Captive to the Dark (11 page)

“Rent isn’t going to work. I’ll buy it and put it in your name so you know no one can ever take it from you. It’s my gift. Don’t you dare deny it either.”

The way her lips parted in surprise made me happy. I could tell she didn’t necessarily like what I’d said, but she wasn’t arguing.  It was settled. Now I didn’t feel like such a bastard for taking her, not that I really had to begin with. Only a little. But it had to be done. Maybe with her dramatics, Victor would search in earnest. Hell, maybe they’d actually locate Lily. I’d given up all hope, knowing I had to do this as my last shot, but what if they could really find her? For the first time in over two months, hope sparked, and I hated it. If she didn’t come home, nothing would be different. My mourning would be the same. Now that I’d let her become alive in my heart again, the all too familiar need for vengeance was renewed. God, help me.

“How are you? Did you eat enough dinner?”

Mary stood and narrowed her eyes, walking around me like she wasn’t sure what to think of my question.

“I’m fine. You’re acting different.”

“Different?” Well, maybe a little. I couldn’t get the way she’d broken down out of my head. The need to protect her from reaching pain of that magnitude ever again nearly made me sick. No one would hurt her. Not even myself. Not like that.

The tip of her tongue traced over her lips while she continued to stare. It drew my attention and all I could think about was her flavor. She had the sweetest mouth, always pulling me in to taste more.

“Yeah. You’re being very…nice.”

Anger flickered within. Wasn’t I always? I mean, true, she was held here, but she ate, slept in my bed, was taken care of. That was better than I’d planned from the beginning. My intention was to hurt her. Badly. I hadn’t done that.

SLADE.Dammit. That hadn’t counted. My name on her chest was something we both wanted. That wasn’t hurting her. The more I looked at the letters, the harder my cock got. Fuck, I wanted her again.

A deep breath drew my eyes up. Mary’s head was slightly angled while she took me in. Something sparkled behind her eyes and then she did it. A big smile covered her face. Air constricted in my chest. That happiness was aimed at me…and I wanted more. So much more.

“You’re so quiet. What are you thinking?”

If she only knew. I cleared my throat. My weakness for her wasn’t something she needed to figure out. The time for niceness was over. “I was thinking how good it was going to be when I tied you up and stripped you of your virginity. Do you think you’ll enjoy the pain like you do when I physically hurt you?”

The smile disappeared and she glared. “I never said you were getting it.” She turned toward the closet and grabbed one of the pajama sets I’d bought her. Why hadn’t I just settled with lingerie? I couldn’t deny that it had crossed my mind. Tomorrow, I’d have her some ordered.

“But I
will
have your virginity. There’s no doubt about that.” She glared at me and I wanted to laugh. “What do you think you’re doing?” I walked over, pulling the clothes from her hand. “We have to treat your wound. You can’t just go on putting clothes over it. The last thing we need is for you to get an infection. Let me call Marcio.”

“No.” Mary flew forward, her hand out toward me. The fear was all too familiar to the act I’d just seen. But this was real. It turned my blood cold and pissed me off to see her scared.

“Please, don’t,” she begged. “Could you do it?”

Why was she so afraid of him? He hadn’t even been the one that hit her. That had been Brace.

“Tell me why you don’t like Marcio or I’m going to call him in.”

A few seconds went by while her face changed expressions continuously. I tried reading each one, but they were so quick, all I picked up was the repeated fear. “He’s…evil. I don’t know why, but I feel it. He scares me.”

Evil. An interesting word for her to choose, but spot on. Marcio was a hired killer. Former SEAL, a doctor, and craved blood like it was water. He’d been through shit I couldn’t even imagine, but overall, I trusted him.

“You shouldn’t fear Marcio, Mary. He’ll protect you if I ever have to leave. And, I will. Soon.”

“You’re leaving me here?” Again…fear. I clenched my fists.

What was happening to my Mary? This wasn’t like her. Ever since she’d talked to her father, it’d fucked her up. Never again. He weakened her, and I didn’t like it. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the restroom. The moment I turned her around to face me, I lifted and sat her on the counter.

“Slade Industries isn’t going to run itself. I have to work. I’ve taken off too much time over the last three months. I need to get back.” Mary lowered her head and I was quick to bring it back up.

“How long will you be gone?”

Did she care? It looked like it, but I had seen her act. Is this what she was doing? Playing me? Making me feel bad for leaving, when really, she wanted me to go? Or maybe she didn’t care that I was leaving, she just didn’t want to be left with Marcio.

The medicine cabinet was filled with sleeping medication, antibiotics, everything that I needed to keep me running. I put some cream on the counter and began washing my hands.

“You didn’t answer me.” Her voice was low. Almost a whisper. A knot formed in my stomach at the thought of leaving her. I didn’t want to, but I also feared taking her back to San Francisco. That was asking for trouble. At least here in Washington, in the middle of nowhere, I could be sure Marcio or Brace would track her down if she escaped. There was nowhere to go for miles. They’d find her before she made it far.

“I’ll be gone a few days. A week tops. But I’ll only be home for about that long before I have to go back.”

The gauze and tape went flying from my hands at her slap. “What kind of kidnapper are you? You’re not even going to be here? What if one of them rapes me, or tries to kill me?”

My hand was around her throat before she could say another word. “Don’t you for one second question who I am. If anyone touches you, I’ll fucking rip them to shreds with my teeth. You belong to me, Mary. I
kill
for what’s mine.” I tightened my fingers. “Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” she breathed out.

My hand let go, grabbing the shit she knocked on the floor. I may have been angry at the beginning, but I couldn’t help the relief at her outburst. She’d stood up to me, and hit my hand pretty damn hard. Thankfully, she was beginning to return back to normal. At least, I hoped.

Chapter 9

Mary

The big bandage on my skin was all I could stare at as I lay in bed. Luckily, untied. Slade sat at his desk, doing something business related. He’d hardly talked to me after my outburst. I was hoping he’d give in and take me back to San Francisco. I knew that’s where his headquarters were. If I could just get him to change his mind, then I’d at least be closer to home, even if I couldn’t leave. I knew it was impossible though. He’d leave me here, trapped here with
Giant
and
Killer.
How was that going to turn out? Not good if things went back to the way they were with me in ropes.

Stinging flared as I moved to my side. Damn my chest hurt. It was good. A constant reminder of why I was here. Lily. What was my father doing right now? Was he getting ahold of his men and trying to find her? I sure hoped so. I missed my apartment. TV. Not to mention, the internet. My email was probably overflowing from the few acquaintances I had. Sadness set in and I flipped over to the other side.

“Be still. I can’t think with you tossing and turning.”

I wanted to scream. To throw a pillow at him and call Slade every cuss word I could think of. Instead, I sat up and glared. “I’m bored. I should have asked for a flat screen and cable. Or a library. Hell, window privileges even,” I yelled.

“Is that what it is?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell. “Open the damn windows.” One command and he’d hung up. I flew off the bed so fast that I almost fell. The moment the shutters began to come up, I couldn’t stop the excitement. Finally, I would be able to see.

“Now, just…stay there and be still.”

I didn’t even answer as the large trees and mountains came into view. Where the hell was I? Definitely not in California. For as far as I could see…nothing but nature. There was no way I’d be found even if I did happen to escape. Oh well. I knew I couldn’t. The view would be my companion. I could stare out there all day. It was beautiful, green, and filled with what looked like pine trees. Pine…my mind raced. Oregon…Washington? Canada? I’d never been there, but this sure as hell wasn’t Mexico. At least, I didn’t think so.

For what seemed like hours, I watched. From not changing windows, I picked up a lot. Toward the far right there was a heli pad. Sitting on top, a fancy looking black helicopter. The Slade Industries logo was on the side, a big
S
with the rest of the letters smaller. The lettering was gold. Elegant. Just like everything in Slade’s world. Birds flew through the sky every now and then. I envied their freedom. How would it be to have the ability to go as I pleased like that? That would be heaven. No worries, No responsibilities. No father, or kidnapper.

I turned and watched as my captor rubbed his finger over the center of his forehead. Headache? Probably. He’d been staring at that computer nonstop now for what seemed like forever.

Tired, I walked over and picked up the pajama’s I’d yet to put on. A part of me didn’t want to. Lily didn’t have ones these nice. I could almost guarantee that. But that only left me in the silk dress or naked, and it wasn’t a good idea to be that exposed. Not with the way I longed to be touched again. Why couldn’t I have been stronger? Put up more resistance?

Slade would be coming back for more of me tonight. Although I’d told him I would obey and have sex with him, I wasn’t so sure that was a good idea. He’d be mad that I was going to resist, but I didn’t care. If I was going to do this, I had to at least hold off a little bit. How would it look if I just threw myself at him?

The dark blue silk was smooth against my skin. As I looked up, Slade was watching. No doubt he’d been doing it from the moment I took off my clothes. The lust emanating from him could have scorched my skin from here. Slowly, I shook my head as he stood. “Not again,” I whispered. The words were almost impossible to get out, especially when he was focused on me that way. It sparked my own need and I could feel myself already wet as I scrambled across the mattress to the other side of the bed.

“Oh, yes, Mary. Again. And, again. And, again. For as many times as I want.” Slade kicked off his shoes and stripped down, all the while watching me like the animal he was. My heart pounded and my feet stayed ready to spring at whatever direction he decided to take.

“I thought you had work to do.”

“Work can wait. This cannot.”

The steps he took were full of controlled power. The soullessness I’d seen on the boat was back. He was unreadable. Zoned in one on thing. Me. Again, I crawled onto the bed, waiting to see which way he was going to come.

“You don’t want this. Really, you don’t.”

A laugh filled the room, immediately telling me that I was wrong in more ways than I could understand.

“I want you kneeling at my feet by the time I count to three. If you’re not, you’ll have to face the consequences.”

Shit. What would those be? My mind raced. Slade was dark. Maybe more so than me. The game we were playing was full of delicious, painful possibilities, and damned if I didn’t want to discover them.

“One.” He walked to one side of the bed, only to turn around and head to the other. “Two.”

Where did I go? I was trapped. He was waiting, expecting me to make a run for it. A wildness came over me while I contemplated my next move.

“So be it.” Slade dove across the end of the bed right for me. I slid to the left, barely touching the floor before his hand jerked at the silk of my top. Buttons went flying through the air and fingers dug into my side. I twisted, letting him have the damn shirt. My feet carried me to the door so fast that I barely touched the ground. The moment the knob connected with my fingertips, he wrapped his arm around my stomach and jerked back.

I didn’t think. I’d trained for something like this to happen a million times. I threw my head back, connecting with his shoulder. Dammit. That’s not where I intended for the blow to go. My elbow followed right into his side and he squeezed me even tighter as he sucked in air. No amount of training could stop the panic at that point. What I was doing wasn’t working and with the hold he had on me, there wasn’t really anywhere for me to attack.

“You are so going to get it, Mary. I thought we’d settled this already. You are mine, and therefore will do as I say.”

Slade stalked into the restroom until he stood right in front of the large mirror. The bandage was ripped off my chest. The stark reminder of his name was thrown in my face as he pointed.

“Mine,” he growled next to my ear.

Before I could head butt him again, he locked into my hair and pressed his lips down the side of my face. My hips slammed into the counter, keeping me trapped. The exhaling caused my body to shiver and awaken a hundred times over.

“Doesn’t it look wonderful, Mary? Look at it.”

I couldn’t have turned away if I wanted to. He made sure of that. Fingers made a path over my bare stomach until they dipped down past the blue silk pajama bottoms. My breath caught at him brushing over the top of my slit. I was so wet. Any need to fight was slipping away with the increasing touch.

“Tell me who owns you.” Teeth grazed my neck while he circled the entrance to my pussy. Everything inside of me wanted to push down, to have him enter me fully.

“I already did that.”

A bite next to the bruise already on my neck had a small cry coming from my mouth. I didn’t think, I reached back and dug my nails into the arm that was locked into my hair. A hiss filled my ear. “I want to hear you say it again. Tell me, Mary.” His eyes rose and met my reflection. So dark. So full of things I couldn’t comprehend.