by Becky Cairns
‘So?’
‘Hmmm?’ she turned her eyes to me.
‘What’s with the wine?’
‘I fancied a drink. Is that a crime?’
‘Not a crime, just suspicious.’
‘And what’s suspicious about having a nice, relaxing alcoholic drink after a long day being trapped inside a stuffy office?’
‘Nothing if you were anyone else. However, the fact that you don’t usually drink in the week and you despise red wine and only stock it because you know it’s my favourite, kind of gives me a hint something isn’t quite right.’
She turned her eyes to the wine bottle, sighing as she unscrewed it to pour. After handing me a glass and taking a sip of her own, she leant into the back of the sofa and closed her eyes.
‘I’ve ended it with Mark,’ she blurted.
I wasn’t even aware she was seeing him, not in the traditional sense at least.
‘Was there anything to end in the first place?’
Snapping her green eyes on me she replied, ‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, you weren’t exactly a couple were you? You’ve only known him a few days. I wouldn’t have classified that as an item.’
‘When you put it like that I suppose you’re right.’
‘So what forced you to “end it”?’
‘I’ve been thinking a lot lately since his behaviour the other night. There’s something about him I don’t trust. A dark side I’m uncomfortable with. I can’t pinpoint it exactly, just feel. In all honesty, he scares me. The sex was mind blowing, can’t complain in that department, don’t think anyone could, but even that was too intense. There’s something powerful waiting to burst out and I don’t want to be in the firing line when it does. It’s not me. I can’t cope with a man like that.’
I could sprang from the depths of my mind. Where did that come from? I hastily took a mouthful of wine to cover up the sudden heat that flamed my skin.
‘I phoned him while at work. The conversation didn’t last long. Thinking back, there wasn’t really a conversation. I said what I had to and he simply grunted and hung up.’
‘Well, to me, it sounds like you did the right thing. He’s not worth your time and effort. There are better men out there for you.’
‘Thanks Alex,’ and a weak smile appeared on her tired face.
‘Right,’ I said as I patted her leg and stood up. ‘I suggest we drink our weight in wine and listen to some of your bizarre taste in music.’
‘Sounds like a good plan, but first I’m going to open the Sauvignon Blanc. How you could drink this vile red stuff I do not know.’
Ten o’clock came and went, along with the two bottles of wine. By now we were feeling rather mellow and our vision hazy. A couple of times that night we had bumped into each other and fell over laughing. The music was blaring and we were attempting to sing along.
So consumed in our reckless behaviour we did not hear the fierce pounding on Zoe’s front door, not at first. Yet it got to a point where it was so forceful I thought the door was going to come off its hinges.
With the music still booming, Zoe stumbled across the room to answer the violent thumps, knocking a few objects onto the floor as she went.
All I heard were mumbled shouts. Jerkily I strolled over to the CD player and turned the music down. That’s when it happened.
Zoe was almost thrown back into the room, landing in a heap of drunken mess on the floor, followed by a raging black alpha male storming towards her.
‘I told you not to touch me,’ he growled.
‘I-I…’ Zoe whimpered, struggling to get to her feet.
Sobering up almost instantly and anger streaming through me, I launched myself over to them and feebly latched onto the man’s shirt sleeve and hauled him backwards.
‘Leave her alone! You have no right to…’ but my tirade cut off when his steel eyes struck mine, holding me in place.
My breathing hitched as he took a step towards me. My heart switched to overdrive, pumping fiery liquid around my body, blood vessels pulsating. His eyes unnaturally drew me in a way I was unable to control. Unconsciously I licked my lips as my eyes strayed towards his parted mouth then back to his mesmerising pools. I was overcome with this want to do something, anything to ease the ache forming between my legs.
And then it hit me, shocking me back to reality. This was the guy from the alley. Zoe’s mysterious Mark was the same guy I spotted lurking in the shadowed alley.
‘It’s you…’ I whispered but was immediately distracted by the direction of his gaze. He was looking at something over my shoulder. Whipping around I saw it. The hip flask I left haphazardly lying on the corner table.
The moon’s rays bounced off the shiny silver, tormenting me, mocking me. It was a beacon of light calling out to be held, cherished.
Silently Mark walked over to the object, carefully picked it up, and observed for a brief second before pocketing it in his trousers. In the next moment he had stealthily brushed past me and disappeared out of the door, eyes trained on the floor all the way.
Feeling my legs about to buckle I lowered myself onto the sofa and a wracked sob quaked my throat.
During my encounter with Mark, Zoe had made her way, albeit unsteadily, to her room unnoticed and that was where I found her ten minutes later, fast asleep, the alcohol finally taking effect.
Looking down on her as she slept she appeared every inch an innocent child in a woman’s body. My heart silently cried out for her.
After pulling the covers up and around her I settled on the edge of her bed, one hand delicately stroking through her hair while my thoughts drifted to what had occurred that night.
So many conflicting emotions sparked through me. Pain and pleasure, fear and want, strength and weakness, all fuelled by one man. Who was he? Why had he entered my life? What is it about him that made me react the way I did?
My thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of my mobile.
Quietly shutting the door, I ran over to the kitchen table and rummaged through my bag.
It was William.
‘Hello,’ I whispered.
‘Hello Alex,’ the familiar, masculine voice echoed from the other end. ‘I miss you.’ That did it. Silent tears trickled down my cool cheek.
‘I miss you too.’
‘Please come home. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to snap, I never meant any of the hateful words I said. Please baby I hate arguing with you. All it causes is hatred towards myself. Say you’ll come back, my arms are empty without you.’
My heart constricted with emotion, every feeling I held for him, all the love, the worry, came flooding back. The fear niggling at the back of my mind was overlooked.
‘The last was a bit corny, but yes, I’ll come home.’ I smiled through the tears.
‘Can I come and get you? Are you at Zoe’s?’
‘Yes, I’m at Zoe’s but I’ll walk home. The fresh air will do me good after the day I’ve had. I’ll see you shortly,’ and as an afterthought I quickly added, ‘I love you’ before hanging up.
Grabbing a scrap piece of paper I wrote a brief note for Zoe then collecting my things I was up and out of the door.
I wasn’t aware of anything around me. Not what shops I passed or the type of people who walked by. The only thought that passed my mind was William. How much I had missed him, the ways in which we could make up, our future.
One more street and I would be home. One more street and I would be safe in my fiancé’s arms. Everything would return to normal and I could focus on my up and coming wedding.
It wasn’t far to go. Five more minutes and I would have been home, but it was those last minutes that changed everything.
Hands grappled me from behind, tipping me off balance. I tried to lash out but my attacker was too strong. I screamed but it was short lived when my mouth was covered by a rough hand and a sharp prick pierced my neck.
&
nbsp; Suffocated.
Dizzy.
I clawed at the hands, tried grabbing onto a corner of a brick wall, my legs flared. I attempted anything to enable my escape, but I was growing weak. My body turned lethargic from the drug.
I lost my footing and fell straight into my captor’s arms. Solid warmth hit my back. I felt the pounding of their ecstatic heartbeat. Eyes became blurred and sound muffled. My world was turning black.
I was slipping away.
Bit by bit.
Helpless.
Alone.
As I looked up to the toxic night’s sky, the last visage I saw were two determined blue eyes towering over me before blacking out.
Chapter Seven
Many people wonder what it’s like to be unconscious. Do you carry on dreaming of the world around you? Is there a place you venture to and live another life? Does God come to you in a blinding white light? Can you hear or sense what is going on around you?
There is nothing of the sort. You do not dream of the life you led. You are not exported to another life you make your own. There is no blinding white light and some God to welcome you with open arms. There is nothing. You can’t hear, see, touch, taste or smell. You’re nothing. No longer are you the human being you knew. You’re just a lifeless body, an empty shell. You’re one step away from death.
Back and forth, to and fro. That was the motion I felt myself going through on the verge of semi-consciousness. Swaying this way and that like a rolling tide, then with a sharp movement I came crashing down, colliding forcibly into something hard. I moaned as the dull pain pounded my head.
I couldn’t see, but heard. Nothing made sense. The only thing I could feel was the intense pain tingling throughout my body every time I was thrown against a solid object. Another harsh jolt and I was knocked back unconscious.
Warmth swam around me and I was lifted to freedom. I was soaring through the air without a care in the world. The higher I went the freer I felt. But I saw nothing.
The further I flew, the shadier it got and then I was covered in a blanket of darkness. But I was maintaining flight. Soared through the air and careened around corners, always guided by warmth. To guide me where? I had no idea. When would this journey end? Where would it take me? All I knew was that I couldn’t control it. I wasn’t the one in control anymore. There was no going back, just forward. Always forward.
A nauseating dizziness overcame me when I felt a drop in gravity, landing me on cool ground. The sensation was too much for me to handle and I passed out.
I was woken up by a loud crashing noise which vibrated through my aching head. My heart pounded and pulse raced. I listened for further sound, but there was nothing, just an eerie silence.
I tried calling out but was choked by a filthy cloth bound tight around my mouth. My body was racked with coughing fits. Thankfully I was able to get it under control after a couple of steady breaths.
In and out.
Up and down.
Steadily.
Calming.
Then there were footsteps echoing in the distance. My head snapped in their direction but I couldn’t see. I was blinded by something. Some sort of dense material was cutting out any available light source.
The footsteps grew closer and I started to panic. I attempted to scramble to my feet, but my legs wouldn’t move. Rope dug into my ankles. They were tied firmly in place. That’s when I took note of my hands forced behind my back and they too were tied. I was trapped and my pulse quickened with the thought. My skin turned cold in fear.
How did I get into this mess? What happened? Where the fuck am I? And why won’t the footsteps stop?
Then silence.
The tension made me want to scream.
Then a scent drifted my way. A familiar, exotic, intoxicating aroma assaulted me. I felt dizzy as the musky cologne seeped through my aching body and into my brain. It revived me.
Then they returned, slow and steady, getting louder and louder with each foot fall. They stopped. I heard slight shuffling of material adjusting to accommodate its new shape and sensed the person crouch down. They were so close. Their breath fanned my skin sending a shocking tingle down my spine to the tips of my toes. Our heavy breathing started to mingle.
In and out.
Together.
As one.
My heart took control of my body. Where it was once cold, I now found waves of heat coursing through me at an alarming rate. I was terrified how my body was reacting, especially in such circumstances. I was being scorched with just the whisper of hot air and heady cologne, with a faint smell of cigarette and whisky on their breath.
The hot air moved to my ear and I flinched. A deep, warm, and husky voice whispered, ‘You will be mine.’
Chapter Eight
Fear trickles through me like rain. My breathing is constricted. I feel myself begin to hyperventilate. I whimper for my release. I wriggle in an attempt to get out of these ties.
‘Stay still,’ his scratchy voice whispers into my ear. My body turns rigid. ‘You’re only making matters worse. The more you struggle the further the string will cut into your skin.’
The softness of his tone manages to relax me. My heart rate calms. I swallow the tears forming in my throat. My nose won’t stop sniffling.
‘That’s it.’
He shifts closer and then I flinch at the touch of his surprisingly delicate fingers stroking my cheek. A little sob of fear escapes me.
‘Shhh, I won’t hurt you. It’s not my purpose.’
Then why am I here? Where is here?
‘You will be safe, as long as you do what I say and don’t fight me.’
Safe? How can he call this safe? I’m terrified out of my wits; safe doesn’t even fit in to this equation!
‘Put up a fight and I won’t be accountable for my actions.’
There it is - the spark of menace I’ve been waiting for.
A sense of dread provokes me to lash out with my feet and I manage to clip him, knocking him off balance as I hear his feet shuffle unsteadily. But my legs don’t stop flailing around. I blindly kick out, scream through the choking material, anything to be heard by a passer-by, but all I achieve is aggravating my captor.
‘I told you not to fight me,’ he snarls.
He roughly grabs hold of my legs then straddles them, placing his body weight on top to keep me still.
This is it! He’s going to rape me! He’s going to destroy me. I’m never going to be the same again!
‘I knew you were feisty, but I think I’ve underestimated you. It’s going to be harder than I thought.’
Knew I was feisty? Knew? Holy, Jesus, Christ, oh fucking hell! This guy knows me. He knows me!
With this daunting thought sinking in, something finally snaps and I strike out in all directions, irrepressible dread taking control and I squirm underneath him, yelling for help.
‘Stop moving.’
Get off me, get off me. Please, somebody help me!
‘Lay still!’
I want to go home!
‘Alex!’
I can’t die, I can’t die. I won’t die. Not here, not like this.
‘I’m sorry.’
That voice. Those words. I’ve heard it be…
My head jerks back violently and a sharp shooting twinge spreads through my brain and before I can think further on the cause, I pass out cold.
I’m lying in the comfort of a soft bed.
My bed.
Mine and William’s.
The red duvet shields me from the morning chill. Then I feel warm arms slink around my waist and velvety lips caress my neck where my pulse beats steadily to the rhythm of my heart. I also smell the unmistakable earthy, fresh scent that is always there when I wake. Lifting my head I turn towards the solid pressure pushing against my back and I get caught in a pair of deep, chocolate-y eyes filled with intense longing. His smile wi
dens as he watches me wake.
William.
I smile.
Closing my eyes I lay my head back in the pillow and concentrate on the way his fingers dance over my skin, leaving a light tingle as they go.
Every touch whispers “I love you” as he glides his hand down my naked flesh while his tongue plays havoc licking my pulsating neck.
I moan, encouraging him to explore further, taking in each and every contour of my body. Indulging in the deep sensations, I move my neck to the side and rest my head on his shoulder to allow his lips more expanse of skin to torment.
But his touch turns possessive. His hand sweeps down to the apex of my legs and roughly fondles my silk knickers, adding friction to my already sensitive clit.
The earthy smell is replaced with an intoxicating mix of tobacco and whiskey. The hot breath that tickled my ear is no longer comforting and loving but raw with a fiery passion.
My eyes snap open and I quiver in fear and lust, not knowing which is stronger. I am unable to stop myself responding. My hips move in time with his hand. My blood riots through my veins. A cry rings through the air as he bites down on the tender flesh at the base of my neck. He has possession of my body.
A cold shiver takes control of my limbs. I look down and gasp. I’m naked! Then masculine hands snake their way towards my breasts. His expert fingers pinch, roll and stroke each pink nipple to attention. My breaths increase. His body pressure intensifies as he leans towards my ear and whispers, ‘You will be mine.’
I start.
It was just a dream.
The cold dampness from the ground numbs my body and draws my attention back to the situation I am in.
I am lying on my side. Hands and feet tied. Blinded, gagged and with no means of escape. My captor nowhere to be heard, but I know he is out there, somewhere. It is only a matter of time before he returns to…to do goodness knows what.
Weak.
Very weak.
