Life Sentence

Our second shopping trip in two days brought us to a quite different range of clothing stores. There are plenty of fetish gear places trading quite openly these days, but I wanted a bespoke service. Romanov's was the only place to go.

Two hours and several thousand Dollars later, all was measured and ordered. Two days for delivery on the custom stuff and alterations, but they had a fair selection of off the shelf equipment. Still, I liked the idea of ancestor case, so I would get it all delivered neatly packaged.

Penny had seed to enjoy the fitting process, and trying on the various outfits. Romanov had looked approvingly at her when after he measured her up and had been about to place a collar on her to try for size she had politely stopped him and said "Please, my Master should be the one to place the collar on me."

I had laughed and said "Quite right, slave, bring it here," and I snapped it in place. I thought she was going to cry, although she was smiling.

In the car she was quite chatty about the morning's shopping, and kept raising her hand tingling the collar. I asked her if it was chaffing, or too tight, and she laughed. "No Master, it is perfect. Thank you. But Master I was thinking, there is another thing that ought to be done."

I asked "What do you need to do?"

She shook her head. "Not me Master. You need to do this before the Meeting. You should put your mark on me."

I was stunned. But she was right. I had owned her for six months, and had most of her previous owners marks removed, but had not marked her as mine. I didn't even have an idea of a mark to use. I had never owned a girl before. Nor wanted to. And had never thought of having one tattooed with a sign of my ownership. I stumbled over my words. "Oh yes. Yes I should. Oh. Well. Ah. Well, since I haven't got a mark, ah. Yes. Well, since it is for you, have you any suggestions? Anything you would like?"

Penny laughed, that lovely light mellifluous laugh. "Oh Michael. Oh. Sorry, Master. I don't think many girls have ever been asked that."

"No," I said ruefully "probably not."

"But thank you for asking Master. If it pleases you I will be pleased to wear your mark, whatever you choose."

"Well it would be best done today. Give it at least a few days to heal. We'll go to Fragard's."

Gerome Fragard is a genius with ink. He is also very discrete. He often attends Meetings, and marks up fresh girls, some have to be restrained or drugged so they don't struggle and ruin his lines. In California he has a very respectable studio, film stars and rock stars, and their groupies, were commonly among the clientèle.

In the studio we took a private changing room and Penny stripped off. I looked at her body in a wholly new way. Gerome came in and joined my inspection.

"Good gods, man, what the fuck has happened here?" he said, pointing at the graft patch over where her brand had been. "And this is a fucking mess. Jesus what butcher did that?" he pointed out places where the laser treatment had not been successful. "Fuck man there had been some bad ink here. Apart from the tit job. Looks like Anton, yeah? So what can I do for you?"

I told him. "This girl is a recent purchase. She was badly marked up, so I have had some work done to clean up the mess, but I haven't decided on my own mark yet. I was thinking of something here." I pointed at the place were The Boss had once had his little flower tattoo. There were some visible traces. "Something to obliterate that."

Penny smiled.

We discussed options, he produced books of photos and designs, and we looked at other problem areas on Penny's skin. The 'Dirty Dolls' tramp stamp and the Devils' mark had been difficult to shift, although the crude Bunny head and the dolphin had both faded well. Gerome of course suggested a vast project covering everything with interconnected pieces of his art, and to keep him happy I agreed, but had to focus him back on the initial spot.

"Why not a monogram? Stylised initials? A nice gothic black M?"

I glanced at Penny. She was smiling again.

In the car later she made a suggestion, and we went back to Romanov's. Some alterations to her outfits were made, and a new collar ordered, this one engraved with a copy of Gerome's creation. The cuffs I had ordered were also to be marked.

I had work to do, so sent Penny home, but when I got in later I was pleasantly surprised.

Penny had been to the hotel spa, and talked to the beautician there. Light make up subtly blended covered her marks. She was wearing her collar and a plaster over her new mark, and nothing else. She was setting the table, and turned to smile at me as I entered. She came over to take my jacket and said "I ordered you a pastis this evening, and steak if that is ok, Master."

"Sounds fine, and I'm not complaining, but why no clothes tonight?"

"You didn't leave me instructions about how to dress, Master, and I thought since you might need me naked at the Meeting I should practice the make-up and so on. Do I look presentable, Master?"

She turned slowly so I could inspect her. She looked good. I said so and she preened "I am glad Master that I won't embarrass you."

I insisted she eat dinner with me, although she tried to suggest that she should not sit as an equal to me. I stopped her. "No Penny, we will not be equal, but I do not want you overdoing this submissive thing. There are men who drive women into that submission by threat of pain, I am not one of those. There are women who adopt that position through some masochistic urge - I don't want to encourage or indulge that in you. If we go to the Red Room with you acting like a sub they will treat you that way - whips and watersports and all that. I won't have that. So, respect and obedience, yes, but self respect too. I want to be proud to be your owner, so make me proud - be strong and beautiful."

"I will try, Master."

"So you are responsible for how you dress, and groom yourself. I will not be giving you instructions every day, although I might make suggestions for some occasions. I do expect you to display your regard for me however, by looking well. Choice of food too is up to you. You have done well the last two nights, so carry on. I don't expect you to always eat what I do. Order as you please for yourself. Understood?"

"Yes Master."

"Now I am tired. So I having a bath, and then sleeping. You may join me if you wish."

The next few days were hectic as I prepared for the upcoming Meeting, and then we travelled. There were seven on the jet, two long flights with a stop over for fuel in Hawaii. The five girls knew what was coming - they all had circles on their wrists. I had bought them for The Boss over the previous two years, and they had been placed in Aspen, Jamaica, LA and London. Two were red heads, one blonde, the others Mediterranean dark haired girls, one French one Italian. They remained dressed until we left Hawaii, when Penny asked me if I would mind if she got them ready for the Meeting, and would I like the girls to entertain me.

She marshalled them to stand naked before me, and start playing with each other and themselves. She chose the blonde to strip her off and made her finger herself, bent over the chair on front of me, so I could see her matching pale bush opened up to reveal the pale pink folds within. Penny directed the two brunettes to strip me and suck my cock. And then backed the blond onto my lap. The red heads were placed on each side of me so I could finger fuck one with each hand and take turns sucking their tits, and Penny had the spare pair of dark girls to herself. She had the Italian kneel to lick her out while she kissed the French girl, playing with her tits and finger fucking her.

We all drank champagne after. It was a party, and the girls rolled on, pairing off as Penny demanded, doing what she said. By the end of the flight my cock had been in the pussy and mouth of every one of the girls, I had sucked all their nipples, and had a thoroughly good time.

I had never done that before. These women were in my charge but not mine. I was acting like an owner. But it was Penny who directed it. In the limo from the airport one of the red heads rode me while the other sat over my face so I could lick her out. I was a little wobbly in the legs as we booked in to the Meeting.

This time it was in a palace. A country retreat built by some prince five hundred years ago, and still in private hands. I don't know who owned it, but it was stocked with servant girls and boys, and security guards who were all obviously permanent staff. I heard that it was run as a club, for locals who wanted to keep up the old traditions. As a Rep my suite had only three rooms and the bath was barely big enough for six.

I went through the Meeting mechanically. Over the next three days Penny was always at my side, my monogrammed collar, wrist and ankle cuffs on discrete display. She carried a tablet PC and my phone, making notes and keeping quiet. I referred to her as 'Girl' whenever I referred to her at all. I sold each of the girls to different dealers, Players, Reps and Gentlemen. I hoped they would be looked after. One I knew was destined for porn, and would probably be ok. I worried about the little blonde though. The man who bought her was a Rep from South Africa. I didn't know for sure but he was rumoured to deal in weapons and he had brought several village girls from the Congo. Goodness knows where that little girl would end up.

I bought three Thai girls, a Chinese Malay, and pair of Sinhalese cousins. A Filipino girl rounded off my exotic selection. All virgins. The Boss would be pleased. I found myself thinking unkindly about that.

Of course we had to go to the Red Room. I decided to go on the last night. First night was always crowded, full of girls to sell. Second night was usually the most extreme - people were there for the experience, pushing the edges. Last night was a quieter crowd, people showing off new purchases, and breaking them in. Owners would bring girls who they had bought and ravaged to display, and to force into public submission. It could be rough, but usually it wasn't too extreme. I hoped that in that atmosphere we would get off lightly, and the crowd would have so many to play with that our ordeal would be brief.

However when we got there we were intercepted by the maitre de. "Ah, Madame has been expecting you, Come this way sir, you can change for the entertainment here."

I asked what was going on, as we were ushered into a side room. One of Madame Rouge's assistants was there, and he quickly informed me. "You are here by command, not as a Gentleman, nor as a Rep, nor as a Player. You are to be part of the entertainment."

"As an owner I want to reserve some acts on the girl. I have just paid for surgery on her anal and vaginal passages, she is not to be used anally for another six weeks, and should have no large insertions vaginally. Also, no permanent damage or marking."

From behind me Madame Rouge's cold drawl said "You are only an owner by Committee decree. They have given both of you to me for the evening. You have no right of reservation, either for her or yourself."

I am sure I blanched. I turned to her, and gave her a small nod as a bow. Penny was smart enough to fall to her knees. I said "Madame, I did not hear you come in. And I am sorry I had not understood the arrangement. However I would request that for this evening you might bear what I just said in mind. This girl had major repair surgery recently, if her stitches rip it would be expensive and maybe impossible to repair."

"She was a five dollar whore. Why spend so much on her?"

I smiled. "Madame I am stuck with her, because I was foolish. So if I am to get even five dollars worth out of her she needed work. Her ass was so stretched she couldn't hold anything, and her cunt was so big it wasn't worth fucking."

"Well, maybe so. But I want to see someone's ass get fisted. So if you won't fist hers?" she looked at me quizzically.

"I would prefer not to, this time."

"Then we will see how grateful she is to you, by how gently she fists yours."

"Madame? I'm sorry?"

She looked at me and smiled "You may well be. Your girl, I want her stripped and available for anyone to fuck, but first I want her to fist your ass. Don't worry, I will let her use lube. Centre stage, five minutes."

Penny looked up at me as Madame swept out. "Master?" she whispered in sympathetic horror.

I swallowed. "Have you ever done that?"

"Yes Master."

"Well," I said "I haven't. Any tips?"

Penny looked at me with sad eyes "Try to relax. I, I'll be gentle. It might help if you have a couple of drinks first."

The following day we flew to Jamaica. I was in some discomfort. Penny wasn't feeling so good either. A dozen men had used her the night before. We didn't have much to talk about. Penny didn't want to talk at all.

We slept badly. I had to call off work and flew to Miami for a medical check-up. I ended up being booked into the clinic that had repaired Penny in LA. All that week she was silent and withdrawn. I knew why. I didn't want to talk either.

It was ten days after the Meeting when was in the recovery room after my second operation and Penny was there. She was by my bed, in tears as I came round.

I was groggy but could see her distress and said "It's ok Penny. Don't worry, it's ok."

"Oh Master, I hurt you so much. And it is all my fault. If you hadn't bought me none of this would have happened to you."

"No Penny, not your fault. Madame Rouge. The Committee. The Circle. Mine. But we will see about that."

As I faded back into anaesthesia I had a fleeting vision. I knew what I ought to do. And I knew how to do it.

The Boss was not very sympathetic when I got back to work a week later. I didn't mind. It helped me to consolidate my plans.

"What can you expect if you mess with that blue-blood bitch?" he said "You tried to put restrictions on her, so she showed you your place."

"Blue blood?" I asked.

"Yeah she's old stock. Part Russian part German, married to a frog, aristocratic the whole way through. five hundred years of inbreeding and divine right. oh yeah, the Comtess de Megre is a vicious bit of old fashioned sadism. But what can you do Mikey? Now, back to business. I'm off to Jamaica next week and I need you to sort out things in New York. "

That question "What can you do Mikey?" rang in my ears.

When I got home that night Penny was at the door to take my jacket. She was in casual dress, jeans and tee-shirt, no collar since I had not put it back on her since the Meeting. She was now a little more talkative, and expressed her concern. "You look tired Master, are you sore again? Come and sit on the sofa, I'll get dinner on a tray."

As I sat and rested I noticed two books and a notepad on the side table. An introduction to Business studies and a basic accountancy text. I didn't comment.

As we ate I was thinking hard. Should I do what I was thinking of doing? Should I involve Penny? Should I even talk to her about it, since it would implicate her in a conspiracy, and she could be a threat to my security. No, that last thought was unwarranted. Penny would never talk or betray me. And her life was on the line here too. I should talk to her.

"Penny, I have an idea. I know how I can get out of this business. But it is dangerous, for both of us. The question is, do you just want to be free, or do you want revenge. "

Penny was quiet for a while. Then she said "How free?"

"Well, not totally, I don't think we can avoid the Committee for ever if we ran for it, and we could not break the Circle enough to make it safe for us. But we may never have to go to a Meeting again. And we would have money, and independence, and not have to work for The Boss."

"Okay. That sounds good. But if I said I want revenge how would that change things?"

"It would change how I did things. It wouldn't change the outcome. It would be a little safer for you, no less risky for me. But it would mean you had to do things that are perhaps not in your nature. Or that you have not allowed yourself to do. It might change you. Some people get a taste for vengeance. They get a taste for murder."

Penny hesitated. "Murder?"

"The Boss has a public life and public profile that he keeps separate from his private dealings. Separate on paper and legally as well. He is concerned that his image is not tarnished, even if he was to die. He does not want any association with the slave trade. So all those dealings are done via a second set of companies and holding organisations. And his name isn't on the books. Mine is. If someone finds out about the house in Jamaica and the girls there it is my name on the deeds, I flew the jet and bought them, I smuggled them in, I go to jail. And if he dies, it is all mine. On paper. I have instructions to liquidate the assets and that money goes back to his estate, minus a fee, but it is in every sense mine and those instructions are a matter of trust between us. If he dies. Of course if he dies I can no longer be his Rep. It may be that The Committee would rule that the girls he owns have to be returned to the next meeting for sale. And they may demand I give you up to them. But if I tell them he has left it all to me, and I want to become a Gentleman Member, we might walk away."

"If The Boss dies?"

"Yes."

"Is he in poor health?" Penny asked.

"Not yet. Do you want vengeance or simply freedom?"

Penny said meekly "I don't really want revenge on him. And I don't want to be freed from you Master."

I smiled. "You know Penny I am surprised, but I shouldn't be. You are just too sweet natured for revenge."

Penny looked up with unexpected fierceness "I didn't say I did not want revenge, just that I don't care about him. The Boss is nothing to me. But I'll help you kill him if you like." She stopped, brought up short by what she had just said, then went on, "Well if I am honest, now that I have said that I might even get some satisfaction from it, but there are others who deserve a lot worse."

I was taken aback. "Who?" the question was out of my lips before I thought of it.

"Mr Handsome who raped me. That tattooist who pierced me and did this" she touched her breast with the dark sun on it. "The man in Mexico who kicked me until I lost my baby. The Haitian. A lot of people. Mostly men. And that bitch who made me hurt you, I want her to pay."

"Madame Rouge?"

Penny looked earnestly at me, tears starting in her eyes "Master, she forced me. She took my wrist and then grabbed my elbow and shoved it. Really it was her. I was trying to be gentle, really. It was her Master, she used me to hurt you."

"I know Penny, I know. And I like the idea of paying her back too, although I'm not sure how. But you just said something about Mexico. What was that about?"

Penny blanched. "Oh. Oh Master I am sorry. You told me to tell you everything and I didn't tell you about that. Oh I am sorry, Master."

She was weeping, and fawning. Tears for good reason I don't mind, but fawning and hysterics just annoy me "Stop it Penny. I said stop it, girl. That's better. Now listen to me. I am not annoyed that you didn't tell me. I am sure that what happened to you was very hurtful, maybe more hurtful and personal than anything else, although I shudder to think about some of the things you already told me about. You don't have to tell me now, and I am not going to demand you tell me about it. You have not been bad, and I am not going to punish you."

"Oh but you should Master, I have been bad, I disobeyed you."

"God save us Penny stop that!" I snapped at her loudly. She flinched and went silent, tears running down her cheeks. "Christ it is bad enough that I bought you, that I took part in that trade, you don't have to revel in it. I gave money to a man so he would let you go, not so that you would be a plaything for me, under my control. Fuck sake you're human, you can be human, act like a human being. I'm not looking for some servile submissive. Now I understand you have some emotional need for me to be your master, that you have decided to give yourself to me. But that does not make me into some brute who treats you like a animal, or a thing. I won't punish you because you think you have failed to live up to some weird idea of what it is to be a good slave."