Arranged

by Jennifer Kittredge

  “Hello again, Sydney.” His icy cold voice sent shivers of fear down my spine.

  “Wh-what are you doing here, Marcus?” I stammered, trying to hide my fear, but I knew he could sense it by the tension in my body. My hands trembled, and my heart thudded loudly.

  “Well, Mr. Evans couldn’t make it, so I took his place.” He took a step toward me. I instinctively stepped back.

  “What’s wrong, Sydney. You don’t think I’d hurt you, do you?”

  “I’m not sure what I think. Why don’t we reschedule so you can meet with a different realtor, Marcus—conflict of interest and all,” I suggested with a valiant attempt to keep my voice calm and even.

  I could see the glimmer of rage in his eyes as his gaze seemed to swallow me whole.

  “If you’ll excuse me, Marcus, I’ll make arrangements for someone else in our office to meet with you,” I remarked, walking past him.

  He grabbed me by my upper arm, swinging me around to face him.

  “Ouch!” I yelled. “Let me go.”

  “I’ll let you go when I’m good and ready, Mrs. Andrews.” He was clearly seething, his jaw tense and eyes glaring something close to hatred behind the anger.

  He dragged me through the building as I struggled to get free. My efforts were futile, and he easily overpowered me.

  “Marcus. Please.” I hated that I was begging. “What do you want?”

  He threw me down on a large wooden chair, and I kicked and screamed as he tied one of my wrists to the chair. I flailed my unbound hand, scratching at him. I swung my fist to hit him, but he caught it, twisting it back until I yelped. He bound my free hand, then he took each leg, tying my ankles to the chair legs.

  “Marcus,” I pleaded, “don’t do this. You’ll regret it.”

  “Maybe I will, maybe I won’t, but I am certainly enjoying having you tied up. I’m sure my dear cousin Sam does too, doesn’t he, Mrs. Andrews?”

  Tears welled up in my eyes, betraying me as they slid down my cheeks. He brought his face close to mine, and I turned my head abruptly away from him. With a muttered curse, he pulled my chin toward him, and his tongue ran over my cheek, licking up my tears.

  “Stop, please.” I sobbed, terrified by the odd gleam in his eyes and the wave of revulsion that flooded me at his intimacy. My body shook violently.

  He straightened and looked down at me, his eyes full of hate, and rubbed his chin.

  “Here’s what I need you to do, Sydney. When you get home, I want you to let my dear cousin know you want a divorce. A quick divorce. His attorney, Gabe, can make things happen fast, so you can be divorced by the end of the month. Dear old Pops should hang on that long.”

  “Why would I do that, Marcus?” I shivered.

  “Because I’m telling you too. If you don’t, your mother—or perhaps your sister, or maybe both, I haven’t decided—will have a freak accident in the very near future.”

  My eyes grew wide as tears continued to spill down my cheeks. He circled me, letting his hand glide over my shoulders. I shuddered, fear and loathing warring within me.

  “Now, now, Mrs. Andrews. If you listen, your little family will remain safe.”

  He moved behind me, and I felt his breath close to my ear, then his tongue sliding slowly over my neck. I jerked away as much as I could as a slow, mechanical laugh escaped him.

  “I can see why my dear cousin takes such a keen interest in you. You’re not his usual type, but I can definitely see the appeal.”

  “Marcus, please let me go. People will wonder where I am.”

  “As far as I see it, Sydney, no one will be looking for you for a few hours. You’re off showing a very high-end client a property. No one will think any different if you don’t show up when you said you would. They’ll simply think you’re working.”

  “You’ll regret this, Marcus. Believe me. You’ll come to regret this.”

  “I highly doubt it, Sydney. No one knows I’m here with you. If you go to the police, it’s your word against mine. I have plenty of contacts within our local police department. Many of them frequent my clubs and wouldn’t want that to get out. They’ll do whatever I ask of them to ensure their confidentiality remains intact.”

  He walked toward the large, arched windows overlooking the river where he paused, staring outside for a long time before shifting his attention back to me. His eyes were dark with something I could only describe as leashed evil as he walked toward me. I stiffened, unsure of his next move. Earlier, he had taken my purse. I wasn’t sure where it was, but I could hear my cell phone vibrating. I thought it was behind me, because that’s where the vibration was coming from, and strained my neck, trying to locate it.

  “No need to bother, Sydney. You’re not getting that back just yet. We still have some things to discuss.”

  “What could we possibly have to discuss? You’ve pretty much told me what I need to do.”

  “True. But there’s more. You’re never to tell Sam the truth about why you’re leaving him. You need to let him know your ex came back and you’re still in love with him…that you’re willing to give him a second chance.”

  I laughed. “He’ll never believe it. Sam knows how I feel about James.”

  He yanked my hair hard from behind, and my eyes watered involuntarily. “Make him believe it, Mrs. Andrews.”

  I winced, and tears were brimming again.

  “Or, perhaps, we could make him believe we’re having an affair. I’d love to see his face when he finds us together. I found such pleasure seeing his face when he found Lena and I together in bed. I’d bet he’d never forgive you, either. I’d gain more pleasure in knowing we broke his heart again, causing him even more pain.”

  “You’ll never be in my arms, Marcus. I’d rather die,” I shouted.

  “Never say never, Sydney. You have no idea what you’re missing.”

  “I have every idea of what I’m missing.”

  He circled me again, his mouth hovering close to my ear. “Oh no, Sydney, you have no idea what you’re missing. My proclivities are much more…shall we say, unrestrained, than my dear cousin’s.”

  I strained my head away from him, whimpering. Fear rippled through me. He moved swiftly in front of me, staring at me with an evil sneer on his face.

  “I like a good fight, Sydney, because I always win. Watching women struggle gets me off. Seeing you bound to this chair does something to my insides.”

  He leaned in, running his tongue up my cheek again.

  “Stop, please,” I begged.

  “Yes, I’ll stop for now, Sydney. But one day, I may just change my mind and have you struggling beneath me, bound and gagged. Speaking of gagged, open your mouth like a good girl.”

  “No! What are you doing?”

  He pulled a white handkerchief from his back pocket, crumpling it up in his hand. As he pulled my hair hard, my mouth opened. He stuffed the handkerchief in. I shook my head violently back and forth, trying to shove the white cotton fabric out of my mouth with my tongue. He grabbed my hair and yanked my head back.

  “Stay still,” he commanded.

  My eyes were wide as I tried to make sense of what was happening to me. He pulled a small roll of masking tape out of his front pocket, tore a long piece off, and placed it over the handkerchief in my mouth. The tape stuck easily to the sides of my face.

  “You look magnificent, Mrs. Andrews,” he said as he rubbed the bulge in his pants.

  Sickened and terrified, all I could think was, Please, please don’t rape me, I couldn’t bear it.

  He straddled me now, his bulge digging into my belly as he leaned down to whisper in my ear.

  “Remember our agreement, Sydney. Your family will stay safe as long as you do what you’re told.”

  He brought his mouth down on my ear, his tongue gliding over it, licking his way down my jawline. I struggled against him, but it was no use. I was at his mercy. Sobs stuck in my throat because of the damn gag. He moved his lips to the side of my mouth. I t
ried to move my head, but he dragged me back by my hair. Held immobile, I could only hope I wouldn’t gag as his mouth lingered on the side of mine, his hands fondling my breasts. He squeezed them hard, then massaged them in his palms. I was appalled, struggled, and tried to scream, but nothing came out except a hoarse, muffled sound.

  “Remember what I said, Sydney,” he warned as he removed himself from my lap.

  I was now shaking violently, and tears streamed down my face.

  “Let’s see how long it takes my dear cousin to find you. He never was any good at hide and seek. Hopefully, it won’t be too long. I can’t imagine the critters that come out at night here.” He laughed menacingly as he walked toward the door.

  “I’ll be keeping my eye on you.” He winked, leaving me all alone.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare. I had no idea what time it was. I knew it was dusk because it was getting darker in the building. The sun was no longer keeping it lit. I’d tried everything to get myself free, with no success. I even tried sliding the chair along the floor to get to my phone, but it wouldn’t budge. I wasn’t sure what he’d done to the chair, but it wouldn’t move, no matter how hard I tried. My only hope was that Sam started searching for me when I didn’t arrive home on time. I found myself drifting in and out of sleep, emotionally exhausted. The sheer terror I’d felt had zapped me of my energy.

  “Sydney?”

  Was I hearing things? I could have sworn I heard Sam calling for me.

  “Sydney? Are you here?”

  Now I knew I was hearing things, because that sounded like Emily’s voice. I heard noises in the distance, frightening me in the encroaching half-darkness.

  “Sydney!” It was Emily. I tried yelling, but the damn gag kept me from making any loud noise. I started moaning, hoping they’d hear me.

  “Shhh, Emily. Be quiet for a minute. Sydney? If you can hear us, make some noise.” It was Sam. Tears pooled in my eyes as I tried desperately to scream.

  “Wait, I hear something, Sam. This way.”

  Hope bubbled to the surface. They would find me, save me. Please, please, walk into this room…come rescue me. I groaned again, as loud as I could, hearing their footsteps getting closer. Please don’t turn away. Please keep coming through that archway.

  “Sydney! Oh, my God. Sydney! What happened to you?”

  I was now sobbing uncontrollably as Emily ripped the tape from my face and removed my gag. Sam worked on the rope at my wrists. I wept incoherently, shaking my head with relief and exhaustion. Emily bent down in front of me, holding me close and stroking my hair.

  “It’s okay, Syd. It’s okay. We’ve got you.”

  As soon as my arms were untied, I leaned over, hugging Emily tight, wracking sobs releasing from my chest. Sam untied both my ankles, scooting Emily gently aside so he could hold me. He picked me up, not saying a word, and walked briskly to the door.

  “Emily, grab her purse. It’s near the far wall. We’ll meet you in the car.”

  My head lay against Sam’s chest as the cool night air hit my face. I could feel the tension throughout his body as he placed me gently in the car. Emily was right behind us and climbed into the back seat with me. I hadn’t said a word. All I could do was cry. Relief struggled through the lingering terror that still overwhelmed me. My head rested in Emily’s lap as Sam speeded toward what I assumed was our home. She stroked my hair, the car eerily silent except for the sounds of my sobs.

  Ten minutes later, we arrived at Sam’s house. Loretta and John were waiting out front for us.

  “What happened?” cried Loretta.

  “We’re not sure yet,” Sam explained.

  “Let’s get everyone inside. I’ll make a pot of tea.”

  “Syd?” Emily’s face was full of concern. “Can you say something, please? I’m scared.”

  I managed a small smile, “I’m okay Em. But I’m scared too.”

  “Oh, thank God!” Tears spilled down her cheeks.

  Sam still hadn’t said a word, his jaw set in a hard line. He lowered me to the couch, pulling a blanket over me. I took it and tucked it around my legs that were curled beneath me. Loretta handed me a steaming cup of tea.

  “Thank you, Loretta,” I said, barely audible. Loretta and John left the living room quietly. Bear curled up next to me on the couch. It was a comfort, having him so close to me.

  “Sydney, I need you to tell us what happened,” Sam managed through clenched teeth.

  I looked up at him, unsure of myself. I couldn’t tell him the truth. The threat of Marcus hurting my family was fresh in my mind. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I tried to come up with something other than the real story.

  “I want to call the police, but something in me is telling me not to. Sydney, did Marcus have anything to do with this?”

  Alarm rose up in me. My eyes widened but I said nothing. I was a blubbering mess, incapable of making sense of it let alone conjuring a believable alternative to the truth.

  “It’s okay, Syd. You can talk when you’re ready. Just rest now,” said Emily reassuringly. She gave Sam a sideways glance, telling him to back off.

  He was pissed. His eyes were narrow and his expression stony. I hadn’t seen Sam pissed often, but right now, he was super pissed.

  He blew out a long breath. I knew he recognized the look of alarm on my face when he mentioned Marcus and that I’d have to come up with something really good to allay his suspicions on that score.

  “She’s right. Sydney, take some time, rest up. We’ll talk when you’re ready. How about a nice warm bath?”

  “That would be nice,” I answered, because it would be nice to submerge myself in warm water to rid myself of how filthy I felt.

  “I’ll go get it ready.” He stood, leaned over me, and kissed me on my forehead.

  When he’d gone, Emily looked at me with a question in her eyes.

  “What does he mean—did Marcus do this, Syd? What the hell is going on?”

  I sighed, setting my tea cup on the small round table beside me.

  “You know all about the rivalry between Sam and Marcus, Em.”

  “And?” She left the question hanging, clearly waiting for an answer.

  “And he’s scary. He gives me the creeps. I met him at a dinner party at Sam’s grandparents one night. He cornered me, making me feel really uncomfortable.”

  “Go on.”

  “Go on what, Em? There’s nothing else to tell,” I lied.

  “I call bullshit, Syd. I can always tell when you’re lying. If this bastard did this to you, you need to fess up so we can get the police involved.”

  “No! We’re not getting the police involved. I’m fine, really. I didn’t see who did this to me.”

  “I know you’re lying. You’re afraid to tell the truth.”

  My eyes pleaded with her to drop it.

  “Okay, okay, I’ll back off for now, but this isn’t over. You’re not going to let that sick son of bitch get away with this.”

  Sam walked back into the room, his emerald eyes an intense, deep green, giving away his emotions. I knew he was trying to control his anger.

  “Your bath’s ready.”

  “Thank you.” I moved to stand, but he was beside me before I could get to my feet. Taking my hands, he helped me up gently.

  “I’m going to get out of here. I’ll call you tomorrow, Syd. Sam.”

  He nodded his head toward her, not taking his eyes off me.

  “Bye Em. Thank you for everything.”

  I hugged her hard.

  “I’m so glad you’re okay, Syd,” she whispered in my ear.

  Choking back my tears, I stepped back, releasing her reluctantly. I wanted her to stay, to have her warmth and comfort close a little longer.

  “Ready for your bath Mrs. Andrews?” Sam held out his hand, and I entwined my fingers with his, feeling steady for the first time since I’d been rescued. As we walked up the stairs, we were silent. I still didn’t
know what to say, and he seemed willing to wait—for now, at least. I knew I had to tell him something though wasn’t sure what that would be yet. I couldn’t tell him the truth and risk my family. I wouldn’t put them in danger, and I knew Marcus hadn’t been bluffing. There’d been a recklessness about him, a cold and measured delight in the suffering of others, that I’d recognized.

  On reaching the master bathroom, Sam turned me to him. Lifting my chin gently, he dipped his head and kissed my lips. Tears trickled from my eyes as he withdrew his lips from mine. He unbuttoned my shirt, slipping it slowly off me, then unbuttoned my pants and slid the zipper down gently. I stepped out of them. Standing in only my underwear, I felt exposed for the first time ever with Sam. My body trembled as a loud sob escaped me, drawn out by a sense of loss at the harsh truth that even our intimacy had somehow been soiled by what had happened.

  “I was so scared,” I whispered.

  Wordlessly, he wrapped me in his arms, and I placed my head against his hard chest as he stroked my hair. I came apart, shaking, trying to catch my breath, but the sobs wouldn’t stop. He sat on the edge of tub and took me into his lap.

  “Shhh, you’re safe now, Sydney. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he murmured in my ear. I couldn’t get close enough to him as I burrowed my face into his chest. After a few minutes, I got myself together enough to stop crying. I was still trembling, but the tears had stopped for now.

  “Let’s get you in the bath, Mrs. Andrews.” He removed my bra and panties carefully, then held my hand as I stepped down into the large tub.

  “How about a glass of wine? It will help with your nerves.”

  I nodded my head.

  “I’ll be right back.”