The sun broke the horizon and soft, gentle light fell into the living room of Graham's home.  Mark lay bound in a tight hog-tie in the middle of the floor, sleeping as well as the bonds that held him would allow.  Drool crept from his mouth and he had no free hands in which to wipe it away.  His eyes were fluttering, discomfort and fatigue mixing in the lines on his face.

    Collette slept fitfully, curled up next to Graham's naked body.  Their two naked bodies spilling warmth onto the other.  She was sleeping and dreaming and peacefully content.

    Graham was staring at the faint light as it raced slowly across the floor, marking the suns unstoppable progress.  Upstairs was a naked and bound man who would, if free, kill both of them.  The promise of Collette staying by his side had prompted his decision to help her, but at what cost?  Could he really keep Mark bound and as helpless as a newborn alone when Collette had to leave to what, kill people?  He couldn't fathom it. 

    But he would try.  He promised both himself and Collette that.  He would try, and tilting his head towards the bound man in the living room, he thought, or die trying.

    Thethought made him shudder.

    Mark opened his eyes, the sunlight lighting the room and rousing him from his light slumber.  He remembered where he was with a soft groan and whispered, "fuck."  He began to struggle against his bonds, useless, futile, hopeless.  "Fuck," he said again.

    Collette stirred and pressed closer to the heat in front of her.  Her knees flexed as she involuntarily spooned against Graham.  She smacked her lips, exhaled loudly and drifted back into the depths of slumber.

    Graham felt her body next to his and smiled.  It would be worth it, he thought.  So worth it.   

    Grahamlay there, wide awake, thinking of the man upstairs laying bound and naked.  How easy would it be for Mark to overtake him if a struggle ensued?  He had to admit that it was entirely too easy.  Graham was not the strongest of men.  He was not helpless, mostly able to defend himself, but he had serious doubts that in a struggle with a known hit man, that he would come out on top.

    He felt Collette's naked body pressing against him and sighed.  Yes, it would be worth it.

    Upstairs, Mark rolled onto his side.  He listened for the sounds of motion from downstairs and heard nothing.  Not a creature was stirring, not even a spy.  He laughed in spite of himself.   She had bested him, twice.  He hated her and knew he would fight her with all his strength.  He would not become her slave.  

    Collette slept undisturbed.

* * * * *

    Graham climbed from the bed and made his way upstairs.  He fried some eggs and buttered some toast for both he and Collette and put it on a two trays with some freshly brewed coffee and a glass of orange juice.  He poured a cup of coffee in the blender with two raw eggs and a piece of toast. He blended it together, the blender screaming loudly and poured it in a cup. A straw in the cup and he had breakfast for Mark as well.

    He carried the cup of breakfast puree to Mark who only eyed him cautiously.  "It isn't tasty, but it won't hurt you," Graham admitted.  He left the breakfast drink for Mark and then carried the dual trays downstairs to where Collette was yawning, the sound of the blender finally rousing he from her slumber.

    "Hungry?" Graham asked.

    "Yes," Collette said.  "Very."

    "Good," he smiled at her feeling like her husband and savoring the feeling as he served the two of them breakfast-in-bed.

    Thetwo of them ate slowly, enjoying the food and each other's company.  When they were both finished eating Collette said, "did Mark eat?"

    Graham laughed, a deep, rich sound, "I don't know.  I made him breakfast.  La machine de la eggs and la toast."

    Collette's face scrunched up, "yuck."

    "I didn't want to unchain him."

    Collette nodded in agreement.  "That's fine.  We'll make sure he gets something good to eat here shortly."

    Graham nodded and began to gather the dishes.  He carried the dishes upstairs.  He looked in on Mark to see that Mark had spilled the drink Mark had made him.  Was it accidental or intentional, he didn't know.

    Grahamcleaned the mess quickly and then reported the spilled drink to Collette as she lay, naked, on Graham's bed.  He was still naked and Mark's eyes were wide as Graham's cock bobbed before his eyes.

    "Let's get him something to eat," Collette said.  "I'll get him ready and tied to a chair while you make some more of the yummy eggs.  Okay."

    It was not a question and Graham knew it.  Collette made her way to Mark's side and he eyed her naked body appreciatively.   Collette glared at him, "don't fuck with me."  Her voice was cold.

    He nodded in understanding.

    Collette unchained his wrists and helped him to his hobbled feet.    She led him to the dining room and chained him to the dining room chair.  "We're going to feed you now," She said.   "Are you hungry?"

    "Yes."

    Collette looked at him and raised an eyebrow, "don't you think you should address me as mistress?"

    "Yes, mistress," he corrected himself. 

    "Very good," Collette said.  Yes, very good indeed.

    Collette sat opposite Mark as Graham made another breakfast.  Graham emerged from the kitchen with a plate of food and set it before Graham. 

    "Thank you," Mark said weakly.

    "You're welcome."

    Collette smiled.  It's funny, she thought, in this strained situation how politeness, ingrained since birth, automatically comes out.  Collette and Graham watched Mark eat.  He was obviously hungry as he wolfed down the breakfast Graham had prepared and even asked for more toast and an additional cup of coffee, which Collette allowed and Graham fetched.

    When Mark was done eating, Graham cleared the dishes and Collette unchained him from the table and once again bound his wrists together.  "It will be a long time before you are not tied up some way," Collette said as the cuffs clicked shut.

    Mark nodded, "I know."

    "I don't trust you," Collette said, shaking her head. 

    He still sounded beaten when he said, "you shouldn't."

    Was she making progress?  He seemed to be honest in his words and he sounded so beaten and broken that she had to wonder if he really was.  Could it be that he has accepted his fate and was working to make it as painless as possible?  She supposed it was possible, but only time would tell. 

    "We are in agreement, then," she concluded. 

    Mark nodded.

    "Good."

    Grahamemerged from the kitchen, "what are we going to do with Mark?" Graham asked, as if Mark was not present.

    "You need to give up your bedroom for a while."

    Graham looked perplexed, "huh?"

    "I have been thinking about this.  We are going to convert your bedroom into a more secure location to keep Mark bound in.  A dungeon, if you will," she was thinking of the dungeon in her home, so far away.  "Being downstairs and in the far corner will make for good sound isolation. We will have to move you upstairs."  She saw the look of uncertainty on Graham's face and added, "move us upstairs."

    Graham smiled, "okay."  He was beaming with her addition.

    "Why don't you run to the hardware store and get some supplies." She crossed the room and grabbed her purse.  She pulled a large wad of cash out of her purse and handed it to Graham.  "Pay for it with this."

    Graham's eyes lit up, "where did you get that?"

    Collette smiled thinly, "I am very good at what I do, and it pays well."

    "I guess so."  He took the money and said, "okay.  Let me get dressed.  I'll be back as soon as possible and we can start moving upstairs."

    "Good.  We'll be here."

    Graham opened his mouth to ask if she'd be okay and then realized how stupid a question it would be.  "I'll be back," and he darted down stairs to get dressed.

    Tenminutes later Graham kissed Collette good bye.  He drove away to retrieve some supplies for their new make-shift dungeon that they would use to keep Mark captive.  It seemed unreal to him to be building a dungeon to keep a man prisoner.  It was not real, but she was real and back in his life and he would do all she asked of him.

    And that started with a shopping trip.

   Collette escorted Mark downstairs and threw him on the bed.  She grabbed some additional chain and locked his handcuffs to the bed frame, preventing him from getting away.  "Do I have to gag you?" she asked.

     He shook his head and said limply, "no."

    "Good."  With that Collette began moving furniture around, dragging the dressers from the bedroom and to the right, past the bathroom and into a small den.  She made room for some of the construction supplies that Graham was picking up for the new dungeon.  She would be ready for his return.

    Markremained motionless and said nothing.  He watched as Collette pulled the dresser from the room, amazed by her strength. As he watched her work, he knew that he never had a prayer in defeating her. To him, it was obvious, that no matter the confrontation that she and he had, she would win.  Her strength was that apparent.

    Collette finished emptying the room of the two dressers and twin nightstands, leaving only the bed in the room and a lamp resting on the floor by the bed that had until recently had residence on one of the nightstands.   She smiled at the results as she returned to Mark's side.  "Ready to answer some questions?"

    "Yes."  Simple and low.

    "Good.  Now, how did Kilandra make her money?"

    "She ran a crime ring, of course.  She sold drugs, guns, children to couples who couldn't adopt.  She was into a lot of things."

    "Did she have any major jobs brewing?"

    "No," he paused, "well, I don't know.  Maybe."

    "Maybe?"

    "I amnot certain," he said hesitantly.  "She was making a lot of phone calls to Monaco, which was unusual.  I don't know who she was calling; every time I was in the room she said she had to make a private phone call.  She let it slip once that it was Monaco she was calling.  I wanted to ask her about it, but I knew better."

    "Had she gone to Monaco?"

    He shook his head, "not that I am aware of.  She flew to Paris a couple of times, but that was for vacation, or at least I think it was."

    "Monaco is next to France," Collette said.  "Is it possible that she flew into Paris and then traveled to Monaco from there?" 

    "Yes," he answered, though he did not sound convinced.  "I never went with her.  Wasn't invited."

    "Who all went?"

    "Just Kilandra and sometimes Christine went with her."

    Collette nodded.

    Mark looked at Collette, standing above his bound body.  "What do you think she wanted with you?"

    "No idea," Collette said.  "I'm going back to her house once we get your new home set up," she emphasized the word home.  "I will see what I can find and then I will go to Monaco.   She wanted me for something; I will find out what."

    "What about me?"

    "You will stay here under Graham's care.  He will keep you fed and eventually we may be able to untie you."

    He sounded broken when he said, "that would be nice."

    Collette said nothing.  She looked at him, wondering if she would eventually be able to trust him.   She reasoned that she would, but only time would reveal when.  Until then, he would remain bound where Graham would remain safe.  She knew that Mark was a killer no matter how docile he sounded now.

    "Now," Collette continued, "how many people worked at Kilandra's house?"

    "Dozens.  There was typically about fifteen people there at any one time serving as guards.  Men mostly, but some women.  They worked six hour shifts only to keep them fresh and alert, not fatigued.  By now news of Kilandra's death has spread and somebody has taken her place; it's the nature of the business."

    Collette nodded, "go on."  He was revealing much without prodding and she found it best to let people speak when wound up.

    "I would doubt that whoever took her place as head of her organization is organized.  There is sure to be chaos for a while.  There will be internal strife as the person who took over appoints his or her second in command and probably even more fights as the person who wanted to take over but failed fights for a position high up the food chain."

    "Will they keep Kilandra's location?"

    Graham shook his head, "not sure.  Maybe, maybe not.  I would guess that would depend on who it is."

    "Yes, I suppose so," Collette said.  She bit her lower lip in contemplation.  She needed to perform a thorough search of Kilandra's home and with a little luck, she would be able to do it alone and uninterrupted.  But, first, she thought, I need to make sure that Graham is safe and Mark is secure. 

    She stood and watched Mark struggle in his bonds.  Under normal circumstances, seeing a man bound and naked on a bed would excite her but these were not normal circumstances and the view did little more than make her smile.  She waited, watching Mark, until Graham returned.  "Don't go away," she said in all seriousness. 

    She walked up the stairs and outside into the cold air.  She helped Graham unload his car, stacking up the lumber and hardware on the living room floor. 

    "I think I got everything," Graham said.  "We can build a very sturdy cage and a heavy wooden frame to bind him too.  I went overboard with the hardware, grabbing heavy bolts instead of just nails.  Safety first, right?"

    Collette nodded, "right."  She smiled at him.  He seemed to be enjoying the diversion.

    "I'll start building the cage," Graham said. 

    "Wonderful," Collette said.  She stepped forward and kissed Graham, pressing her mouth to his.  Her tongue parted his lips and commanded his tongue to obey her probing ministrations.  The kiss was firm and moist and good and when she pulled away Graham was grinning like a school boy. 

    Collette smiled back at him, "let me help you.  We will get it done faster."  She was thinking of Kilandra's home as she spoke.

    "Sounds good," Graham said. 

    Two hours later a full wooden cage was sitting in the corner of the bedroom with a sturdy door.  It was bolted to both the floor and two walls and was rigid and secure. Once inside, Collette was confident that Mark would be unable to escape.  The thought pleased her.

    Collettehad Mark hobble into the cage.  Satisfied that the was locked within their newly build cage she said, "I'll unchain you now. Ready?"

    Mark nodded.

    "Okay."  She was true to her word and she unchained Mark through the the slats of the heavy wooden cage.  The room was growing dark as the sun slowly set and Graham turned on a lamp as Mark rubbed his limbs where the chain had dug into his skin.

    "Thank you," Mark said sincerely. 

    Collette nodded and grabbed two pillows and the comforter from Graham's bed, "Here," she said, "sleep with this.  We will bring you down some dinner in a bit."   

    With that she and Graham made their way upstairs.

    Grahammade both of them a drink and the two of them settled down onto Graham's couch.  "Do you think he'll be a problem?" Graham asked with all seriousness.

    Collette shook her head, "I don't know.  I don't think so, based on how he is acting, but it could be that. An act.  He seems to realize that he is trapped and will do what he can to make his life as my slave easier.  But..." she trailed off.

    "I won't let him hurt you."

    Collette had to stifle a laugh.  She could defend herself and if necessary she could protect him.  Still, it was nice to hear he cared even though he had to know how silly he sounded.  "I know," she said finally, smiling at him.  "I know."

    Grahamsmiled back.

    They sat on the couch sipping their drinks and discussing Mark until the sun set and night arrived.  "Hungry?" Graham finally asked as he finished his second drink.

    "Getting there," Collette admitted.

    "I'll make something quick.  Okay?"

    "Wonderful," Collette agreed.  "I'll check on Mark."

    Graham nodded and began to fix a small meal while Collette descended the stairs to find Mark sleeping with the comforter wrapped around him and one pillow under his head and the other pressing unused against the wooden slats of his cage.   It was the first time he was unbound since his capture and he was taking advantage of his newfound freedom by sleeping as comfortably as the floor and thick blanket would allow.

   Collette watched him sleep for a few minutes and then returned to the kitchen where Graham was slicing some mushrooms and dropping them into a pan with butter to simmer them.  Two steaks were sitting on a thin cookie sheet for broiling, topped with butter and salt and pepper and some fresh cloves of garlic. 

    "Steak okay?" Graham asked.

    Collette nodded.

    "I defrosted them in the microwave while you were downstairs.  I'll broil them in a moment."

    Collette watched as he reached into the pantry and pulled out a can of corn.  He showed it to Collette who simply nodded.  He opened the can and began to warm the yellow kernels on the stove as the mushrooms continued to simmer. 

    He smiled at Collette and then quickly poured her a glass of white wine, "for you," he said simply.

    Collette took the glass and sipped the flavorful liquid.  "It's good," she said.

    Graham smiled at her.  "I'm glad you're here."

    Collette nodded and said, "I know."  She took another sip of wine and then set the glass on the table. 

    Graham stirred the corn and then placed the steaks in the oven.  The top heating element was glowing brightly and it sent an odd orange glow into the kitchen.  It cast everything in a pale light.  Collette laughed at Graham as the glow bathed him in a light that made him look like a living jack-o-lantern.

    Shutting the steaks within the glowing oven, Graham turned and asked, "what's so funny?"

    Collette took another sip of the wine and said, "you are."

   He looked at her with a look of confusion and happiness.  If she was happy, he was happy, and he told her so.

    Collette smiled at him in response.

    Graham finished cooking and served the meal to the two of them.  They ate slowly, savoring the taste; savoring the company.  They finished eating and while Graham did the dishes, Collette took a small plate down to Mark.  She would make sure that Mark ate when they ate.  She woke him and place the plate towards him.  "Eat," she commanded.

    Mark stirred and sat up.  He took the plate from her through the opening in the cage that Graham had included when he built the cage.  "Thank you," he said submissively.  He did sound broken, but was it an act?  Time would tell.

    She watchedhim eat.  He chewed with his mouth closed and rapidly finished the meal that Collette had brought him.  "Thank you," he said as he finished eating.    He handed the empty plate back to Collette.

    Collette took the plate and left Mark alone.  She returned to Graham's side and handed him Mark's plate.  He washed it as he had the other dishes.  Collette smiled at him and with the kitchen clean Collette and Graham made their way to the living room.  "How is he?" Graham asked as they sat.

    "He seems docile enough.  I don't think he will be a problem."

    Graham heard her doubt but said nothing.  "What do you want to do now?"

    Collette smiled and said, "take me to bed."

    And together they made their way upstairs.