“You will learn to disobey me, boy,” the man said, raising his hand in the air.

He struck the boy with his fist, knocking him to the ground. His lip was bleeding and his head ached. They had been at it for over an hour. He tried to obey, but he felt nauseated by what was happening around him. He didn’t want to follow this monster’s commands, but he had no choice. If he didn’t do as he was told, he would kill him.

“Now, try it again,” the man said in a deep, angry voice. “Stand up and force your dick down the bitch’s throat. If she bites you, whip her. If she throws up, do it again. She has to learn how to use her body when a man orders her to, and you have to learn how to make her behave.”

“Yes Sir,” the boy said, picking himself off the floor.

He looked at the girl cowering in the corner, sobbing uncontrollably. They were both completely naked. The girl had marks across her back, her arms, and her legs from the whip the old man held in his hand. He could feel the pain of his own punishment across his back and stomach, from the harsh beatings he’d received.

Slowly, he walked to the girl and drew a deep breath. She looked to be no older than sixteen or seventeen, just a year or two his senior, and before the bruises on her face had turned her eyes and mouth purple, she had been quite lovely.

“Come here, bitch,” the boy growled angrily.

He drew a deep breath, channeling all his anger for the man into his words. He knew if he didn’t force her to do as he ordered, the old man would kill them both. If he could just get her to obey, maybe the bastard would let them both alone for a while. If he wasn’t standing behind them, the boy would have tried to reason with her, but he was taught that a man didn’t have to convince a woman to follow his orders. He forced her to obey.

“Please, no,” the girl cried out trying to scurry farther in the corner.

“Come here, bitch,” the boy ordered again, dragging her out by her hair.

The boy pulled her to the center of the room, then he forced her to her knees. She tried to pull away, but he had a tight hold on her hair and she couldn’t do more than turn her face.

“Open your mouth,” he commanded, then glanced at the man who watched him.

The anger on his face was making him turn red, and the boy knew they were going to be beaten again. To save her life, and his, he had to force her to obey him.

He slapped the girl hard, holding her by the hair. He stepped in closer to her, pressing his penis into her face.

“Open your mouth,” he growled again, this time holding her nose closed until she obeyed.

Once her mouth opened for air, he thrust his penis into it, pulling her up against him. She resisted and began choking, but he knew where to draw the line between choking and vomiting. It was the first lesson the old bastard had taught him.

The boy pulled out long enough for her to gasp for air, then pushed her back against him. Each thrust moved further down her throat, until he was sheathed inside her trachea. He tried not to allow the feeling to affect him, but it was amazing to have her throat tighten around him.

Pulling out again, he allowed her to collect her breath, then pushed back inside once more. The sensations were overwhelming, and he had no choice but to relent to them. He growled savagely as he filled her with his release, forcing her to swallow it. When he released her again, she began to sputter and cough, trying to regain breath into her lungs.

“That was much better, boy,” the old bastard said, slapping his bare back with his large hand. “The little bitch has disobeyed you long enough. It’s time to teach her a real lesson. Take her to the bench.”

The boy drew a deep breath and did as he was told, dragging her by the hair towards a wooden bench with four legs.

“Strap her across it,” the old man ordered.

He did as he was told, despite the girl’s sobbing. He was feeling disgusted with himself for obeying the man, but he had no choice. He wasn’t strong enough to stand against him, and he had his sister to protect. If he didn’t obey, she may be the next one to suffer their father’s abuse.

“It’s time for you to know how to teach a disobedient slave the difference between pain and pleasure,” he told the boy, moving to his side and watching as his son tethered the girl’s wrists to the chains in the wall.

The old man waited until the boy had strapped her legs to the bench’s wooden supports and stood up behind her. He smiled when the girl began sobbing uncontrollably as if her tears spurred him onward to a darker corner of insanity.

“Spit on the end of your dick to get it wet, then push it up her ass,” he told the boy.

“Her…what?” he asked with a frown.

“A woman has three holes and you’ve just learned how to use one. Now you’ll learn the most important one. When you fuck a woman in the ass, she learns humility and respect for her master. Fuck her pussy and she will enjoy it too much. Now, do as I tell you. You have to wet your dick, so the entry won’t pull on your skin and cause you pain.”

The boy obeyed, though his stomach jerked violently. He spit in his hand, and spread it over the end of his penis, then pressed it gently against her tight anus. He drew a deep breath, trying to block the woman’s screams and cries from his mind as he pressed into her. The feeling was tight, and the pain was momentary, though the girl’s suffering was much worse than his ever could be.

He thrust into her, over and over until he was sheathed completely. The girl was tight around him, and when he looked down he saw the blood dripping to the floor beneath them. He thought of stopping, but the old man just laughed.

“Don’t let the blood scare you, boy,” he told him. “You just broke her anal cherry. Now, she’ll know how to take a dick for a man’s pleasure. Start fucking her. I want you to fill her ass with your cum.”

“Yes Sir,” the boy said, then closed his eyes and did as he was told.

He rocked against the girl’s round, soft bottom over and over until he felt his arousal harden inside her. He could feel his climax edging him closer to the edge until it happened. He growled out again, pumping into her harder as he filled her orifice as he was commanded.

“That’s better, boy,” the old man laughed. “Now that you know how to fuck a woman, I expect you to do a better job the next time you’re told to.”

“Yes Sir,” the boy said, pulling out of the girl who was sobbing, gasping for air around her sobs.

He stepped back and collected his clothes, then turned around in time to see the old man move in behind her. He opened his robes and took hold of the bench, thrusting into the woman’s open hole. She cried out and he laughed, slapping her buttocks hard.

The boy stood there and watched while the old man repeated his actions and filled the woman’s hole with his release. His laughter echoed through the room and the boy closed his eyes, fighting to block it out. The darkness swelled up around him and he could still hear the girl’s sorrowful sobbing, then there was nothing.

Hans opened his eyes with a quick snap, looking around at his surroundings. For a moment he imagined himself in that room and he feared the man was waiting for him. He could still hear the woman’s cries and the sickening laugh of the old man.

Slowly, his mind cleared, and he realized where he was. He remembered spending the entire night making love to Cassie, exploring her beautiful body, and mapping out every detail of her assets. He could still taste her on his tongue, his fingers tingled from where he’d touched her. The reality was more arousing than his dreams ever could have been.

The sound of the child’s laugh echoed through the hallway until the door to the bedroom opened. He struggled to sit up against the damp sheets beneath him. That dream had been too real to be a nightmare. He knew without asking, he had been the boy, but the events were horrific. How could he cause a woman so much pain, and where did she come from? The old man called her a slave. How was he capable of keeping slaves in this day and age? Was it even legal in Germany?

“Good morning, Daddy,” Hannah called out as she skipped into the room and ran to the bed.

Hans chuckled as the bright-eyed child climbed up the bench at the foot of the bed, then crawled across her father’s legs until she reached him.

He fell backwards against the pillow, laughing as his daughter flung her arms around his neck and gave him a tight hug, kissing his hair-stubble cheek.

“We brought you breakfast,” she told him, as he returned her hug. “Mommy had to carry it, ba-cuse I’m too little.”

“Mommy is a woman of many talents. I’m sure she can manage the tray,” he told his daughter as she moved away and allowed him to sit up again.

Cassie blushed when she looked at Hans, who winked a knowing eye to her. They both knew what he was referring to, but neither one was willing to comment Hannah.

“This is a lot of food,” Hans frowned when Cassie positioned the legs to the tray across his lap. “I hope you’re going to share it with me.”

“We already ate,” Hannah told him, crawling up to lean against the pillows beside him. “It’s all yours. Mommy said we didn’t know if your tummy was empty, so we wanted to give you some of everything.”

“Did you leave any for the others?” he teased.

“The cooks make loads of food all the time. I like the cookies best, but Mommy said I can’t eat them except with lunch, or supper.”

“Smart woman, your mommy.”

“Daddy, when you get up, do you want to go ride the horses with me? We have a new one called Ginger. Mommy is teaching me to ride her.”

“I told you we can’t go outside right now,” Cassie scolded Hannah. “There are too many photographers lurking around, and we don’t want them spooking the horses.”

“But Mommy, what can we do? It’s boring inside.”

“I’m sure we’ll find something to keep us occupied.”

“Do you want to see my new dollies?” Hannah asked her father. “Mommy bought my baby some sisters when we were in Vine-atto.”

“Veneto,” Cassie corrected.

“I’d love to, my green-eyed angel,” he smiled, cutting into the pancake.

Cassie stared at her husband as the child climbed off the bed and ran out of the room, calling to her dolls. Hans glanced up and saw the strange look on his wife’s face and frowned.

“I did it again, didn’t I?” he asked, seeing the shocked expression in her eyes.

“You used to call Hannah…your green-eyed angel…when she was a baby,” she said in a soft voice.

“Another piece of the puzzle found,” he told her with a gentle smile, then patted the bed next to him. “Come sit with me. I want you by my side.”

“I’m always by your side,” she assured him, sitting between him and the edge of the large bed. “After everything we’ve been through, you’ll be lucky if you aren’t tripping over me.”

“I’m alright with that. I like having you with me. I feel…whole.”

Cassie leaned on his shoulder, smiling when he kissed the top of her head. It was a comfortable feeling to have him home, even if he didn’t remember everything about his former life.

Hannah returned a moment later, her arms filled with the five dolls she had brought home from Italy with her. She laid them on the bed next to her father, then ran out of the room to get her favorite baby. Cassie chuckled as she looked at the amused grin on Hans’s face.

“If you haven’t already guessed, she likes dolls,” she told him.

“So, I’ve noticed,” he laughed.

The next half hour was spent with Hannah introducing each doll to her father, though she hadn’t thought of names for them. They were just blue baby, or pink baby, named after the color of clothing they were wearing. By the time he had finished eating, she had told him all about their recent trip and swimming, and shopping then told him Pop and Eva were downstairs and wanted to know if she should go get them. With Cassie’s insistence, the child was assured her father would meet them soon enough.

Taking her dolls with her, Hannah left the couple alone, so her father could shower, then went into her bedroom to have a tea-party. Cassie drew a deep breath and followed her to the door, closing it behind her. She turned to see Hans lift the coffee cup to his lips, his eyes holding steadily on her backside.

“Do you know how beautiful you are?” he asked when she returned to his side.

“You’ve told me often enough, though I wonder sometimes if you need glasses.”

“I have perfect eyesight, and you have an amazing figure. I can’t believe you’ve given birth. Except for that small scar on your side, you don’t have a single stretchmark anywhere.”

“I used a lot of cocoa butter and vitamin E,” she told him, watching as he moved the tray aside. “Have you finished?”

“I’m stuffed. I feel guilty eating all of this. The most the village has for breakfast is oatmeal and powdered milk, occasionally boiled potatoes when they’ve been harvested, or eggs from wild chickens.”

“Why isn’t there more?”

“There isn’t money enough to do more. The homes are little more than shacks, or tents, and the only clothing is what the mission or church can collect.”

“Can we do something to help?” she asked, taking the tray and setting it on the side table. “We can send them money, or food. I’m sure we can afford to give them clothing and shoes and supplies to build decent homes.”

“It’s not that easy, my love,” he told her, moving the blankets aside and standing up. “If you want to donate, it has to go through the organization that manages the village. Once they have the items or the money, they must get permission from the country, and if it’s food or clothing, everything has to be inspected. If the officials think there is another area that needs more help, they come first. Unfortunately, countries turn their back on the poor. They have enough burdens on their shoulders to take on anything else.”

“That’s sad. What about these places you see on television who are collecting money for the poor? What happens to that?”

“A lot of those places only send part of what they collect. Usually around 40-50%. Everyone has their hands in the pot, and what’s left has to be divided between so many villages, there isn’t enough to go around.”

“Can’t they combine the villages, move people closer together so they can share resources?”

“Some of the villages are enemies, so bringing them together could cause territorial wars. Besides, a lot of them would rather die on their own land than share someone else’s. Even poor people have their pride.”

“There has to be something we can do?”

“The most we can do is offer money to the organizations, and hope it’s used wisely.”

Hans wrapped his arms around his wife’s waist and pulled her close to him, pressing his naked body against her. His hands roamed over her back and hips as his mouth claimed hers. It was hard to imagine he could go for three long years without the company of a woman, and now that he had her in his life, he was having a hard time keeping his hands off her.

“I need a shower,” he told her, kissing her neck. “Care to join me?”

“I’ve already taken one. You go enjoy one alone this time, while I try and keep your daughter out of the way.”

“I need to get some clothes. I’ve only got two pairs of pants, and both are dirty.”

Cassie smiled as she pulled out of his embrace, glancing down to his erection. She took him by the hand, leading him through the bathroom and into the closet.

“Everyone said I should get rid of your stuff, but I knew you’d need them when you came home,” she told him, flipping on the light so he could see the display of shirts, pants, suits, and shoes. “You look a bit broader than I remember, but I’m sure you can find something that fits.”

“This is outrageous,” he smiled, fingering through the hangers. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many clothes.”

“You’ve always had a lot of guests and parties, so you’ve needed them. Besides, you’re a Baron and you have a certain reputation to uphold.”

She watched him pull open the drawers and remove a pair of socks, then smiled when he searched two drawers, knowing he was looking for underwear.

“I have some work to do while you’re getting cleaned up. Take your time, and when you’ve finished, Hannah can show you to the office,” she told him, walking past him.

Hans reached out and wrapped her in his embrace, hugging her close. He kissed her with the promise of more to come, as his hands moved across her firm body, squeezing her buttocks through her jeans. It wouldn’t take much to convince her to repeat their encounter from earlier that morning, but he knew he needed a shower.

Reluctantly, he eased back away from her. His arousal throbbing between them, causing Cassie’s cheeks to turn pink. He kissed her neck as his hands moved up the front of her, caressing and teasing her breasts until her nipples hardened, straining against the tight fabric of her tee-shirt.

Hans moaned. His mind began to take in their surroundings and he saw a quick flash of making love to her on the bench, and again on the carpeted floor.

“I want you, baby,” he growled against her ear. “Knowing you have nothing on under your clothes is driving me crazy.”

“Just think about it for a while,” she giggled as his mouth traveled down her throat. “When Hannah lays down for a nap, we can take advantage of the privacy.”

“I’d love to have a repeat performance of last night,” he panted softly. “I’ve never known how amazing a mouth could be.”

“I had an excellent teacher,” she told him, pulling out of his embrace.

She looked down at his erection again, then looked behind her to make certain they weren’t being watched. She wrapped her hand around the shaft and began a gentle, firm stroking action.

“Perhaps…” she began with a wicked grin.

“I’ll meet you in the shower,” he told her, cupping her breast. “Your work can wait. This is far more important.”

Cassie giggled and let go of him, then turned around and stepped through the doorway, leaving him to wonder if she was going to join him or not.

Taking the satin robe from the hook near the room’s entrance, he walked out of the closet and into the back part of the large bathroom. He smiled when he heard Cassie telling their daughter to give Daddy time to get cleaned up, then listened to the door close. He turned on the water to the shower and watched in amazement when the jets began a variety of sprays. The image of making love between the jets, raised the heat already radiating through his veins.

“I thought you’d be in it by now,” Cassie told him, stepping into the room.

Hans turned to see her standing behind him, completely naked, with her hair on the top of her head. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she stepped closer, her breasts rising and falling with her breaths.

“I was waiting to see if you were going to join me,” he smiled.

“I’ve always obeyed my husband…well, most of the time,” she giggled. “I like to keep you on your toes.”

Hans stared at her, trying to put into perspective her comment.

“Have I ever…,” he paused as he formed his question in a way that wouldn’t frighten her. “Did I ever raise a hand to you?”

“What?” she asked with a surprised look. “Hans, you’ve never hurt me. You promised me a long time ago that you would never harm me, and you never have. What’s this all about?”

“Just…a bad dream,” he told her, then reached for her.

He wrapped his hand around her small waist and pulled her closer to him, covering her mouth with his own. He wasn’t sure what that dream meant, but having her say she obeyed him, made him wonder exactly what kind of man he used to be.

The thought of hurting her, of abusing her, the way he had dreamt, made his stomach churn. He could never imagine being so cruel, or so cold as to treat a woman with such disrespect or humiliation, and he prayed he’d never laid a hand on Cassie in a manner other than love.

Hans found himself wandering down the hallway to the office, where Cassie had gone. He felt out of place and awkward as he inspected each room. There were certain details that he remembered, like the crown molding, or the veranda doors, but the rest made him question if he would ever fit in.

The one thing that did concern him, was how many bars this place had. Every room seemed to have one. Some were larger than others, depending on the size of the room, while others were barely more than a cabinet. As he inspected them, his frown grew deeper. They were fully stocked with a variety of liquor, especially bourbon. Cassie said it was his favorite drink, so he assumed the castle kept a supply readily available, which aided in making him wonder how extensive his drinking habit was.

He made his way toward the last room, then paused when he heard Cassie and Liam talking. They were discussing new reservations and lower levels. Somewhere in the back of his mind he felt he knew what they were talking about. Despite how hard he tried, he couldn’t consciously bring the information to the front of his mind, so he could relate to the conversation.

With a deep sigh, he continued down the hall and paused by the open door. He didn’t want to interrupt them, but he needed to feel like a part of what was happening. After all, the castle was his, so he should know what went on inside it.

“Hello,” Liam said in a cheerful tone, looking up when he entered. “How are you feeling?”

“Confused,” Hans answered honestly, looking to Cassie behind the large desk.

“What’s the matter?” she asked with a concerned frown.

“I feel like I should know more than I do. This is my castle, and I know nothing about it.”

“Give it time, darling,” Cassie told him as she pushed away from the desk and stood up. “Things will come back to you eventually. Just don’t push yourself. Consider how long you’ve been gone, and everything you’ve been through.”

“I suppose,” he frowned as he wrapped her in his embrace. “I’m just happy I remembered you.”

“I’m going to leave you two alone,” Liam said with a smile. “As much as I like groups, I think this is one time, three’s a crowd.”

He slapped his friend on the back, not hard, but enough to show his affection, then left the room, closing the door behind him. He walked quietly down the hallway, trying to put himself in Hans’s place. He couldn’t imagine the frustration he was going through. It must have been hell for a man who was always in control, not to know anyone, much less to feel like a stranger in his own mind. It must have been like living in a tunnel, and not knowing which way was out.

“Tell me how I can help you,” Cassie asked as she walked with Hans to the sofa and sat down beside him.

She kept her hand on his leg as he looked around the room. She could tell he was trying to find something familiar to focus on.

“I need to get involved with routine activities,” he told her. “I want to know what’s going on and be a part of them.”

“Alright. Do you want to start with the books? I can show you what’s been happening since you’ve been away. Or you can write out the payroll. Just tell me where you want to start.”

“What were you and Liam talking about when I came in?” Hans asked, feeling comfortable with directing his questions to her.

“We were talking about a lot of things. What did you hear?”

“You were saying you wanted to scale back on the reservations until the photographers and reporters were gone. You didn’t want them poking their noses into the lower levels.”

“No, I don’t,” she told him honestly. “What happens in this castle is none of their business.”

“Is it mine?”

Cassie frowned, wondering how much of the activities below their feet she should tell him. She wasn’t sure if he remembered a little or a lot, or anything at all. She didn’t want to overwhelm him with information about his past, while he was trying to rebuild his present.

“This castle has a very dark history,” she told him, leaning closer to him as she reclined against the back of the sofa. “Your ancestors were…brutal, to say the least. They kept the village and the neighboring farmers in fear for centuries.”

“Why?”

“They used to…steal women. Young, beautiful women. It started in medieval times and continued through the twentieth century. If they couldn’t find women outside of the village, they would take the daughters and sisters of those closest to the castle. Eventually, the villagers started sending the girls away before they reached maturity, to protect them.”

She paused to see if anything she was saying was starting to trigger memories for him, but all he did was frown. He looked confused and disgusted at the same time.

“Why did they steal women?” he asked, remembering the nightmare he’d had.

“Basically, for their own carnal lust. They would rape them until they had their fill, then sell them to the highest bidder.”

“That’s barbaric,” he said with a dark frown.

“It was the way they made their money. And they made a lot of it.”

“Is that how I made my money, as well?” he asked.

Cassie drew a deep breath. She didn’t know if he was ready to hear the truth or not. He was the strongest man she’d ever known, and the gentlest, but right now, he wasn’t exactly stable. She wasn’t certain if the answer would bring more problems for him or solve a few.

“You were a matchmaker,” she told him with a warm smile, realizing how true the sentence truly was. “You helped women who have nothing, find men who were willing to give them a new life.”

“Where did I find these women?”

“Everywhere. You have friends keeping their eyes open, and when they find a woman who has no family, no lovers, nobody who needs or cares about them, they arrange for them to come here, where you introduce them to men looking for a woman of their own.”

“How do I find the men?”

“They aren’t hard to find. You find them through friends of friends, online, even relatives of those who came to you for someone in the past. I know one mother who brought her son to you, so he could find a woman. She wanted grandchildren, and he was too consumed with his work to take the time to settle down.”

“Is that how we met?” he asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Were you looking for someone?”

“Yes, but not a man. I was looking for my friend who was reportedly killed while on a skiing trip. I met you, and…well, the rest is history.”

“Which one of us fell in love first?”

“You said you fell in love with me the moment you laid eyes on me. I tried to resist you at first, but after a while, I realized I was just kidding myself. I loved you more than I loved my freedom.”

“That portrait in our sitting room. Who is the couple?”

“Your parents,” she answered, thankful he didn’t pick up on the slip of her wanting her freedom.

“My mother didn’t look very happy.”

“I suppose she wasn’t. You told me she had an abusive marriage, and she didn’t like being here.”

“Why didn’t she leave?”

“I…don’t know,” she said looking down to the hand he placed on top of hers. “I guess maybe because she had you and your sister, and nowhere to go.”

“I have a sister?”

“Had. She was killed shortly after we were married.”

“How?”

Cassie wasn’t certain she should tell him how Rosa died, but she also didn’t want him to feel like he was being ignored. He had a right to know about his past, but there was a lot she didn’t think he was ready to hear.

“Hans…I’m not sure if I can give you a summary of your life in fifteen minutes,” she told him with a warm smile. “There’s a lot even I don’t know about you.”

“Then tell me about these reservations you were talking with Liam about,” he said in a firm tone that reminded her of the old Hans. “What are they for, and what are the lower levels?”

“The reservations are from women who want to find men and the lower levels…help transform a woman…into the type, men are looking for. They are put through exercises to help lose weight, and lessons to teach them to be more…womanly. They are groomed and prepared, so they are ready to meet the men who want a woman.”

“Do I run a dating service, or a whorehouse?” he asked with a frown, causing Cassie to laugh.

“Maybe a little of both,” she answered with a blush. “Men want women for sex and companionship, and women are looking for men who will love them.”

“It all sounds smooth, but I have a feeling there’s a lot more behind your words than you’re telling me.”

“Be patient, Hans,” Cassie told him gently as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “In time, things will fall into place and you’ll begin to remember. You’ve been away for three years. It’s going to take time for you to put the pieces in proper order.”

“Are you going to be there when they fall in place?” he asked, easing her back against the sofa cushions.

“I’ve waited three years for you to come home. There’s not a snowball's chance in hell I’m leaving now.”

“I need you beside me,” he told her in a firm, almost frightened tone. “I need your strength to help me break through this wall surrounding my mind.”

“I’m much stronger than I look,” she told him with a wide smile. “And if I weaken, there’s always Hannah. She’s been waiting for her daddy as long as I’ve been waiting for my husband.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here for both of you,” he told her, kissing her lips and moving across her cheek to her neck.

“It’s not your fault, it’s Wilhelm’s. He talked you into leaving us.”

“Don’t blame the doctor, my love,” he whispered next to her ear as his warm hand moved up the inside of her tee-shirt. “Perhaps it’s just part of the plan for our lives.”

“I wish I could believe that. I didn’t plan to spend my life raising our daughter alone or sleeping without my husband.”

“That’s the one thing you’ll never have to do again,” he told her, kissing her lips gently. “I’m home and I’ll never be farther away from you than I am right now.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” she smiled, then gasped when his hand found her breast, pinching her erect nipple hard enough to send a stinging shock through the round globe.

“So long as you continue to go without a bra, I’ll be close by to take advantage of it.”

“Pervert,” she giggled.

“Damn right,” he whispered, covering her mouth again, feeling more at home than he had since he arrived.