Taken: (A Dark Romance Kidnap Thriller) (The Dark Necessities Trilogy Book 1)

by Felicity Brandon

  “I’m not a particularly patient man, Molly,” he told her in what sounded like a low growl. “Is there a good reason you’re making me wait?”

  She gazed up at him, her eyes like saucers. “You want me on the floor, Sir?” she whispered, as though she couldn’t wrap her head around the concept.

  He smiled, a sentiment which did not reach his eyes. “Exactly,” he replied, pointing to the spot he intended.

  Molly swallowed hard as the ugly truth hit her. This was really happening. This man really wanted her by his feet. A sudden wave of emotion rushed through her body. She couldn’t decide if it was blind panic or lust which overtook her, but something made her move. She slid from the chair, all too aware of the leather at her neck, and the rattling of the chains at her limbs as she fell to her hands and knees before him.

  “Better,” he said sternly. “But don’t make me wait next time.”

  Molly’s hair fell forward in a dark brown curtain around her face as she nodded. “Yes, Sir,” she answered the towering giant beside her.

  Connor gripped her leash, tugging at it to get her moving. “Now crawl,” he told her matter-of-factly. “I want to see how my little pet looks in motion.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Despite the veil of hair which was swept over her attractive face, he saw the look of disdain in Molly’s eyes at his suggestion. There was a moment when he considered pulling her back to the bed, hoisting her over his lap again and spanking that expression away, but he decided against it. If her behavior didn’t improve, then he was sure he’d have that chance, but right now was not the time. Now, he finally had her leashed and chained, and he got to delight in the look and sound of Molly as she crawled gingerly into the narrow hall.

  He noticed her eyes darting around the place as he led her onwards, but this wasn’t a tour, and he gave her no time to acclimatize to her new surroundings. Instead, he commanded her to keep crawling as he stood on the worn cream carpet, eyeing the long limbs and reddened arse that slunk past his shoes.

  Fuck, she was divine.

  The look of her at his feet made him want to chain her to the landing bannister and come all over that disdainful expression. He squeezed his eyes closed momentarily, urging himself to be patient as he led her into the larger room at the end of the hallway, the one he’d converted into an upstairs kitchen. Standing by the entrance to the door, Connor drew her into the room by her leash.

  “In you go,” he ordered as she paused, her flushed face looking up to meet his eye.

  She bit her lip, pulling it between her teeth as she obeyed, crawling onto the tiles of the kitchen. Connor moved in behind her, closing the door and using the top bolt to secure it. He had installed strong bolts onto all of the doors. This meant he could either bolt her in – or out – of any room he chose.

  He drew her body inside, directing her to the far wall, where he’d assembled an array of large clothes hooks, designed for hanging coats or bags on. But there would be no clothing on these pegs, in fact, they’d be no clothing for Molly at all. She had no use for that now. He intended to keep the house warm and his captive naked – at all times. Connor approached the first hook, a large metal peg which had been secured into the wall and lifted the handle of her leash. He wrapped it around the hook twice, tugging it hard to ensure it couldn’t slip from its place. The act shortened Molly’s leash, forcing her in the direction of the counter, next to the radiator. He watched excitedly as her eyes fell over the other contents of her little corner, his cock bursting to life at her expression.

  “Yes,” he told her, as though he was able to read her mind. “That will be your bed when we spend time in here and you’re not required for any other tasks.” He emphasized the final word deliberately, enjoying the look of terror which swept across her face before her eyes darted back to the object in question. It was a large pet bed, perfectly soft and round. He’d chosen it carefully, knowing it would be as comfortable as it was denigrating.

  “Get in,” he commanded her. “Try it for size whilst I prepare food.”

  She froze at his words. He actually saw the tension creeping through her limbs. “You…” She hesitated, as though she couldn’t even begin to process his order. “Sir, you can’t be serious,” she snapped, her head tilting up to meet his amused expression. The chain at her neck tightened as she moved, forcing her closer to the animal bed. It was obvious from Molly’s eyes that she could see how much he was enjoying her predicament, and she was right. He loved every second of it.

  “I am absolutely fucking serious,” he retorted, and quick as a flash he swooped, walloping her bottom with his large right hand.

  Molly yelped, darting away too late and ending up exactly where Connor had intended her to be – in the pet bed. Her face flamed as she collapsed into the thing, apparently mortified and beaten, all at the same time. As she settled into its soft confines, Connor steadied himself. He squatted close to her chained body, his eyes devouring the haunted expression on her face.

  “Do you need another lesson in respect so soon, Molly?”

  She swallowed hard, looking close to tears again. “No, Sir,” she whispered, shaking her head for effect.

  “And what about that mouth?” he continued, watching the way her nipples beaded into tight peaks as he spoke. “Do you need to be gagged again, because I’m sure we only just concluded a lesson about how to speak to me?”

  His tone was light, but you wouldn’t know it from Molly’s face. She looked fearful, and distressed, but as he stared at her, he had to wonder if it wasn’t her own response to his treatment which had disgusted her the most.

  “Please no,” she mumbled, raising her eyes to look at him. “I’m sorry, Sir, it’s just this…” She paused, her eyes darting around the animal bed. “All of this. It’s just too much.” Her voice died in the back of her throat and was replaced with a low sob.

  Connor shook his head at her, half amused and half aroused at her show of self-pity. “This isn’t too much, little one,” he cooed. “We’re only just beginning you and me. But don’t you worry, you’ll soon get used to your new routines.” He smiled at her, wanting her to know how happy having her here made him. “In the meantime, I suggest you learn to control that pretty mouth of yours, unless you want it gagged permanently.”

  She sniffed, nodding her head contritely. “Yes, Sir.”

  He straightened, satisfied for the time being that they had reached a level of understanding. It was time to feed his little pet, and he couldn’t wait to see her response to what he had in store for her next.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Molly watched as he rose and sauntered away from her. Her eyes flitted around the room, but she could barely take any of it in. This, the chains, the gag, the pet bed, it had temporarily stunned her. Shifting in her spot as best as she could with the leash holding her in place, she took a better look at her so-called bed. Another sob caught in her throat as she surveyed it miserably. It was literally a fucking mattress made for a dog, and now she was supposed to use it. She shuddered involuntarily at the thought. It was like all of her most depraved fantasies and worst nightmares had collided, and Connor was the orchestrator of them all.

  The sound of running water drew her attention from her pitiful place on the floor, and she looked up to see him standing by a kitchen sink. A sink? Why was there a kitchen sink here? This was the second floor. She knew that because she’d eyed the stairs as she was led in here just now. How many houses have fully-integrated kitchens on their second floor? She looked around the place, taking in the small dining table and chairs immediately to her left, and the line of kitchen counters running along the right wall. At the end of the units was a large, free-standing fridge and next to that, the small counter which her bed was positioned against.

  “Here you are,” he announced, and Molly’s head snapped up to find him striding toward her again.

  The old knot of tension furled inside of her in response. He was so big and so in control,
while she was literally naked at his feet. As she inhaled a raspy breath, her eyes fell to the two bowls he held in his hands. They were large, round and metallic, and she gasped audibly as she acknowledged what they reminded her of; dog feeding bowls.

  He came to within a foot of where she cowered, a wide grin plastered all over his smug face. Molly could make it out in her peripheral vision, and she wished with all her might that she could find a way to wipe that conceit from his expression, but right now there was an even bigger problem at hand. The bowls. Those bowls – animal feeding bowls – which Connor lowered on the floor in front of her.

  “Here’s your food,” he told her gleefully. “And look what a kind Master I am. I’ve even included a drink to wash it down with.”

  Her eyes scanned the bowls just beyond her. The first looked like it contained water, while the second had what resembled scraps of chicken inside it. Her pulse pounded as she absorbed what this meant, and she could feel the blood leaving her face. He wanted her to eat from these things – actually eat from them – like a fucking animal. Anger rose in her like a powerful old friend, sending her eyes narrowing in Connor’s direction.

  What the fuck? Who does this? Who treats a person like this?

  Fury grew in Molly’s head, clouding her vision until she drew back against the radiator. She knew she had to contain this emotion. One more outburst and God only knows what this psycho would do to her as recompense.

  “Something you’d like to say, Molly?” His tone was knowing.

  She swallowed back the vast number of retorts which presented themselves to her at this moment. There were a great many things she would like to say, but she didn’t think any of them would help her now.

  “You want me to eat from these, Sir?” she answered at last, forcing herself to say the final word.

  Molly glanced up to him, watching as he smiled down at her. “Oh yes,” he told her. “I bought these especially for you. You’ll have all of your meals from them, unless I decide to feed you by hand of course.”

  She wanted to balk at the mere idea that she’d take anything from his hand, but somehow, she resisted. Instead, she bit down hard on her lower lip until she tasted her own blood.

  “Come on now,” he commanded her as his towering frame loomed overhead. “Eat up. There might be more for you later if you’re a good girl.”

  With those words he turned, sauntering away to the far counter where he flicked a switch on the shiny kettle which sat waiting on the surface. As he waited for the water to boil, his expectant gaze fell back over Molly and her face burned with indignation. How had this happened? How had she allowed this to happen? And now that it was happening, how could she ever survive this humiliation? Hot tears pooled in the corners of her eyes and she wanted to wipe them away, but the clanking chains at her wrists mortified her even more as she raised her hands.

  Connor turned, busying himself with making a hot drink and with his attention elsewhere, Molly considered the bowls before her. What was she going to do? She was famished, her growling belly was evidence alone of this, but could she really lower herself to do this – to eat from these animal bowls? The worst of it was his attitude. Evidently, Connor actually expected her to be okay with this, to just let him chain her up and make her eat on her hands and knees from now on. A spike of rage rose within her again and for one dangerous moment she considered throwing the bowls over the floor. That would show him what she made of his food. Yet she was ashamed to admit that she was too scared to really do it. Molly had experienced a small taste of what Connor would do when he was pissed off with her, and in spite of his dehumanizing expectations, she had no desire to see that side of him again.

  By the time she looked up, Molly was shocked to find Connor right there, towering over her. She jumped at his sudden proximity, disconcerted that she’d been so caught up in her private musings that she hadn’t even heard his approach.

  “Is there a problem?” he asked her wryly.

  She glanced up to the smiling giant beside her. “I… I don’t know if I can.”

  Molly gestured in the direction of the two, metal bowls, as though there could be any confusion regarding her meaning. Connor snorted at her performance, placing his mug down on the table beside him before turning his attention back to Molly.

  “Don’t then,” he laughed, his British accent thick with offense. “If you think you’re so special that you can’t eat from the items I’ve provided, then you’re in for a rude awakening. Know this, Molly, there won’t be any crockery or cutlery coming any time soon. So, when you eat, it will be from your bowl. You’re mine now. My little writer and my pet, and you’ll be treated as such.”

  He paused, leaving his words to be absorbed. Molly’s eyes blinked in shock as his tirade flew around her head.

  You’re mine now. My little writer and my pet…

  Oh fuck, she thought miserably as her eyes crawled over the chicken once again. He really means it. He’s going to keep me here, like this, for as long as he likes. A shiver passed through her at the realization, despite the close proximity of the warm radiator. I have to escape she decided, her gaze darting to the large bolt he’d slid into place when he’d shut the door. I have to get out of here.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “I’m going to get the laptop,” he told her casually, as though speaking to a grown naked woman in a pet bed by your feet was the most normal thing in the world. “And you seem a little flighty.” He paused, eyeing her as he took a sip of his drink. Placing the mug back on the table top he continued, “Just to make sure you don’t have any silly ideas about getting away, I’ll help you stay put.”

  Connor closed the distance between them in one large stride, stepping over the food bowls before swooping down to Molly’s level. She leapt back at his sudden approach, forcing her body back against the radiator, but he ignored her response.

  “Get down here on all fours,” he instructed, pointing to a spot by his shoes.

  Molly watched him nervously, but he smiled as she complied, shifting her bodyweight slowly until her chained wrists appeared close to where he crouched.

  “Very good,” he murmured, his tone as patronizing as ever as he reached down in front of her body.

  Molly recoiled from his roaming hand, but it made no difference. His palm grasped both of her tits on its route south, stopping to pinch both nipples until they hardened under his touch. Her buds weren’t the only things which reacted that way, and Connor shifted his hips to accommodate the growing length stashed away in his pants. She mewled next to him, lowering her face at this latest indignity.

  There was a weighty silence as his palm left her body and fell down, lifting the edge of the dog bed to reveal a metal D ring embedded between the tiles.

  “I created this for just such a moment,” he told the wide eyes which rose to meet his knowing expression. “I knew you’d be a little jumpy at first, and I wanted to help you out.”

  Holding the dog bed back with his right hand, Connor’s left arm rose to the neighboring unit, opening a small drawer at the top. He fished about inside for a moment, before pulling a new length of chain from inside, all the while his gaze never leaving Molly. Her eyes flitted away, and she caught sight of the latest addition, watching as Connor brought it down to their level. He dropped the metal, his hand rising instead to the leather at her neck. Molly flinched as he slid a digit between the collar and her flesh, jerking her head forward.

  “Hold still now,” he ordered.

  He raised his hand to the small D ring at her collar, unlinking the leash which held her in place, before quickly connecting the end of the new chain. All of this took place in a matter of seconds, and before Molly knew what had happened, she was attached to the chain in his hands.

  It was at that moment she seemed to notice how much shorter this chain was than the first. At only about nine inches, she was helpless as Connor tugged hard, commanding her body down with it. Once she was in his desired position, he connected t
he other end of the chain to the D ring in the floor, effectively pinioning her body there by the neck. He stood, surveying his little pet, chained to his kitchen floor.

  “Don’t leave me like this, Sir,” she pleaded, her voice heavy with obvious panic.

  He grinned, stroking his aching erection through the outside of his trousers. “Don’t worry, little one,” he replied as he unbolted the kitchen door. “I won’t be long. Now be a good girl and stay put. There will be severe consequences if I get back here and find you’ve tried to escape.”

  He heard her whimpers as he closed the door behind him, re-bolting it from the outside for good measure. Back on the landing Connor drew in a deep breath, adjusting his aching cock again. Damn it, he was so hard. He didn’t know if he could take much more, but he knew he had to. It wouldn’t do to frighten his new little pet too soon. He was smiling as he wandered to her room, collecting the laptop from the small table and returning to the kitchen door. The smile broadened when he put his head to the door and heard the small noises coming from beyond it. Molly was even starting to sound like a pet, and the thought did nothing to calm the throbbing need tucked away inside his pants.

  By the time he’d unlocked the bolt and slipped back inside the room, she was practically hyperventilating. He pushed the metal back into place again, turning to watch her. Clearly, she was having difficulty with the idea that she was now something Connor could chain to the floor whenever it pleased him, but to her credit she hadn’t tried to unclick the chain. It seems his threat had been sufficient to tame her this time.

  “Well done,” he crooned, approaching her slowly. He loved the look of her like this, physically cowering to him with her delicious behind forced into the air. “You finally did as you were told.”

  Molly blew out short pants of air as he ducked down beside her. He dodged the dog bowls still untouched where he’d left them, and brushed back her mane of dark hair to find her face flushed with effort. “Why are you doing this?” she gasped, her eyes imploring. “Why me, Sir?”