Hearts of Darkness: A Valentine's Day Bully Romance Collection

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  I gaped at his words. I had not even suggested such a thing. “That’s not what I meant. I was just informing you I don’t have anything else to wear.” I protested.

  He nodded his eyes now assessing my clothes. And my body and his dark eyes heated as he appraised me. My shirt was torn and I swore a breeze caressed my bare skin around my ass area.

  “You can wear one of my shirts and maybe sweat pants. You’re tall so they might work. Tomorrow we’ll go into town and get clothes.”

  “My stuff is in my car at some motel in Newberry.” My butt slid on the seat of the chair and I hoped I wouldn’t catch a splinter on the torn spot.

  He rubbed his chin as he gazed out one of the windows a frown mashing his eyebrows together. He finally turned his gaze back to me to say, “well Newberry is quite a ways away. A good two hours if not longer. A hole in the wall town. Why did you pick there?”

  I shrugged a slight lift of one shoulder. “That was the way I took. Thought Dad would never think I would go that way or pick a run down motel to sleep in.”

  “He didn’t. Ryan followed you from your place. He’d been watching you. Some sixth sense I guess. Unlucky for you.” He stood, stalked the three steps to my chair sticking two fingers under my chin to lift my face to peer up at him. His other hand gripped my bicep tugging me until I stood in front of him. Carlos leaned forward his hand sliding from my arm to my waist pulling my body against his until his warmth spread to me.

  His head leaned down, his breath wafting over my face as his lips gently touched mine gliding over them until he pressed down hard as if he suddenly couldn’t get enough. Both hands tangled in my hair at the back of my head yanking me even closer as he slanted his mouth against mine.

  Never having this kind of attraction come over me before I rubbed up against him like a cat. My hands tangled in his shirt as I dragged myself closer by snaking my arms up around his neck.

  His tongue licked against the seam of my lips but not seeking entrance. His hands reached to my arms tugging them down until he twisted them behind my back holding both of my wrists in one of his large hands. I yanked my head away from his confused as to what he had planned.

  Carlos leaned his head forward once more for another smack of a kiss before he said quietly in my ear, “I promised you punishment for running away. Now is a good time as any.”

  Yanking at my hands not sure what his kind of punishment would entail but he held me tight. He sat in the chair I had used hauling me over his lap until my head and arms were hanging downward.

  My jeans were thin and elastic waisted so it was easy for him to slide them down my legs until they trapped me at my knees.

  “Your running away got you kidnapped. I know Ryan is involved in some kind of human trafficking I just can’t prove it yet.” His hand rubbed over my panty-clad rear end, rubbing and stroking as if he couldn’t get enough of touching me.

  Slap. I jerked as his hand struck my butt.

  “What are you doing!” I shrieked. He spanked me. Actually spanked me.

  Again another slap this time harder and I shrieked again trying to kick at him but my legs were tangled with my jeans.

  “I’m spanking you for your misbehavior. Have you never been spanked before?” Another slap on my opposite cheek and I gritted my teeth together hard enough for them to grind together.

  “Answer my question. Have.” Smack. “You.” Smack. “Ever.” Smack. “Been.” Smack. “spanked.” Smack. “Before.” Smack smack.

  This time I screeched, “no!”

  He rubbed his hand over my ass pulling my panties down until they reached my jeans. Now his hand stroked against my bare skin the heat and pain rising as he touched my flesh. My hands gripped his shins as I tried to lift myself up but he just pushed me back down with his other hand holding my head down by my neck.

  Smack smack. He spanked each cheek in turn until he spanked me over and over again tears pouring from my eyes at the pain.

  His finger suddenly stroked against my pussy lips until he found my clit flicking against the small bud to enter my soaking channel. I couldn’t believe a spanking had turned me on and I writhed against him on his lap.

  “Ummm.” Carlos groaned. “You are so wet querida. You like it. Don’t deny.”

  I rubbed my thighs together trying to relieve the pressure building up inside of me. Smack.

  “Oww.” I complained, not understanding why this turned me on.

  “You will repeat after me. I will not.” He waited but I waited as well for him to finish but he waited for me to repeat. Smack.

  “I will not.”

  Parroting. “I will not.”

  “Run into danger or do anything Carlos denies.”

  Gritting my teeth I ground out the words that almost killed me to say. “Run into danger or do anything Carlos denies.”

  Under my breath I muttered, “asshole.”

  “Uh huh. You get six more for that disobedience. Three on each cheek. This time with my belt.” He lifted me off his lap to stand yanking his thick leather belt away from the loops on his jeans.

  Na uh. I wasn’t going to stay for this. I bolted for the busted door but forgot my pants and underwear that had fallen to my ankles making me begin to tumble to the floor.

  Before I could face plant on the floor my waist was grabbed and I was hauled into Carlos’s arms and carried over to the sofa where he laid me over the arm my ass high in the air.

  “Don’t move my dear or I’ll have to start over. I can’t have this kind of disobedience from a wife. There is danger out there for you and my men won’t respect me if you fight at every turn. Your father never mentioned your willfulness. Or did you hide this side of you to him until now. Huh?”

  He rubbed his hand over my burning butt and I waited for the first strike, fear rising in my chest. Slap.

  Oh my God! This was even worse. I grunted trying to not cry out. Slap. This time on the opposite cheek and I couldn’t hold it in.

  “One.” He said as calm as if we were having a conversation.

  Slap. I shrieked loud enough for them to hear me all the way in town a half hour away.

  Slap. “Two.”

  “No! Stop!”

  Slap slap. “Three.”

  “There done.”

  My face pressed into the sofa my nose stuffed with dust almost making me sneeze but the pain was too great.

  Hauled up like a sack of potatoes Carlos holds me in his arms as he carried me to the master bedroom laying me gently on the bed.

  I curl into my side away from him my pants now hanging off my feet but I’m in so much pain I don’t care that my bottom half is unclothed.

  My shoes are tugged off and my pants and panties soon follow.

  The tapping of shoes going away from me makes me sigh in relief at being alone but it isn’t long before he returns.

  I tense my body unsure what he’ll do next to me. More punishment?

  A squirting sound is all I hear until a cooling wetness is rubbed over my butt, soothing the pain from the spankings I had endured.

  Kissing the top of my head he lays a clean comforter over me, it must have been in a cabinet wrapped in plastic because the cloth didn’t smell dusty or musty.

  The tapping of shoes moving away again the soft echo until the scrapping of his shoes disappeared out of earshot.

  I continued to lay unmoving tears dripping down my face unsure of what I should do next. I could try to run away again but he could catch me or Ryan could still be out there. His men hadn’t been able to find him. I shuddered at the thought of Ryan getting a hold of me again.

  Throwing the comforter away from me I decided I wasn’t about to hide in here in fear. I needed to do something to be in control of my life for once.

  I tossed the comforter off me jumping off the bed to search through the living area of the cabin for my jeans and panties. I finally found them tangled at the bottom of the comforter my shoes sitting beside the bed.

  My panties and jea
ns wiggled easily up, my shoes slipping on like old friends. Clothed I knew I would need food since I hadn’t had any yet and sliding into the kitchen I hunted for anything edible and only found a couple of old cans of beans. Hopefully they wouldn’t poison me cold, I found an old moth-eaten canvas grocery bag shoving the cans inside as well as a couple of butcher knives. Grabbing my glass I filled it with water and guzzled the whole glass down not sure when I’d find more water.

  I wiggled through the broken door until I stood outside the grating colors of twilight turning into the darker grays and blacks of night.

  A arm grabbed me by the throat squeezing as a voice whispered in my ear, “got you now bitch. You’re mine.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CARLOS

  AS I EDGE AROUND TO the front of the property I catch a glimpse of Ryan stuffing something or someone trussed into the back of his pick up. I begin to dash through the open clearing my feet pounded the tall grasses slicing against my legs as he jumps into the truck turning the vehicle that had been running until it was heading toward the state road and a face inched up through the blurry dirt covered back window her face an open grimace of terror.

  Still wearing my dress shoes, the slick soles made me slip on the dew that settled on the grass and as I began to fall I stretched my arm out as far as I could to make my fingertips coast the tailgate of the pick up as the vehicle hit a faster speed.

  My heart fell as the truck gained acceleration and left me covered in dirt and gravel. Roaring my pain, shaking a fist at the truck I reached into my back pocket with my other hand pressing the number for Tom and Sam. As I waited my heart galloped about to race right out of my chest I strode back the way I had come until I stood before my SUV.

  “Boss we’re on our way back. Be there in a minute.” Tom’s garbled voice floats from the speaker.

  “No Tom. Look for a blue pick up. Ryan took Ginevra again. Old, dented Toyota pick up. I’m getting in my car and going the other way. Keep in touch.” I hit end as I throw myself into my car and flip the key hard almost breaking the damn column. Damn.

  With a flurry of tossed up grass, dirt and rocks I turn the big beast around and head out to the state route and turn the way I had see Ryan go.

  This heavy beast has an extra turbo engine as well as bullet proofing but Ryan knows all that so I’m expecting him to veer off onto a hard to see road.

  As I drive I’m inspecting every little section of the state route I’m driving on until I finally see it. Up ahead to the left the remains of dust settling from a car passing through. If I hadn’t been vigilant I wouldn’t have seen it.

  Carefully applying the brakes I checked ahead and behind and viewing no one made a sharp left onto the dirt road while noting the mileage to give to Tom. After I turned I hit a button on my dash and Tom’s voice came over loud and clear through the car’s speakers.

  “Yeah Boss.”

  “I’m three point two miles from the cabin. A little dirt road on the left. You’ll miss it if you’re not careful amigo.” A pothole the size of Texas sat in the middle of the so-called road and I maneuvered around it carefully. This SUV probably could have taken it but no reason to ruin the undercarriage.

  I still couldn’t believe a girl like Ginevra had me in such an uproar. I had planned on a marriage of convenience. Get married have sex until she got pregnant and every once in a while there after to get her pregnant again. We wouldn’t have to bother each other otherwise. Convenient.

  The dust trail started to settle and became harder to follow but I didn’t think he had turned off again. There were no other roads and the brush along the sides were pretty thick. I didn’t think his little pick up would be able to handle going off road. Unless he had some pretty good additions to the truck.

  Ahhh. There. Up ahead he’d tried to go off road and the truck was stuck with a boulder stuck onto its underside. Maybe even a bit sideways. Idiota.

  I opened the door slowly, climbing out to leave the door open so Ryan doesn’t hear it being closed. Creeping past his now broken truck I’m careful as to where my feet are placed so I don’t step on any branches or leaves. Before I left the truck I left the beacon app that I tried out for a friend. I set Tom’s phone number in it and now good to go. I hope.

  Up ahead voices loud and angry. A loud slap. Loud enough for me to hear. Fuck! He did not do that. Forget sneaking up on him. All bets were off.

  I began racing through the trees and brush my feet pounded through the soft grass making it easier to muffle my progress until I had them in my sights.

  Ginevra leaned against a tree her hands tied behind her back a large red mark on her cheek stark against her light olive skin. This did it for me.

  Her head dropped down as if defeated with Ryan standing only two feet away a phone held to his ear. His abusing women would not be allowed to continue and if he was involved in human trafficking I would kill him personally myself. I was a dominant, yes. But I did not abuse. Everything that happened between myself and whoever my female partner was it was mutually agreed upon.

  Reaching behind my back I yanked my Beretta out holding it in front of me as I began to creep upon Ryan. As I took a step forward a branch snapped and cracked underneath my shoe and as Ryan pivoted to cast his eye on me I lifted my gun to shoot him in the chest but he dived and the shot missed.

  My teeth gritted in a snarl as I lowered my weapon aiming for him again. The gun jumped in my hand again, the asshole rolled, sensing where I would be shooting for and rolled the opposite way.

  I turned to comfort Ginevra but she had come alive. As I gave her a quick glance her head popped up and she scrambled to Ryan moving pretty fast even with her hands tied behind her back to kick at his as he scuttled about trying to avoid me.

  Her kick to his ribs had him cry out and stretch his arm out to grab her leg but he missed as she jumped away, with a shortened reach from his injury. Huh. Wonder if she broke a rib. Good girl if she did, her strength of will made her an even greater asset.

  As she jumped she lost her balance from not being able to use her arms for leverage and she landed wrong on her left ankle. Not making a sound but her gritted teeth and tight jaw told me her reactions own story.

  But it was necessary to concentrate on killing fucking Ryan Jennings now. Whirling about Ryan reached a knife he had lying on a tree stump and began to stand grunting as he held his right arm tight to his side. Lifting my arm I sighted the weapon right between his beady eyes when a high-pitched whine passed right beside my head almost clipping my cheek. Ducking and weaving to the opposite side I crouched beside Ginevra hiding behind a large log rotting on its side.

  Balancing my hand and the Beretta against the rough uneven bark of the log I glanced at her before returning my gaze back to Ryan escaping again but this time with help. Who was helping him? That was my question.

  I raked my eyes over the back of the man as he scurried away like the rat he was. But I was disparaging rats. My heart pounded as a rage filled my chest and my eyes narrowed as I shot his retreat with a venomous glare. I would have another chance at him, I just needed to pull out all the stops and every man available.

  Sitting back on my heels I swiveled on one foot to check Ginevra out as to what injuries she could possibly have. “Are you hurt?”

  “No no. Just a twisted ankle.” She waved away my concern with an airy nonchalance as if we had been on a morning stroll instead of her being handcuffed and had the fight of our lives. Literally.

  “Huh. Glad to hear that.” I tried to keep the smile out of my voice but it was pretty damn hard with me having to turn her around so I could fiddle with those handcuffs. Lucky they were plastic zip tie ones. Still hard to get off without a sharp knife but better than steel handcuffs without the key.

  “We need to get you out of your plastic jewelry and ice for that ankle.” I still scanned the area but my six sense told me we were now alone.

  “Come on. Let’s get you to my car. It’s not far.” Where were Tom and S
am? They should be here by now.

  Ginevra protested but I ignored her, gathering her close to lift into my arms. Her protests were now half hearted as her injured ankle must cause her more pain than she’s letting on. When we get to my SUV I’ll call a local doctor to come to the cabin.

  It took all of ten minutes to reach my car where a black truck sat with both doors open and two bodies hanging from their shoulder harnesses.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  GINEVRA

  CARLOS STOPPED DEAD in his tracks as we came upon a truck with two guys hanging from their seatbelts next to a SUV. Were they dead? My heart rose up threatening to overwhelm me as I stared. “Come on. You’ll have to stand.”

  He released me with a loose grip rushing to the two men his fingers at one guy’s throat feeling for a pulse to rush to the other man to repeat all the while his sharp gaze scanning around us. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone punching numbers into it as his eyes searched behind every boulder and tree as he hustled me inside his vehicle.

  After ten rings Carlos grunted with a disgusted twist of his lips as he muttered and tossed the phone to the dashboard with a clatter, “someone’s getting fired.”

  He pulled the car forward and maneuvered around the other truck heading for the highway. Twisting around in my seat my hands pulling at the shoulder harness, “you’re not just going to leave them are you?”

  “They’re dead.” He grunted as he squinted into the rear view mirror before he focused on the road again, “I need to get you to safety. I’ll try calling the cops anonymously again but nine one one is busy.”

  “We’ll have to leave the cabin and head back to the city. I can’t keep you safe there. I have more men in Denver. Whoever this is is starting a war I hope they know what they’re getting into.” His tone was flat but as I stared at him Carlos turned his head to me and his eyes blazed with a black fire.

  “I won’t go back to my father’s.” I demanded.

  “No you won’t. You’re mine now.”