In one full swoop, the hand at his knee rose to his face, pulling the ski mask up and over his head. It took a few seconds for the face smiling back at her to register, and then – when the realization hit her – she was even more confused.
“It’s you!” she gasped. “From the signing? Connor wasn’t it?”
His handsome face beamed back at her. “She remembers me,” he mused. “I’m touched.”
Molly stared at him, trying to read his expression, now that she had the benefit of it. “So, what is this, Connor?”
She heard the tremble in her voice as she asked, and she flinched at it. She despised how vulnerable she felt, and she deeply resented that this stranger had the ability to make her feel this way.
He glowered at her, the intensity in his gaze making her restless. Connor Reilly was either the hottest guy she’d ever met, or he was the scariest. Worst still was the possibility that he might just be both.
“This, Molly,” he began, moving toward her a fraction. “Is the beginning of your new story.”
She gulped, blinking at him. She barely wanted to ask, and yet she had to know. “A new story?” she replied. “What do you mean? What do you want from me?”
Connor shifted slightly in his seat, his gaze never leaving her. “Just relax,” he soothed. “I only want you to do what you already love.”
Molly swallowed. “What do you know about that?” The words flew from her mouth as little more than a hiss, her tone scathing.
Connor’s eyes narrowed. “Watch your tone, young lady,” he warned her. “I won’t have any disrespect.”
Molly balked at that. “What?” she cried. “Who the fuck do you think you are? I mean, I’m grateful that you saved me from those thugs back there, and all, but you can’t keep me in here, and you can’t tell me what to do.”
He moved like a serpent, his actions so quick that Molly barely had time to catch her breath. Connor slid wordlessly against the black leather, catching her body and pinning her back against the side of the car. She gasped, raising her hands to push back against him, but he caught her wrists with ease, holding her in place as he leaned in toward her face.
“Ouch!” she wailed, trying to wriggle free of his insistent grip on her wrists. “You’re hurting me. Please, let me go.”
Her body trembled as he pressed himself against her wet clothes. “Let’s get a few things straight, Molly,” he growled. “I am in charge here – not you. I warned you just then not to be disrespectful, and then immediately, you run your mouth to me… Not very smart, I’d say.”
He was so close to her now that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her face. The most peculiar aroma of spearmint washed over her. Molly gulped at him, literally terrified.
“Okay, I’m s-sorry,” she stammered.
His eyes flickered over her petrified face. “You will be, Molly. You absolutely will be.”
“Please,” she whimpered. “Don’t hurt me.”
Connor’s lips smirked at her. “This is how things are going to go.” His voice was calm, although there was an edge of excitement in his tone, as though he’d been planning this moment out in his head for a long time. “I am going to take you, Molly. The only question is, how you want to be taken.”
Her throat tightened at his words, and all of a sudden, it was a real effort to push the air in and out of her body. “T-take me?” she repeated, her body still pinned awkwardly to the side of the car. “Where are you going to take me?”
Connor’s gaze scanned over her again. “It doesn’t matter where I am taking you,” he replied. “All you need to worry about is how this is going to go. Are you going to behave, or are you going to resist?”
Chapter Four
Resist? The guy had to be fucking kidding. No one was going to take her anywhere. She hadn’t just escaped the clutches of those young assholes, only to be abducted by another one. And that’s what this was – that’s what he meant when he talked about taking her. He wants to capture me, she thought, her mind reeling. He wants to keep me.
“Well?” he demanded, eyeing her intently. “What’s it to be?”
She hesitated, trying to think over the deafening sound of her heartbeat. “What do you want me to say?” she said eventually. “Do you think I’m just going to let you take me?”
Connor chuckled, moving away from her slightly. It was only a few inches, but it was all she had, and in that moment, Molly seized the chance and lurched forward toward him. Their heads connected, and she butted him as hard as she could muster. The impact hurt like hell, the contact ringing through her head as he drew away, wincing.
“Fucking bitch,” he grumbled, his hands shifting to the place her forehead cracked against his.
Molly moved, sliding from the seat and landing on the floorboard. Her hands were at the car door at once, fumbling around in the darkness for the lock. Connor had said there was no way, but surely, he must be wrong? All cars have a door release, so why should this be an exception? Waves of nausea and panic crashed over her as her fingers scratched over the expensive interior. Where was the damn release mechanism? There had to be a way out.
She glanced around, painfully aware that the window of time she had bought herself was slipping away. Connor was shifting on the leather seat, still rubbing his head. Their eyes locked momentarily, his expression darkening at the sight of her wide-eyed panic.
“Looks like you made your choice, Molly,” he snarled. “Another stupid move on your part, but hey – it was all yours…”
Terrified, Molly turned back to the glass, her fists rising and banging on the blacked-out window. “Help me!” she screeched, scrabbling around against the door. “Someone, please help me!”
She heard him moving, but it was too late. In the blink of an eye, a strap was passed over her head, and she blinked as the gag descended toward her mouth.
“No way,” she cried, turning her face away to avoid it making contact with her.
Her hands smashed against the glass again. Surely someone would be passing by the car outside and hear her?
“That’s enough of that,” he purred. He was right behind her again, his body trapping her against the failed exit route. “Open up, Molly. Do things the easy way this time, and I won’t have to hurt you.”
She tensed at his veiled warning, twisting her body to see his face. “Don’t do this!” she pleaded. “Please, just let me go. I swear I won’t tell anyone, I swear I…”
Moving like lightning, his hands shoved the large plastic ball straight into her open mouth, pulling the straps hard behind her. She squealed against the ball, her lips forced apart in an instant. Connor secured the straps, buckling it tight at the back of her head, and instinctively, Molly’s hands rose to rip the thing from her face.
“Uh-uh, naughty girl.” He laughed, grabbing her hands and pulling them down to her sides. “That gag is staying in place until you can learn to be quiet.”
She screeched against the plastic, terror spreading over her as she realized just how much trouble she was in. Fuck! she thought, straining against his strong hands. Fuck no!
“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to be so aggressive with you,” he growled, yanking her arms backwards and drawing her body helplessly against him. “But it seems, Molly, that you have a few lessons to learn about obedience.”
His mouth grazed over her neck suddenly, and her body stilled. She was petrified, gagged and held in place by this complete lunatic, and yet – for all that – the feel of his lips at her nape captured her. It was sensual, unsettling and different. It felt almost tender. The act made her stop fighting for the first time since she had head-butted him.
“It’s okay though,” he murmured, planting more hot kisses toward her strapped cheek. “I am just the man to teach you those lessons, Molly…”
He moved behind her, one of his hands holding both her wrists in place at the small of her back, while the other fumbled for something under the front seat. Molly squirmed with frustration
. It was beyond irritating that he could hold her so easily in place with only one hand, and the vexation mingled with the growing fear inside her. All at once, his attention was back on her, and she twisted to see a cloth of some sort in his right hand. Molly eyed it with trepidation, her heart pounding out of control as he addressed her.
“This isn’t going to hurt you,” he explained, bringing the cloth up and around to the front of her face. “You’re just going to sleep while I take you where you need to be.”
Noooo! It was her mind screaming, although Molly echoed its anxiety with the groan which came through the plastic ball in her mouth. She had to resist whatever was on that cloth at all costs. If she lost consciousness, that would be it. He would have her, and she’d be utterly powerless to stop him. The cloth approached her even as the thoughts shot through her head, showing her what she should have already known, she was too late. Connor pressed it over her gagged mouth, allowing her nose room to breathe in whatever he had covered the fabric with. In a panic, Molly drew in a large breath, inhaling whatever noxious chemical he was going to use to abduct her. The effect hit her like a wall of pain, her head pounding as her fate hit her. She spluttered around the plastic, trying to twist her face away from the cloth, but Connor was stronger and in control, his determination apparently honed.
“Stop fighting, Molly,” he coaxed, his body flush against her.
His words riled her all the more. Fighting with all her might, the fingers of her captured hands clawed at his body behind her. But it was too late, and already she could feel the world around her getting foggy. Molly blinked into the darkness, her reactions giddy as though she had consumed one too many glasses of wine. Her head fell forward, the weight of it carrying it south despite Connor’s hand, which was still at her mouth. He released the cloth slowly, and instinctively she tried to cough from behind the gag. She was vaguely aware of him flinging the cloth onto the floor, and his fingers gently dipping her head back against his chest. Her eyes were fluttering shut, but her breathing was calmer now, and she no longer strained against the plastic in her mouth.
Before slipping into a chemical-induced stupor, the last thing she heard was the sound of his low, seductive tone as it vibrated over her. “You’re fucking perfect.”
Chapter Five
The first thing was the noise. She was aware of sounds around her, small noises like people moving, the resonance of shuffling feet against the floor. She was calm because she couldn’t remember why she would need to be otherwise. And then, all at once, she did remember. The horror of the memory hit her like a heavy weight, and the force of the injury made her eyes flicker open. Or, at least, it should have done. Her brain was definitely commanding her eyelids to open, but for the longest time, those lids would simply not obey.
A new panic sprung from her. Was she blind? Maybe this was it, and she’d never be able to see anything again. Maybe she had died and the darkness was all that was left. She opened her mouth and pulled in a painful breath. That’s when she realized that the awful gag had been removed, and the fact made her absurdly grateful. Her mouth, though, felt terrible. It was dry, and there was the oddest taste whenever she swallowed, a side effect perhaps, of whatever she had inhaled.
“Molly.”
Her body tensed at the sound of her name, her head shifting slightly to where his voice came from. Even the smallest movement made her feel queasy, and she groaned at the recognition.
“It’s okay,” he said, his voice sounding distant. “You’re fine. It’s just the effects of the chloroform wearing off.”
Chloroform? She moaned again as the word registered somewhere deep in her mind. Is that what he had made her breathe? Oh shit…
“It requires a certain level of expertise to ensure you stay unconscious for the right period of time,” he went on. “Plus, a number of top-up doses. But don’t worry. I have smart friends who know this stuff. You didn’t have too much.”
Too much? The panic surged, his words doing nothing to reassure her. It was then that she realized her hands were bound behind her, and the terror became suffocating, shooting up until she coughed and gagged, trying to expel it. Her heart was pounding, faster and faster, the sound of it banging inside her mind.
“Open your eyes.” The words were said in a soft, goading tone, yet the command was not lost on her, and this time she concentrated, forcing her eyes to open.
Molly blinked into the shadows of the room, her gaze taking in as much of the scene as her shocked brain would permit. She was lying on her left side on what appeared to be a bed. There was a window just beyond her head, and weak, silver light flooded into the room, illuminating the presence of Connor, who was towering over her.
She shifted her gaze, gasping as she met his intense, green stare. “Wh…” She hesitated, her parched throat felt like sandpaper as she tried to speak. “Where am I?”
He watched her, hooking his thumbs into the front pockets of his black jeans, motionless for a moment. “It doesn’t matter where you are.”
She blinked at him, taking in the air around her. It did matter. It mattered a lot, but she didn’t have the energy to press him on the matter for the time being.
Connor edged forward, crouching in front of her face. “I removed your gag. I wanted to make sure you had enough room to breathe, but, Molly”—his face darkened as he spoke to her—“I won’t hesitate to put it back on if you cannot control your mouth. Do you understand?”
His gaze was cold, and Molly shivered reflexively. “Yes,” she whispered.
Her head hurt, and she was freezing and thirsty. So thirsty.
“How’s your head?” he asked her, as though he actually gave a shit.
“It hurts,” she croaked. “And I’m thirsty.” She paused, unsure if she should ask for a drink or not.
“You’d like a glass of water?” His stare was dark, despite the striking color of his eyes. The intensity of that look was consuming. It was as though she was a meal he was about to eat. The thought made her shudder.
“Yes, please,” she replied, nodding as though the point needed reinforcement.
“I will get you one in a moment,” he promised, his gaze falling down the line of her bound body again. “But first, we’re going to start with the ground rules.”
Molly blinked up at him, flexing the fingers of her bound hands. “Rules?” she repeated. “What do you want with me?”
There was silence as the question filled the near empty room. The words resonated around her body, taunting her long after they’d left her lips. She was truly terrified. It was an overwhelming sensation which crushed her chest, making it hard to breathe. Molly had a good idea what a man might want with a woman when he abducted and bound her, and the thought made her want to heave. Yet, still, she had to know his intentions. He had, after all, been the same man who’d saved her from the gang of other predators.
Connor’s face broke into a smile, the same suave one which had captured her attention at the book signing. “Don’t worry about that now,” he told her. “I’m not going to make you do anything you can’t do, or won’t want to do.”
He shifted at her side, his fingers rising to her face. Molly flinched out of instinct, drawing her eyes closed as his hand approached.
“Open them,” he commanded, and despite the banging in her head and the pounding of her heart, she complied.
Their gazes met briefly. His seemed calm and in control, although she thought she saw lust etched into the dilated irises. His hand met her face, but the touch was gentle, and wordlessly, he stroked the loose strands of hair there.
“That’s better,” he cooed. “Rule one, Molly. You are going to obey my every command.”
Her breath hitched at that. He sounded like one of the heroes in her latest series of books. “Obey you,” she replied, although it wasn’t really a query, more of an echo.
Her tone was light and dreamy, as if her brain hadn’t fully caught up with the status quo. She’d been kidnapped, for fuck’s
sake, but despite her terror at the idea, she couldn’t bring herself to argue with him. Perhaps it was the chloroform, or just shock, but her head felt heavy, with no sense of urgency.
He chuckled at her, resting on his knees as he leaned a little closer. “Yes,” he said. “Obey me. I know you may not find this easy at first, but with time, it will become second nature.”
“Wh – why should I obey you?” she stammered, her tone breathy as she forced the words out.
“Because I am the one in charge here, Molly,” he told her, “and you’re the one bound on the bed.”
She squirmed at his accurate depiction, riled and anxious energy coursing through her. Molly loved bondage usually. She loved the feeling of its grip against her skin, and relished the restriction it offered, but this was different. Unsettling. This was not a consensual game of kink. This was a stranger who had taken her to God knows where, to do who knew what. Her throat dried further as the explanation washed over her.
“Have you got it, Molly?” His expression was little more than a wry smirk as his tone caught her attention again.
She nodded, fighting the tears which suddenly threatened to well in her eyes. “Y-yes,” she stammered. “I understand.”
“Smart girl,” came the reply. “Now, you’re probably wondering why you’ve been brought here, and that brings me to rule two.”
She twisted against whatever it was that held her wrists together behind her back. She’d never had great circulation, and she could sense the loss of feeling on her left side already.
“You’re going to write for me, Molly.” He presented the words as a statement of fact, but they nearly made Molly laugh out loud.
“Write for you?” she cried, trying to stifle her laughter. “Why would I do that?”
His expression hardened at once. “We’re back to rule one,” he said sternly. “Now I know you’re an intelligent woman, so I’m not going to need to go over it again so soon, am I?” He paused, clearly waiting for Molly to answer.
Taken: (A Dark Romance Kidnap Thriller) (The Dark Necessities Trilogy Book 1) Page 2