by A. M. Wilson
His eyes burn brightly into mine as we stare at each other. Slowly, he peels his body off mine, and I whimper from the loss of his warmth. He traces his hand over my breast, setting my skin to life as his calloused fingers skate across my abdomen. Grasping the hem of my shirt, he pulls it easily over my head. Dropping it on the floor, Elias’s fingers continue their exploration. When he reaches my shorts, in one smooth tug, they slip down my legs, dragging my panties with them.
Before I can speak, Elias grips my thighs, hoisting my body up onto my bed. When I come to a halt in the middle of the mattress, he spreads my legs, resting them on his shoulders, and he plunges his face between my thighs.
I cry out as his tongue sweeps the sensitive flesh, his tongue plunging inside of me exactly where I need him. Over and over again. My fingers tangle with the smooth hair on his head, tugging automatically with each zing of pleasure he shoots through me, begging him for more. His tongue caresses my slit, dragging its way up to the sensitive bundle of nerves where his mouth massages my clit. My core tightens from deep within my belly, branching out to coil the muscles in my legs even tighter until I’m strung taut as a bow. My legs begin to shake from the tension.
Elias slows his tongue, circling the sensitive flesh. My body begins to relax from the edge when suddenly Elias sucks my clit hard the same moment he plunges two fingers inside of me. I shoot off like a rocket. A scream tears from my throat as my body trembles from the waves rolling throughout my limbs.
Without missing a moment, I tug Elias’s hair, pulling him back up the length of my body. When his mouth meets mine, I encounter the sweet taste of his mouth mingling with the salty taste of myself, and I’m surprisingly aroused at the flavor. I kiss him harder, reaching my hands down his hard stomach to the waistband of his khakis. Using my feet, I tug them down, releasing his erection from the confines of his pants. My hands stroke him purposefully, trying to be gentle but needing him inside of me.
“Condom?” I ask, breaking the kiss. Elias hands me a wrapper he must have taken from his pocket before I removed his pants. I tear it open with my teeth, using my other hand to stroke his impressive length. The anticipation is almost enough to make me come again. Once I roll the condom on, Elias grabs my thighs, sliding my body back down the bed to the edge, where I rest beneath him.
His eyes bore into mine, and I’m overcome with love, desire, and passion. He breathes heavily, slowly stroking my cheek until I can’t take it anymore.
“Please, Elias. I need you inside of me.”
He sucks in a sharp breath before sheathing his cock entirely. I cry out as my body stretches deliciously, and he slowly pulls out of me again.
“Again.”
He does, thrusting into me harder. My hips begin to move of their own accord as we begin to rock against each other, losing ourselves in the perfect rhythm. He rolls his hips, thrusting into me as my hips lift to meet his. Sooner than I would have thought possible, I feel my muscles begin to tighten once again. I whimper in anticipation.
Elias pounds into me relentlessly, dropping his mouth to my breasts, lavishing one nipple with his tongue and then the other. It’s enough to push me over once again, the second orgasm overcoming me without preamble, his name pouring from my lips. Above my own voice, I barely hear him shout my name as he follows me. My body is still shaking when he finally slows, and he drops his head against my chest.
Neither of us move as our breathing returns to normal, and I’m suddenly flooded with emotion. Sex has never held such a powerful emotional connection for me, but I’m finding it hard to keep the tears at bay. I never knew it could be like that, so powerful, so raw, so vulnerable. I don’t think I could ever entrust my body to anyone else ever again. Elias owns me in the most simple, clear definition of the word.
Silently, we scoot towards the headboard, and Elias pulls the comforter over our naked bodies. We curl into one another on our sides, chests flush, legs and arms intertwined until I can’t tell where I end and he begins.
His thumb tenderly caresses the skin of my temple, tracing my eyebrow, nose, cheek, ending at my jaw. Those gorgeous blue eyes of his graze my features with a look of love that sends my heart into a frenzy. My eyes close at his touch.
“I love you. God, I love you so damn much,” he whispers hoarsely.
The pure look of vulnerability on his features tugs at my heart, and I bury my face into the warm skin of his neck. His scent surrounds me with comfort. “I love you too,” I whisper there.
His arms crush me to him, and tangled up as one, we drift off to sleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY
There’s always the calm before the storm, and it’d do me good to remember that in the future. Because my morning started out rough, and it descended into utter chaos.
Following last night, we both seemed to wake up refreshed. Elias and I ate breakfast together, showered together where we made love again, and settled in to relax and watch television.
The two of us lie on the couch with each other as we watch some hilarious prank show. Just after eleven, the sound of Elias’s phone ringing causes us to break apart.
“I’ve been pretty unreachable since yesterday,” he says, reaching for his phone.
“It’s okay,” I reply. “I’ll start making us some lunch.” Walking into the kitchen with a bounce in my step, I pull out the ingredients for cold cuts when I hear him answer his phone. His voice is low and quiet, as if he doesn’t want to be overheard.
“Hey,” he says, pacing further into the other room. “What happened? She did what? Shit, I’m sorry. Calm down, asshole. I’ll be right over. Just keep the girls occupied until I get there.”
At the word girls, my back straightens and my head whips to stare into the other room. Girls? As in, plural. As in, what the hell. Logically, I should remain calm, but my gut sours without intending it to do so. I’m still staring into the other room as Elias walks around the corner with a guilty look on his face.
“Babe, I’m really sorry, but I have to go,” he says, coming over to kiss my cheek. I want to cry at the nonchalance in his voice, but I hold it in. Instead, I tilt my face towards him, allowing him to press his soft lips against my skin.
“Sure, your girls need you. I understand.”
Elias straightens as if he just got a hard whack in the ass. I’d laugh if my heart didn’t feel as if it’s being filleted. Trying to appear unaffected, I continue making sandwiches.
“Look at me,” he commands, but I ignore him. If I look at him, I’ll lose it. “Marlee, look at me.”
The knife hits the counter with a loud clatter. “What, Elias. What do you want?”
“Mind filling me in why you’re suddenly pissed?”
“Are you really that stupid? Maybe one of your ‘girls’ can fill you in on what goes on in a woman’s brain,” I hiss.
He hooks me behind the neck and pulls my face so it’s level with his. “I’m about to leave and get an earful from Sin. I do not need you throwing around your attitude before you give me a chance to explain.”
Wrenching my head away, I cross my arms over my chest expectantly. “So explain. But let me tell you something. When you tell somebody you love them, it’s probably a bad idea to go see your other girls the next goddamned day.”
“Fuck!” he roars, and the sudden anger spikes my pulse. I’ve never seen him angry before, and I don’t think I ever want to see it again. “Do not throw my love back in my face. I do love you, and whatever you heard me say isn’t what you think.” He turns around, slaps his gray beanie onto his head, and grabs his keys.
“I don’t have time to explain right now because there’s a bad situation I need to take care of. After this is finished, I’m getting Shelby and Sin, and we’re filling you in. It kills me to have to leave you without answers again, but I promise you’ll know everything when I get back.” Like a switch, his anger melts, and tenderness and concern replace it. “Believe me, Marlee. It hurts to leave you like this. I’ll be back as soon as I can.�
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Before I can form a retort, he’s gone.
Forget this. If he thinks I’m going to sit around and wait for him to get back, he’s going to have quite the surprise. I’m going to hide out at Carly’s until he’s finished. She can calm me down; at the same time, I’ll be letting him fret over my disappearance. After seeing the look on his face and his promise to explain finally, I know deep down I should trust him. Though, a part of me wants to know why it takes me getting upset for him to be ready to spill the truth. What is it about his job that he needs to be so secretive? And why does Shelby know? Is the situation Sin saved her from somehow connected?
The longer I stay here, the more questions I have. The best thing for me to do is to drive to Carly’s and wait it out. I’ll find out if I’ll finally get answers once Elias returns.
As I walk down the hall to leave, I mentally kick myself, remembering we left my car in the parking garage last night. I hate that stupid place. Instead of taking the creepy claustrophobic stairway, I opt for the elevator and take a right down the hall.
The parking garage is dark and empty when the elevator doors finally open. Surveying the area before stepping into the open, I reach in my purse to dig out my keys. As I grasp my key ring, I walk briskly towards my car.
Less than 10 feet away, I hear the distinct tap of footsteps behind me. To avoid risking a glance over my shoulder, I push the key fob and unlock my car. As much as I try to remain calm, I can’t help but break out in a sprint toward my driver’s side door, stretching my arms out those last few inches.
The feet pound on the concrete behind me and my fingers fumble with the side of my car as I grab blindly for the handle. When I finally wrench open the door, my most crucial mistake is taking the next second to look over my shoulder. A black cloth obscures his face, a rag in one hand and a gun in the other. The hand with the cloth slams my door shut before wrapping around my mouth and nose, strangling off any breath I may have taken in order to scream.
My lungs are stuttering, burning, failing to expand as I scratch and pull against the hand clamped tightly to my face. I can’t breathe; I can’t scream. My head becomes light and dizzy, and the last image I see is a pair of piercing, malicious green eyes gazing hard back at me.
“Goodnight,” he whispers.
The floor rattles beneath my cheek when I swim back into consciousness. I try to open my eyes, but it’s impossible. All I can see is black. My head hurts and a dizzy fog holds me captive. I struggle to move, but my hands and feet are bound with…something. An unwelcome pang of fear drives deeply into my gut and desperately I pull against the restraints, the materials cutting into my flesh.
I try again to open my eyes, not understanding why I can’t see anything but blackness. A stiff arm inches up to my face, feeling around, and I feel something soft on my eyelids. I must have a mask of some sort on. But why? What happened?
Racking my brain, I try to figure out where I am and how I got here. The images in my head are difficult to see, out of focus, and distorted. I remember the dark…running…and a pair of piercing green eyes.
Travis!
Oh no. No no no no!
It all comes back to me. The parking garage, running, footsteps getting louder, chasing me, the cloth…chloroform?
Travis. Looking down on me with a sick and twisted grin.
Nausea rolls through my stomach, rising into my throat. It takes a lot of effort, but I swallow it back down, not wanting to aspirate on my own vomit. I feel a bump, and I realize I’m moving. Oh my god, I’m in the trunk of a car. My bound hands search the area around me, looking for anything useful or familiar. I have to get out of here. Remembering something I heard once, I try to kick out the tail light, but it’s useless. My bound feet aren’t able to hit it hard enough and I don’t even know if it’s the right spot. Rolling over, I search the area behind my body again, coming up to something soft, leathery feeling. I feel a zipper and a strap. My purse!
Slipping the zipper, I feel around inside, finding my cell phone in the inside pocket where I usually store it. The clock on the home screen tells me I’ve been gone for over 4 hours. It’s almost five. The notifications bar flashes with several texts from Elias. The car is still moving, as I can feel the floor shaking beneath me, so I know I’m safe to call for help. My heart breaks as I ignore the texts and dial 911. Please let my phone work out here.
An operator answers promptly.
“911 what is your emergency,” the woman’s voice is clear, professional. I cling to it like a lifeline.
“I-I’ve been kidnapped.” I stutter out. My body shudders from saying the words aloud. It makes the reality of the situation much more tangible. I’m twenty-two, and I’ve been freaking kidnapped.
“Do you know who took you?” she asks, her voice still a chilling calm.
“Yes,” I whisper, afraid he can somehow hear me over the sound of the road. “His name is Travis Dawson. He’s my ex-boyfriend. He took me from the parking garage at my apartment this morning. Just after noon.” Goosebumps shoot up both of my arms.
“What is your address?”
“1016 W. Creek Parkway Apt 319, but we aren’t there.”
“How old are you ma’am?” I try to hone in on the slight southern twang of her accent. I picture she has long brown wavy hair. She probably likes to ride horses.
“Twenty-two.”
“And what is your name?”
“My name’s Marlena Aldrich.”
“Do you know where you are right now?” I can hear the keys clicking on her keyboard. I focus on the sound.
“I’m in the trunk of a car. I don’t know where he’s taking me.”
Click-click-click
“What kind of car does he drive?”
“He used to drive a white Taurus, but recently I’ve seen him in a blue Impala. I don’t know which I’m in right now.”
Click-click-click-click
“Have you been in the car this entire time, ma’am?”
Tears spill from my eyes, over the bridge of my nose and into the hair by my left temple. This is hopeless. He’s probably so far away by now; we could be across the border of any of the neighboring states. We could be nearing Canada for all I know. I shove my fist in my mouth to stifle the sobs wracking my body.
“Ma’am, try to remain calm, we are going to do everything we can.”
“I don’t know. I was unconscious until just a little bit ago,” I manage to squeak out between hiccups.
Beep.
The familiar sound sends a slice of pain through my body. My battery is dying. After everything that happened last night, I never plugged it in. Oh my God.
“My battery is dying on my phone.”
“Ma’am, police have been notified and units are being dispatched.”
“What do I do?” The words come out frantic. Taking a deep breath, I try to calm myself. I will get nowhere freaking out.
Beep.
“Try to do as he says. Don’t antagonize him. We are looking for you. The police will find you.”
“I’m so afraid,” I admit, and when I close my eyes and listen to her voice, I can almost feel safe in the dark confines of the trunk. They will find me. They are looking for me. I repeat over and over again.
“I know Marlena. We will find you, honey. I’m going to ask you to hang up so we can conserve your phone battery. If you know where you are and can, try to call us back, okay? Even if you can’t talk, just call, and we will find you.”
I click end and stash the phone back into my purse, resisting the temptation to call or text Elias. If Travis finds the phone near me, he’d search it and know I was using it. This way it’s out of sight.
My body is hot and uncomfortable. My shoulders are numb from the position I’m bound and lying in.
Where he’s taking me?
Does he want to kill me?
Why does he want to kill me?
What did I do to him?
The questions keep tumbling around inside
my head, and I’m powerless to stop them.
He hurt me. He cheated on me.
I should have broken things off with him when things started to get a little rocky instead of waiting until things got as out of control as they did.
Rolling myself onto my back, I try to get more comfortable, which is impossible. I wrack my brain for every detail I know and remember about Travis. He doesn’t own property that I know of. He doesn’t have a lot of money. Maybe he’s only trying to scare me. It’s working if that’s his goal.
The car slows significantly before coming to a complete stop. It starts to roll forward, and the tires make a new sound. He’s turning off onto some dirt road. The gravel crunches and rocks pop beneath the wheels of the car.
It feels like he’s still going fast, probably too fast. My heart is pounding in my chest. My hands, still bound, make a futile attempt to rub the sweat out of my eyes.
I imagine him flipping the car around some loose graveled bend and rolling down a monstrous cliff; me ejecting from the trunk as the car tumbles ass over front down the rocky hills. My body rolling swiftly down the mountain, hitting every rock, tree, and crevasse on the way down. If he’s planning to kill me, that sounds like a much better way to go.
Fuck! I can’t think like that. The moment I let myself think the worst is the moment I’m dead. I will not let him kill me. I need to get back to Elias no matter what it takes.
The car lurches around another turn. This gravel road is riddled with potholes. I try lying still on my back to keep my head from bouncing off the floor with each bump, but it doesn’t help. I cradle my sore and bruised skull between my forearms. He hits another pothole and my jaw snaps, forcing my teeth through the flesh of my tongue and blood fills my mouth.
Not more than five minutes later, the car comes to an abrupt stop. The engine idles as I listen intently, hoping for any indication that he is coming to get me. I can’t hear anything above the loud hum of the engine, when suddenly, the humming stops.
