For Love & Torture_A Submissives’ Secrets Novel

by Michelle Love

  Closing my eyes, I’ve found it impossible to cry. Most of the time I’m completely calm, all the while realizing I should be anything but that. But it happens just the same.

  The sound of clicking and clacking comes from one dark corner, and I see Bart’s pale face come out of the shadows. His hair is freely flowing to his shoulders in dark waves. His eyes look black, and his lips are red. A dark cloak surrounds him as he makes his way to me. “Hungry, my pet?”

  “No.”

  “Thirsty?”

  “No.” Perhaps if I don’t eat or drink anything, I might die right here before he has the chance to drain me of my life’s blood.

  His hand moves and I see silver move through the air. A pointed blade moves swiftly, and I see a trail of red along his palm. He places his hand over my mouth, making me drink his blood. “You will be nourished one way or another, Isabel.”

  I can’t bite him to make him stop as he’s pressed his hand against my teeth, and I can’t move either. The hot blood from his palm trickles down my throat, and I have no choice but to swallow. As I do, I feel its effects on me.

  My head grows light. My will weakens, and a hunger comes over me. Sucking at the cut on his hand, I make more flow out of him and down my throat. My stomach feels full once more when he moves his hand away, and I look at it, finding the cut has healed.

  “What are you, Bart Mason?”

  His eyes dance as he smiles at me. His incisors aren’t pointed, and he looks normal, except for those dark-as-sin eyes of his. “I am nothing more than what my master allows me to be. That’s all you need to know.”

  “You called yourself immortal. How old are you?”

  “I’m thirty. I only became immortal a few years ago. After he made me this way. I was a lost soul when he found me and took me under his wing. And that’s why I give him anything he asks of me. Your blood is what he’s asking for at the moment. He craves it, I’m afraid. He gets that, and I get to have you forever.” He leans over and presses his lips to mine.

  I hold my mouth closed, not allowing his tongue inside. When he pulls back, I can see he’s none too pleased. “I belong to another man. And I don’t see how you think you get me forever if you give your master all of my blood. I do need that to live, you know. Or have you gone mad?”

  His lips brush against my ear as he whispers, “You will be the same as me once your blood is gone. I will fill your body with my blood, making you mine in every way.”

  “God, you don’t actually think that, do you? You’re going to kill me, and your blood will not bring me back to life. I’ll be dead, and all you’ll have is a dead body to deal with. You don’t know if our blood types are even the same. Don’t be an idiot who follows the ideas of crazy people. Think, Bart. For the love of God, think.” I pull at the metal that holds me down, throwing my head from side to side.

  “You’ll see. You’ll find out. And when my blood runs through your veins everything will change. You’ll need me, want me.” He steps back and seemingly disappears. “But first you must wait.”

  “Please, stop making me wait. I can’t take it. Please,” I beg him. I just want this torture over with. I can’t take it anymore.

  He makes a growl then laughs. “You want it now. Imagine how much more you will want it if you have to wait.”

  He makes no sense, and I finally begin to cry as I feel myself growing weaker. My eyes close and I’m falling asleep as I hear his footsteps leaving me alone again.

  My eye spring open as I feel the freezing cold envelop me. There’s no fire in the fireplace. It’s pitch black. “Who’s there?”

  I hear a snapping sound followed by another and suddenly I’m set free. I feel something take my hand, pulling me to get up. I get up, and my feet hit the cold hard floor.

  I have no idea where I’m being taken or who’s taking me. But I’m afraid for my life. Is this it? Is this how I die?

  I hear the sound of a door opening just in front of me then I’m pulled through it. I can feel the wood of the door frame, and then we keep walking. “Who are you?”

  I get no answer, only a slight tug on my hand. Another door opens, and I feel soft material all around me. Suddenly I’m stepping on something that feels like shoes. Another door opens, and I can finally start to see a little bit.

  There are windows, and the full moon lights up the room. It’s a bedroom.

  As I walk into it, I no longer feel anything tugging my hand, and I can tell I’m alone. The air is cool but not cold. I see a perfectly made bed. A flowery blanket covers it. “Hello?”

  I hear no sound and have no clue where I am. Opening the bedroom door, I find a hallway with more doors and there see a set of stairs. I walk down them, slowly, so as not to alert anyone who might be in the house.

  As I get into the dark area at the end of the stairs, I see I’m in a living room. And not just any living room, either. It looks just like the one I was in with Grant.

  “His parents’ home?”

  I turn and head to where I remember the kitchen should be and push open the door. There I find the kitchen, just as I remember. Flipping on the light, I find there’s something white spread out on the dining table. The table we ate dinner at. In the white mess, the word “evil” is clearly written through it.

  Placing my finger in the white crystals, I put it on the tip of my tongue and find out it's sugar.

  Am I back or not? Is this a dream?

  I look around and find an old phone is hanging on the wall. It’s yellow and has a long curly cord on it. I can’t remember Grant’s number, or anyone else’s for that matter. But I do remember mine, and my purse with my phone in it was left in Grant’s car. Maybe he’ll answer if I call it.

  Picking up the phone, I hear a dial tone and punch in the numbers. It rings, and I hold my breath as I wait to see if he’ll answer. “Please answer, baby.”

  “Who is this?” he answers the phone. “And what are you doing at my parents’ house? And how did you get this number?”

  “Grant, it’s me, baby,” my voice is shaking as I fight back tears. I’m so relieved to hear his voice. “It’s Isabel.”

  “Baby? Where are you?”

  “Your parents’ place. Grant, I don’t even know how I got here. I came out of a closet in a bedroom upstairs,” I know what I’m saying sounds crazy and I feel like I’m on the edge of hysteria. “Baby, can you come get me? I’m afraid he might be coming for me when he finds I’m gone. Please, baby. I’m not mad at you anymore. I know what he did.” A shiver runs through me as I think about Bart finding his way to me.

  “I’m on my way, baby. Stay put. If you hear anything, you hide in the cabinets or something until I get there.” He sighs as I hear his car start up. “Stay on the phone with me until I get to you. I don’t want to lose you again. Baby, that girl who you saw kissing me…”

  I stop him. “Grant, I know all about that. Bart set that up,” being able to focus on that one event helps me bring myself back to reality, and I take a deep, calming breath. “He’s some kind of a monster. How long have I been gone?”

  “About twenty-four hours now. But it seems like forever.”

  “I know. It seems that way to me too. I have so much to tell you, but I don’t expect you to believe a word of it. I wouldn’t if I hadn’t lived it.” I take a seat in the chair as the cord is long enough I can walk all over the kitchen.

  “I’ll believe you, I promise. Hey, you didn’t happen to be strapped down on a stone altar, did you?” he asks.

  “I was. Then something released me and led me through the darkness and I ended up coming out of a closet in this house.” I get up and go to find some water, as I haven’t had a drop of it in what seems like forever.

  “You can thank my mom for that, I’m sure. I went to the house and asked her to find you and bring you home. And it seems she did just that. Do you have any idea where you were?”

  I chug a cold bottle of water I found in the fridge then answer him. “It wasn’t on Earth
, I can tell you that much.”

  Something starts making a crackling sound on the line and Grant’s voice sounds very far away as he says, “I think you’re right, baby. I’m about half way there now. It won’t be much longer until I have you in my arms.”

  “I should warn you, I’m dressed in next to nothing.” I look around as I see lights in one of the windows. Peeking out the window, I find someone is in the backyard with a flashlight. “Oh, shit, Grant. I think someone is about to try to break into this house. Fuck!”

  Pressing my body against the wall, I try to make sure the person can’t see me. “Shit!”

  Whispering, I ask, “Do you think all the doors and windows are locked?”

  “They should be. Just start turning on lights, make it known you’re there. I’m sure they think no one’s in the house,” he instructs me. “And I’m almost there.”

  “The kitchen light is on. I turned it on when I came in here. And you know what else is weird? There’s sugar on the table…”

  “Yeah, I know. Evil is written in it. Mom did that too. Make some noise. Maybe they think the light came on through a timer. That’s what happens when you leave a house empty too long. Damn thugs see it as free shit. We need to sell the place. Dad doesn’t want to be in it anyway.”

  “Huh? You talked to him?” Even with everything else that’s happening, I’m shocked by what he’s just said. He told me his father didn’t talk at all.

  “Yeah, I’ll tell you all about it later. Is anyone still out there? I’m pulling up now.”

  Peeking out the window again, I find the flashlight is being turned off, and I expect the culprit is running away at the sound of the car pulling up. “The light went out. I think the person left. Can I hang up now?”

  “Yeah, baby. I’m coming in now.”

  I hang up the phone and run into the living room. His handsome face is coming through the door, and I sprint into his arms. They close around me, holding me tightly.

  Swaying with me, I hold on to him for all I’m worth, never wanting to let him go. I missed everything about him. His unique scent, the way sparks fly through my body each time we touch.

  Then his lips are on mine, and I find I desperately missed his kiss. I need this man. More than I need water or air.

  Tears flow as I think about what would’ve happened had he not asked his dead mother to come for me. He stops the kiss to look at me. Brushing my hair back, he whispers, “I’ve never been more afraid than I have been in the last twenty-four hours. Marry me, Bell. Marry me, please.”

  Wow, a lot has happened in the last day, hasn’t it?

  “Grant, you’re asking me out of some kind of desperation…”

  He stops me with a kiss then pulls his lips off mine. “I am not. I’m asking because I love you, baby. Marry me.”

  Wait, did he just say…

  “You love me?”

  Nodding, he smiles at me. A glorious smile that tells me he really means what he’s saying. “I love you. I know it without a shadow of a doubt. And I know I can’t live without you in my life and in my bed every single night. I can’t live without you, baby. Marry me. Please.”

  “You actually don’t have to beg, Grant. There’s nothing I’d love more than to marry you. Whenever and wherever you want, I’m there.” Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kiss him to seal our deal and find my body’s shaking again—with happiness this time, instead of fear.

  I’m going to marry Grant. I’m going to become Isabel Jamison.

  Chapter 29

  Grant

  She said yes!

  Kissing her again, I feel the connection we share and know we can only get closer. I’ve never known anything as profoundly as I know that this woman is the one for me.

  After making sure the house is locked up tight and all the windows are closed, we leave the house my parents made their home. I know it can’t be left as a shrine to their marriage and our upbringing any longer. It deserves a nice family to bring life to it again.

  Taking my fiancée by the hand, I lead her out to the car. Of course, I grabbed one of Mom’s old robes to cover her with before we left, as the dress she’s wearing barely covers anything, and anyone who might be out and about this late would’ve caught a glimpse of her in a bra and panties.

  “I want to do it at the Halloween Ball. I want everyone to know about us. What do you think about that, Bell?” I ask as I watch her reaction.

  I’m not a hundred percent sure she’ll want that, but the smile that covers her gorgeous face tells me she does like it. “I think that would be fantastic, Grant!”

  “That way everyone will know it’s me and you baby. No more hiding. And that will show everyone that you are respectable and I’m going to be respectable just like you. You’ve changed my life. You’ve changed me.” I take her hand and kiss it before pulling out of the drive to head back home. Back to the place this woman really belongs.

  “We should sell my house, Grant. There’s really no reason to keep it. Let someone else enjoy the massive space the club bought for me.”

  “I bought that for you. I know I let you think it was the club, but it was me. I bought you that and the car, the clothes, the jewelry. I wanted to give you more than that, but at the time, I couldn’t.” I turn out of the subdivision and head to the highway. “I need to ask you this, but I don’t want to scare you. Do you think Bart will be able to find you again? I mean, I know we can keep him out of the club, and I’ll make sure to set the security system at the house, but will that be enough?”

  I see her eyes close and her head drop in defeat, and it kills me. “I can’t know for certain. He said his master wants my blood. I don’t know if he has the power to deny whoever the hell his master is.”

  “What is this guy?” I ask, perplexed by it all.

  “I don’t know. I can’t pinpoint him. I know he made me drink his blood several times.”

  My stomach clenches. “He did what? God, baby. I’m taking you to a hospital. You’ve got to be checked out. God only knows what the hell you may have been given.”

  Changing directions, I head to Providence Portland Medical Center. I will not be taking any chances with her. Never again.

  “Grant, I think I’m fine,” she tries to argue.

  “No, ma’am. I’m sure you feel elated to be free of that man, but if he made you eat or drink anything… well, you know. We have to make sure you’re one hundred percent okay and get the help we need to make that happen.” I take her hand and hold it as I head towards the hospital.

  “If they make me stay, will you promise not to leave me?” she asks. As if I’d ever leave her side.

  “Baby, I’m glued to you. You won’t leave my sight. And I’m going to employ a demonologist, an exorcist, a psychic, whatever I need to, to get this thing off your back. Bart Mason, or whatever his real name is, will never bother you again.” Kissing her hand once more, I give her my most commanding smile. “If I have to get a bunch of silver bullets or a few stakes and a hammer then I will. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Don’t you worry about a thing. And I’ll never leave you alone until we know for sure that thing can’t get to you.”

  Laying her head back on the headrest, I see the relief flooding her. Her body is less tense as her eyes close. “Thank God for you, Grant Jamison. Thank God for you and for your sweet mother.”

  “I can’t wait for you to meet my father. He’s going to come live at our place. I’m going to hire nurses to care for him. Not that he physically needs anyone, but I want to be sure he knows he’s being taken care of.” Patting her shoulder, I wink at her. “I’ll need your expertise in hiring them of course.”

  She laughs quietly. “And I will give you that, of course.”

  The exit for the hospital comes up, and I take it. Pulling into the parking lot of the emergency room, I’m happy to see there are only a few cars here.

  “I’m so tired,” she whines. “I just want to go home and sleep in your arms for the next fe
w days.”

  “And I just want to make sure you don’t have anything creepy running through your veins. Now come on.” A horrific notion of someone snatching her up fills me, prompting me to add, “Let me help you out of the car. I want to make sure you’re okay every step of the way.”

  I can see I’m going to be more than a bit over-protective of her.

  Helping her out of the car, I wrap my arms around her and hold her as close to me as I can. When we go inside we find it dead quiet, as no one is in the lobby.

  “Wow, that’s weird.” She looks around then her eyes go wide. “Grant, am I really here? Pinch me, please.”

  “What? I’m not going to pinch you. You’re really here.” I chuckle then stop as she hits me in the chest really hard. “Ow…” I give her a look that says, ‘what the fuck?’

  “Pinch me.”

  So I do it and she yelps. “Yep, that hurt. Thanks, babe.”

  A woman comes to the front desk and clears her throat. “And what do we have here?”

  “Um, I’m not sure how to say this,” I start out. “My fiancée was abducted, and she was made to drink blood. Can you do some tests to make sure she’s okay?”

  Horror fills the woman’s face, and I can understand why. That does sound pretty fucking bad.

  Her hand goes to her heart. “Oh, God! Did you inform the police?”

  “Not yet. I do have a detective I went to. I wanted to report her as missing or kidnapped, and he wouldn’t do it. Said she hadn’t been gone long enough.”

  Bell’s hand lightly hits my chest as she lays her head on my shoulder. “You did that, Grant? How sweet of you.”

  Kissing the side of her head, I say, “Baby, I was a basket case over you.”

  The receptionist waves us in. “Come on back guys. We’ll get you checked out.” She opens a door, and we walk through it as she looks at Bell with sad eyes. “Were you hurt in any other way? You know, maybe sexually?”

  “Thank the Lord above, no.” Bell sighs afterward. “I wasn’t touched in that way.”