The Aftermath

Chapter 10

Your group is quickly ushered into a secured back room with a woman that you assume is the infamous Selby and a couple of heavily armed bodyguards. Zemo takes a seat, pulling you into his lap and running a hand over your exposed thighs before leaning forward to nuzzle into your neck and breathing a quiet warning into your ear. "Play along no matter what I say," his whisper tickles the shell of your ear and you give a sultry giggle and a subtle nod that only he would understand as your acknowledgement of his warning. Sam and Bucky take up stiff, watchful positions behind the two of you and you can feel Bucky's gaze along your spine like a physical touch. Selby's attention flits from the sight of you sprawled across Zemo's lap to Sam. "You are taller than I imagine," she states in a bored drawl and Sam gives an equally bored nod as if that is something he was used to hearing all of the time. Her attention snaps back to Zemo, bypassing you as if you were an uninteresting accessory...which you supposed you were. "And as for you," her voice tightens slightly, "I thought you were in prison. What brings you to Madripoor?" The two of them trade quips and information as Zemo continues to run his hands over you in possessive strokes but you notice that he never moves to areas that would purposely made you feel uncomfortable and you silently wonder if it is because of his fear of what Bucky would do if he tried or if it was connected to his unique set of morals and codes that he conducted himself by. Either way, you were thankful that the terrorist seemed to have some sense of propriety about him. Playing along and adjusting to your role, you lean back further into him and wrap an arm around his neck, dragging your fingers through his hair as your other hand settles over his pulse point, the steady thrumming of his heart telling you that he isn't worried...at least not yet. It speeds up slightly and you try not to flinch when Selby's gaze moves to you with a flicker of dark interest. 

You tune back into the conversation when Zemo snaps his fingers and Bucky strides forward with a blank look that borders on boredom. "In exchange for your information, I will give you the Winter Soldier...along with the code words to control him," he offers and you can see the desire for such a weapon in her eyes. You try to keep the disgust you feel for this woman from your expression as she pauses long enough to ponder the trade that you begin to wonder if she will reject it. "Throw in the girl and we have ourselves a deal," she counters and for just a moment, you can feel the baron's arms tighten fractionally around you, clearly not liking or expecting her demand. Selby's eyes sharpen on the two of you when he doesn't immediately hand you over. "What's wrong Baron? Have you become attached to this one? Does she remind you of the wife you lost?" You can feel Zemo stiffen beneath you and feel his silent intake of breath at the comment and you find yourself loathing the woman before you even more. "Of course not," Zemo's voice comes out more lightly and falsely amused than you expected, "it just took some time for me to mold her to my liking and I'm loath to give her up so easily." At this, he leans forward and nuzzles into your neck again, "I'm sorry. Play along," he breathes before he nips you softly and you let out a surprised squeak that you quickly turn into a small moan, wrapping your arm around him and turning your face into his own neck, careful to rub your lips against his skin and smear lipstick there in hopes of making the moment seem more sensual than it actually was. "Be that as it is," Selby snears in a chilly voice, "I think I want her." 

Zemo can't repress his sigh as he gives you a gentle nudge, his fingers digging into your sides slightly in what you interpret to be a reassuring gesture and you saunter over to the woman, draping yourself across her lap in a similar manner to how you had been with Zemo. You try to repress a shudder of disgust when her hands trace over you, her nails dragging harshly across the exposed skin of your arms and thighs, leaving thick red scratch marks and small drops of blood in their wake. You paste on a lazy smile against the small hurt as your eyes lock across the room with Zemo's who gives you an almost imperceptible nod of silent approval before you allow them to flick to Bucky. Even with his face turned from you and his body locked in the silent statue of his Winter Soldier persona, you could feel the cold rage rolling off of him in waves. "She is a pretty thing but if she has been tamed to your tastes then she may be of no use to me," Selby muses in a frosty amusement, quickly making you realize that she just wanted to see if Zemo would give up something he seemed to value for the information. "Perhaps I will give her to him," she nods towards Bucky and you take that as your note to go to him a silent command given by a new owner, before draping yourself around him in a seductive show that he doesn't react to. "Does he even have a need or want for women? Or does he just tear them apart?" Selby queries before brushing the matter aside as if she couldn't care less either way. Seeming pleased with the terms of their trade, Selby starts spilling information about the serum. When the gaze of everyone in the room seems to slip back to Selby and Zemo, Bucky silently motions for you to move behind him in a more protected stance. His attention never strays from the danger in the room, but you can feel the tension in his posture ease just slightly at your presence by his side as you lean in and press a purposeful kiss to his neck, an apology and reassurance all at once. That tension quickly resurfaces and intensifies when Sam's phone suddenly rings.