by J. J. Sorel
I could smell liquor and cigarettes on his breath, occasioning my lunch to race up my esophagus as bitterness bit my lips.
He dragged me along.
Sadly, the alleyway was unusually lifeless. My throat was dry. And
while my heart remained in my mouth, it stifled the cry gripping my chest.
When I did manage to scream, Bryce shoved his hand over my mouth. He stopped and turned to face me. “This will be easier for both of us if you just come along quietly. If not, I’m going to knock your pretty brains out, Clarissa.”
He was unrecognizable suddenly. His face puffy and red, he resembled a brutal, demented monster.
Desperate moments required desperate actions.
Adrenaline pumped violently through my veins. I recalled a maneuver I’d practiced repeatedly in a self-defense class, the choreography of which, luckily for me, remained in my muscle memory.
As I stared into Bryce’s greasy, smarmy face, I hooked my leg, using power I didn’t even know I had.
I shoved my knee into his testicles, and as my leg lowered, using the same ferocious strength, I stomped heavily on the top of his foot.
Thank God, I’d worn spiked heels and not pumps.
A cry of pain rang in my ear, during which I managed to wiggle out of his slackened arms.
I ran and ran and ran without looking back.
CHAPTER TWENTY
I entered a busy eatery. Puffing and spluttering. I must have looked a sight. The diners were all frowning upon me. I think they must have thought I was one of the many lowlifes that often stumbled in. After all, that area was notorious for drugs and sleaze.
“Help me, please, someone just tried to abduct me. Can I hide in the back? I need to call for help.”
The man behind the counter at first had a look of indifference, probably because he’d experienced a fair bit of this type of thing from the streetwalkers and druggies. But his face soon softened. He crooked his finger and asked me to follow him into an office at the back.
I expelled a long tight breath. “Thank you so much.”
“Do you have a phone? Would you like me to call 9-1-1?” he asked.
“I’ll do that now. Thank you,” I said, tears streaming down my face.
“I’ll get you a glass of water. Take all the time you need.”
“That’s so kind of you.” My voice was so tight it hurt to speak.
I called Aidan first. He picked up straight away. “Princess.”
“Aidan…” I burst into tears.
“What’s happened?”
“Bryce just tried to abduct me. I’m hiding in an eatery downtown, just around the corner from my apartment.” My hand trembled, as did my voice.
“Fuck.” His tone was deep and murderous. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Did he lay a finger on you?”
“I’m okay, Aidan.”
“Let me think. Evan’s around there. It will be quicker if he picks you up and brings you here. Hang on… I’ll call Evan now to make sure he’s there.”
My hand shook. I heard Aidan speaking in the background. He came back to me. “Tell me the name of the eatery.”
I didn’t want to leave the confines of the office just in case Bryce was waiting for me. I was about to sneak out when the man from the counter entered with a glass of water.
“Thanks.” I took the glass from him. My shaky hand spilled some of it as I took a desperately needed sip. “Can you tell me the name of this place, please?”
“Tim’s Burgers, 273 Main Street.”
“Aidan?”
“Yes, I heard that. I know where that is. Hold on.” I could hear him instructing Evan.
He returned. “Sweetheart, he’ll be there in two minutes. Just wait in the office. He’ll bring you home.”
“Okay, Aidan.” My voice was slight. “Should I call the police?”
“Leave that to me. Just get back here, darling.”
“Okay.”
“Do you want me to hang on while you wait for Evan?”
Just as I was about to answer, the door opened, and Evan stood before me.
“There’s no need, Aidan, Evan’s here now. I’ll see you soon.”
“You will, baby. And Clarissa?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
I was so choked up it was hard to speak. Tears just poured out. In the tiniest voice, I managed an “I love you, too.”
Weird, but that was the first time I’d said it. Aidan had already told me that he loved me when in the throes of a wild orgasm, or just afterward, with a panting breath. This was different. I heard a swell in his voice that I hadn’t experienced before.
“Darling, put Evan on for a moment, please.”
I passed the phone to Evan.
He nodded. “Yep, sure. Got that, easy. See you soon.”
After Evan passed me my phone, he brought out a checkbook from the inside of his jacket. He bent down on the desk and scribbled $10,000.
As we were leaving, Evan handed the check to the man at the counter. “Here, buddy, for all your trouble.”
The man’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He shook his head. “Hey, this isn’t necessary, you know.”
Evan touched his arm and nodded reassuringly. “I was instructed by my stubborn boss that you were to take it.”
The shopkeeper nodded, casting a tight smile. “Anytime you want a burger, it’s on me.”
“Sure, bud,” said Evan before whisking me out of there.
Assuming she’d be a comfort, Evan had brought Tabitha along. She was. Tabitha had her arm around me as I rested my cheek on her shoulder, crying my eyes out. Every now and then, Evan looked through the rear-view mirror at us.
Instead of bombarding me with questions, which was Tabitha’s normal approach, she stroked my hair silently, allowing me to release all my pent-up anguish.
Aidan was there waiting for us in the car park at the estate. He had Linus by his side. He opened the door for me and helped me out.
Taking me into his arms, he held me tight. He looked at Tabitha and smiled. “Thanks for helping.”
Tabitha shrugged. “That’s cool. Just look after her for me.”
“I’ll do more than that,” said Aidan. He glanced over at Evan and nodded. “Thanks for bringing her back quickly, Evan. I’ll speak to you in the morning about ramping up security.”
“Yeah, of course.”
Aidan held me tight to his waist. He combed back his hair. I could see the strain on his face, his brow low and serious.
After Evan drove off, we made our way back into the house.
The first thing I encountered was two uniformed policemen, while Greta waited for us in the foyer.
I winced. I didn’t want to see anybody.
“I had to call them, Clarissa. This is serious. You must press charges. If anything happened to you… I don’t know what I would’ve done,” said Aidan, his eyes glassy and fragile. I’d never seen Aidan like that before.
Greta hugged me. “I’m glad you’re okay, Clarissa.”
My father came down the stairs, and I ran to him and burrowed into his arms. “Daddy.” I held him, and tears continued to slide down my soaked cheek.
“There, there, sweetheart.” My father just held me tight.
Aidan left us for a moment. He directed the policemen into the sitting room.
A few moments later, Aidan reappeared in the foyer. “Are you okay to go in and give a statement, Clarissa?”
I nodded.
We all entered the room. Greta had gone off to arrange refreshments.
The sitting room was the same one I had sat in the day of my interview. Only this time, the celebration of color bouncing off the teal walls did little to quell my unease.
I sat there, recalling how my life had changed so dramatically, from that of an invisible, ordinary girl to that of one living among priceless works of art in the arms of a man who owned my heart and soul.
I focused on the watercolors of the
sea—wispy blues and greens swishing about as if the wind had painted them instead of a brush. In the same way that they had calmed me that first day, sitting on the Louis XIV chair, they once again stilled my mind.
With stern expressions etched on their faces, the policemen seemed incongruous sitting on the delicate mint-green silk chairs. They received their coffees from a tray that Susana teasingly presented. Their eyes were more interested in her cleavage than the biscuits that she offered.
As much as I had tried to like Susana, I couldn’t. There was something about her that made my skin crawl. It wasn’t just the sexy outfits, but the way she watched Aidan. Although I hadn’t told Aidan yet, I’d witnessed Linus rubbing himself against her. A lascivious grin painted on her face was the last impression I got after I turned away quickly with disgust.
“Miss Moone,” the first policeman asked. “Can you give us a statement of what happened?”
I described everything to the policeman. He scribbled down notes and looked up at me. “How did you manage to escape?”
At my request, Aidan, my father, and Greta remained present. I looked up at Aidan and then to my father before answering.
“I shoved my knee into his balls,” I said dryly.
Having just taken a sip of liquor, Aidan coughed. He gazed up at me. That unflinching serious mien he’d been wearing melted away as his lips twitched.
“Excuse me?” the policeman asked, “You pushed your knee into his groin, is that correct?”
I bit my lip and nodded.
“And then he freed you?”
“Not until I stamped on his foot with my spiked heel. He loosened his grip. And then I bolted down the alleyway.”
“Right, okay.”
I stared over at Aidan. I noticed his eyes shining with pride.
While I’d been recounting the details, the other policeman had been on the phone to his technical department. He whispered something to the other cop.
“We’re in luck. There are cameras installed in that same area,” the officer said, taking a sip of his coffee. “We’ve had the IT department studying the footage right now.”
His buzzer went off. “Excuse me.” He took the call and was looking straight at me as he spoke. I felt a shiver again. I had a bad feeling about this.
After he closed the call, he regarded me directly and said, “They’ve got the footage. You can go ahead and press charges. The evidence is there.” He looked pleased.
“Can I have a word with Aidan alone, please?” I asked the policeman.
He nodded.
Aidan followed me out into the adjacent room. I closed the door to ensure that our words went unheard.
“What’s up, baby?”
“Aidan, I’m scared that if I press charges, Bryce will speak out against you. He’s got something on you, Aidan. If I’m to press charges, then you have to tell me what he’s been blustering on about all these months. I won’t press charges unless you tell me. You have to enlighten me. No more secrets, Aidan.”
He nodded pensively.
“You promise?”
His hair had fallen on his face, he was unshaven, and I could see that this experience had affected him deeply. But he still managed to steal my breath. Aidan was the only person I knew that the tenser he became, the sexier he looked. “Later.”
“Tonight, Aidan, after they leave.” I held my fort. I wasn’t going to let those large turquoise eyes sweep me away to lustville.
He exhaled a tight breath and nodded.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
After everyone left, Aidan and I went up to his room. He opened a bottle of wine and arranged for our dinner to be served there.
Sensitive to my mood, as always, Aidan intuited I needed time alone.
In truth, I felt like going to the cottage and hiding, but Aidan, who knew of my tendency to hide when troubled, insisted that I stay with him so that he could hold me.
What could I say to that? Of course, I wanted his strong arms around me. I needed him badly.
The wine worked miracles. After a glass, I loosened up. A call came through saying that the police apprehended Bryce and that he had been locked up.
After Aidan put down the phone, the relief on his face mirrored my sentiments.
He took me into his arms.
“I’m sorry for involving you in my crazy world,” said Aidan, stroking my hair.
“It’s fine, Aidan. It could’ve been anyone. It’s a rough area. You were right to warn me away from there. I think I’ll move from the apartment. I’m too frightened to go there again.”
“That’s a relief, baby.” Aidan touched my arm. His eyes had gone a deep blue shade of seriousness. “There’s one thing I will insist on from this point on, Clarissa. You are to have a designated driver, who’ll double up as a guard. I need to know you’re safe. You’re my world, Clarissa. If anything happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do.” His face was painted with almost frightful, intensity.
Something told me that unleashed, Aidan could be wild. I’d seen it before at the ball when pummeled Bryce. Had Will not interceded, I was afraid that Aidan would have kept going.
“But I love driving, Aidan,” I said.
“It’s a small price to pay for your safety, darling.” He held me and kissed me tenderly. A knock at the door made me flinch. “It’s probably our food.” Aidan unclasped me.
He opened the door to allow Susana entry. She swayed along with the trolley of food. Why did she have to behave like that? Fluttering her fake eyelashes and running her tongue over her plumped-up lips. Although Aidan was impervious to her obvious attempts at seduction, she always persisted by brushing closely by him. And as usual, she ignored me.
When she closed the door behind her, I said, “I don’t like her.”
Aidan shrugged. “I’m not attracted, Clarissa. But if you want me to let her go, I will.”
I sighed. My chest was too heavy to discuss Susana further.
I followed Aidan onto the balcony, where he placed the plates on the table.
“Do you mind if we dine here?” he asked.
“No. It’s my favorite place.”
He twirled a strand of my neglected hair. “Mine too, angel.”
I sat down. My attention, as always, went out to the expansive vista ahead. The shadowy trees that seemed to dance in the wind were lit up by Victorian lamps.
It was a warm summer’s night. The stars and moon were in full view.
The seemingly time-shifting balcony had become a favorite of mine. Sitting there, I could have been at a palace in old Europe with its ornate pearly marble balustrade and the mesmerizing mosaic floor with its earth-tone swirls inspired by ancient Rome.
Will had cooked up a storm yet again. It was a hard-to-describe salmon dish surrounded by asymmetrical shapes that resembled modern art, not food. But it certainly tasted delicious.
I surprised myself by eating with gusto. Knowing that Bryce was locked up helped. My breathing had returned to normal. And my limbs felt light again.
We ate silently with the occasional glance and smile. It was as if I was at a million-star resort.
I rose and picked up our plates, placing them on the trolley.
Aidan placed his hand on my arm. “Leave them. I’ll call Susana to clear them away.”
“No, I want to do it.” The steely determination on my face made Aidan sit back.
“If that’s what you want. Sure.” He smiled gently. Being sensitive to my mood, Aidan trod carefully. I could tell he wished for me to feel protected and at home.
“I don’t want her coming in and ruining my digestion,” I said.
“You really don’t like her, do you?”
“No, I don’t. There’s something icky about her.”
Aidan slapped my bottom playfully. Mm… he had a thing for doing that. In any case, I liked it, making sure I kept bending over close to him.
“I’ll get rid of her,” said Aidan, his hand creeping up my leg. “Will won’t be ha
ppy though.”
“You don’t have to get rid of her. Just get Greta to ask her to wear more suitable clothing for work.”
Aidan sat me on his knee. “Anything for you, darling. I’d give you the stars if I could.”
His lips crushed against mine. It was a hungry, needy kiss.
I pulled away.
His eyes softened. “I’m sorry. You’re probably not in the mood after what’s happened.”
“It’s not that, Aidan. I’m always in the mood,” I admitted with a shy grin.
Aidan took me in his arms again. “Good to hear, Princess, because I’m always in the mood around you.”
“It’s just that you promised earlier to tell me what Bryce has got on you. What all this is about. You have to enlighten me, Aidan.”
I moved away from him so that I could stick to my resolve. My body, as usual, growled at me. With those strong arms holding me while his hard cock throbbed beneath me, I was engorged and ready.
But, determined not to fall for his ravishing caresses, I stood against the balustrade and gazed at Aidan expectantly.
He brushed his hair back from his face. I could see he wasn’t big on this type of thing. He was secretive to a fault. The distended sinews in his arms gave away his tension.
Dressed in a worn-out T-shirt bearing an image of Jimi Hendrix, Aidan looked so sexy-hot rock-star that my body wanted to ignore his messy past and have him inside of me.
I’d grown as insatiable as Aidan. We couldn’t take our hands off each other. Even publicly, Aidan didn’t hold back. He’d glance from side to side with those bedroom eyes of his and then run his hands up my legs with a mischievous grin. The danger element always made my heart pump. His finger always went away sticky with my arousal.
For someone who’d spent her formative years, delaying gratification by being disciplined, I no longer recognized myself.
Aidan stepped back into the room. His athletic stride was like that of a graceful animal—powerful, alert, and self-assured. He poured himself a shot of bourbon and downed it. I could see that the subject was difficult for him.
“I don’t want to interrogate you, Aidan. It’s not my way. But you need to enlighten me. Your tension is my tension. You’re a part of me.” Tears spiked in the backs of my eyes. This heartfelt admission reminded me how weak I’d become.
