The Shepherd's Crook Pt. 04

"There's also the fact that you haven't asked me if I want another woman in my life! I have a very full life with many women in it who I love very much! Sometimes I struggle to find enough time to spend with the ones I'm with," Ben finally asserted in frustration.

Zama finally realized it wasn't enough that she wanted this. Ben had to want it as well! Her expression became a little desperate. "I do not need much of your time! I promise I will be very compatible with your lifestyle. I have no jealousy in me at all, and I am very friendly! I also have my own money and handle my own investments very skillfully, so you do not need to worry about my expenses. I am an excellent cook though I admit my knowledge of recipes is mostly from my home country."

When Ben still seemed resistant, she rushed on. "I am willing to learn your customs! I am also willing to give you full access to my body and mind. Nothing will be denied to you!"

Yvonne was grinning widely. "This offer is exceptionally generous, Ben! I can't see how you could possibly turn it down!"

Princess Zama beamed a wide, happy smile at Yvonne for her supportive words as Ben gave Yvonne a frustrated look.

Finally, Ben turned back to the younger woman. "What's your Plan B, Zama? You just met me, and before that, you'd run away from your father to avoid being forced into a marriage. Kaan was going to sell you back to your father. Now that you are free of both your father and Kaan, you have options. What is your alternative if you don't go with me? I expect the women who are with me to have contingency plans."

Zama's eyes were beginning to get glassy. "I-I had to flee from my father's palace as his plan for me was too offensive to contemplate. I grew up in the security and isolation of the palace. I know no other life. I heard of Kaan Sadik due to his dealings with my father. I only had a short time to act, so I packed a bag and stowed away on his delivery ship. When I was discovered, I convinced him to let me be one of his guests with the promise of payment. There was never a Plan B until I met you! I cannot go back to my father and the palace. Only misery awaits me there. I have money but do not know the world or how to live in it. Being one of your wives would mean I would have somewhere safe to learn. The others could teach me."

Her eyes pleaded with him. "You are welcome to everything I have. My body is young and strong, and while I have no experience with sex, my virginity is yours as well!"

Yvonne gaped at her in shock, then her eyes locked on Ben.

He glanced at her.

The actor finally found her voice. "Ben, you must help her! She's too innocent to be forced into the world alone!"

Ben frowned at Yvonne. "Help her? Doesn't it sound like I'd just be helping myself to her?"

"It would only sound that way if she didn't want that too!" Yvonne insisted.

Ben took a deep breath, then let it out. He thought about the logistics of taking another woman into his care. There was no shortage of living space as he'd soon have two more homes available to fill. In the interim, she could stay in a spare room in the house he built for Karen and Penny, or maybe Trish would let her stay in the bedroom in her basement. She might stay with Liliya too. Ben wouldn't be letting Tatiana back.

He closed his eyes. He was really thinking of doing this, but he'd do it his way. He looked at her again.

"I can offer you a place to live while you learn how to navigate the real world outside a palace. I can ask my friends to help you with that. You will need to earn your keep by following their instructions for maintaining the home and doing your share of the cooking. You will need to apply for a visitor's visa and work towards getting citizenship. Maybe political asylum is a route to go. Again, I have friends who can help you with that," Ben said.

He held up his hand as Zama began to squeal excitedly. "You may not have noticed I did not include any promises about sharing my time with you. I owe the women I'm currently with so much I will not jeopardize any of their time for you. You seem like a very lovely young woman, and you are very beautiful. I'm sure you will have no trouble finding a more suitable mate than me."

Zama was still vibrating with excitement, and her smile suggested she'd take Ben right now, against the wall, if he indicated any interest.

"That's it. Is that acceptable?" Ben said sternly.

"Yes, Ben! You will not regret this! I promise!" Zama gushed. Then she surged toward him, but he caught her shoulders.

"Hugs only," he said.

She nodded with a coy smile.

He sighed and let her press her body against his as she held him tight.

"Should you change your mind, know I am yours for the taking," she said breathily and felt his response down below as his cock surged. "Ohhh," she sighed as it began to press against her.

He gently pushed her back and smiled weakly. Her eyes were twinkling with joy. "Don't pay any attention to that. It has a mind of its own."

She bit her lower lip, and Ben had to look away as his coverall was becoming uncomfortably tight.

"You're a good man, Ben!" Yvonne stepped closer and hugged Ben before he was ready and felt that pressure against her pussy, too. She leaned her face back as she kept their bodies pressed together. "Oh! You're a good hard man!"

He'd had enough teasing, so he pulled away. "Okay, we've had enough fun at my expense."

The two ladies smiled happily at him. Then Zama spun and rushed back to a duffle bag next to the chair she'd been sitting in. She quickly returned with a book. Aesop's Fables. "The book I promised you!" Zama said, holding his eye.

Ben smiled. "Good girl!"

Zama's grin was huge as she bounced on her toes, delighted with the compliment.

"I'll have my finance people see what we can do to compensate these people," he said.

"Aesop? I think it's a little late for the people in those stories," Yvonne said with a grin.

Ben opened the book and pulled out Ulrich's journal. He skimmed the pages and found a listing of bank accounts, account creds, and passwords. He'd written down the details of how he'd done the initial transfers digitally, withdrew the money from the new accounts in person, then made deposits into a Swiss bank. The address of the bank was on the next page. "This shows where Ulrich hid the money he stole. I'm going to make sure the company gets reopened, and the people get their pension money back."

Yvonne's eyes widened in shock! "Where did you get this?"

Ben grinned. "The night Ulrich died, clever Zama knew she'd only have minutes to search his room, so she fled the table as if distraught and went straight there. When she found it, she hid the journal where no one would find it, and now we have a chance to reverse the evil that man did."

Yvonne was squirming as she stared at him. "Ben, I am seconds away from embarrassing myself with a display of lust for you," she said with a concerned expression.

"Oh! Okay, I'll speak to you later," he said and quickly left the room.

A sailor was waiting in the corridor. Ben was suddenly aware that he'd been assigned a leash. There were always sailors outside of every room he was in to take him places... except he had no place to go at the moment.

"Where would you like to go, Mr. Shepherd?" the young woman asked.

"Home."

-=-

Evelyn's skin was tingling, and it was all she could do to hold herself still at parade rest as they waited for the passengers to disembark.

"You are going to drill a hole in the floor. You are vibrating so strongly!"

The Sergeant looked over her shoulder at Liliya with a grin. She knew the assassin was equally excited to see Ben.

People began appearing, and they scanned the group with their eyes, but there was no sign of Ben.

After what seemed like an eternity, they saw a very tall and beautiful black woman with a huge head of hair walking directly toward them with a smile on her face. She stopped before them.

"Hello, my name is Zama. Ben asked me to find you and let you know he is having difficulties with the customs process."

The third member of their reception party stepped forward. "Hello, I'm Gabriella Wallace. I have Ben's passport and will be Ben's official interpreter. Please take me to him." She nodded to the others and hustled away to the entrance. Evelyn watched the two speaking to the guard there then Gabriella was led inside while Zama was refused entry. The tall woman walked back to join them again.

"I'm Evelyn Killcade, and this is Liliya Sokolov. How do you know Ben?" she asked.

"I am going to be one of his wives," the young woman said with a brilliant smile.

Liliya and Evelyn stared at her with wide eyes. "Ben isn't officially married to any of the women in his life," Liliya insisted.

Zama nodded. "So I have come to learn. It is more of a symbolic title."

"And Ben agreed to add you?" Evelyn asked a little too sharply.

Zama looked at her cautiously. "I was under the impression there was no jealousy amongst the women in Ben's life."

Liliya smiled. "The Sergeant still hasn't accepted that Ben has chosen her. That makes her a little touchy about it."

Zama looked at Evelyn in surprise. "Ben accepted you, and you doubt him? He has not accepted me, and I want him to with every part of my being! He said I may live amongst his family and friends in his neighborhood while I learn how not to be a princess."

"Princess?" Evelyn said, feeling a little more comfortable knowing Ben didn't accept another beauty into his bed.

Zama nodded sadly. "Yes, but I no longer want this title as my father was too eager to marry me off to a horrible old man. I have no idea how to live outside a palace."

Liliya nodded. This sounded like something Ben would agree to.

Another woman was approaching them. She looked lost. Zama saw where Liliya was looking and turned to see the smaller woman.

"Moon! What is wrong?" the princess exclaimed.

The petite beauty with the facial bruises looked at Zama. "I-I have nowhere to go. Vietnam will not accept me back as I worked for a foreign intelligence agency. I will be jailed or executed if I return. The CIA has disowned me. I have nothing to show for the work I did for them, and I have no future."

Zama gathered her into her arms.

Liliya looked at the woman and back toward the customs and immigration area. "Why did they release you if you have no paperwork?"

"They did not release me. I escaped as they don't see me," Moon muttered against the plush comfort of Zama's chest.

Liliya smiled. She liked this woman. "You should come with us. Evelyn's uncle can get you papers."

"What?" the sergeant asked in surprise.

"I could use the help now that Tatiana has left," Liliya said.

"What if they come looking for her?" Evelyn insisted.

"Simply tell them she is in your custody as General Davis is investigating her role in Ben's abduction."

"I didn't have any part of his abduction!" Moon insisted.

Liliya smiled at her. "Of course you didn't, but it will satisfy the authorities here, who will be grateful not to have to deal with the political mess your situation entails."

Moon paused as she thought that over. Then she smiled. "I like how your mind works."

Liliya grinned in return. "I think we will be great friends."

"What do I tell Ben?" Evelyn insisted.

"Just tell him the General wants to speak with her, and he will," Liliya said.

They found some chairs and sat down to wait.

-=-

It took two long hours of negotiating, but Gabriella finally convinced the Italian authorities that it was in their best interests to pass along the administrative headache to others to deal with.

Finally, Ben posed for many selfies with the port authority staff, and they were allowed to leave. Gabriella looped her arm through Ben's as she walked beside her exhausted man.

When they got out into the main hall, they spotted Liliya and Evelyn with a lovely dark-skinned woman and a petite Asian woman sleeping against her.

Ben dipped his face closer to her to fill her in on the new people.

"The woman with the outrageous hair is Princess Zama. She's fleeing her father's kingdom, so she won't have to marry an undesirable mate. The woman resting against her is, well, I can't pronounce her name, so she uses Moon. She's Vietnamese and worked for the CIA before they declared her dead."

When they got closer, the four women stood. Evelyn began to speak, but Ben just pulled her into his arms and held her tight. When he pulled back, her face was red, and her eyes had unshed tears. She squeaked when he took her face between his hands and kissed her tenderly.

They all heard her moan into the kiss then her arms were around Ben again, deepening their kiss.

When they parted, Evelyn's eyes no longer held tears, but they were very wide, and her face was very red.

Ben pulled Liliya into his arms and repeated his kiss with her, but she willingly flowed into his arms and returned his kiss with passion.

"I've wanted to do that for some time," he said to them, and they smiled shyly. "I also want to thank you for drilling me so hard on knife fighting techniques. It saved my life!" Their smiles became grins.

"How could I not want to be part of this?" Zama moaned and got smiles from the ladies and an uncomfortable glance from Ben.

"Let's get out of here," he sighed and looked at the nervous expression on Moon's face. "You coming with us?"

She gave him the smallest hopeful nod as she held his eyes.

"Okay. Let's go."

Relief flooded her features as she sagged against Zama's side.

Evelyn was speaking into a mic, and when they got outside, three black SUVs pulled up to the curb, and the doors opened.

Ben recognized the special ops team as they watched for trouble. He smiled wearily. "Fisher, what are you guys doing here?"

"We felt bad you got snatched right under our noses, so the General let us make it up to you by watching your back until you get home," Fisher responded.

Ben's expression dropped. "I don't hold you guys responsible for that." He turned to lock eyes with Evelyn and then Liliya as he suspected they felt equally guilty. He saw he was right. "Stop right now. None of you were at fault for this! Russo was the one who abducted me. She used me as bait to get on board an arms dealer's yacht to rescue her team, Moon being one of them. Her mission didn't go as planned, but I did manage to get Moon out while almost getting her killed in the process." He turned to the woman being discussed. "I hope you can forgive me for that and for getting Peter killed."

"You are not to blame for their violence!" Moon insisted. "And you avenged Peter."

"Please park this conversation until we get you to your plane," Fisher suggested and got nods from everyone.

They split their group across the three vehicles and were underway in seconds.

Ben dozed in the truck and jolted awake when they came to a halt. He looked out the window, and all he saw was darkness.

They got out of the vehicles, and Ben saw they were at what looked like an abandoned airport. They were guided into a large building which turned out to be a hangar. Inside was the largest of the Sky Shepherd fleet. The pilot and copilot were standing by the jet's steps, looking a little nervous. They smiled when they saw Ben, and he waved to them.

"What's with the super stealth?" Ben asked Fisher.

"We're in Europe. We lost track of Pushkin in Germany. We're not taking any chances that she might try again. We'll relax a little when we're back on American soil," the Commando replied. "Next stop London for refueling."

"I need to go to France first," Ben blurted. "There is someone I need to see. To speak to."

Gabriella stopped and looked at Ben in surprise, trying to read his expression. He could see the beginnings of hope on her face.

"Uh, I've got orders to see you safely home," Fisher said.

Ben nodded. "I thought you might, but I can't go until I do this." His expression was firm. "I understand if you leave us—"

"No, you don't understand. We can't do that. We must stay with you until we get you home," Fisher asserted.

"I'm not going home until I make a stop in France first," Ben insisted.

Fisher ran his hand through his hair as he watched Ben. "Where in France?"

"Saint Pierre d'Albigny."

Gabriella made a sound she couldn't contain, and she rushed over to hug and kiss him.

He gently eased her back to look into her eyes. "I'm still not sure what I'm going to say to her, but... I can't stop thinking of how close we are now, and I can feel her... here," he said, gesturing to his chest.

Gabriella smiled up at him. "I love you, Ben. I know you were hurt, but this will be good for the both of you."

Ben nodded and looked to Fisher, but he was speaking to the pilot, who then climbed back into the jet with the copilot.

The CO walked back to them. "We'll have to adjust the flight plans, and I'll need to let the General know, but we can make it work. The rest of the team will head back to the states, but Stim, Dunno, Killjoy, and I will continue with you."

Ben shook the man's hand. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. The General will have a fit and chew my ass off for it. You'd better invent him a lightspeed troop carrier or something," Fisher grumbled.

Ben smiled and nodded, gesturing for the others to get on board.

"Your jet is beautiful, Ben!" Zama exclaimed as she stared at his silhouette painted on its tail.

"It's not mine. The airline owner just branded his business Sky Shepherd and used a logo Gabriella designed. If you have questions, ask her," he said wearily.

Zama looked at the woman in question, who smiled with a guilty expression.

Once everyone was onboard and settled in, they relaxed as the crew made the necessary arrangements. There was a new flight attendant, but she didn't introduce herself and did her best to stay out of everyone's way.

Ben fell asleep again and missed take-off and the flight to Grenoble, France, but Gabriella woke him before landing.

They rented two vans and split the group once more to make the drive to the B&B. Gabriella made a call and let her cousin know they would need rooms for the night. Alexis was thrilled that Gabriella was springing this surprise visit and was curious about the other guests. Gabriella only said it would be a short visit as they needed to return to Grenoble the following day. She didn't tell Alexis that Ben was coming too.

They couldn't show up with only the clothes on their back if they were staying overnight. Additionally, there was snow; Zama had never seen the white stuff, and only a few were dressed for it. This necessitated a shopping trip in Grenoble. They arrived just as the shops were opening.

Ben, being the most recognizable of the group, agreed to remain in the van with the commandos who didn't need anything. The ladies promised to pick up clothes for Ben and to bring back breakfast for everyone.

Gabriella had to settle with an extra-extra-large sweatshirt, sweatpants, and a huge winter coat for Ben. Zama had some difficulty finding winter clothes for her tall physique as well. She picked up matching sweats. The boots Ben received on the Truman would do, but Zama bought big fuzzy ones she found outrageously funny.

Moon found teen apparel that fit her smaller size.

On the way out of the mall, they grabbed breakfast sandwiches at the food court, made a pit stop in the washroom to take care of business, and changed into their winter clothes. Then they piled back into the vans. Ben and the commandos made quick work of their breakfasts.

It was less than an hour's drive to the B&B. Ben was restless as they got closer, and Gabriella held his hand.

Ben felt himself calming from her touch.

He needed that as they drew ever closer.