The Blind Tiger: An Unusual Paranormal Romance (5 page)

THE BOUNTY

As the chief enforcer to Russian mob boss, Vladimir Putchenko, Zach was surprisingly not Russian, and also surprisingly the most loyal of Vladimir’s underlings. But then, they had a history that was the stuff of boy-makes-good novels. Or maybe, in Zach’s case, it was boy-makes-bad.

When Vladimir found Zach, Zach was a shivering, frightened ten-year-old who had just run away from home.

Vladimir asked his driver to stop the car. He opened the back passenger door.

“It’s not safe, sir,” said the driver.

“Nonsense. There’s a hungry boy out there.” Vladimir beckoned to the boy. “Come here, boy.”

The boy slowly detached himself from the pile of discarded boxes in the back alley. He approached Vladimir timidly.

“How long have you been out on the streets?” Vladimir asked. He was a big man with hammy fists. He had spent a lot of his life fighting in a Siberian prison.

“How do you know I’ve been out on the streets?” the boy blustered.

Vladimir smiled. He liked a boy with spirit.

He said, “Your clothes are shrunken, which suggests you have been out in the rain and wearing the same clothes for some time. You reek of sweat, which suggests that you haven’t had a bath. You have new bruises on your temple and jaw, which suggests that you have been fighting, perhaps for food or territory.”

The boy cast his face downwards. “Yes,” he mumbled. “I have been out on the streets for ten days now.”

“Ran away from home, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Let me guess. Your parents hit you? Father? Stepfather?”

“Father.”

“Abused you sexually?” When the boy frowned, Vladimir added, “Touched you in places that only you touch yourself?”

“No.” The boy bridled. “But yes, he hit me. He hit me with his tire iron. And with his fists.”

Vladimir looked the boy up and down. The boy was blond, beautiful, and big for his age. He probably got the upper hand when it came to fighting, but only when all things were equal. He would not yet be a match for an adult or a group of boys.

Some of the Russian gangs were into the trafficking of young boys, but not Vladimir. He drew the line at that, having been sexually assaulted by his stepfather when he was a child. If the boy were to be left out in the streets, someone might pick him up and sell him into a country where blond and blue-eyed catamites fetched a princely sum.

“Would you like some food and hot chocolate?” Vladimir asked.

The boy hesitated. “How do I know you won’t kidnap me and sell me off?”

Vladimir had to smile. So the boy was actually streetwise. He was liking this kid more and more.

“You don’t know that for sure,” Vladimir said. “But I’m giving you my word that you will not be harmed. My word is as good as gold. Ask Boris here.”

Boris, the driver, nodded.

When the boy did not reply, Vladimir asked, “What’s your name, boy?”

“Zachary.”

“I’ll call you Zach for short. So what will it be, Zach? You want to come with me and take a chance that you won’t be drugged or sold? The alternative is that you can continue to live like this in the streets until someone else makes you another offer that you can’t refuse.”

After just a moment’s pause, Zach said, “I’ll come.”

“Then come in.” Vladimir made room for the boy in his copious backseat.

And that was how Vladimir Putchenko came to adopt Zach as his surrogate son – in place of the baby boy he had lost at birth.

*

As chief enforcer, Zach was privy to a lot of goings-on in the underground world. Among them were prostitution rings, drug trafficking, and bounties.

He was having a routine Saturday, overseeing the business, when he came upon a chance remark from one of his men in Russian.

“Oh, look, there’s a bounty out for a blind man. That should be easy to collect.”

Zach pricked up his ears.

“Blind man?” he said in Russian. Naturally, Zach spoke Russian better than most Russians did themselves. It was his natural instinct to be curious about everything and everyone around him. It was what kept him alive for so long.

“Yeah, boss. It’s a very old bounty, but still uncollected. That’s why it’s so huge. Apparently, this blind guy is good at hiding and evading people. He has been evading them for five years. For every year he remains uncaught, the bounty goes up.”

“Interesting. Who wants him and what is he wanted for?”

Sergei told him.

“Is he really blind?” Zach asked.

“They think so.”

“Think? That’s a figurative word.”

“They are the ones who blinded him, sir.”

“Very interesting,” Zach remarked, leaning back in his chair. “Do you have a photo of the man?”

Sergei showed him. Zach filed the man’s face away in his memory.

“What’s the bounty?”

When Zach heard the sum, he whistled.

THE GUESSING GAME

Noah was already waiting for Karen when she walked up to his front door. He opened the door before she could knock on it.

“Hello, neighbor.” He beamed.

“You knew it was me?” she marveled.

“Who else could it be at this hour? I don’t get many visitors.”

“Not even women?”

“Especially not women.” He laughed.

She thought that he looked very handsome in a casual black shirt and pants.

“Ready to go?” she asked.

“Ready to go.”

He grabbed his jacket and cane. Together, they walked to her car. She was amazed at how unerringly he seemed to pinpoint the location of the front passenger door.

“How did you know where to find your way?” she said.

“I heard your car. I didn’t hear it do a triple point turn, so I assumed that you parked it in front of my porch, nose first. Then I estimated where the passenger door would be.”

“Amazing.” She meant it. For a person who only had been blind for five years, he acted like he had been blind all his life.

He opened the door.

“I’m really looking forward to your cooking,” he remarked.

“I hope you won’t regret saying that.”

“I’m sure I won’t. You probably went to great lengths to make dinner special.”

“How did you know?”

“Because you’re the type of person who goes out of her way to make other people feel special.” He smiled at her.

Her heart lifted. He didn’t say it in a flirtatious way either. He said it to make her feel good about herself – because he was that sort of person.
So different from Zach,
came the unbidden thought.

“Let’s go.” She had to stifle the choke that came into her throat.

It was so nice to be treated well by a handsome man after such a long time.

“Lead the way.”

*

When they approached the house half a mile down the road, Karen was surprised to see Zach’s car parked in the drive. When did he arrive?

Her stomach fluttered. She prayed that Zach would be on his best behavior. She honestly didn’t have much experience in viewing how Zach behaved in company. Zach never took her out to meet the people he worked with for obvious reasons. She was his sanctuary away from that life as much as this house was.

“Is your boyfriend home yet?” Noah asked.

“Yes.”

“You weren’t expecting him so early?”

“He usually works late.”

“On a Saturday?”

She laughed feebly. “He has that kind of job.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what does he do?”

She paused for a long time, staring at Zach’s car.

She finally settled for: “He works for a family-owned business. They are quite entrepreneurial.”

“Sounds like a good job.”

“I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.”

They both got out.

“Let me help you,” she said, going to him to touch his arm.

“Thank you.”

“The front door is this way.” She was feeling nervous.

“Are you alright, Karen?”

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

“Don’t worry about me,” he said kindly. “If your boyfriend is not used to accommodating the blind, I shall not be offended by any chance remarks that he might make. I’m actually quite used to it.”

He perceived all that from just the tone of her voice?

“Thank you,” she said gratefully. “That bit has been on my mind.”

“No worries. He has no reason to be jealous of me either. I’m not going to steal you away from him.”

She was strangely disappointed to hear that. But it was for the best, of course. What chance did a blind man stand against a Russian mob chief enforcer?

The front door was unlocked, so they went in.

“Zach?” she called.

Not ‘master’. She hoped he wouldn’t punish her for that later.

Zach appeared at the kitchen doorway.

“Nice smells,” he remarked. “You went out of your way to make a nice dinner.”

She laughed. “No more than I usually do for our own dinners together. Zach, this is Noah. Noah, meet Zach, my boyfriend.”

Noah smiled and extended his hand towards Zach. “Pleased to meet you. Karen has said such wonderful things about you, so it’s a pleasure for me to meet you at last.”

Zach appraised Noah, and for a moment, a chill descended down Karen’s spine.

Why is he looking at Noah as if he would like to eat him?

The two men were contrasts in coloring. One blond, the other dark. It was like looking at night and day. Only she wasn’t sure who was light and who was darkness.

After a moment, a smile appeared on Zach’s handsome face. He took Noah’s hand and pumped it. “Pleased to meet you as well. Karen can’t stop talking about you either.”

“Zach, you’re exaggerating.” Karen laughed again nervously. Why was there such an undercurrent here? It made her hairs prickle.

“Please, make yourself at home. Let me pour you a pre-dinner drink.” Zach waved Noah to the couch. Then he remembered. “Sorry. Karen, can you guide our guest to the couch?”

“Of course.”

“Then I would like to have a word with you in the kitchen.”

“Certainly.”

“No worries,” Noah said. “I will find my way.”

He began to tap his way to the direction of the living room. He really was good at this.

“Sure you’ll be alright?” Karen asked.

“Perfect.” Noah gave them a thumbs-up.

Zach crooked a finger at her, and she followed him into the kitchen, her heart thumping.

*

“Is everything alright, Master?” Karen said anxiously.

Zach rounded on her. “You didn’t ask my permission to wear that.”

He jabbed at her dress.

“B-but Master, I thought we had company –”

“Well, you thought wrong. Take off your clothes.”

“What?”

“You heard me. You dare question me?”

“N-no, Master.”

Zach grinned. “It’s not as if our guest can see you.” His voice sharpened. “Now do it.”

Trembling, Karen shed the lovely blue dress she had so carefully chosen for the occasion.

“You are to remain naked throughout this dinner. You are to serve us willingly. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Master.”

When she was naked, Zach walked to her and squeezed her luscious breasts. His nostrils flared.

“I can take you right here over this kitchen table.” He observed her mortified reaction. “Ah . . . that both frightens and excites you, doesn’t it? You don’t wish any impropriety in front of our guest, and yet, the thought of me taking you with him just outside stirs your carnal desires.”

What was he trying to pull? she wondered. Their relationship had become a psychological guessing game. And yet . . . he was disturbingly right.

“Now go out there and lay the table while I make our guest a cocktail,” he ordered.

“Yes, Master.”

With the blood ringing in her ears, she strode out to the dining room, naked, to play her yet unknown role in this psychological charade.

DINNER

Karen stood at the doorway of the lounge. She was naked, afraid to enter.

She had laid the table earlier. Zach and Noah were bonding over cocktails in the lounge. There was plenty of laughter, which gratified Karen.

Zach was saying, “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you get blinded?”

“It was an accident,” Noah replied.

“What sort of accident?”

There was suddenly an edge to the conversation. Karen had learned to recognize Zach’s interrogation techniques. Her stomach curled.

Noah said, “I was driving. Suddenly, a red SUV shot through a red light and blindsided me. Something shattered the windshield. My whole face was blasted with glass, and I cracked a couple of ribs. I was in hospital for a while. When I woke up, I couldn’t see.”

“That sounds awful,” Zach said. “I hope you sued the guy.”

It was the first time Karen had heard this. It was indeed awful.

“I did, actually, and I won. With the considerable sum of money, I was able to start a new life. I started to learn Braille and use a computer with a Braille display. I learned to appreciate music more. Heck, I learned to appreciate
everything
more.”

“Interesting. And what did you do before this unfortunate incident happened?”

“I was an architect.”

“Do you have family?”

Karen was frankly astounded. She had never heard Zach ask anyone so many questions before. But then, she had never seen Zach interact with many people beside herself.

Noah raised his head. “Wait, is Karen out there?”

He could hear her?

Shyly, timidly, she entered the lounge.

“Dinner’s ready,” she squeaked.

She tensed. Zach eyed her appreciatively. Noah did not seem to sense anything amiss.

“Excellent,” Noah said. “I’m positively starving.”

He rose, grabbed his cane, and said, “Lead the way.”

Uh . . . was she supposed to lead him by the hand? What if he touched something else and realized that she was naked?

“It’s right here,” she said, hoping to lead him by her voice.

“Of course. I guessed as much.”

He found his way into the dining room without her help and somehow managed to get himself seated. Karen felt like covering herself, but she didn’t dare to in front of Zach. What was she so self-conscious about anyway? It wasn’t as if Noah could see.

“First course.” She tried to keep her voice steady as she served it. For Noah’s sake, she had apportioned the courses into three individual servings. “Escargots in garlic butter sauce. The implement on your left is an escargot fork.”

“Excellent,” Noah said.

For a moment, she panicked. Why had she chosen escargots? How would a blind man be able to navigate through those little shells? Oh, stupid, stupid, stupid!

But Noah proved amazingly adept at forking the little morsels of flesh out of the shells.

“Mmmmm, these are really good,” he complimented her. “You’re a very lucky man, Zach.”

“That’s what I tell myself every day,” Zach drawled. “You really put yourself out, Karen.”

He was staring at her breasts.

She was used to eating naked in front of him every day. But today, she blushed because they had company. Despite Noah’s obliviousness to her plight, she was on edge.

“So, Noah, do you have family?” Zach asked, signaling for Karen to pour him some wine.

Noah hesitated. Then he said, “Yes, I do. A brother, actually.”

“What about your parents?”

“My parents are dead, unfortunately. They died before I was blinded.”

“That’s awful,” Karen said with feeling. How much tragedy could a man take?

“How did they die, if you don’t mind me asking?” Zach asked.

“My mother died when I was ten. Cancer. My father had a stroke about five years ago, just before I was blinded.”

Karen wanted to say that this was not appropriate conversation for dinner, but Zach would punish her for it later.

“I’m so sorry,” Zach said sincerely.

“It happened a long time ago.”

“Such a coincidence,” Zach mused. “You being in that accident right after your father’s stroke.”

Karen swung to him in amazement. Why was he saying such things?

Noah’s cheek muscle flinched.

“Yes,” he said. “But we must take what life throws at us, or how else would we be able to go on living, right?”

Karen cleared her throat. “I’m going to clear up and bring in the main course.”

“Good idea,” Zach remarked. “I’ll help you.”

Noah smiled at both of them as Karen set about to clearing the plates and empty shells.

In the kitchen, she turned to Zach. “Why are you asking him such questions?”

Zach loomed before her. He was very close to her, and he suddenly grabbed her chin. “Ssssh, little flower. You’re questioning my ways more than usual tonight. Having a guest is making you bold, isn’t it?”

His grip on her chin was very hard. She gazed into his dilated eyes, knowing that he was aroused.

“N-no, Master, I would never presume –”

“Good. Don’t presume.” He let her go.

Trembling, she went to the oven to get the beef tenderloin.

“Wait,” he said.

She turned around again. She was getting more and more terrified of Zach and his unpredictability. Since when did this happen? How did their relationship descend to this?

He opened one of the cabinet drawers and took out a chain, affixed with two clamps. Her mouth went dry.

“Come here,” he said.

She stood still as he fastened the two clamps on her nipples. She drew a sharp breath at the exquisite pressure on her sensitive protuberances. The silver chain connected the clamps. He stood back to survey his masterpiece.

“Now go out there and serve,” he commanded.

“Yes, Master.” She could only be glad that the clamps did not come with bells.

She went outside again with the three servings of beef tenderloin on a tray, acutely aware of the shaking chain. She was especially nervous when she had to go to Noah’s side to place the dish in front of him.

He looked up at her and smiled. “Smells delicious. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Her voice betrayed her jitters. Was he aware of the added accouterments on her?

They all sat to eat the next phase of the meal. The beef was very tender, and it was the best thing she had ever cooked. But she had suddenly lost her appetite.

“This is exquisite,” Noah proclaimed.

“It is, isn’t it?” Zach said. “So, Noah, where’s your brother now?”

“He lives on the other side of the country.”

“Do you two get along?”

Karen stared at her boyfriend in amazement again. Why was he asking so many personal questions?

Noah paused. Even he seemed to think so.

Please, please don’t ruin this, Karen prayed.

Noah said, “We’re OK, as brothers usually are. There are ups and downs.”

“Is he an older brother?”

“No. We’re twins.”

“Twins!” Zach laughed out loud. “I’d never have pegged you as having a twin.”

“Not many people do,” Noah replied. “But no worries. He’s sighted.”

“He’s the lucky one then.”

“I guess so.”

Karen’s stomach churned. She put down her knife and fork.

“Is anything the matter, darling?” Zach said to her. His expression was smug.

“Nothing,” she quickly said. “Just that I fill up fast.”

“That you do.” Zach turned to Noah. “When I first met her, she was this chubby little thing. But she really made an effort to slim down over the months. You should see her now.”

“I wish I could, but sadly, that’s not to be.” Noah’s tones wore an edge. “I’m sure Karen is beautiful in whatever shape she’s in.”

“Of course.” Zach raised his glass. “But you should see her. Figuratively speaking, of course. She’s beautiful. Her eyes . . . they are –”

“Blue,” Noah cut in.

Karen’s jaw dropped. “How did you know?”

“Lucky guess from your voice.” Noah’s smile had a hint of wistfulness.

Karen blushed. She couldn’t help it. She was very aware of Zach looking from her to Noah, and she turned her face away.

Zach’s fingers curled around his wine glass. “A toast to Karen, who cooked us this marvelous dinner.”

Noah raised his glass, too. “To Karen.”

Karen swallowed.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“You’re welcome,” Noah replied.

The rest of the main course proceeded without incident. Karen’s pulse slowed. Surely the worst was now over.

Then it was time for dessert. Karen went to get the soufflé. Her nipples chafed. She was used to having clamps on her nipples, but these felt extra tight for some reason. She returned with three pudding cups filled with chocolate soufflé and topped with vanilla ice cream. Everything smelled freshly baked and delicious.

She placed the cups on the three table settings.

“Dessert,” she said brightly.

“New creation, love?”

“I was just trying new recipes.”

Noah pushed his spoon into the soufflé. He sampled it.

“Mmmmmm, delicious.”

“Naturally.” Zach’s smile did not reach his eyes. He raised his glass again to her, signaling for her to refill it.

This was his fourth glass already. He had been drinking more than his usual quotient. She knew better than to question him, so she got up to get another bottle of wine.

When she passed Zach, he stopped her by touching her elbow.

Wait
, he said wordlessly.

Her anxiety rising, she waited.

“So you are a writer,” Zach said to Noah as his hand went to his fly. “Tell me about your stories.”

He unzipped his fly as Karen’s eyes flew open. Surely he didn’t want her to suck him off in front of Noah! But apparently, that was what Zach wanted. His enormous cock sprang out.

Mutely, she held his eyes.
Please don’t ask me to do this
.

He merely smiled at her. He dug his spoon into the ice cream and placed a dollop on the tip of his cock. His meaning was clear.

“I’ve always liked crime fiction,” Noah began.

Karen knelt in front of Zach’s open thighs. As Noah talked, she licked the melting ice cream off the hot flesh of Zach’s rod.

Zach said, “So you like dark characters?”

He put another spoonful of ice cream on his shaft, and she licked this off, too. At the same time, his right hand groped for and caressed her breast. He fingered the painful clamp on her nipple.

Tears of shame came into her eyes as she sucked him.

“I find darkness very fascinating,” Noah said. He paused. “Don’t you?”

“I do. The injection of a villain seems to make every story a lot more interesting.” Zach stroked her bulging cheeks.

“Sometimes, there many villains in a story,” Noah said, finishing every scrap of soufflé in the pudding dish. “At other times, there are none – only the good guys, and the better guys.”

“Shades of grey.”

“That’s true about most people.”

Zach pushed her mouth off his glistening cock. So he didn’t want to cum inside her mouth in the presence of Noah. “And at other times, there are only bad guys in a story. The bad guys . . . and the worse guys.”

“There are always victims, though,” Noah remarked.

Karen was aware that the conversation had become deeply personal.

“Dinner has been lovely,” Noah said. “But I have to be going. I gave myself a schedule, you see. Five thousand words every day, and I’m afraid I’m extremely behind. My editor is expecting my first draft in less than two weeks to make the fall lineup.”

“Of course. Karen will take you home. Won’t you, Karen?”

She licked her swollen lips. “Of course. Let me get my coat.”

“It isn’t cold out there,” remarked Noah. “I don’t recall you taking off a coat coming in.”

Karen froze. Zach merely sat back and smiled.

She said, “It has gotten chilly, I think.”

“Silly me. Being snug and warm in here, I hadn’t noticed.” Noah got up.

“Let me walk you to the door,” Zach said.

Karen hastily threw a long coat over herself and buttoned it up. As she walked to the door, she heard Zach say to Noah, “Be careful out there. There are plenty of predators in these parts of the woods.”

“And out of them,” Noah said, shaking Zach’s hand.

“Well said.”

“Shall we go?” Karen said brightly. She could relax more now that they were out of the woods, so to speak.

“Sure.”