Conduit (33 page)

Emily walked through the bedroom
door into a hallway, expecting to be able to examine every part of the house to
find an escape route. Her room was at the end of the hall, leaving ample
opportunity to explore other rooms while making her way to David.

Stepping across the hardwood floors, she discovered her room
was the only one in that part of the house. There were no doors or windows in
the hallway, no other halls branching off that she could follow. The home’s
layout allowed him to isolate her far away from any potential route to the
outside world.

She followed indistinguishable sounds to the end of the hall,
which opened up to a kitchen. The L-shaped countertop separated a small dining
area from the main kitchen. David worked on a box on the kitchen table, sealing
up the ends with tape. Seeing the box confirmed his earlier statements about whisking
her away to an undisclosed location, one where Jake would never find her.

David looked up from the box and put the tape down on the
table. “You’re awake,” he said. “How do you feel?”

“Better,” Emily said. The darkness swelled in her mind from
being so close to him, making it difficult to think about anything else. “My
head still hurts a bit.”

“Your headache should go away soon.” His eyes traveled the
length of her body and back up to her face. “The dress looks beautiful on you. The
moment I saw it, I knew it was made just for you.”

“It’s lovely, really,” she said.

“You don’t have to stand in the doorway and be shy. Come in,
let’s talk. I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”

Emily moved into the kitchen at his beckoning. Gesturing
toward the box, she asked, “When are we leaving?”

“Tomorrow morning, very early. I would like to get on the
road by four so we can get a good start on the drive.”

Emily’s eyes drifted to the box. His casual words sounded
like they were like any other couple relocating to a new home and she didn’t
know how to respond to him. She wanted to scream and make a mad dash for the
front door, toward her freedom, but the location of the front door was still
unknown to her. The darkness gripped her again, and she focused on the box so
he couldn’t hear any of her other thoughts.

He looked at the box and laughed. “I know what you’re
thinking, but we’re not taking much with us. Just a few boxes of clothing and
some non-perishable food to get us started when we get there. I’ll take care of
finishing the packing and loading the car. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“Where are we going?”

David smiled. “It’s a surprise, but you’ll love it there.”

Of course it was a surprise, Emily thought. He wouldn’t
reveal a location to her on the off-chance she found a way to communicate that
information to someone else.

“I have our house all ready for us. The ranch sits on a
hundred acres, so we won’t have to worry about neighbors. The kitchen is huge
with lots of cooking space and cabinets. Our bedroom is much bigger than the one
here, but overall it still has a quaint, cozy feel.”

“I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but isn’t it a little
soon for us to share a bedroom? I barely know you.”

“I understand your apprehension. I keep forgetting that
because you invited me into your mind, I know you already, but you haven’t had
the same opportunity to get to know me.” He clapped his hands. “But I have a
wonderful dinner planned for us tonight, which will give us some uninterrupted
time together. I know you love wine, and I bought you both red and white
because I don’t know which you prefer. After a few glasses, we’ll know each
other so well that it won’t be too soon for anything.” He took several steps
toward her and lifted his hand to her arm.

Emily jerked her arm back when his fingertips grazed her skin.
His jaw twitched and hardened. He stepped forward and closed the gap between
them.

Reminded of the monster that lurked so near to the surface, Emily
attempted to diffuse him. “I’m sorry, David. I...I’m just nervous. Even though
I’ve felt you in my mind, this is the first time I’ve been so close to you.”
She raised her eyes to his. “I really want to get to know who you are and feel
comfortable around you.”

David’s tense shoulders dropped. “You will, Emily. It’s only
lunchtime, so we have plenty of time to spend getting to know each other before
we leave. That should put you at ease about sharing a room with me. Are you
hungry?”

The quick change in subject told Emily she had no choice but
to follow his lead, not only in this matter, but in everything else to come. With
the idea of sharing a room with David still looming in her mind, her stomach
revolted at the thought of food. “I’m not hungry quite yet,” she said. “Maybe a
glass of that wine would be good.”

“You can have whatever you want.” He lifted the box from the
table and set it in a corner of the kitchen on top of a few other boxes. “I don’t
have any wine glasses, but I got some plastic ones for you. I know they’re far
from romantic, but they will have to do until we get to our new house and get
some glasses for you.”

“I’m not above using plastic wine glasses.” She pulled out a
chair from the table and sat down. He had thought of everything, even not
allowing her to have a wine glass that she could break and use as a weapon
against him.

The cork on the wine bottle popped and Emily jumped. David
looked in her direction. She regained her composure and smiled at him. Her eyes
lowered to her hands, avoiding his stare so he couldn’t see the fear brewing in
her soul. She had to start playing his game instead of being frightened by
shadows and ordinary sounds.

She didn’t know what she would do if he touched her again
but from the look on his face when she moved away from him earlier, she couldn’t
make that mistake. If she wronged him in the slightest manner, he would turn on
her. At least she wouldn’t have to pretend too much longer. Jake should find
her soon. He
had
to find her, before
David took her out of Kansas and the darkness consumed the last of her.

David placed a plastic goblet filled with red wine in front
of her and sat down at the table. “I’m not much for wine. I prefer hard liquor
myself.”

“I didn’t used to like wine, but it grew on me over the
years,” Emily said. She sampled a small sip. It tasted bitter and strange, but
she didn’t want to offend him. “It’s very good,” she said. She lifted the glass
to her lips and took several more drinks.

“I’m glad it’s satisfactory,” he said. “If there’s a
particular kind you like, let me know and I’ll get it for you next time.”

“Maybe when we get to the new house, we can go shopping
together and I can show you what I like.”

David’s face soured. “Emily, don’t try to trick me.”

“I wasn’t—”

“Don’t deny it. You’re trying to make me comfortable and
trusting so I’ll take you somewhere where you can try to get away. I expected
this might happen at first, so let’s get some things straight now.”

He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. His grip tightened
with the growing anger in his eyes. Her hand twisted beneath his and she
gritted her teeth.

“There are rules, Emily, rules you are expected to follow at
all times. I don’t want to hurt you, but I won’t tolerate you breaking the
rules.”

Emily shivered under the weight of his stare. The monster
threatened to emerge from its hiding place just beneath the surface of his hard
eyes and the darkness grew to an unmanageable size in her mind. His grip on her
hand increased until she thought he might crush her bones in a single squeeze while
the darkness spun in her mind, a cyclone of evil ready to destroy her.

“I won’t break the rules, David,” she said. “Just tell me
what they are and I’ll follow them, I promise.” She placed her other hand on
top of his. “I want to make you happy.”

He loosened his hold on her hand. “We can go over all of the
rules when we get to the ranch. For now you need to know that if I leave the
house, you’ll be fully restrained so you can’t try to leave. Your arms and legs
will be restrained at night as well. The handcuffs won’t be very comfortable at
first, but once you prove to me that you won’t do anything stupid, we can talk
about letting you sleep without them.”

Emily swallowed her fear and remained calm. “If that’s what
you require of me, then I won’t fight you on it.”

“That’s good, because you’ll do what I tell you at all times
and without question,” he said. “Our trip to the new house will be much easier
for you if you remember that.” The anger in his eyes softened. “I want our
relationship to be mutual, and it will be, but I’m not blind to the fact that
it will take some time for you to love me like I love you. Just don’t make me
hurt you, Emily. I really don’t want to do that.”

“I don’t want that either,” she said. She pulled her hand
away from his and rubbed at the pain. The way he kept saying that he didn’t
want to hurt her scared Emily as much as the evil behind his eyes. Hurting
people came naturally to him, and she did not want to be his next victim. She
wondered, however, if hurting her was an inevitable action, whether or not she
broke his rules. He seemed to already blame her for anything he would have to
do to her.

Lionel’s words about how David had tortured his victims over
several hours came back to her. It seemed like years had passed since they took
on this case, but here she sat, in front of the same man who did those horrible
things that were only words last week. Emily lifted her wine glass and drained
the contents. She wanted the nightmare to end, and if it took a few glasses of
wine to help her deal with it until Jake found her, so be it.

David smiled at her. “Are you sure it’s wise to drink so
fast considering you haven’t eaten anything today?”

At his words, something shifted in her mind. Her face warmed
and she lifted her hand to her flushed cheek. She turned her head, but the room
seemed to move in the opposite direction.

David’s smile widened. “Are you okay, Emily?” he asked.

Emily planted her palms on the table to steady her trembling
body. “I don’t know,” she said. “I feel kind of strange, but it feels...” She
moistened her lips. The sensation of her tongue moving across her dry lips was
greater than anything she had ever felt before, as if nerve endings she never
knew existed suddenly came alive. “It feels...”

David rose from his seat, and she did the same. She tried to
move out of the kitchen toward her bedroom to get into bed and rest, but her
weak legs refused to take her there. She leaned against the wall next to the
hallway.

He walked over to her. “How does it feel?” he asked, more
with curiosity than concern.

“Did you give me something?” Though he didn’t respond, she
remembered the aspirin she took earlier and how her headache still beat against
the side of her head. “I didn’t take aspirin, did I?”

“I was going to wait until dinner to give it to you, but after
seeing you, I couldn’t wait any longer.”

“What did you give me?” she asked. While upset at his
deception, she had difficulties expressing her anger in her voice.

He ran his fingers over her chin, and tilted her head toward
him. He stroked her electrified skin with his fingertips, lulling her into a calm
state.

Even though his sensual touch comforted her, part of her
mind still tried to fight him. Fear drove tears down her cheeks, but her body stirred
with desire. “What did I take?” she asked.

“Something to help you relax so you can enjoy our time together.
Don’t cry,” he said. He cupped her face and wiped her tears away with his
thumbs. “I don’t want you to be nervous or scared, and there’s no reason to be.
I’ve waited far too long to be with you, Emily. I just couldn’t wait another
second.” He lowered his head and touched his lips to hers.

Emily accepted his kiss without hesitation. A small voice in
her mind told her to push him away and try to escape, but she couldn’t seem to control
the pleasure that came with his kiss. Her fingertips caressed his cheek,
despite her disgust at her actions.

His hands traveled across her back with light touches that woke
up her body. Every touch, every second of his kiss drove through her nerves and
into her core. Though she knew he used a drug to control her and make her more
pliable, it didn’t help her struggle against him.

David broke the kiss and walked around behind her. He swept
her hair off her shoulder and ran his fingers from her jaw, down her neck, to
her shoulder. His lips moved to her ear and he whispered, “Tell me you want me.”
He lifted the strap of her dress and lowered it off her shoulder. His fingers teased
the freckled skin on her shoulder, leaving behind a wake of goose bumps.

She didn’t want him, her mind screamed. With every touch she
died a little more inside, but the drug begged him to keep going. Even if she
had the willpower to stop the drug from controlling her body, his rules required
her to do everything he told her without question and she forced the words out.
“I want you, David,” she said.

“I knew you did.” His mouth found the side of her exposed
neck and he took his time kissing down to her shoulder. The palm of his hand touched
her neck, and he wrapped each finger around her skin until his hand covered her
throat.

The darkness enveloped her mind and almost comforted her.
Giving into it, Emily leaned her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
His hands ran over the front of her dress and down to her stomach. He explored
her body over the material of her dress, and she arched her back, pressing her
torso into his hands.

Even though her body responded to him, the little bit of
sanity left undamaged by the drug wanted to know why his touch felt so good. “What
did you give me?” she asked again.

His breath warmed her ear again. “Ecstasy,” he said. “It
feels good, doesn’t it? You’re enjoying this far more than I thought you would.
The drug is only telling you what you already wanted and allowing you to experience
this without fear. Before long, you won’t need anything to know you want to be
with me.”