Three
Several hours later…
Roman slipped silently through the night darkened house, his feet moving unerringly through the shadows until he reached a back staircase that would take him through the less travelled hallways of the upstairs. Just as Morgan had promised, there were no family members and no servants wandering the house this late at night, and Victor, Sabrina's father, had made sure to keep several candles burning low in their wall sconces to light his way. Though accustomed to his major domo's efficiency, this time even Roman was impressed by the level of preparation and cooperation that Morgan had been able to achieve on such short notice.
And all it had taken was one phone call to the faun to set things in motion.
Between leaving Nightshade and arriving at his apartment a few blocks away, Roman had not only made sure to have a bag packed for himself, but to also make sure that Morgan contacted Victor Autumnwind though his fey connections and have things made ready ahead of Roman's arrival. Upon arriving at the apartment, Roman endured several long minutes of Morgan's chastisement, and much to the faun's surprise, had agreed with everything Morgan said.
"You're right," he'd said, ignoring Morgan's look of shock at his admission, "I screwed up and I need to fix this before it gets worse, but I can't do that if I can't get a few things done before I arrive at Riverfall tonight."
Within the hour, all of Roman's plans had been relayed and finalized, and it was with a grateful and hopeful heart that Roman once again climbed into the back of his car, this time ordering the driver to take him to the botanical gardens. Once there, it was only a matter of minutes before Roman was stepping through a magical gate into the fey realm. His sister, Gaela, and her husband, Caine, were waiting for him on the other side, having agreed to allow Roman to stay at their cottage until it was time to put the rest of his plan into action.
Now Roman found himself skulking through the shadows of Riverfall, doing his best to remain as quiet as possible, for though he was certain that all but Sabrina knew of his plans, he didn't want to run the risk of someone hearing him and accidentally alerting Sabrina. So though he wanted to rush to his wife's side, he took his time, gritting his teeth against the urge to hurry.
After what felt like a subjective eternity, Roman arrived at the door to the suite of rooms he and Sabrina shared whenever they visited her parent's home. Stepping inside the room, Roman saw that a fire was banked in the hearth, warming the room and casting a warm, golden glow over everything. A glance around the room showed Roman a serving tray and dome sitting on a side table to his right. Moving closer, Roman lifted the dome to find that Sabrina had barely touched her evening meal, but that the goblet of wine that had been served with her supper was empty. Roman lifted the goblet and sniffed the dregs of the wine, and smiled as he detected the subtle trace of chamomile and lavender. Lady Autumnwind wanted to make sure Sabrina was asleep when he arrived; though the herbs were non-narcotic, they were often used to promote deep relaxation and restful sleep.
Setting the goblet down, Roman replaced the cover and turned toward the bedroom. Quietly, he stepped inside, walked swiftly to the bed, and paused to look down at his sleeping wife. A fire burned in the fireplace here as well, and by the light of the glowing embers, Roman saw the telltale proof that Sabrina had cried herself to sleep. The sight of her dark lashes clumped with still drying tears and the dried, salty tracks that previous tears had left behind on her cheeks were enough to bring him to his knees. Reaching out, he gently touched her cheek, brushing a chestnut colored strand back.
"I'm so sorry, baby," he whispered, reaching down to pull the blankets back.
Minutes later, he was striding from the room, Sabrina cradled in his arms.
Sabrina came awake slowly, gradually becoming aware of a sense of motion. Which didn't make any sense at all. Confused, she opened her eyes and saw… nothing. No glow from the fireplace, no morning light. Nothing. She found herself floundering in absolute, stygian darkness, and was unable to stifle the panic that roared to life. With a cry of alarm, she kicked out, trying to free herself from the blankets of her bed, only her feet encountered nothing but air and when she tried to sit up, she found herself overbalanced and it was only when someone reached out and steadied her that she was able to save herself several bruises.
And then the complete realization that she wasn't alone and she wasn't safe in her bed at Riverfall crashed over her. She tried to throw herself away from the hands that continued to hold her. Turning, Sabrina raised her hands, reaching out in blind desperation for anything that could tell her where she was. The moment her hands encountered the cool glass of a window, she felt her blood run cold as she realized what that sense of motion meant. Screaming out in denial, she turned blindly toward the window. She began to bang her palms against the glass, hoping against hope that a passing motorist would see her and be concerned enough to call the police.
"Sabrina, stop."
The voice was as gentle as the hands that took hers and pulled her away from the window. She struggled against their hold, but soon felt herself being held close against a warm, solid body as a broad palm stroked her hair.
"Shh," the quiet voice soothed, "You are safe."
Sabrina held herself stiff, though she was unable to still the trembling of her body. "What do you want?" She demanded, doing her damnedest to keep the fear out of her voice, "If you just stop the car and let me go, I promise I won't tell anyone what happened. I haven't even seen your face, so I'm won't be able to tell the police anything."
Her abductor's chuckle rumbled through her ear and she knew that she wouldn't be released anytime soon. "Is it money you want?" she asked now, letting her scorn be heard, "Then
I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you."
"Why do you say that?"
Despite her circumstances, Sabrina found the deep timbre of his voice almost soothing. "Because my husband doesn't want me anymore," she said quietly, "I saw him with his secretary."
There were several long moments of silence. "Any man who was lucky enough to call you his wife would be the luckiest son of a bitch in all Creation."
Sabrina scoffed and relaxed under his touch, despite everything; there was something about her unknown captor that seemed so familiar. Reaching up, she touched the soft material that covered her eyes. Almost immediately, she felt warm fingers pull her hand down.
"Leave the blindfold on," that deep, brusque voice commanded, "You don't want to see anything you might regret in the future."
There was a hint of threat in his words, and Sabrina was abruptly reminded that she'd been abducted from her bed in the middle of the night. For a moment, she'd been lulled into a sense of warmth and security, such as she felt whenever she cuddled with Roman on the couch as they watched old movies together.
But this wasn't Roman. This was a stranger who possibly meant to harm her. Struggling, she pushed hard against his hold. "Let me go," she demanded angrily, "Even if he is cheating on me, if you hurt me, my husband will make sure you live to regret it."
His hold slackened and she was able to push herself into the corner of the seat, huddling against the door, as far from him as she could get. The silence stretched between them, and she strained her ears, listening to him breathe. Slowly, she inched her hands over the door panel, learning the layout, finding the handle and latch.
"The doors are locked automatically, Sabrina." His words sounded almost humored. "You're not going to be able to open the door and jump out."
Sabrina ground her teeth. How the hell did he know what she was thinking?
"I know you, Sabrina," he said, and she felt his hand touch her hip. She flinched away and felt a flare of satisfaction when she heard his disappointed sigh. "I know you don't give up very easily; that's how I knew to make sure you couldn't open the door."
Once again, Sabrina felt a sense of familiarity, and reached up to pull the blindfold off. His next words stopped her.
"I'm allowing you to remain
unbound, Sabrina," he told her, warning coloring his tone, "But if you can't leave the blindfold on, I will restrain you."
She felt a chill of apprehension shiver through her at the thought of being tied up. When she felt him lean close she was unable to pull away. She felt his warm breath on her cheek, and held herself as still as possible.
"I have always fantasized about tying you up and having my way with you, you know."
His words, whispered in her ear in a low, dark, sensual voice, sent an odd thrill through her and left her heart beating erratically in her chest.
"Keep dreaming," she whispered in as spiteful a voice as she could manage. She turned her face away and though she couldn't see, closed her eyes behind the blindfold and silently began to pray that Roman would find her in time.
Murder, Mayhem, Monsters, and Mistletoe Page 37
