Bound by Steel

by Connie Lafortune

  So I spend the first fifteen minutes stretching. Then I take the time to tape up my wrists and hands before putting on my gloves. Now, I’m ready to begin. I circle the bag as if it were my opponent. Then I start off with three roundhouse kicks and follow it up with three front kicks before ending with three crescent kicks. Now I want to incorporate my upper body, so I jab the bag with my right hand, throw a front kick and follow it up with a right hook. I do a set of three reps, then work my left side.

  Since I’m pretending the bag is my obnoxious boss, I have no idea how much time passes. Sweat drips off of me like rain as I finally lean my hands on my knees and struggle to breathe. Clapping suddenly fills the quiet room as I squint to see through burning eyes. Lyra is standing a foot away. “Bravo! I’m impressed, Ryker. I would have lost my shit within the first ten minutes.” She dabs at my eyes with a towel before patting it over my face to absorb the excess sweat. My chest tightens.

  What the fuck? I don’t know why I’m so pissed. Yeah, maybe I do. I’m sexually frustrated. Lyra flinches when I rip the towel from her hand and finish what she started. After she takes a few steps back, I tear off my gloves and throw them to the floor. I know I’m a sick fuck because that’s exactly what I want to do to her. Throw her on the floor, strip all her clothes off and use my tongue on all of her…

  “What the hell is your problem, dude?”

  Oh, she didn’t just go there. ‘Dude’? Seriously? My brows pinch together as I get into her personal space. “I’m a man, precious. Do. Not. Touch. Me. Unless you want me to reciprocate. My problem is I need to get laid. So, consider yourself forewarned. Tomorrow, I’m going into town for two glorious days, where I will spend the next forty-eight hours buried so deep inside of Sonia, you’ll hear her screaming my name all the way up here.”

  Lyra

  Finally, after nearly five weeks of being held prisoner in this shithole cabin, I’m going home. Ryker doesn’t know it yet, but he will once he comes home and finds me gone. I’ve been plotting my exit since day one, and now that it’s almost here, I can taste it. I made sure to watch which direction he drove off to when leaving the cabin this morning. He made a left turn at the end of the road, so I will make sure to follow the path left behind by the plow on the front of his truck. And I can follow the compressed tracks of the tires. How long it will take to get into town, I have no idea. So I need to leave soon.

  I’ve already stuffed some of my clothes into a duffle bag I found inside his closet. It includes my journals, some bottled water, a handful of snacks, and a thermal blanket. It’s going to be a heavy burden, but I’ll have to manage it. Because there’s no way I’m leaving my innermost thoughts behind.

  My only obstacle is Cody. Since he’s decided to leave her here. I’m hoping she’ll follow me into the library and then I can quickly close the door behind me. Trapping her inside. A part of me feels terrible to do that to her, but I know it’s my only way out.

  Taking a few deep, cleansing breaths, I stroll into the room, grab the book I’ve been reading and curl up in my favorite chair. And wait patiently. Several minutes tick by as I nervously thumb through the pages. Not comprehending a single word I’ve read. When Cody enters the room and cautiously plops down at my feet, my heart begins to race. My palms grow damp. So much so, that I force myself to sit quietly for a moment or two to calm the fuck down.

  One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, four Mississippi…

  Once I’ve counted to a hundred, Cody appears to be sleeping. It’s now or never. Sprinting over her, I don’t look back as I grab the door handle and slam it shut. Immediately, she begins barking and lunges for the door. “I’m sorry, Cody. Stop. You’re going to hurt yourself.” I quickly run upstairs, grab my things and head back down. Without a second thought, I throw on my outerwear before stepping into my boots and into the bitter cold that awaits me.

  Emotions swirl around me like a blizzard as I march to the end of the road. When out of the blue it hits me. This is the first day I’ve been outside since that fateful day. The day Ryker Steel saved me from the icy fingers of death. Slowly, I spin around to peruse the cabin which has been my prison for the last several weeks. From my vantage point it appears homey and inviting. Not the ominous façade that I believed it to be on a daily basis. I suppose now that I’m on the outside looking in—so to speak—it wasn’t as horrible as I thought it was. I suppose my freedom was a small price to pay considering what the alternative could have been.

  Seconds turn into minutes. Then minutes turn into hours. I’m about to collapse when the sun starts to dip below the horizon. Making it abundantly clear that I’ve walked for at least six hours now. Soon, what little warmth it produced will be gone and so will its light. My feet are numb and I can barely feel my fingers.

  Shit, shit, shit!

  It never even occurred to me to bring a flashlight. I’m so stupid! What the hell am I going to do? I have no choice. I’ll have to camp out here and start fresh in the morning. I’m hoping the thermal blanket I brought with me will be enough to keep me warm. Just when I’m about to step into the woods, I see a set of headlights.

  Hell’s bells!

  It’s the first vehicle I’ve seen out here all day. Wait! What if Ryker decided to come back early? I squint in the waning light to get a better look. As if answering my silent prayers, the setting sun bathes the vehicle in light for just a second. Clearly, this vehicle is silver. Ryker’s is black! I can barely contain my tears as I begin screaming at the top of my lungs. My arms flail wildly in the air. The passenger side door opens as the SUV comes to a complete stop. I can barely speak as I pop my head inside. “My name’s L-Lyra H-Harper and I was k-kidnapped.”

  An older gentlemen with kind eyes smiles down at me. “Well, little lady. It looks like today is your lucky day.”

  Chapter Eight

  Ryker

  The bed of my truck is filled to bursting with everything I’ll need for at least another month. The only provisions I haven’t crammed in there yet are the perishables. Madge, the sweet woman who works at the Minimart, is holding them for me until I’m ready to leave in the morning. I’ve decided to cut my ‘outing’ short since Lyra was acting a bit suspicious before I left.

  Now I’m showered, dressed, and ready to make my way over to The Pleasure Palace. My dick is already hard with anticipation. And I hope Sonia is just as eager as I am. Tonight is going to be euphoric. Until my phone pings in my pocket with Hawk’s ringtone.

  Son of a bitch!

  “What is it, Hawk?!” I shout, pinching the bridge of my nose.

  “Am I correct in assuming you’re not at home?” I have to refrain from saying ‘duh’ since he knows I have a tracking device in my arm.

  “I’m in town, getting supplies. Why?”

  “Well, the infrared camera inside your home displays only one warm body, and it’s not human.”

  I can’t help the shit-eating-grin on my face as I go flying out the door. Precious, escaped. I didn’t think she had it in her. “I’m on it.”

  “This wouldn’t be happening if you had taken care of the problem when I asked you to. Get in touch with me as soon as you’ve taken care of it.” The line goes dead just as I finish paying the tab at the front desk. One more stop and I’m on my way home. Ready or not, precious. Here I come.

  Although it’s dark, my heart sinks when I see a fresh set of tire tracks in the snow. Someone was out here. But who? And the million-dollar question is, do they have Lyra? If so, I can pretty much kiss my ass goodbye. My only regret would be not getting laid. Fuck! I’m going to die with blue balls!

  I shut off the lights and park a half mile down the road. I grab my Glock and extra clips out of the glove box before heading out. First, I stand very still and listen to my surroundings. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. So I begin walking to the cabin. Hopefully, I can take them by surprise.

  As I cautiously approach the cabin, I recognize a familiar vehicle parked in the driveway. It belon
gs to Hawk! Was that bastard playing me right along? Did he come here to eliminate Lyra like he wanted me to? In a few short strides I’m charging through the front door.

  Fuck surprises!

  With my hands held high and my knees bent, I aim the gun at my boss’s head. Out of the corner of my eye I see Lyra lying prone on the couch. Relief washes over me, until I realize she’s been gagged and tied. Then I see red. “You set me up. Why?”

  Hawk nonchalantly looks at Lyra, then glances back at me before brushing away an imaginary piece of lint. As if he were bored. Prick! “I wanted to see if your balls were big enough for the job. Apparently, they’re not.”

  “I will not kill her to save my own ass, Hawk.” Lowering my gun, I quickly walk over to where he’s sitting. He glares up at me when I place my gun in the palm of his hand. “If memory serves me correctly, you owe me. Consider this my payback.”

  “Are you seriously going to blow three years of your miserable life on this girl?! In case you’d forgotten, everything you’ve worked so hard for could have been destroyed if someone else had found her. Are you listening to me?!”

  I free Lyra from her bindings, then spin around and confront him. “Enough! I’m the one who has to live with the guilt day in and day out. Not you! I will not have her blood on my hands and neither will you. Feel free to let yourself out at any time. Make sure to leave my gun on the table unless you plan on shooting me in the back.” I quickly scoop up Lyra in my arms and proceed to carry her up the stairs. But I can’t help breathing a sigh of relief as the front door opens and closes. The sound of his car starting up is like music to my ears. I know this is far from over, but for now it’s enough. As I lay her down on the bed, my skin prickles. “Cody?”

  I hadn’t realized I’d spoken out loud until Lyra whispers, “She’s in the library. I think he might have sedated her. Go.”

  Cody is the only connection I have left of Bella. And if Hawk laid a hand on her, he will be a dead man. I take the stairs two at a time and throw the door wide open. I breathe a sigh of relief when I’m met with golden eyes staring up at me. I drop to my knees and bury my face in her silky fur. “Cody, I’m so sorry, girl.” She eagerly licks my face as I pick her up in my arms. “Tonight, we’re all sleeping upstairs so I can keep an eye on both of you.”

  Once all ‘my girls’ are settled in for the night, I lock the door behind me and make the trek back to pick up my vehicle. As much as I’d like to put this shit day behind me, I need everything that’s in there. Once I’m home, I spend the next few hours deep in thought as I put everything in its proper place. Wishing my life could have been as neat and orderly as the items I just placed in their home.

  Lyra

  My head’s spinning. I lie awake, thinking of Ryker. He saved my life. Not once, but twice. And according to the man, Hawk, Ryker’s life is now in danger because of it. I can’t fathom why he would risk his own life to save mine. I’ve even asked myself if I could do the same if the roles were reversed. And I’m ashamed to say I’m not as brave.

  I’m so angry that my one and only attempt at freedom was snatched away by the real monster. Ryker is an angel compared to Hawk. The moment I knew he was taking me back to the cabin, I tried to make a run for it. Hence, the reason I was gagged and tied. I’ve never been so completely consumed with fear as he carried me into the house and laid me down on the sofa. Cody went ballistic. Without hesitating, he pulled a syringe out of his pocket and entered the library. The minute she heard his voice she grew quiet. My heart sank when I realized she didn’t consider him a threat. Fear became my only friend when he stalked over, squatting down beside me. Reaching out, he wrapped his thick hand around my throat before whispering, “You are the mirror image of Bella. Now I know why he’s fighting so damn hard to keep you.”

  Closing my eyes, I try as hard as I can to erase those words from my memory. But it’s no use. They’re stuck in my head, along with the feeling of his hand against the base of my throat. I desperately want to ask Ryker what those words mean, but I don’t know if he would give me an honest answer. All I do know is that I look a lot like Bella, and maybe that’s the only reason I’m still alive.

  I’m awakened when I feel hands glide along my outer thighs. They persist over my ribcage and up my arms, then settle on the tender base of my throat. Immediately, my eyes snap open to see angry black ones locked on mine. My heart beats double time as his fingers skim across my neck. “I’m going to kill that bastard for hurting you, precious,” he whispers.

  “I-I’m fine. Really, I am.” Do I tell him I’m sorry? Although I’d risk doing it again in a heartbeat? No. I will never apologize for wanting my freedom! His eyes leave mine only long enough to examine my body before landing back on mine.

  “He marked you, Lyra. For that he will surely pay.” What? When his gaze scrutinizes my body once again, I force myself to do the same. I can’t catch my breath when I see red welts covering the entire length of my body. My first thought is Hawk tied the ropes too tight and bruised my delicate skin. My second thought is: Oh, dear god why am I naked?

  “You fell asleep in your wet clothes, Lyra. Once again, I removed them just so you wouldn’t catch a chill. No more no less.” Grabbing the blankets, he hastily covers me before straightening up. Without hesitating, I reach out my hand to him. Darkness skitters across his handsome features before he slides his hand into mine.

  “Why do you keep saving me, Ryker? Clearly, it would be much easier on everyone if you just killed me.” There. I said it. It’s too late to take it back. I find myself holding my breath waiting for him to answer.

  His eyes close for the briefest of moments before their blackness swallows me whole. “Atonement, perhaps.” Unconsciously, his thumb swipes across my wrist. “I’ve done a lot of things in the past that I’m not proud of, but I would never kill someone just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, I’m going to give you my word that one day you will be reunited with your family. It could take months, maybe years, but as soon as I have closure, I promise you that you’ll go home.”

  Just the thought of seeing Gage and my family again has me so emotional, I burst into tears. I fling myself at Ryker and wrap my arms around him. He doesn’t reciprocate, but I didn’t think he would. “Thank you,” I whisper through tears.

  He pats my back sheepishly. “Precious, if you plan on climbing me like a damn monkey—I should warn you—I never got laid when I went into town.”

  Oh. Crap on a cracker.

  Chapter Nine

  February

  Ryker

  Since the Hawk debacle a few weeks back, the dynamics between Lyra and I have changed. We’ve become ‘friends’ for lack of a better term. I still work in my office during the day, but at night we have dinner together. And we’ve connected on a whole new level since I’ve given her my word that one day she will be free. So, I’ve earned her trust. And because of that, we are sleeping together. Again. At times, it’s daunting. Falling asleep with the sweet scent of a woman next to me makes me yearn for something I will never possess again.

  Waking up to the warm, wet heat of a woman straddling my morning hard-on is the best damn thing on the face of the earth. Until her small hand wraps around my length and she lowers herself, inch by glorious inch, onto my rigid cock. Now this is by far the best thing, ever… My breath catches as I open my eyes and watch this goddess riding me. Her breasts suddenly thrust upward as she arches her back, parts her lips and closes her eyes. Bella is in a league of her own and she’s all mine. My wife.

  Grabbing her hips, I impale her over and over again and watch as her exquisite breasts swing freely. My thumb and forefinger eagerly explore one hardened nipple while my other thumb circles her swollen clit. When a low, sexy moan escapes the back of her throat, I grow impatient. Sitting up, I slide my hands around her firm dancer’s ass, up the curve of her spine, and into her long, golden locks. “Ry, I’m so close.”

  When her eyes land on mine, I can’t breat
he. My heart soars knowing her passion, hunger and desire are not only for the ballet, but for me as well. “I need to taste you, Bell.” My hands frame her face as I roughly pull her mouth to mine. Our tongues are frantic as they explore and devour one another. And as soon as I feel her sweet pussy contract around me I whisper, “I want to feel you come on my cock. Now!” And when she spasms around me, I pump my seed inside of her, prolonging our orgasms in never-ending bliss…

  My heart is racing when my eyes pop open. I can feel something acidic clawing its way up my throat. I need air! I stumble out of bed and rush down the stairs in a state of panic. I fumble with the lock on the door before swinging it open. Then I’m sucking in air like it’s my only salvation. Somewhere off in the distance I hear Cody barking, and then a gentle hand caresses my back. Immediately, I shy away from her touch as I realize this is Lyra, not Bella. It was just a dream. A memory. Yet it’s ironic how I’m standing on the doorstep, barefoot, and wearing only my boxers in twenty-degree weather and I can still feel the lingering warmth of her hand as if it were still there. Nothing else. Not the cold or my exposed skin, just the warmth of her hand.

  “Are you okay, Ryker?” Lyra’s concern is precious, but I don’t deserve it.

  When I turn around I’m actually surprised to see how sincere she truly is. So I secure my arm around her shoulders and move her away from the door. I’m fine when I’m the one doing the touching, but not the other way around. Suddenly, Cody’s a tangled heap at my feet before I have a chance to close the door. “Good morning, girl.” She crouches, waiting. “Go!” That’s all the encouragement she needs before bounding outside.