by Lea Bronsen
Billy ran his fingers through his hair, only managing to make matters worse, and shuffled into the kitchenette of the tiny apartment. He grabbed a mug from the counter and filled it with cold coffee from the pot. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Just feeling lazy today.” After sticking the mug into the microwave and punching at the buttons, he faced her and grinned. “Did you bring me presents?”
Lexi shook her head and laughed. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.” She withdrew a stack of money from her pack and set it on the coffee table beside a cluster of empty beer cans. “Three grand. That should square us and leave me a bit left over.”
Billy pulled the steaming cup of coffee from the microwave and joined her in the living area. He reached out and grabbed the stack of money before settling on the sofa next to her. He took a swig from the mug and placed it where the cash had been. “Did you want change? Or did you have something else in mind?” He counted, folded, and stuffed the bills into his robe pocket.
“Very funny. You know damned well what I have in mind.”
“Yeah. I just like fucking with you.” He withdrew a bottle of pills from his other pocket and dropped it onto her lap. “You’re running out faster lately. Everything all right?”
Despite Billy’s chosen occupation, he’d been a good friend to Lexi since her injury. He’d given her a place to stay when she’d been forced to drop out of school after the university pulled her scholarship, and he was one of the few people who’d visited her in the hospital after the ACL surgery. And when she got hooked on the pain killers, Billy was the one to make sure she didn’t run out.
“Yeah. You know me. Living the dream.” Lexi manufactured a smile.
Billy’s brow furrowed. “You know we’re friends, right? That I genuinely care about you, and that’s why I ask? You’re one of my best salesmen, not to mention the sexiest by far. I worry about you.”
Lexi shifted on the sofa, cheeks heating under his scrutiny. “Yeah. I know, but I’m fine. Really.” She cast him a sidelong glance. “Why? What have you heard?”
He laughed. “Nothing. Just being proactive. Looking after my best girl. You know me.”
“Yep.” She let the tension seep from her shoulders. “You’re a saint, Billy.”
“I just hope you remember that when it comes time to forgive me.”
Lexi eyed him. “Forgive you? For what?”
“This.”
Before she knew what was happening, Billy was on her, pushing her back into the sofa, his weight pinning her arms to her chest.
She squirmed beneath him, trying to free herself, confusion clouding her thoughts. “Get off me!”
“I swear this is for your own good,” Billy whispered.
Lexi felt a sharp prick on the side of her neck an instant before the heat started to spread. “What the fuck”— Spots floated in her field of vision. —“did you do?” The words were heavy on her tongue. She fought against the drooping of her eyelids.
Billy’s weight left her and Lexi struggled to sit up. She couldn’t make her limbs move.
His face hovered above her, expression filled with concern.
The black abyss swallowed her.
* * * *
Lexi groaned and rolled onto her back. Her aching head and sluggish muscles protested. Tentatively, she cracked a weary eye open to reveal an unfamiliar white tiled ceiling. She scoured her murky memory for clues.
Billy. She’d been with Billy. At his place. Sitting on the couch. Paying him.
She bolted upright, her fingers curling into the blankets.
He fucking drugged me!
Lexi frowned as cool air caressed her torso.
And I’m fucking naked!
She clawed through her recollection for details, but came up woefully empty. Her frantic gaze scanned the room, hoping for clues.
There wasn’t much to see. Empty space beyond the bed she woke up in and a tall oak dresser across from her. No pictures adorned the plain walls. No décor or personal items on the dresser. Nothing but the bed, the dresser, and her.
Where the fuck am I? How had Billy gotten her out of his apartment? And what did he do with her clothes?
She glanced at the door.
“Yeah. Time to go.” Lexi tossed back the covers and swung her feet over the side of the bed.
The sound of a chain rattling echoed through the empty room. Her left leg, heavier than her right. Dumbfounded, Lexi glanced at her feet. A steel manacle encircled her ankle.
“What the—?”
She drew her tethered foot up and rested her heel on the edge of the mattress. Her fingers wrapped around the cold metal encircling her ankle and gave it a yank, but the manacle didn’t budge. Brow furrowed she slid the metal around, hunting for some kind of release clasp. She noticed the keyhole.
Growling, she began gathering the length of connected chain, pulling the slack into her lap. The other end was attached to the wall at the foot of the bed. Lexi dropped the length of chain and pushed up from the mattress, intent on getting to the loop of metal affixed to the wall.
“It’s good to see you up and about.”
The rich masculine voice startled her, and she swung about, eyes wide.
No one was there.
“Up here,” the voice said.
Her gaze darted upward. Positioned near the ceiling in the corner of the room was a small white camera. Her heart hammered against her ribs. While the voice was almost familiar, she knew it wasn’t Billy’s. But who?
She glared into the lens, hands balled at her sides. “What the fuck is going on?”
The voice in the ceiling tsked. “Such a nasty mouth.”
Anger churned in her stomach. Who the hell did this guy think he was? “If you don’t like it, come do something about it, asshole.” She bent and grabbed hold of the chain and tried to jerk it free of the wall.
“It’s no use. You’re only going to hurt yourself trying.”
Lexi swung her attention back to the camera. “You need to get the fuck in here and unlock this ankle cuff before I lose my shit.”
His thick laughter grated on her nerves and sent a strange, almost electric shudder through her limbs. “While the act of you losing your shit, as you call it, holds a certain intrigue, I have other plans for you, my dear Alexis.”
He knew her name. His voice, manner of speech, tickled at her subconscious, urging her to identify him. Maybe if she kept him talking, she’d be able to place him.
“What kind of plans?” She walked the length of the chain, coming a few feet shy of the room’s door, the tether just short enough to keep her from reaching the handle.
“I plan to save you from yourself.”
It was Lexi’s turn to laugh. “How very gallant of you, sir.” She wiggled her chained foot. “But as you can see, the only thing I seem to need saving from at the moment, is you. Whoever you are.”
“Mmm…I like when you call me sir, Alexis. Would you really feel better about being my guest if you knew who I was?”
Not really, no. “Yes. Along with knowing why you have me chained up.” She folded her arms over her breasts, suddenly aware of her nudity. “And what the fuck you did with my clothes.” She pulled the sheet from the bed with a grunt, wrapped it around her body, and tossed a glare at the camera.
After a few moments of silence, the handle on the door clicked, drawing her startled gaze. Lexi held her breath as the door slowly swung wide.
He stood in the opening, the light at his back casting him in an intimidating shadow. “Hello, Alexis. I trust you remember me?”
Confusion muddled her thoughts. “Professor Foster?”
Her captor hadn’t changed much in the two years since she’d last seen him. His hair had grown a little longer maybe, the dark curls her fingers had always ached to play with hanging lower on his brow. Overall, he seemed a bit more unkempt. But his eyes. Those penetrating gray eyes Lexi swore could see into her very soul had not changed at all. They pinned her now, and she squirmed. Her c
hest tightened. “Y-yes, I remember you.”
“Good.” He stepped into the room, his broad, muscled shoulders filling the small space.
She took a hesitant step backward, thoughts racing. “I-I don’t understand. Why am I here?” She frowned. “Where’s Billy?”
A smile stretched his firm lips, exposing a a row of white teeth, and flashing the adorable right cheek dimple she recalled quite fondly. God, how many times had she tossed out ridiculous one-liners in his Western Civ. class just for the chance at eliciting that dimple’s heart stopping appearance?
“You’re here because I brought you here. You’re chained because that’s how I want you to be. And Billy isn’t here because I didn’t invite him.” He took another step closer and she held her breath. “Sensing a theme?”
Lexi swallowed the lump in her throat, and her grip on the sheet tightened. “Yeah, I get it. You’re in charge.” She lifted her chin. “Still don’t understand why.”
He folded his strong hands before him, the picture of scholarly grace. “You will.” He studied her from tip to toe. “When did you last use?”
Her heartbeat skipped. “W-what?” She backed up until her calves pressed against the cool metal bed frame. She hadn’t had a chance to take any of the pills she scored from Billy, wherever they were. How long ago had that been? Her new prison had no windows, so she had no way to know how much time had passed since Billy gave her the shot. “How long have I been here? I don’t even know what day it is.”
“You were out about four hours. Not very long.” He folded his arms over his chest, expression darkening. “I will repeat myself just once, Alexis. I am not in the habit of doing so with my slaves. When was the last time you used?”
His what? “Slave? What are you talking about?”
Angry sparks flashed in his eyes, sending a jolt of fear through her limbs. This wasn’t the Professor she remembered, crushed on for the better part of a year.
“This morning,” she supplied, not willing to risk his ire while chained to a wall and protected by a sheet. Not until she knew why he brought her here. And what the hell did he mean by slave. “I crushed and snorted my last two pills this morning before hitting the campus center.” Annoyance overruled intelligence and spurred her next words. “Why? You got something in your pocket to take the edge off?”
He closed the space between them in an instant. His fingers tangled in her hair, tilting her head until her wide-eyed gaze locked with his. “Do not for a second, misunderstand the gravity of your situation. You have lost control over your life, Alexis. I have taken that from you. From here on out, I will decide when you eat, when you sleep, and when you go to the bathroom. I will tell you what to wear and what I expect of you. It will be up to me, and me alone, to decide what you are allowed to put on or in your body. My body. You are done abusing yourself.” His grin chilled her blood. “Now, it’s my turn.”
She was acutely aware his pure male hardness pressed against her, separated from her flesh by a thin strip of cotton. The frantic racing of her heart increased.
He abruptly released her.
She stumbled backward and dropped to her bottom onto the mattress.
“I wager you will be much more willing to hear reason in a few more hours. I’ll be back then.” He turned and stalked away, movement stiff. Without a glance back, Professor Foster left the room and closed the door. The grating sound of metal against metal rang in her ears. Instinct told her what it meant.
He’d just locked her in. As if the chain around her ankle wasn’t enough.
* * * *
Alexis wasn’t sure how long she stared at the closed door. Her mind tumbled and churned over her predicament. What had Professor Foster meant? He spoke as if there were others. Other students? Other junkies? Had he kidnapped them, too? Where were they? She glanced at the camera hovering in the corner.
Why me?
Professor Foster wouldn’t hurt her, she told herself. Despite her situation, being chained and locked away, she would be safe there. He had a job, a reputation. Surely he wouldn’t risk all that because of her. Right?
Nothing made sense. Why would he jeopardize his position at the university to take her? She’d never have believed him capable of kidnapping. But, Lexi wouldn’t have ever guessed Billy to betray her the way he had either, so she really wasn’t the best judge of character. The more she tried to make sense of things, the more her head pounded.
Lexi rubbed her throbbing temples and pretended she didn’t recognize the signs. Soon the shakes would start, and the sweating, followed by nausea, vomiting, and the return of the pain. She sat upright, twisting her fingers in the sheet. She needed a fix.
A quick scan of the sparse room confirmed what she already knew. There wasn’t a fix to be had. Not there. Unsure on how to keep the obsessive thoughts away, she paced the length of her ankle tether, keeping the bedsheet tied off above her breasts. Her agitation increased with each lap, until she had worked herself into a mental frenzy. How long did he plan to leave her locked in a room? Was he ever coming back?
Anger bubbled to the surface and spilled over. She spun on her heel and glared at the camera. “Let me the fuck out of here, you bastard! You have no right to keep me here against my will.”
She glanced at the door. Waited. But, the knob didn’t move.
Was he even watching? Listening? Where else would he be? Frustrated, she swung about and stalked to the end of the bed, bent down and yanked at the chain with all of her strength. After a few jerks proved futile, she gave up, dropped the chain, and sat down on the cold floor with a harrumph. “What sort of twisted fucking game is this?”
“My game.” Foster’s stern voice vibrated down her spine.
Startled, Lexi jumped to her feet and came about, gripping the sheet tight to her chest as if it were made of steel.
His intense gaze burned into hers, melting her where she stood. “W-what happens if I don’t want to play?” She cringed at the quiver in her voice.
The smile he awarded her was affable, more in line with the kind professor she remembered from history class, but his expression held an intensity that captivated her. “You will.” He crossed the space and covered her hands with his warm ones. “You’re trembling.”
Lexi swallowed a surge of embarrassment and glanced down at his knuckles. “It’s going to get worse.”
He leaned in close. His fragrance, rich and all male, danced across her nostrils. His lips seared her forehead with a paternal kiss before he moved away, taking his intoxicating scent with him. “Then we should get started.” He left the room and disappeared into the corridor.
She frowned, confused.
Get started with what?
Was her heart racing from the escalating Vicodin withdrawal or his enthralling proximity? Lexi didn’t have long to consider the question before Professor Foster returned to the room carrying a pint glass of what appeared to be water.
He crossed to the dresser across from the bed and set the glass down, then reached into his pocket. He set a round white pill beside the water and pivoted to face her. “The first thing I expect of you is for you to get clean. You are done with Vicodin. You will get no more.” He thumbed over his shoulder. “I have no desire to see you suffer”—his lip twitched—“needlessly, so I offer an alternative.” He flashed his devilish dimple. “One you will have to earn.”
Lexi glanced at the pill on the dresser.
Methadone.
It would alleviate the withdrawal symptoms without offering the high her Vicodin offered. With regular doses, she could be clean in a few weeks without the agony normally associated with the process. Did he really intend to keep her chained up that long? “Earn it how, Professor Foster?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer, but couldn’t stop from asking.
“First off, call me Mark. I’m not your professor anymore, and I think the intimacy of our new relationship warrants more familiarity. As to how, we’ll start simple. I want you to kiss me.”
Lexi swallowed back her trepidation and forced herself to look at him. A mistake. Heated blood rushed through her limbs. “W-what?” She folded her arms protectively around her waist.
“Kiss me, Alexis.” His voice arrived husky, softly commanding. “Like you want to.”
Her cheeks burned. What kind of game was he playing? Did he really intend to keep her there like some kind of sex slave? For how long? To what end? Her sobriety? Why did he even give a shit? “And if I refuse? Demand that you release me?”
His wide shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Then I leave you to suffer your addiction and self-abuse in solitude. But, understand one thing. No matter what you decide with respect to your therapy, I will not be releasing you.”
“You’re crazy. You can’t just keep me here. It’s illegal.”
“So is dealing drugs. Consider this a citizen’s arrest.”
An unsteady laugh burst from her throat as the irony of her situation hit her full force. She should be enraged by his actions. Furious. She was chained to the wall, for Christ’s sake. But anger wasn’t anything close to what she felt at his demand for a kiss. In truth, what Profess—err, Mark offered was something Lexi had fantasized about since freshman year. Her crush on her history professor, fodder for her most erotic dreams. She’d thought about kissing his firm lips more times then she could count, teased herself to orgasm while she imagined his intense gray eyes hovering above her, her quivering body pinned to the bed by his thrusting hips…
Alexis gave herself a mental shake and did her best to slow her racing pulse. “I kiss you and I get the pill? What happens when it’s time for another dose? What will you expect me to do for that one?”
“All recovery comes in steps, sweet Alexis. Let’s get through this one first, shall we?”
Tension knotted her shoulders as she took a step closer to him. She glanced at his sensual lips with the next step, the weight of the chain tethering her ankle a harsh reminder of her situation. She gathered courage and took the final step, closing the distance separating them.