by Paula Nicole
“Of course I was going to find you, Lindsey,” Kyle smirked smugly. “I was tracking you the entire time.”
“Really?” Lindsey asked, trying to sound very interested in what Kyle had to say. “How did you do that, Kyle?”
“I wanted to insure I could always find you, even if you ran from me,” Kyle whispered into her ear possessively. “So whilst you slept in the boot of my car, I stopped off at a friend’s house and had a tacker inserted into you.”
Lindsey visibly gulped. She felt sick to her stomach knowing that Kyle could monitor her every move. He had been watched her the entire time, following her and waiting for the perfect time for him to take her. Lindsey had never been free. She had escaped from her cage but like a pet rabbit she had never made it past the wire mesh run.
“So what now Kyle? Are you going to kill me?” Lindsey asked gently.
“Oh no, my sweet,” he gushed unhappily. “Perish the thought.”
Kyle smiled strangely and pressed his lips against hers, stealing a soft kiss, but Lindsey could tell he wanted more, much more.
“I am going to take you to our wedding venue for our big day,” he told her. “And you aren’t going to struggle or resist me ever again. We will have our happily ever after and I will get exactly what I want.”
“You sound sure,” Lindsey stated coldly.
“I am very sure, my dear,” Kyle confirmed calmly. And to Lindsey’s surprise he let her go. She made a move, just one step, but that knowing look on Kyle’s face halted her. Something wasn’t quite right.
“Why are you so sure, Kyle?” Lindsey inquired.
“I have something of yours,” Kyle explained softly.
Lindsey heart stopped.
“What?” She whispered.
Kyle took a step forward; a cruel grin darkened his pale face. “I have your only friend who knows the truth about you.”
“No,” Lindsey murmured. Her colour in her face faded, her head felt light. “You can’t…”
“I do,” Kyle mocked. “I have Nadine and her precious little girl trapped like mice in their house and I won’t call my friends away until I have you.”
Pushing her anger and fear aside, Lindsey held her head up high and made eye contact with her oppressor. “Clever move, Kyle,” she commented. “But there’s no need to involve Nadine and Katie. There’s no need to harm them. They are innocent.”
Kyle closed the very little distance between them and pulled Lindsey to him, holding her possessively against his chest. He took her lips by surprise, kissing her roughly, kissing her passionately. Lindsey had forgotten how good his lips could taste, but as always, his kiss was tainted with a bitterness.
When Kyle finally pulled away he gazed into Lindsey’s eyes, probably noting how large her pupils were. “I wouldn’t flinch if I had to make the child an orphan, Lindsey dear. I’ve killed people before, I’ve killed women before.”
Lindsey felt faint.
“Kyle…” She whispered.
“Lindsey,” he grinned.
“Why?” Lindsey asked quietly. “Why Kyle?”
“Because I had to practice for you,” he replied darkly. “Your abduction, your seduction and everything else had to be perfect, and it was, until that Alec ruined it.”
Tears were welling in Lindsey’s wide eyes, but she would not let them spill. She could not let this mad man know just how much he frightened her. Lindsey refused to let him have the satisfaction.
“Alright, Kyle,” she said suddenly. Her voice was strong and unwavering.
Kyle smirked, amused.
“Here I am!” She pulled away from him, throwing out her arms in a big gesture. “You have me, Kyle!”
Kyle laughed musically. Suddenly he lunged at Lindsey, pushing her up against the wall. He grabbed her legs, bringing them up around his waist. His eyes locked on hers and he held her there, claiming her lips all over again. Lindsey watched him with wide eyes until the shock wore off, then she gave in, letting Kyle have his way. Lindsey had no other choice; Nadine and Katie’s lives were on the line.
“You are mine,” Kyle hissed into her ear. “My Lindsey.”
Lindsey thought Kyle was going to try and take her there and then; she could feel his need and hear the lust in his voice. But to Lindsey’s relief, he pulled away, leaving her to lean against the wall.
Kyle snatched the box from the table and brought it to her, clicking it open to reveal the sparking engagement ring she had left behind. “Give me your hand, my dear,” he demanded softly.
Lindsey obeyed.
He slipped the ring onto her finger and smiled as he admired how it glinted. “Beautiful,” he said and then took her hand in his. “Come,” he ordered. “We are going now.”
“I want you to call off your goons first,” Lindsey said firmly.
Kyle looked her up and down, almost astonished his bride was still resisting. But Lindsey would not leave until she knew Nadine and Katie were safe. Then and only then, would she let Kyle have what he wanted.
“It’s a trade you want,” Lindsey reminded him. “Nadine, for my freedom. Katie, for my love.”
“I will phone my friends once you are in my car, let it be a wedding present to you,” Kyle said with a sigh. “You are very demanding, Lindsey.”
“It’s the only way to deal with you,” Lindsey bit back.
Kyle laughed, gathering his prey into his arms. He carried her from the house bridal style and quietly whisked her into his car which was parked nearby. Lindsey had not driven past it in her way in and so had missed it completely. She had been outfoxed.
He gently helped her into the front passenger seat of the car and buckled her in. Lindsey turned to him, about to ask where exactly where they going, but a pinch in her upper-arm stole her breath. She gasped and looked down to find Kyle holding a syringe. She let out a horrified cry.
“Only to help you relax, my dear,” Kyle assured her gently. “And by the time you wake up, it will be time for us to wed.”
“Nadine,” Lindsey groaned. She was feeling faint and drowsy already. Her words were becoming sloppy.
“Nadine and Katie will be safe as long as you behave,” Kyle promised. “I will let them go when we are married.”
“Why?” Lindsey questioned, referring to the syringe.
“I don’t want any tricks,” Kyle smirked. “You can’t talk your way out of this or run whilst you are sleeping.”
And with that, Kyle slammed the door shut. Lindsey’s head rolled to the side, watching as Kyle hurried up the path to the house, locking the door after them.
Lindsey’s vision was beginning to blur and by the time Kyle got into the car she was fading fast. The last thing she could recall was Kyle’s lips on hers and the purr of the engine as they left. Then everything went black.
Chapter Twenty Five
Everything felt fuzzy when Lindsey first opened her eyes. She was warm and comfortable and found that she didn’t want to do anything but lie wherever she was and close her eyes again. Smiling softly, she stared up at the silken white folds above her and it wasn’t until she heard a noise in the room she remembered this was not where she had fallen asleep.
“Oh,” a female voice said. “You are awake now.”
She didn’t sound very pleased.
Slowly Lindsey gained some resolve and managed to look up to see a figure beside her. The woman had long, curled red hair, was tall and pale and wore a light red dress. She glared down at Lindsey, surveying her.
“Wakey, wakey!”
Lindsey gazed up at her, slowly realising it was Lynn who stood before her.
“You’re all dolled up,” Lindsey commented sluggishly.
“Well I am your bridesmaid,” Lynn giggled. “I need to look good for the photos.”
Lindsey rumbled about, trying her best to sit up but each time she slumped back down. Lynn gently took Lindsey’s hands after watching her struggle and helped her. It was then Lindsey realised exactly what she was wearing. She too was
all dolled up, in her wedding dress.
She clutched the white fabrics of the dress, still a little light headed as she put her situation together piece by piece. “Is this happening?” She murmured with her hand to her head.
“Yes,” Lynn replied. She returned to Lindsey’s side, bringing her a mirror from the old, wooden dressing table in the corner of the room. Holding the mirror up for Lindsey, she let her look at the make-up she had given her whilst she slept. Lindsey’s mouth dropped open; she had never looked so beautiful. Her soft cheeks were light pink, her lips were brushed with rouge and there was not a flaw in sight.
She moved her hand onto her hair, carefully touching the curled up-do Lynn had made.
“You marry in an hour,” Lynn said. “Then we will all get what we want.”
“You and Kyle will,” Lindsey corrected swiftly.
Lynn returned the mirror to the dressing table and approached the bedroom door. She paused there, considering what Lindsey had said.
“When you marry Kyle your friend and her child will be left alone. That’s what you get out of this Lindsey, that and a life with Kyle.”
“I don’t want a life with Kyle,” Lindsey said. “I am doing this for Nadine and Katie. That’s all.”
Lynn laughed in amusement, shaking her head in disbelief. “Keep telling yourself that Lindsey. Deep down you know you’ll always be his.”
Lindsey opened her mouth to speak but her words died upon her lips. She looked to the side, wincing as she blocked the thought from her head. “I don’t love him,” she cried. But Lynn was no longer there to listen. “I don’t love him!”
Feeling unstable, but just as determined, Lindsey got up from the bed, using the wooden poles from the four-poster bed to balance. She looked down at her wedding dress and took a few steps forward. Luckily it was the perfect length and she was able to walk without holding it up. Lindsey then headed straight for the door and was pleasantly surprised to find it was left open for her.
As Lindsey turned the knob, the glint of her engagement ring caught her eye, reminding her again of what her fate was to be. She was to marry Kyle.
Toying with her ring, Lindsey took careful, quiet steps down the long, wooden hallway. She looked around, trying to find out where they had taken her, but there were no windows until she reached the stairs. On the landing was a glass wall, which allowed Lindsey to look out into rows and rows of green grassy fields and hills. She knew then they were miles from anywhere.
Lindsey looked down the hallway, her attention was captured by a rush of laughter coming from the room at the end of the dark hallway. She stared at the tall wooden door, knowing that in the room was her husband to be.
Something moved in the corner of Lindsey’s eye. She followed it through the darkness and watched helplessly as a tall man dressed in black emerged from the darkness like a shadow.
Lindsey jumped backwards, her eyes still stuck on the man before her. He was motionless, his gentle, misty grey eyes never leaving hers. Lindsey looked over him, wondering why the man looked so familiar to her. His dark, raven black hair, his pale skin and those light eyes reminded her of Kyle, but this man did not look like Kyle. Kyle was sharp and dark, this man began to exude something entirely different, but Lindsey couldn’t tell what it was, only that it was something not to be reckoned with.
“Hello there, Lindsey,” he said in a soft voice.
Lindsey froze, her blood running cold. His voice was like the wind through the leaves, so gentle and yet eerie. She had heard it many times before, in dreams and nightmares. Was this the man who haunted her sleep? How could that be?
He smiled at her, drawing her in. It was then Lindsey noticed his eyes were both misty grey, not mismatched with one eye as red as freshly spilt blood. And yet it seemed to burn bright like the fiery eyes she had seen before.
“You look ravishing,” he told her gently. “Kyle is very fortunate to be receiving such a beautiful bride.”
She forced a smile, looking away from those misty eyes. But the man talked to her still with that soft, lullaby voice.
“Kyle is in the end room with a friend, Lord Jinx. You will have met him before.”
“I haven’t met you before,” Lindsey said quickly.
Their eyes locked together.
“No,” the man admitted quietly. “You haven’t.”
He approached her slowly, taking long, graceful strides towards her as he closed the safe distance. Now he was only feet away, within touching distance.
Lindsey stared up at him, hanging for his response.
“They call me Lord Shade,” he said with a wicked smile. He reached out, taking her hand into his, gently kissing her warm flesh.
Lindsey instantly pulled her hand away in disgust.
“You,” she hissed. “You are behind all this!”
Lord Shade sighed softly, silencing Lindsey. As he combed his long pale fingers through his dark hair, Lindsey felt her cheeks burn angrily.
“I am the leader, yes,” Lord Shade admitted. “It is me that organised this to happen to you, but do know Lindsey, I have your best intensions at heart…And that of your friends.”
“You all sicken me,” Lindsey spat. She turned away, crossing her arms over her chest. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a wedding to prepare for!”
Lord Shade laughed loudly.
“Oh my, dear child,” he said melodically. “You are a character!”
“In this ridiculous play!” Lindsey grumbled as she stormed off.
But a strong hand caught her arm, pulling her back. Lindsey gazed into Lord Shade’s eyes, unable to react.
“You are not afraid of me Lindsey?” He asked her very quietly. “Do you not fear the man who ultimately controls your fate?”
“No,” Lindsey answered after a long pause. “I am not afraid of you.”
Lord Shade’s eyes flashed dangerously and he gave a low chuckle.
“Good,” he finally smirked. “I’m glad you do not fear me; you don’t need to as long as you are in my good grace.”
Still on edge, Lindsey swallowed hard and summoned the courage to speak again. “I’ve heard that before,” she told him quietly.
“Lindsey,” Lord Shade whispered. “If you think Kyle was powerful, he isn’t even second to me.” He dragged her close, holding her body firmly against his.
Lindsey cried out nervously.
“If things go wrong, fear the puppeteer, my sweet one,” he hissed into her ear, his voice near demonic. “The puppeteer is the one that controls your fate.”
The second he let Lindsey go, she ran past him, heading for the room where Kyle and his friends were lurking. She glanced back over her shoulder once, seeing Lord Shade standing where she left him, watching her with a knowing smirk.
This was the man who held the strings, not Kyle. Now Lindsey had met true evil, and she couldn’t help but picture his misty eyes gazing into hers. She was bewitched.
Throwing open the large doors, Lindsey peered inside to find her groom pacing before a grand fireplace. He looked up, his icy eyes melting at once. “Lindsey,” he breathed. “My beautiful Lindsey.”
Lindsey looked away; she could not bear the love and devotion that shone in his bright eyes. Although it was twisted, Lindsey knew that look could stir up the feelings she had once forged for Kyle and she could not allow that to happen. But Kyle was already making his way over to his bride and within seconds he had wrapped his strong arms around her.
“Oh God, Lindsey,” he sighed. “The time has finally come for us.”
“You’ve waited a long time for this,” Lindsey murmured.
“Yes, I have,” Kyle admitted softly. He kissed her gently, near the lips but not quite on them. “But the wait has been worth it Lindsey. Soon you shall be mine, and so shall the powers I have been promised.”
He looked to Lord Shade, who stood by the door with his arms crossed. Kyle’s gaze was hopeful, like a child who had been promised sweets as a reward for good behaviour.
To this look Lord Shade gave one nod, accompanied by his unreadable face.
Again Kyle smiled and turned his attention back to his bride to be, who was glaring at him calmly.
Kyle’s demented delight was unfaltering.
“When are we going to do this Kyle?” Lindsey asked quietly. “And how will I know you’ll keep your word and let Nadine and Katie go?”
“I will let you call your friend,” Kyle told her merrily. “You can call her and tell her that you will not be going to France and that you have found somewhere to stay.”
Lindsey looked away. A shiver trailed down her spine. She knew this would break off contact with the only person who knew the truth. But that was exactly what Kyle wanted; he wanted her to disappear with him.
“You really have thought all this through,” Lindsey murmured. She pulled away from Kyle and made her way back to the door. She looked back at him, examining his astonishment. “I’ll be in my room,” was all Lindsey said.
She left her groom gawping. His excitement was shattered.
“I think that failed escape has gone to your head,” a voice remarked from behind Lindsey.
She turned to find Lynn had followed her through to the room. Silently, Lindsey watched Lynn close the door behind her. Their eyes caught for a moment, but then Lindsey looked away. Silently she headed towards the window, where a small white moth sat on the thick glass, and she gazed outside, wishing she could be out there running towards the surrounding woods of the manor like house.
“No expense spared,” Lindsey murmured.
“This is Lord Jinx’s house,” Lynn informed her. “But you won’t be spending your honeymoon here; Lord Shade said he has something planned.”
