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  “Where am I?” Her throat was raw and her voice hoarse. She cleared her throat and moved further away from him. When a tugging at her foot stopped her retreat, her heart slammed hard against her ribs. With her eyes now adjusting to the shadows, she looked down and realized a chain was attached to her ankle and tethered to the bedpost. She swore she’d have a heart attack, judging by how fast her heart was beating. Sweat started to form along her brow, and her throat closed up further. “What’s going on?” The shadows concealed his face, and he reached out again with the washcloth. She smacked his hand away, and the rag fell, making a splat as it hit the floor. And then the adrenaline started moving through her faster, and everything rushed back to her as if a dam had been broken. The party, the champagne…Abe. “You drugged me.” It wasn’t a question, but he hadn’t said anything so far and she was growing alarmingly frightened with each passing second. The moon peeked out over the clouds and made a swatch of light in the room. It illuminated his face, and she realized he was watching her like a hawk must watch a mouse before swooping down and snatching it up in its razor-sharp claws.

  He moved closer and sat on the edge of the bed, and she moved over as far against the wall as she could. “You’re frightened,” he stated with that calm, cold voice of his.

  Bethany didn’t answer, just licked her lips and tried to understand why this was happening. “My family will come looking for me.”

  “Yes, I am sure they will.” He reached out and wrapped his hand around the ankle that wasn’t restrained. His hold was unyielding, and even when she tried to kick at him all he did was tighten his hold on her. “Calm down, Bethany.”

  Despite all of the fear that filled her, and the horrid images of what Abe might do to her that were running through her mind, she couldn’t deny that there was a calming quality to his voice. It didn’t ease her in any sense, but she stopped kicking because she knew fighting right now probably wasn’t in her best interest, at least not until she figured out why he had taken her in the first place.

  “I’m sure you are wondering why I have you chained to this bed.” He moved his thumb back and forth along her ankle bone, and she knew she should have felt repulsed by his touch. Maybe it was the adrenaline that consumed her, numbing the logical response she should have in a situation like this. Of course she was scared to death, and could only picture the lewd and twisted things a man would do to a woman that he kidnapped, but right now all she could do was stare at him.

  She didn’t bother replying that yes, she did wonder, and had asked him, because right now she didn’t think she could have formed a coherent word. He continued to rub at her foot, and then leaned in an inch closer. All of the attraction she had felt for him over the past year seemed so sick now, like she should have sensed something dark inside of him, like maybe he was capable of doing this.

  “You have nothing to fear from me,” he said deeply, and his warm breath teased the hair that fell across her cheek.

  “I find that hard to believe.” The words tumbled from her on their own, but it felt good to say them.

  He exhaled loudly and removed his hand from around her ankle. “Yes, I suppose that is hard to believe.” He shifted on the bed so his back was to her and stared out the window. The thought of bludgeoning him came to mind, but with what, her hand? The chain wasn’t even long enough that she could pull her legs up to her chest and therefore wouldn’t give her enough slack to knock him out with it. God, what was she thinking? This man was built like a mountain. Even if she put all of her strength into hitting him—which at the moment wasn’t possible since whatever he’d used to drug her had made her groggy—it would probably feel like an annoyance to him.

  “Are you going to hurt me?” Nothing hurt except her head from the drugs, but that didn’t mean he didn’t plan on harming her later.

  He turned just his head so he could look at her. “Do you think I will hurt you?”

  “Is that a trick question?” Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. This man was deadly, and in order to be head of security she knew he had to be lethal. For all she knew he had some sick desire to see her hurt, like a sadist looking to inflict pain because that was what got them off.

  “No. I assure you I am being very serious, Bethany.”

  She shouldn’t like the way he said her name, and she felt like some kind of sicko that a little tingle settled into the pit of her stomach because he had spoken her name almost soothingly.

  “Now, if you want me to hurt you, because that is what you like…” He shifted on the bed once more so his upper body was facing her. “I can arrange that. I’m not a sadist, but seeing you in pleasure, no matter how you get there, will most certainly get me off.”

  Oh, God.

  She shook her head, feeling even more fear after he spoke. “You’re sick, a psycho.” Tears spilled down her cheeks, and he reached out as if he meant to brush them from her cheeks. She smacked his hands away from her on instinct, and as soon as she heard her skin slap against his, dread filled her. But he didn’t hit her like she might have assumed, and instead watched her with an unwavering gaze.

  “I’m a lot of things, Bethany.”

  His words were so cryptic that she felt a chill claim her. “Please, Abe.” She didn’t know what she was begging him for, maybe to let her go, to take her back home, or even to explain why he had taken her in the first place. It was all of those things, but once again he didn’t answer. It was like this was some kind of mind game for him, like he enjoyed hearing her ask these questions knowing he had no intention of answering any of them.

  “You wouldn’t like the answer I give, Bethany.”

  She didn’t respond, but stared at him like he was doing to her.

  “I’ll make you something to eat to help get rid of the drugs in your system.” He stood and made his way toward the door. Once he left and shut it behind him, she finally looked around. The room was pretty bare, with only the bed she was on, a small dresser, and the window right across from her. All she could see out of the window was a thick forest. How close was she to her parents’ home? Was she even in California still? God, there were so many questions that she needed answers for, but it was too soon to wonder about the whys of it all. What she needed to focus on was how to get out of this mess. In the end it really didn’t matter why he had taken her, because the fact was he had taken her regardless. There would be a lot of reasons why he did what he did: blackmailing, ransom, or maybe just because he was a sick fuck. To think she had found him attractive made her feel ill, but what was worse was the fact that she still found him attractive. Maybe she was the sick one.

  Bethany moved toward the edge of the bed and threw one of her legs over the side. Her foot dangled before she slid further forward, but the chain only gave her enough room to slightly bend her knee. The wood floor was frigid on her bare foot, and she realized for the first time that she wasn’t in the evening gown she had been wearing at the party. Now she had on a pair of plain sweats and a t-shirt—both fitting her perfectly. That realization was more unnerving than the fact that he had actually undressed her and put her in these new garments like she was some kind of doll. She still had on her underwear, but she hadn’t been wearing a bra, and she covered her breasts with her forearm. It was a bit late for that, but she felt so naked at the moment, despite being fully clothed. She reached out and wrapped her fingers around the cold chain. After giving it a hard tug, she realized it wasn’t attached to the bed’s frame like she had assumed, but bolted to the wall right beside it. As soon as she let go of the chain the bedroom door opened. Abe stood in the doorway with a plate in one hand and a bottle of water under his arm.

  He stared at her, and then looked at the chain. “You won’t be able to escape, but if you’re good I’ll give you more room to move around.” He took a step further into the room, but she was frozen in place. When he was right in front of her she tilted her head back and stared into his partially shadowed face. “And over time I have no doubt that you w
ill come to realize that being with me is the best thing for you.” He leaned in and she snapped to focus.

  “I’ll never realize this is best for me.”

  He set the plate and bottle of water on the bed. He was bent, and looked over at her by just lifting his gaze. “You will, Bethany.” When he straightened he didn’t leave right away. The way he watched her was so damn unnerving that she found herself shifting on the bed continuously, trying to break free from the way he made her feel even though she knew there was no escape.

  “I’ll come back in a little while and check on you to make sure you ate everything.”

  She glanced down at the plate and saw that it was plain toast and what looked like cottage cheese and fruit. Her stomach roiled, but the emotion stronger than that was the fact this was the same breakfast she ate every morning—when she ate breakfast, that is. “You’ve been watching me.” It obviously seemed like a ludicrous statement, given the fact he was her father’s personal bodyguard, but, as with all the security her father hired, they were meant to not be seen. It seemed ridiculous that her father had made that “rule,” but she assumed it was because he was vain, and having anyone follow him around, even if to protect his life, would somehow cramp his appearance. She thought Abe might stay silent like he had done at every turn, but he surprised and frightened her with his answer.

  “Yes, I have been watching you. For the last year I’ve seen everything you’ve done, learned your routine, and what you like and dislike. I know about the money you have in your bank account, that you are proud of that because you earned it and it wasn’t given to you by daddy.”

  She had no response to that, but he didn’t let the silence stretch for more than a few seconds anyway.

  “I’ve planned this moment for a very long time, Bethany.”

  “But why?” Again, she said it on a whisper. This whole situation was surreal, or maybe more akin to a nightmare.

  “Because I wanted you. Simple as that. I’ve made sure that even if they come looking for you it will be a lost cause, but what I have done is ensure that your future is set in stone…with me.”

  “You’re sick.” He didn’t respond for several seconds, and she noticed the way his jaw clenched.

  “I am many things, have done many things that some find questionable, but sick is not one of them.”

  “Says who? You?” She started breathing heavily, more rapidly, and her head grew dizzy. “You took me, probably are going to rape and then kill me.” Tears now threatened to spill once again, but she wanted to be stronger. “You have me bound, like some kind of prisoner.”

  “I like seeing you bound, and like that you’re mine.” He reached out and ran his finger along the chain that held her captive. “I like knowing that I could do whatever I liked, and there is nothing you could do to stop me.” He looked back at her, but his expression was still stoic.

  “You’re going to rape me.” She didn’t phrase it like a question.

  “No, Bethany. I am not a rapist—”

  “No? I guess kidnapping and keeping a woman against her will isn’t nearly as bad as raping her.” A low sound came from him and she pressed her back against the wall. She needed to think about what going against him could cost her. What she needed to do was keep her mouth shut, or maybe play along until she could figure out how to get out of this mess. What she did not need to do was bait him, argue, or put herself further in danger. She’d had enough of that already, and she had been awake for less than an hour.

  “I’ll tell you what will happen.” He started running his finger along the chain again, brushing slightly over the bone of her ankle until goose bumps popped out along her body.

  She hated that she seemed to have no control over her reactions, that even though she hated this man for what he had done, she still found him attractive. It was as if her body didn’t care that she was chained up like some kind of animal. It wanted him in the worst way, and because of that she hated herself.

  “You’ll grow to accept that what has happened was meant to be, that you being here is what you truly want.” He was so fast that before she knew what was happening he had her chin held tightly, almost painfully, between his finger and thumb. “I don’t want to hurt you, Bethany.” He lowered his gaze to her mouth. “In fact, I want to please you, give you everything you want.” She thought he would kiss her after he spoke, but instead he lifted his gaze back to her eyes. “You and I are one and the same. You are not like those people that walk around living in a shell and trying to be something they are not.”

  Bethany didn’t bother correcting him that she had, in fact, played a part her entire life. She had worn a façade, acted the way everyone expected her to in order to survive. “Isn’t that human nature?” She hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but it was too late.

  He stared into her eyes for several long seconds, and with the darkness all around them she felt as if the oblique hardness of his gaze was swallowing her up. “Human nature is to survive. There is no survival in how you lived, or in the saccharine waste that your father and everyone that associated with him surrounded themselves in.” He pulled back slightly, but still held her chin. “You are not like that, Bethany. I could tell that as soon as I saw you, and that was when I realized you and I are the same. You try and hide what you want, even stay where you are unhappy because that is all you know.” He slowly shook his head. “There is so much more, and I am going to show that to you.” He moved his thumb back and forth over her bottom lip, and she exhaled as a shiver of awareness slammed into her. “And I’ll tell you something else, Bethany. You act like this chain disgusts you, and that you want to be free.” He leaned forward again so their lips barely touched. She was frightened, should have moved away, but she found herself holding her breath, waiting to hear what he would say next. “But deep down you like being bound, like the stability that it causes within you, even if you don’t realize or admit it right now.” With every word he spoke, his lips brushed ever-so-slightly against hers. Her stomach cramped and tears streamed down her cheeks. “And there will be a time—very, very soon—that you will beg me to fuck you while restrained.” He pulled away and let go of her chin so fast that she sucked in a lungful of air.

  Vision blurry from her tears, she shook her head, not able to tell him that he was wrong. “Never.” She had wanted him before this, was drawn to the authority and dominance that came from him, but now she just wanted out. For the first time since she had seen him Abe grinned in response. But it wasn’t a smile that told her everything would be okay. It was a smile that told her he knew what she said was a lie. She’d said that one word with honest conviction.

  He turned and headed toward the door, but before he left he stopped and looked over his shoulder. “I’m going to be very disappointed if you haven’t eaten by the time I come back in here.” And with that he left her alone once more.

  After a few minutes she heard the sound of water moving through pipes, and knew he must be taking a shower. What time was it? Had she been in this place for more than a few hours? She supposed it was possible since she had been drugged, but she doubted it. Most likely it was the same night, which would mean it was very late. Bethany looked at the food, felt her stomach cramp at the thought of eating anything, but knew she had probably pushed him as far as he was willing to go tonight. This was about surviving, and she wasn’t about to be another victim—and least not in the figurative sense. Pulling on the chain once more, she exhaled and forced her tears to stop. Her throat was so damn dry, and she figured the water was a safe place to start. At least it was sealed, but then again she figured he would have no need to drug her by putting it in food. She was his captive, and like he said, could do whatever he wanted to her.

  After drinking half the bottle, but having to stop several times because she was swallowing too fast, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She picked up the piece of toast, smelled it, turned it around, and finally took a bite. After she had half of that finished she
did start to feel less nauseous, and so she went for the fruit and cottage cheese. Twenty minutes later she had eaten a good portion of the food, finished off the water, and didn’t feel as lightheaded as she had earlier. But she just wanted to sleep, curl up into a little ball and pretend none of this was happening. And on the heels of that thought she asked herself if she had really been better off at home. Sure, she hadn’t been a prisoner per se with her family, not in the chain-and-locks kind of way, but she had been a prisoner nonetheless. Just thinking about going back to the parties, the aristocratic bullshit, and people acting like they cared about her when they really didn’t, seemed like a nightmare. But wasn’t this a nightmare, too?

  Her head started pounding and she closed her eyes. Suddenly she was exhausted, but it didn’t have to do with the fact it was late, or that she was in this very scary and bizarre situation. Bethany lay down on her side, and moved so her back was flush with the cold wall. Curling into a ball and reaching down for the blanket, all she wanted to do was go to sleep and forget about everything. With the blanket up to her chin and her gaze on the door, she heard the water shut off in the next room, and prayed he would leave her alone for the rest of the night. Maybe this was just a very bad dream. But even if it was and she woke up in her bed at the estate, she would still be living a nightmare.

  Chapter Four

  The following day Bethany sat on the couch in the cabin’s living room and watched Abe in the kitchen just a few feet away. This whole thing felt strange, like some kind of sick and demented version of playing house. He was fixing her lunch, and while he was occupied she took in her surroundings. This morning he had unchained her from the wall only to take her to the bathroom and chain her back up. There she had been able to take a shower, use the bathroom, and brush her teeth. He had all of the products she used, and even though she found that unnerving and creepy, she was thankful to have these things from her former life—albeit a life that she didn’t even like. But those products were ones she had picked out, lavender and honey scented shampoo and condition, lotion and deodorant. They were not fancy or expensive, and her parents hadn’t gotten them for her. But that had been hours ago, and once more she was in a fresh set of sweats and a t-shirt, clean underwear, and still no bra.