22. Anton
CHAPTER 22
ANTON
DAY 3 – LATER THAT EVENING – THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME
W e’d covered several miles since the fire, and the further we went, the more the land seemed to swallow us whole. The trees were thick here, the ground soft and uneven, but it offered the cover we needed—at least for now. The crackle of the wreckage was long gone, replaced by the silence of the forest. We had to move fast, stay ahead of whatever would come next. It wasn’t just the fire that would attract attention, but the bodies we’d left behind. Someone would be looking for us soon.
I glanced over at Marcie as she slowed her pace, eyes scanning the trees. She was dragging now, more out of breath than she wanted to admit, and the exhaustion was starting to show. Her steps were heavier, more laboured. She was pushing through, but I could see the strain. Running from the hunters hadn’t been a walk in the park for either of us, but it was clear she wasn’t used to this kind of nonstop effort. We were both feeling it—the endless miles, the constant fear.
“Stop for a minute. We need to rest and get our bearings,” I muttered, dropping the backpack and sitting down on the ground, tugging Marcie onto my lap.
“Got us a phone,” I said, reaching into my pocket and pulling out an old flip phone with a half-grin. “It must’ve fallen out of one of the guys’ pockets. It’s a piece of junk, and there’s not much charge left, but it’s better than nothing. The reception here is garbage though, so we’ll keep it until we get to a safer spot.”
Marcie’s grin lit up her face at the sight of the old model mobile, and she let out an excited squeal before grabbing my face and planting a kiss on my lips.
Delving into the backpack, she pulled out some energy bars and a bottle of water. “This must have been one of their gym bags. It had some smelly trainers inside, and I can still smell them,” she grimaced, sniffing gingerly at the wrapper of the bar before opening it.
I grinned. “Do you know how cute you look when you make that scrunched up face?” I asked, kissing her before stealing a bite out of the bar.
“Hey!” she shouted, and I laughed.
“Just checking it was okay before you ate any. Don’t want you catching smelly gymitis or anything.”
“Very funny. Smart arse,” she huffed in feigned annoyance, turning to keep her bar out of my reach. “Eat your own,” she commanded.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, and her eyebrows raised in question.
“I didn’t take you for a man who’d call anyone ma’am. I thought you preferred being called sir,” she snarked.
My eyes heated at the lustful thoughts her words brought to mind. “Oh, I do, but I’d be open to other possibilities,” I told her, my heart pounding and my cock thickening at the idea of what those possibilities might be. I’d never realised I had a kink before Marcie stumbled onto it, and I couldn’t help but wonder what other delights were in store for us in that department in the future.
Marcie’s eyes flared as she nibbled delicately on another piece of food, and I knew she was thinking the same thing. It was funny how, now that I’d stopped running from her, I saw just how in tune we were with one another.
We finished eating in silence, exchanging small smiles that said more than words could. When we were done, I tilted my Little Miss Sassy’s face up to look me in the eye.
“Honey, I want you to know that I’m sorry for rejecting you. I was a bloody fool, and I promise to make it up to you from now on. As soon as we’re out of danger, I want to spend some proper time together—just the two of us, getting to know each other properly,” I told her.
Her breath hitched, and she blinked a few times, clearly processing my words. For a moment, she didn’t speak, but then her lips parted slightly, and she gave me a soft, tentative smile. The vulnerability in her eyes caught me off guard. “You mean that?” she asked, her voice a little shaky but full of something I couldn’t quite name.
“Every word,” I said firmly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, feeling the warmth of her breath. She didn’t pull away, instead leaning in closer, her forehead resting gently against mine. It was a small gesture, but it felt like a promise—something real between us.
I longed to say I loved her, but after the way I’d treated her before, I wasn’t sure she’d believe me. The words needed to mean something, not feel like a reaction to the danger we were in. When I finally said them, I wanted her to know without a shadow of a doubt that they were genuine. And besides, just because she’d seemed so drawn to me before didn’t mean she loved me now. She’d been talking about moving on during our last argument, and I might have work to do to make sure she let herself fall for me completely—the way I’d fallen for her.
But right now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. We had to keep going and find a better spot to contact Marko.
“Let’s go,” I said, helping her to her feet. “We need to keep moving.”
We walked hand in hand in silence for a while, until the trees finally thinned out, giving way to land stretching wide and flat beneath a cloudy sky, heavy with the promise of rain. The quiet was only interrupted by the faint trill of a bird carried on the cool air and the occasional soft snicker of horses grazing unseen nearby. For a few seconds, I let myself pretend we were just out for a romantic walk in the country.
“Lord, I can’t wait for this to be over. When it is, I want a bath, food, and then I’m going to sleep for a week,” Marcie said, grumbling for the first time since this whole nightmare began.
I chuckled and squeezed her hand. “It’s a deal, honey, as long as I get to share all of that with you.”
Marcie looked up at me, a slow smile lighting up her face and chasing away the tired, worried expression she’d been wearing too much over the last few days.
“I’m holding you to that, sir,” she winked, and I couldn’t stop my grin from widening or the thickening of my cock at the reminder of my new kink.
God, the woman turned me on.
I leaned in close, my lips brushing her ear. “Keep that up, and you’ll be paying for your sass tonight,” I drawled. Her lips twitched and for a little while longer, her steps were lighter again.
A mile or so later, we came across a stone wall that ran along the edge of a narrow path cutting through the fields. In the distance, the outline of an old wooden building appeared, its roof barely visible against the horizon. The weathered wood leaned unevenly, but it looked sturdy enough to keep the approaching rain off our heads.
We made our way toward it, ducking through a gap in the wall. As we drew closer, the smell of damp wood and hay filled the air, a familiar scent that, for a moment, felt oddly reassuring.
I pushed open the door to the abandoned stables, which creaked loudly in protest, and stepped inside. Stalls lined one side of the building with what looked like a workshop built at the far end on the other side, and a hayloft above. The rest of the space was filled with old tools that lay scattered around, some rusted but still intact, and a long workbench covered in dust lined one wall. Saddles, harnesses, and leatherworking tools sat on shelves, evidence of a time when someone had spent their days crafting what was once a necessary part of life here.
Marcie stepped in behind me, her eyes scanning the space. “This place is… strange,” she said, noting the half-finished saddles hanging from the walls.
I nodded, surveying the dimly lit interior. “Looks like someone worked here a long time ago. Doesn’t seem like anyone’s been around in a while.”
Marcie nodded. “I wonder why it was abandoned,” she murmured.
“No idea, but whatever the reason, it gives us somewhere to rest,” I told her, pulling her close.
Marcie looked up at me, her voice soft. “Think we can stay here for tonight?”
“Yeah, we’ll stay here. It’s as good a place as any.” I said with a smile. It wasn’t much, but it was shelter, and that was enough for now.
Her shoulders seemed to relax a little, and she nodded, heaving a sigh of relief at us having found our refuge, at least for the night.
“Let’s try the phone now,” I said, breaking the silence as I pulled the flip phone from my pocket and headed back outside with Marcie on my heels.
I flicked open the phone, squinting at the pitiful number of bars. Still, it was better than nothing. I keyed in Marko’s number, grateful I knew it by heart, and prayed the connection would hold long enough to get through.
“Marko,” I said into the phone when I heard the faintest trace of a voice on the other end. “Marko, can you hear me? It’s Anton.” My voice came out sharper than I intended, rising with the tension coiling in my chest.
I glanced at Marcie, her gaze fixed on the phone in my hand, waiting, just as tense.
There was a long pause, and the static grew louder. I repeated his name, with more urgency this time. “Marko!”
A burst of garbled noise filtered through the line, and I swore under my breath. The connection was unreliable, but I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity.
“We’ve been kidnapped, we need help,” I continued, rushing the words out, hoping that Marko would at least get part of what I was saying. “We’re somewhere near Pozo Alcón, Sierra de Cazorla. Elizabeth Traynor is behind this. She was the MP’s lover and has taken over his hunts. Men are hunting us now… don’t trust the local police. Oh, and Marcie has her earrings.”
The connection cut off, and I cursed, clenching the phone tightly.
Marcie was huddled in the doorway of the stable in an attempt to avoid the rain that had started. “Did he hear any of that?” Marcie asked, nibbling worriedly on her lip.
I headed over to her. “Not sure, honey. I couldn’t hear a word he was saying, but he was speaking. I can only hope he got enough of my message to help. Knowing Marko, he did. Besides, by now, someone will know we’re missing. We just have to hold out until they come,” I said, gripping her hand. “And they will.”
“Let’s go in and get settled,” I told her as I guided her back inside.
Worry lingered, but I hadn’t lied, if anyone could figure out what had happened, and where we were, it was him.
The fading glow of the setting sun slipping through cracks in the old wooden walls cast a warm, amber light over the space. The place had a rustic charm, with its scattered tack and the faint, lingering scent of horses still clinging to the air. But it wasn’t just a stable anymore—it was ours, for now. A sanctuary, however fleeting, where the outside world couldn’t reach us.
Looking out of the small window, I noticed the rain had picked up even more, now coming down in a steady downpour. It didn’t look like it was going to let up anytime soon. At least that should keep the hunters at bay a while longer. Who knew how long? But for now, we were safe, hidden in this forgotten corner of the countryside.
My smile curved into a smirk as my thoughts turned wicked. There were far better ways to occupy our time than worrying about what came next.
Marcie wandered slowly around the space, tentatively touching the old bits of leather and implements of someone’s trade from another time. My gaze lingered on her, the way she moved with that quiet strength, unaware of how every small action pulled me deeper into her.
I took a step closer, unable to resist the magnetic pull between us. “You’re so beautiful, Marcie,” I murmured, the words slipping out without thinking.
Her eyes locked onto mine, something unspoken passing between us. The rain hammered down on the roof, a steady rhythm that matched the thudding in my chest.
“Come here,” I whispered, my voice hushed but thick with need. I reached for her, my hand sliding around her waist, pulling her toward an old wooden saddle rack.
My Little Miss Sassy’s breath caught as I pressed her against the wood, one hand on the back of her head, the other wrapped gently around her throat. I kissed her cheek, her jaw, her nose, her mouth, and back again, my lips moving swiftly, claiming every inch of her. Marcie’s pulse raced beneath my fingertips, the moment raw and urgent, the rush of desire between us making it impossible to hold back.
I lifted her hoodie over her head, throwing it aside, and didn’t waste a second before my hands were on her again, sliding over the fabric of her top. She tugged at my shirt tails, as eager as me to get rid of any barrier between us. I forced her top up over her head and tossed it before I cupped her breasts, squeezing them as I thrust my tongue back inside her mouth.
Marcie moaned, and her fingers brushed the waistband of my jeans before dipping down to rub my erection through the fabric, making me jolt and buck into her hand with desperate need.
I ripped her joggers down in one swift motion, my movements hurried and desperate as I pulled them off her feet. Her skin was soft beneath my touch, every inch of her feeling incredible under my hands. I kissed her again, deeper this time, harder, as if I couldn’t get close enough. She met me with the same urgency, our bodies colliding in a fevered rhythm.
She squeezed my cock and my vision whited out. “God, honey,” I muttered against her lips, as I frantically tugged my own clothes off. “You drive me insane.”
Turning her in my arms, I pushed her over the saddle rack, her chest pressing into the sturdy wood, her body arching slightly as I yanked her hips toward mine.
“You feel so fucking good,” I growled against her ear, my voice rough and thick with desire. My hands roamed, grabbing her waist, her hips, the curves of her body like I couldn’t get enough of her.
Her breath came in sharp bursts, the sound of it mixing with the rhythmic pounding of my pulse in my ears.
I slid my hand down her bottom, squeezing the cheek before sliding it around to the front. My fingers grazed the soft skin of her inner thigh before slipping between her legs, finding the sweet, slick heat of her. Her breath caught, and I heard the slightest gasp as I pressed my thumb against her clit, circling it with the pressure she craved.
Marcie’s body trembled under my touch, and she moaned, her hips pressing back into me, eager for more. I replaced my thumb with a couple of fingers and moved faster, more insistent, feeling her grow wetter and more desperate.
“Anton,” she whispered, her voice strained, trembling with need. Her fingers gripped the saddle rack as I kissed her neck, her body arching up into my hand, pushing herself into the pleasure I was giving her.
“You like that, don’t you, honey?” I asked, continuing to work her hard little nub.
“Yes, Anton,” she cried.
“That’s not what you say, honey. It’s yes, sir,” I said, spanking her bottom hard. She squealed in shock.
“Now say it like a good girl. You don’t get to come until you do,” I growled and spanked her other cheek.
“Yes, sir!” she practically screamed as I spanked her again, her body trembling with desire.
“Good, girl,” I cooed as I slipped a finger inside her, stretching her just enough before I added another. I worked my fingers in and out of her, the slickness making it easier to slide deep, using my knuckle to work her clit at the same time, each movement pushing her closer to the edge.
“Come for me, Marcie,” I murmured against her ear, my fingers hitting the spot that made her body quiver.
Reaching up with my other hand, I tugged on her nipple. Her breath hitched as I pumped my fingers faster, harder, playing with her nipple all the while, and then, with a shuddering cry, she came—her body clenching around my hand, the rush of her release making me almost come with her.
“You came for me so well, honey, and were such a good girl calling me sir,” I murmured against her ear. “I think you deserve another reward. I’m going to fuck you until you scream my name. You want that, don’t you?” I whispered, my teeth nipping at her earlobe, as my hands reached around to play with both of her nipples this time, pinching and rolling them, making her moan softly.
“Yes, sir,” she groaned, the sound going straight to my rock hard cock and making it pulse painfully.
Pushing her forward until she was bent over the rack, her bottom raised, the slight darkened colour of her skin a reminder of her recent spanking. The picture of her like that was almost as intoxicating as the memory of coming inside her. I couldn’t resist leaning over her, brushing my lips against her neck, feeling her pulse beneath my mouth. “Want me to take you until you can’t walk straight?”
“Yes, sir,” she groaned again, grinding that tight little bum against me.
I held her down, her chest pressing harder into the saddle rack, lining up my cock at her entrance, I rubbed it through her wet folds, trembling at the feel of her slickness coating my blood- engorged shaft. The contact sent a wave of need crashing over me, but I held back, teasing her, wanting to hear her beg again.
“Beg me for it,” I whispered, my voice dark and commanding as I plucked and twisted her nipple, watching her eyes flutter shut in pleasure.
“Anton,” her voice was breathless, raw. “Sir, please.”
“You need to beg me harder than that, honey. Show me how much you need it,” I coaxed, barely holding on to my sanity as I waited for her to comply, my cock twitching with the effort to resist burying myself deep inside her as I continued teasing us both.
Her body shuddered beneath my touch, and her hips rocked back, desperate for more. “Please, sir,” she gasped, her voice raw and pleading. “Please, I need you so bad. Don’t make me wait.”
That was all I needed to hear. I grinned, my hands gripping her hips, pulling her back against me, as I breached her entrance, feeling her tremble around me. Slowly, I pushed forward just a little, enough to make her gasp and me moan.
“Good girl, Marcie honey,” I growled. “You’re so fucking perfect.”
She arched her back, pressing herself harder against me, a soft cry escaping her lips. “Please, Anton… sir, I can’t wait anymore. I need all of you, now.”
I could barely hold myself together, my entire body tense with the need to claim her fully. With one final push, I slid deep into her, her tightness surrounding me, every inch of her squeezing me so fucking good.
Marcie moaned, the sound echoing in the quiet room, and I pulled her up, my hand moving to her throat, not tight enough to hurt, but just enough to make her gasp. The pulse beneath my fingertips told me how much she wanted this, how her body responded to every move I made.
I slammed into her again, my name falling from her lips like a prayer, tightening my chest in a way that made me ache. She was mine, in every sense of the word, and I wasn’t going to let her forget it.
Her hands gripped the saddle rack, her body trembling with each push. The rhythm was frantic now, each thrust bringing us both closer to the edge. My hand fisted her hair, the grip tightening as I pulled her head back, exposing her throat. I leaned in close, brushing my lips against her ear.
“So fucking good,” I whispered, my words coming out in a harsh pant.
“Please, Anton… harder.” She spurred me on.
Thrusting fiercely, I gave her everything—harder, faster—my body moving with a desperation that matched her need as she cried out for me. The wet slap of skin on skin filled the air, and the world outside disappeared. All that mattered was her—how her body responded to me, how she pleaded for more.
And she did—over and over again. Each time, her body trembled beneath me, breaking apart in a moan that left me breathless. When she finally came, her body shuddered, and I followed, my release crashing over me in waves.
I pulled out slowly, my chest heaving as I watched her catch her breath. Her body still trembled from the force of it all, and I ran a hand over her back, my touch soft and gentle after everything we had shared.
“You’re mine, Marcie. Every inch of you.” I murmured softly.
Marcie turned her head, meeting my eyes with a gaze that held more than just satisfaction—it was relief, connection, and something deeper, something we hadn’t yet named.
I pulled her closer, brushing a strand of her hair from her face. My fingers lingered on her skin, as if I wanted to memorise the feel of her—here, with me at last, despite everything.
The last few days had been hell, and it wasn’t over yet. But through it all, Marcie had been incredible. I was so grateful this beautiful, amazing woman wanted me.
I’d almost fucked it up, almost let fear and pride get in the way of something I knew, deep down, was the best thing I’d ever have.
When this was over, when the dust settled and the danger was behind us, I was going to make her mine, forever. There was no question in my mind. I was never letting her go.