Clara motions as she turns to lead them.

We all follow her naked bottom to Luna sitting on the white couch working on her laptop. She jumps up when she sees them. She looks at Erin’s arm. “Do you want to get stitches, I can get my doctor here and she will stitch you right up.”

Erin hesitates and Bailey speaks up. “That would probably be best, don’t you think, Erin?”

“Alright, if you think she’ll do it without making a fuss.”

“I pay her very well not to make a fuss. I’m very glad neither of you were seriously injured. Both of you will see a nice bonus in your bank tomorrow for keeping Alexei, Megan and Maria safe. Whoever this lunatic is, she is obviously very serious about her threat. Alexei, do you have any idea who it could be?”

“No, I’ve been thinking about it though and the only thing I can come up with is it is someone who read the article and has some crazy obsession. Obviously she’s been following me to know you and Bella are in my life now and it’s pissed her off. I just don’t know how we can find her when we have no idea who she is.”

Luna pulls out her phone and taps a few times. “Tessa, we need your skills at my penthouse. Yes, nothing major just some stitches. Thank you. See you soon.” She taps her phone and then taps a few more times. “Bailey, did you get the system up and running yesterday?”

“Yes, ma’am. It is all set up.”

A big screen rolls down from the ceiling at one end of the main room. Once it is fully open a picture of Alexei’s house fills it, then one by one the photos go from inside to outside. Then it switches to video but no sound. It shows Bailey and Erin running out of the house, guns drawn. Up until that moment, Alexei hadn’t realized they had guns. He watches as they run into the gardens and then picks them up further down the path and then there is video of the woman. He definitely doesn’t recognize her. She’s wearing blue jeans and a sweatshirt. She is holding a gun and fires several times and the video goes back to them and it shows Erin getting shot. Alexei winces. Then it shows the woman running away to the back of the property and getting on a dirt bike and taking off. No plates. The screen goes black.

“Bailey, I want you to go through all the footage so far, see if she was around during the night. I also want you to keep an eye on the current footage to see if she comes back. Clara, show our guests to their rooms.” Luna pulls Alexei over to the side as everyone else follows Clara. She pulls him into her arms and hugs him tight. “I’m so glad you are safe, Alexei. I was so worried while I waited on the phone. I never felt so helpless in my life.” His arms wrap around her.

“It’s okay, Luna, we’re all okay.”

Her hands touch his face. “I missed you, sweet man.” She kisses him softly across his lips.

“I missed you too, Luna.”

“So tell me, have you been having fun with Bella Lucia’s gift?” She grins at him as she pulls him over to the couch.

Her mood shift is so sudden he feels off balance. “It has definitely been interesting. She is very attentive and eager to please. She is also very good at what she does. I couldn’t believe how much she got done yesterday.” He frowns.

“What is it, Alexei?”

“Just thinking about my studio and how I’m so far behind and now I can’t do anything.”

She pulls him up by the hand and takes him to a door near the library. “This room wasn't being used and I thought it would work well for you." She opens the door and light fills the room from the floor to ceiling windows all along one wall. He sees a painting easel, drop cloth, and tons of art supplies on the table. “I had them brought over when I knew you were coming. I had a feeling you might need to paint your process as you told me you do sometimes. I don’t’ have a kiln but I can get one for you. Anything you need, you let me know and I’ll get it. I want you happy, Alexei.”

His heart had fluttered when they first stepped into the room and he saw what she had done for him. “This is very kind of you, and very generous.” He notices that all the art supplies are top name brands. “Thank you, Luna, really, this was very considerate of you to do for me. I don’t think you should get the kiln though, hopefully we can catch the woman soon and I can get back to my studio.”

“I just want you to be able to do your art, Alexei, I know how important it is to you.”

“I think being able to paint is good for now. I’ll let you know if I change my mind.” He pulls her into his arms. “Thank you, truly, this was very thoughtful.”