Claiming His Prize

by Sam Crescent

  He touched her eye, a feather-light caress. “No man will ever hurt you again.”

  She wasn’t sure what it was—the sound of his voice or the way he said the words—but she believed him.

  Chapter Three

  Okay, so maybe he should have anticipated her freaking out, but still, Chains wasn’t going to hurt her. She was precious to him, and he had no intention of her ever suffering again. Not at his hands or anyone else’s. She belonged to him now.

  Her gaze roamed up the length of his body, and he saw the tears in her eyes, the confusion.

  “You’re from the diner,” she said. Her voice sounded hoarse.

  “You shouldn’t scream. There’s no one around for miles, and no one to hear you. It’s kind of pointless.”

  He saw her lip wobble, and he cursed. That one word made her flinch, and he gritted his teeth. Damn it. He wasn’t good at this kind of stuff. Years of being treated like shit, and here he was, stealing a girl that deep down, he knew he shouldn’t have—yet couldn’t seem to deny himself.

  For too long he’d always been told what to do, and the moment he saw Lori, and saw the pain she carried, he had to take her away from all that shit, and help her. No one had been there to help him.

  He tucked some stray hairs behind her ear. She leaned away from his touch, and he frowned. Chains expected this to go much smoother.

  “I don’t understand what’s going on.”

  “The man who hurt you.” She flinched, and he wished that he could go back and kill the bastard all over the again. Considering Carlton had been the king of his little street, he’d screamed like a fucking bitch while he’d tortured him. The sounds he made hadn’t been pretty. “He’s not going to hurt you anymore.”

  She frowned. “You mean Carlton?”

  “Yes.”

  “Wait, how did you know about that?”

  “I have means of finding out anything that I need.” He wanted to reach out and touch her skin, but held back.

  You’ve kidnapped her.

  Don’t freak her out with more.

  She looked away, and the crease on her forehead got deeper. Her mind was probably on overdrive, plotting how to get away from her kidnapper.

  He was supposed to be the fucking hero.

  Chains massaged her wrists, hating the red sores that were already forming. She’d been pulling on the chains, and he didn’t think to cushion them. Never expected any of this.

  “I’ll be back.” Leaving his spot, he made his way back up into his kitchen, and found the first aid kit. He went to the sitting room, opened a drawer, and pulled out some foam as a precaution.

  At the first opportunity Lori was going to run. He knew that, but he wasn’t going to let her.

  When he entered the basement this time, he locked the door, and pocketed the key before making his way back down. She still sat in the same position he’d left her in, frozen in place. Her arms rested on her knees, wrists exposed, and he hated seeing the chain marks marring her pale skin. She was a beautiful woman, and didn’t deserve this kind of treatment.

  “Are you going to kill me?” she whispered. Tears fell down her cheeks when she looked up at him. Such innocence. All his.

  “No, I’m not going to kill you.” He took a seat, and pulled out the key to her cuff. When he released one of the bands, she quickly held her wrist to her chest. She winced as she rubbed the mark. “You’re going to hurt yourself. Let me take care of you. While I do this, you can ask as many questions as you like.”

  He saw the temptation in her eyes. She wanted to know more. She needed to understand what was going on, and as each second passed, not knowing drove her crazy. He knew what she felt more than she could ever know. Just hearing the clang of the chains brought back memories from his past. It was how he’d gotten his name. The other hitmen at Killer of Kings thought it was just a nickname, but it was steeped in a dark reality that he tried to forget.

  “If you’re not going to kill me, why am I here?”

  “You’re my reward.”

  “For what?”

  “For a really fucked up life.”

  “You’re going to rape me?” She pulled her hand away before he could even get a good look at it.

  He stared at her. “No, I’m not going to rape you. I don’t believe in hurting innocent women.” She wouldn’t give him her hand, and now he saw she was shaking. “Talk to me.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “You’ve got questions, ask them. Pretend we’re at the diner.”

  “Easier said than done. It’s kind of hard to think of all the right questions because I’m a lot freaked out right now.”

  “I’ll do my best to answer anything you want.”

  He still held his hand out, the ointment on his other fingers. When he was on a job, his patience would often be tested, but right now, he felt an overwhelming sense of calm and patience just by being in her presence.

  “Let me have your wrist so I can protect it.”

  Slowly, she lowered her wrist, and he held her arm. He began to treat the wound, careful as he rubbed the cream into her wrist. At his first touch, she flinched, and he didn’t mind. Everyone who didn’t know they were safe, always flinched. She was just being human. Chains, on the other hand, had lost his humanity in the slums of Kapotnya. He didn’t flinch anymore.

  “This doesn’t make any sense at all.”

  “In what way?” he asked.

  “You’ve kidnapped me. Now you’re treating my wounds. I don’t get it. It doesn’t make sense,” she said.

  He smiled. “You’ve said that twice now.”

  “I don’t know what to think. All my life, when I’ve read and heard stories of women being kidnapped, they’re usually found days, weeks, or months later. They’re raped, tortured, or brutally murdered. I don’t want to die. I have a really shitty life. Probably one that makes people think I don’t want to live, but I do. I have so many plans.”

  “What kind of plans?” he asked. Chains never cared about the women he fucked. He wanted to know everything about Lori Dean.

  He finished with one cuff, and moved onto the next, treating her wrist. The tension in her body had eased slightly, so that was a good sign.

  “I don’t know. I hoped to one day go to college, but because I was too busy looking after my brothers and sisters, I didn’t graduate high school. I was going to take night classes, but my parents needed all the money they could get their hands on.”

  He was aware of her financial situation, and the fact she dropped out of high school. “You need to stop worrying about your parents and their kids. They’re not your responsibility.”

  “But if I don’t care about them, who will?” she asked. “I don’t want them to have the same experiences as me.”

  “I know they’re your brothers and sisters, but you didn’t give birth to them. Your parents did, and they should be the ones to care. If they don’t, they’ve got ways and means of dealing with all of them.”

  Her eyes glistened with fresh tears. “You mean go into care, right? The foster system where everyone gets forgotten. And probably much worse.”

  Chains saw her pain, and it cut him deep to know she cared so much for her siblings. He’d never cared about anyone, because nobody ever cared about him. She was right though. Foster care was bullshit.

  “I can’t let that happen. They don’t deserve it,” she said.

  “And you deserve to lose your life because your parents couldn’t use protection? Think about it, Lori, all you’re doing is taking care of kids that aren’t yours. You’re enabling them to have more because they know they’re going to get taken care of. When was the last time someone ran you a bubble bath, or took care of you when you felt sick?

  Those tears came full force now, and she released a sob.

  “You may think you’re not worth all that much, but you know what? I think you are, and you deserve a lot fucking better than what they’ve been giving you.” He reached up and tu
cked some hair behind her ear. “Now, you could try and see this as a vacation.”

  “A vacation?”

  “I’m going to take care of you, Lori. No one’s been taking care of you. Even that fucking manager of yours needs to be taught a lesson, making you take the trash down a darkened alley like that. If it hadn’t been me, it would have been someone, and then what would you have done?” he asked.

  She frowned. “You shouldn’t have taken me in the first place.”

  “How about you give it a week?” he asked, more than willing to compromise to earn her trust.

  “A week?”

  “Yes. Allow me to show you what it would be like to be taken care of, and in the meantime, you don’t try to run, or to escape. We’ll see what happens.”

  “You know this is completely crazy, right? This isn’t what kidnappers do.”

  “The way you keep talking about real kidnappers, it’s as if you want me to actually hurt you.” She’d watched too many horror flicks. Then again, some of the scenes left behind by Killer of Kings would give her real nightmares.

  “No, I don’t want to be hurt.”

  He smiled. He wouldn’t have hurt her even if she begged. “What do you think?” he asked.

  She glanced around the basement, and then looked down at herself. “Do I at least get to shower during this week?”

  “Yes, you’ve got to promise that you won’t try to run though. My house is built like Fort fucking Knox. You’re not getting out, and if you try, I’ll chain you back down here so you don’t hurt yourself.” He’d left her uncuffed and waited. “One week where all of your needs are met. I’ll even cook for you. I’m pretty good at that. I’ve got movies and books. A week to worry about you, no responsibilities.”

  She nibbled her lip, and he saw her waver.

  “I won’t touch you, so don’t worry about that. There’s no one else in the house, either. What do you say?”

  ****

  He was the worst kidnapper in the world.

  Lori nodded her head. One week of not having to worry about going to work, getting home, buying groceries to feed her siblings, and dealing with whatever chaos her parents had found themselves in was just too much temptation.

  She’d probably have to worry about a new job now and how she’d make up a week’s worth of expenses, but she wasn’t really in a position to change her situation. Chains waited as she climbed off the bench, and padded across the cold floor toward the stairs. He opened the door, and she followed him out into a huge luxury kitchen with natural wood cabinetry. The room had to be bigger than her entire one-room apartment.

  She glanced at the door, and the craziest thing of all, she wasn’t even tempted to run. From eight years old, she’d been taking care of her brothers and sisters. Getting them ready for school and always being the constant in their lives. She’d learned how to read fast so that she could tell them a bedtime story, and would use library books as her parents didn’t exactly care for reading material in the house.

  There hadn’t been any free time to play. All she’d ever known was children and work. The stress, the demands, the responsibilities were all too much, and even before cherry pie man showed up, she’d been at the breaking point.

  “What’s your name?” she asked.

  Had he told her it? She didn’t know. Her head was a mess.

  Between being kidnapped, the confusion, and now the temptation of a relaxing week, she must have forgotten it.

  “It’s Chains.”

  She rubbed at her wrists, thinking about the chains she’d just come out of.

  “Follow me.”

  They left the kitchen, and it opened up into a large hallway. The furniture was elegant, and everything professionally decorated, unlike her parents’ place. Her childhood home was complete with peeling wallpaper, threadbare furniture, and they didn’t even have a whole carpet. Floorboards peeked through, and she was sure there was a resident rat, but she could never find it. Half the time they couldn’t even afford to keep the heat on.

  “You have a nice home,” she said. “Kidnapping must be very lucrative. Unfortunately, you picked one of the poorest women you could find this time.”

  “You’re my first victim.” He smiled. “Trust me, I never expected to live like this.”

  She wanted to know more. “Why?”

  “When you come from nothing, it’s hard to imagine having anything in life. No one ever really wants to help you out, do they? Everyone’s in it for themselves. You should know,” he said.

  She did. No one had cared about what she was going through. They’d all just wanted her to deal with it, and move on.

  Chains didn’t linger long on the main floor. They headed up a very sturdy wooden staircase with decorative carvings, and she held onto the banister, wondering what he did for a living. There was a lot more to him than just sitting in a diner and eating cherry pie. This kind of luxury, he should have been at one of those fancy restaurants, the kind with caviar and truffles, not a greasy spoon.

  They came to the far hallway, and his hand was on the door. “This is going to be your room for the next week.”

  He opened the door, and she didn’t know what she expected, but it was like out of a fairy tale. A large four-poster bed, a dressing table, so much space, and the air smelled fresh. Not of damp, decay, and piss. She spun around, and she couldn’t keep the smile off her face. Was this a joke?

  “This here is your wardrobe, and I’ll deal with getting you some clothes that you like. En-suite bathroom. There’s a robe and towels in there.” He moved to take a seat on the edge of the bed. “Go ahead. Check it out.”

  “I can shower in there?”

  “You can even have a bath if you’d like.”

  She nodded, and went inside. Everything took her breath away, it was so beautiful. The mix of modern and old-world design was breathtaking, like something out of a home and garden magazine.

  Running a bath, she found lavender-scented bath salts, and sprinkled some in the bath, along with bubbles.

  She didn’t feel comfortable removing her clothes. No matter how many promises Chains made, he’d still kidnapped her. She couldn’t put her guards down. At least he hadn’t beaten her. All he’d done was knock her out with some chloroform, which sounded bad, but it wasn’t anything compared to what Carlton had done to her.

  “What kind of food do you like?” He leaned against the doorframe, and this time she really paid attention. When he’d been in the diner, he’d worn a full suit. Now he only had a navy t-shirt and black jeans. His shoulders were huge, and the muscles in his arms flexed when he crossed them.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m going to order us some takeout. Chinese, Mexican, Italian? What do you love?”

  “I’d love to try some Chinese food,” she said.

  “You’ve never tried it before?”

  “No.” She’d always wanted to, but her parents hated it, and said not to waste money on something they wouldn’t eat.

  “I’ll order the menu.”

  She was sure she heard him wrong. For a second, she thought about her responsibilities. The guilt began to gnaw at her, and she was tempted to make a run for it.

  One week.

  She didn’t know what would happen after that week, but she couldn’t help but think and feel that Chains was right. Her brothers and sisters were not her responsibility. For too long, and too often, it had just been assumed that she would deal with them.

  “Lori, go get cough medicine.”

  “Lori, wake up, and feed your brother. We’re tired.”

  “Lori, you can’t go to school today.”

  “Lori, don’t be so selfish, and take care of your sister.”

  Sitting on the edge of the bathtub, she couldn’t think of a single reason why she should go back home. To her apartment. To her old life. Everyone used her. Did they even for a second worry where she might be? Or were they just pissed off that Lori wasn’t there to deal with their k
ids?

  Tears filled her eyes once again, not from fear, but a deep-seated sadness.

  “You’re crying,” Chains said. “Why are you crying? Are you hurt?”

  It was all just too much. A complete stranger had cared more for her in the past few minutes than her own parents had. And her own fate wasn’t even certain.

  “I’m fine.”

  “That doesn’t sound fine. Please, Lori, let me help you.”

  He hadn’t even entered the room.

  He was giving her space, taking care of her, and loving her in a way that her own parents had failed to do.

  This was probably going against every single warning or alarm bell going off inside her head, but she asked for him to enter.

  He stepped into the room, and he didn’t leer at her. The concern etched on his face touched her heart.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked, moving a little closer.

  “You care,” she said.

  Her words seemed to stop him in his tracks. “I’m confused.”

  “Do you know how long I’ve wanted something like this? To have someone see me, and to care? It’s something from romance novels, not reality.” She didn’t even mind when he took a seat on the edge of the bathtub near her. He’d promised he wouldn’t hurt her, and in some crazy way, she believed him. He’d not hurt her once. “I’ve done everything all my life, and I’m tired. I’m always so tired, and it’s hard that a complete stranger would care enough to help me.” She touched her face, and winced.

  “Your parents didn’t do that,” he said.

  “They didn’t, but if the guy who did had come to our place, it makes me wonder what they’d have made me do to keep him out.” She sniffled.

  “I don’t like to see you cry.”

  “I’m having a wakeup call right now.”

  “How do you mean?” he asked.

  “I always thought in some weird kind of way that my parents loved me. That they cared, and now I see I was just the help to them. I was a kid that looked after their other kids, and now, they’re probably annoyed that I didn’t bring them my tips. They don’t care at all.”