Black Vows_A dark romantic thriller

by Dori Lavelle

  As we walk past large, picture windows, I notice that the yacht is moving away from land, sailing with me into the unknown.

  Chapter Five

  My cabin is luxurious with a white, plush carpet, a wood-paneled ceiling, and one wall completely made of glass, overlooking a wraparound terrace with a breathtaking view of the blue-green sea beyond. A free-standing tub and a hanging toilet are enclosed in glass on one end of the spacious cabin, close to a king-size upholstered bed. At the opposite end is a white and tan L-shaped leather couch next to a glass table with two chairs.

  My thought when I entered the room was that it would make a beautiful honeymoon suite for someone. To me it’s a prison. On the other side of the glass that separates the cabin from the terrace are the two guards who escorted me. They’re sitting on a woven bench, their guns clearly visible. It can’t be a coincidence that they’re there. I’m clearly being watched.

  Standing in the middle of the cabin, I lift my hands to cover up my nakedness, my arm across my breasts and my free hand over my vagina. I cannot see any kind of fabric in sight that I can use as a cover. As far as I can see there are also no blinds for privacy or curtains that could hinder the guards’ view into my cabin. Dax has won the game of humiliating me.

  I sink onto the large bed with only a mattress on top of it, my stomach a bunch of nerves. No pillows, no sheets. My gaze drifts to the open concept bathroom. Does he really expect me to use the bathroom with everyone watching?

  I thought I knew the extent of Dax’s evil nature, but my gut tells me this is just the beginning.

  Turning away from the stares of the guards, I cross my legs to cover my private parts better. Why am I even bothering? They have already seen me naked. They even touched my bare skin when they brought me to the cabin. Still, I will clutch any straw of dignity I have left.

  As I contemplate how I’m ever going to free myself from Dax’s web, I hear a click. The almost invisible door tucked into a wood-paneled wall slides open and Dax walks in followed by three other people. I’m familiar with two of them—the man who carried me into the yacht and the older woman, Faith.

  None of them look at me, not directly. I don’t understand why. Thanks to Dax, my naked body is free for all to gawk at.

  Dax positions himself next to the couch. “Emma, I’d like to officially introduce you to my staff.”

  He confirms that the older woman’s name is Faith, and she works as the chef on the yacht. Stefan, the man I met first, is the chief of staff.

  He finally turns to the person I have not yet had the chance to meet, placing a hand on his shoulder.

  “Karl will be your butler. Whatever you need, feel free to ask him.” If I have to guess, I’d say Karl, a man with ginger hair and matching eyebrows, is somewhere in his early twenties.

  Karl folds his hands in front of him and gives me a quick glance before looking back down. Even though it means nothing right now, I do appreciate his obvious respect for my privacy.

  It’s ironic that Dax is telling me to ask Karl for anything I need. There’s nothing I want more than my freedom. I’m pretty sure Karl cannot give me that.

  Next, Dax points to the guards outside. “Those men out there are here to make sure we are all safe. The sea can be a dangerous place sometimes, with all the pirates roaming around. My men are prepared for any form of attack.”

  Does he really think I’m a fool? Maybe there are pirates at sea, but the men out there are keeping an eye on me, making sure I don’t try to escape.

  Dax goes silent for a while, waiting for me to greet his employees, as if this were some normal situation. There’s absolutely nothing normal about stealing someone’s life and keeping them hostage. He can go to hell.

  “All right then,” he says, rubbing his hands together. “I’ll leave you to make yourself at home. We’ll talk later. We have a lot to discuss.”

  Dax glances briefly at Karl then signals for Stefan and Faith to follow him out the door. Karl stays behind, hands clasped in front of him like a true butler, eyes lowered.

  I glare at him, wondering why he’s here, what he wants from me. And then I remember that Dax told me he can get me whatever I want.

  “Can you get me some clothes?” I ask in case I get my wish.

  Karl lifts his eyes to mine, trying hard not to look below my neck. His face is red with embarrassment at seeing me naked, but a smile trembles on his lips. He doesn’t answer.

  I repeat myself a few more times, but he shakes his head.

  My heart clenches tight, an angry fist inside my chest. You’ve got to be kidding me. Please don’t tell me he doesn’t understand English.

  “Do you speak English?”

  He shakes his head.

  I let out a disgusted laugh. I guess this is another one of Dax’s sick games, giving me a butler who doesn’t understand English. How in the world am I supposed to ask him for anything when he freaking doesn’t understand what the hell I’m saying?

  We stare at each other in fragile silence before he finally turns away. He knocks softly on the door and I hear a click. He pushes it open and walks out, returning less than five minutes later, carrying a plastic bowl of fruits. He places it on a small table next to the bed. Then he nods and walks out again.

  After he leaves, I lay down on the bed, wishing I had something to cover myself with, to help me regain a piece of my dignity. Since that wish is out of reach, I close my eyes so I don’t see the guards on the other side of the glass.

  Behind my closed lids, I remember the first time I met Dax, how I had been excited to come to his suite at the hotel, to meet him, without knowing I would be walking into a trap. I remember him walking out of the bathroom with a smile. I remember being enchanted by his charm and good looks, the flirting on the movie set, the sex at the rehearsal of Velvet Flame. He was a normal man, mysterious, but normal. Until he turned into something else.

  My stomach rumbles and I open my eyes, staring at the bowl of food, desperate to reach out for a Granny Smith. The soup and bread I had been served earlier was not enough to sate my hunger.

  As desperate as I am for more, my desire to rebel is stronger. Maybe if I refuse to eat, Dax will come to his senses. But would he really care if I starve? On the other hand, if he wants me to eat, I’m sure he won’t hesitate to shove the food down my throat. He’d want to keep me alive a while longer, to continue torturing me.

  Dax returns in what feels like an hour after Karl left. In his absence I had come to a decision. I have to make my stay here as bearable as possible. The only way I see how to do that is to pretend I’m happy to be here until I find the opportunity to escape.

  The door closes behind him and he stands in front of it, hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts. “I hope you like your cabin. I had it decorated especially for you. It’s elegant, don’t you think?”

  “Thanks,” I mumble. My eyes meet his. “Karl didn’t understand me when I was speaking to him. Doesn’t he understand English?” It’s a struggle to keep my voice calm amidst my raging emotions.

  “I’m sorry about that.” He crosses his arms in front of his chest. “I forgot to mention that I’m the only person on the yacht—aside from you, of course—who speaks English. They all speak German. Do you by any chance speak German? A few words maybe?”

  He’s such an asshole. He knows very well I don’t speak the language. We visited Vienna together last year and he was the one doing all the talking.

  He smacks his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Silly me, I forgot you don’t know the language. Don’t worry about it. If there’s something you need urgently, let me know. There’s a button next to your bed. Once you press it, you will have direct access to me.”

  I saw the button. It stands next to the bowl of fruit, a white little dome. I glance at it then back at Dax.

  “I need clothes, Dax.”

  “Yes, of course.” He pushes a hand through his hair. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” The smile on his face makes m
e want to punch him. “Your wish is my command.” He pulls out what looks like a phone from his pocket and makes a call, speaking to the person on the other end in German. Soon after, there’s a knock on the door. Dax reaches into his pocket and pulls out what looks like a remote control. He presses it to unlock the door.

  Karl enters with an armful of clothes. Dax instructs him to put them on the bed next to me.

  “There you go, my princess. I picked them out myself.”

  He waves Karl away with a dismissive hand and the door closes again.

  The clothes on the bed are not the normal kind, even though the material looks expensive, lace, silk, and satin. I sit up in bed, desperate to put something on, but at close inspection I notice that there are no clothes, only expensive lingerie. Panties, bras, fishnet stockings, garter belts—nothing to keep me from feeling exposed. Why didn’t he just go ahead and bring me hooker heels as well? Maybe he thought of it but he’s afraid I might use the shoes as weapons.

  “Come on, go ahead and try something on.” He approaches the bed. I shrink away from him.

  He picks up a panty and brings it to his nose, breathing in the scent attached to new clothing. Then he tosses it at me. “This will look amazing on you.”

  “Take them away,” I say through gritted teeth. “I want proper clothes.”

  “Emma, Emma, sweet Emma. When will you learn? When will you learn that I don’t tolerate ingratitude? I’ve warned you many times that there are consequences for this kind of behavior.” He waves a hand around the cabin. “I have given you so much. So much luxury.” He points at the lingerie. “Those clothes cost more than you can make in a year.” His face darkens as he glowers at me. “Put them on. Now.”

  My fingers trembling, I reach for a panty and bra set and get dressed while he watches. I’m horrified to find that the panties have a slit between the legs. I don’t have to guess what it’s for.

  “Stand over there. I want to have a better look.” He gestures to the wall of glass, the one right in front of the guards, who are trying not to look, and failing miserably.

  My teeth sink into my lower lip, but I do as I’m told, putting myself on display for all to see.

  Dax places a finger on his lips as his gaze roams my body from head to toe. “Simply perfect. You don’t need clothes on this yacht anyway. It’s too hot around here. I also want to be able to see your body in all its beauty.”

  What kind of beauty is he talking about? Broken and tainted, I have never felt uglier. How can he ignore the damage he has done to me?

  Satisfied, he waves me away from the glass, tells me to return to the bed. I lower myself onto the edge when his sharp voice cracks through the air like a whip.

  “Who told you to sit?”

  I get back on my feet and stand there, waiting for whatever is coming next, trying to keep my knees from knocking against each other.

  Even though he’s not giving me permission to sit, the rules don’t seem to apply to him as he takes a seat on the bed. “I think it’s time to lay down the rules.” He lays his hands on his knees and pins me with a gaze.

  “You’re familiar with some of the rules already. One in particular. Whenever I’m horny, you will spread your legs without question. Rule number two, try to escape, and you might end up dead. Those are two simple rules to remember but once broken, the consequences can be deadly. You’ll learn the other rules as you go.”

  “I want to go home, Dax. Please let me go.” By home, I don’t mean Los Angeles. That place left a bitter taste in my mouth. I want to go home to Mistport to be with my sister. I want to climb into bed with her at night to watch black and white movies as we try to forget the cancer raging inside her body. Just like we did before. I want to pretend this is all a bad dream, that it never really happened.

  “This is your home now. It’s best for you to accept it.” He stands up from the bed and approaches me. Air bursts from my lungs when his hand cups my ass and squeezes. I try not to think about the guards outside, watching us, perhaps even being turned on.

  Please God, don’t let him have sex with me in a place where everybody can see.

  He moves his hand from my ass to bring it between my legs. He squeezes harder, then pinches my clit before twisting it slightly just enough to wring out the pain.

  I grind my teeth together, struggling against the urge to push him away from me. The pain is unbearable. When I don’t make a sound, he pinches my clit harder. Only when a stifled scream pours out of my mouth does he let go.

  “That’s my girl.” He puts one of the fingers he tortured me with into his mouth and sucks on it, his eyes fixed on mine. He slides it out again. “Make yourself at home. In a few hours, Karl will bring you dinner. Tomorrow I want to see a different side of you. I need you to show your appreciation for what I’m giving you.” He walks to the door. “You’re not a prisoner here, Emma. Only inside your head. Aside from this cabin, you’re free to spend time on the sundeck. Also feel free to talk to anyone. No German? No problem. That’s what body language is for. But keep in mind that everyone who works here is loyal to me.”

  He returns to me, tightens his hand on my chin and kisses me hard on the lips. A moment later he’s gone, and I’m shattered.

  Chapter Six

  Before my day on the yacht from hell ends, Dax demands sex.

  He’s now buried deep inside me, his body moving roughly against mine. Even though my hands are on him, clutching onto his shoulders and back, pulling him closer, I’m at war. My mind is urging me to shove him away. But I’m a coward. I can’t handle any more pain right now.

  I tried to fight him off when he entered the cabin, a few minutes ago. In punishment, he pinched my nipples so hard he got the message across loud and clear. I can still feel the pain simmering beneath my skin. My fight against him fails every time.

  The only comforting thing about this moment is that he’s using protection.

  “I change my mind about having kids,” he’d whispered into my ear when he was rolling it on earlier. “We don’t need anyone else to complete us. We’re enough. We’ll get married and spend the rest of our lives together, just you and me.”

  His muscles quivering with need, he flips me onto my stomach and invades me from behind. My body shocks me when it starts to respond, a bubble of desire forming in the pit of my belly. I shut my eyes to try and quell the anger surging through me.

  When he turns me around again to take me with my legs held tightly around his waist, my anger drives me to slam my hips hard against him, but it only makes him want me more, picking up speed so our bodies collide hard as he drives deeper into me until I take his entire length.

  “That’s it, baby. That’s exactly what you should be doing instead of fighting me.” He leans down and nips at my earlobe. When he tries to kiss me on the lips, I turn away and wait for my punishment. Relief sinks into me when it doesn’t come.

  Abandoning my lips, he moves to my shoulder, kissing the tips before moving to the collarbone. His kisses send shivers of disgust skittering across my skin. I’m disgusted with him. I’m disgusted with my body for being unable to control my sexual urges.

  His hands tighten around my thighs. I wish he would race faster to the finish line. As much as I want to hold on to the only good sensations I will experience on this yacht, I want it to be over. But he takes his sweet time, enjoying every second his dick is buried inside me. Until he reaches the point of no return and can no longer contain the ecstasy spurting through him. When his body grows tense and his hands grip me tighter, my inner muscles clench just as tight around his cock. When he comes, it doesn’t take long before I do too.

  Once it’s all over, he cups my head with his hands and forces a kiss onto my lips.

  My eyes wander to the glass window that separates us from the guards. They’re watching. I felt their gazes the entire time Dax was screwing me. It sickens me that they are standing there watching him taking advantage of me and not feeling the urge to help me. How do they
sleep at night?

  Behind them, the sun is sinking into the horizon, making my already dark world even darker.

  Dax slides the condom off himself, then starts to get dressed. “I’ll tell Karl to come and lock up your cabin for the night.” He zips up his pants. “He’ll unlock it again when he brings you breakfast in the morning.” I listen to his words and movements as I stare into space, my body curled up on the bed. “Good night, Emma. I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

  He strides out, and the door clicks shut behind him. I know there’s no chance of me getting away, but I find myself running to it anyway, pushing against it. It doesn’t budge. And even if it did, do I really think I could get away with his guards watching my every move? Trying to escape would be suicide.

  My body feeling as though it has been whipped, I get dressed in one of the flimsy lingerie items Dax had provided. I wish I could have a bath, to scrub off the smell of him, but even though the guards have seen the most vulnerable parts of me, I don’t feel like giving them another show. It feels empowering to deny them at least one thing. If only I didn’t feel so filthy.

  After a few minutes of me lying on the bed, staring at the tub, I give in to my temptation. I’m unable to stop myself from getting out of bed and entering the glass cubicle. I pretend I’m alone and no one is watching, positioning myself in a way that doesn’t allow me to see them.

  I turn the water on, as hot as I can stand it. When the warm liquid finally hugs my body, I let out a deep sigh. But I don’t give myself enough time to enjoy the comfort of the water. I wash myself quickly with my hands as there’s no soap or any kind of cloth or sponge to use.

  When I rise from the water, I grab the underwear and get dressed even though my body is still wet. It will have to air dry since there’s no towel provided either. Dax is denying me small amenities to punish me.

  When I catch a glimpse of the guards again, I notice that one of them has disappeared. The one who’s left is staring right through the glass at me. I turn my face away from him and lay myself back on the bed, wet and cold. I lower my eyelids and pretend I’m someplace else, back home with Christa.