Dangerous Thirst (Possessing Her Book 1), page 5
My boss had told me about an opening for a junior partnership, a position I had worked hard to attain. It was a benchmark I didn’t expect to reach for many years, but he all but dangled it in my face. I knew he wanted me in the position—there wasn’t another lawyer in the office as cutthroat as me, and you needed that as a corporate attorney worth the astronomical rate we charged.
Then, a strange though attractive woman handed me an anonymous note, which led me to being blackmailed into kidnap. Thinking back to the photos they showed me on the tablet, I tried to think of ways they could have been distorted, but I was certain they were legit.
After twenty years, the crime I committed as a teenager was coming back to haunt me and threaten everything I’d worked so hard to achieve. If my partners at the law firm got wind of my involvement in such a crime, I’d lose my job without question.
Even worse, there was no statute of limitations for what I’d done, so I’d also become a prisoner, something I knew I didn’t want.
I had no choice but to kidnap the girl because I needed to get to the bottom of the blackmailers and figure out who had the information and how they’d gotten it. Life had taught me that anyone with something on you would continue to leverage it against you, but I couldn’t think too far into the future. I had to handle this scandal and then get my hands on the information.
A part of me wanted to wait another day to pick Olivia up, because the drop-off wouldn’t be until the next day, but I couldn’t risk something going wrong. I had to take her at night, and once I saw she was settled in for the night, I made my move, unsure of what she had planned for the following day.
Kidnapping her was easy, almost too easy. It was like she wanted me. I could feel her tiny body curve to my hands when I gripped her, and she never even fought back. Until we got into the house, of course—then she almost sent me to my knees. If she’d struck just an inch to the left, she’d have kneed my cock, and then she might have gotten away.
I was afraid of how hard I fell on her when I tackled her tiny frame, but I didn’t have any choice but to demonstrate my strength to get her in line.
I could still see her cleavage poking through her silk nightgown as I hovered above her, my knees on either side of her small waist. She was terrified, like a frightened bird, withering beneath me.
Her helplessness made my cock twitch. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want her. I could feel her soft skin beneath my fingertips; she was as soft as the satin on her nightgown. And the way she squirmed beneath me made me want to pin her still.
“Argh!” I growled, running my fingers through my thick hair.
How did everything go so wrong? Dealing with Olivia, I’d forgotten about my now ex-girlfriend and the blowup that led me to kick her out of my penthouse apartment.
In just that short time, I’d also kicked her out of my erotic thoughts, making more room for Olivia’s pale body surrounded by her long dark hair.
Then, her cries came through the wall. She was held captive in the next room, but I couldn’t weaken to her fears. Besides, she’d proven herself untrustworthy after yelling when she promised not to.
There was no way she was ready to behave herself, and I thought of ways I’d like to teach her to listen as my cock stiffened. She was a sexy little dove, but for now I’d have to keep my thoughts to myself. This was no time to get captivated by a pretty girl.
I had a job to do, and I needed to be tough in my delivery. Childhood had taught me enough about standing up for yourself and fighting for what you deserve.
I knew I needed the photographic evidence of my crime, and I needed Olivia to get them. She was the key to my freedom, to everything I had. Without exchanging her, my world would collapse, and I couldn’t have that.
I shut everything else out and focused on how I could make her be quiet for a little more than a day before I could get rid of her and get back to the life I knew and loved. That was another thing childhood had taught me: how to block out the noise around me.
The light had just begun to seep through the blinds when Olivia’s cries finally began to soften. I imagined she’d drifted off to sleep, but I couldn’t be sure; my thoughts were centered on myself.
I’d been so careful as a teenager. I couldn’t understand how someone had not only learned of my crime but found evidence as well. And then, to hold on to it for two decades just to throw it back in my face—that was some vengeful shit.
My mind raced with people who could have known what happened, but I kept drawing a blank. And how Olivia could possibly fit into the scenario was a true mystery. What did she have to do with anything?
She looked so innocent and pure, I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to see harm come her way. I knew she hadn’t done anything to anyone, but it was her name on that paper, and her address. She’d pissed someone off, whether she knew it or not. It wasn’t my job to be the judge or the jury—I had a job to do, and that’s what I planned to accomplish.
There was no way I could sleep, so I began doing push-ups to relieve some of the tensions and stress in my chest. I lost count as I fiercely pushed myself from the ground until my biceps burned with the strain.
It was the only release I’d be getting, so I moved on to sit-ups, moving quickly as the sweat dripped down my abs. I needed to be ready for whatever Olivia planned to throw at me over the next day, and then I’d have to participate in a drop-off, which I knew could get tricky.
I wasn’t a criminal, although I had committed a crime a long time ago. I represented criminals, so being on the opposite end of the table was strange for me, an unwelcome feeling.
My thoughts wandered to what she must be thinking, tied up to a bed in a strange place by a man in a crazy mask I’d found in my storage closet. She had no idea what I looked like, and I planned to keep it that way. I wanted her out of my life as soon as possible so that I could move on.
To do that, I decided I needed to separate myself from the situation. It didn’t matter what she thought or how she felt. She was my captive, nothing more, nothing less. I was going to make sure she made it through the day and was ready at the drop-off.
After walking past her bedroom door, I was certain she was asleep, so I continued with my calisthenics, unable to get any sleep myself.
I did my usual gym routine, although now it was much more difficult without the state-of-the-art gym that accompanied my apartment. It was strange how now whenever I thought of my life, it all seemed like a memory.
My home now felt distant, like somewhere I used to live. I imagined it was all from the fear of having it ripped from my grasp, but regardless of the reason, it was a lot to take in.
In less than twenty-four hours, everything I knew had changed, flashing before my eyes as if my life were in danger. In a way, I guess it was. Prison was nothing like I was used to, but it would surely be my reality if the truth about my past came to light.
I hated being so defenseless in the situation. I was unprepared for the blackmail, and that made it even worse. At the gala, surrounded by successful lawyers, famous entertainers, and powerful politicians, I’d thought I was safe. But I was wrong.
One thing I wasn’t prepared to do was regret what I’d done. There was reason and necessity to my crime, and no one could develop any guilt within me. I did, however, have a strong desire to hide it for as long as possible, if not forever.
My life was mine. I’d fought to build it all on my own without any help from anyone. I was determined to hold on to what I’d worked so hard for, even if it meant handing Olivia over to her enemies.
That was her fight, and I couldn’t bother myself with saving her from something that had nothing to do with me. As I finished a set of burpees, I reminded myself of everything I had to lose if I let my focus slip.
I needed this, and in a day and a half, it would all be behind me. At least, that’s what I told myself as I wiped the sweat from my body with a hand towel.
Olivia was whimpering in her sleep, so I prepared myself to confront her again and be the commanding captor she would fear and listen to. I needed her to trust me while also being too afraid to cross me. I didn’t know if it was a good thing that I felt uniquely prepared to fulfill the role.
Between my hellish childhood and my professional career, I had learned to stand up for myself in a way that made weaker men back down with fear in their hearts. It was a trait I’d come to treasure.
There was no victory for a coward, and I loved to win. Olivia had pissed off the wrong people, and they’d found the right man to fulfill their task because I couldn’t be weakened by anyone, and my determination was unmatched. When I wanted something, it was as good as mine. That much, I knew for sure.
10.
Chapter Eight
Olivia
Sunday Morning
The brightness from the sun shone through the blinds, waking me from my sleep. A cloud of confusion hung over me as I tried to make sense of where I was. Moving to wipe my eyes, the tightness of the ropes restricted my movement, and it all came rushing back as my body bucked against the hold, causing the old mattress to squeak beneath me.
The door swung open quickly as my captor appeared, still donning the scary Halloween mask. Without words, he moved to my feet at the foot of the bed, first untying my left leg before massaging where the rope had been tied. His hands worked quickly like he knew what he was doing.
The circulation returned to my leg as his hands gripped above my knee. My sex clenched at the unfamiliar touch, but I liked it for some reason. He was sexy in a way I couldn’t describe, paying close attention to my body as he moved to my right leg after shooting an admonishing look in my direction.
A soft moan escaped me, but thankfully it was muffled by the gag. His hands were so strong yet gentle, and I liked them rubbing against my body.
“Let’s make a deal,” he began, moving up the bed until he was sitting next to me. “I’ll untie you, but you have to behave, okay?” I nodded quickly, wanting nothing more than to be free from all the restraints.
“But are you going to misbehave?” He tilted his head, and I shook my head frantically. “And you’re not going to renege like you did last time?” I shook my head again, even more frantically this time.
Slowly, he removed the gag before lifting me from the bed after removing all the ropes. He made me feel as light as a feather the way he carried me, leading me into the small bathroom. My body was grateful because I had to pee badly. Quickly, I turned to close the door, but the toe to his boot stopped the door.
I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion, but he just pointed to the toilet. I couldn’t believe he would be making me pee in front of him, but at least there was a turn in the bathroom. He couldn’t see me peeing, but just knowing he could hear was humiliating.
After a long night, I had a lot to release. A deep sigh fell from my lips when I was finally relieved. I rose, feeling a few pounds lighter as I made my way to the sink. The bathroom was much like the rest of the house I’d seen—outdated and in desperate need of some love and care.
The sink was an older porcelain type, painted a faint peach color. I’d just finished washing my hands when I thought to check the medicine cabinet. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that he wasn’t paying attention, so I quietly opened the mirrored cabinet.
There were a few small travel-sized bottles of lotion, toothpaste, and then a small nail file. It might not have been the butcher knife I’d need, but it would be a great help. I reached for the rusted file, and then the medicine cabinet shut hard. I was shocked by the new reflection, my pale face, and the man in the Halloween mask hovering over my left shoulder.
He lifted me with both arms, storming back into the room before reaching for the ties with frustration. He didn’t seem as mad as he was disappointed when I caught a glimpse of his bright blue eyes. I’d let him down again, and in some deep place in my subconscious, I felt guilty.
“No, please don’t do this. I’ll be good,” I begged, not wanting to feel the numbness return to my limbs, but he didn’t say a word as he restrained me.
“Please! Please! I promise,” I cried, my eyes swelling with tears.
“You’re not trustworthy. You keep betraying me, so now you have to stay like this.” He reached for the foul-tasting gag before shoving it into my mouth. My tongue tried to run, but it was of no use.
He stood from the bed, looking over his shoulder once more before closing the door behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I couldn’t wrap my mind around his intentions. He’d had me long enough to begin whatever torturous plan he had in mind, but instead he continued with the same routine, tying me up and then leaving me alone. What type of game was he running?
Did he want me to submit and become his slave willingly? I’d seen some scary documentaries about how captors liked their captives to grow fond of them, but I couldn’t see that becoming the reality while he wore such a scary mask.
Then I remembered his hands massaging my legs and the way my heart fluttered from his touch. There was something about him that intrigued me, but it was far from fondness.
Glancing out the window, my thoughts drifted far from the outdated home that had been transformed into my prison. My house was now abandoned, but I wondered who would be by and if they would notice my absence.
There had to be missed calls and text messages, but maybe it hadn’t been long enough for anyone to worry. That was the sad thing about not having family—I couldn’t be sure that anyone would ever notice I was missing.
My mother passed away when I was young, and I couldn’t remember much about her. And my father never wanted much to do with me once she died, which left me an orphan long before he dropped me off at the orphanage. Those kids had become my family, but whenever one was adopted, I never heard from them again.
Similarly, when I was old enough to leave the orphanage, I never kept up with any of the children too young to leave on their own. Despite how many promises I made to write, college had kept me so busy that by the time I got around to writing, they’d moved or been adopted, with no new contact information left for them.
That was a point I was going to make at my foster home. We would all love each other like family and look out for each other even after they left my home. I would be sure to keep contact information on everyone and check on them like a real mother, something that orphans missed out on.
Being in the system was lonely. There was no one to check on you for much more than a check from the government. I wanted them to always know that someone was thinking of them, praying for them, and that I would be there for every milestone in their lives.
There were few worse days than my graduations, when no one was there to root me on as I walked across the stage. No one should experience that, and I planned to be that encouragement my children needed.
Suddenly, the door swung open, disturbing me from my thoughts. My captor carried a white tray with what looked like breakfast. My stomach growled eagerly as he made his way to the bed, sitting just beside me.
My arms began to tingle in anticipation of being released from the restraints, but to my surprise, he didn’t untie me. Instead, he simply removed the gag, setting it by my side before taking a slice of an apple from the tray and placing it at my lips.
“I can feed myself,” I argued, tugging at the restraints.
“I’ve told you, I can’t trust you not to run yet. I’ve given you two chances already. Maybe next time, you’ll behave yourself. Now, eat.” He nudged the apple against my lips. My tongue peeked out to taste the sweet juice as my stomach growled again.
I was starving, and although it wasn’t how I wanted to eat, I figured I would need the energy to fight him off, so I bit the apple slice. I could see the smile in his eyes as he watched me chew the apple.
Hoping to lose focus of the hideous mask, I gazed at his big blue eyes, which were more intense than before as he stared back at me. The energy between us was unsettling, as he lifted one apple slice and then the next, feeding me slowly.
I wasn’t used to such attention from a man. As the mousy girl, I was overshadowed by sexy vixens when it came to guys. None of them ever paid much attention to me, but this man was giving me complete focus, and it made me feel wanted, a feeling I’d desired my whole life.
“Do you want some yogurt?” he asked when I’d finished the last slice of apple.
I nodded, still staring into his eyes until he turned away to sit the tray on his lap. His hands worked quickly to open the packaging, but I noticed his nails were manicured, and his hands looked like they’d never seen a hard day’s work in his life.
He wasn’t at all who I expected him to be, this much I could tell without knowing much about him or even seeing his face. I was intrigued even more as he brought the spoon of cool yogurt to my lips.
