Underground

6

"Justine this is Second lieutenant Carter Mason and Captain Jonathan Mason. My nephews just like Alex and Dorrian," she said looking at me. Jonathan? But he looks like Joel.
"You know my brother, I see," Jonathan said smiling. "Well my twin."
My mouth dropped as I noticed that Jonathan didn't have Joel's scar on his left eye even though he was big like him. The resemblance was uncanny.

"Yes...I helped him out one night," I said softly.

Carter shook his head. Unlike the other brothers he didn't have dark hair, he was blond with blue eyes. Something was a little different about him. "Joel has been away on a mission for a while which is why we were shocked to hear you even mention his name," Jonathan explained with a smile.

"Well are we allowed to come in? Where are my nieces?" Duchess asked pushing Carter aside.

"Not here, Aunt."

How many of them are there?

"Seven of us," Jonathan chuckled closing the door behind me. I blushed, taking note to myself that I need to stop thinking out loud. He placed a hand on the small of my back and led into, what looked like a den. Duchess was talking to an older man who I assumed was the Frenchman and I tuned out what they were saying and took in my surroundings.

"So you're the one who kicked Alex in the face."

"Also the one who stood up when the other recruits were ready to quit."

I looked behind me at Carter and Jonathan who were smiling at me. I smiled and walked over to them. "Your brother deserved that kick," I told them without remorse.

"Yeah, Dorrian and Dad mentioned something about calling you a bitch," Jonathan frowned. "He's lucky Joel wasn't there or that kick to the face would have been light work."

Carter shook his head, "A word of advice, dolcezza (Sweetness), you need to get that anger in check before the weapons portion of training. Our sisters are in charge of that."
I didn't want to roll my eyes but they were right. I won't make it far if I don't start falling in line. Bowing my head, I walked over to the balcony and sighed. It hasn't been a full month yet. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and put my head in my hands.

"Sick?"

I turned and there was a smiling General Mason. I stood up straight and shook my head. "No, sir." He chuckled and put a hand on my shoulder, leaning in to whisper, "We are off base. You don't have to be one hundred percent perfect right now."
He reached behind him as a butler passed with a tray of drinks and handed me a glass. I remembered what Mitchie said about us being watched even on down time. General Mason smiled at me, "See I knew you could be respectful. It's just my son you have a personal issue with."

"Sir...about that—"

"Don't apologize. Alex was scolded for that. He would never speak to his mother nor his sisters that way and you are no exception," he said sternly and I knew it wasn't directed to me. If I didn't know what his job was I would have thought General Mason was bipolar.

"Sir, if I may ask...what are you doing here?" I asked quietly.

General Mason looked at me and then over the balcony. "Don't look at him but my sons and I are on a mission as we speak. It's the Frenchman. We feel he is a rapist that Scotland Yard has been after," he explained in a hushed tone. I felt myself straighten up. Was he dangerous?!

"Sir—"

"We are to apprehend him and take him back to base without a struggle. I had Duchess come and bring you so that he wouldn't suspect anything," he continued and then looked at me. "The wrong move could alarm him and we could lose him."
Fucking Duchess! Why didn't she tell me?! More importantly I need to figure out a way to help them catch the guy.

"Justine."

I looked at him and his gaze was dangerous and stern. "I'm talking to you not as your General but as a protector: do not do anything," he ordered. "The three of us can handle him."
I bit my lip. I highly doubt it.

•••

We sat down for dinner and there was a lot of small talk among Duchess and the Frenchman who's name I realized was Dominic Orodoni. Although General Mason said not to do nothing I couldn't help but give Dominic flirty glances and then look away just as quickly. He was older than me by a few years but was quite handsome I noticed. No one seemed to notice what I was up to which was exactly how I wanted it. "So, Justine...Comment aimez-vous à Londres? (How do you like London?)" he asked me suddenly in French.

Duchess was about to intervene when I smiled at him and said, "J'ai vécu ici pendant trois ans, Monsieur.
C'est comme à la maison maintenant, (I have lived here for three years, Sir. It is like home now)"
Carter and Jonathan's mouths dropped and Dominic smiled, leaning toward me. "Married?"
I shook my head.
"I am much too young, monsieur (Sir)" I giggled and he smirked. Giggled? Are you kidding me?

When the butler bought out dessert I excused myself from the table. If I did it correctly, Dominic would leave the table also and come looking for me. I walked towards the back of the estate to where my horse was and waited. He didn't make me wait long.

"You are something, madame," he cooed from behind me.

I took a deep breath and then turned to him. "Am I?"

"Yes...you're a rose in a garden of poppies," he stepped closer and grabbed me by my waist. "Untamed. Unbroken. Wild and unafraid...no man would know how to handle you. I could show you a world you never dreamed of."
He pushed me against my horse and reached a hand under my dress. I sucked in a sharp breath, "Monsieur—"

"You are a rarity in the Underground," he whispered in my ear as his hand found my underwear. He knows about me?! I attempted to move but he held me down bringing a knife to my neck. Where did that even come from? "You won't scream. You will take everything I have to give you," he said licking my ear. "I will be able to brag to my friends how good an Assassin's mouth is around my cock."

This S.O.B! He bought his lips down to my neck and I saw behind him Carter and Jonathan. I was not about to be rescued. "You forget that the wildest of roses have thorns," I said reaching under my corset and pulling out a knife, snapping him in his arm. The knife he held against my neck cut me a bit as I ducked under his arm. He turned to me as circled away from him. Dominic lunged for me again and I bought my knee up to his stomach and threw him to the ground.

"Justine!"

I turned to see General Mason running towards us when Dominic stood up to grab me again. I readied myself to punch him when a body dropped from the sky and pinned Dominic to the ground and zip tied his hands behind his back. The mystery guy looked up at me and the first thing I noticed were the amber colored eyes and the scar running down his right eye. He flashed me a smile before standing up and stomping his foot on Dominic's head pinning him down. General Mason finally reached me and frowned. "Who sent you here, Nicholas?" General Mason growled.

The boy named Nicholas just smiled picking up Dominic and throwing him at Carter. "My uncle did. Said you might have needed the help," he looked at me and nodded his head. I noticed he was wearing the Underground's uniform. "You must be Justine Ryder."

I looked at him, frowning, "Who are you?"

He gave a big bow and looked up at me, winking, "Nicholas Spalding, at your service."