Entwined: (A Dark Romance Kidnap Thriller) (The Dark Necessities Trilogy Book 3)

by Felicity Brandon

  “Master,” she croaked, praying she could redeem herself. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

  Throwing herself on Connor’s mercy was nothing new, except this was different. It was all different now. There were no shackles at her ankles, and no ropes at her wrists anymore. Hell, she didn’t even have a collar on. Life at The Syndicate was new and unsettling, so incredibly different from anything Molly had ever known before. The indulgence here was quite literally criminal. The members seemed to have impunity, and could coddle themselves with anything they desired. No wonder Connor had become so self-absorbed and intent on taking what hadn’t belonged to him if this was the life he had come from; yet somehow, she knew there must be more to him than that.

  The strangest aspect of all though, was trying to establish this new dynamic with her master since she’d arrived back in England. If life in America had been empty, then life here was rather too full. Connor was very definitely still the man who had captured her, except that he wasn’t. He was still hard and uncompromising, except now he made concessions, searching for absolution in the woods, and declaring his affection for her when she least anticipated it. The man had always been a contradiction, but this version of Connor had her head spinning in circles.

  “Don’t worry, pet,” he purred as he lifted her from his lap. “I’m sure I will think of something.”

  A few hours later, the couple were well cossetted in Connor’s rooms, his little kitten bound helplessly to the bed before him, her long slender limbs splayed wide, and the delicious pink flesh of her desperate little pussy on display. Connor had tied her face down, raising her hips with a number of pillows, and to her credit, Molly had done nothing to counter him. She wanted to submit, that much was obvious, and he was more than happy to let her play along. In truth, Connor hadn’t been so perturbed about her reaction to his admission of love for her. He had never meant to confess the sentiment again at that moment, but when the opportunity had presented itself, it had just felt right, and so he had permitted the words to come. Molly’s wide teary eyes, and fervent kisses had been an ample response to his words, and when she had slipped into a peaceful doze against his chest, Connor had felt only repletion. It was the first time in his life he’d ever known peace of mind like it, and he knew that only Molly had made it happen. She created the magic that made him feel both alive, and satiated.

  As he appraised the woman laid out before him now, he wanted to cheer. Having the chance to dominate her so entirely before the ordeal which he knew awaited him tonight, was something of a reprieve. Or, at least, it was the absolute best way to distract him from the dark necessity that was to come.

  Connor raised the flogger again, sending the black strands of leather down hard against her upturned arse. He’d been happily painting her backside a warm pink hue with the implement for the best part of half an hour, watching the way her body danced to its sweet kiss. As the flogger contacted with her once more, Molly shrieked in response, biting down into the lush bedding under her face. He had refused her a gag, despite her insistent begging on the subject. This time he wanted to hear her voice. He needed to hear it.

  “How’s my flogger, kitten?” His voice was like a low sensual vibration, filling up the air around them and drowning everything else out, save for Molly’s ragged breathing.

  “Good, Master,” she panted in response.

  The answer made his lips curl. “Good?” he queried, angling the leather and striking her rosy flesh with just enough force to elicit the required gasp from his kitten.

  “Yes!” she puffed, trying to catch her breath.

  He paused for only a second, before he brought the whole weight of his palm crashing down upon her exposed backside. “Yes, what?”

  Molly’s body jumped as far as the ropes would allow. “Yes, Master,” she corrected herself.

  “Hmmm,” he mused aloud, ensuring his tone suggested he was unimpressed with her performance, but Connor gave her time to settle, waiting until her breathing was almost regular again.

  Since she’d elected to stay with him, he’d ensured she’d been taking her asthma medication properly, and he’d not heard a single rattle from her chest, but still. Connor didn’t want to be the reason she suddenly began to struggle.

  “I’m pleased you like it,” he purred as he traced a finger over the heated flesh of her bottom. “It’s more subtle than the paddle, but I think you’ll agree, it still has quite a bite.”

  Molly shifted her head, straining to catch his eye. The expression on her face told him that she did agree, but she bit her lip as she presumably considered how best to communicate the fact.

  “Yes, Master,” she said simply in the end. “I do agree, and I am sorry.”

  Her eyes were wide as she made the apology, and Connor moved from his place behind her to cast one of his withering glares in her direction.

  “I know,” he replied. “You already told me, kitten.”

  Connor’s gaze drilled into her, making her physically squirm in his bondage. Even after everything, he still loved this; this power he exerted over her, and it wasn’t just about the ropes and chains anymore. It was more than that. It was a mental and emotional connection now, and every moment they spent together tightened their bonds.

  Molly bit her lip again, and he wondered how much more the tender flesh could withstand. “I didn’t mean to disappoint you,” she mumbled. “Especially not now, when things seemed so good between us.”

  He smiled at that, simply unable to suppress the pleasure as it swept across his face. Molly clocked the gesture at once, her brows knitting together as the confusion registered. Dammit, he’d worked so hard to portray his displeasure, and to convince his kitten that he was frustrated and saddened by her performance on the journey home, and now, in that one solitary reflex, he’d shattered the illusion for good.

  “Things are good,” he assured her, sitting on the bed beside her hip.

  Molly swallowed as she no doubt tried to decipher his latest intent. “So, you’re not mad at me, Master?” she murmured.

  Connor reached for her face, stroking the lush strands of dark hair from her eyes tenderly.

  “No,” he admitted. “But it was a good excuse to play. To humble you, and to use my flogger again.”

  He threw her a wink as he concluded, and watched with smug satisfaction as a hot blush crept over her face.

  “Master!” she hissed accusingly. “If you wanted to flog me, then all you had to do was say so. You needn’t have tortured me.”

  Connor grinned. She was right of course, he could easily have commanded those things without the pretense, but frankly, playing it out this way had just been too much fun.

  “Guilty,” he sighed, shifting the hand at her cheek to her nape, where he caressed the skin gently.

  The word echoed around his room, resonating within him deeply. A year ago, he’d have told anyone who cared to ask that Connor Reilly didn’t have a soul, he didn’t have a conscience for the things he said or did, but he was wrong. He absolutely did have both, and the wave of remorse he’d experienced over the last few weeks had proved it to him. Of course, he knew Molly was the real reason why he suffered with guilt all of a sudden. Something about the woman had awoken his integrity, pricking at his morals until he was forced to admit what he really was. Not just a murderer, but a cold-blooded one, and one who had to face the consequences of his crimes. Not in a court of law like everyone else, perhaps, but still, Connor was going to face them. In the cruelest way possible.

  “Master?” Molly’s soft tone stirred him from his misery, and he lifted his chin to find her blue, inquiring eyes waiting for him to respond. “Are you alright?”

  “I am now,” he told her, lowering his body to plant a warm kiss on the side of her face.

  “You looked so sad,” she breathed. “I am sorry you know. I didn’t mean to drop off. I admit it was the worst timing, ever.”

  Connor chuckled softly. “Yes, it was,” he cooed. “But you’
re forgiven. You’re always forgiven, kitten.”

  She smelled so good, and from this vicinity, he just wanted to devour her. His fingers grazed up the length of her exposed thigh, acknowledging the tension under the digits as they neared her sex. Connor had a good idea that he’d already find those delicious pussy lips dripping wet for him, and as his hand reached its goal, he was thrilled to discover his assessment had been spot on. His cock sprung to life at once, rousing at Molly’s obvious excitement.

  “Master.”

  Her voice had that sense of desperation about it, the timbre that spoke directly to his cock. She wanted him, and Connor was always happy to oblige.

  “I want you, kitten,” he purred, intentionally ensuring his voice vibrated past her ear from the back of her neck.

  Shifting his body onto the bed over her bound limbs, Connor nuzzled his mouth into the sensitive skin at his kitten’s nape, his erection swelling at the sweet groans which escaped Molly’s lips as the sensations registered.

  “Do you want your Master?” he demanded. “Right here, like this?”

  Her answer was immediate. “Yes,” she panted, arching her back and writhing beneath him. “Yes, please, Master.”

  He smiled as he gazed down at the face of the woman he adored. Everything he’d told her earlier was true. He did love her, and the reality was more profound than anything he could ever have imagined. Back at the house, he had once told her that he’d been in love before, but the weight of this emotion made him wonder if that was really true. There had never been anything like this before, but then there had never been anyone like her before.

  “Wait there then, kitten.”

  His words were a sensual command as he dashed from the bed toward his stash of condoms on the bedside counter. In truth, there was no need for the order. Molly wasn’t going anyway, but somehow, he never could resist reminding her of the fact. Connor was back with her in a heartbeat, the condom opened and in place as he settled into position between her spread-eagled legs.

  “Master.” Her voice sounded pained. “Fuck me, please?”

  “Shhh,” he soothed, resting his elbows either side of her flushed face. “You’re going to get what you need, kitten. I’m here.”

  Connor watched her expression soften at his declaration, and as he angled his erection over her wetness, he couldn’t resist lowering his mouth to her lips. He plunged his cock straight into her pussy at the same time his lips grazed her mouth, swallowing the low carnal moan which left her lips. His eyes fell closed as the intensity burgeoned, the connection between them complete again.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Connor fucked her several times over the course of the day, pausing only to offer the solace of his strong embrace, and the humiliation of her pet bowls. Molly reveled in all of it, glorying in the mortification of her meals, and allowing him to envelop her in between.

  It was perfect. Or at least, it should have been, but at the back of her mind there was still that lingering doubt. The certainty that the man she loved was going to do something stupid, and potentially dangerous, in order to put things right, made her anxious and heady, but no matter how many times she pressed Connor on the subject, he would never once tell her what he was scheming. As he pulled her against his muscular torso after another round of breathtaking sex, Molly began to wish she had never suggested the concept of absolution in the first place. Yes, she had meant it at the time, and a part of her still stood by that notion. Connor did need to face his demons, and Lydia deserved the justice that would bring. Lydia was the innocent victim in all of this after all, the one who could never just walk away. Molly had made her choices, and rightly, or wrongly, she would live with them. Lydia, on the other hand, had never had a choice at all. It was right that her memory should be honored in some way, and it was right Connor should pay a debt for her suffering, but in the pit of her belly, Molly knew there was something ominous about whatever he had planned.

  “I need to get ready soon,” he told her in a gentle tone.

  Molly’s body tensed as the words resounded around her. “Ready for what, Master?” she asked, although she already knew the answer.

  A dark laugh rang out around her. “It’s time for my penance, kitten,” he chuckled. “If you can believe it?”

  Molly swallowed nervously. She could believe it, alright. “Wh-when is it happening?” she stammered. “And where?”

  Connor’s arms tightened around her waist. “Don’t worry,” he told her. “I’m not leaving the building. Malone and the other senior members will be presiding over events. I’ll be safe, kitten.”

  Molly was trembling as he answered. Nothing about his words was even vaguely reassuring. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to implore him once again. “Please, Master,” she begged. “If you must do—whatever this is—then let me come with you? I don’t want you to be on your own.”

  “Oh, kitten,” he murmured, lifting his head to trail a hot line of kisses down her shoulder. “I just told you, I won’t be alone.”

  But, you won’t be with me, her mind hissed, though all she her mouth could do in response was pout at how powerless she felt in the circumstances.

  “Don’t sulk,” he chided her playfully, and she twisted in the direction of his body, aghast at his ability to somehow read her mind.

  “How do you do that?” she gasped, slapping his chest teasingly. “How do you always know what I’m thinking, Master?”

  Connor grabbed her wrist, drawing it to his broad lips and grazing his mouth over her pale flesh. “I know you, Miss Clary,” he drawled. “Remember that. Whatever happens tonight, whatever happens in the days and weeks and months to come, I want you to remember that. No one knows you the way I do, kitten, and no one ever will.”

  A wave of unexpected emotion rushed her, racing to her throat before she could get a handle on it. “You’re scaring me,” she croaked. “And I assume you’re not doing it for dramatic effect this time, Master?”

  Connor smiled at her, breaking into a hearty laugh at her question. “No, kitten,” he agreed. “Not this time. This time I just want to be honest with the woman I love.”

  Molly inhaled, her breath catching in her throat, and threatening to escape again as a low sob if she wasn’t careful. In all the time she had known the man, she had never known him like this, so open and profound. If only he would tell her what he was planning as a penance. If only he would let her help him. If only…

  A loud knock on the door of his rooms startled them both, and sent Molly’s thoughts scattering. Connor leaped from his place on the bed, leaving her body cool and bereft without the warmth and comfort of his body heat. Pulling on his pants, he raced to the entrance, and opened the door a few inches to survey the visitor. Molly scooted back under the covers, pulling them up to her chin as she listened to the interaction.

  “It’s time, Connor.”

  That was Dalton’s voice. Molly recognized it instantly.

  “Give me one second,” mumbled Connor. “I just need to get dressed.”

  “Okay,” sighed his brother. “Just make it quick.”

  Connor closed the door, turning to meet Molly’s eyes. Her heart was racing as he collected a shirt from the floor and pulled it over his back.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” he told her without looking up from the buttons.

  Molly screwed the bedding up in her fists. “Don’t do this!” she implored him for what must be the twentieth time that day. “Please, Master. I don’t like it. I don’t like this, at all.”

  “Kitten,” he cooed, pacing toward the bed and falling to his knees beside her. “You’re the reason I’m doing this. You’re the reason I need to do it.”

  Molly blinked away the tears which were threatening to fall. “No,” she gasped, as she reached for his shoulder. “If that’s true, then I’m sorry, but I’ve changed my mind. Don’t go…”

  She hated how desperate she sounded, but there it was; every word was true. All of her emotions were laid
out there. Her heart exposed and vulnerable, just as it had been since the day she’d started to fall for the man who’d captured her.

  Connor’s expression melted a little at her display of emotion, but his determined eyes told her the real story. He was going to do it. He was going, and he was going to do whatever this thing was he’d arranged with Malone, and as per fucking usual, there wasn’t a thing Molly could do to change it. Inside her, her heart began to break.

  “Don’t upset yourself, pet,” he purred as he stroked the side of her face lovingly. “I want you to stay here and rest, because when this is over, I’m going to need you like I’ve never needed anyone before.”

  The knot of tension in her belly tightened at his words. If Connor was going to need her so badly, then her intuition must be spot on, and whatever this was must be absolutely freaking awful.

  “I’m worried,” she conceded in a flurry. “I have a bad feeling about this, Master.”

  He offered her a small smile. “Honestly,” he admitted, “I have a pretty bad feeling, too, but it will be okay. I have Dalton with me. He’ll look after me.”

  She was sobbing as he pulled her in for one last embrace, apparently trying to soothe her with hot, torrid kisses.

  “Promise me you’ll stay here like a good, little kitten,” he whispered. “I don’t want to have to lock you in anymore. I think we’ve moved past that point now, don’t you?”

  Molly nodded. She didn’t want to be locked in either, but she’d accept those terms from now on if it meant he was going to stay.

  “Lock the door behind me,” he warned her. “And stay put!”

  Connor’s hand reached for her chin, forcing it up to meet the intensity of his gaze. “Promise me, kitten. Promise me you’ll stay put.”

  “Let’s go, Connor!” Dalton’s voice yelled from just beyond the door, making Molly jump instinctively.