The sudden movement had my eyes flying open. The ceiling above moved and my eyes locked on a man’s back. The dark suit he wore confused me and it took a few seconds for me to kick into action. I was in a hallway. Out of the room.
My body twisted until I was on my stomach and I kicked my legs with every ounce of strength I had. The grip dropped and I surged to my feet, knowing that if I was going to get free, I had to make it past the stranger who’d turned to face me. Nothing about him looked the least bit familiar. A trimmed goatee shadowed full lips. His nose was thin like a blade and he had deep set brown eyes. Almost black. The dark hair that rested on his head was on the shorter side, but was styled fashionably. I didn’t understand. What happened to the Mexican men that had been taking the girls? Bringing us food and water?
“Who are you?” My voice sounded scratchy from the screaming and I cleared my throat, feeling how dry it was.
“You know who I am. Come, it’s time for you to go to your new home.”
“My new home?” I fought whether I should try to rush past him or comply with his orders until it gave me a better chance of escape.
In two strides he made it in front of me. I stood straight, not cowering like a part of me wanted to do. Blake wouldn’t want me to appear weak. He was going to make me the strongest I’d ever been. Maybe he already had.
“When I tell you to do something, you do it.”
I froze. I knew that voice when it was deeper like that. My eyes rose and I studied him even more. He didn’t move and neither did I.
“Kaitlyn.” The warning was evident, but my name was like a trigger. I wanted to hear him talk more that way I could put it together.
“Do I know you?”
My body was slammed into the wall, crushing my breasts. I placed my palms flat and kept my head to the side as he fitted his body into mine. “Close your eyes,” he said, lowly. “Feel what I can do to you.”
Flashes blinded me. Not of his face, but of the darkness the blindfold had cloaked me in. Of that smooth, deep voice so close to my ear as the Dom ordered me to touch myself. To enjoy the pain he was going to bring me. “Master X,” I whispered.
“Yes, slave. I told you I’d take care of you.”
Even then, he’d called me slave. The promises he’d whispered I assumed were nothing more than pillow talk. Trembling shook me as I tried to process everything. This man had been attracted to me. I knew that, but nothing had ever come of it. I didn’t even really know him aside from our meetings. Not that I hadn’t teased the idea. I’d liked what he’d given me. So much that I continued to go back.
“Are you my new Master?” The words were like razorblade leaving my throat. I had a Master, I didn’t want another, but I had to know his intentions.
“You’d like me to keep you. Unfortunately for you, you had your chance.”
“When?” I breathed out. “You never came to me. Never asked for anything permanent.”
As his hand cupped my breast, I tried not to fight. Not yet.
“You’re wrong.” He pushed my head into the wall harder with his own. The expensive smelling shaving cream lingered while he whispered against my cheek. “Think,” he hissed. “You had a choice. I gave you that.” He grew louder. “Think!”
I jumped at the explosion of his voice right next to my ear. My mind scrambled to the times I’d been at the club. Nothing really stuck out. I replayed the last time up until the night I was taken. A sound came from my throat as I remembered the two of us in the private room. The best one the club had. The one reserved for me every single time I called to let them know I was coming. Fuck. He’d played me from the very beginning.
What started out as curiosity had led to this very moment. All I had wanted to do was watch a show. The message that came, asking if I’d like a private session with the club’s best Dom, had been delivered by the waitress. I’d never done anything like that. It was my first time ever. The one that got me hooked. That kept me going back to the same man who now was doing nothing but trying to make my life a living hell. God…
Visions of him whipping me replayed in my head. I’d moaned and moved against him as he traced his fingers over the welts. The restraints on the St. Andrews cross had been tight around my wrists, but he’d left my legs undone. Touching my pussy, but never breaching my opening.
A sob left my lips. “You said you wanted to make me yours. I thought you meant you wanted to fuck me. You never had before.”
“And you said what?”
My closed eyes squeezed tighter and I hated the tear that escaped. “I was tired. I was being blackmailed. I wanted to go home.” I froze at my words, already knowing.
Pressure gripped my breast. “You took what I gave you and turned your back on me. On what I offered. You fucking used me for over a year and not once did I get shit out of it. I was the blackmailer, Kaitlyn. It was all a test, and you failed. You’re just like the rest.” He pinched my nipple, sending jolts of pain to the core of my stomach. “Now, you‘ll join them. Again. You’ll be a real slave. Not one who plays the role for their own satisfaction. Greedy fucking bitches. All of you.”
I reached back, raking my nails down the side of his face. I was barely able to turn around before he pinned my back against the wall. Blood ran down his cheek and I thrashed against him, feeling my side lock up from the pain of my previous attack.
“You’re going to rot in Korea. I’m going to make sure of it.” Both of his hands came around my neck and air was immediately cut off. Flashes of Blake blinded me. I got you, Kaitlyn. You can’t breathe. What do you do? His hands were grabbing my throat just like the man who was responsible for me being here. The self-defense move came crashing back into me, fresh from the training he’d put me through the week before I was taken. I brought my hands together and pushed up right between the would-be Dom’s hold, throwing my arms down hard on top of his. They bent in, loosening his grasp and bringing his face right within my reaching distance. I didn’t hesitate, I threw my head forward, connecting with my attacker just like Blake said I would.
Lights flashed before me, but I pushed myself around his hunched over frame.
“You fucking bitch,” he groaned.
I kicked him hard in the side and scrambled to the door, holding my ribs. My forehead tingled and burned where I had made contact. Ignoring the pain was nearly impossible, but I focused on escaping. The door at the end of the hall got closer and I pushed through, blinded by the midday sun.
Where the fuck was I? The structure I escaped from sat in the middle of a large parking lot. As if it were an old office building that now wasn’t in service anymore. Only one car rested in the large space and that was a black limo. Who the fuck was this man? Who had been the ones speaking Spanish? Confusion made focusing even harder. I didn’t know which way to go. If I went toward the limo, the driver wasn’t going to take me anywhere I wanted to go. Somehow, I knew this. He worked for my kidnapper. But past the parking lot was nothing but dirt fields. I’d have no cover. I was fucked.
The right answers wouldn’t come, but I had to take my chances. I pushed myself to the limo knowing I wasn’t going anywhere near fast enough. Footsteps pounded behind me, but I managed to grab the handle before my hair was jerked back.
“You…are going to fucking pay for what you did.” I was hauled back while he opened the door. I went crazy, feeling my hair rip as survival kicked in. It was the least of my worries. I couldn’t go to Korea. Couldn’t endure another Master. The limo was my only chance. If I could just get in and lock the door.
Hands grabbed around my waist and I screamed, more from the pain in my ribs, than surprise. The interior of the limo blurred as I was pulled into the car. Tape pushed against my mouth, instantly cutting off the majority of sound. One man held me down as the other wrapped my hands and feet together. As the Dom climbed in, I didn’t miss the malice pouring from him as he wiped the blood from his nose and mouth.
“Home.”
One word. A location th
at wasn’t the airport. That, I could work with. I wouldn’t think about what he had planned. It was unimportant. The only thing I needed to focus on was what could lead me back to Blake. What would help him find me.
Chapter 21
Blake
Devastated didn’t even begin to describe the way I felt as I sat outside the empty house for the fifth day in a row. Where was my slave? Where was Harvey? Getting back into Dark Dave’s had been impossible after the first night. No one would speak to me. Melissa had disappeared and all Preston and I had left to rely on was a large, empty house in a rich fucking neighborhood.
We’d scaled the walls. Deactivated the alarm. Looked through the mansion from top to bottom. Nothing but expensive artwork, sculptures, and a dungeon full of dark toys stood out in the furnished place. The man didn’t even have a skeleton crew keeping up the cleaning. The dust was thick, but only a few months’ worth. Maybe he’d be back. Maybe I was just grasping at straws.
Smoke billowed out from the car as Preston exhaled his cigarette. The cool breeze blew through keeping me clear from the smoke and I was thankful. Since we’d started staking out the house, Pretty Boy hadn’t stopped smoking. Said it was a nervous tick. I knew the truth. He couldn’t stand to sit still for long. His devotion to Kaitlyn was the only thing keeping him here with me.
“Coffee,” he groaned. “We’ve been up all night. It’s damn near noon. I’m starving and I can’t keep my eyes open.”
I tossed my bag of powdered donuts in his direction and he sighed and placed them in on the console. A frown came to my face. I knew he wanted real food. Hell, so did I, but I couldn’t miss my chance at Harvey coming home. “You can go if you want, but I’m not leaving. I can’t.”
Preston tossed the butt of the cigarette out and rubbed his eyes. “We have to get some sleep, Blake. I know you’re afraid you’re going to lose your chance at finding her, but no one’s here. No one is going to be coming back. This is a lost cause. We need to go eat, rest, and come up with a new plan. We’re wasting time here.”
Maybe he was right. I just couldn’t stand the thought of leaving. “We should chance questioning the neighbors.” I looked down the hill at the houses that rested on both sides of Harvey’s. Even up here felt like too far away, but the height gave us view down the sloped road.
“And ask them what?”
“When he was last here,” I snapped. “Come on, Preston. We have to do something. He’s still in the city. He has to be.”
“Why don’t you just man up and call the number? You have it, just hit dial.”
My eyes cut over to him. “If I did that, it could kill Kaitlyn. He’d know I have personal information. He might do something rash. We can’t afford for that to happen.” I had tried his other number a million times. Nothing. It no longer worked.
Preston let out a groan and pulled the handle, reclining his seat. “I’m taking a nap. Wake me up if anything happens.” The shades he had sitting on the top of his head, lowered, covering his eyes. I kept quiet as I watched random cars go up and down the road. None of them turned into Harvey’s or his neighbors.
Hours went by and Preston snored lightly from the driver’s seat. My eyes rolled as I fought sleep myself. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gotten more than a few hours at a time. I couldn’t. Not with Kaitlyn missing. Was she even still in this country? I wasn’t so sure. The thought was downright terrifying.
My head fell back into the headrest as I tried to stay away. Darkness faded in and out and it took a few seconds for the sight of a limo to force me awake. My hand slapped into Preston’s shoulder as I rubbed one eye and watched it pull into Harvey’s gate.
“What the fuck?” Preston tried turning in his seat, still half asleep, but the steering wheel stopped the advance.
“Wake up. Harvey just pulled in.”
Preston jumped up so fast the glasses fell down his face. He threw them off and leaned forward, staring a few seconds before he turned to me. “What do we do now?” He looked at his watch and I did the same. It was a little after six. The sun would still be up another half hour, at least.
“Now, we can go get coffee and food. He’s not going anywhere for a while. The moment it gets dark, we’re in.”
A smile came to Preston’s face. “Now this, sounds like a plan.”
The Maserati came to life around us and I pulled the buckle on. My adrenaline was like a drug, feeding me the ultimate high. Harvey was home, or at least someone that could tell me where to find him. I’d take it. Anything to get me a step closer to Kaitlyn.
Three blocks away, Preston pulled into the same café I’d met him at. I looked over, shaking my head. “How are we so close to everything?” My hotel was two blocks the other way. It was too bizarre that I’d chosen the place I had.
“Stop thinking so much. Coffee.”
I nodded, climbing out. I needed caffeine like I needed my girl back. Without it, I wouldn’t have my head in the game. I was too tired. Too worn out.
As we sat down and ordered, I chugged as much as I could. The turkey sandwich and fries disappeared in record time. All I could think about was getting back. I’d come here for what I needed. The sun was starting to set, now I was ready to go.
Preston yawned and took another drink. “I think I’m going to sleep a week after this is over with. I’m seriously getting old. Can’t hang like I used to.”
I laughed. “What are you, like twenty-five?”
He didn’t look amused. “Twenty-nine, and thanks for the compliment. Now, let’s go before we start at each other’s throats again. I’ve had about enough of you as I can handle.”
“That makes two of us,” I said, standing.
And it was the truth. We fought about everything either of us said. Yet, I knew somehow that through the fighting, we’d bonded. Preston was all right in my book. A pain in the ass, but a good guy. The stories he’d told me about Kaitlyn made me look at him in a new light. He’d protected her a lot from sleazebags that were just out to try to get with her because of who she was. Also didn’t mind filling me in on the abusive ex-boyfriend I knew nothing about. That shitbag would be seeing me at some point.
Before I knew it, we were parked back in our spot on the top of the hill. Minutes flew by while I strapped on my chest holster and put on my duty belt. It held everything I needed from ammo, to my knife, to an extra gun, a flashlight. Even a pair of handcuffs.
Preston’s eyes got big as he leaned forward and stared at my waist. “Where’s mine?”
“You don’t get one.” I reached in the bag, handing him a ten inch blade and a twin to my Glock. “These are yours. That’s all you get. You do know how to use a gun, right?”
“Of course.”
I nodded and faced forward, focusing on the house. My breaths were coming too fast. I needed to get in the zone and calm. Kaitlyn needed me. Whether she was in there or not, she was still relying on me to find her. And I would. If it was the last thing I ever did.
The next hour dragged on endlessly, but I knew when it was the right time. I felt it all the way in my bones. The killer surfaced and hate resonated from every pore. The man who took Kaitlyn was only a short distance away and I’d kill him before the night was over. He’d tell me where my slave was.
“Let’s go.” I opened the door, looking around. Lights lit up some of the houses. Most of the inhabitants were too lost in their own worlds to recognize anything out of the ordinary. A Maserati blended into their neighborhood just like another carefully pruned shrub sitting in their yard.
My head motioned for Preston and we crossed the street, keeping close to the gates that guarded the houses. The first was white iron. We headed down the hill and came up to the mansion just before Harvey. The black iron was identical to the previous, but as we approached the rock wall of the blackmailer’s, I’d already gotten to experience the difficulties his provided. The barrier wasn’t just for looks. He was hell bent on keeping someone out and the wall did just that. If it were
n’t for Preston, I would have had a hell of a time.
“Absolute silence,” I whispered. I lowered, bracing my legs and cupping my hands together. With a hard push, Preston gripped to the top and pulled himself up. I had to admit, he was damn good at this breaking-in thing. I was actually impressed.
As he laid on his stomach and reached his hand down, I took a good look around. The neighborhood was so quiet. Not even a dog barked in the distance. I reached up and jumped, using my feet to help as I pulled myself up the rest of the way. Movement by the front door had me pausing. From the build of the guy who was smoking, I knew it had to be one of the men who took Kaitlyn. My blood boiled as I sized him up. Six feet. Maybe two inches taller. His shoulders were incredibly thick, but it wouldn’t pose a problem. He’d get his, but we needed to get off this wall, and fast.
The large shrubs aligning the house were our best bet. The only cover we’d get if I wanted to sneak up on him and slice open his fucking throat.
I pointed further down the wall and motioned for Preston to go. He stayed low as we made our way around to the side of the house. The foot of space we crouched on didn’t give us much room to move. One slip and we’d go crashing to the ground.
“Behind those bushes,” I whispered. “I’ll take care of the bastard by the front door.”
Preston nodded. I gripped to the sides of the wall, easing myself down. The extra two feet I dropped was made in silence. Perfect. Preston lowered and I made sure his was just as smooth. From the look he threw me, he didn’t appreciate my help. I could care less. Nothing was ruining my chances of getting inside.
Crossing the driveway and hiding in the shrubs was the worst possible idea there ever was. I was too big. Too thickly built to even move, more or less, do it quietly. This wasn’t going to work.
Preston was completely exposed and I pushed out to join him along the side of the house. “Let’s head to the back. We’ll go in through the back door like last time.” I barely heard the words I spoke, but Pretty Boy nodded. We’d just have to worry about the guy at the door later. I wanted to get to Harvey. To see if he was even here. From his driver’s license picture, I knew what he looked like. It shouldn’t have surprised me that he was the one following us around the store. He had made it sound like he had hired someone to watch her, but it had been him. The motherfucker had been so close and had escaped my grasp.
BLAKE: Captive to the Dark Page 25