Jared smirked. “I know you will, baby,” he murmured into her nape. “Now, hold still.”
It was then that a small bleep sounded. It wasn’t a noise Jared knew, and he threw an inquisitive glance at the others.
“It’s my phone,” Sophie gasped, twisting to look at Jared.
Her phone. Of course!
Reaching into his back pocket where he’d put her mobile, Jared typed in the passcode again, his gaze scanning over the new message.
“Good news, little girl,” he whispered into her ear as he switched off the device and slid the phone back into place. “Your mother can collect the children and will give them dinner.”
Sophie gulped. “Thank God.”
Jared shifted at that. He’d heard enough. It was time. Opening his arms, he captured the whole of Sophie’s upper body in his grasp, stopping her from preventing Daniel’s advance, but he couldn’t halt her feet, and the relentless way she stamped against the carpet as she tried to free herself.
“Get it done,” he told Daniel.
“Need me to help?” Anton offered from the nearby bannister.
“I’m not sure. Do you need Anton to hold you too, Sophie, or are you going to be good?”
Her body froze at that, giving Daniel the opportunity he needed to sink the needle into her neck. Sophie screeched, but it was too late. Daniel had already withdrawn the syringe by then, keeping pressure on the spot with his finger as she began to sob.
“All done,” Daniel announced. “She’ll be out in a few minutes.”
“Let’s get her downstairs then,” Anton suggested, already heading in that direction.
Sophie slumped against Jared. She was still awake, but the resistance in her had been temporarily winded and Jared took the chance to hoist her up into his arms. Sophie gasped as she landed against his chest, her teary eyes locking gazes with him for one sublime moment before she collapsed into his body. A strange sense filled Jared. He was getting what he wanted. He was taking Sophie and so far, everything was going to plan—better than he had planned actually—yet he hadn’t reckoned on the way she would make him feel. Naturally, he expected the arousal, but he hadn’t counted on the urge to protect her, and as he strode down the stairs with her sleepy body in his arms, Jared was consumed with a bizarre need to keep Sophie safe.
“Get her in here,” Anton barked, gesturing toward the outstretched rug.
Jared frowned. All of a sudden, his plan of wrapping Sophie in the thing didn’t seem as good as he’d thought it would. What if she couldn’t breathe? What if they inadvertently caused her some permanent damage?
“I’ll just carry her straight to the van,” he replied as he reached the final step.
“You can’t just fucking carry her, Jared,” argued Daniel from behind him. “Don’t you think someone will notice a naked, unconscious woman being brought out and shoved in the back of a van?”
He paused, his voice echoing around the hallway. “Looks a bit suspicious, doesn’t it?”
“Right,” replied Anton. “Stick to the plan, mate. It’s worked so far. Get her in here. She’ll only be inside for a matter of moments. Just long enough to get her from here to the van.”
Anton crouched by the side of the rug, gazing up at Jared as he made his case.
“I don’t like it,” Jared answered with a sigh. “How the fuck is she going to breathe in there?”
“She’ll be fine,” Daniel advised as he pushed past Jared and surveyed the rug. “We won’t wrap her tightly. Let’s just get on with it, shall we?”
Jared pursed his lips, but he could already tell he was going to have to give in on this one. What choice did he have? Daniel was right. He couldn’t run the risk that someone else would see Sophie, and while her house was reasonably concealed from the main street, this was a village. There would be people around, small-minded, nosy people with too much time on their hands.
“Shit,” he muttered as he moved forward and lowered the sleeping Sophie onto the surface of the rug. “Just make sure it is bloody loose.”
Anton nodded, settling her limbs by her side as he and Daniel set about winding the rug around her.
“I’ll take her head,” Jared said as he watched them complete the task. “Anton, get the doors open, and Daniel you take the other end.”
There was silence as they both complied, but Jared’s heart was pounding furiously. This was it—the moment of truth. The moment when his plan went from average to audacious. Anyone could persuade a housewife to let them in her home. Feigning your intent wasn’t so difficult. It happened all the time. But this—this was something else. This was actual kidnapping. He was removing Sophie from her home after knocking her unconscious.
This was where the real fun began.
With the all clear from Anton, Jared and Daniel gently lifted her body. Encased in the rug, Sophie weighed a ton, yet the two of them were pretty strong and they managed to maneuver her out of the house with minimal effort. Anton was waiting inside the van, and took the strain as Jared hoisted her inside. Within another moment, the deed was done. Jared jumped into the back of the van, unraveling the rug to reveal her perfect form. Sophie was fine. Sleeping peacefully and blissfully unaware that she’d just been removed from her house. He smiled at the look of her, memories of the last few hours flashing back into his mind.
“One of you wait with her while I tidy up in there.”
Anton nodded. “I’ll wait here, if you’re happy to drive, Daniel?”
He threw Daniel the set of keys.
“Sure,” huffed Daniel, catching them mid-air as Jared climbed out of the back.
“You can start her up,” he told his friend. “I won’t be long.”
Dashing back inside Sophie’s house, he assessed the hallway. There was little evidence of their visit now that the rug had been removed. He bounded up the stairs, tracing his way back to the master bedroom. Once inside, he straightened up the bed, grabbed the black ropes and the tea tray, plus the remnants of her tattered underwear and other clothes. Taking a deep breath, he looked around. Jared would never forget this place—this room—and the first time he’d fucked his little girl. But now it was time to move on.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sophie
Sophie pulled in a deep breath and rolled onto one side. Her head was heavy, as though she’d been in a really deep sleep for too long, or maybe from a nightmare. Her eyes flickered open to reveal shadows. So, it was night time? That was it—she must have had a nightmare—but she didn’t remember coming to bed. In fact, she didn’t recall anything about the evening, putting the children to bed or seeing Jason when he’d got home.
Why was that?
Had she been drinking?
The roots of something like panic burst through her body, threatening to bloom.
Fuck, why couldn’t she remember?
Sophie let out a deep breath.
“There you are, little girl.”
The sound of his voice sliced through her internal musings, splintering all rational thought and causing that panic to burgeon exponentially. Sophie rolled toward the sound, forcing her body to respond despite its reticence, and it was then that she realized her wrists were bound in front of her. She was bound and she was nude. A cold wave of dread washed over her as she struggled to focus.
It was dark and difficult to see, but she could make out the outline of someone sitting just a few feet away. A man.
Jared.
His name sprang into her mind like an unwelcome memory, and with it came everything that had happened that day: the men, being bound to the bed, the nipple clamps, the gag, the way he’d fucked her, and then ultimately, the way he had done what he’d promised—he’d taken her from the house.
Sophie’s body straightened and she forced herself to sit up, or at least she tried to, but with the bondage, the deed was almost impossible. The effort made her light-headed and she gasped as she attempted to compose herself. Nausea was stirring in the pit of her belly, t
hreatening to rise as the truth landed on her like a ton of bricks.
She’d been abducted—by this guy Jared—and taken to fuck knew where.
All at once her brain began to whir.
Where was she?
Where were her children—were they safe? Sophie had a vague recollection that her mother was going to collect them from school, but it was dark now. That would have been hours ago. Oh God… Her stomach lurched as the alarm peaked. What had happened to her kids?
“Where are my children?” Sophie blurted the question out, though her voice was little more than a whisper.
There seemed to be no power in her voice at all, her throat arid and tight.
He chuckled. “Your children?” he repeated. “How should I know? The last I knew they were with your mother. They’ll be fine.”
Her mother? So, she hadn’t dreamed that part at least? If they were with her mum, then they’d be safe, but Christ, they’d be so upset by now—so filled with worry. She had never missed a bedtime in their life. Sophie’s heart tightened with pain.
“Where am I?”
The silhouette of his dark form shifted, looming forward in her direction. Sophie gasped, recoiling at the look of it. He seemed so big and imposing.
“So many questions, little girl,” he muttered in a disapproving tone that made her pussy clench. “And it seems you’ve forgotten how to address me.”
“Daddy.” She answered as though the word was obvious—a reflex—as natural as taking in another breath.
“So, you do remember?”
“Yes, Daddy,” Sophie breathed. “I… I just woke up and I…” Sophie’s voice trailed away. Her head hurt. “I’m sorry.”
“Hmmm.”
The outline of his body edged right until she heard a small click and a lamp threw light from the corner of the space. Sophie’s gaze darted away from the unwelcome illumination, her heart thundering as she was finally able to take in some of where she was. And somehow, seeing her fate only made the whole thing worse. She was lying on a pink bed, and yes, her wrists were bound just as she had imagined, but this time the ropes were larger and coarser than the ones she recalled from her house. To make matters worse, they extended down to her ankles, which were also restrained and linked to her bound wrists. She was trussed up like a piece of meat.
Helpless.
Sophie panted as she gazed at the bondage, desperately trying to compose herself.
This wasn’t just a bad dream. A nightmare that she would wake up from. This was real—this was actually happening.
Jared appeared in her line of sight, his brooding face exactly as she had remembered it. A wave of dark hair threatened to fall into his blue eyes, and as his lips curled, her gaze fell over the stubble that had grown there. She glanced away from him reflexively. This was so odd. In another time, Sophie would probably have considered Jared to be gorgeous, and to her shame, she knew she’d already enjoyed his attention sexually, but this? This was crazy. He couldn’t just march into her house and take what he wanted, and yet, that was exactly what he had done.
He crouched down in front of her, yanking her body upright into a sitting position. “How are you feeling?”
Sophie swallowed painfully at his question, her head spinning. “Do you really want to know, Daddy?”
She cringed as she used the ‘D’ word, but there was no choice. Not now. Not unless she wanted to incur Jared’s wrath and her senses warned her that she truly did not want that.
Jared edged closer, his hand rising to her knee. His skin was warm against her flesh, his touch drawing her gaze back to meet his eyes. “Of course, I want to know.” His tone was demanding. “Tell me.”
“My head is killing me,” she replied. “And my throat is so dry it’s painful.”
The words spilled from her lips like a child telling tales, and she instantly loathed how pathetic she sounded. Sophie was a grown woman, a mother of two, a homeowner—she should be able to handle a little headache and a sore throat, and usually she would have done, but the ominous threat Jared posed made everything seem unbearable.
“I’ll get you a drink,” he told her in an almost tender way. “It’s the aftereffects of the sedative. It seems Daniel gave you a larger dose than I’d wanted. You’ve been out for hours.”
He squeezed her knee gently, and her gaze shifted to the large palm out of instinct.
Sophie’s mind reeled. What was she supposed to say to that?
What was the social etiquette for this situation?
It seemed as though Jared was waiting for her to respond, but Sophie had nothing. Nothing but a list of queries, starting with when could she go home? But there was no point in asking that question, because she already knew the answer. Jared had been clear on it even before he took her. He had no intention of letting her go back. Not now, and maybe, not ever.
“You’ve been through a lot today.” His voice stirred her from her misery. “One way or another.”
She nodded, her toes curling in preparation for what she knew she had to say next. “Yes, Daddy.”
Jared smiled. “Do you like calling me that, Sophie?”
His hand rose at that moment, shifting to her jaw and stroking the side of her face the way he had done when she’d been bound to her own bed. Her insides contracted at the memory. She’d been so scared, and yet he’d made her so horny. Just like he was doing now. Each gentle caress and softly spoken word a lure, but Sophie knew at any moment he could turn into a monster. A man who spoke about pain and control. A man who intended to keep her.
“I don’t know,” she admitted, her brows knitting at the admission.
The fingers at her face tightened a fraction. “Don’t lie to me, little girl. You already have a spanking coming for lying to me earlier.”
Sophie panted at his threat. A spanking? She’d fantasized about being spanked for freaking years, and yet now that she was naked and vulnerable, the concept just seemed terrifying.
“I’m not lying, Daddy,” she breathed. “I swear it. I genuinely don’t know how I feel about it.”
Jared eased forward onto his knees, yet still he seemed to loom over her. “Explain that to me.”
She sighed, wishing he’d move his hand from her face. Wishing the ropes would disappear from her wrists. Wishing she could just go home and hold her children.
“A part of me hates calling you it.” Her gaze flitted north to check his responses. Jared seemed calm enough for the time being.
“It’s so wrong and unnatural, but—”
“But?” His tone was firmer as he interrupted her.
“But a part of me loves it, too,” she confessed.
He grinned. “The part that loves the ropes and the gag?”
Sophie nodded. “Right, yes.”
“Yes, what?” There was a glint in his eyes as he insisted she tell him again and heat simmered at her core. Fuck, she hated this. She hated that he had the power to make her say it, but more than that, she hated that he had the power to make her relish it.
“Yes, Daddy.”
The word stuck in her throat as an arrogant smile rose to his lips. “There’s my good girl,” he purred. “I’m pleased you’ve told me how you feel. There are to be no secrets from Daddy, little girl. Do you understand?”
Jared’s hand swept back into her hair, and he fisted her locks as he spoke. She winced at the hurt. The pain wasn’t intense. In fact, it felt oddly good as his fingers tightened, but the move was unexpected.
“I understand.”
He released his hand. “You sit tight,” he instructed as he rose to his full height.
Sophie craned her neck to look at him. Somehow, she’d never appreciated just how big Jared was, but then, she had been tied pretty much the whole time she’d known him, apart from that humiliating experience in the bathroom when he’d made her come with his fingers. Sophie’s focus shifted to his right hand at the thought.
Oh God! What had she been thinking allowing him to do that? Beggin
g for him not to stop? It was hardly the actions of a terrified victim, and in that moment, she realized something for the first time. She was culpable for this. Whatever happened next, she was at least partly to blame. Sophie had reached out to him, although she hadn’t had a clue who he really was at that time. She had divulged her most private fantasies, and then, when Jared came calling, she had succumbed to him. She squeezed her eyes closed as the bleak reality of her behavior dawned on her. Instead of fighting, instead of resisting, she had actually enjoyed the way she’d been forced to relinquish control.
However fucked up Jared was, she was as bad. Maybe she was worse?
“I’ll go and get you a drink, but when I return I want to find you precisely where I left you.” He strode to the door, pausing as he glanced back over his shoulder at Sophie. “Understand?”
She bit her lip. Sophie was starting to understand things all too well.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jared
Sophie had drained three glasses of water from the jug he’d brought to the room, and his cock strained against his pants as he made her thank him in the appropriate way after each glass. Placing the drinkware on the large window ledge, Jared eased the pink blinds down before he turned to look at her.
It was late and she was obviously tired and weary, if not a little stunned, but that didn’t matter. What did matter though was the fact she hadn’t eaten for hours. Sophie was his responsibility now, and as well as fucking and punishing her, that also meant feeding her.
“Do you like cheese toast, little girl?”
She lifted her head to reveal the remnants of her blushing cheeks, her expression bewildered. Apparently, that was not what Sophie had expected him to say.
“Er, yes, Daddy.”
Jared could tell she was almost having to force the word out, but Sophie was saying it. And for that, he would reward her.
“I’ll make us some,” he determined, pouring himself some water into the same glass.
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