Grand Master (Demons, #3) Read online

  GRAND MASTER

  Demons, book 3

  By Marina Simcoe

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  To My Captain

  Grand Master

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  EPILOGUE

  The Cursed | Demons, book 4

  Want More Demons?

  More By Marina Simcoe

  About the Author

  Please Stay in Touch

  To My Captain

  Grand Master

  Copyright © 2019 Marina Simcoe.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please contact the author.

  Marina Simcoe

  [email protected]

  Facebook/Marina Simcoe Author

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions or locales is completely coincidental.

  Cover Design by Naomi Lucas and Cameron Kamenicky

  First Edition

  Spelling: English (Australia)

  Editing by Two Horses Swift

  Proofreading by Nikki Groom, The Indie Hub

  Grand Master is a paranormal romance. It contains sexual situations, graphic descriptions of intimacy, and violence. Intended for mature readers.

  Chapter 1

  CLUTCHING THE CURTAIN in my sweaty hand, I stared out at the dark street. The streetlight in front of my apartment building was broken. Again. And the only illumination came from some distant storefronts and the lit windows of our complex.

  All the lights in my apartment were off on purpose—standing in a brightly lit window made me feel too exposed and somehow more vulnerable.

  Nobody is forcing you to go ahead with this.

  I inhaled, attempting to calm the nerves that tied my stomach into a quivering mess.

  It was true. No one made me stand here, wearing a tight black dress and a pair of ‘hooker’ boots, waiting for a vehicle to arrive and take me some place unknown, to entertain a group of men I’d never met.

  No one was forcing me except for my insatiable appetite for adventure that my mum lamented would be the cause of my untimely demise one day.

  Maybe this was the day she always worried about?

  As the youngest of five children and the only girl, I was definitely spoilt growing up. But having four older brothers made me want to keep up with them in everything or die trying. Whatever sport any one of them played, I had to play too. And I needed to excel at it, no matter what it took.

  Always chasing another adrenaline rush, I'd tried every extreme activity I could—skydiving, bungee jumping, swimming with sharks, and surfing in the potentially neck-breaking waves in the ocean.

  I grew up fearless.

  Dreaming of one day becoming a spy, I begged my parents for a Russian tutor when I was seven and diligently learned it along with other languages taught in school.

  The spying dream had disappeared by university, but not the hope for international adventure. Believing that learning languages would help when traveling, I kept taking French and Russian classes in addition to earning my degree in international business. Never in a million years would I have guessed that by the age of thirty, I’d end up in an ordinary office job.

  Well, my job was with an international communications company, in their subsidiary in Minsk, Belarus, and my job as manager of public relations included organizing events and socializing. I did get to meet a variety of people, from pop stars to government officials and business moguls. Still fun and fairly exotic for someone born and raised on the east coast of Australia.

  During one such event—a late night party in a restaurant with a number of clients and local politicians—I stepped outside to get some fresh air.

  The opinion of Belorussian officials on sexual harassment was not quite on the same level as that of the West. I often found myself educating many of them on proper workplace etiquette. It became even more necessary at parties like this one, where alcohol was involved.

  After having fought off the advances of yet another middle-aged bastard in power with grabby hands and a trophy wife sitting forlornly at home, I needed a break and stepped outside. Sucking in the crisp night air, I leaned against the restaurant’s wall, a few feet away from a young woman smoking a cigarette.

  Everyone seemed to smoke in this country—that wasn’t what brought my attention to her. Neither was it her short skirt and mile-high heels or the way she glanced up and down the street, scanning every single passing car. She looked and acted very much like a prostitute waiting for a client, which wasn’t unusual for this place or time of the night.

  What made me watch her with more than simple curiosity were the obvious signs of extreme nervousness. Her trembling fingers all but crushed the cigarette with every long inhale she took. She rubbed her upper arms through her cheap pleather jacket as if chasing the chills away.

  I didn’t think she was drunk or stoned, but she swayed in her stiletto boots, as if she would pass out any minute.

  “S vami vse v poryadke?—Is everything okay with you?” I did not speak Belorussian, but people mostly spoke Russian here anyway so I threw it out there.

  To be honest, I didn’t expect a response beyond maybe a suspicious glare from her. The girl didn’t appear to be in the mood for a friendly chat. Besides, I’d learned early on that people preferred to keep to themselves in this part of the world, not being particularly keen on conversations with strangers on the street.

  She swore under her breath and indeed threw me a glare. Then, as if having reconsidered, she turned my way.

  “Listen. I’m really not sure what I’m getting myself into.” She tossed the unfinished cigarette on the pavement and crushed it under her foot, only to get another one from her purse immediately after. “I’m scared.”

  “What do you mean? I can get you a taxi,” I offered. “Do you need a ride home?”

  She shook her head so energetically it appeared to be in danger of falling off.

  “No fucking way. I could never say ‘no’ to the kind of money they’re paying.”

  “Is it enough to risk your life?” I didn’t need to know the details to guess that whatever she was up to might be dangerous.

  She attempted to
light the cigarette and failed—her fingers shook too much. Her body vibrated with a choked laugh.

  “My life isn’t worth much.”

  Without thinking, I reached over to move a strand of blond hair away from the lighter, lest she set herself on fire. She jerked her head away from my touch, her eyes narrowed at me.

  “Who are you? Are you a tourist? You speak with an accent.”

  “My name’s Jade. I’m here with the party.” I tipped my head towards the restaurant door behind us.

  “Are you from England?”

  “No, Australia.” Not prepared to reveal more about myself, I changed the subject back to the issue at hand. “I mean it, I’ll pay for a taxi to take you home.”

  She shook her head again and tossed the unlit cigarette back in her clutch then took a mobile phone out instead.

  “Can I get your phone number?” She asked out of the blue.

  “What for?” I took a step back.

  “Here.” She shoved the phone with the picture of a sombre teenager in my face. “This is my sister. Her name is Sveta.” She gave me one long, assessing look then exhaled sharply as if having made a decision. “I’ll give you my home number. Can you call tomorrow morning? If she picks it up instead of me, can you tell her that I won’t be coming home? Ever.”

  The harsh reality of life was often more brutal in some parts of the world than in others. The grim determination with which this girl seemed to have accepted the fact that she might not make it through the night was soul-crushing. Yet I knew that if I were able to talk her into going home right now, she’d most likely be out here again the very next night.

  “Should I call the Militsya instead, maybe?” I asked softly.

  “What’s the point? They’d do nothing.”

  Sadly, there was a good chance she was correct on that one. The local law enforcement seemed to be rather selective in their response. Besides, she sounded like someone who spoke from experience.

  “So, you didn’t tell your sister where you’re going?”

  “No. She is thirteen. The less she knows the better. Besides, she wouldn’t have let me go if she knew.” She moved from foot to foot and anxiously glanced down the street again. Her eyes widened at the sight of the black car turning around the corner. “They’re here. Quickly! Copy her number.”

  Hurriedly, she shoved her phone my way again, and I promptly copied the numbers from her screen to my phone as the car approached.

  “So, you’ll call her then?” Her eyes flickered to my face, the glimmer of desperation made my heart ache.

  “I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

  “Promise you’ll call,” she demanded.

  “I will.”

  With a nod, she stuffed her phone back inside her shiny clutch.

  The car pulled up in front of us and the back door opened, as if on its own.

  She took a few hesitant steps towards it. Her shoulders hunched as she ventured a nervous peek into the darkness of the interior, then threw a quick glance over her shoulder at me.

  “My name is Tanya,” she said quietly before getting into the car.

  The door closed almost immediately, and the vehicle drove off into the night.

  My phone still in my hand, I quickly took a picture of its licence plate. If something happened to her, I vowed Tanya would get justice, even if she didn’t believe that her life was worth it.

  Chapter 2

  THE PARTY LASTED LONGER than usual, and I didn’t make it back to my apartment until the early hours of the morning.

  Showered and changed into my lacy nightshirt, I climbed under the covers. However, sleep didn’t come easily. The image of Tanya’s haunted eyes wouldn’t leave my mind.

  Tossing and turning for what felt like an eternity, I finally got out of bed.

  What time would a working girl normally come home? I had no idea of the exact hours they kept, but now I really wished I knew.

  Finally at sunrise, I couldn’t wait any longer. If something bad really happened to Tanya, it was best to wake her sister now, when there might still be hope of doing something about it.

  “Allo,” a girly voice I didn’t recognize right away answered my call.

  “Sveta?”

  “No, it’s Tanya. Jade? Is that you?”

  A feeling of overwhelming relief flooded me. “Tanya? You’re home? Please tell me you’re okay.”

  “I’m okay,” she said with a little laugh, her voice hushed. “My sister’s still asleep. I don't want to wake her up, but Jade, I made a ton of money last night.”

  I sighed. No money is worth risking your safety. But who was I to tell her that? I knew nothing about her life or about what this money might represent to her. Another month of rent for a place for her and her sister? A few weeks’ worth of groceries?

  “How are you?” I asked instead. “What happened?”

  “I’m fine. Honestly.” She giggled. The happy sound made her seem much younger than her age, whatever it was. “They didn’t do much. I didn’t even get to see their faces—they blindfolded me. I don’t know how many there were, but I’m fairly sure it was only one who touched me.”

  “He touched you?” It was to be expected, considering the nature of the business Tanya was in. Still, her words caused a response in me I couldn’t name. Unease? Curiosity? “And you have no idea who he was?”

  “No.”

  Personally, I was no prude and considered myself to be in touch with my sexuality. Granted, I’d never done it for money, but I’d had a number of partners during my life. Some of them happened to be more adventurous than others. And a few even agreed to fulfil a number of wild fantasies with me. The problem was that nothing ever seemed to be enough for me. My satisfaction never lasted for long.

  Over the years, I had tried every possible position under the sun, used a multitude of toys, and even had a threesome. On the suggestion of my boyfriend at the time, I allowed another woman into our bed. It turned out to be a disaster, as it quickly became apparent the boyfriend was more interested in her than me at that point.

  Maybe I should have invited an extra man instead, or even better—two completely different men instead of my arsehole ex.

  “How was it?” I heard myself asking. The question surprised me. Did I really need to hear the details of a night in the life of a call girl? However, something about her cheerful voice—along with the images of several men and a blindfold—made my heart speed up and my curiosity spike.

  “Honestly? Wonderful!” she replied, obviously eager to share her excitement with anyone, even a complete stranger like myself. “You wouldn’t believe it, Jade, but I actually came. Twice! That has never happened before.”

  “You never had an orgasm before?”

  “Well, not on the job. Are you kidding me? Most clients are complete asses, one way or another. But guess what? I don’t need to keep any of my old clients. These guys offered me a contract. I’ll come to see them once a week, and they pay me as much as they did today. Every time. Can you believe it?” She giggled again. “I won’t have to worry about rent or food ever again. Hell, I may even save enough for that computer course for Svetka. She is a smart kid, you know.”

  “Why are they paying you so much?” I hated to rain on her parade, but some questions needed to be asked.

  For some reason, I cared about this girl and her wellbeing from the get-go, and now I was afraid she might be getting herself into something treacherous without even realising the threat.

  “Fuck if I know.” She chuckled softly. “There really isn’t anything special about me. But I’m not going to worry about it, Jade, as long as they pay my bills.”

  OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, I talked to Tanya often. I even had her sister Sveta, whom she called ‘Svetka’ or ‘malaya,’ meaning the kid, over at my place a few times overnight when Tanya went to work for the mysterious men.

  Over time, she told me more about them. She claimed she only got to see one of them. But even his face was always
obscured by the hood of the grey robe he wore. He sat in the back of the car with her on the way there, but never touched her, never so much as leaned her way, unless it was to put the blindfold on her.

  Each night Tanya had a chance to set the rules before anything started, choosing how it all would go. Then, naked and restrained, she was brought to orgasm, sometimes multiple times through the night.

  There was definitely something dangerous about being whisked away in a car by a stranger. However, as Tanya assured me, there was no actual threat. The man was always polite to a fault with her, and she was never hurt in any way.

  Even after multiple visits, she couldn’t explain the ultimate purpose of the proceedings. Blindfolded, she never saw a thing.

  “For all I know, a whole bunch of them may be sitting there jerking off,” she replied with a shrug when I had asked her. “Except that I never hear anything either. Maybe they’re behind soundproof glass?”

  The mystery shrouding her weekly visits, only made my curiosity burn brighter.

  Chapter 3

  “BUT WHAT IF THEY CANCEL my contract over this?” Tanya’s voice was panicked through bouts of raspy coughing. “What if they end up getting someone else for Thursday nights? I’m sure a thousand girls would die to have this gig!”

  The sad part was that Tanya was probably right, there’d be plenty of girls willing to fill her shoes.

  “But, sweetie, you said you’re running a fever close to forty. You simply can’t do it in your condition. Maybe they can move it by a few days until you get better?”

  Tanya’s employers seemed to be rather punctual about having her there weekly. But I didn’t need to see Tanya to know from her cough and the sound of her voice that she needed to stay in bed tonight.

  “Ugh!” She groaned. “Why did this have to happen to me?”

  “Everyone gets sick once in a while. Call them, they should be understanding about this.”

  “But what if they fire me?” she whined. “Replace me with someone else? Wait!” She blew her nose loudly. “What if I had my own replacement for tonight?”