Angel in the Shadows

by Amy Deason

  He just hoped to God that he could fix this. He had to, there was no other choice. The story he was going to tell Vance came to him quickly as he entered the garage. Climbing into the Explorer, he listened to the loud rumble of the engine, nothing like the low, seductive purr of his Porsche but it would be much easier to handle in the ice and snow. The overcast sky promised more snow so he better get moving. He had to fill Vance in before he got too nervous and decided to do some investigating of his own.

  Shifting the SUV into gear, he pulled out of the garage, leaving the snow-covered cabin and Madison behind. Maybe by the time he returned, the fire inside him would have cooled enough that he could figure out how to keep her safely out of reach from everyone. Including him.

  Madison stood unmoving in the bathroom, hearing the door slam. She was alone again. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her blood boiling, her breath ragged. Stooping down, she retrieved her discarded bath towel, wrapping it around herself tightly. The fire raging inside her had been immediately extinguished, only to be replaced with successive waves of shame that left her chilled inside and out. What in God’s name had she been thinking? The answer came to her quickly. She wanted him, pure and simple. She had wanted him in a way that she had never wanted anyone in her life. Even Mitch hadn’t aroused that much passion in her and they had been together for three months. She had only known Seth for two days. That realization was terrifying. How could she possibly feel that way? She didn’t even know who he really was. But she wanted to. She wanted to know everything about him. Who he was, where he came from, what drove him to be so protective yet so harsh and remote? And that wanting scared the hell out of her.

  Shaken, she wandered into the bedroom and pulled the dresser drawers open. Inside was an array of garments, all neatly folded. She glanced at the tags and her anger flared up again, replacing the desire. Somehow the jerk had even managed to get her clothing size right. Or more likely, one of his ‘secret’ partners had supplied the items. Everything from the soft, lacy underwear and bras down to the jeans and butter-soft T-shirts. The bastard! He knew everything about her, even down to her taste in clothing. She had never felt so completely and utterly violated. This man had entered her personal life, gone snooping where he wasn’t welcome, and left a mark on her that she was sure she would never be able to remove.

  Taking a few tremulous breaths, she managed to regain most of her senses. She needed to get out of here but she was all but certain that it was not going to be possible this time. Seth would make sure of that. He wasn’t going to let her get away that easily. So just what in the hell was she going to do?

  Obviously, she needed to get her bearings straight and get the lay of the prison she was currently in. That information might come in handy later. Pulling the lacy underwear from the drawer, she felt her stomach begin to rumble, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything in almost twenty-four hours. She could only assume that if Seth had clothing to fit her then he would also have food in the kitchen. But first thing first. She needed to see just what chances she had of escaping while he was gone.

  Tugging on a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt, she went to investigate.

  She studied each room and found each room was essentially the same. Empty, impersonal. No real sign of life to them. It only reinforced the idea that this place was not one for enjoyment but its basis being more inclined to slightly other devious activities. Kind of like Seth. Well, not completely. Several times she had seen a softer side to him, a heated side as well. Best not to think of that right now, she thought. Instead, she tried the doors but they were locked of course. The windows weren’t an option either. She even went so far as to try and break one with a metal poker from the fireplace. The result had been nothing more than a few scratches on the glass and two throbbing arms.

  “Just great. Just fucking great,” she grumbled, her voice sounding strained to her own ears.

  As far as she could see, there was no way out. She had no idea where she was and she was trapped. The despair tried to wash over her but she swiftly cut it down. There had to be a way to escape. She would not give up that easily.

  Her stomach complained again, reminding her of one of the more basic necessities of life. She could keep searching her prison but she had a feeling that it was futile. Seth had overlooked nothing this time. She was here to stay and there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. But she could take care of the hunger pains invading her stomach.

  The small kitchen was fully stocked with everything a person could want from potato chips and lunch meat to the more necessary supplies like candles and matches. Opting for something simple, she made a hefty ham and cheese sandwich with a side of ruffle potato chips and an ice-cold Dr. Pepper. Eating slowly, she enjoyed every bite, every swallow. It was like Heaven.

  Now that her stomach was sated, she was left with nothing to do but wait for Seth to come back and see what he had in store for her next. He said he wasn’t going to kill her and strangely enough, she believed him. After all, he’d had plenty of chances to do it. But he hadn’t. Maybe he was going to get her out of his mess alive. And if he managed to do that, then regardless of everything he’d put her through, she would be grateful for that. But until then, she was still held captive in this God forsaken cabin in the middle of nowhere. Damn him.

  Hands clasped tightly behind his back, Vance paced back and forth in his office. Where the hell was Andre? He should have returned by now. With the tap on Robert Sutton’s phone, it had been all too easy to intercept the phone call from Madison. It should have been a walk in the park to pick her up. Andre was one of the most ruthless men he had and although he had an abnormal obsession for women, he knew his orders were to bring Madison back, unharmed and untouched. Very aware of the price for disobeying, he would not go against Vance’s wishes. Not if he valued his life. And as sleazy and corrupt as that Greek bastard was, Vance had no doubt that he did.

  Stopping in mid-stride, he poured himself a drink and settled himself behind the massive desk and turned on his computer, reviewing the latest message he had received. Plans were underway to take care of Jonathan effectively. By tomorrow, he would cease to be a problem. Once he was out of the way, Jonathan’s apartment would be ransacked and his computer dissected only to be rebooted with the new information implicating him in the upcoming disaster. It was perfect really. Jonathan would take the fall for creating the deadly toxin that was introduced into the water system while Vance found the cure for its lethal side effects becoming the hero. And Jonathan would not be around to say otherwise. In less a short amount of time, thousands would come to appreciate his existence and his supreme intellect. Intelligence that no one could outwit or outmatch. He knew he was the greatest and he was going to damn well make sure everyone else realized it too. Hell, he was God and nobody could touch him. They wouldn’t dare.

  The private phone beside him rang shrilly and he answered it without hesitation. Andre had finally managed to get back with him. It was about fucking time.

  “There was a problem with the girl,” the soft voice said on the other end.

  “Seth?” Vance asked, surprised. His assistant was the last one he expected a call from concerning his ‘plans’ for Ms. Sinclair. “A problem with the girl? What girl?”

  “The photographer,” Seth answered simply.

  “Really? And how do you know this?” Vance questioned, mildly intrigued. It was really amazing how his assistant seemed aware of everything at all times. He might have been suspicious of him but seeing firsthand how well Seth performed other tasks, there was no doubt he could trust him.

  “I decided to follow Andre, knowing how unpredictable he can be with women.”

  “Yes, he is a loose cannon at times. Well, what happened?” Vance replied. Whatever it was, he was sure that Seth had taken the appropriate measures to fix the problem.

  “Andre got slo
ppy. The girl’s friend showed up before he got there and Andre took him out, public-style. I caught up with him in the alleyway trying to rape her. I tried to stop him and he lost his temper. Things went bad. I’ve already arranged for his body to be removed.”

  Stunned, Vance stilled, digesting the information. That Greek son of a bitch! He knew his orders and he fucked them up anyway. Anger flooded through him and he gripped the receiver tightly, taking deep breaths before he said anything else. Andre had been expendable after all. People got murdered all the time in New York. One more dead immigrant was nothing to lose sleep over.

  “And the girl?” Madison, however, was of great concern to him. His libido was held in check for now but it wouldn’t be for long. And Madison was just the one to take care of that for him, whether she liked it or not.

  “She escaped while I was dealing with Andre. She couldn’t have gotten too far.”

  “Damn it!” Vance exclaimed before he could stop himself. He was used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted and the fact that his latest toy had somehow managed to escape was unacceptable. Relaxing his tight grip on the phone, Vance kicked back in his chair. “Find her and bring her to me,” he ordered.

  “Yes, sir,” Seth replied without hesitation.

  Vance hung up and chugged down his drink before immediately pouring another. When Seth found Madison and brought her back here, things would go smoothly again. A little bump in the road didn’t have to turn his wagon completely over. Life was full of bumps. You just had to know how to avoid them and keep the wheels turning. And that was something he knew how to do very well. He wouldn’t have gotten this far in life if he’d accepted defeat.

  Besides, if she did somehow manage to elude his assistant, there were always other ways of finding her. He had his sights set on Madison and he would get her. No matter what it took. He always won. Always.

  Chapter 14

  Bolting upright, Madison felt her heart pound with the remnants of the nightmare. Her breathing was ragged as the last bits of the terrifying dream followed her into consciousness, its claws dug in deep, refusing to release its hold on her. Robert’s face carved with pain and surprise, her own shock and fear rolling through her body, and the hands roaming over her skin . . . Shaking with disgust and revulsion, Madison wrapped her arms around herself, willing away the tremors holding her captive.

  The fear was so strong she didn’t immediately grasp how dark it was. Or how cold. The fire had gone out, leaving a faint scent of burning wood. Trying to force her eyes to stab through the shadows, she struggled to see what, if anything, was there. But it was impossible. She couldn’t see a damn thing. What the hell? Why was it so dark? She must have fallen asleep but the lights had been on, hadn’t they? She thought so but she couldn’t really be sure.

  Disoriented by her lack of sight, Madison took a few moments to get her bearings straight and remember the layout of the room. Semi-confident about her memory, she stood up and held her hands out in front of her, taking small, shuffling steps toward what she hoped was the right direction. And praying that she didn’t accidently touch one of the wired windows. Now that would be a real pain in the ass, she thought wryly.

  A moment or two later, her fingers grazed the rough surface of a wall and she ran her hands over it, trying to locate the light switch. She was about to turn around and try a different direction when her fingertips skipped over a smooth, plastic surface. She felt a rush of relief flood through her. Thank God. Flipping the switch, she was surprised when nothing happened. Stupidly, she snapped the switch over and over rapidly as if that would somehow work. But of course, the darkness held firm.

  Normally, she wasn’t afraid of the dark. She was more inclined to fear what lay waiting in it. Right now there was nothing here but her. Or at least she thought so anyway. Seth was so fucking quiet that he could have come in while she was asleep and she wouldn’t have even known he was here. The thought that he was here, with her, watching her fumble around blindly both scared her and infuriated her. She stood still, straining her ears, listening hard, hoping to catch some sound, some sign that she wasn’t alone. But there was empty silence. With mixed emotions about that, Madison turned and went back the way she had come, solidly finding the end of the couch with her knee. Biting back a sharp cry and several burning oaths, she crawled onto the safety of the couch, holding her knee.

  Where the hell was Seth? He’d left her locked in this house hours ago. He should have come back by now. The familiar anger bubbled up, burning away some of the fear of being alone in this strange, dark place with no chance of escape. She wished he was here so she could give him a piece of her mind. But then again, being alone with him created all sorts of mixed feelings. Feelings that only confused her and made her question her sanity.

  The man did scare her but now that he wasn’t going to end her life, she was more intrigued than anything else. Suppose he wasn’t really the bastard he was trying so hard to be. Suppose he wasn’t her captor as she kept thinking but more like her self-appointed guardian. At least for a while. Well hell, she could suppose anything she wanted but until she could get some answers from him, she would never really know.

  There was no telling when or if she would get those answers but until then she wasn’t going to sit around and be a complete victim. She could do something about the dark if nothing else. Resuming her wide armed stance, she shuffled toward the kitchen area. Her quiet movements seemed loud to her own ears and the permeating shadows wound over her like a physical thing. She continued to move thorough it, confident that sooner or later, she would run into something.

  Almost at once, her hands connected with the smooth counter top and grabbing a hold of it firmly, she used it as a guide, following it around to the other side where the drawers holding her salvation were. Pulling out drawer by drawer, she carefully sifted through the contents inside, her fingers skimming over a variety of things, some her mind readily identified, some it didn’t. But the only things she was interested in were the candles and matches and so far, she was not having any luck in finding them. Frustration began to gnaw at her when in the last drawer, she hit the jackpot.

  Grabbing the long, waxy candles and the box of matches, she rejoiced that she had remembered them. If not, she might very well have still been sitting on that couch, waiting for Seth to come back. What an unappealing thought, her mind whispered. Brushing that away, she laid the handful of candles on the countertop and opened the box of matches.

  She withdrew one of the tiny, wooden sticks from the box and raked the match head across it, eliciting a bright, yellow flame and the sharp smell of phosphorous. Touching the match to the candle she held, she lit the wick, watching as the candle began to burn brightly. Everything looked so much different in the dark, more ominous and strange. From the corner of her eye, she saw a sudden movement. Her heart jumped and began to gallop as she swerved in that direction, bracing for some unknown danger.

  The flicker of the candle reflected in the dark windows and she only saw herself standing there, surrounded by darkness. Walking toward her reflection, holding the candle in front of her like a beacon, she stopped directly in front of the window. She reached out and placed her palm against it, feeling the coldness radiating from its unbreakable surface.

  Flashes of white filled her vision and she watched as the snow twirled with the wind, falling fast and heavy, the massive flakes obscuring the world outside. She could only catch a few glimpses of the tall, dark trees through the heavy onslaught of white. It was so beautiful that for a moment, she forgot where she was and could only watch as the snow spun and danced.

  A blanket of isolation settled over her, smothering her in its heaviness. Lord help her, what was she going to do?

  Seth gripped the steering wheel. The wind howled around him like a large animal as he bore down on the gas pedal, urging the SUV to go even faster. The snow came down so
heavy, it might as well have been a full blown blizzard. The speeds he was reaching would be dangerous and perhaps a little unhealthy for a normal person but he knew what he was doing. And he had to hurry. The phone call to Vance bought him some extra time but not much, a day at the most. Vance was not a patient man and he wanted Madison soon. But he would never get to her if Seth had anything to do with it.

  The fact that Madison was becoming important to him was frightening. He’d managed to keep himself distanced from emotional attachments for so long. It was better than way. Necessary. Vital. But now, this one troublesome woman was beginning to break through his defenses and he didn’t like it. But it was the truth. He could feel it. That tiny chip in his armor. That chip would soon become a crack if he didn’t get away from her. But he couldn’t do that unless he knew that she was safe. It was a damn catch-22.

  The narrow road to the cabin was covered in so much snow, brush, and debris that it was nearly impassable and he had to sacrifice speed in lieu of safety. Poking along at a snail’s pace, he made it only halfway when he could go no further. The falling snow had become too deep for him to drive through. It would be a waste of time for him to even try. And he didn’t have enough time as it was. He turned off the ignition and climbed out, pulling on his coat and gloves. Slipping his gun and cell phone into his pocket, he began trudging through the snow toward the cabin.