The Reckoning

The drive back to the house takes about half an hour, and her anxiety grows with every minute of it. By the time Tom parks on the paved driveway she almost panics, "You okay?" Tom asks next to her. She nods; he switches off the engine and gets out of the car. She hears him get her bag from the trunk, then he opens the passenger door and helps her out. Looking up at the large house she starts to tremble, Tom's arms slide around her, he hugs her from behind, "It's okay Nicky, I'm going to put the bag back in the trunk, and then we're just going inside for a moment to get any additional stuff you're going to need."

She nods, then turns slowly in his arms, locking eyes with him, "But where am I going to stay then?"

He blushes, "In Utrecht..? With me?"

Her heart leaps, she melts into him, then she remembers, "Tom.., I can't.., the doctor told me I'll have to wait for another three weeks before..." He silences her with a deep kiss, a kiss she accepts with a moan. When she enters the house a couple of minutes later it feels like she has already left it behind her. It even helps being inside it again. Tom helps her pack some additional bags, mainly with clothing. The packing limit of the sports car is reached rather quickly.

"We'll come back at the weekend," Tom says while squeezing her beauty case in the already overfilled space behind the front seats, "for the remainder of your personal stuff."

Next he helps her get into the car again: already a bit easier. Fifteen minutes later they're on the highway, heading west first, then turning north. The car is noisy, and its Recaro seats are clearly more designed for performance than for comfort, but the monotone engine hum still makes her eyelids heavy. You are still recuperating, she thinks, "Would you mind if I try to sleep a bit?"

Tom throws her a smile, and his right hand caresses her upper thigh, "Of course not!" She closes her eyes, and quickly drifts off into sleep. Soon the dreams come, the dreams of desire and shame, of lust and humiliation, then there's Michael's wounded face, Michael turning his back on her, a slamming door, and then just pain. "You okay?" The car is standing still, the engine isn't running anymore, are they there already? No, they are at a highway rest stop. Tom is holding her arm; there's concern in his eyes, but also pain.

She pales, "Did I..?"

He nods, "You had a nightmare, you screamed for Michael."

She swallows, "I'm sorry.., I'm so sorry..."

She starts to cry, his hand clamps down on her arm, that's when she realizes she has opened the car door somehow.

"No!" his voice strong, then soft, "It's not about the name Nicky! It's about the hurt." His grip softens, he leans over the console and pulls her against him with both arms, kissing the nape of her neck. "We finished that fucker way too quickly, he didn't suffer enough, not even close..."

She sniffles, "The dreams are always different, but the end is always the same."

He silences her with a kiss, "You don't have to explain yourself Nicky."

She shakes her head, "No, I want you to know. It always ends with Michael walking in on me and Peter." She blushes, "With him witnessing me cum while that bastard fucks my ass. And then I notice him standing there, watching, the hurt in his eyes; it hurt so much, it broke my heart. And then he called me what I was, and left, left my life. That's why I screamed his name, just like I did then."

***

Nicky stays awake for the remainder of the trip, and they end up in the parking garage of a relatively new apartment complex. He helps her out of the car, then gets out her beauty case and two of the bags. The elevator takes them to the top floor, where Tom leads her into this rather nice apartment. He parks her on his couch, not wanting her to assist in getting the rest of her luggage upstairs. Once all her bags and stuff has been dragged upstairs he shows her around the apartment. It has three bedrooms, two large ones and one small one, which he has turned into a study.

He looks at her, "Which bedroom do you prefer?"

She smiles softly, "I have a choice?"

He shrugs, "I'm just not taking anything for granted Nicky."

She moves up against him, hugs him, "No fun for the next three weeks: doctors' orders..."

Tom grins, "The fact that I can't fuck you yet doesn't mean I'm not going to be able to have fun in bed with you."

He moves her bags into the master bedroom. She unpacks them and moves her clothes into the available wardrobes and dressers, next to his - it feels good. It's dinner time by the time they are finished. She doesn't fancy eating out, she's just too tired, so he orders them a takeaway. After they've eaten he parks her on the couch again, then leaves, to return a moment later, with a small cardboard box in his hands. He sits himself down next to her, a serious look in his eyes.

"I know this has been an emotional day for you already," he says, "but I want to get this out of the way." She looks down at the cardboard box in his hands, feeling dread. "There had to be an investigation into Peter's 'business' of course. I used the terrorism angle to take charge of the crime scene, which put me in the position to screen all the evidence. Peter was a paranoid psychopath so, as far as I've been able to determine, he kept all the 'evidence' he gathered in this hidden room of his, with a backup in a safe in the cellar."

He taps the box, "In here is all the material he had on you, everything, except the original video from that gang rape when you were in college, all those years ago." Her eyes have locked on the box, her hands have come up to her mouth. "It can't be destroyed yet. I don't expect it, but you might still need it, to prove you were one of Peter's victims, and not his accomplice." He swallows, "No one has seen what's in this box Nicky, no one but Peter.., and me."

Her eyes fly up to his face, "You.., you saw all of it?" He nods slowly, and she feels her face turning pale, as her eyes moisten.

He reaches out, places a hand on her shoulder, "I had to Nicky, if I hadn't someone else would have, and then you would have gotten involved into this mess too; I wanted to spare you that. The people who mistreated you, they're going down anyway, the rest of the evidence is going to put them away for sure." He swallows, "I'm sorry Nicky, I didn't want to, I had to..."

She crawls up against him, hugging him, "I'm not mad at you, on the contrary. But.., why did you still invite me into your bedroom, after.., after..."

He silences her with a kiss, then locks eyes with her again, "I'm not holding any of it against you Nicky. So you had sex with a lot of guys before me, so be it. I only regret it was against your will, that that bastard forced you." He looks down, "And it makes me feel insecure." He hesitates, "Did you know Peter had video equipment installed in the master bedroom too?"

She swallows, shakes her head, "No, he always made me 'service' other men in one of the other bedrooms, the one with the mirrors and the comfy chair, I thought..." She bites her lip.

His voice sounds soft, "He had cameras all over the house, that's how he knew when to come out of hiding to attack Michael. Anyway, that last time, in the master bedroom, with those Slovaks... That last guy that took you, I can't get the images of it out of my head. I'm afraid I'll never be able to give you.., the pleasure he gave you..."

She melts into him, "Yes.., he had a big cock, and he was a bit of a gentle giant too." She hesitates, "I wasn't against having to have sex with him on a regular basis, I was against losing my freedom though, and even more against Michael and Natasha losing their lives." She kisses the nape of his neck, then locks eyes with him again, "Love provides a lot of inches all of its own Tom. I'm expecting it to make your cock feel better than that giant Slovak's."

***

Natasha watches Michael enter the kitchen from the garage, carrying Mischka, who had stormed into the garage to welcome her daddy the moment she heard him switch off the engine of the car. She isn't allowed to enter the garage before the engine is off, to avoid accidents. Michael walks up to her, "Hi honey," then she gets a tight hug too.

"Finally weekend?" she smiles at him.

He nods, "Yeah, finally..." They kiss for a moment. "Did you remember Tom is going to come by tonight?"

She nods, "Sure, the two of you're going to help Nicky move tomorrow. I didn't forget. I assumed he would stay for the night..."

Michael nods, "Think so... He's coming here tonight from Utrecht so we can have an early start tomorrow morning."

Natasha smiles, "I made sure the guest bedroom is ready. But he's isn't joining us for dinner, is he?"

Michael shakes his head, "No, he told me to expect him around nine." Mischka pouts. Tom has been around a lot the last three weeks, he has become her favorite uncle, and she knows eight o'clock is bedtime for little Mischka. He pecks her on top her little nose, and smiles, "Don't worry pumpkin, you'll see him in the morning."

It's just before nine when he hears a car stop in front of the house, just out of sight. By the time he enters the hallway the doorbell chimes. Opening the door he's met by Tom's smiling face. He lets him inside, "No bag?" Tom shakes his head. "You're not going to stay the night?"

Tom shrugs, "That depends. We have to talk." He leads him into the sitting room, feeling a bit confused.

Natasha comes running up to Tom, "Hi Tom!" Tom had basically saved all of their lives, so he ranks rather high on Natasha's list of favorite people. They hug and Natasha gets a kiss on her cheek. "I got the guest room ready for you," she beams.

Tom shrugs, "Thanks, but I don't know yet if I'm going to stay tonight Natasha."

Natasha looks confused, Michael grins, "Wait a minute... You're staying at Nicky's?"

Tom grins, putting his hands up, "Please, just sit yourself down for a moment. I have some things to tell you."

They sit themselves down on the couch, Tom sits himself down in one of the armchairs. He looks at Natasha, "I've had some news. The Paris case got closed, so no one is looking for you anymore. Also, the remains of your boyfriend got repatriated to Slovakia. The funeral had already taken place by the time I got the news though, I'm sorry about that. But I can tell you that he was buried at the place of his birth, the place where his parents live."

Natasha shrinks a bit, Michael hugs her against him, "We'll go visit the grave sometime honey." She nods slowly, looking up at him: her eyes are moist. He kisses her softly, she melts into him for a moment.

Tom sighs, "That brings me to the other issue... I presume Mischka is in bed already?" They both nod, "Good," Tom says, because I want to show you something that isn't suited for a little girl's eyes and ears." He digs up a memory stick from his pocket, "Your TV can play video files from this?" Michael nods, he hands him the stick, "There's just one file on it; it's rather explicit, but I think the two of you should see it. There's someone who thinks Natasha sees her as a threat, I think she's wrong, but this will prove her true feelings where it comes to the two of you beyond any doubt."

Michael swallows, "This is about Nicky?" Tom nods. He puts the stick in the USB slot of the TV, then returns to the couch and picks up the remote. The TV comes live, and a large empty bedroom appears on the screen. The bedroom door opens and they watch Nicky come in, naked but for some slutty lingerie, a man in a black suit following her inside. He recognizes him immediately, it's the Slovak Tom had killed.

Natasha gasps loud, "That's the boss of the guys who hired Dusek!"

They watch Nicky turn, walk up to the guy and start to undress him, "You're going to kill them, aren't you?" they hear her ask, loud and clear.

The Slovak shrugs, "The girl, she knows too much."

"He's talking about me, about us," Natasha observes, her voice trembling.

Nicky pulls the guy's shirt off, "And you're going to kill us too." She simply states, putting the shirt away.

The Slovak grins at her, "You're not the dumb whore your pimp husband takes you for."

They watch Nicky kneel in front of him, take of his shoes and his trousers, "I was dumb enough to give him the leverage to blackmail me into marrying him." She says, looks up at the Slovak, "You're a man of your word, aren't you?"

The Slovak looks down at her, nods, "Yes, I'm a criminal and a killer, but when I give my word I never break it. I would never have betrayed my marital vows like your husband does."

They watch Nicky move her face against his bulging crotch, then look up at him again, "I would be very grateful if you promised not to kill me. I know I saw your face, but you could take me with you, I could be of use to you..., and whomever else you would want me to be grateful to. You could chain me to a bed somewhere, somewhere safe for you."

She swallows, "And I bet the girl, Natasha, she would be very grateful too, if you spared her child and her lover.., who don't know your face yet. She's a rather beautiful girl, just imagine the two of us chained to that bed, naked and eager to satisfy all your needs."

Natasha whimpers softly, the man on the screen frowns, "Why the concern for them?"

"The boyfriend, Michael, he used to be my lover, before Peter blackmailed me into becoming his whore."

"And the girl? Why the concern for her?" the Slovak asks.

"Because Michael loves her, and the little one."

The Slovak grins, "You're a remarkable woman. I'll make you a deal; your full submission for one life. The girl, Natasha, she isn't negotiable. You can save your ex boyfriend's, the little girl's, or your own life. But if you choose your own life; I would take you with me, chain you to that bed, just like you proposed. You would become my sex slave, but I would take good care of that baby growing inside your belly."

Nicky doesn't need much time, "I choose the little girl."

Natasha gasps loud, her hand covering her mouth, "And your own child?" the Slovak asks.

Nicky shakes her head, "I don't even know who the father is, just that it isn't the pervert I was forced to marry, but one of the rotten bastards he made me fuck. I would have aborted it if Peter had let me. And Michael; he wouldn't want me to save him and let the little one die." Nicky pauses for a moment, then "Give me your word you'll spare the little girl and I'll do anything for you. I'll be your lover, your slut, your whore, whatever you desire. And that goes for your men too."

The Slovak grins, "I'll go for the whore then, but a very eager one, very eager to please. And you'll have to be very eager satisfying my men, while I watch, too. I especially look forward to watching you eagerly take Oeznik's twelve inch cock in all your holes. That's sure going to be a sight to behold. Tell you what; if you manage to eagerly accept Oeznik up to his balls in all your holes, you're going to get a bonus. I'll let Oeznik take you home with him, chain you to his bed."

Nicky swallows, "That would be the big guy you had standing next to the kitchen door?" The Slovak nods, after a moment Nicky nods too, "Deal..."

The Slovak grins again, "You have my word on it then, now earn your reward..."

Nicky reaches up, slowly pulls the Slovak's shorts down, the video freezes. Natasha whimpers, then, "She.., she chose to save Mischka, over saving herself, and.., and she was prepared to..." she sounds shocked. Michael is just short for words. "What happened after this?" Natasha asks, her voice small.

Tom swallows, "She paid the price. This happened more than three hours before we came in. When we did, the last one of the bastards was just about to pull up his trousers so to say." Natasha says nothing, she cries silently, big tears running down her cheeks. "I picked her up from the hospital last Wednesday," Tom says, "to give her a lift home. When we got there, she was afraid of the house, so I took her home to Utrecht with me, she has been with me since."

Michael feels confused, "So where is she now then?"

Tom sighs, "As I said, she's afraid Natasha sees her as a threat, for what the two of you have. She's even decided to stay at her old house with me tonight. She doesn't know I was planning on showing you this, probably wouldn't have wanted for me to either." He gestures with his head, "She's outside, in the car, waiting for me to return." Natasha is up in a flash, out the door before either of them can react. "I'm so fucked now..," Tom groans.

Natasha storms out the front door, down the garden path, then checks herself. Tom's car is parked to the left, just passed the driveway. She walks up to it, Nicky is in the passenger seat, reading something. She's just a couple meters away from it when Nicky's head comes up. As she notices her. Natasha smiles at her, and Nicky smiles back shyly. She steps up to the passenger side door; it isn't locked, so she opens it. Nicky looks at her questioningly, "Would you please join us inside?" she asks her, her voice thick with emotion.

Nicky had been reading a book, but puts it down on the floor, then slowly gets out of the car, wincing halfway. Natasha frowns concerned, "The operation," Nicky explains, "the scar resembles a small cesarean." Her face drops for a moment, "It still hurts a bit with certain movements."

"Don't be mad at Tom," Natasha says, when Nicky is standing, "but..," she moves up to her, and hugs her carefully, "Thank you so much for warning us.., and for what you did for Mischka."

Nicky blushes, "He showed you? He.., he promised me he would show no one anything!"

Natasha feels her tremble, "If he hadn't, I wouldn't have known what an exceptional person, and what a good friend, you are. I'm so sorry for what I said to you at your wedding."

Michael watches the two of them come in, his old and his new lover. "Get your luggage inside Tom, the two of you're staying here tonight," Natasha orders.

Tom had been standing already, he's looking at Nicky, his voice sounds soft, "I'm sorry.., I.."

Nicky looks up at him, "It's okay Tom. I understand why you did it." Tom looks relieved, and is gone in a flash, to return a couple of minutes later with a pair of overnight bags.

Natasha watches Tom put down the bags. Nicky looks around the room, Natasha smiles, "Just take the couch you two love birds." Tom and Nicky sit themselves down, with Nicky immediately snuggling up to him. Natasha has just provided everyone with coffee, and sits herself in Michael's lap, when the hallway door opens slowly.

Mischka shyly enters the living room, "Uncle Tom?"

"Over here little princess," Tom reacts, reaching out to her.

Mischka is on his lap in no time. Tom hugs her, "How did you get downstairs?" Natasha asks with big eyes.

Mischka smiles shyly, "Mischka open small gate. Very careful on stairs."

"Next time you call for mommy and daddy," Natasha reprimands her, "you could have hurt yourself, made mommy and daddy cry."

She looks guilty, "Sorry mamma."

***

On Saturday morning the five of them have an early breakfast. The plan had been for Michael to join Tom and Nicky and help them move Nicky's stuff, to Utrecht as it turns out. One of the main reasons they had chartered Michael for that was the much roomier car he has, which also came with a trailer hitch, which might come in handy should they be unable to get Nicky's stuff stowed inside the cars. But Mischka wants to come along, to help Uncle Tom. And Natasha wants to come along too, to help Nicky.

So they decide that all five of them will go, and then for Michael to return the girls to his house once Nicky has sorted out everything she wants to take to Utrecht with her, because Tom doesn't want for her to over-strain herself. The two of them will then load everything up, and pick up Nicky at Michael's house before leaving for Utrecht. As it turns out Nicky has seriously underestimated the amount of stuff she wants to take with her, so early in the afternoon Michael drops the girls off at home and then picks up a trailer.