by Vance, Ally
The car stops moving and idles while we sit there in a tense silence. I hardly move, barely breathing as I wait for Seth to say or do something. I peer out the window, trying to get a sense of where we are, but I can see only walls on either side of us. The ignition cuts out and Seth turns in his seat to face me, his sharp gaze scrutinizing me.
I wait for him to say or do something, uncertainty holding me captive. I’m unsure what to do; all I know is that I need to make it out of here alive. When I do, I’m going to give Arron hell for getting me caught up in his mess. Older brothers are supposed to care for their younger sisters. He doesn’t seem to have received that memo. I’d gladly staple it to his forehead if I thought it would make a difference although I fear it wouldn’t help. It’s one thing to gamble away all our money, but I still can’t wrap my head around the fact he so carelessly played with my life in a game of chance and lost.
Seth opens his door and gets out of the car. I ready myself, waiting for him to open mine because, as soon as I’m out of the car, I’m going to run. I doubt I’ll get far, but I have to try. I refuse to sit back and accept this as my fate.
Seth
She’s thinking about running. I can tell by the way she’s tensed up on the seat and from the forced deep breaths she’s taking while her eyes scan the area behind where I’m standing. A small part of me is tempted to see whether she’s really bold enough to go for it, but I won’t let her get far even if she is.
Fuck it. I want to see what little Leeann is made of. Grabbing her by the arm, I pull her from the car and to her feet. I’ve barely pushed the door shut before the little witch attempts to kick me in the balls and is running from me. Even after last time she forgets I’m faster, and I’m after her before she’s made it to the bottom of the driveway.
A glance over her shoulder is followed by a short, high-pitched scream when she realizes I’m in pursuit. Thrusting my arm forward, my fingers close around her wrists. She wrenches away from my grasp, but I tighten my grip. When she falls, I’m so surprised I topple onto her. Leeann thrashes beneath me like an eel, and I have trouble keeping a hold of her. She opens her mouth to scream again, but I quickly hush her with the palm of my hand.
“Don’t fucking scream and don’t try to get away,” I say, breathing hard. My heart’s racing.
I’m pumped. The chase has set my blood rushing through my veins. I’m feeling more alive than I have in a long time, and it’s got everything to do with this fiery young woman who’s still struggling fiercely to get away.
She’s brave; I can tell the tears on Leeann’s face aren’t from fear, they’re from fury at her inability to escape from me and no doubt also at the situation her brother has forced her into. Whatever the true circumstances, it is clear Arron fucking sold her to Caryn before I plucked her from that bitch’s grasp...not that it took much persuasion. Caryn was only too eager to hand Leeann over to me in order to save her own damn skin.
The truth is Leeann is safer with me than the fuckers I took her from. But Caryn has never tried to trade people off as a method of payment before, and it felt so fucking wrong that I couldn’t refuse. By offering Leeann to me, she’s sent up a red flag I can’t ignore. I believe this deal involving Leeann is part of something bigger I’ve yet to uncover, and until I do, she’s stuck with me. I kind of want to keep her anyway to see if I’ll get burned by her fire.
“You’re not going anywhere,” I whisper, angling myself closer to her so our faces are mere inches apart, and I can see myself reflected in her pretty blue eyes.
I stay put, neither of us blinking while I wait for her to concede, and slowly her struggles abate. When her eyes finally close in defeat, she turns her head away. I get to my feet, brush myself off, and scooping Leeann up into my arms, I turn toward the darkened house standing behind us.
No one ventures out this way. I can count on three fingers the number of people who know about this place, and only one of them comes out here anyway. I glance down at Leeann who is silent and stiff in my arms and bite back a chuckle. She’s feisty, and something about her is drawing me in. I’m curious to know more. I get the feeling she may be just the spark of life I’ve been searching for.
Blood, blades, killing, and fucking get my heart racing with adrenaline. I wake each day eager for the hunt. I’m death…I’m the goddamned fucking reaper. I’m the delinquent who doesn’t play by any rules, not even my own. Lance says it must be in my blood because I took to this life like I was born to it. I’ve no way of knowing if that’s true, and I’m not sure I particularly care. The Cavalieri are my fucking blood. They are my brothers, and I’m one of them, no matter what my true bloodline may be.
The woman in my arms may have caught my eye, but the organization comes first. I will kill anyone who dares to fuck with our place in this world, including her. Caryn is hiding something, and Leeann and her brother are the key to finding out just what that is.
When we get to the front door, I angle myself to keep Leeann from seeing me punch in the code to unlock it. No need to give her the tools to escape. Upon entering, I kick the door closed, and the beep as it hits the frame informs me the alarm has re-engaged. Setting Leeann back down on her feet, I guide her through the house with a hand around her wrists, which are still bound.
I stop in front of the wooden door in the central hallway, leading to the basement and slide open the bolts. Her flinch at the scrape and thud of the metal on wood is the first visible sign of fear she’s displayed in my presence. I pull open the door and flick on the switch fitted to the wall just over the threshold.
“No,” she whimpers, attempting to pull away from me when I move to guide her through.
“Yes,” I say firmly, and to my utter surprise tears start to roll down her face.
My fingers loosen, and she backs away from me. I follow in slow pursuit like a predator readying itself to pounce on its prey until finally I cage her in completely between me and the wall.
Leeann
I’m trapped once again by this asshole without a conscience. I’ve been careful to hold my tongue around him because I’m more afraid of him than I was the others who held me. Seth carries a wild darkness in him, and I sense that the wrong move could have deadly repercussions. It was foolish to try and run from him, but I had to try. I couldn’t just let myself be taken into this house in God only knows where. No, not me.
I’m sick of people deciding my fate for me and being passed around by them like goods for trade rather than being treated as an actual person. Even if I could escape, I have nowhere to run to, no one I can turn to for help, and no money because Arron blew it all gambling. It’s also safe to say I’ve lost my job after not turning up for however many days it’s been since Arron gave me away. I wonder what he told them...probably that I quit, I reluctantly admit to myself.
A fresh wave of contempt flows through me at the helplessness of my current predicament. I still can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that Arron could be so uncaring. I always knew his addiction would catch up with him one day. I just didn’t expect to be caught in the crossfire.
I considered asking Arron about the amount he owed, but I have to admit I didn’t want to know how little he valued the life of his own sister. It’s unlike me to be so despondent, but I can’t help the flood of emotions I’m feeling, ranging from fear and self-pity to anger. Bitterness bites at my heart, swiftly replaced by fury as I viciously thrust my knee upward between Seth’s legs and into his balls.
“Fuck. You,” I spit when I connect with the soft flesh.
He lets out a pained grunt and falters, reaching down to clutch at his junk. Arms still bound, I’m limited in my movement, which means escaping is going to be nigh on impossible. My body aches from the fall outside, my knees are grazed, my wrists are burning, but my legs are free, and I can run. If I can keep Seth from locking me up in what looks to me like a basement, then I will snatch the tiny victory with eager hands and head held high.
I dart past various roo
ms, heading deeper into the house. I already know the front door is a no-go with the alarmed locking system. Bursting through the open door at the end of the hallway, I find myself standing in a small kitchen. I frantically look around for an exit, groaning when I spot the solid-looking timber framed backdoor, but it’s my only chance.
I throw myself at the door, shoulder first, and bite my lip to stifle the scream threatening to escape when I connect with it. I repeat the action, and sharp nerve pain flares in my elbow before it ripples down my arm.
“Owww,” I hiss, internally cursing my inability to rub away the sting.
I’m just about to make another attempt to break down the annoyingly impenetrable door, when I’m spun around and pushed up against the wood by Seth. Facing him head on, it’s a challenge not to quail at the fury written all over his face. The anger rolling off him in waves makes my blood rush and goosebumps erupt all over my skin.
We stand there in a silent face off with his deep green eyes never leaving mine. In spite of my more vulnerable state, I’m not backing down. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice his hand go for the pocket of his dark, nearly-black jeans. A soft click and a flash of silver sends fear rippling through my body. I’m unable to stop my sharp intake of breath at Seth’s proximity when he leans closer and reaches behind me with the blade he now holds in his hand.
He grips my wrist with his free hand and pulls me toward him. When my hips hit his, and I feel his semi-hard cock pressing against me, heat starts to rise in my cheeks. The slow upward tilt of his lips in one corner tells me he notices my reaction to him.
“Keep still,” he orders, and the cold touch of metal brushing against my skin makes me freeze.
Moments later the pressure around my wrists and in my shoulders eases, and I realize my hands are free...he cut through the bindings. I don’t move immediately and neither does he. Bringing my hands around, I groan at the residual ache in my shoulders from the awkward position they’ve been pulled in for so long.
Without considering how stupid or reckless it would be to do, I slap Seth across his face. The sound of my palm colliding with the skin of his cheek echoes deafeningly in the small room.
Seth’s eyes flash. He edges closer, crowding me even farther until my back is flat against the wooden door, and his hips are holding me in place. I open my mouth and prepare to tell him to get the fuck off me. I’ve barely drawn in a breath when he steals the words from my lips. Crashing his mouth down on mine, he greedily swallows my gasp of surprise.
I’ve been kissed before but not like this; I’ve never felt so consumed and overtaken. Seth is unpredictable, terrifying, and I can feel myself being sucked into the wild vortex he’s creating. I fight back…my hands in his hair, and my lips warring with his for control.
Everything that’s happened so far has been vastly different from anything I expected. I’m not quite sure what I’ve gotten sucked into. The battle between us just took a turn I wasn’t expecting, and the playing field dropped out beneath me. I’ve been fighting against him, trying to win this ridiculous game. I believed him to be just like the monsters Arron gave me to, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Seth is nothing like them.
There’s no logic I can apply to this. I can’t understand why instead of throwing him off and attempting to escape, I’m scrabbling to keep a hold of him, trying to bring him even closer to me. One of Seth’s hands burns a path up my back while his other curls around my hip and holds me in place against him.
While our teeth and lips clash against each other’s in a desperate kiss, an angry fire is blossoming in my heart: anger at Arron, anger at Caryn and those men she let paw all over me, and anger at Seth for snatching me from their grasp and bringing me here. Most of all I am furious with myself for not fighting harder, not being smarter, and for letting my heart ignore the truth about my brother.
Seth
Leeann’s lips taste like heaven, tears, and anger, and I can’t get enough of them. This woman is already getting under my skin, but I mustn’t lose focus on my mission. I better not fuck this up because who knows what the end results will be if I do. Fuck…the feel of her against me, and the furious way her lips are moving with mine is goddamned addictive. I’m on thin ice already with her. If I’m not careful, I’ll lose my footing.
Breaking the kiss, I lean back to look at her. Leeann’s kiss-swollen lips are glistening, and her blond hair is tangled tightly in my fist. I tease the hem of her pajama top with my fingers, tempted to lift it from her body. I’m sure if I did I’d see bruises beginning to bloom on her hips from my hands where I’ve gripped her. Her cheeks are flushed a delicious shade of pink, and she’s breathing rapidly. I can see the hate glowing like blue flames in her ice-colored eyes, and it makes my cock so fucking hard.
Leeann is an addictive mix of fire and ice, and I’m beginning to think she may be as reckless and crazy as I am. I’m excited; I can tell she’s going to be a fucking challenge to handle and won’t want to play by the rules...just like me. Except in this place, the rules are mine and she better start following them. I’m the only one who gets to break them. But for another kiss, I may let her try.
I grin down at her. “Watch your mouth, pretty girl. I can think of plenty of things you can do with your tongue instead of lashing me with your words.”
When I finally let go of her, she sinks to her knees in helpless exhaustion on the floor. The mental image of her kneeling in front of me with her beautiful lips wrapped firmly around my cock while I pump into her hot little mouth is almost too much. Biting back a groan, I turn and leave her in the empty kitchen before I do something stupid.
She can have the freedom of the house, for now. She won’t be able to get out of here: the windows are shatterproof, the doors are all made of reinforced wood and are locked with a code or a key. Then there is an alarm system which will trigger if she somehow manages to break through.
“You bastard,” she calls out, bitterness dripping from her tone.
She’s more right than she knows, but I’m not about to tell her that. I know nothing about my father...my mom refused to talk to me about him. She said he didn’t even know I existed, but she always used to tell me how much I looked like him. I carry her last name, but other than that, I have no links to any of my blood relations. I have no family ties and therefore nothing to lose...and a man with nothing to lose is a dangerous one.
I’ve barely slammed the door shut to the kitchen when it’s ripped from my hand and Leeann barges out into the hallway, coming to a stop in front of me. With an eyebrow raised, I cross my arms and wait for her to say something.
“Let. Me. Go,” she bites out sharply…one word at a time.
“No,” I snort, rolling my eyes at the ridiculousness of her attempt to boss me around.
Her hand flies up toward my face, and I stop her before she manages to land another slap to my already smarting cheek. The slight smile I had drops, and I scowl down at her. I’m already regretting unbinding her wrists; this cute little attitude of hers is beginning to piss me off.
“If you carry that on, pretty girl, you’ll force me to bind and gag you like they did,” I threaten, stepping into her space.
Leeann falters and fear flashes in her eyes, but it’s quickly replaced by defiance.
“Fuck this,” I say, huffing out an annoyed breath.
Keeping a firm grip on her wrist, I drag her toward the basement door. When she clocks where I’m taking her, she tries to free herself, her blunt nails scratching uselessly against my hand as she frantically attempts to pry my fingers loose
“Stop it!” she cries out. “Let me go. I’m not going down there. You fucking bastard! I won’t go down there!”
Pulling her roughly toward me in a single motion, I wrap my arms around her struggling body and clamp a hand over her mouth.
“Listen to me, Leeann. Quit this shit and behave yourself, and I might let you out in a few hours. Don’t fucking test me, and don’t think that just because I got a
hard-on for you it means I’ll go easy on you, because I won’t. Got it?” I whisper harshly in her ear, then pause while I wait for her answer.
Leeann gives an almost imperceptible nod that I’d have missed if I hadn’t felt her head move.
“Good girl,” I mock, walking with her toward the basement door which is still unlocked.
She’s trembling, but my patience has worn out. I’m tired and don’t have the energy to put up with any more bullshit tonight. Kicking the door open with my foot, I use my elbow to hit the light switch. We slowly make our way down the rough, stone steps, and on reaching the bottom, I release her and shove her quickly away from me, causing her to stumble, but she doesn’t fall.
“Cool the fuck off, and I may let you out later. If not, then you’ll be down here for a long while,” I smirk as I jog back up the steps. Her frustrated scream and the stream of cursing that follows are cut off when I pull the door shut behind me. I shoot the bolts firmly across and ignore the prickle of guilt I feel at leaving her down there. I need some fucking sleep.
Leeann
Before I have the chance to get back up the stairs and pull the door to the basement open, I hear the telltale sound of bolts being slid across...shit. I run up the steps to the door anyway and tug uselessly on it, but it doesn’t budge. I slam my palm over and over again on the wood until the skin is pink and my hand is throbbing. I’m hoping he’ll come back down here to tell me to shut up or to punish me...at this point, I don’t care which.
“Let me the fuck out of here, you bastard. You fucking asshole, let me out!” I shout, my voice cracking when I realize he’s ignoring me.
I slide down the door until I’m sitting on the step at the very top of the stairs. I stay there until the cold stone makes my ass numb. Then with a sigh as heavy as my heart, I stand and make my way back down to the room below.