Think, Vail!
“Fine, whatever. But you need to tell me what you used on me. Whatever the hell it was could make me sick.”
“It was an anesthetic. I believe you call it ether. You will be fine.”
Detached. No hint of remorse. I need to be cautious, because this guy shows all the signs of being a sociopath, and I don’t feel like dying anytime soon.
“Can I go to the bathroom now?”
He slips out of the cab and comes around to open my door. His truck is lifted impossibly high off the ground and he offers his hand to assist me. I push it away with the back of mine and tumble out on my own, nearly falling on my ass in the snow directly in front of him.
Without a word he turns and prowls toward the gas station, assuming that I’ll follow obediently behind him.
Arrogant!
I pull my hat closer down on my head and turn to take a look at his truck.
It’s a massive, pristine silver Ford F-250 that sports enormous, heavily treaded tires that read “Mickey Thompson.” They are set on intimidating, black on black riveted rims. A large rifle hangs from a gun rack behind the seats that I must have missed when I came to.
Fabulous, I’ve been kidnapped by a Nordic Redneck. Just lovely.
Once he realizes that I’m not following behind him, he turns and pins me with an icy glare. I quickly catch up and plan on keeping a healthy distance between us, but he takes my hand in his large, warm one and pulls me next to him.
I suppose to most observers we would look like an ordinary couple. Of course, with me being the sweet, outgoing one and him being, well, Alreck the flipping scary biker.
Pulled close to him like this, I realize that I fall far short of even his shoulder. How am I ever going to get away from a man like this? I’ll have to try and outwit him.
Once inside he nods toward the restroom and I turn to head in that direction, but he’s still holding fast to my hand.
I stop and pivot back to him with an agitated look. “What?”
He stares at me for a long moment, his face unreadable. “Remember, American.”
I nearly spit nails as I hiss right up at him, “Save it, Ginormous. For all you know I could kick it in there from the toxic cocktail you served me earlier.”
His eyes narrow into tight slashes as I yank my hand free and cross quickly toward the bathroom.
Just to annoy him, I deliberately take my time, and as I’m washing my hands an escape plan comes to mind. After finger combing my long hair into some semblance of order, I open the door and exit with renewed hope. At least the ether seems to have worn off.
Alreck hovers just outside the bathroom as I pull the door open, his legs spread wide and his arms crossed in front of him in a dominant stance. He watches me warily.
“Choose a drink,” he says before stepping out of the doorframe.
“Go find my wallet and I will,” I sass back at him with hands on my hips.
He leans down within inches of my face and says in a harsh whisper, “Enough, woman. We’re not stopping again until the fuel runs out, so pick something to drink or you’ll go without.”
Okay, what’s with the excessive alpha-ness?
“Whatever.” I mumble to myself as I trudge past him and grab a giant bottle of Voss water.
He slips the bottle from my fingers and stalks up to the register to pay. I see that he’s also purchasing a coffee along with another bottle of water. The forty-something female attendant bats her eyelashes at him and giggles as she gives him the total. If he notices at all then he’s not letting on. With his looks, women most likely hijack his cell on a regular basis to program their digits into it for him. Ugh!
He takes my hand once again while carrying the bagged drinks in the other. We rush through the bitter cold toward his truck and this time he doesn’t attempt to help me get in.
It is a struggle to climb into the cab, but once I’m seated I reach out and slam the door in his face, making certain that it’s left unlocked.
Please let this plan work.
My breathing is out of control as the adrenaline begins to course through my veins.
I watch cautiously as he hauls his big frame up into the cab, and just as he reaches into the bag of drinks I lurch my door back open and jump down, falling hard onto my knees in the snow. It stings like a beast and I bite back a groan as I lurch to my feet and begin to run back, hell bent, toward the tiny store.
I ran track throughout college and know that I’m quick, but my knees are killing me from the impact and the snowy ground is a far cry from a proper track. When I’m halfway across the parking lot, someone passes me in a sprint. Alreck?
Before my brain can register how to evade him, he turns around and faces me with rage in his eyes before charging at me. He hauls me up and over his giant shoulder before I can so much as pivot away from him.
Speechless, I look up in terror at the attendant who’s watching us from inside the window in stunned surprise.
Like a complete Neanderthal, he locks a hold across my suspended legs and prowls right back to the station. He says something to her in Norwegian that, to my complete dismay, makes her laugh and wave to me as I’m carried away.
“Call the …!” I wail, yet before I can complete the sentence a hard slap lands without mercy right on my ass cheek, effectively silencing me after I let out a startled, “Ooh!” as the burn spreads across my rear.
The attendant gives me cheeky smile. What did he say? She seems to have zero clue what I’m desperately trying to convey to her.
I’m doomed.
Too frightened to struggle, I let my body go slack as I’m carried to the truck. He must be furious that I tried to run from him.
Oh God, I must come up with a more developed plan because that was so pathetic!
I’m hesitant to even look his way as I’m roughly dumped back onto my seat. Once he’s seated next to me, he throws open the glove box, takes out a black bandana and proceeds to grab my right wrist without hesitation. I try to struggle but he’s far too strong. I watch in horror as he ties it onto my wrist and the short remaining length to the door handle. I give a hearty yank while trying to dislodge the knot. My stomach plummets. It’s tied so tight that the knot in the material appears to have fused into itself. The only way this is coming loose is with a pocket knife.
I feel him breathing hotly against my cheek, yet I refuse to look at him.
With a scary growl he grasps my chin firmly and turns me to face him. Oh God, he looks far wilder when he’s angry!
“I warned you, American. You’ve entered my world now, and you will obey me.”
How could you fail so miserably, Vail?
I’m incensed at his attempt to control me and turn my torso away to both dislodge his grasp and avoid his anger, murmuring loud enough for him to hear, “Never, and you can bet that I won’t stop trying until I either get away from you, or die trying, you cruel man!”
Ignoring my comment, he pulls up to the nearest pump, jerks the truck into park and jumps down again to begin refueling his rig as I stare sullenly out the cold window.
I blatantly ignore him as he climbs back in and starts off once again toward the winding mountainous highway. He fiddles with the radio and the cab fills with blaring, aggressive Scandinavian heavy metal.
My head throbs along with the jarring drums as I lean my head back against the seat to stare at the ceiling. Round one: defeat.
There’s plenty more where that came from, Alreck, so watch out.
***
I can’t take the silence anymore. Three hours have passed and it’s pitch-black outside. We must be at least two hundred miles from where we last got gas.
“What did you tell her?”
He turns to me, his voice flat. “Who?”
“The attendant at the station, what did you tell her when you had me in your cage fighter lock-down hold?”
Is it my imagination or did his full lips just twitch? A possible smile from the ice m
an?
“I told her that when I play along with my girl’s fantasies I always get lucky.”
Rage fills me. I’d rather he be merely abrasive than taunt me.
“What? Why would you say that?”
With an exasperated sigh he says, “Because I had to diffuse the situation you created and it was a convenient excuse. Besides, she took one look at us and figured it was true.”
Embarrassed and aggravated, I hiss, “You’re completely repulsive, among other things, and I’d have to be stranded on a desert island for a century before I’d ever let you lay one of your oversized paws on me.”
With a full lip quirk he stares ahead at the black, lonely highway. “I hardly think that’s the case, American, but you keep believing as you like.”
I puff out an annoyed, testy breath and finally ask, “May I have my water now?”
He immediately reaches down into the bag and hands it to me. He made me wait. He made me ask for it. Rude!
I hold it in my free hand and realize that I’ll never be able to open it with one arm tied to the door. He glances over, grabs the bottle, cracks open the top and then gently hands it back to me.
“I would thank you, but seeing as you’re the one who’s the cause of my immobile hand, well, you don’t deserve it.”
“Keep it up. I like a challenge, American.” He doesn’t even glance at me as he says it. His smooth, unaffected demeanor is starting to wear on me.
Unafraid and pissed off, I wiggle in my seat and get as close as I can with my arm tethered. “In case you have short term memory loss or a severe hearing issue from the pipes on your Harley, we’ve already been introduced, big guy. You’re well aware of what my name is, and it’s not even close to ‘American,’ so stop calling me that. It’s beyond rude,” I seethe.
In a dead serious voice, he replies, “I’ll consider using your name when you start to behave for me.”
Seriously? He must be unhinged.
I refuse to give him the satisfaction of a response.
The truck roars down the road and my mind wanders as I steal glances at his toned body sitting so close to mine. His hands are large but quite elegant with long, almost pretty fingers. My eyes roam upward to his black leather jacket and I’m positive that underneath it all he’s pure, raw male. It’s too bad he turned out to be such a psychopath. His rich male scent is affecting me in ways that I can’t seem to control, but I know that it’s warped to even entertain thoughts of being attracted to your kidnapper. Right?
I could try to seduce him, couldn’t I?
On second thought, he’s so perceptive that he’d pick up on any false intent immediately. Besides, with the level of attraction that I have for him, I could easily become entranced while luring him in … he’s so uniquely gorgeous.
Don’t go there, you need to keep your eyes on the prize and escape from this barbarian.
Chapter Four
***
The Fjord
No cars have passed us in the last thirty minutes and buildings are sparse by the time Alreck pulls into a lonely little filling station. Its ten o’clock at night and the digital readout on the rearview mirror pegs the temperature at minus six degrees Centigrade, which is a frosty 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
He doesn’t offer to untie me and I’m too proud to ask. Where could I go in the pitch-black freezing night anyhow? It’s so cold out that as soon as the truck is turned off the temperature in the cab begins to drop like a stone. I burrow down into my coat closer to the door, hands clenched within my cozy pockets. I had planned on skiing while I was in Norway so I’m thankful now that I splurged on my Helly Hansen Verglas down parka. Who better than the Norwegians could design the ultimate in outdoor gear? Something tells me that where we’re headed I’ll definitely need it.
I watch as he finishes up with the fuel and walks in long, sure strides into the tiny station. How in the world is he not cold without a hat on?
I’m freezing and wish he’d left the truck running. Of course, he wouldn’t trust me enough to do that.
Moments later I see him walking across the snow with a bag in his big hand. He steps up and gets into the cab while setting the bag between us. Whatever is inside smells amazing and fills the truck with a delicious aroma.
Placing his long arm across the seat behind me, he gets close and asks against my flushed cheek, “If I untie you, will you behave for me now, woman?”
I’m far too cold and hungry to fight right now so I calmly reply, “I will.”
He gives a short grunt of approval as he pulls a horn-handled switchblade out of the back pocket of his jeans and makes quick work of the bandana. I can’t stifle a wince as I stare down at the treacherous looking blade.
“Oh!” I cry out. My freed forearm is numb from the odd angle and the sudden rush of blood is incredibly uncomfortable. I begin rubbing it back and forth as he watches me with what appears to be concern, but makes no attempt to touch me. After a minute of tending to my arm, I fold my hands in my lap and stare down at them.
“Here.”
I look over to see what he’s offering me. A roller dog? Well, it looks far yummier than the typical ones we have at gas stations back in the States. Actually, just about anything would be delicious at this point. I can’t remember the last time I ate.
I shake my head and mumble, “No,” and stubbornly look away.
Still holding the food close, he says softly, “You don’t like pølsers, or how do you call them? Hot dogs?”
I want to cry because I’m so hungry, but I have to let him know that he can’t have total power over me. I shake my head no.
“Look at me,” he commands in a low male voice.
I look up and it’s almost too much. He’s so very observant that it’s unnerving.
“When did you last eat?”
I remain silent.
I don’t want his pity. I don’t want him to care at all.
His eyes narrow. “Tell me now or we’ll just sit here all night, American.”
“Fine, last night, before we came out to the nightmare biker party. Worst mistake of my life.”
In a surprised whisper he murmurs, “Faen! What, you’re telling me that you haven’t eaten in over a day?”
I’m mad now. He can kidnap me but he sure as hell won’t control this Cali girl!
“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying, big guy. And if you have an issue with it, don’t, because I was planning on going out to a nice damned lunch with my roommate before you and your band of bikers fucked up my day beyond all reason. I gave you all of the information you wanted yet still it wasn’t good enough. So keep your gas station food or shove it. I really could care less.”
His eyes flare but that’s his only reaction. He’s mulling over something and I wish I knew what his next move was going to be. It’s frustrating how damn unreadable he is.
In a flash, he jerks the door open and jogs back into the gas station. He quickly comes out with another bag. The passenger door is opened and without a word it’s gently set onto my lap.
We’re five miles up the winding highway before I glance down and peer inside the brown bag perched between my knees. It contains milk, a pouch of dried fruit, an oversized Melkesjokolade bar and another roller dog. There’s even a napkin.
How very interesting.
***
It doesn’t take long before my stomach wins out and I begin sampling everything in my bag with glee. The rich chocolate bar is divine and the roller dog really rocks.
“Good?”
I look shyly at him between small bites. “Yeah, thanks.”
“You shouldn’t curse, I don’t like it.”
I stop mid-chew and swallow. “And why would you care what I do?”
“Because I’m responsible for you, for one thing. Second, you’re too much of a lady to say such words.”
“Yeah right, as responsible as a kidnapper should be? How very considerate of you.”
I watch in fascination as those large ha
nds tighten onto the wheel in a punishing grip. The tension is thick as he says, “You enjoy being defiant, don’t you, American?”
I decide to add fuel to the fire by taunting him. “Having second thoughts already, biker? You can stop the truck right here and I’ll gladly rid myself of your presence. Right now.”
Calmly, in an icily controlled voice, he replies, “You’re not going anywhere, and I know exactly how to handle women like you.”
“Oh really? I can only imagine what medieval methods you could be referring to. What, do you think you’re going to spank me again or something? Because you’ve got to be mental if you think that would ever happen in my lifetime.”
Silence ensues and then in the dark I hear his deep rumble, “Mmm, we shall see.”
Damn, damn!
I really don’t know what to say to that so I pointedly change the touchy subject. “I didn’t know that you could drive this far and still be in Norway. Where in the world are we going, the Arctic Circle or something?”
“Close, I’m taking you to my rorbu in Lofoten.”
I nearly choke on my fruit. “Your, your what?”
“My fishing and hunting cabin. It’s known as a rorbu and it’s in the Lofoten Islands. Have you not heard of them?”
I shake my head in disbelief and can’t stop the flood of tears from running down my face. Lofoten? There is no way I’ll be able to get away from there. From the geography I recall, I know that it’s over twenty hours by both car and ferry from the capital. “Please, you must take me back. I won’t tell anyone what I saw, not the police or anyone, I swear it. You don’t have to do this.”
I reach toward him, my bravado failing as I lightly brush my fingertips across the back of his big, warm hand. “Alreck, please.”
It is the first time I’ve called him by name and it seems to startle him. He takes his eyes off the road to stare deeply into mine across the shadowy enclosure. What I see in them is raw male interest that almost gives me hope—hope that quickly dies.
“I can’t. You’ll stay with me and we aren’t going to continue this discussion. Get some rest. We have many more hours to drive yet.” His voice is stern and unyielding. I’m crushed because I thought that he might soften toward me.
Naughty in Norway Page 4