Morgan, Nicole - Sweet Vengeance [Sweet Awakenings 3] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Nicole Morgan

They were walking slowly, in tandem with one another as he still held his hand over her mouth and the tip of the blade firmly against the side of her neck. Having his body pressed so close to hers was throwing her balance off and she was fighting to remain upright with every step they took.

  “That’s it, nice and easy. You really are a good girl, aren’t you? Now, if I can trust you I’m gonna take my hand off of your mouth. Can I trust you, Chelsea?”

  She cringed at the use of her name and the realization that he knew it. The soft way that he whispered it as his hot breath washed over her neck disgusted her.

  “I asked you a question, Chelsea. Are you going to start being difficult?” His grip around her neck had tightened slightly with his question.

  Chelsea rapidly shook her head no. The slight edge his voice took on scared her. The last thing she wanted was to anger the man who was holding a knife to her neck.

  “Good. Here, sit down.” He pushed her to the small sofa and stared down at her.

  Her eyes widened, and she swallowed the fear that had built itself up in her throat. “Who…are you?”

  She hesitated with the question, not sure if she was allowed to speak or not. There was something about the man standing before her that made her feel as though he could snap at any moment, with no warning whatsoever.

  He continued to stare at her. She wondered if the look in his eyes meant she was going to die.

  Chelsea dropped her gaze to the knife that he was playing with in his hand. He hadn’t answered her question. Obviously, this was a “no questions asked” abduction. She almost wanted to laugh at her sarcastic thought. The initial fear was wearing off, and now she was faced with a mind that was running on overdrive trying to think of a way, any way, to get out of here and away from him.

  She had to think about what the ramifications would be if she failed. She had no doubts that he would kill her, or at least harm her severely. It might have been the way he had manhandled her just moments ago, or the way he so carelessly stuck the tip of the knife’s blade against her tender flesh, but either way she had a feeling that when provoked, this man could be volatile.

  “My name is Rico.” A twisted smile formed on his face as he saw the fear wash over her.

  “Wait…wh…why are you telling me your name?” she whispered the question.

  Chelsea watched his face, his eyes, and saw how a small scar above his eye creased into an almost frown-like appearance. She was suddenly shaking. It’s not like she was an expert on kidnapping situations, but didn’t they usually try to conceal their identity? He was showing her his face and giving her his name. Was he really going to kill her? She felt like she was going to be sick.

  “Don’t worry, honey. I’m not gonna hurt you.”

  You’re not?” she said with relief in her voice.

  “Of course not. There’s some people that would just like to speak with you.” He answered in a calm voice.

  Chelsea said nothing, but only nodded. He seemed nice, sincere, he was even acting kind, but she wasn’t stupid. If they just wanted to talk to her, they could do that here. There was a reason that they were taking her. She was all too aware of what that reason probably was.

  They were going to kill her. Despite what this man Rico was telling her, she was going to die. She wouldn’t see Adam anymore and he would hate himself for what had happened to her. He would live his life suffering because he would believe it was his fault. No! She would not allow Adam or her to lose one another. She would fight, and she wouldn’t give up until she was in Adam’s arms again.

  It wasn’t a total lie. His job was just to deliver her, not hurt her. That was a good thing, too, because he didn’t think that he would be able to lay a hand on her pretty little head. She wasn’t just gorgeous, with her blonde hair and hazel eyes, but she had a quality of sweetness about her.

  He thought she looked rather sweet sitting there timid and scared, afraid of what he’d do next. “Relax, honey. We’re just gonna take a drive and meet some people that have been very intrigued to meet you.”

  “People, what people?” She found her voice again.

  “Sorry, honey. You’ll just have to wait and see. It’s actually sad, you know.” He sat down on the desk directly in front of her. “You’re very pretty. You seem like a nice girl too. How’d you end up with such a loser?”

  “Listen, I think maybe you have the wrong—” Her speech was silenced when he reached his hand up and stroked her cheek with the side of his fingers.

  He hesitated when she flinched. “Relax honey. I’m not into forcing women. You’re just pretty, that’s all.” He pulled his hand away and shrugged. “Besides, I’m not your biggest problem, the boss is. Your little boyfriend went and pissed off some very important people.”

  Rico watched and actually felt sorry for her when he saw a small tear fall from beneath her eyelids. She really was very sweet. Usually when he’d taken women in the past they were a bunch of tattooed, pierced, foulmouthed women who fought him to the death to try and get away, but not this woman. No, Chelsea Hart was a lady. He had made his request for her to behave, and she had complied, beautifully.

  “Don’t cry, honey. I told you I’m not going to hurt you.”

  She opened her eyes and blinked a few stray tears away. “Really? You’re not? Then why…can’t you just let me go? Please…I didn’t do anything to you. Won’t you just please let me go?”

  He couldn’t explain why her sweetness was getting to him so much. This wasn’t his first kidnapping, and it wouldn’t be the last, but as he sat on the desk looking into her sad eyes, he realized there were a lot of things different about this job. He should already be on his way to bring her to the boss. He shouldn’t be sitting here talking to her like they were friends. She was his captive, his assignment, nothing more.

  “Please…I won’t tell anyone about you, about your name, anything, I swear. I won’t even tell my boyfriend.”

  He was listening to her, admiring the calm, ladylike way in which she was handling herself, when her last statement caught him off guard, causing him to laugh hysterically.

  “Honey, I’m not so worried about your boyfriend. Besides, seeing as though he’s the reason you’re in this mess, and he has a history of getting his women in trouble, I hardly think he’s a very viable candidate for the hero award.” His voice took on a more serious note before he continued, “I only wish you hadn’t met him in the first place. You seem nice. I wish I didn’t have to put you through this.”

  “Then don’t. Please…I meant what I said. I’ll do whatever you want. I won’t say anything to anyone. Just please let me go.”

  He wanted to, which struck him as odd. Had he ever cared about or felt remorse for any of his kidnap victims in the past? It was definitely a new and strange feeling knowing that he suddenly possessed a conscience.

  “I’m sorry, honey. I have a job to do. I have to take you to them. It’ll be fine though, you’ll see. They just want to talk to you.”

  “Really? Just talk? They’re not going to hurt me?” Wasn’t the question pointless? She would be a fool to believe anything he said.

  “Yeah, honey, just talk.” He was lying to her. He knew they were probably going to kill her. It wouldn’t make sense to kidnap her and let her go, what kind of message would that send? “Can I trust you to walk out to the car with me and not do anything to bring attention to us?”

  She nodded her head. “Yes. Just please don’t hurt anybody.”

  He stood up in front of her. An unusual flutter formed in his stomach when he looked down and saw her head only inches from his cock. Did he want her? He’d never been attracted to his targets before. Hell, if he did want her, he’d better rein in that lust, because a situation like that could really fuck up a job like this. He couldn’t let anything get in the way or screw this up.

  Rico held his hand out to her and waited while she hesitantly took it. “Just relax, I promise you, you’re gonna be fine.” He suddenly hated himself for
lying to her.

  Chelsea said nothing but only nodded.

  Rico sensed a change in her demeanor. She was thinking. He’d been through enough of these to know when someone was going to try and escape. Shit, he hated this part. Almost like he had a special telepathic power, just as he suspected, Chelsea jerked free from his hand and ran toward the stairs.

  “Fuck!” he screamed.

  “Chelsea, get back here.” He went after her, thankful that, from the position he had been standing, she was forced to run toward the back of the hall rather than down the stairs toward the front door.

  Chapter 27

  Chelsea had almost gotten the door to the hall bathroom closed when a large, strong hand picked her up around her waist and hoisted her in the air over his shoulder. She screamed, until she felt the cool blade meet with her thigh. He was taking her somewhere in the house. She looked down at the floor and watched his steps. Oh God, no! The bedroom, he was taking her back to the bedroom.

  Rico stalked in the room and threw her down on the bed. He muttered a word in another language that she didn’t understand. Finally, he turned to face her after slamming the bedroom door. She could see the fury in his eyes. She hadn’t just angered him, she’d infuriated him.

  “I’m sorry. Please…I won’t try anything again. I just…” She pleaded as she began to cry.

  Oh God. Adam. It was all she could think. She closed her eyes on the frightening realization that she may never see him again. Never be held by him, kissed by him, or touched by him.

  “Fuck, stop that! Damn it, I said stop crying.” His emotions were playing havoc on him. Why should he give a rat’s ass if she cried? She was just some bitch he was supposed to pick up and deliver to the boss. Why should it matter? He didn’t know her, but damn if the sight of her tears didn’t tear him to shreds.

  Chelsea slowed her cries. “I’m sorry. Please…Rico.”

  “Don’t. Don’t you do that. Don’t say my fucking name!” He was screaming at her now. His moment of tenderness was gone. He didn’t like the way his insides felt when she said his name. It confused him. He had a fucking job to do, that’s all this was, a job.

  Sniffling and wiping her eyes she nodded. “Okay.”

  Rico couldn’t think. His brain was on overdrive. What was wrong with him? Just put her in the car and drive to the boss. That was all he had to do. It wasn’t fucking rocket science, but damn it, her eyes. They were so scared and sad.

  He wanted to hold her and tell her that she would be okay. Even though he knew she wouldn’t. Was that it? Was he just getting tired of innocent people getting killed so a message could be sent for other people’s actions? Or was it her? He needed to think. He needed something to clear his head. He reached for his belt buckle, undid it, and started to slide it out of the loops.

  A silent scream tore from Chelsea’s throat. Her mouth dropped open, but barely a squeak came when she saw him undoing his belt. No!

  He was pissed. He’d already told her that he wasn’t going to hurt her, that he wasn’t into forcing, but here she sat, in front of him on the bed shaking, because she thought he was going to rape her.

  “Look. I’m not gonna hurt you. It’s not what you think. I just need a few minutes to collect my thoughts. I’m betting you’ve got a beer in this house somewhere right?”

  She nodded with fear in her eyes. Fear he couldn’t bear to see. He already told her that he wouldn’t hurt her.

  “Good. Because I need one, and I think you’ve proven that I can’t trust you.”

  “I don’t understand. If you’re not going to hurt me, what’s the belt for?”

  He hated how big her eyes had gotten, how scared she looked. “Stop that. Look I told you I wasn’t going to hurt you, didn’t I? I was just going to tie you up so I could sit down, have a beer, and think. Fuck, Chelsea! Why don’t you believe me?”

  Chelsea was beyond confused. Fear, anxiety, uncertainty disbelief and a million other emotions kept bumping into each other inside her head. He seemed sincere. He seemed to really mean what he said, but why then? Why was he doing any of this? He almost acted like he cared about her, which she knew made no sense, but in his eyes she saw a certain amount of kindness. So she decided to take a chance.

  “I do believe you, Rico. That’s also why I know you’re going to let me go.” She waited as his eyes snapped up to hers. She could sense the shock in his expression.

  “Please. I think that’s what you want to do anyway. I meant what I said. I won’t tell anyone. No one has to know about this. You haven’t really done anything yet. Breaking and entering, but that’s all. If you take me, Rico, it will be kidnapping. Do you really want to do that?”

  He stood there, staring at her while she spoke to him. She prayed he was truly listening.

  “Look, I’m sorry…believe me, I’ve never been sorry about a kidnapping before, but—” His face changed as he spoke. He seemed genuinely sorry for his actions.

  “Look, Chelsea, I have to take you to them. I don’t even think I want to, but I have to. Your boyfriend pissed off some bad people, I should know. I’m a bad person too, and if I don’t take you to them those bad people are gonna kill me.”

  “Kill you. Then what makes you so sure that they won’t hurt me?” She looked at him, searched his face for any signs of deceit, but instead she saw remorse. “You’re not sure. You’re only saying that to calm me down. But you think they will hurt me don’t you?”

  He turned away from her, not looking her in the eye, and not answering her either.

  “Rico? You promised me that I wouldn’t be hurt. You said you wouldn’t hurt me.” Why on earth was she trying to reason with the man that had been sent to kidnap her?

  “No Chelsea. I did say I wouldn’t hurt you, and I won’t, but they will. I’m sorry honey. They’re probably going to kill you.”

  Chelsea ran from the room at his words, fighting back the pain in her gut that this would be her last day. She had barely made it past the bathroom door when Rico grabbed a fistful of her hair and slammed her down to the ground. She landed with a thud and felt a sharp pain radiate up her spine from the impact. He got on top of her, straddling his big body over hers.

  “Rico, please.” Her tears flowed freely, she had no idea what was going to happen next, but she knew it was bad, and she knew she’d never see Adam again.

  “Don’t fight me. Please, honey, don’t fight me. I don’t want to hurt you, but you’ve left me with no choice.”

  Panic bubbled up and she howled in fear. “No!” She kicked, scratched, bit, did any amount of damage she could think of. She knew it was a futile attempt. He was huge and she was so small, but she had to try.

  Rico was struggling to control her flailing arms and legs. She was all over the place and fighting him with everything that she had. She’d already scratched and bitten him. She did a pretty good job of it too if the red droplets that were falling to her chest were any indication. If he got really rough, he could restrain her with no problems, but she had every intention of fighting him.

  He didn’t want to hurt her. She could tell that he didn’t. If she just was able to fight back long enough, maybe she could wear him down. In the struggle, Rico suddenly stilled.

  Chelsea’s eyes widened when she heard the car out front. It sounded like Adam’s car. Did he come back?

  Rico was straddling over her body and she knew she was running out of time. He reached up his hand to strike her. The blow came across her jaw with his fist. Her head fell back and her eyes closed shut from the pain.

  She could feel him picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder. Carrying her, running through the house, he knocked over a kitchen chair. Her body was being jostled roughly, but none of it matched the pain she felt in her heart.

  Adam. It was her final thought before she lost consciousness.

  Chapter 28

  Adam struggled with what he was going to say. His nerves had only worsened in the last ten minutes it took to get back her
e. He was hoping and praying that when he saw her it would all come to him. That he would magically know the right thing to say.

  He had no intention of giving up on his plans to seek vengeance, but he had to tell her what hearing she loved him did to him. She had to know that when this was over, he would do everything in his power to try and make things work for them. It was no longer an option. He no longer cared if he was being selfish. He had to have her in his arms, in his life, in his bed. The idea of not having those things was something he didn’t even want to consider. He had just stepped on the porch when he heard a noise.

  He turned the door handle, surprised that it was still unlocked. “Chelsea?” he yelled the one word as he entered the house.

  Instantly, he saw what the noise had been. In the kitchen he saw a chair overturned and her purse spilled over with all its contents on the floor. A sickening twist took hold of his heart. He raced up the stairs to the bedroom, yelling Chelsea’s name. When she didn’t answer, he prayed silently that he would find her in bed sleeping.

  Racing into the room, Adam’s fears only magnified. She wasn’t in bed. Although it was still a mess from their night together, he couldn’t ignore looking at it and thinking something was off.

  “Chelsea?” He left the bedroom to head to the bathroom. Maybe she’d taken a bath, maybe she had her headphones on, maybe she’d fallen asleep, maybe there was a perfectly reasonable explanation why she wasn’t answering him.

  When he didn’t find her in the bathroom, he went on a frantic search throughout the house. His worry only increased when he stopped short just outside her bedroom in the hallway. Something caught his eye on the carpet.

  “God no.” He bent over and touched the wet stain with his finger and brought it up to the light. His eyes closed tightly shut and he fought the overwhelming urge to throw up. It was blood.

  Adam looked down at the floor, at the small droplets that led a trail from the hallway, down the stairs and through the living room. Following them, he stepped around the spot, careful not to disturb any evidence, and realizing that it might need to be used as evidence sickened him even more.