Kiss him. Start the process.
She couldn’t bring herself to respond, but she didn’t pull away. Lucian kissed her sore, tender mouth gently. “I love you so much, Norah.”
She felt something cold press against her belly and when Lucian drew away, she saw it. The muzzle of the pistol was hard against her skin. Lucian smiled, but his eyes were cold.
“This is just a reminder, Norah. Don’t fuck with me or I’ll have to use this on you, and I really, really, don’t think either of us wants that. I love you, baby, but I will shoot you dead if you try to run.”
Norah felt cold at his words. This was really happening, wasn’t it? She waited until Lucian was asleep before she let the tears fall. Please let me see Giacomo again. Please.
She sobbed quietly until, just after midnight, she fell into an uneasy sleep.
Giacomo made sure Norah’s abduction was all over the news and that Lucian’s name and image were flashed up everywhere. California State Police was on alert, and because of Giacomo’s position and wealth, the FBI got involved.
After the statutory twenty-four hours had gone by, he sent an exhausted and drained Zulika home, telling Orlando to take care of her. In his apartment alone, Giacomo stared out at the city.
“Where are you, il mio amore?” He leaned his head against the window. In the other room, he could hear the FBI agents talking in low voices, but he had never felt more alone than now. He slumped into his chair, the chair where he and Norah would sit with her cradled in his arms, her long legs swung over the arm rest, and her lips against his neck. They’d even tried to have sex on the armchair one time, but had to give up, laughing when it became awkward and impossible. He could still see her smile now, and the way she’d wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes.
He had wrestled her playfully to the carpet, spreading her legs wide and seeking her clit with his tongue. God, the taste of her …
She had moaned and writhed under his touch, his mouth on her, and he’d given her two orgasms before she had moaned that she needed him inside her. His cock was almost painfully swollen and as he grinned down at her and pushed inside, her long sigh of pleasure sent his pulse racing. They moved together, their gazes locked on the other, each wanting to give as much pleasure to the other as possible. He’d pinned her hands to the carpet and she’d smiled at his dominance.
“I would do anything with you, my love,” she whispered. “Anything you’d ever wanted to try, anything you dreamed about. Just ask.”
“Right now, Principessa, all I can think about is how your silky cunt feels on my cock …”
Her breath had quickened at his coarseness and he had chuckled, beginning to thrust harder and longer with each stroke, wanting to be deep, deep inside her.
Giacomo choked back a sob. Could it be possible he might never see her smile again? No. Wherever you are, il mio amore, fight. He grabbed his car keys and headed out of the apartment, not knowing where he was going, just knowing that he could not, would not, ever stop looking for her.
Orlando had driven them both back to his home without asking her if she would like to be there. Zulika realized he knew how much she would need him around, especially if, god forbid, they got bad news.
The house was quiet when they arrived. “Where’s Ferma?”
“At a friend’s …I called them and told them what was happening. They offered to throw an impromptu sleep-over.”
Zulika sighed. “All this disruption in her young life.”
“I know. Listen, sit. I’ll make us some Irish coffees. I think we could both use the boost.”
Zulika smiled at him. “That would be nice.”
In the living room, she flicked on the television, turned to the news, and watched the reports of Norah’s abduction. She wondered if Norah hadn’t been the fiancée of billionaire Giacomo Conti, how much of this news would simply be buried. A half-Indian, half-African-American girl goes missing in big city. Would it even be reported? Zulika gritted her teeth. She knew the answer to that already.
“Why are you glaring at the television?” Orlando was back with their coffee and giving her a quizzical, half-amused glance. She told him and he sighed.
“I hear ya. It’s why I’m overprotective with Ferma. When I was a kid out in the projects, dozens went missing. Not a peep from the T.V. news. It was almost …expected? Is that the right word?”
Zulika nodded. “Understood. I’m torn between being outraged that Norah is deemed important enough to report on because of who she’s sleeping with and being glad that they are reporting on her, regardless of circumstances.”
Orlando nodded, but said nothing. They sat in companionable silence, watching the news, listening to the same sound bites and interviews over and over, and not hearing any progress. Zulika got more agitated as ‘experts’ commented on Norah and Giacomo’s relationship, Norah’s past, and even at one point her fashion sense.
“What has that got to do with anything?” Zulika screeched at the television, then looked at Orlando, who was trying not to laugh at her indignation. He cracked and that set her off, laughter giving her blessed relief from the tension.
“God, why am I laughing?” She said eventually, “It’s so inappropriate.”
Orlando patted her leg. “You know what? Admittedly, I haven’t known Norah that long, but I know she would be laughing too.”
Zulika nodded, a pang of sadness hitting her. “She would.” She was silent for a moment. “I can see her now …wearing the latest in hostage chic … God.”
She was trying to make a joke, but she got choked.
“Deep breaths, Zul.” Orlando’s arm was around her shoulders. She leaned into him for comfort. “Try to think it’ll all be okay. Believe it will be.”
“I do believe,” she said quietly.” I believe in her. I believe in Norah.”
Orlando pressed his lips against her temple. “Me too, kiddo. Me too.”
Lucian waited until Norah fell asleep, then picked up his phone. Tara had been calling him all day, but he’d ignored it. He called her back now and as soon as she picked up, she was yelling at him.
“What the fuck, Lucian? Did you kill her or not? Tell me, please, that you dumped her body somewhere and you haven’t been so stupid as to be keeping her alive somewhere?”
Lucian let her rant for a few minutes, then when she paused for breath, he spoke in a low, angry voice. “Listen to me, you little bitch …who do you think you are? Norah, and what I do with or to her, is none of your concern. I got her away from Conti—isn’t that what you wanted?”
He glanced back at Norah, asleep on the bed. She hadn’t stirred during the call. “I’m going to disappear and take Norah with me.”
“Oh, yes?” Tara laughed nastily, “Really? It’ll be that easy, will it? From what I’ve seen of Norah Reddy, she’s no pushover. Do you think she’ll say, Why, yes, Lucian, seeing as you asked so nicel y…you stupid, stupid man.”
“Fuck you,” Lucian shot back. “You don’t know the history we have between us. We were meant to be together.”
“Oh, please, spare me the Hallmark clichés. She’s in love with Giacomo …do you really want me to list all the ways that you don’t begin to compare to him? Do yourself a favor, Lucian. Put a bullet in your ex-girlfriend and leave the state. You’ll be better off. Where are you, anyway?”
Lucian smiled to himself. “Nowhere you’ll find us. You think I’m going to tell you, psycho?”
“Fine. I’m sure the police will catch up with you anyway …it’s not like you give Mensa a run for their money, is it?”
Lucian ended the call with a growl. Fucking bitch. He turned and looked around at Norah. There were deep shadows under her eyes, bruises on her cheeks, and cuts and bruises on her lovely mouth. For a second, he felt shame. How could he have done this to her?
He crouched next to her and stroked the hair away from her face. “I’m sorry, beautiful.”
His voice was only a whisper, but she opened her eyes and looked ba
ck at him. “Hi,” he said tenderly. “Are you okay?”
Norah said nothing, but gave a small nod of her head before closing her eyes again. Lucian leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. No, Tara, I won’t kill her. How can I when everything I have ever wanted is within my grasp? “I love you,” he whispered. He lay down next to her, spooning her body. Slipping his arm around her waist, he stroked her belly through her t-shirt. Norah didn’t react. Lucian closed his eyes and, as he fell asleep, he pretended that they were still like they used to be …in love.
Norah wasn’t okay at all. She wasn’t in the region of being okay. She felt sick and light-headed, and her body ached, not just with fear and sadness, but with something she couldn’t get a grip on. Where Lucian had kicked her, her stomach felt odd, as if something wasn’t right inside of her. She could taste blood constantly and wondered if she was bleeding internally.
All of which meant …she had no time. She had to figure out a way to get away from Lucian, and fast. She had to make him let his guard down. God, the thought at the back of her mind that kept sneaking forward—that she might have to seduce him to make him vulnerable. The thought made her want to vomit, but she told herself, anything to get away, to get back to Giacomo, back to salvation.
She had faked being asleep during the phone call and had listened to everything Lucian had said. She knew the other person had to be Tara. Who else could it be? Tara was the only person in the world she knew had a motive to want her …gone. She still couldn’t believe Tara would go so as to want her dead. Jesus. That had scared her more than Lucian. It was always more of a betrayal when a woman behaved like that, at least for Norah. It upset her to think someone of her own sex could want to kill her. God, how fucked up is that? she asked herself. Like you expect it from a man?
Yes. God, help her, but yes. How many things in life were off-limits to a woman because a man might kill her? Long walks at night. Not taking risks. Dressing how she wanted.
You’re getting off the point, Reddy. But her mind was whirling with all sorts of messed up thoughts. She drew in a long breath and shifted out of Lucian’s grasp. She hated that he had the gall to hold her like a lover, instead of her attacker or her kidnapper. To hold her like Giacomo did—to sully that memory. And, yes, the thought had occurred to her. She would kill Lucian if she could. If it meant being free of him. A plan began to form in her mind and for the rest of the night, she went over and over it …distracting herself from the growing agony in her body and the feeling that her time was running out.
Giacomo was in his office, his security team around him being briefed by the FBI. As much as he wanted to find Norah himself, he had to admit that he didn’t have the expertise needed to comb the city, the state, and the country, if needed.
“There’s no way they’ll get out of the country,” The FBI team leader had told him. “We have notices up at every airport, border, and port. If his passport pings, we’ll have him.”
“What if he has fake documents?”
The FBI agent gave a quick nod. “It’s a possibility, but again, we have feelers out to the known dealers. It would have to be an insanely good forgery and from what we know of Hargity, he doesn’t have the money or the contacts.”
That was a slight comfort. “Someone must have seen them. Norah is a tall woman …and Hargity is maybe only one or two inches taller. It wouldn’t be easy for him to move her around if she’s …”
God, he nearly said ‘dead.' Jesus. The FBI agent took pity on him. “Mr. Conti, look. We’re working every angle. We know who took Ms. Reddy—that’s a big thing. We know it’s not a ransom thing.”
“Which is what scares me. If he’s keeping her alive …what’s keeping him from killing her when she doesn’t do what he says?”
The FBI agent couldn’t answer him. “I’ll leave you alone for a moment.”
Giacomo sat and brooded. Whatever you need to do to escape him, Norah, do it. Whatever it takes. I swear, I will never hold it against you.
Just come home to me.
The pain was becoming overwhelming. Norah sat on the toilet and peed, feeling her insides churning and cramping. When she got up, there was blood in the bowl. “Fuck,” She whispered and had to steady herself against the cool tile wall to stop from fainting.
“Norah? You getting on okay?”
“I’m just going to shower.”
“Fine.”
God, such a bland, normal, everyday conversation to be having with your kidnapper and abuser. She cranked on the shower and left it to get warm, stripping off her dirty clothes. She felt wretched in them and decided to wash them. There were robes on the back of the door. She plugged the tub and let the shower water fill it as she washed herself, her hair, and her body. She saw a trail of blood snaking down her leg and prayed it was just her period. She would tell Lucian it was …he had always been squeamish. Maybe she could get him to leave her alone for a few minutes while he got her some tampons? Maybe …
She used the other half of the complimentary soap to wash her underwear, jeans, and top, then hung them over the shower rail. She wrapped herself in the robe and combed her hair through. There was a blister pack of aspirin on the sink; she threw three down with some water and felt better.
“Noh? You done?”
It was a weird feeling—so many times, when they had lived together, she’d heard him say that. It was both strange and upsetting. How had they come to this? She slid from the bathroom and he looked at her in surprise.
“My clothes were dirty,” she said shortly. “I had to wash them.”
His eyes swept over her robed body and she knew what he was thinking. God, it made her feel sick. “I have my period,” she said and it wasn’t without satisfaction that she saw the lust in his eyes die.
“God.” He looked disgusted. “I suppose you need some tampons?”
She nodded and half-smiled at him. “That would be nice. Thank you.”
Lucian’s face softened at her smile. “Anything else, baby? Anything that might make you feel better?”
She could almost believe the tenderness in his voice. “Some new underwear might be good. Deodorant. And toothpaste?”
He half-laughed. “So practical. Fine, fine, and how about some candy?”
Despite herself, she nodded. “Red Vines, please. And some bananas. I don’t want to ask too much.”
That got him—he was starting to believe she was softening towards him. “I will have to cuff you up, though, Norah. I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “I figured. But, please, for comfort’s sake, can I be left in the bathroom? You know how it is.”
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Sure.”
When he’d gone out—to her amusement, wearing a comically bad blonde wig under his baseball cap—she looked around the bathroom for any weapon she could use. The top of the toilet tank was heavy porcelain. She could lift it, but she wasn’t sure if she could swing it. A couple of tiles were loose. If she pried them off, she could use them to cut his throat while he slept. She kicked the bath surround, but it seemed to be solidly built. Standing on the toilet, half-crouched because of how she was cuffed, she could just about see through the small window. Outside, it was dusk, and all she could see was thick forest and the edge of the motel sign. She poked at the glass of the window, but it was set fast. She clambered down and sat on the toilet lid. Her eyes lit on the towel rail and she put out her hand and grasped it. It wobbled in her hand.
Loose. Her heart started to beat faster. She studied it and found that one end had loose screws but the other was stuck fast. She tried to turn the nail with her fingernail and her fingernail ripped off painfully. Norah cursed and looked around for something small and thin. Nothing. Fuck.
Maybe she could find a sliver of tile. She tried that, managed to pry a little piece off, and tried to use it. It snapped in her hand.
She glared at the towel rail, then grasped it with a growl and shook it violently to jerk it free. It didn’t budge. Panting
, Norah was about to try again when she heard a car outside. She frowned. That was quick. Then she grinned. Yeah, it was quick …which meant they weren’t far from civilization.
She was sitting back on the floor when Lucian came in. He smiled at her. “You’re going to love me when you see what I got.”
She blinked. Did he really just say that? But, seconds later, she forgot everything when he held up a bag of steaming hot fast food. “I got way too much, but I figured what the hell.”
He uncuffed her from the radiator and brought her into the bedroom. She almost swooned when she saw him pull out a foil-covered burger. “With everything, the way you like.”
They’d been living on crackers and potato chips. He handed her a cup of ice-cold soda. Sugar. “Oh, my god, so good.” She couldn’t help but sink her teeth into the burger, still steaming hot and oozing with ketchup and mustard. Lucian watched her with a smile on his face. She nodded to him. Keep him sweet. “Thank you, Lucian. I appreciate it.”
He looked delighted. “Also,” he held up a packet of Red Vines. “And I got you some new underwear, some blue jeans, and a couple of t-shirts. Also the toiletries you wanted.”
“Thank you.”
Lucian grinned. “Maybe we could watch a film together? Relax?”
She nodded, careful not to seem too co-operative. Lull him into it. Now he thought she was on her period, she could get away with not …god, she didn’t even want to contemplate sleeping with him, but if that’s what it took …
As they watched the movie—some dumb action film—she was noting everything in the room she could use as a weapon. Lucian kept looking at her and she didn’t want him to grow suspicious. She leaned her head against his chest to hide her eyes from him and continued her stock take. Lucian might be be stupid, but he’d removed anything she could potentially grab—ashtrays, glass jugs, anything. She sighed. The towel rail or the toilet tank lid were still her best bets.
By the time the film was over, Norah was exhausted. Whatever was going on inside her was draining her energy and she lay her head down on the pillow and closed her eyes. She felt the bed shift as Lucian got up. She heard the toilet flush a few minutes later and then the bed dipped as he lay down beside her. She kept her eyes shut as he kissed her mouth.
His Beautiful Revenge: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance Page 14