Asher walked down the hall and entered the living room where the rest of his team was sitting. "Albany." He announced. "Eric, get the jet ready to go and get us transport when we hit the ground."
"Yes sir." Eric nodded and spun around to his computer, inputting a flight plan.
"Joe, find me a place to work. She thinks he'll go to mommy and says she will do things the uncomfortable way." Joe grinned and turned to his computer.
"Greg, I need a tracker for Mrs. Talbot. She will be accompanying us until we find her ex-husband." Greg raised his eyebrow, but nodded and headed off to his office in the garage.
"Les, come with me." Asher led his number two man into his private office. When the big man had shut the door behind him, Asher dropped into a chair. He could still taste Mina's orgasm on his lips and he licked them unconsciously. "I need you to reach out to Draco and see if turning Mina over to him is negotiable."
Les leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "You made a deal with her?"
"She made me an offer I couldn't refuse." Asher smirked. The memory of the way her pussy had clamped down on his finger made his cock fill with blood again. "I might decide to keep her myself."
"Seriously?" Les studied his boss. Women were as disposable to him as the people he hunted for. Criminals and government organizations used his skills for that reason. "Can I ask what the deal is?"
"It's mutually beneficial and right now, I'm almost hoping this guy stays ahead of us for a while." Asher smiled to himself. He was looking forward to tearing her down and building her back up.
"Alright man. What are my limits?"
"Tell them they get me for free, they just have to pay expenses." Seeing the look on Les's face he waved his hand. "You guys will still get paid, don't worry. Don't open with that, get a feel for how much they want her first."
"Alright." Les shook his head and got up to leave the room. "Anything else?"
"Make sure everyone knows she's off limits, breathing in her direction will have painful consequences the first time and death the second. If she's not locked in her room. She's with me or you. Understand?"
Les nodded, knowing full well Asher's request had little to do with the girl's safety and more to do with his complete inability to share something he deemed his and he only got a pass because of his asexual and aromantic orientation.
Mina stayed on the couch for a few seconds then got up and headed to the bathroom. Leaning on the counter, she closed her eyes, shame washing through her. She really fucking enjoyed that. It wasn't mind-blowing, but it was still better than any she had managed to give herself. It was her fault she didn't enjoy it more and something she had to work on. Being raised in a strict, religious household had given her some hang-ups about sex and marriage. She and Derrick weren't divorced yet, she had tried to have him served but her lawyer hadn't been able to find him, so she had technically cheated, something she had realized when he put his finger inside her and guilt and fear washed over her. She had almost asked him to stop but Asher seemed to understand and his encouragement had pushed her through it.
She quickly used the bathroom and cleaned up. Back in her bedroom she found a pair of black dress pants and paired them with an emerald green silk blouse. A quick makeup job and her hair put up into a bun and she was ready.
While she got ready, Mina was frantically running through her options. She refused to be sent over to Asher's employers and she didn't believe he'd let her go if she made him scream her name. She glanced down at the scars on the inside of her wrists. If he didn't let her go, she could take that option again. At fifteen it had been her way out. Either she died or someone was going to listen and get her out of her parent's house, she could do it again.
The door opened and she looked up to see Asher coming towards her. She hoped he would take her to her condo, she needed her medication. She stood up as he came to a stop in front of her. "Hold out your wrist." Remembering his reaction to her scars, she held it out, palm down, and was surprised when he snapped a silver bracelet on.
"This is a tracker." He pulled at it, demonstrating it wouldn't come apart. "I have the fob that unlocks it. If you run, you'll be punished." Mina closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing. She hated things on her wrists, and she felt panic well up inside her. She could hear Asher talking but the ringing in her ears made it hard to hear him.
"Please take it off." She whispered. "Please. I'll be good, I swear. Don't make me..." She felt her knees get weak, her breath came in short gasps as she was suddenly fourteen and her father was handcuffing her to the radiator again. She tugged at the bracelet and her panic doubled when she couldn't get it off. "Take them off! Please! I'll be good!" She sank to the floor and began to cry. "I'm sorry daddy, I didn't mean to!"
Asher stopped talking and stared as Mina began to panic about having the bracelet on. He hesitated but when she dropped to the floor, gasping for air and apologizing to her father while crying, he pulled out the fob and unlocked the bracelet. As he took it off he saw the scar on her wrist and reached for her other one. They were old, just barely noticeable, thin vertical lines with telltale signs that they had been stitched closed.
He was surprised and confused at the white-hot rage that filled him as he looked down at the sobbing woman in front of him. She was still apologizing and promising to be good. He wasn't mad at her. He was mad at the man who had done something horrible to her enough times that a simple bracelet caused her to panic and drove her to attempt to end her life.
He crouched in front of her frowning. "Mina." He didn't know how to comfort people and he didn't like that she made him want to, but he tried to be gentle as he put his hands on her shaking shoulders. "It's off. I took it off." She didn't respond and his temper took over. "Look at me!" He snapped. Her eyes opened and flew to his. He forced his voice to be low and soothing. "I took it off, Mina." Her hand felt her wrist and she let out a breath of relief and slumped forward, her head coming to rest on his chest. He let her stay there until she calmed herself down.