Monster (Impossible #1)

by Julia Sykes

  “Look,” I said, more gently this time. “If I give him my blood, I’ll die. And then there will be no one here to help him. Just trust me.”

  Bradley stared at me for a long moment, Sean’s ragged breathing the only sound cutting through the tense silence. Finally, he nodded jerkily.

  I finished my work quickly, stitching him up more easily this time now that the wound wasn’t so obscured by his blood. Once my task was complete, Bradley reached for me, gripping my wrist hard. I winced as his fingers dug into the ringed bruised that had been left around it by the harsh bite of the handcuffs.

  And now he was pulling them out again.

  “You don’t have to-” I began.

  “Shut up,” he barked as he fastened one cuff around my wrist and the other around the bedpost. His eyes bored into mine, and I saw no trace of compassion in their depths. I knew that the only reason I had been allowed to live this long was for Sean’s sake. He had told Bradley that he wasn’t a killer, but I wasn’t so sure that that was true.

  My mouth snapped closed, and I bit back the angry curses that I wanted to hurl at him. Sean was unconscious again, and who knew what Bradley might do to me if he wasn’t awake to come to my rescue?

  My rescue? I bit back a mad laugh. No one here was going to save me. That was for sure. Sean might not be a murderer, but he was still my jailor. And I hated him for that.

  Still, I was surprised to find that some of the tightness in my chest loosened when Bradley left the room, the lock sliding home behind him. Although my rational mind told me that both men were equally responsible for snatching my life away from me, a deeper part of me recognized a humanity in Sean that was absent in Bradley.

  I looked over at his sleeping form, watching intently as the color slowly worked its way back into him, until his freckles became almost invisible against his lightly tanned skin once again. As I watched, his breathing return to a deep, normal rhythm, I couldn’t help admiring his perfect, hard-muscled body.

  Stop that! I snapped at myself. He’s a heartless bastard.

  A sexy, heartless bastard.

  His arms were corded, all of his muscles perfectly defined as though they had been carefully carved by a master sculptor. Even under the gauze, I knew that his chest was hard and strong, and I found my eyes wandering down from the wound to his perfect abs. There was a dusting of dark hair, a trail that led from his navel down into his jeans…

  I mentally slapped myself. I might be handcuffed to a bed next to one of the sexiest men that I had ever seen, but this was so not the way I had fantasized about this scenario. Usually the man was conscious. And I wasn’t in fear for my life. Yes, this was decidedly less erotic that what I had envisioned.

  Think about something else, I commanded my flighty brain.

  But as the long minutes ticked slowly by, I found it impossible to stop staring at his perfection. If I had to be trapped in a room with a strange man, I guessed Sean wasn’t my worst option. Besides, focusing on his physical beauty kept my mind from wildly speculating about what might happen to me.

  Would Bradley kill me the next time he came to check on Sean? How long would I be trapped here? Would even Sean turn on me once he was healed?

  No, memorizing every line of Sean’s handsome face, every facet of color in his dark auburn hair, was far less terrifying than contemplating my future.

  Chapter 3

  I had no idea how much time had passed, but I was thoroughly bored; there was only so long I could stare at Sean without feeling distinctly uncomfortable with the blooming warmth in my belly. So when I heard his low groan, I was almost thrilled at the sound. The long silence was broken, at least.

  His eyes were clouded over, confused for a moment. He was clearly disoriented after being unconscious for so long. His head turned, and his gaze focused as it landed on me. A lopsided, lazy smile broke out on his face.

  “Hi, gorgeous,” he said, a cocky note in his voice. Then his brow furrowed. “No offense, sweetie, but I don’t really remember last night.” His smile widened as his eyes roved up and down my body, coming to rest on my cuffed hand. “And I must say that I’m very sorry for that. Looks like it was a good time.”

  I gasped, momentarily taken aback.

  Gorgeous?

  Some part of my brain noticed that there was a slight, sexy lilt to his deep voice that I couldn’t quite identify. I liked the way it sounded as he stared at me appreciatively. No one had looked at me like that in years. I hadn’t let them…

  My moment of flattery quickly faded in wake of anger.

  “Listen, jackass,” I began, my voice hard. “I didn’t sleep with you. I saved your life, in case you don’t recall. That pain in your shoulder isn’t a sex sprain. You were shot, idiot. Besides,” I added with venom, “I don’t really care to sleep with you after what you’ve done to me. You’re holding me hostage, remember?” I jerked at the cuff for emphasis.

  Sean frowned as comprehension dawned in his eyes. Was that… shame in his expression?

  “Oh. Yeah,” he said simply.

  “Yeah,” I spat at him.

  He sighed heavily and then winced at the resultant pain in his chest. I wanted to feel a surge of vindictive pleasure, but it didn’t come. Instead, the clinician in me softened towards him, unable to bear seeing a patient in pain.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked gently.

  “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth.

  I snorted derisively. “Uh-huh,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Because you look just fine. You were shot, you’ve been unconscious for hours, and you haven’t had any pain killers.” I pinned him with a hard look. “I’m a doctor. Don’t think you can lie to me.” Then I added under my breath, “Men.” They always tried to put on a brave front, and this particular one seemed especially obstinate.

  Great, just what I need. I’m trapped with a patient who doesn’t want to be treated. Excellent.

  To my surprise, he let out a small chuckle. But it was quickly cut off as he hissed when the pain hit him. Still, after a moment he smiled at me roguishly. “I’m not going to get anything past you, am I, doc?” He asked, clearly amused, as though I was being cute.

  I huffed indignantly, but inside I was momentarily struck dumb by his cocky smile. It was doing something funny to my insides.

  “I have a name, you know,” I snapped to cover the strange sensation. “It’s Dr. Ellers.”

  The grin didn’t disappear. “I thought you said your name was Claudia,” he said.

  “You can call me Dr. Ellers,” I said more emphatically, trying to maintain some sense of dignity in this situation.

  “I like Claudia,” he insisted. “It’s pretty. Unless you prefer ‘doc’.” His eyes were dancing.

  “Fine,” I snapped, throwing my hands up in exasperation. Only the cuff jerked at my wrist painfully as I did so, and I couldn’t help the small yelp that escaped me as it dug into my already-bruised skin.

  Sean’s grin instantly melted into a frown. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he stated the obvious.

  “Oh, you wouldn’t, would you?” I said angrily. “Thanks for that sage advice.”

  There was that strange darkness in his eyes again, as though he was ashamed. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. His eyes locked on mine, sincerity flooding their deep green depths. “And thank you. For saving my life.”

  My own eyes widened, suddenly taken aback. Gratitude was the last thing I expected from him; I had just been convincing myself that he was a cocky asshole. Damn it, why did he have to keep making me soften towards him? It would be so much easier if he would just let me hate him.

  “You’re welcome,” I said quietly. Then I shook myself, forcing my voice to harden. “But you do realize that as a doctor I was compelled to save your life by the Hippocratic Oath; don’t think that I harbor any particular affection for you. In fact, it’s just the opposite. I should have just let you die. Only, your douchebag friend didn’t really give me an option.”r />
  Sean’s frown grew deeper, the lines of his face twisting downward in anger. “Listen, doc,” he placed emphasis on the disrespectful nickname, “I never want to hear you say a bad word about Bradley again. Understand?”

  I fought the urge to move away from him, suddenly intimidated by the power that was rolling off of him like a palpable thing. But I summoned my resolve, lifting my chin and returning his glare silently. No way was I going to promise to be polite about the asshole who had kidnapped me.

  Just then, I heard the lock click back, and the door banged open to reveal the bastard standing in the doorway.

  “What the fuck is going on in here?” He demanded. “I heard raised voices.” He shot a glare in my direction. “Are you upsetting him, doc?” He asked dangerously.

  “It’s Claudia,” I snapped. “And he seems to be upsetting himself.”

  Bradley started to advance on me, seething with anger.

  “Bradley!” Sean snapped. “It’s fine, okay? The doc here was just being a bit snippy,” he said disparagingly.

  There was no trace of the kind, vulnerable man who had thanked me just moments before. Maybe it would be easier to hate him than I had thought.

  Bradley stopped in his tracks, turning his glare on his friend. “I won’t let the bitch upset you,” he said roughly.

  Sean laughed. “I think I can handle a few barbed comments from a hysterical woman,” he said derisively.

  Hysterical woman?! I opened my mouth, ready to hurl more “barbed comments” at him. But Bradley’s hard growl stopped me.

  “You had better keep your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you,” he warned.

  While I felt comfortable enough exchanging angry words with Sean, Bradley was another matter. My insults seemed to roll off Sean like water. And while that irked me, it didn’t scare me like Bradley’s aggression did. So I pursed my lips against the furious words that I wanted to fling at him. Bradley held my glare for a moment, then shrugged, turning to Sean.

  “I got some painkillers for you, buddy,” he said, his voice suddenly gentle. He handed his friend a couple of pills and a glass of water.

  “What are those?” I demanded, the doctor in me wanting to make sure that the drugs wouldn’t thin his blood.

  “Oxycodone,” Bradley snapped. “You have a problem with that?”

  No, Oxycodone should be fine, but… “Where did you get that?” I asked, curious. Surely Bradley hadn’t been able to get a prescription for it.

  “None of your business,” he said dismissively, not even glancing my way.

  Sean had already swallowed the pills anyway, so I guess my consent didn’t matter. But I supposed it didn’t really matter where he had gotten them, so long as they alleviated Sean’s pain.

  “Thanks, man,” Sean said gratefully.

  But watching him drink the water made me suddenly, acutely aware of my own needs. No, I couldn’t ask Bradley for that. It was far too embarrassing. But what was I going to do? Deny my needs indefinitely? As though that would work.

  “Ummm…” I said quietly, blushing.

  “What is it now?” Bradley asked shortly, his patience clearly wearing thin.

  “I need the bathroom.” My face was surely crimson now, my cheeks burning.

  Bradley blinked, as though this eventuality had never occurred to him. “Oh,” he said. He cocked his head at me, considering. Sean cleared his throat pointedly, and I was surprised to find him staring down his friend, an imperious eyebrow raised.

  “Fine,” Bradley said finally, realizing that he couldn’t deny me. Pulling a key from his pocket, he unlocked the cuffs that had held me so cruelly. I couldn’t suppress a small sigh of relief as the feeling of freedom washed over me.

  But then Bradley patted at the bulge in his waistband where he stowed his gun. “Don’t try anything stupid,” he warned.

  I scowled at him, wishing that the gun would go off and shoot off his dick. I definitely wouldn’t have any qualms about letting him bleed out, oath or no oath.

  I painfully pushed myself up onto my feet, my cramped muscles protesting after being trapped in the same position for so long. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Sean’s mouth was hardened into a grim line, but I didn’t have time to contemplate what it meant; my needs were too insistent.

  Bradley positioned himself behind me, giving me a push in the small of my back so that I stumbled forward. “This way,” he instructed, his voice gruff.

  I headed for the door, and I realized that I would be able to see the rest of the apartment for the first time since I had been captured. This could be my opportunity to search for escape routes.

  We walked out into a small living room, which had a cramped kitchen connected to it. I caught a glimpse into a second bedroom, and I realized that Bradley must live here with Sean. There were three windows: one in the living room, one in the kitchen, and one in Bradley’s bedroom. I could see that there was a fire escape outside of the living room window, but I made sure not to let my eyes linger lest Bradley realize what I was doing. He prodded me towards the door between the two bedrooms, and I opened it to enter the bathroom. I went to close the door behind me, but Bradley stopped me short with a strong arm against it.

  “Uh-uh,” he said. “The door stays open.”

  I glared at him. “No,” I said staunchly. “You might think you’re a big man with that gun, but you will not invade my privacy this way.” Bradley just gave me a hard, unyielding stare. I sighed in exasperation, gesturing to the one tiny window in the bathroom. “What am I going to do?” I demanded, somewhat disparagingly. “Crawl out of that?” I might be fairly skinny – a result of being a workaholic with no time to cook a proper meal – but there was no way I could wriggle through that small space. The thought gave me a sinking feeling, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it. And I was desperate for Bradley to leave me alone and let me get on with it.

  “Fine,” Bradley said. “But you have three minutes. Then I’m coming in.”

  I nodded curtly. It seemed that was the best I was going to get.

  I heaved a sigh of relief as I shut the door sharply behind me, sliding the lock home. That might have been a dangerous choice, considering Bradley’s short fuse, but I didn’t care. I relished my moment of privacy, taking time to splash cold water on my face after I had finished my business. I looked at myself in the mirror. My usually meticulously styled hair was a mess, so I quickly pulled out the pins that held my bun in place. An idea coming to me, I pocketed them; they might come in use later.

  My long dark hair fell around my face in waves, framing my high cheekbones and accentuating the paleness of my skin. My eyes looked tired, and there were dark circles beneath them. I could hardly believe that Sean had called me “gorgeous” when I was in such a state.

  I was interrupted from my reverie by a pounding on the door. “Time’s up,” Bradley snapped.

  Clenching my fists, I forced myself to unlock the door, to face the bastard again. I considered making a run for the front door as we walked through the apartment, but I knew that I wouldn’t get two steps before Bradley ended my life. So I grudgingly re-entered the bedroom. Once I reached the bed, Bradley grabbed my wrist hard, yanking my hand back towards the metal rail where he would cuff me again.

  I let out a small cry as he pressed on the ringed bruise around my wrist, causing pain to shoot up my arm.

  “Please,” I said, ashamed at how desperate I sounded. “Don’t do that. It hurts.”

  “I don’t-” Bradley began coldly.

  “Don’t bother, Bradley,” Sean cut him off. “There’s no need to do that. You think I can’t handle one clearly fragile woman?”

  Fragile? I wanted to squawk indignantly. But Sean was arguing on my behalf, so I decided it was best not to say anything.

  Bradley stood his ground for a moment, not letting go of my wrist. He only tightened his grip, and I couldn’t hold in a sharp hiss as the pain increased.

  “You’re
insulting me, buddy,” Sean said, his tone light, almost joking. But there was a seriousness in his eyes that told his friend to back off.

  Bradley was tense, but he released me. I rubbed my wrist tenderly, trying to alleviate some of the discomfort. I was again struck by the odd sensation of gratitude towards Sean. He had proven to be my savior several times.

  But no. That was wrong. He might have stopped Bradley from killing me, but he still kept me captive here, refusing to release me. I again hardened the walls around my heart.

  “I’ll be right outside,” Bradley said to me threateningly. “If you try anything stupid, I’ll cuff you again.”

  I swallowed, nodding. I didn’t want that to happen. So I settled for folding my arms across my chest in a small show of defiance, but otherwise I held my tongue. I maintained my hard stance as Bradley swung the door shut. I didn’t allow myself to break eye contact with him until the lock clicked into place and he was hidden from view.

  Coiled tight from my tense situation, I jumped slightly at the sound of Sean patting the bed beside me.

  “Sit down, doc,” he ordered lazily.

  I glared at him. I had spent enough time on that bed beside the disturbingly handsome man already. “I’d rather not,” I said drily. “And I thought I told you to call me Dr. Ellers.”

  His expression froze for a moment, as though taken aback by my gumption. Then his grin widened. “Sit down, Claudia,” he re-phrased, addressing me slightly more respectfully. But it still wasn’t a question; it wasn’t enough for me. Despite being undeniably charmed by his heart-melting smile, I held my glare.

  He blinked once, then chuckled, a deep, rumbling noise that made something tug strangely in my chest. But he stopped quickly, cut off by a wince as the movement jarred his chest.

  “You should try not to laugh. Avoid sudden movements,” I advised.

  He grimaced at me, his dark eyes full of pain. “No shit, doc,” he ground out through gritted teeth.