by Dez Burke
Alexandra kept a steady pace as she neared the van, her mind already elsewhere. Would Cane have realized by now that she’d left? Hmm. Maybe, like that first time, he was cooking some peace-making breakfast. Or maybe he was hopping mad when he finally discovered she was nowhere in the house. The thought of making Cane angry brought a pleased, twisted smile to her face. That was sure to get his goat, thought Alexandra with satisfaction. He’d hate to be thwarted or defied. For the first time, she was flouting his authority. He’d given her clear instructions from the start never to leave the house alone. Well fuck that, you’re no longer my bodyguard, Mr. Hutchinson. As of last night, your ass was fired, Alexandra thought with bitter triumph.
She barely noticed the driver of the van turn to her as she was racing past the open side of the van where he stood, a piece of cord in his hand. They nodded at each other, in the vague way that strangers sometimes do. Alexandra could barely see his face which was obscured by the beanie, though something seemed very familiar about his dark-skinned jaw. Not giving it a second thought, she jogged by.
But just as her body passed him, from the corner of her eye she saw his arms reach towards her. He lunged his entire body at her, and in an instant she felt his enormous hands gripping her, with one around her midriff and the other sealing over her mouth.
Alexandra was gripped by panic, instantly biting his hand and hearing him yell out ‘you bitch!’ before pulling tighter on her waist and robbing her of breath. She felt her body being dragged back with him into the van and she screamed into the hand gagging her mouth but the sounds were sealed in, useless. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe. But her survival instinct was strong and she suddenly thought of a move she learned in the self-defense classes she’d taken in the past. Using the whole of her weight, she propelled herself off her feet and pushed back heavily on her captor with the aim of unbalancing him. She heard him curse angrily under his breath as her sudden move made him almost lose his footing.
But he caught himself quickly, only just managing to keep his hold on her body and mouth. Fuck, he was strong, thought Alexandra with a sinking sensation as his mouth pressed closed to her ear. “You’ll pay for that, slut.”
Alexandra stiffened, alarm bells ringing in her head at the sound of his voice. Oh shit. Oh hell no. Lamar?
She had no chance to dwell on this as suddenly she was yanked, kicking and struggling, off the ground before being swung inside the van. She knew that once she got trapped in there, she was in trouble. She was in trouble right now. Oh God, I should have listened to my dad – listened to Cane. Cane. His face flashed through her mind and she felt another rush of terror. She felt herself hitting the floor of the inside of the van, face down on the thin matting where her abductor dropped her.
She bolted into an erect position at once as she heard him slam the van door shut from the inside. Before she could even blink, his hand shoved hard on her shoulder, slamming her down on her back as he turned to her.
Alexandra stared into Lamar’s face and saw an expression she’d never expected. For a second she was just in shock, unable to believe this was really happening and yet knowing it wasn’t a game. Oh my God, thought Alexandra helplessly. She recoiled as Lamar moved towards her. Suddenly, he seized her left ankle and his face broke into a frightful leer. Alexandra burst out of her trance and started to scream but he slammed his whole body against hers, effectively killing her scream as he robbed her of oxygen.
Alexandra could barely move or make a sound beneath his massive weight, and she could only watch as he grabbed her flailing arms and efficiently wrestled her wrists into the shackles set halfway up the van wall. Now that her hands were secured above her head, he still held her down bodily while he reached to his left and pulled a knife from a box. Alexandra’s eyes widened in fear as he grabbed the bottom hem of her sports halter which he lifted off her body before slicing it right through the middle. He shredded the top off her, revealing her breasts as he wrapped the rags around her head and over her mouth, gagging her roughly.
Tears of anger and trepidation suddenly pinched Alexandra’s eyes as she stared into Lamar’s hard, grinning face. Her lower body was still trapped beneath his and she could feel a stiffening begin to bulge in his pants as he pressed hard into her belly. Alexandra turned her head away in unstoppable disgust as his eyes roamed over her exposed breasts.
In a flash, he was grabbing her chin and twisting her face back to his. “If you know what’s good for you, bitch, you’d keep looking at me,” he snarled. Now, he had the knife pressed against her throat.
Alexandra’s chest was heaving and she couldn’t seem to keep up a normal breathing rate. Real fear gripped her heart as she felt the blade of the knife, unmistakably sharp and distressing, begin to break into her skin ever so slightly. He cut her, drew blood, and grinned evilly when she began to scream beneath her gag…
***
I don’t feel safe around you anymore.
Damn it to hell, thought Cane as Alexandra’s words from last night slashed through him like a blade. That blasted female knew just want to say to twist him up in knots. Like no other woman ever had.
Growling with self-deprecation and fury, Cane slammed his fist against the tiled wall, resting his forehead against it for a moment as the ice-cold shower pummeled him from the upper and side jets. He’d woken up after another bad night, hard as a rock for her – again. It had been that way since…oh, the first night he’d moved in as her bodyguard. And it had gotten steadily worse so that he was taking several icy showers a day just to dampen his raging hormones that were urging him to cross the line. Take the few steps out of his room and go knocking on her door.
In his fantasies, she’d be waiting eagerly. Those pretty brown eyes beguiling.
“I want you, Cane. And I’ve waited so long. Will you take me now?” she’d ask in her soft, melodic voice with the stirring undertone.
“Take you? Honey, I’m going to fucking own you,” was his raspy, tortured grunt of a reply as he’d sink on his knees at the edge of her bed. It was his fantasy, so she’d be wearing that sexy white bra and panties she’d had on that night they’d gotten soaked in the shower.
She’d tremble deliciously at his words, and at the way he’d grab her ankles firmly and tug her body down till she had her legs hanging on either side of him and off the edge of the bed. Her honey-skinned face would be flushed; beads of sweat coating her smooth temple. Her hair would be a mass of luxuriantly thick curls, just the way he liked them. He’d bend low and fist his fingers in her hair, his thighs nudging hers apart as his lips aimed for her luscious, gasping mouth.
Their first kiss. Fuck; she’d taste so freaking good. She’d open wide for his onslaught and he’ll seize her lips in a ravenous tango of passion. He’d grind his mouth against hers till she moaned in half protest, half-delight at his ferocity. He’d dive in with his tongue and swirl it round the roof of her sweet mouth. She’d moan, and his cock would swell impossibly. Her tongue would suddenly, shyly mesh with his and it would almost be the death of him.
Alexandra.
He shook the fevered fantasy off and tell himself he was a fool. He’d held back this long, stayed true to his honor code and now he wanted to cave?
No.
One day, she’ll thank him, he reminded himself. She’d know that whatever he’d done had been for her own good. She was just twenty-three, mostly sheltered all her life. He was more than ten years older at thirty five; he’d seen too much of bad, and not enough of good in the world. But he still knew right from wrong and his mind told him it would be wrong, at this point, to finally give in to the thirst.
She might hate him now, but maybe he’d get the chance to explain before they parted. He knew that this time, she hadn’t been bluffing about asking her dad to get a replacement. He understood her anger and he was ready to step down and let her get the steam out of her system. She was a woman; she had emotions, insecurities. He’d constantly held back and the feminine side of h
er felt hurt, maybe undesirable. She’d never forgive him for that but hopefully, she come to respect the choices he’d made as her bodyguard. And heaven help him, they’d better have a good enough guy to replace me, thought Cane. Someone who’d treat her like the angel, precious and sweet, that she was.
But for now, he was prepared to wear the label of hateful beast, the devil himself since that was obviously how she now viewed him.
Cane heaved a sigh, lifting his head off the marble surface of the wall. Suddenly, even through the water rushing around him, Cane caught it. The sound. He frowned, his powerful, trained hearing sharpening as he suddenly heard the soft yet unmistakable click of the front door closing.
It took three seconds for Cane’s brain to register what was happening. Alexandra. She’d left the house.
He didn’t need to wonder if he was wrong. His gut instinct told him it was just the thing she would do, especially after last night.
Oh, fuck no, Cane thought with red-hot fury as he punched a furious fist into the wall, ignoring the pain he didn’t even feel as he grabbed a towel and headed out of the shower, his movements quick as lightning. He knew exactly what he was going to do.
He’d go after her. He’d bring her back, even if he had to drag her by her hair. And then, he’d turn her on his knee and give her such a spanking his whole arm would be throbbing once he was done. As for that juicy tempting bottom of hers…well, needless to say, sitting down on it would be a problem after he’d be finished with her.
“Alexandra!” he yelled, knowing she was probably not going to hear him. But if she had, she’d have been filled with a terrible dread. Because now Cane was mad. Hopping, raise-hell mad. In mere seconds, he was dressed in clothes and shoes and rushing out the front door after her.
Alexandra Duke had never ever really seen his bad side, fumed Cane. His extreme rage mode. Well, now she was going to get a first-hand lesson. Maybe the last one he’d give her before she finally got that replacement bodyguard she wanted.
Before then, he would make sure to give her exactly what she’d been deserving since he’d taken this role. A firm fucking hand, in more ways than one.
Cane knew that after that she’d definitely hate him, but right now he didn’t bloody care. No one tested his authority. Ms. Duke was going to learn the hard way what it meant to finally push a man like Cane Hutchinson to the edge.
***
“Where’s your shining white knight now?” Lamar sneered, his breath hot and clammy on her face as the knife pinched into the shallow nick which had started to bleed. Alexandra felt almost faint with terror.
“Does he get free use of this sexy body, hmm? You let him fuck you don’t you, you slut. He gets to use your gorgeous tits and sweet, hot pussy the way he wants, huh? Cunt!”
There was a sharp, blinding light that seemed to overwhelm her senses, stealing her breath away. Alexandra’s face felt like it was on fire and her right eye socket was throbbing with pain. Her eyes widened in alarm as she saw him rearing to slap her once more.
Alexandra whimpered, straining away as much as she could but she was trapped on the floor, beneath his crippling weight. In moments another harder blow landed on the right side of her face and she began to sob beneath her gag.
“That’s it. Cry, bitch. I’ve been waiting, hoping for a chance to get you, sugar boo,” Lamar continued with deceptive softness, his breathing harsh as he leaned close to her burning face. “Get you back for making a fool of me like you did when you broke up with me. Treated me like trash! Now, I’m going to earn some of that respect I deserve. Your father’s going to have to pay a whole lot of cash to get you back – far more than he’d have spent if you’d just let him finance that deal I told you about all those months ago. Sure, it was just a scam but wouldn’t you have liked that better than being kidnapped, bleeding and helpless at the back of my van?”
Alexandra’s eyes pleaded with him, the sounds behind her gag plaintive. But he merely shook his head, pulling away from her.
“Too late to turn back now. It’s done. I’ll have my revenge and all the money I’ll need to disappear,” he said as he tucked the knife in his belt, straightening to his feet. “Your father will be only too glad to do anything to get you back. Doesn’t mean I’ve made up my mind whether I’d let you go once I get the ransom. I have a mind to renew my acquaintance with this hot body of yours and after that…who knows. I’ll just have to see how I feel about letting you return in one piece – or not. So you better be good to me, sweet cheeks. Be very good,” Lamar added softly, bending to whisper the last few words in her ear before, ignoring her muffled pleas, he said with grim humor, “Hold on tight, baby cakes. We’re going for a ride.”
Chapter Eleven
Cane was letting out a string of curses as he sailed the Audi slowly along the trail Alexandra normally took when she went jogging. He was gripping the wheel so tight his knuckled were white and sharply defined. His eyes scanned the deserted track which led to the park which had a picturesque fence running the length of one end.
There was nothing picturesque about the images going through his mind as he went over the different kinds of torture he had in store for Alexandra.
He did feel a sudden squeeze of worry when he kept on the road and saw no sign of her. She couldn’t have gone that far; he’d known exactly when she’d left by the sound of the front door closing. He’d only been minutes behind, and that was why he took the car, all the better to catch up with her and…
She was gone. He could feel it. She should have been on this trail but she wasn’t. It was a long stretch of road and she couldn’t have made it down so soon to the end where the park stretched out in scenic greenery.
And then he saw it; the blue van. It wouldn’t have caught his attention as it was just one of the few other vehicles parked around. But then suddenly, a man emerged from the back compartment and into the driving seat before starting up the engine.
Something about the man caught Cane’s attention. He’d seen him somewhere before. Even with the beanie covering his head, Cane could make out most parts of his face. And Cane never, ever forgot a face.
It took moments to realize who that was. Lamar; Alexandra’s ex-boyfriend who had made such an ass of himself at Malia’s party just a week ago. What the fuck was he doing here?
Cane was coming in from the opposite direction, and when Lamar looked up, both men’s eyes met in an instant of recognition and surprise. But there was something else in Lamar’s gaze; the dark man’s eyes narrowed to vindictive slits as moments later, he shot the van past Cane.
Cane’s instincts, honed from years in the military and on the job as a protection agent, kicked in and he knew. Alexandra was in that van.
Son of a bitch!
He wouldn’t have time to question his intuition. Lamar was speeding off like hell was after him. Cane had to react fast. His arms twisting sharply, Cane took precious moments spinning the car around. All rational, conscious thought told him not to let that bastard Lamar out of his sight. For the fact that Lamar was here, this early in the morning on the very same road Alexandra took when jogging…it didn’t take rocket science to figure out that Lamar had most definitely kidnapped Alexandra. Especially since she was nowhere to be seen.
Cane saw the van gain speed as the distance between them grew wider, but Cane wasn’t too worried. Let’s see you try to outrun an Audi R8, motherfucker, Cane seethed. There was a squeal of tires as he floored the gas, shooting forward so fast the surroundings became a blur.
***
Alexandra’s mind and heart were racing as she felt the van pick up monstrous speed. She was struggling against her shackles which was useless, as useless as her screams underneath the gag. She could hear Lamar swearing furiously and wondered what had got him so mad. Wasn’t he worried about drawing attention with his crazy speed? Unless…
It seemed almost too much to hope that someone had seen him abduct her and was now on the chase. Lamar was definitely driving like somet
hing was after him. Alexandra was thrown to the left and right of the cramped compartment, her body hitting painfully against the objects on the floor. Now she was just as scared of being in a crash, helpless to get out of the wildly swerving car. Was this fool trying to get them killed?
The van zoomed down an endless stretch of road and she guessed they were on the highway on the outer limits of the city. Apart from that, she didn’t know what the heck was going on.
“This son of a bitch ass is mine!” she heard Lamar growl from behind the wheel, and then came noises that sounded like he was rummaging through the glove compartment. Next thing she heard was a gun cocking.
Fuck. The bastard had a gun. Alexandra’s heart plummeted and she moaned against her gag. The van was still moving at a break-neck speed, and she was getting woozy from being tossed about, unable to brace her half-naked body against the impact of the many objects she bumped into. Her legs floundered, looking for something to hook into so she could at least keep still. Nothing. The dim interior of the van told her nothing and at the speed they were moving, all she heard was the squealing tires and Lamar cursing non-stop.
“That bitch-ass man of yours is fixing to get himself fucked up!” Lamar yelled back at her, and all Alexandra could think of was what man? She didn’t have a man. Who was Lamar talking about?
Bang! Alexandra was jolted bodily by something slamming hard into the van from behind. Her scream was muted by the gag, as Lamar swerved, barely able to keep control of the car. He roared something about ‘killing that motherfucker’ and then suddenly, she heard shots ring out from his window. Lamar cursed furiously, not sounding very happy which made Alexandra suspect that whoever he was shooting at, he’d missed.
Her hopes soared again as she realized someone was trying to save her. Had to be. And it took seconds for her to work out who it could be. Lamar had said something about her ‘man’…did he mean Cane?