Provoke

by Missy Johnson

  “What’s the alternative, Leet? I’m so close. I can’t just let this go.”

  “Fine,” she said. “Then use me.”

  “No fucking way,” I growled. “Leeta, you are not doing this—”

  She threw the phone back at me and got to her feet.

  “Come on, Mace. Brunette? Slim? I’m perfect for his sick little fantasy, and you know it. He wants feisty? I’ll give him fucking feisty,” she stated, stalking around the room.

  It was pointless even arguing with her. I sat down and sighed. She walked around and stood between my legs. Tilting my chin up, she forced me to look at her.

  “You know this is perfect, Mace. You know it. I can be of so much use in there with you. We have a real shot at getting this guy.”

  I nodded and leaned forward, wrapping my arms around her hips. She was right. I knew she was right, but if anything happened to her because of me, I’d never forgive myself.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Leeta

  Now we were getting somewhere. I’d expected Mace to put up a much bigger fight against me being the bait, but he had relented pretty damn quickly.

  This was going to work. It was perfect. With me there, I could pick up so many clues that I just couldn’t get from those damn videos. And if Tim could track their IP address, we had such a good chance at catching them.

  And then what?

  The little voice in the back of my head kept asking those three little words. Once this is all over, then what? There was no way things could go back to normal, but could I forgive him? Did I want to forgive him?

  I did. Every time I thought about this whole mess I found myself trying to think up reasons to defend his behaviour. And I actually admired his devotion to his family. I just wished it wasn’t occurring at my expense.

  “Tell me what is going to happen,” I asked him as he set Chinese down on the table. He passed me my sweet and sour pork, frowning.

  “You’ve seen the video’s, Leet,” he said quietly. “You know what to expect.”

  “There is nothing missing from those videos that might shock or surprise me?” I asked nervously. God, I didn’t even want to know.

  He shook his head. “Not really, I mean, walking in there you’re probably going to be terrified. The house is scary, old and abandoned, but that’s nothing compared to the feeling of walking into that room.”

  I shuddered just thinking about it, setting my food down on the table. Suddenly I wasn’t that hungry.

  “I’ll be there with you every step of the way, okay? Just remember that.” He sighed, reaching for my hand. “You don’t have to do this, Leet.”

  But I did. What were my choices? Force him to give this up? Let him fuck another woman? I did have to do this.

  #

  I slept alone in the bed while Mace slept on the couch. By slept I mean I tossed and turned all night, stressing about Wednesday. Every time I closed my eyes I imagined myself in that room. Only it wasn’t Mace there with me. It was that voice.

  I need a drink. Creeping from the room, I snuck into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Glancing over at Mace I watch as he stirred then rolled over. I pulled out an orange juice and carried it back to my room.

  Picking up my phone, I checked the time. Four a.m. What time did that make it in the U.S? Not that it mattered. Laura was incredibly hard to get a hold of. I pressed dial anyway. Maybe today was my lucky day?

  No such luck. The tone ran out, and then went to her message bank.

  “Hey Laura, I know you don’t check your messages like ever, but if by chance you get this, call or email me. Anything. I really need to talk.”

  “Are you okay?”

  I looked up to see Mace standing in the doorway. My breath caught in my throat as my eyes took in his body. Except for a pair of briefs, he was naked.

  He was also half asleep.

  “I’m fine.” I smiled. “Couldn’t sleep.”

  “Yeah, I thought I heard talking,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

  “I was just trying to get onto Laura.”

  He nodded, giving me a sympathetic smile. “Hope you get some sleep.” He turned and began to walk out.

  “Mace?” He stopped at turned back. “Will you…can you hold me?” My face flamed. I felt like an idiot. He smiled and walked over to the bed, climbing under the covers.

  Sighing, I snuggled back into his embrace, my body relaxing.

  “Course I will. Anything I can do, I’m here, okay?” I nodded, cupping his hand in mine. The warmth from his body, and the strength from his arms around me was all I needed. My heavy eyes began to close as I drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Leeta

  Stupid fucking idea.

  What the hell had I been thinking?

  Mace narrowed his eyes at me. I smiled and reached for his hand, trying to reassure him—or myself—that I was okay. I could do this.

  “Leet, I’m not sure about this.”

  “It’s a little late now, isn’t it?” I snorted. Wednesday night, and we were sitting in his car, on our way to the destination. “Look, you need to focus. You have to remain as impartial with me as you were with the others.” My chest tightened as I spoke. I hated thinking about him with anyone else other than me. It made me sick. More than that, it made me fucking angry as hell.

  “Are you going to be okay?” he asked quietly.

  I nodded and pressed my lips together. I wasn’t about to tell him that I was no stranger to kinky shit like this. Now was not the time to delve into my relationship with Ben.

  The hardest thing for me was going to be separating myself from Mace. I had to play the victim. What if I enjoyed it? What if, in the moment, I lost myself, and it became obvious that I was aroused?

  My reaction hinged on this going well. He wanted fear. That was what this guy lived on. I just wasn’t sure I could play the terrified, submissive role.

  #

  “We’re here.”

  I jumped, Mace’s voice startling me. I looked out the window at what appeared to be an abandoned house. Here?

  “It belongs to an acquaintance of my brother.”

  Huh. I reached for my seatbelt as Mace’s hand closed over mine. I glanced up at him in surprise.

  “Thanks. For this. For not going straight to the cops.”

  I nodded. Why did my heart race every time he touched me? Why did I feel like I’d done something wrong by him every time he looked at me with those sad eyes? Why was I the one feeling bad?

  The fact that I couldn’t hate him made me want to hate him even more.

  I got out of the car, my heart pounding. Mace slipped his hand into mine and squeezed it. I smiled up at him, confused by what I was feeling. Apart from feeling like I was about to vomit, I felt dizzy and more scared than I’d ever felt in my life. I kept thinking about Anna—how scared she must have been.

  Taking a deep breath, I took a step toward the house. Mace fell in line beside me.

  “I’m right here with you, Leet. As scary as this gets, don’t ever forget that, okay?”

  I nodded, swallowing hard.

  I followed him inside. The smell of rotting wood hit my senses. I looked up. The roof was caving in in places, and the remnants of last night's rain lay in puddles on the scuffed vinyl floor.

  We walked down the hallway in complete silence, only the creaking of the floorboards below us making a sound.

  “In here,” Mace said.

  I stepped into the room, my breath catching in my throat. I’d watched those videos so many times, it felt like I'd been there before. I suppose in a sense I had.

  The room was so sterile, so cold. Shivering, I rubbed my arms as I stared at the table in front of me, feeling sick. That was where it had happened. Right there was where Mace had betrayed me.

  I swallowed a laugh. What kind of person was I that the first thing that had entered my mind was myself? Forget about all the pain and terror his sister, and probably countless other w
omen had gone through; this whole thing was all about me, and my stupid little problems.

  “Are you okay?”

  I glanced up at him as he squeezed my hand. No, I’m far from okay. But I had to push that aside. I had to work through it.

  “I'm fine. I’m just a little . . .” My voice trailed off. I didn't even know how to finish that sentence.

  “I'm right here. I promise I won't hurt you, Leet.” His voice broke as he leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

  But you already have hurt me.

  I slowly undressed while Mace was on the phone, giving last-minute instructions to Tim. I undid my shirt, one button at a time, as if my mind was trying to drag out the inevitable. I slipped the shirt over my shoulders and down my arms, letting it fall into a heap on the floor. I left my bra on. I didn't know how this worked, but judging by the videos there was some joy received from watching some clothing being removed.

  Dipping my fingers into the waistband of my cargoes, I slipped them down over my hips, aware that Mace was now staring at me. I heard him breathe in sharply.

  A flutter filled my stomach. I couldn't deny that I liked that he still found me attractive. I dropped the cargoes on the floor with my shirt, and stood there facing Mace, waiting for him to tell me what to do next.

  “You’ve got goosebumps,” he whispered, walking over to me. He ran his hand down my arm, sending shivers racing down my spine.

  “Yes, well, it is kind of cold in here,” I muttered, covering my chest with my arms.

  “God, you're so beautiful,” he said, cupping my face with his hand.

  I closed my eyes, my body weakening it at his touch. He swept a strand of hair away from my face as his eyes gazed deeply into my mine.

  What was he thinking?

  I couldn't tell. All I knew was no matter how much I wanted to push him away, my heart refused to. In spite of everything, I still loved him. I may not have forgiven him yet, but in that moment I knew I would.

  I sat down on the chair as Mace fastened the ropes to my wrists.

  “Let me know if it's too tight,” he said.

  “Why so concerned?” I asked dryly. “It's not like you haven't tied me up before.”

  He narrowed his eyes at me, shaking his head, the edges of his mouth twitching up.

  Hey, look at that. I've managed a joke.

  He stepped back and surveyed his work.

  “Okay, I think we're ready. How you feeling?”

  “How do you think I'm feeling?” Right away, I felt bad for snapping. I knew this was hard for him too. “I’ll be better once this is over with,” I said, my voice softer.

  “I have to do this now,” he said apologetically.

  I nodded, swallowing hard. Well, it wouldn't be a party without a blindfolded and a gag.

  I opened my mouth, letting him slip the ball of the gag inside. I bit down gently as he fastened it behind my head. Blindfold in hand, he leaned over and kissed my forehead.

  “I love you, Leet.”

  Hearing those words made my heart swell. I was thankful for the gag, so I didn't have to respond. I wasn't ready for that.

  Darkness surrounded me as he lowered the blindfold over my eyes.

  This is terrifying.

  With my sight compromised, my other senses kicked in. The feel of the fan blowing against my skin, the sound of my beating heart in my chest . . . the metallic taste in my mouth as I bit down on my lip.

  I listened, trying to place Mace's movements around the room.

  Click, click, click. Then nothing. Just me locked in my own silence.

  My breathing shallowed as I waited for what felt like forever for something to happen. Anything.

  “Mm, oh yes. Would you look at that body?”

  I stiffened: a voice. Was it the same as the videos? I couldn't be sure. I didn't trust anything that I was thinking. My head was a freaking mess.

  “Can you stand her up so I can get a better look at her?”

  I could feel Mace behind me, untying the ropes. I swallowed, my throat so dry. He yanked me to my feet. His aggression surprised me. Scared me, even.

  This isn’t Mace, and you are not Leeta.

  “Yeah, I like that a lot. Get her up on the table so I can see her better.”

  All of a sudden the floor gave way below me. My heart pounded as I realized I was in his arms.

  He's got you. He won't hurt you.

  I gasped as the freezing surface of the metal table hit my back. Holy shit, it was cold. I blinked rapidly, as my muscles clenched.

  I could hear him chuckle. I felt sick. I felt dirty.

  “Is that a scalpel I see there?” A scalpel?

  “Yes. Shall I get it?”

  Mace. I sighed. It was such a relief to hear his voice. I'd been afraid this guy would see through my act. But this was no act. This fear—the absolute terror that I felt right through to my core—was real.

  “Yes. Cut her bra, in the centre.”

  A single slice through the delicate lace material of my purple bra, and my breasts were exposed. I could feel my nipples harden.

  “God, she's beautiful. Perfect. Leave the blindfold on.”

  God no, please.

  Not being able to see Mace . . . I couldn't do this. But I had no choice. I had to do this. And even if I wanted to, I couldn't stop. I was blindfolded and gagged, for fuck’s sake.

  “Run the scalpel over her skin. I want to see it trail down to her panties.”

  I swallowed as the blade touched the skin between my breasts. He slowly moved it downward. It was sharp, stinging as it broke through the top layer of my skin. My breath caught in my throat as he reached the lace edge, trailing the blade over the soft fabric of my panties. I breathed in sharply, not expecting the arousal that shot through me. It scared me. I shouldn’t be enjoying this. I wasn’t enjoying it. My body was betraying me with its natural response to being sexually stimulated.

  Had Mace felt like this? With those other women, had he enjoyed it? He’d obviously gotten himself hard enough to penetrate them…that had to mean something, right?

  A sob escaped from my chest. God, I needed to get a grip. I was losing the plot.

  I had to switch off. I had to escape my own head. I had to detach myself from the situation, pretend it wasn’t me. Whatever I needed to do to get through it, I would.

  I refused to let them win.

  #

  Mace watched me as I shivered. I clutched the blanket tightly around my body.

  “Are you sure you're okay? Maybe I should take you to a doctor?”

  “And say what?” I snorted. Calm down. “I’ll be okay.”

  He nodded, his expression uncertain as he reached for the phone. This was it: this was the moment when we found out if the last half hour had all been for nothing, or whether we had actually gotten something.

  “How did you go?”

  I watched Mace anxiously, waiting for a sign, good or bad. Relief swept over his face as he crouched down to his knees.

  Thank fucking Christ.

  We did it. We got the guy.

  I began to gasp as I struggled to breathe. My body was shaking so hard that I was struggling to keep warm. A sob escaped from my lips.

  What is happening to me?

  “Shit, Tim, I’ll call you back.”

  Mace raced over and crouched in front of me. He wrapped his arms around me as I sobbed into his embrace.

  “Shhh, I've got you. You're okay, baby. You’re just in shock.”

  “I'm sorry I just I don't know . . .”

  “It's okay, Leet. Let everything out. I'm here for you, okay?”

  I nodded as he picked me up. My body relaxed into his arms, demanding rest. I was so tired. I needed sleep.

  “Let’s get you home.”

  #

  I woke up. Mace was lying on my bed, reading. He glanced over at me and smiled.

  “Hey. How are you feeling?”

  I smiled back, stretching out my feet underneath the cov
ers, my toes curling. I felt better. What time was it? How long had I been sleeping?

  “It’s nearly four in the morning,” Mace said, reading my thoughts.

  “Why aren’t you sleeping?” I asked, my voice still groggy.

  He shrugged. “Too wound up. Besides, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  The events of earlier flashed back through my mind. I swallowed hard and then nodded.

  “I’m okay. I think I just needed a good sleep,” I said quietly. “So, we have the guy?”

  Mace nodded. “We have an address. I have someone staking out the house at the moment, and I’ll go over as soon as we know he’s there and get some answers.”

  He will go over? What about me? I sat up, binging the covers with me.

  “You’re not going anywhere without me,” I said.

  “Leet, look at you. You’re a mess,” he protested, laughing. He shut his mouth as I narrowed my eyes at him. “Look, the best way you can help me is by staying here where I know you’re safe, okay?”

  I didn’t answer. Instead, I was going over a plan in my head. I pushed the covers back and swung my feet over the side of the bed. Shit, I’m dizzy.

  “Can you run me a bath?” I asked, swaying on my feet.

  His arm shot out to steady me. I fell back on the bed.

  “Just relax, okay? Stay in bed and rest.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Leeta

  I must have fallen asleep again.

  I sat up, my head still dizzy, but much less so than earlier. Is Mace still here? The sun was shining through the curtains. What time was it? I reached for my phone, which I’d left sitting on my bedside table.

  Shit—after noon. How the hell had I slept for so long? Throwing the covers back, I stepped out of bed and reached for my robe, throwing it over my tank and panties. I shivered.

  I made it out of the living room without feeling like I was going to fall over, so that was a good start. Fuck. My head was pounding. I felt like I had the biggest hangover. I put on some coffee and threw some bread in the toaster. I wasn’t actually hungry—in fact, the thought of eating made me feel sick—but I knew I had to get something in my stomach. Especially if I was going to be following Mace today.