by Krane, Kasey
I could hear him breathing heavily in the front seat, while Killian sat silently beside me, smoking another cigarette.
I gulped my own tears, not because I didn’t want to appear weak. These men knew exactly how powerless I was. I couldn’t fake it.
I didn’t want them to see me cry because I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. Like Connor said, I would have to start working on trying to appear grateful to him. Maybe that was the only way I could survive this.
But the big question was—why did I need to survive? There was no hope in my horizon.
Three
Killian
From the moment this girl walked into the room, I wanted to rip her clothes off and stare at every bare inch of her body.
She was a short girl with real curves. Hips made for a man to hold on to. Long shiny brown hair with hints of honey. Big hazel eyes that were constantly on the verge of spilling tears. She had chunky lips that created the illusion that her mouth was always parted. Her cheeks flushed a deep red at the slightest hint of fear or embarrassment. This girl was afraid of meeting anybody’s eyes. For some reason, she met mine.
It was obvious she was being forced to marry my uncle, Connor. Her father—or rather, stepfather—wasn’t a man who’d exactly kept her in the loop. When she walked into the room, she had no idea she was going to be walking out engaged to be married to a man she’d never met before.
And to the fat prick, Connor, of all fuckin’ people.
Even though it didn’t affect my life either way, I had to admit I felt sorry for the poor chick. She had no idea what she was getting into by being sentenced to spend the rest of her life with my uncle.
Or maybe she did have an idea.
She begged me to help her escape. Maybe she wasn’t a naive little wide-eyed duck after all.
In the privacy of my thoughts, I had to admit I was tempted.
I’d heard rumors about the kind of shit Connor got up to with women. He’d been married twice before, and both his wives had mysteriously disappeared. This poor girl was destined to be his third and I had a pretty good idea what her future was going to look like.
Old habits die hard.
She was a pretty young thing. More than pretty; she was beautiful, and scared. There was no way she would know how to survive being married to a rotten bastard like him.
I had to fasten the Zip Tie around her wrists because I couldn’t let her escape. I couldn’t let her try anything stupid. That kind of shit was going to get her into even more serious trouble than she could predict.
Connor was driving the car and we were in the backseat. Headed to his house where he was going to have his way with her.
This girl was nothing more than a pawn in a game being played between the two mafia houses. She was a gift to Connor for my father who was trying to appease him and keep him at least temporarily satisfied.
I shouldn’t have given a shit. I’d seen this before.
But for some reason; this girl thought I was going to help her and as the minutes ticked by, an idea took shape in my head that I just couldn’t get rid of.
I wanted her for myself.
* * *
“Follow my lead,” I whispered in her ear.
Reese had a faraway look in her eye while she stared out of the window. I wasn’t even sure if she’d heard me, but I had to do it now before it was too late.
I pulled my army knife out of the back of my pants and snapped her Zip Tie before she had a chance to react. She looked up at me with her mouth hanging open in surprise.
She wasn’t expecting that.
I wasn’t expecting it either.
It would have been much easier for me to follow along with the plan. Deposit this girl at Connor’s house, leave them to themselves, and go back home.
But fuck that.
I wanted a piece of this girl and I wouldn’t want her if Connor took her first.
Besides, I never liked the sleazy piece of shit anyway.
“Fuckin’ hell. This bitch is crazy,” I shouted.
Reese gasped in response, even further shaken up by my reaction, but I lifted her up in my arms and threw her around the backseat a little. I needed to create the illusion of an unruly commotion here.
“What the fuck is going on back there?” Connor growled, peering into the rearview mirror. But it was too dark and he couldn’t see clearly.
I cursed some more, complaining that the girl was getting out of hand. Reese cried out, protesting as I manhandled her. She tried to fight me, like she had no idea I was trying to help her.
Connor screeched the car to a stop on the side of the freeway.
Great. Exactly what I wanted him to do.
And just when I thought Reese was going to ruin my plan by doing something stupid, I saw her reach for the gun next to Connor in the front seat. She jumped up, grabbed it and pointed the gun at Connor’s back.
She pulled the trigger just as he was turning to look at us.
It all happened in a split second. The shot went off with an ear splitting bang inside the car, splattering blood everywhere, including on our faces.
Reese screamed, dropping the gun back into the front seat. She was crying with full force as I kicked the door open.
Connor was still alive, but he wasn’t going to be for very long. With whatever strength he still had left in him, he reached for his gun.
I grabbed Reese with one arm around her waist and dragged her out of the car. She was fuckin’ hysterical, kicking and screaming because she didn’t know what was good for her.
Connor shot at us haphazardly. The bullets came nowhere close to us.
I ran into the woods, dragging the chick with me.
“Is he dead? Is he dead?” she cried. “Did I kill him?”
I stopped when we were far enough into the woods, but I could still see the car. I whipped around to grab her by both her shoulders, peering into her eyes.
“You need to fuckin’ shut up and listen to me. Yes, you killed him. You killed the Doherty mafia boss’ right hand man. So right now, you need to do exactly what I tell you to do.”
Reese breathed hard, gasping like she couldn’t catch her breath. At least she was quiet now.
* * *
We walked through the woods. It was dark as shit and I tried to find my way to the other end where I knew it would lead us out to the shortcut to my house.
Reese shuddered as she kept up with me, whimpering under her breath.
I was aware that this could turn out to be a major fuck up on my part. In fact, I was almost positive there were going to be consequences to my actions. Connor was dead. I had the girl. I was going to take her back to my place and then what?
I helped her get out of a shitty situation, and it was a spur of the moment decision. She didn’t even seem fuckin’ grateful for the shit I’d gotten myself into because of her.
I walked ahead of her and then I stopped, noticing the silence behind me. When I turned around, I saw her running in the opposite direction from me.
I let out a deep sigh and shook my head.
Why?
Why was she even trying?
She had nowhere to go.
I ran after her at breakneck speed, catching up with her in a few minutes. She cried out for help when I grabbed her from behind, bringing us both crashing to the ground.
We rolled in each other's arms. Her body pressed to mine. She was underneath me. I could feel every inch of her. Every curve.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I growled.
Her breath was on my face. My hands were on her hips. I had her pinned to the ground with the force of every muscle of my body. A few more minutes of this, and I knew I would genuinely crush her.
She was panting, out of breath from her attempt to run away. It was actually a little amusing—the fact that she thought she could actually run from me.
“Please, just take me back home. I just want to go home,” she whispered breathlessly.
/> “Are you crazy? You think this is going to go down well with your stepfather? That he’s going to welcome you in with open arms?”
That shut her up.
Reese stared up at me. The moonlight shone on her face, casting her in an unearthly silvery glow.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do. What are you going to do to me?” she asked.
“I am the only chance you have of making out of this alive,” I said.
She said nothing.
When I was sure she wasn’t going to try and run again, I stood up. I even held out a hand to help her up.
The thing was—I hadn’t yet decided if I was going to let her live or not. It would be much easier to off her. That would make for a more believable story when I had to answer my father’s questions.
Four
Reese
He brought me to his house, which looked like it was in the middle of nowhere. We didn’t have to walk far out of the woods to get here.
Now I understood why Killian had chosen that exact moment to create the distraction in the car. He knew we wouldn’t have to go too far to get to his house.
He kept a close eye on me the whole time, and I knew I wasn’t getting very far if I tried to run. I’d tried that once already and it ended with me being pinned to the ground underneath his big muscular body.
If I wasn’t so miserable and scared for my future; I might have been able to appreciate his body a little more.
Unlike his uncle, this guy definitely knew how to take care of himself.
Once we were inside, Killian shut the door and locked it. Like he wanted to drive home the fact that there was no escape for me.
I stared at him, like, now what?
“You’re coming to the basement,” he said.
“Are you just going to keep me locked up in there? If you’re going to imprison me, why didn’t you just let me go with him? Why did you even bother freeing me?” I tried not to cry. My voice betrayed the tears I held back.
Killian headed down the hallway, stopping and turning to face me. His dark eyes burned with fury, and it was the first time since I met him that it really hit me—he was a dangerous man. More dangerous than my first impression of him.
“What makes you think I freed you for the sake of your independence?” he asked. His voice was deep and dark.
Then why else did he do it?
“Killian, please. Tell me what I can do to change your mind? I don’t want to be locked up.” I begged him.
He just turned and walked to the end of the hallway. He unlocked a door that led to steps down to the basement.
“I have to do what I have to do to keep you here,” he said without turning to me.
I heard it in his voice—I wasn’t going to be able to convince him. He wasn’t a man who could be swayed. I didn’t know what his price was.
I had no choice but to follow him to the basement.
I just had to come up with a different plan. I wasn’t planning on giving up yet.
* * *
Alone in the basement, which had no source of natural light, and reeked of dampness, the only thought running through my head was how I’d managed to find myself in the same situation all over again.
This time too—it was Aldo who did this to me.
When Charlie…died, I’d convinced myself I would never be weak again.
I would never put myself in a position where Aldo could use me again. I knew I had no choice but to live in his house, follow his commands, be quiet and meek in his presence. But that didn’t mean I had to comply. At the first sense of danger, I should have ran away.
I should have had a plan from the start. I should have known he would one day present me to a man I had to marry. A man who I wouldn’t want to marry. I should have thought of a way out of that.
The moment Aldo declared my engagement to Connor, I should have gone to my room and slipped out of the window. Made a run for it. Hidden somewhere they couldn’t find me.
Instead, like an idiot, I simply let them carry me out of the house.
Over and above that, I even asked this man for help. This man who had now freed me from Connor, only so he could imprison me and have me for himself.
I had a feeling I’d dug myself a bigger hole.
I sat on the cold stone floor of the basement, bringing my knees up to my chin. I pressed my eyes closed, trying to picture a different life. A free life in a different world.
But my thoughts kept drifting to Charlie.
Sweet, innocent Charlie.
He was only a teenager. We were just kids.
He was my first boyfriend. The first guy I thought I’d fallen in love with. He treated me right. With respect. The way any guy should treat a girl. The way my mother had never been treated by any man.
I didn’t think I deserved his attention or admiration; but he gave it to me anyway. He made me feel special and hopeful that I could maybe have a life away from Aldo.
Charlie was my plan for escape. He knew how much I suffered living with my stepfather. That wasn’t the life he wanted for me. We were going to run away together.
He said he had money saved up, that he knew of some small town across the country we could run away to where Aldo and his thugs wouldn’t find us.
We planned for weeks. I couldn’t believe my luck. I’d finally found a guy who was going to take care of me. Maybe I could have my happily ever after.
We were so stupid.
I should have known it was too good to be true.
I never should have assumed I could escape this life.
Just like I never should have assumed Killian was actually going to help me.
* * *
I lost track of time and didn’t know how long I’d been in the basement for. Without light and no contact with the outside world, I had no perception of time anymore.
I must have been in a crazed dream state, because I was startled out of my thoughts with a jerk when the steel door of the basement opened with a clang.
Footsteps descended down the short flight of steps and I saw Killian again.
He was carrying a paper plate with a sandwich and a juice box.
I felt that smack of electricity again when I saw him. He was so irresistibly hot that I couldn’t deny my attraction to him, despite knowing he was nothing but bad news.
I needed to find a way of getting away from him and he sure as hell wasn’t going to make it easy for me.
Without a word, Killian put the food and juice box down in front of me. I gave him my fiercest glare.
“You don’t have to eat if you don’t want to.”
“I want you to let me go,” I snapped.
“Oh. Why didn’t you say so?”
A grin tugged the corners of his lips while his eyes scanned me closely. What was he looking for?
Trying to see if he’d broken my spirit yet?
“What do you want from me?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” he replied.
I watched with a quivering lip as he turned and walked up the steps to the door.
There was a part of me that wanted to ask him to come sit with me. I needed company, and he was definitely a piece of eye candy.
That would be a mistake. The last thing I needed was to pretend to be friends with my prisoner.
“I’ll check in an hour and if you haven’t eaten by then, I’m taking it away. It’s your choice.” His voice was deep and determined. He didn’t give me another look before he walked out of the door, locking it aggressively from the outside.
I grabbed the juice box as soon as I heard that.
I didn’t realize how thirsty I was. Or hungry.
The food was all finished in a matter of minutes. Then I curled up against the wall and closed my eyes again.
I could just give in to my fate, and allow myself to be consumed by my own weakness. What kind of life could I hope for if I managed to get out? I’d always be looking over my shoulder. I wouldn’t be able to trust anyone. I woul
d never truly be free.
Was that life preferable to this?
When I opened my eyes, I stared up at the bright bulb hanging from the ceiling. It hurt my eyes, but I was determined not to look away. I was going to do this. I was going to find a way to get out of here, get away from Killian.
Somehow, I’d managed to get away from Aldo. Connor was dead. I’d be able to get away from Killian too. All I needed was to come up with a plan that worked.
Five
Killian
It was early morning and I’d fallen asleep on my couch at some point. When I woke up, I thought about Reese. I’d fantasized about her all night.
It wasn’t like I didn’t get around. Heck, I could have any bitch I wanted, but there was something about having Reese here. Right here in my basement, to do with as I pleased—that really got me going.
I got off the couch and proceeded to make myself a coffee. I was considering making her one too. Although, she didn’t seem like the coffee type. She was more milk and cookies.
It brought a smile to my face. I actually looked forward to going down to the basement, seeing her again. I knew she despised me. I knew she wanted to get away from me—but it just wasn’t going to happen.
I’d already taken too many risks so far. I wasn’t about to let her simply walk away from here.
In fact, I wasn’t sure I would ever let her walk out of here.
As much as I enjoyed having her here, staring at her, checking out the shape of her flared hips and picturing those perfect tits in my hands—I knew this was short lived.
I wasn’t keeping her here forever.
Some alternative arrangements would eventually need to be made. And they were not going to be in her favor.
While I poured some coffee into a second cup, I heard a car drive up to the front of the house. My place was in the woods, surrounded by a lot of trees and hidden away. I didn’t exactly have neighbors driving past.
