Again, the anger flared. Lights flooded the outside of the house and Preston froze. Not me. I grabbed his arm and burst into a full sprint until we reached the back entrance. It was still unlocked which told me the men hadn’t checked the house when they’d arrived. Had they noticed the alarm wasn’t activated? It didn’t seem right. They had to have been too preoccupied, but why?
I shut the door quietly behind me. The sound of Harvey’s voice drew me closer through the opened kitchen. I was a walking target with no cover whatsoever, yet I couldn’t stand not being able to see him, or what he was doing.
“It was so cute, really. You all huddled there. Holding to each other while you tried to calm their fears. Let’s start it over, shall we? I want to watch you tell each one of them, again, how you and your precious Blake were going to find them and save them.”
“No.” Kaitlyn’s shaking voice numbed my body with adrenaline. She was here. She was just within my grasp.
“Well, okay, then let’s watch the part where I pulled them from the room and tortured them.”
“No! No.” Sobbing grew louder and Preston’s hand jerked me back. My eyes cut to him and his arm slowly let go. The fear that flashed across his face didn’t even register until I realized I had my knife pressing into his chest. I took a deep breath and dropped my hand.
A laugh had me facing the front, to the wall that was obstructing my view.
“You don’t want to watch them beg for their lives? Come on, slave. That’s the best part. Here, watch.” There was a pause. “Look, there they go, walking out so proudly, as if they’re ready to face everything head on. And, here.” He got quiet again. “Then, BAM! I start slicing them to pieces. Look at all the blood, Kaitlyn. I spilt that for you. Don’t you like it?”
“Fuck you. Fuck you! I’ll kill you. I’ll fucking—” The sound of a fist connecting with flesh had me fighting against Preston’s hold.
“Don’t do it, Blake. You don’t know if there’s anyone with a gun in there. You can’t help her if you’re dead. Now, let’s find cover. We can’t get caught out here.”
He was right and I hated it. I nodded and eased to the entrance of the kitchen we were standing in. Kaitlyn’s screams were more of a growl. I peeked out of the entrance and headed down a hall. The opening ahead led to what I knew was the living room. That’s where they had my girl. If I could glance in for just a moment, I’d know what I was working with. Preston’s hand tapped me and he pointed behind us, to the staircase, then he motioned above. The loft. That’s right. I nodded as we kept low and pushed back.
The sound of a door shutting had us moving up the stairs even faster. Shit. Preston immediately lowered as we broke into the loft area. I eased my way up beside him and stared between the wooden posts of the banister. From this high, I had perfect view of the scene below. The man who’d been smoking walked further into the room, only to come to a stop at another’s side. Four men total. Harvey, the two bastards who took my slave, and a man wearing a suit who I could only assume was the driver of the limo. What the hell were they all doing? The large big screen on the wall caught my attention and it was paused, displaying a room that was covered in blood. A girl lay on a table and Harvey was smiling, looking off to the side. At someone? Probably. Sick fucks. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them.
Kaitlyn faced my direction, but I couldn’t see her. The dress she wore made me feel sick. Had it not been for the ruffle at the neckline, I would have never of guessed it was the same one she’d been taken in. The light blue was gone, covered with a dingy brown. Her skin held a dark tint, no doubt covered in just as much grime. Thick knotted sections of her hair hung down, concealing her face from me. She shook, the cries leaving her, quiet and heavy.
“One more time. I personally think Tara was my favorite. The little girl was so attached to you, slave. What part do you think is better, when she arrives and sees all the blood from the previous murders I committed when she fought me as I strapped her to the table? Here. You decide.”
The video skipped forward and started. The aerial view told me he’d placed it in the corner of the room. Fear flashed against a young brunette’s face and it quickly turned to horror as her eyes scanned the blood that rested on and under the table. Harvey paused it.
“Look at her. She could have been prepared, but you built her up. Made her believe you were going to help her. Save her! Did you, Kaitlyn? Did you rescue Tara?” His fingers grabbed Kaitlyn’s hair and pulled her head back. Every ounce of air left me at seeing her face. Black and yellow covered under one of her eyes. The variation of shades on her skin were downright shocking. The thing that got me was that she was healing, which told me they’d done it when she’d first been taken. How bad had it been?
Preston’s hand grabbed my bicep and I looked over. The rage on his face could only match my own.
“Now look at her expression. She’s crushed, Kaitlyn. She knows you’ve lied. All this,” he picked up her hand, lifting her arm, “all these names you’ve carved on your skin. They’re going to be an everyday reminder of how you failed them. Killed them, Kaitlyn. You did that. You know that, right? They were only taken for your benefit. For this moment right here.” He let her arm drop. “Payback is a wonderful thing. For what you did to me, this is only the beginning.”
“What I did!” she exclaimed. “I told you I didn’t understand what you meant. You were cryptic. How could I have known you meant keep me versus fuck me? You were my Dom. That’s it. One I barely even saw.” Her eyes narrowed at him. “God, you spoke of trust. I gave you that, and you turn around and do all of this?”
“You used me! You’re nothing more than a whore like the rest.” He let go of her hair. “But, that’s fine. You want to be a slut, I’ll make it easier for you.” He motioned the other three men over. I had my gun in my hand before I realized it.
The chair Kaitlyn was tied to rocked wildly against her thrashing. I looked over at Preston. “You get the suit and the big guy on the right. I’ll take out the one on the left. Do not shoot Harvey. He is mine.
“But they’re so close to her.” His eyes went back and forth and I could see the panic. Shit. The lack of confidence wouldn’t do.
“Fine, just…get ready. If you feel you have a shot, take it. But not near her. If you shoot Kaitlyn, I’ll fucking kill you, myself.”
I lifted the Glock, aiming, just as the guy in the suit pulled out a knife. He leaned forward toward the rope and I didn’t hesitate. If the blade got any closer, it’d be too late.
The shot rang out, barely existent with the silencer. Blood sprayed from the back of his head and he collapsed. The men paused, one jumped back. I started pulling the trigger. Kaitlyn stilled in my peripheral vision, but I didn’t dare look over at her.
Pieces of wood flew out over my head from the banister and I ducked, barely hearing their weapon. They had silencers, too. Good. No cops. Preston took a shot and I lifted, noticing that Harvey and one of the men who’d taken Kaitlyn were running to take cover behind the couch. I pulled the trigger, hitting the big guy in the calf as he dove behind the leather.
Kaitlyn sat in the middle of the room staring up at me. I couldn’t read the expression on her face. All I knew was my heart was breaking, seeing her in the center of what was going on. She didn’t deserve this. Wasn’t any safer now than before I’d started shooting. The vulnerable position she was stuck in left me panicked. All they’d have to do is shoot her and put an end to it all. They had the perfect line of sight.
“Harvey,” I called out his name, praying that I could draw his attention from my slave. I turned to Preston, lowering my voice. “We have to find a way to get Kaitlyn out of there.”
The sound of a shot had me ducking my head even more. Fuck!
“This is much more exciting, isn’t it, Mr. Morgan?”
I looked up, scanning the room. Think, Blake. “If you say so. Listen, why don’t you come out and talk to me. We can handle this like adults. You can still walk out of here
with a lot of money.” All he was getting was my blade ripping through his skin.
“Right.” He laughed.
I turned to Preston. “I’m going down there. If you see a shot for the big one, take it.” I pushed myself along the floor until I got to the stairs. Quietly, I headed down, peeking into the hallway. Nothing.
As I inched myself to the entrance I’d headed for last time, I knew I’d have them cornered if I could make it there without them hearing. Another shot rang out and I used the sound to burst toward the door frame. Fuck. Okay. I took two deep breaths and glanced inside. They both rested against the back of the sofa. Both armed. I breathed, counted to three, and spun back, bring up my Glock. I froze. They were both gone.
Shit. Where the hell had they gone so fast? Another shot and weight hitting the ground. I glanced inside to see the big guy dead not inches from Kaitlyn, and Harvey with the gun to her head. Bile burned the back of my throat as I eased into the room. My Glock never fell. I kept it trained on his head. Ready to take the shot when it was available.
“How is this little game going to end, Mr. Morgan? Does she die and we end up killing each other. Or do I kill her, then you kill me? That sounds like a sad life for you to live out. Alone, without your one true love.” The sarcasm was thick in his voice. I moved in closer. “Or maybe I kill you, and my slave can live it out in Korea until her new Master ends up killing her with his kinks.
A cry came from Kaitlyn as he pulled her head back and moved the barrel under her chin. Harvey was crouched down, hiding behind her, making it impossible for me to get a good shot.
“Put the gun down, Harvey, and step away. If you do, I promise I won’t shoot you.” No, I wouldn’t put a bullet in him. That’d be way too easy.
“Sir.” Kaitlyn’s voice was shaking as she called out to me. All I wanted to do was pull her into my arms. Promise her that nothing like this would ever happen again.
“Shh, kitten. It’s okay.”
Harvey pressed the gun into her harder, making her head tilt back even more. The rise and fall of her chest revealed the infinity symbol. All I wanted to do was stare at the little loops, and bask in the memories of making them.
“Don’t fucking talk to her like that. She’s my slave. Mine! Not yours. I decide what happens to her.” He cocked the hammer on the gun. “If I want her wasting away in Russia, Korea, Japan, or if I want her dead, that’s up to me,” he yelled.
“Come on, man. You can’t own someone who doesn’t want you.” Preston’s voice behind me almost had me turning around, but I didn’t break my focus from Harvey. “Isn’t it obvious Kaitlyn and Blake love each other? I mean, shit, it’s clear to me. Here, I’m going to stand so don’t shoot, okay?”
My jaw clenched at Preston’s stupidity. Of course he would…the thought was met with exactly what I knew would happen. The gun in Harvey’s hand rose to meet the new threat and I slammed the butt of my own gun down right against his wrist. The impact had the 9MM sliding against the wooden floors. Harvey dove for it, but not before I had him pinned to the ground with my knee right in the middle of his back.
“I do believe I saw a dungeon in the basement. How about you and I go check it out?” I took the handcuffs from my belt and slapped them on his wrists, all the years of being a detective still fresh in my head. My eyes rose to Kaitlyn’s. Tears were on the verge of spilling over, but she held them in. Without either of us saying a word, it felt like everything I’d neglected to tell my slave came pouring out in a tidal wave of release.
Preston was suddenly at Kaitlyn’s side, but she never looked at him. Her stare stayed focused on me. I wanted to pull her in my arms and hold her. Never let her go again. Not yet.
I broke the connection and ripped Harvey up to stand. “Preston, take her to the motel. I’ll meet you there in a few hours.”
“No.” Kaitlyn flew forward, jerking free from the loosened ropes. Her body launched into mine and I held Harvey’s arm firmly as he tried to break away. Preston slammed him to the ground, taking over. I didn’t waste the opportunity. I crushed my slave into my body, holding her tighter than I knew I should. The heavy breathing brushed against my ear and her arms had a death grip around my neck.
“I’m so sorry, kitten.” Apologizing would never be enough for failing her to the magnitude I held myself accountable for.
She shook her head and sniffled, placing her finger against my lips. “You have nothing to be sorry for. It wasn’t your fault.”
Regardless of what she said, I knew where the blame laid. With me. I should have never underestimated my enemy. Not after the suspicions. And I sure as hell should have never turned my back on my slave without making sure she had reached safety first, and that was by my side.
“I need you to go back with Preston.”
She shook her head, but I cupped her face making her look at me. “You’re going to go back to my room with Preston and wait for me. Then you’ll never have to be away from me again, I promise.”
“I didn’t break,” she whispered. “I’m not weak.”
The edge of my mouth lifted into a smile. “I told you from the beginning I knew you weren’t.” My lips pressed against hers, gently. The roughness only pushed me to get going. My girl was dehydrated. Probably starved all over again. Beaten. I turned my attention to Harvey as he kept trying to wrestle from Preston’s hold. In handcuffs, he couldn’t manage much, but I didn’t care. I stomped my foot as hard as I could against his ankle, snapping it. The yell that came out was quickly muffled as Preston pushed his face into the floor.
“Be still,” I growled at him. I turned back to Kaitlyn. “It’s time for you two to go. I’ll see you soon.”
Kaitlyn picked up my gloved hand. The kiss she placed was like déjà vu all over again. She’d done the exact thing the first time I saved her. My girl. My slave. I gripped the back of her neck and kissed her on the forehead. The moment my lips broke, my focus went to one thing and one thing only…the man who now belonged to me. I’d show him what it was like to suffer, and I’d do it with pleasure. Then, I’d take what was mine. His life.
Epilogue
Kaitlyn
“Say it, kitten. I want to hear you, loud and clear.”
Blake’s reflection behind me made me smile. The mirror wasn’t a problem anymore. Hadn’t been from the moment I got back to our home and my Master had picked up our routine. Who I saw now wasn’t the woman I’d seen before. The scars were a reminder, a badge, like Blake had once told me. I wore them with honor. A tribute to all the girls who weren’t lucky enough to make it out alive.
“I’m beautiful.”
He smiled behind me. “Yes. You are.” Blake turned me around to face him. It’d been almost a year since he’d saved me…again. A year of nothing but ups and downs, mingled with times of complete and utter happiness. The nightmares were the biggest problem. Those seven girls would forever haunt me. They’d suffered from the sick game Harvey had built around me and I’d never forgive myself for that. The only thing I could offer was me. My services. My life. My determination to find and bring home as many other slaves as I could. With my fiancé at my side and my good friend, Preston, always offering his assistance if we needed it, the three of us did what we could.
The altitude caused the jet to shift a little and I reached out to Blake’s arm. He immediately pulled me into his body, wrapping his arms around me tightly.
“It’s okay, slave. Who’s got you?”
“You do, Sir.”
“That’s right, and I’m never going to let anything happen to you again.”
“I know.” My lips pressed against the scar I carved into his chest, causing his hands to grip tighter.
“Now that you’re all clean, it’s time to go lie down. We still have a few hours before we get back to the States.”
I nodded and stepped back. This trip hadn’t been one for slave saving, but a personal getaway for the two of us. A romantic week in England, where Blake had proposed. The castle we’d staye
d in had been perfect, amazing with its history of both good and bad. There wasn’t a more fitting place for the two of us to make the commitment.
Blake’s arms crossed over his chest and that look took over his expression. The one that promised me endless amounts of pleasure and pain. The one I had longed to see during all of those days we had been separated.
“Start crawling, kitten.”
I licked my lips as I lowered, nipping at Blake’s bare thigh. Droplets of water still dotted his skin from joining me in the shower and I didn’t miss my opportunity to trace my tongue over them. I stopped just short of his sac and spun around, glancing back as I headed for the room. What I was met with was Blake’s arm mid-air and then whack! His hand slapped against my bottom. I moaned and kept going. The moment I reached the edge of the bed I was lifted and made to lay with my head down and my hips in the air.
“You still test me.” His teeth sank into my ass making my fingers grip to the silk comforter tightly. The pain eased as he pushed my knees apart and made a path from my pussy to my back entrance, only to dip back down to lick against my clit. I rocked back, getting another spanking for my impatience. “Slave, you’re pushing it. You act up one more time and I’m going to cuff and gag you.”
The smile that came to my face was automatic, but I kept still while he continued to swirl and suck on my folds. Only when I was on the edge of my orgasm did I lift my head. “So, are we talking about the actual gag or were you thinking along the lines of gagging me with your cock, because if I have a choice—”
A growl came from his mouth and I was flipped over and met with the weight of his body covering mine. Pressure from his hand pushed against my mouth and nose.
BLAKE: Captive to the Dark Page 26