"You did? When?"
"I did. I wanted his blessing. I'm pretty traditional when it comes to that stuff. I asked him when I was at the hospital."
"That long ago?"
"Yes,” he murmurs into my neck. “I told you I was going to come back for you. That once I realized I loved you, there was no stopping me."
"Wow."
"You know, your name is going to change."
Smiling, I say, "I know. I'll be Mallory Stone. It's got a nice ring to it."
"It does sound wonderful, but that wasn't what I was referring to. You'll be a Countess. You'll have a noble title."
"Oh. I hadn't thought about that. Does that mean anything?"
"Not really. Just that you'll be a public figure and the press will be very interested in you for a while. Not just because of the title, but also because I'm a bit of a celebrity here. I've even done a bit of modeling."
"Modeling?" I say, surprised and yet, not really.
"Yea, just a few times, for a couple of the sponsoring companies."
"Oh, ok. I think I can handle that."
"I don't have any doubts, beautiful."
Lying in the water, we return to our companionable silence, and I contemplate a few things before asking the question that's racing through the back of my mind.
"Do you think any of those proposal videos will be on the internet?"
"Probably."
"Shit, I need to call Madison and my mom or they'll kill me."
I groan at the thought of removing myself from Alex’s arms to make a phone call.
"You can wait until the morning. My mom recorded the entire thing and already sent it to them. I knew you would wish they could have been here."
"You're so sweet. Thank you for thinking of that."
"Just making you happy, love."
Yawning against his shoulder, Alex beckons me to bed. We dry off in warm towels, then lay down on his cool sheets. We make love again, slowly this time, before falling asleep in each other's arms: the one place where I know I will always be truly happy.
Chapter 18
When I arrive at my office this morning, I immediately notice a group of press, fresh off the news of our engagement, waiting for me outside the building. Gregory rushes both Alex and me past the men and women who are shouting for our attention, while the buildings security keeps them back. Today, Scott, the new security Gregory has hired, will begin his watch while I am working. After the introductions, Scott plants himself on the love seat in my office while I say goodbye to Alex, who has meetings with his driving team.
Morning meetings help pass the time, along with congratulatory visits from Bea and Steven, who both swear they knew it was going to happen soon. Around lunchtime, I receive a message from Bea saying that I have an unscheduled visitor. With Scott's permission, I invite the guest back to my office. Walking through my door, wearing a large smile and laughter illuminating his friendly eyes, Will rushes over to grasp me in brotherly embrace.
"Mallory, I hear congratulations are in order."
"You heard right. I was hoping I'd get to see you while you were here! How are you? How are things with Samantha?"
"Good, better, great. We're working things out. I think some counseling is really going to help us, but damn… I'm going to be a dad! I am so thrilled."
I don’t think I have ever seen him so happy.
"Oh, Will. I am so happy for you. I knew you two still loved each other, and I think things will work out perfectly for you two. Plus, you're going to be a wonderful father. Look at how well you took care of me."
"Thank you, Mallory. Samantha said that you're the reason she came clean. I can't imagine how it must have felt, seeing her pregnant and the implication being that it was Alex's…"
"It sucked,” I shrug, dismissing the memory from my mind, “but I understand, and we're all good," Raising my left hand, I add, "Obviously."
"You look so happy, Mallory."
"I am. I really am."
"Do you think I can take you out to lunch? I need to head back to the states to get everything set up for the baby, then I'll be back here since Samantha can't travel."
"Sure, lunch sounds great. Scott, is lunch ok?" I ask, knowing that he will need to join us. He nods, and I turn back to Will.
"Actually after lunch can we stop by some of the stores nearby? I want to get Alex an engagement present."
"I don't see why not. There are a couple of sandwich shops across the way."
After finishing a couple of last minute emails before lunch, I lean back in my chair and look out the window to check the weather. I recognize Alex, Evie, and another man walking out of a restaurant across the street. Alex looks very angry as he stalks away, headed the opposite direction that Evie and the man are going. Something about their encounter doesn't seem right, but I'm not sure why: just a feeling in my gut.
"Mallory, are you ready?" Will asks, interrupting my reverie.
"Yes, sorry." I say, grabbing my handbag and following him out the door.
We eat lunch at a cute sandwich shop two blocks from my office building. Will and I talk about the impending wedding and his baby's upcoming arrival. Even Scott joined into our conversation, offering tidbits about fatherhood, garnered from his own experience of having a little boy at home. Seeing Will so excited about fatherhood leads me to envision Alex as a dad, imagining his reaction to being told I was pregnant. He will probably be even more protective than he is now, which will be a feat in and of itself.
"So, what are you thinking of getting Alex?" Will asks, directing the conversation back to me.
"I was thinking of getting a watch engraved. What do you think?"
"That sounds really nice. I believe we passed a jeweler not far from here."
Once we finish eating, we brace ourselves for the cold weather outside, bundling up before we step into the wind. Strolling past a few shops, we stop when we hear someone shouting my name. Turning around, I find Nicholas rushing over to us.
"Hello, Mallory. I was browsing in one of these stores when I saw you walking by. What brings you out today?"
"Hi, Nicholas. We were just grabbing a bite to eat. I'm sure you know Will, and this is Scott,” I say, gesturing to my company. “I was looking for a jewelry store just now. I want to get Alex a watch."
Smiling, Nicholas shakes both Will and Scott's hands before replying, "One of Alex's favorite spots is up the road. I'd be happy to take you."
Glancing towards Scott and Will, I tell them that I'll go with Nicholas and they can wait for me. Scott seems apprehensive at first, but I suppose realizing Nicholas is family he lets the feeling go. They decide to head into the coffee shop across the way as I leave them and follow Nicholas down the street.
"Thanks for helping me, Nicholas. I hope I can find what I'm looking for."
Nodding in response, we continue down the street, crossing roughly five blocks. Following closely behind Nicholas as we step into an alley, I pause, unsure of where we are.
"Nicholas, where are we? I don't see any signs for a jewelry store."
"It's just down this way, come on."
A feeling of dread washes over me and I freeze.
"I...I don't think so. I'm going to head back, my break is almost over."
Gripping my arm, Nicholas tugs me into the alleyway where a camouflaged car waits in the darkness.
"What's going on?"
"Get in the car, Mallory," Nicholas shouts, his voice menacing as he loosens his grip on my arm.
Hair prickling up my neck and goose bumps covering my skin, I know in my gut that something is very wrong. Taking a deep breath, I stare into Nicholas' cold, dead eyes before turning around and sprinting towards the main sidewalk. Just as I reach the walkway, it occurs to me it’s odd that he hasn’t come running after me. Peering briefly over my shoulder, an arm cuts into my neck, dragging me back into the darkness as I struggle against unfamiliar arms.
"Thank you, Ben,” I hear Nicholas say. “Go ahead and subdue her."
Looking up into the kind and weary eyes of Ben, I blink away tears as cable ties wrap around my wrists behind my back. Ben wraps a rag around my mouth, muffling my whimpers.
"I'm sorry," Ben whispers.
His face is completely sincere. I realize that Nicholas must be forcing him to do this, and that he is extremely powerful. Who knows what threats he has hung on this man’s neck? He might even have a family, for all I know.
Shoving me into the back seat, Ben and Nicholas enter the front.
"Don't even think of trying to get out. I'll only make it worse," Ben says, evoking fear and terror with his tone.
Doing my damndest to stay calm, I try to memorize my surroundings. Strangely, shockingly, I feel very little fear. Perhaps because this kidnapping is different. Whereas Seth was mentally disturbed, Nicholas seems to be fed by an insatiable need for power.
An hour passes as we travel out of London and into the countryside, arriving at partially dilapidated stone manor. Grabbing a thick handful of my hair, Nicholas yanks me out of the car. The shooting pain from his sharp tug travels all the way down my body, causing me to gasp in pain. I stumble behind him, barely able to stay on my feet. Once we enter the building, he drags me down a stone flight of stairs and shoves me into a corner.
My surroundings are something from a B-grade horror movie. The walls are cold and damp. In the corner, a small mattress lies awry, springs poking free of the torn covering. Two chairs and a table are crammed along a wall. Though a small heater next to the table is turned on, it does little to dispel the chill in the air. There are no windows in the room and no clock, so I have very little chance of determining how long I’ll be down here. The only exit seems to be through the stairwell, which my two captures have blocked.
Nicholas and Benjamin plant themselves into the two chairs beside before opening a bag that has been placed on the floor. Rummaging through the bag, Nicholas slowly pulls out an assortment of items, sparking the first flames of fear that begin licking at my belly. The shiny grey material of duct tape is the first item to catch my attention. Next I realize he has also brought some rope, lighter fluid, matches, and a knife. Turning his head quickly in my direction, Nicholas smirks menacingly when he notices me eyeing the items. Taking the knife in his hand, he continues to stare at me as he grabs a sharpening tool and glides the thick blade against the device. The scraping of metal leaves a sickening taste in my mouth as memories of Seth trickle forward in my mind. My chest begins to ache around the heart-shaped scar Seth had carved. Knowing that I only have moments before a panic attack takes over, I try to focus my thoughts to the moment when Alex kissed along the scar, helping me forget all the pain of my kidnapping. A small smile begins to form behind my gag, until I find myself suddenly staring into the soulless depths of Nicholas’ eyes. How had I never seen that emptiness before?
Now finished lining his gear, he walks over to my crouched position on the floor. Twisting his hand through my hair, he glides his hand down my neck and across my collarbone. Licking his lips, he leans forward slightly, dropping one of his hands to my thigh. It takes every ounce of strength I have to suppress a whimper.
“Well, well, well, Mallory, everyone’s favorite little whore. You went off and got yourself engaged to my brother. You must be worth every penny he spent on that beautiful ring. Maybe I’ll try it out myself before we go any farther.”
I scurry back as far as possible from Nicholas, terrified that, any moment, he will rape me.
“Nic, you said you weren’t going to touch her like that,” I hear Benjamin say.
Turning his attention towards Benjamin, Nicholas shouts, “Shut your mouth, you bastard. I’ll do whatever the hell I want and you’ll stay out of it, or I’ll kill you, too.”
Glancing towards Benjamin, my eyes pleading for his help, he quickly shies away and looks down at the floor, shaking his head.
“So you want my brother’s money? Want to marry a proper English gentleman? Live some fictitious American dream? Well, you can kiss that all goodbye because I refuse to have some common piece of peasant trash infiltrate my family. We have a legacy and you’re destroying it,” Nicholas yells, slapping me across the face before returning to his feet.
Mustering my strength, I use the wall to push myself into a standing position. Suddenly rushing towards Nicholas, I use my body weight and the element of surprise to knock him into the table. Benjamin comes around quickly to restrain me, tightly gripping his arms around my chest as I kick at Nicholas, making contact with his stomach and groin. Snatching the knife that laid close by, Nicholas stands abruptly and holds it to my throat.
“Don’t you ever try that again. I will not hesitate to kill you right now.”
With his tight hold around my body, Benjamin leans close and whispers, “You’re only going to make it worse for yourself.”
Chucking me back against the corner, Benjamin returns to his chair, head held in his hands. I feel like hours pass as I stare at the floor, trying to collect my thoughts, trying to calm down. I realize that Benjamin is right: the more I fight back the angrier Nicholas becomes. As I feel my body relax, the weight of my necklace resting against my skin garners my attention. Of course Alex will find me. I had forgotten all about the tracking device he had placed in the clasp recently. Breaking the silence in the room, Benjamin speaks to Nicholas with complete terror lacing his voice.
“Nicholas, what if they find out where we are? That it was us...”
“They won’t find out anything. Alex is in a meeting until late this evening, and her friends,” he says nodding towards my perch in the corner, “won’t even know what happened. Evie is telling them that she saw Mallory heading towards the airport, in hysterics.”
Just as I had latched on to a tiny semblance of hope, it is quickly crushed by Nicholas’ confession. Naturally, Evie will help her husband destroy me. I knew something didn’t seem right with her from the beginning, but I can’t believe she’s out to get me, too.
“And you think they’ll buy it?”
“Why wouldn’t they? Evie knows that if they aren’t convinced I’ll get rid of her next. That bitch has needed another good beating for a while.”
He can’t hear my gasp, muffled behind my gag.
What? He beats Evie? My world tilts at an alarming rate; I realize at any moment I might lose control as the full horror of not only my situation, but also of Evie’s, falls into place in my mind. Taking the deepest breath I can manage, I can only pray that she will spill Nicholas’ secret.
“So what’s the plan? Why here?”
“We’re here because this house was set to be demolished today, but I have rescheduled it for later. We’re going to burn it to the ground, with her inside. No one will suspect anything.”
“We’re what?!? Are you crazy?” Benjamin cries, his voice cracking slightly. “You said you were just hoping to talk some sense into her -get her to go back to Maryland - not kill her! Dammit, Nicholas, I didn’t sign up for murder, let alone burning someone to death!”
“I don’t give a fuck what you signed up for, Benjamin. We’re doing it my way and you’re going to help me.”
“Like hell I am,” I hear Benjamin whisper as he stands to head for the stairs.
I raise my head slightly as Benjamin heads for the stairs. His back to Nicholas, my heart nearly hammers out of my chest upon seeing a glimmer of a metal that Nicholas retrieves from under the table. Coldly, calculatingly, he aims directly for Benjamin’s head. Screaming as loud as I can behind the gag, I try to alert Benjamin to his imminent danger, but it’s too late. Just as Benjamin turns in response to my muffled screams, Nicholas shoots him squarely in the head. He drops to the floor instantly, like a puppet whose strings have been cut.
Tucking the gun behind his back, between the fabric of his pants and shirt, Nicholas shakes his head before glancing in my direction.
“Damn, what a shame. He was a good man.” There’s no regret in his voice, just moderate inconvenience. “Don’t yo
u even think of trying anything, Mallory. I need to take the body out back. There is no one around for miles, even if you did manage to escape. Of course, if you do attempt such a thing, I will be very, very angry.”
Not one to waste time, Nicholas drags Benjamin’s body up the stairs, feet first so as not to soil his dress shirt with blood. His friend’s blood…. Once I hear his steps echo farther into the house, I rush to the table, desperately looking for the knife. Locating it, I turn around to scoop it up in my hands and begin furiously working at cutting the cable ties. It’s difficult, with my hands restrained tightly behind my back, but after several frenzied moments, my hands break free. Rubbing the rashes left behind by the ties, I search around for anything that could possibly help me escape. But all too soon, I hear Nicholas’s footsteps again, and I grab the dropped cable ties. Moving back to the corner of the room, I shove the knife into the back of my pants. Dropping to the position I had been in when he left, I hold my wrists behind my body.
“Good to see you can at least follow orders. Of course,” he says, smirking lasciviously. “I should have expected that, knowing what my brother enjoys for his extracurricular activities.”
Horror and embarrassment show on my face, and I realize Nicholas must be able to read my emotions with ease.
“What? You think I didn’t know? I know everything my brother does. He’s like my little pet: I control every aspect of his life. I make sure that he wants for nothing, that he always has willing submissives lined up to sate his cravings. But you,” He growls, his voice suddenly sounding far less human, “You had to come along and mess up everything. My brother should never have fallen in love, especially with you. I need him focused so that he can help his team win, and make me a shit ton of money.”
I suddenly realize that not only does he beat his wife, but he has also been exploiting his own brother for money. Disgust and bile rise in my stomach.
“So I need to get rid of you to help my brother focus. Ever since you came around, he has been far too wrapped up in his personal life to focus on what’s important. But not anymore.”
Stone Unhinged (The Stone Book 2) Page 17
