“Wipe your lip.” The pale blue of his eyes almost looked white in the distance. They were so narrowed, and with the way he kept pacing, he looked every bit the animal I’d picked up on before.
“No.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Why don’t you come back over here and lick it off. I think you’re full of shit. You said you liked my taste, prove it.”
He came to an abrupt stop, just like when I’d made my declaration of getting what I wanted. But he kept silent for the most part. I knew he was thinking and I only hoped he’d see things my way. The uneasy satisfaction coursing through my already hot body was such a contrast. Part of me almost believed he’d give in while the other was scared he wouldn’t. I knew Blake was dark, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. Spanking, choking, pulling hair, all those I could deal with. The cutting, on the other hand, had sparked real fear, but I knew he wouldn’t really hurt me. He saved slaves. A person who did that wouldn’t go around maiming women.
“Your fever must have come back. You’re delirious.”
I laughed. “If I’m feverish, it’s because you neglected to get me off. Now, are you going to come back to bed or are you leaving? Because, seriously, I’m doing this with or without you. You don’t get someone’s blood pumping like that and pull back.”
“I was asleep,” he burst out.
“You were dreaming of it. You said so yourself. Which tells me you want me, whether you like it or not.”
Blake walked over and grabbed his blanket. “You’re fucking unbelievable.” The next thing he took was the pillow. “I tell you the consequences and you push me? I wasn’t lying, Kaitlyn. You’ll never leave Texas again. Never leave me.” He leaned in inches from my face. “That should scare the shit out of you. You don’t know what I am.”
I met his stare, opening myself up on the inside for the first time since I’d killed my captor. Really let the evil I guarded inside pour out until his eyes were widening. “Just like in poker, isn’t it? I’ll see your monster and raise you one night of no strings attached—hot, pain induced, pounding. Give it to me, Blake. Give me your best shot. I don’t think you’re up for the task, truthfully.”
Fingers clutched to the back of my hair as his other hand wrapped around my throat, cutting off almost every ounce of oxygen I was able to take in. My heart swelled. I could have sworn I fell in love with him instantly in that moment. No one had ever dared to touch me this way. Not even those Doms. But, Blake, he was different. Yes. Special. And just for me.
“You go too far. This is not poker. More like Russian Roulette.” The hand around my throat loosened and he bit his own lip while he began tracing his thumb toward my mouth. “There’s a bullet ready to end the only life you’ve ever known. That bullet is me, in case you’re so thick you can’t see that. Things will never be the same for you, Kaitlyn. You’ve been a captive once. Are you ready to be another? Because that’s exactly what will happen if you continue provoking me. Think about it. Let your mind clear.”
My eyes narrowed. Some sort of satisfaction was written all over his face. I wanted to say something to push him back into his dark mode, but words wouldn’t come. He had no idea where my mind was at. I wasn’t ready to go home. Wasn’t ready to leave him. Not after we’d only just met. He could keep me safe.
“Smart girl. Looks like your brain started working again. Now, go to sleep.” Blake laid down all the way across the room, right on the floor. The fact that he couldn’t leave made me even more positive on my decision.
****
When I woke up from my restless night of sleep, Blake was gone. My heart sank like it’d been sucked into a black hole. The endless downward spiral was devastating. I’d gone to bed with the impression that maybe he’d want me to stick around when he woke up. When I saw he was nowhere to be seen, anger that I’d once again misread a man left me snapping at everyone who came into the room. I couldn’t believe how badly I’d been wrong. I thought he’d protect me.
And, then, it happened. He appeared, exuding determination, clothed in sexy leather pants. The blond tips of his hair stuck out and he was sporting a pair of aviators. My eyes lowered to the tight, black T-shirt he wore. Fuck, he was the sexiest man I’d ever seen. The sadness disappeared instantly.
The two helmets and bag of clothes he held sent my heart into a rhythm that had the monitor singing a rapid melody all its own.
“Doctor says you’re good to go. You up for a ride?”
Oh, yes. On more levels than he could have imagined.
The nurse walked in, but I didn’t break my gaze as she took out the IV and disconnected everything.
“We’re going to need you to sign these papers, then you’re free to leave,” she said, lowly. But I barely heard her.
“Thank you.” Breaking eye contact made me afraid he was going to disappear. Maybe I’d latched onto him because of what we’d gone through. Hero worship, or so I’d heard it called. Blake’s beautiful face was the first one I’d seen in captivity that wasn’t a slave or Master. Like an angel, appearing in my own personal hell, he released me from the invisible restraints within myself. Saved me from the suicidal thoughts that had taken over. He was my light. But, good? Even I knew better than that. My angel was the devil, himself. All darkness within, in a body meant to tempt and seduce. Blake Morgan held good intentions within his surrounding immorality. It was fitting for my view of him. The devil was once an angel, after all, both good and evil. Yes. That’s who Blake was, and fuck me if I didn’t want him to cloak me in his sins and introduce me to his world so I could never escape.
But those were just daydreams. The fantasies of a woman addicted to all the wrong things. I had no doubt it was also what had played a part in my abduction and sale into the slave world. After all, if I hadn’t been at the sex club, I would have never of been kidnapped upon my departure. It had been my own fault. My guilty pleasures had caught up to me and I’d paid. Now, here I was, ready to repeat that process. Perhaps, I’d gone a little mad while I was tortured and beaten. It made sense. Who wouldn’t? Question was, would Blake be worth it? Give me everything I’d always craved—searched for in the deepest recesses of the smut world? I’d be stupid not to find out. I might be even more stupid to go along with it. He was a stranger, after all. Somehow, that didn’t matter to me in the least. The risk was one I was willing to take.
“There you go.” I placed the pen down while the nurse gathered the paperwork and left the room.
Blake came forward, setting the bag on the bed next to me. The aviators were hooked on his collar, hanging down the front of his shirt. “I bought you some clothes.” He narrowed his eyes. “You ready to go home? I can take you to the airport right now.”
The black leather pants, black lace bra, and white tank top had me looking up. “You’re asking me?” I scattered the clothes on the bed, waiting for his response. Not a word left him. I shoved around the outfit. “No panties?”
He shrugged, refusing to reply to either question. I couldn’t help but think the lack of undergarments only hinted at things to come if I stayed. The decision was solely mine to make. It was one that I didn’t even need to think about. As I shook my head, he quickly put up his hand.
“Let me make things clear. If you chose to leave now, I’ll be a good boy. We’ll jump on the plane, I’ll stay for a few days until you get settled and comfortable in your place again, then I’ll leave.” He licked his lips. “But if you stay, like you say you want to, you’ll meet a new Blake. One you’ve only gotten the smallest glimpse of.” He held up his helmet. “I ride fast. Dangerous. I fuck even more so. You’ll eat and sleep, when and where I want. Dress in what I tell you to. Life will be like this until you can’t take it anymore and you ask to leave. These terms are only good for two weeks. If you’re here after then, you don’t get the choice to leave. I’ll make that decision. It might mean never. So choose wisely, Kaitlyn. I mean what I say. To question that would only place you in a world of trouble.”
The
covers flew back with my toss and I grabbed the clothes. ‘Give me ten minutes.”
Blake stepped in my path, blocking my advance to the restroom. “You didn’t tell me your answer.”
“Do I need to? It’s obvious, if you ask me.”
He nodded, a quick movement that made his hair move just the slightest amount. “California. Very smart of you.”
My eyes rolled in spite of me trying to stop them. “No, Blake. I’m moving in. At least for the next two weeks.” I stepped around him, only to have one of his arms snake around my waist and pull me back into him. The leather from his jeans against my bare ass was heaven. Damn, I loved leather.
The hospital gown fell over my shoulder and his teeth nipped at the sensitive skin. “You’re in so much trouble, baby. You have no idea.” Suction had a small sound leaving my lips. Blake undid the tie at my neck and spun me around. “Get dressed. Right here. Where I can see you.”
To think someone might walk in had me a little nervous, but I obeyed. After all, I figured he would do something like this.
The gown fell to the floor and I walked over by the bed to place the clothes down. First thing I put on were the leather pants. They were the perfect size. I didn’t question how he knew.
“So fucking perfect.” His eyes devoured me and my nipples instantly hardened. My confidence around him, when I shouldn’t have any due to the new markings, had to have been the reason I felt myself latching onto him even more. A part of me felt like my old self. Not the destroyed slave I had now become.
I lifted the bra and placed my arms in the straps when he came forward.
“Allow me. We don’t want to mess up the bandages.” The hooks were easily placed, but he didn’t retreat. Breath brushed against my ear once again and it turned my legs weak. “One last chance, Kaitlyn. Leave while you still can. Before I damage you even more than you already are.” His hand settled just under my breast, turning my breathing deep and slow.
“You won’t hurt me any more than I need.”
Vibrations from deep within his chest lightly hummed through my body at our contact. His hand made a path to the skin just above the lining of the bra. “Tell me to stop,” he breathed out.
“More.”
“Is this what you want?” Blake dipped past the material and rolled my nipple in between the pads of his fingers. I cried out at the increasing pressure. “I give the orders. Not you, kitten.”
The pain twisted with pleasure was the perfect mix, but it still wasn’t enough. “More,” I whispered again. “Harder.” The touch was suddenly gone and I was turned to face him. The hand that gripped my throat was accompanied by a stare that had my insides retreating, again. It shook my foundation just as much as the first time I’d seen it on the plane.
“When you’re better, you’re going to pay. I said, I give the orders. Not you. Now, put on the shirt.”
I obeyed, wishing he wouldn’t have stopped. I was playing a dangerous game. I wasn’t naive to that, but for the life of me I couldn’t stop. Didn’t want to.
Blake stepped away and pulled the door open, reaching down to grab a long rectangular box and another bag. “Boots and socks. Put them on.”
I managed to zip up the boots without letting the clasp slip through my trembling fingers. As I stood, I awaited his instruction. The power he emitted was downright rattling, yet, I wanted more. To see just how far he’d go with his instruction. I was fascinated.
“The media is pretty thick outside. My bike is parked in the front so we’ll get out without having to deal with the majority, but I don’t trust them to not try and follow. I’m going to drive fast we’re getting the hell out of this city before they can catch up. The ride is about forty-five minutes. Do you think you can handle it? The airport is a lot closer.”
My eyes narrowed. No way was I going back yet. Besides, it was just a motorcycle. I could hold on. “I want to stay. I’ll be fine.”
“All right. If that’s what you want.” He handed me the helmet and held his own. I took it, noticing it weighed a lot more than I had thought. Blake cocked an eyebrow at me, but didn’t hesitate to wrap his arm around my shoulders. “Let’s go. I’ll help you with the strap once we get outside the entrance. I want it on before we leave. That way, maybe they won’t notice it’s you, although I doubt we’ll be that lucky.”
The hallway was relatively empty as we made our way onto the elevator. The further I felt us go down, the more panicked I became. “Here.” I slid the helmet on. “I don’t want anyone seeing me at all. I…”
“Dammit, Kaitlyn. The scar’s not even that noticeable.” His fingers tightened the strap underneath as we came to a stop. “I hate that Preston told you first. I swear, it’s not that bad.” The soft touch of his fingers grazed down my throat as he lifted the mask. The weight felt strange as we stepped out and came to a stop a few feet away.
“I’ve been judged by my face for so long that you have no idea what it feels like for me to walk around bearing this mark. To me, it’s a God damn beacon, drawing attention from everyone who looks my way. So do me a favor and fuck off about me getting upset over it.” I walked toward the entrance when he caught up with me and stepped in my path.
“Add that little outburst to your punishment. I don’t give a shit what you think. I’m telling you it’s not a big deal. You’re overreacting. Scar or not, you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever laid eyes on. Now, enough. I better not hear you put yourself down again or else the consequences will be fierce.”
My world spun the smallest amount. “You think I’m beautiful? Like…right now? Looking as I do?”
Blake looked down, a frown coming to his face. When he met my eyes, I saw something resembling pain. “Kaitlyn, take my word for it. I don’t lie. Beautiful doesn’t even begin to describe what I see and feel when I look at you. This. Me and you. This situation is new to me. I don’t bring women home or take care of them after they’re saved. But there’s something different about you. I’m breaking all of my rules. You wanted to know what rule number three was? Never let yourself fall for a slave. Too late. I’m on the verge of keeping you and never letting you go.” His hands gripped my shoulders, pulling me closer. “I should really take you home. I’m dangerous.”
The side of my mouth lifted into a smile. “So am I. Nice to finally meet you.”
Blake’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t come back with a response.
“Time to go.” He pulled the helmet down, tightening the strap underneath. I was whisked outside so fast, my head felt separate from the rest of me. The weight of the helmet was starting to take its toll and we hadn’t even left yet.
The street bike was blacked out, something to be admired, for sure. I didn’t know much about them, but this thing looked amazing. And fast as hell. Fuck, I sure hoped I could hold on. Something about no seat belts made me uneasy. Quite possibly from the minor car accident I’d been in as a child, but I couldn’t ignore the thrill the danger gave me.
Blake kicked the stand up and threw his leg over. The tiny seat on the back was barely big enough to fit my ass on. I pulled the shield down and climbed on, bracing my feet on the pegs. The moment I stretched my arms around him, I felt the tightness in my back. Not good.
The engine roared to life, purring so much louder than I thought it would. Vibrations raced through me and I turned my head, looking at the crazed media. They knew it was me. And from the looks of reporters running to their vans, we were going to have to book it if we were going to beat them out of here.
“Hold on. Tight.”
I didn’t think twice. My arms tightened around Blake’s waist and I was jerked back almost immediately. Wind whipped at my hair and pressure pushed against the helmet, making it feel even heavier.
Cars in the parking lot blurred at the speed and my eyes widened at the rush I suddenly felt. The bike slowed just enough to turn into traffic. It didn’t take long for him to begin to weave in and out of the vehicles. I felt my body moving naturally with th
e leans, feeling a certain kind of freedom in our getaway. Blake picked my hand up from his chest and sudden fear sparked. The anxiety melted the moment he lifted it and brought my fingers through the open shield to kiss the tips.
My hand was replaced to his stomach and he slapped against it painfully. I gripped tighter, locking my hands together at the wrist. The action had him revving the engine even faster. Did I want to know how fast we were going? My heart raced and I lifted enough to peer over his shoulder. Oh fuck! The speedometer read one hundred and ten miles an hour. If we crashed, we were dead. If not, the marks on my back were going to look like nothing compared to the road rash on my arms. Hell, if I even had arms anymore.
Trust. Did I trust Blake not to kill me on this bike? Yes. Did I trust other motorists not to put our lives in danger? Fuck no. My eyes shut and I tried to find that calming spot I’d gone to so many times while I was being held as a slave.
Flashes of my beatings blindsided me. Even though all I wanted to do was literally run away, I wasn’t about to do something stupid while we were on the bike. I pushed the bloody, painful episodes away and searched my mind for something to distract me. The scene of Blake slipping into the door replayed before me. That face. Pure shock at seeing me. I’d tried to call to him for help. It felt like forever before he finally moved at all. He’d been so beautiful. For the briefest moment, I thought I was dead, or hallucinating. But I hadn’t been. He saved me. Protected me so much already, just by doing the smallest things. I bet he didn’t even know how much I relied on him to help me. Never had I needed anyone. I’d been taking care of myself since I was sixteen. For the first time, I didn’t think I could live life on my own. Not yet, anyway.
BLAKE: Captive to the Dark Page 7