Unraveled (Bound and Bared Book 2)

by Christine Monroe

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Unraveled

  By

  Christine Monroe

  Book Two

  In the

  Bound and Bared

  Series.

  UNRAVELED Copyright © 2017 by Christine Monroe.

  All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Book and Cover design by Christine Monroe

  First Edition: April 2017

  Forward

  Cold tile rested against my back, the chill reminding me I wasn’t gone yet.

  The porcelain undersides of the gleaming row of sinks staring at me like a set of disapproving eyes. The nighttime rush of sound-heavy music, glasses tinkering, laughter and a jumble of voices was nothing but silence by the light of day. The club sat empty waiting to spring back to life but I wouldn’t be around to hear it. The only sound was a steady drip of water splashing into the bowl of one of the sinks. A facet not quite turned tight enough to cut off the supply of water. The fruity scent of the pink hand soap teasing my nose, the scent not the worst thing to smell when I took my last breath.

  The empty pill bottle watched me from the perfectly white tile, still and motionless it screamed the truth about what I had done. I had swallowed them by the handfuls, their chalky taste like sawdust dripping down my throat, their taste lingering in the back of my throat as I existed somewhere between life and death.

  My life had become a never-ending series of lies, pretty words I told myself to face another day. My end would be the only truth I had left. Drowning, tortuous and slow, I found the courage to let the water rush in. Letting it drench my lungs as I waited for my final breath. Death would not be my end. It would set me free.

  Never able to forget as my mind conjured phantom hands that repeatedly darkened my skin with unseen violence. Every touch greedy, taking what they wanted with no remorse. My mind holding me hostage to the memories, a sick gag reel stuck on repeat. Slithering through my veins like a sickness, leaving me a broken doll, limp and lifeless. My blue eyes cloudy and unfixed, staring out into the world I didn’t belong in anymore.

  Only fine strands of paper thin hope had kept me going. Counting my life in heartbeats, in gasps of breath and fractures of light breaking through the shadows. Slivers of light revealing him; his face my bright in star in the darkness. Finally, I felt the last bit of fog settle over me. My eyes falling closed as I tried to dragging Thorn into the remaining clear spot inside my mind, wanting his face to be the last thing I saw. My heart is slowing, my breathing becoming soft, welcoming my fate. My last breath resting in my lungs, my final heartbeat ready to set me free.

  4 MONTHS EARLIER

  Connor Price

  “Mr. Price? My name is Case Benet, we spoke on the phone.”

  Looking up I smiled. “Ahh yes come in.”

  My eyes casually looking her up and down as she entered my office. Small, straight blonde hair, blue eyes, okay breasts, nice ass. She could work. By chance, she had called looking for a job. Her timing was perfect, making sure to do a background check on her before offering her an interview. Case Benet met every requirement. She had no family, no husband. No one to come looking for her if she suddenly disappeared.

  “I am glad you were available.” Offering her a chair she sat down without any hesitation. Money. Power. Charm. Things that make my job so much easier. I prided myself on being a wolf in very expensive sheep’s clothing. I didn’t need to stalk the back alleys or kidnap girls off the streets. No, they came to me, one after another, walking through my door never suspecting they would never leave. Well not alive at least.

  “Have a seat. I must say what you told over the phone makes me think you would fit in quite nicely.” The tone of my voice never betraying all the wicked things I was planning for her. Years of practice had made it almost hypnotic, and I enjoyed watching them fall deeper under my spell.

  “Wow, I am not sure what to say to that. To be honest, I didn’t even think you would be willing to meet me.”

  Her voice sounded sweet. I wondered if her screams would be as well.

  “You don’t know how much just meeting me means to me. I need this job. I swear I am a very hard worker. Give me a chance Mr. Price. You won’t be disappointed.” The words rushing out of her mouth, her eyes pleading with me to take a chance on her.

  “So eager. A trait I happen to admire. I should probably ask you a hundred questions, but I don’t think there is any need for that. I like you and since I run things around here what I say goes.”

  Broadening my smile and the girl laughed. I knew I had her. Pushing down the excitement, I resisted the urge to try out my new toy right here in my office. I would have plenty of time, and then I would share. Broken toys never kept my interest.

  “I guess it would. Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

  “Well you’re welcome but to be honest, you are helping me as well. I just recently sent an employee on a month-long business opportunity, and you arrived at the right time. Come back in the morning, and we can start the paperwork, Ms. Benet.”

  Her face lit up.

  Case Bennet didn’t know she had just made a deal with the devil.

  CASE

  Waking up in a nightmare inside a dark, cold cell with monsters outside my door and Connor Price was monster number one. Naive enough at first to beg him to let me go promising over and over I wouldn’t tell. It didn’t matter, he got off on violating me in ways I couldn’t have imagined, and I knew he would never let me go. The sound of my screams bringing him pleasure. The begging only feeding the beast inside.

  After he had his fill, I was given away. Anyone wanting a turn with me in Connor Price’s caravel of horror got their chance. Sometimes other girls took my place, granting me a moment of peace. Still, the screams were never ending. Mine, theirs, all min
gling into an endless sound of terror and pain. Curling into a ball, trying to drown the sound, always praying I would be left alone for just a little while longer. The door opened spilling a sliver of light across the cold gray floor letting me know my prayers had not been answered.

  The monsters were out there waiting, and they would show no mercy.

  Days, weeks, months. I no longer knew how long I had kept here, but I knew I didn’t have much time left. Death circled me like a vulture. Waiting. Watching. Licking his lips at the sight of a soon to be a delicious meal. Hearing my door opening, I shut my eyes, plunging me further into darkness. My weak heart trying to pick up speed as my mouth ran dry.

  Refusing to have one of their faces be the last thing I saw I keep my eyes shut tight. Nothing stopped the pain, the violation of the body that had once been mine. My arms ready to greet death even though my end would come at the hands of violence. A few moments of brutality would be the only thing to set me free. A grave was sounding better than this hell.

  Shallow breaths escaped my lips, matching the awkward rhythm of my heart as footsteps crept closer to my cot. Stilling the breath in my lungs, waiting for the end, waiting for the pain. Instead, gentle hands lifted me to welcoming warmth, cradling me close to a firm chest.

  “You are safe now.” A soft male voice whispered the words in my ear causing my heart to beat frantically beneath my chest. Picking up speed, struggling to stay when only moments before it had been ready to give out. Miranda had told me people were looking for her. Even sacrificing herself to give me time, saving me when I hadn’t wanted to save myself.

  Swallowing, I tried finding the salvia I needed to speak. My voice nothing but screams torn from me in the dark. Finding words seemed impossible.

  “There was a girl. Miranda.” Barely recognizing the sound of my voice, the sound raw and unused. Something foreign to my ears.

  The man carrying me stopped. A ripple of tension slid over his skin. He held me so close I felt every wave.

  “She saved me. Did you find her? She never came back. Is she alive?” My voice breaking on the last word hoping in saving me she hadn’t damned herself.

  “She’s not here, but I will find her.” His voice was calm, but his body betrayed him. A slight tremble rippling through him, tightening his hold before relaxing. Shifting me in his arms, he pulled me away from the safety of his body, attempting to hand me over to someone else. I couldn’t breathe, any thread of trust so close to snapping, my arms tightening around his neck.

  Something moved catching my attention as a set of hazel eyes found mine.

  Smiling softly, he reached his hands out waiting to take me but not trying to steal me from the other man’s arms.

  “I promise I don’t bite.” The smile on his face broadened lazily but his eyes were on full alert watching me with caution like any sudden move could spook me.

  Finding my voice, I whispered, “What if I do?”

  His eyes went wide as he stared at me like I had grown another head. Totally caught off guard by my teasing. He wasn’t the only one.

  “Let’s get you out of here beautiful.” His hands pulling me to him gently, I offered no hesitation. Weak and lost I clung to him, his warm hands holding me tightly against him, my skin soaking up the warmth like a flower deprived of the sun.

  The heartbeat pounding beneath ear was singing the song of my salvation.

  “He’s staring at you again.” Nudging me with her elbow, Selena pulled my attention away from the glass I was in the middle of wiping. Shiny rows of crystal gleamed against the dark bar top as I sighed.

  Thorn had been watching me even before she said anything. His eyes always seeming to be fixed on me whenever he was here. Selena thought it was creepy, but I didn’t mind it.

  My heart turned over inside my chest, tightening within the small space. Risking a glance Thorn’s direction catching his eyes causing him to smile. The effect was completely devastating. A rush of butterflies went soaring through my veins before settling into my stomach. Their wings beating in time with my now racing heart.

  One smile from him had taken my breath away, but I couldn’t bare the feeling. I wasn’t girl who could fall in love. Especially not with the boy who had carried my broken body from a nightmare.

  “How are you doing?” Thorn asked, moving closer until he was right beside me. So close that the scent he always wore was now teasing my nose. Inhaling, drawing his gritty, masculine scent into my lungs the smell of power sex, and sweetness making me blush.

  “Every day is different,” I whispered softly.

  Warm fingers found my chin, tilting my face up ever so gently. The touch feather light against my skin making the butterflies dance faster.

  “I’m fine Thorn.” The warmth from his touch seeping into my skin as I tried to deny the flutter of wings. “You need to stop worrying about me.”

  “I can’t help it.”

  Thorn smiled sweetly as his fingers fell away from my face leaving nothing but a hint of warmth behind.

  His hands sliding inside his pockets as shyness washed over his features making him look like a boy and less like a ruthless killer. His short dark hair soft hung messily around his face as a five a clock shadow dusted his cheeks. His dark hazel eyes and strong jaw were far less dangerous when he smiled. The smile replacing shadows with playfulness.

  “I should probably go,” I sighed. The longing to keep Thorn close to me welling up inside my chest recalling how I felt in his arms. The feeling of being safe kept me from losing my way when I was drifting alone in the dark. I didn’t sleep much, too afraid of meeting the lingering monsters in my head. Thorn was the foolish illusion I held on too.

  Thorn stepped closer refusing to let me get away that easily. Memories crept back in. Memories of hands, pain, and of violence. Trying to fight the rising panic but in the end, I always lost. The thundering sound of my heart. The feeling of all the air in my lungs suddenly vanishing without a trace leaving me to clutch my throat in a desperate attempt to find a single drop I could use to breathe. My body believing it was dying as my mind attempted to tell myself that I was okay. Spinning lost in the free fall of a panic attack every piece of me at war with itself. Grasping my throat, I took two steps back, frantically looking for a way out.

  *

  Thrown into freefall I watched Case vanish, every part of her replaced by pure fear. Fuck I knew better than to get too close. Stepping back, watching her clutch pale skin as she fought her way back from the attack

  “Case look at me. You are safe. Everything is okay. Come back to me beautiful.” Taking two more steps, the fear finally started to fade as her body trembled from the aftershock.

  “I’m sorry. It’s not you.” Her words came out in broken fragments of sound. Tears filling her eyes before spilling down her cheeks, her fingers brushing them away as she attempted a smile. I wanted to kick my ass. I knew what getting too close to her did. I did it because I wanted to forget. Wanting to wipe the fucked- up place I found her in from every single one of my brain cells. No longer remembering how tiny she felt in my arms, her bones peeking through like a sick show and tell.

  “It’s me. I fucking know better.”

  Reaching out her fingers contacting with my skin. Barely a whisper of touch, but it was enough. Like sticking my fingers in a light socket, sucker punched by the pure current. Blazing white hot as it burned a deadly path along my skin, setting it on fire inch by inch. I lived for these moments, her touch an addiction, a rare creature I was willing to burn alive for. A better way to go out than I had planned. A hail of gunfire in some seedy underground where no one would ever find my body.

  “It’s okay, pretty soon you won’t have to worry about me, I’m getting better.”

  She was lying. I was hoping she would tell me the truth, but in the end, it didn’t matter. It was her choice. Besides I wasn’t anything to her. That was my lie, the one I couldn’t stop my fucked heart from believing. Wanting to belong to her. Needing to mean mo
re to her than simply the guy who had saved her.

  I had no past. I had no future. I only had right here and now with an angel that had broken wings but for the moment indulged my fascination. Once Case could fly she would leave me behind. I was just a dead end, a fuck up that would find bullet sending me face to face with my demons.

  *

  Holding on to Thorn’s arm I let the simple touch send his beautiful warmth once again spread over my skin. So much better than the cold I was so used, my fear a never ending dance on top of thin ice. Never knowing when it would crack, dragging me under the cold, cruel surface to drown. Watching Thorn’s face, I saw the look I knew so well. The one that ripped me apart and made me wish for things that could never be. If we had met in another lifetime, found each other within a dream instead of a nightmare maybe we would have stood a chance. A chance to fall from grace, tangled up together in a web of pleasure and sin. If falling in love was simply a mere thread of trust and hope instead of pain and loss.

  Pulling my hand away I let my fingers fall capturing air instead of Thorn’s skin. His face changing as the dreams that could have been died a quick death at my rejection.

  “I need to get back.” A sad smile turning the up the corners of my mouth as Thorn nodded. Walking away, the feel of his gaze following me every step of my retreat.

  “You are starting to freak me out.” Val’s voice sounded behind me.

  Turning I met his eyes. Watching Case had become an unhealthy habit, one it seemed I couldn’t break.

  “You are not the only one,” I said grinning slightly.

  Val sat down beside me letting out a frustrated sigh. “Selena wants me to ban you. At least until you stop acting like a creepy stalker.”

  “Is it just me or has Selena been especially pissed off lately?” I joked nudging Val in the shoulder.

  “Way to change the subject princess but I would have to agree with you. If she asks I will deny it since I would like to keep all my body parts. So back to the subject at hand, what’s up with you and Case? I’m not a fool. I see the way you look at her.”