BLAKE: Captive to the Dark (8 page)

“Dammit, Kaitlyn. The scar’s not even that noticeable.” His fingers tightened the strap underneath as we came to a stop. “I hate that Preston told you first. I swear, it’s not that bad.” The soft touch of his fingers grazed down my throat as he lifted the mask. The weight felt strange as we stepped out and came to a stop a few feet away.

“I’ve been judged by my face for so long that you have no idea what it feels like for me to walk around bearing this mark. To me
, it’s a God damn beacon, drawing attention from everyone who looks my way. So do me a favor and fuck off about me getting upset over it.” I walked toward the entrance when he caught up with me and stepped in my path.

“Add that little outburst to your punishment. I don’t give a shit what you think. I’m telling you it’s not a big deal. You’re overreacting. Scar or not, you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever laid eyes on. Now, enough. I better not hear you put yourself down again or else the consequences will be fierce.”

My world spun the smallest amount. “You think I’m beautiful? Like…right now? Looking as I do?”

Blake looked down, a frown coming to his face. When he met my eyes, I saw something resembling pain. “Kaitlyn, take my word for it. I don’t lie. Beautiful doesn’t even begin to describe what I see
and feel when I look at you. This. Me and you. This situation is new to me. I don’t bring women home or take care of them after they’re saved. But there’s something different about you. I’m breaking all of my rules. You wanted to know what rule number three was? Never let yourself fall for a slave. Too late. I’m on the verge of keeping you and never letting you go.” His hands gripped my shoulders, pulling me closer. “I should really take you home. I’m dangerous.”

The side of my mouth lifted into a smile. “So am I. Nice to finally meet you.”

Blake’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t come back with a response.

“Time to go.” He pulled the helmet down, tightening the strap underneath. I was whisked outside so fast,
my head felt separate from the rest of me. The weight of the helmet was starting to take its toll and we hadn’t even left yet.

The street bike was blacked out, something to be admired, for sure. I didn’t know much about them, but this thing looked amazing. And fast as hell. Fuck, I sure hoped I could hold on. Something about no seat belts made me uneasy. Quite possibly from the minor car accident I
’d been in as a child, but I couldn’t ignore the thrill the danger gave me.

Blake kicked the stand up and
threw his leg over. The tiny seat on the back was barely big enough to fit my ass on. I pulled the shield down and climbed on, bracing my feet on the pegs. The moment I stretched my arms around him, I felt the tightness in my back. Not good.

The engine roared to life, purring so much louder than I thought it would. Vibrations raced through me and I turned my head, looking at the crazed media. They knew it was me
. And from the looks of reporters running to their vans, we were going to have to book it if we were going to beat them out of here.

“Hold on. Tight.”

I didn’t think twice. My arms tightened around Blake’s waist and I was jerked back almost immediately. Wind whipped at my hair and pressure pushed against the helmet, making it feel even heavier.

Cars in the parking lot blurred at the speed and my eyes widened at the rush I suddenly felt. The bike slowed just enough to turn into traffic. It didn’t take long for him to begin to weave in and out of the vehicles. I felt my body moving naturally with the leans, feeling a certain kind of freedom in our getaway. Blake
picked my hand up from his chest and sudden fear sparked. The anxiety melted the moment he lifted it and brought my fingers through the open shield to kiss the tips.

My hand was replaced to his stomach and he slapped against it painfully. I gripped tighter, locking my hands together at the wrist. The action had him revving the engine even faster. Did I want to know how fast we were going? My heart raced and I lifted enough to peer over his shoulder. Oh fuck! The speedometer read one hundred and ten miles an hour. If we crashed, we were dead. If not, the marks on my back were going to look like nothing compared to the road rash on my arms. Hell, if I even had arms anymore.

Trust. Did I trust Blake not to kill me on this bike? Yes. Did I trust other motorists not to put our lives in danger? Fuck no. My eyes shut and I tried to find that calming spot I’d gone to so many times while I was being held as a slave.

Flashes of my beatings
blindsided me. Even though all I wanted to do was literally run away, I wasn’t about to do something stupid while we were on the bike. I pushed the bloody, painful episodes away and searched my mind for something to distract me. The scene of Blake slipping into the door replayed before me. That face. Pure shock at seeing me. I’d tried to call to him for help. It felt like forever before he finally moved at all. He’d been so beautiful. For the briefest moment, I thought I was dead, or hallucinating. But I hadn’t been. He saved me. Protected me so much already, just by doing the smallest things. I bet he didn’t even know how much I relied on him to help me. Never had I needed anyone. I’d been taking care of myself since I was sixteen. For the first time, I didn’t think I could live life on my own. Not yet, anyway.

My eyes opened and
, still, we raced around cars, but we were no longer on the freeway. The two lane road didn’t seem as busy, but it was crowded enough for Blake to have to consistently pass the vehicles every few seconds.

Minutes flew by and I used my memories, my hopes for the next two weeks, to help me keep the terror of my past at bay. I should be good enough to go by then. Blake would give me the strength. He had enough of it. I’d rely on him to heal me internally. Then
, I’d go home, make an appointment to fix my face and back, and go back to doing the only thing I knew. Smiling. Pretending. Showing myself to the world and not enjoying a single minute of it.

Large fields suddenly stretched out for as far as the eye could
see. The dark brown dirt turned into bright green the further we drove. Texas was so different from where I was from. Los Angeles had mountains, the beach, and shops everywhere. This place…nothing but land. It was beautiful and refreshing as hell.

A few side roads passed and then we were turning onto a one lane paved road. The highway disappeared behind us and a few houses came and went. My back burned and I shifted against the pain. The road wound and minutes later, far away from any other houses stood a one
-story, red brick home with dark green shutters. It was huge compared to what I had imagined. This was Blake’s?

The bike turned onto a
long concrete driveway that led all the way to the house. I eased off and cried out from behind gritted teeth as my back straightened. I’d been hunched over for so long, I felt stiff. My hands undid the strap and I pulled the helmet off. Sweat had my hair sticking to the sides of my face. The humidity was almost unbearable. It felt like I was sucking air through a straw.

“You okay?
” The concern on Blake’s face was genuine. I smiled and nodded, trying to downplay the stinging that portrayed the whip still slicing into my back.

“Not a very good liar, I see. Come.” Blake took off walking and I followed through the large entry way. Black leather couches rested in the open living room. A cherry coffee table matched the two end tables beside the main sofa. It was beautiful amidst the deep colors and soft grey tile. Pictures hung on the walls, but none were of people no smiling faces of family members or friends. They were sceneries of snow-capped mountains. It didn’t fit the personality I knew of him. Maybe they were just wall fillers. I had a few of those in my place.

“This way.” He walked back and to the left. The large kitchen was also open. The dark cherry cabinets matched all the tables I saw. Light colored carpet started as we entered a long hallway. At the very end, he pushed a door open and I froze at the large bedroom. It was as big as my entire apartment.

A large big screen rested against the wall and a chaise sat a few feet from the bed. I closed my mouth and looked over at him. The look he sported wasn’t one of amusement, but of deep concentration. He was reading me and I didn’t like it.

“Nice.” I gave him a fake grin and glanced behind him. The restroom was nearly half the size of the room. A large elevated Jacuzzi tub sat in the far corner and a glass shower bigger than my closet rested a few feet from that. Black marble decorated the floors. It was stunning, and very intimidating. I may have made good money modeling, but living where I did, it took half of my pay. With all the bills I had, I was literally broke. My bank account was lucky to have a couple hundred bucks in it, maybe.

“Take off your clothes and kneel before me.”

Signals in my brain locked up leaving me confused.

“Kaitlyn. You chose this, now obey.”

Now that I was here, I wasn’t so sure. My hand gripped the bottom of my shirt and I winced as I pulled it over my head. The hesitation of my hands had him slowly walking forward. As he began to circle, I felt displayed. Like…prey. Shit. That wasn’t the case. I was Kaitlyn Summers. My monster matched his equally. There was no reason for fear. I could do this. I wanted it.

The bra fell to the floor and I bent over, unzipping the boots. By the time I was completely nude, my whole body was shaking.

“Very nice.” The back of Blake’s hand moved down the length of my arm. “You’ll stay just like this for the remainder of your stay. Unless we leave, you’re not allowed to dress. You belong to me now and I want to see what I own.”

I felt my eyes go big, but I kept my mouth shut. “I can do that, I guess.”

“No, not can. You will. And you’re to address me correctly. Blake is no more. You call me Sir. If you don’t, or you forget, you’ll be punished. Do you understand?”

The reality of my situation came crashing through like a freight train. He was a Dom in every way. The power in his aura had melted into his reality. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good. Now get your ass in that corner until I tell you otherwise. Until I can punish you correctly, the corner will have to do.”

“Bullshit
,” I exploded. “I’m not a little kid. Spank me or something, but don’t—” I was dragged to the corner like a fucking child. Nose in the crease and all. The anger was so intense, I could have chewed nails. This was so damn degrading.

Fingers pushed between my legs causing my palms to flatten against the cool walls.

“You’re going to learn to obey real quick, kitten. Who you were before doesn’t exist anymore. I bet men bowed at your feet.” He laughed and rubbed against my folds. I hated the wetness that responded to his touch. Not like this. Not when he was embarrassing me. Blake’s other hand reached up to my breast, lightly brushing against the skin until he swept over my hard nipple. “If it’s a challenge you’re looking for, Kaitlyn, you’ve invested time in the wrong man. The only one kneeling will be you.”

A moan tore from my throat as his fingertip traced the inside of my opening. The need to reach down and apply pressure over my clit was excruciating.

“So fucking tight.” Blake’s touch was gone so fast, I had to blink to process it. Nails raked up the back of my thigh and I sucked in air. “Now, be a good girl and stay still while I check your back to make sure you’re okay. Then, you’ll do your time. After I think you’ve learned your lesson, we’ll talk. There’s some things I need to know about you.”

The bandage
s were peeled back and, within seconds, he reapplied the tape. “Good.” That was the only word he spoke. Footsteps disappeared and I fought between whether to stay or continue to argue. Wetness coated the inside of my thighs and I shifted my legs. The sound of fabric behind me told me he was either sitting on the bed or lying down on it. Couldn’t we just bypass this and get right to the hardcore fucking? I knew the general relationship between Doms and their subs, but I had never immersed myself in the role. Not truly. Not for more than one night at a time.

What felt like forever passed and I rested my head against the wall. My legs were starting to ache and my back throbbed. Did he realize I was sick only yesterday? Not that I was using that as an excuse, but understanding his mindset would have been nice.

“Crawl to the bed, Kaitlyn. You’ve been a very good girl. I didn’t think you’d last this long.”

I spun around, ready to snap at him,
but I caught myself. If I stood up against him, I was liable to find myself right back in the corner. Now, that, I didn’t want.

Blake lay on his side, facing me. I lowered to my hands and knees and moved forward until I came to the edge of the bed. My head lifted to see him peering down at me. If I opened my mouth
, I knew I was going to say something that wasn’t to his liking, so I waited.

“Interesting.” He smiled. “You know about this lifestyle. At least a little.”

“Of course I do. Where do you think I got taken?”

Confusion had his eyebrows drawing in. “What do you mean?” He patted the bed and I gladly stood and climbed up next to him.

“I was at Dark Dave’s.”

Blake shook his head and I realized he had no idea what I was talking about.

“It’s a BDSM club. I was leaving when two men tackled me down in the parking lot and threw me in a van.”

Hard lines came to his face. “That’s not what the report said. It stated that you went missing from your home. You were
spotted at a birthday party. Roxie’s, if I remember correctly. You left the Hilton around eleven and from there you went home. It didn’t mention anything about you being anywhere else that night.”