Heart of the Woolf (Woolf Series)

by Kai Andersen

  She sucked on Paul’s cock, although she felt like gagging. She took her time, giving it a final kiss when she took it out of her mouth before she faced Jake. She almost lost her resolve when she saw the devastated expression on his face. God, what a good actor he was!

  She turned on the bed and propped her head up on her upraised palm. She threaded her fingers through Lucien’s hair as he leaned over her breast. He enveloped her nipple with his mouth and sucked. She gasped. She hoped it was realistic enough. She raised an eyebrow at the man standing at the doorway. “Jake, what a surprise! Wanna join us?”

  He swayed, clutching the doorsill for support. “Join you?” An expression of disbelief crossed his face. Then, he shook his head, and his expression changed in the next second to a feral look that blazed from his eyes, turning them golden yellow and glowing. A low growl rumbled in his throat. His hands knotted into fists, cracking as they did so. “I’ll teach you to mess with my woman --”

  In a flash, he reached them, grabbed hold of Paul’s arms, pinning them close to his body. Jake drew Paul up to face level and snarled, “Your cock does not belong in her face, asshole!” So saying, Jake threw Paul across the room. Paul crashed against the wall, groaning.

  Adrienne scrambled up on her knees. Jake seemed blinded by rage, and she feared for him. She didn’t want him ending up in jail because of her, no matter that his betrayal ran so deep.

  Jake turned toward the bed, howling his fury. He stalked forward, reached out a hand toward Lucien, who had turned rigid above her, his eyes wide with fear as he stared at Jake in morbid fascination.

  Heart thudding with desperate urgency, Adrienne placed herself in between the two men. “Jake, stop! Stop it!”

  His throat rumbled with some menacing sound. He picked her up and placed her gently to the side before whirling around with threatening intent toward Lucien.

  Adrienne rushed to the bed, grabbing Jake’s arm as his fingers closed around Lucien’s throat. Lucien’s eyes bulged and pitiful noises scratched out of his throat. His hands clawed with desperation at Jake’s fingers.

  “Jake, Jake! Let go of him!” She scraped at his fingers, trying to get them to loosen from around Lucien’s throat. “This has nothing to do with them. It’s all my idea! Jake!”

  He looked at her, shock registering on his face. His fingers slackened.

  Lucien fell onto the bed, gasping for breath.

  “Adri! What is the meaning of this?”

  She laughed, a light, trifling sound. “What does it look like?” She threw him a sensual look. “I had an itch that needed scratching and since you weren’t around ...” She drew a caressing hand down his cheek and fiddled with the buttons on his shirt. “But you’re welcome to join us. I could always use another man.”

  “But -- but --” he sputtered. “I thought they were raping you!”

  “Rape? Good heavens, no! I enjoy sex more with two men --” She deliberately licked her lips. “-- or three.”

  “But you and I --” He shook his head and straightened. Adrienne’s heart shattered at the cold look in his eyes. His face stretched taut with tension. He continued bitterly, “I guess there was never ‘you and I.’ My mistake.”

  “That’s okay, Jake,” she said gaily. “It’s so easy to misunderstand. But now, you know that one man is not enough to satisfy me. If you can’t deal with that, then ...” She shrugged. She stretched out on the bed, her head propped on one hand. She drew Lucien down beside her and nudged his head toward her nipple. Lucien resisted, glancing at Jake with fear in his eyes. She caressed Lucien’s cheek, looped her arm around his neck, and tried to draw his neck down, but Lucien slipped his head out from within the circle of her arm to back away from the bed, stumbling as he went. His eyes and his trembling form betrayed his fear. Mouth thinning, Adrienne glanced across at Paul, but Paul stayed where he was against the wall, groaning as he clutched his aching body. She looked up at Jake and shrugged again. “It looks like you’ve terrified my lovers out of their libido. Would you like to take their place --”

  “What a fool I was!” Jake towered over her, his rage ice-cold in its intensity, his fingers clenched into tight fists. “And when were you planning to tell me, Adrienne? Or did you even plan to tell me?”

  He threw her earlier words back at her, which stabbed straight into her deepest part. Her soul was stripped naked, for she’d never even thought of telling him, preferring to maintain the status quo until, if ever, the third in their trio came along. She opened her mouth to give a scathing reply, but was halted midway by the strangest thing. She seemed to be seeing double images, a large gray werewolf superimposed over Jake’s figure. She blinked. Only Jake was standing in front of her.

  Contempt flashed from his eyes. “And to think, I had rushed over here, worrying you were badly hurt from the accident. I can see that it didn’t interfere with your orgy.”

  Her eyes saw his proud bearing. Her heart recognized that she had hurt him by hitting him at his weakest: his ego. You can never be enough for me.

  Her heart wept.

  Her werewolf, her lover, her man.

  She drove the stake deeper. “As I said, you can always join us.” She stretched out, brushing her foot over the bulge in his trousers.

  He jerked back as though burned. The double images came back, the wolf form intensifying in strength, its face contorting with pain into a most fearsome visage.

  Her heart was shattering, breaking into a million tiny pieces with no hope for redemption.

  He wrestled for control; it was there in the hard gritting of his teeth, the resolute determination of his jaw, the way the image of the wolf faded in and out as he sought to get the upper hand over his animal instincts. In the end, he regained his human face, threw her a disgusted look and left, slamming the door behind him.

  No! The crashing door brought home the finality of his actions, and in that split second while the sound of the bang was still reverberating in the room, she knew a moment’s panic.

  “Wait!” Adrienne jumped up. Ignoring Lucien and Paul, she ran into the living room and threw open the door. “Jake!”

  He was nowhere in sight. From the staircase, she heard the swift thud of leather shoes against the marble stairs.

  “Jake.” She wanted to cry and rage and rail against fate for the terrible joke it had played on her.

  Lucien’s hand tugged on her arm. “Come back in, baby. We haven’t finished playing yet.”

  She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. “Go away. Both of you, pack up and leave.” When Paul touched her other arm, she screamed at them, “I don’t want to have sex!”

  A heavy object knocked into her from behind.

  She fell, boneless, to the floor.

  Darkness.

  * * * * *

  Adrienne slowly regained consciousness. Her mouth was dry, and her tongue felt thick. She tried to move, but ... she couldn’t. As her senses came back to her, she realized she was lying on the hard floor on her left side and she was tied up like a trussed pig from her shoulders to her legs, with her hands behind her.

  Something had awakened her, some sound that had jogged her from her unconscious state. She opened her eyes slowly. It was semi-dark. By the fading sunlight filtering in through the boarded-up windows, she could make out a cramped bed to one side and a table with two chairs. A small chest of drawers stood next to the bed. There was a door on the far side of the room that led to freedom. If she could get up.

  She tried, but her legs wouldn’t obey her. They seemed to be numb. And she couldn’t get purchase to move her body upright, tightly bound as she was.

  The most recent events flooded into her mind. She recalled with mounting horror the incident that had led to her captivity. Lucien and Paul had kidnapped her!

  Were all the people around her out to get her?

  She glanced down, noting with relief that they had at least put some clothes on her, even if it was her oldest shirt and a mismatched skirt.

&n
bsp; There it was again, that rhythmic sound that must have awakened her from her unconscious state. Adrienne held her breath, trying to identify the noise and pinpoint its location. She frowned. It sounded like someone sobbing, with slight hitching breaths, and it seemed to be coming from the direction of the door, toward the far corner where the gloom was deeper than in the rest of the room. She wasn’t alone.

  Should she speak up? Maybe it was a fellow victim, and they could devise an escape plan together. But what if it was a ruse to catch her off guard?

  She decided to risk it. “He-hello? Is anyone there?”

  There was a slight catching of breath, then silence. Even the sobs died away.

  The door thrust open and the overhead light flared.

  She flinched from the sudden brightness.

  “Ah, our captive is awake!”

  Adrienne shivered. She recognized that voice. The same voice that had haunted her days and nights. She opened her eyes.

  She didn’t recognize him, and his kindly features were incongruent with the evil voice on the phone. Then she saw the maniacal glint in his eyes.

  He smiled.

  It shouldn’t have scared her, but it did.

  He strode across the room toward her, his gait excited and sure. His fingers caught hold of her chin. He turned her face to the right and then to the left, as if examining a pig bought for slaughter. She resisted, but he was too strong for her. “You’re even prettier up close. I think I would enjoy having you. I did say so the last time, didn’t I?”

  She spat in his face.

  His smile slid away. His face turned cold and hard. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped her spit away. “You’ll pay for that later.” He stood up and went to the darkened corner, hauling up a small body like a sack of rice. He hurled it toward the two men standing at the doorway, who stooped down as one to catch it. A high-pitched scream emitted from the body the men had caught. “You did a good job, boys. Take her and go.”

  They had been hiding in the shadows, but Adrienne saw them when they moved. “Lucien, you bastard!” she shouted as much as her hoarse voice would allow. “Why did you do this to me?”

  Lucien’s handsome face showed his anguish. “I’m sorry, Adrienne, but he took Lissa --”

  “Enough!” The evil man thrust a gun in the men’s direction. “Shut her up! You’ve done your job. Now go!”

  Lucien clutched the small, wriggling girl to his chest, muffling her screams against his chest. “Yes, sir, we’re going. We’re going. Thank you, thank you, sir!”

  Adrienne felt sick.

  Lucien and Paul turned to leave.

  Her eyes widened in horror as the trio hit the floor and lay still. She turned her disbelieving gaze on her captor, looking at the gun in his hand. “How could you kill them after they’ve done your dirty work for you? And how could you kill that little girl? She was innocent in all this!” Adrienne wanted to throw up at the thought of all the lives that had been lost because of her.

  The evil man chuckled as he blew at his smoking gun. “Very easily.” He patted the gun and placed it on the table. “Very useful things, these silencers.” He turned to her. “Now, as for you --”

  There was one burning answer she needed, though it hurt her to even voice the question. “Is Jake in your pay as well?”

  He laughed, loud and hysterical. “Jake? Is that your lover’s name? I’m afraid not. It was so funny to see you drive him out earlier. It cleared the way for the boys to take you.”

  A wild joy bloomed. Jake didn’t betray her; Jake didn’t betray her. The chant went on and on in her head as a few tears of remorse slid down her cheeks. Adrienne regretted being suspicious of Jake, for not trusting in her instincts. She felt a pang of shame at her hurtful words.

  Jake, Jake, Jake ... I’m sorry, sorry for doubting you ...

  She stuck her chin out, defiant. “What do you want?”

  He went down on his haunches before her. He trailed one finger over her chin. She shook her head, dislodging his finger. He grabbed her chin. “Such a fierce slut. You’ve fucked with everyone, haven’t you?” His lips ground down on hers, biting and drawing blood. “Your lover, your masseurs ... Well, my cock will be the last to fill you before you meet your end.”

  “I’ll die first!”

  “We’ll see.” His cold eyes looked at her contemplatively. He stood up and rummaged in the drawers.

  Adrienne closed her eyes. Jake, Jake, if you can hear me, please, I’m sorry.

  “Now tell me: Where is David?”

  Adrienne opened her eyes. Her captor once again stood over her, and he had a wicked-looking pair of scissors in his hand. “What are you going to do with those?”

  A cruel smile came to his lips. “I’m going to cut you up, piece by piece, until you spill out the answer.”

  Her lips firmed stubbornly, although her heart pounded in fear. Cold sweat broke out along her body. “I won’t tell you anything!”

  He didn’t speak. He just started cutting up her shirt.

  She twisted and turned, trying to evade him. Jake, Jake, she sobbed in her mind. All she got for her efforts were bloody nicks on her upper body where the scissors got to her skin. In the end, her torn-up shirt lay on the floor beside him.

  The ropes binding her bit into her skin. Jake ...

  He palmed one of her breasts that peeked out from between the ropes.

  She squirmed away. Jake ... Do this for Jake ...

  He slapped her wherever his hand could land.

  She whimpered. Her breasts ached from the blows. Jake ... Stay alive ... for Jake ...

  He held her still with one hand, and with the other, he squeezed one breast. A rapturous expression came over his face. He closed his eyes, as if savoring the sensations as he kneaded her breast.

  Careful not to disturb his trance-like state, she asked in a timid voice, “Who asked you to find out about David?”

  “I was just out of prison, after 12 years. An Englishman approached me, obviously rich by his clothing and the stack of bills he waved under my nose. He told me what to do, and where to find you. He said I could have as much money as I want. I could also have you, if I want. And yes, I want,” he said, breathing hard.

  “What’s his name?”

  “I don’t know,” he answered, his voice distracted. “He always ... called me.”

  Adrienne felt ... nothing. She didn’t really need the answer; she knew who it was. A confirmation would be good though. She might not be his real daughter, but she never thought ... How could her stepfather do this to her?

  She was sure that he was the mastermind behind the plot to get David back. After all, she stole David right from underneath his nose. Her stepfather, who was one of the richest men in the United Kingdom. Her stepfather, who had loved her like a daughter, but was now ... now ...

  The villain’s trademark evil laughter filled the air. “Yes, I think I’ll have you before we continue the interrogation. Maybe you’ll be more compliant afterward.” His mouth replaced his hand. He sucked and bit her breast, her nipple.

  It hurt. It hurt everywhere. Tears pricked her eyes.

  Jake ...

  Yes, she would think of Jake as she died.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jake drove like a maniac through town, dodging honking cars and running red lights. Fortunately, there was nary a policeman in sight. But even if there had been, he wouldn’t have cared. He’d gladly spend the time behind bars and drive all the inmates nuts.

  He squealed to a stop in front of his apartment. He sat there, the car’s motor running, and slumped over the steering wheel. He didn’t want to move. He didn’t care if he solidified into a stone right where he was.

  He dropped his hand onto the passenger seat and groped for the half-full bottle of whiskey. He’d bought the bottle after he’d stumbled out of Adrienne’s flat, needing to find solace in the one thing that had a chance of causing him to forget, even if only for a little while. He’d been drinking
as soon as he’d fled her apartment, trying to drink himself into oblivion the whole afternoon, to erase the words that still blazed across his mind. Unfortunately, it took a lot of booze to make him drunk.

  He gripped the bottle around the neck and brought it to his lips, guzzling the fiery liquid like water. It burned as it slid down his throat, but it couldn’t burn out the memory of the terrible words that she had thrown at him.

  One man is not enough for me.

  He wasn’t enough for her. He could never be enough. He didn’t measure up. Even with Lila, he hadn’t felt his inadequacy so keenly, so helplessly.

  He dumped the rest of the whiskey over his face, threw back his head and howled out his unhappiness.

  A rap on the window stopped him in mid-howl.

  Jared. He was gesturing for Jake to open the passenger door and allow Jared to get into the car.

  Jake shook his head. He stared stubbornly ahead. He wanted to be alone. He didn’t want any of his family to witness another one of his failures. The last time was bad enough. He tried to ignore the small voice telling him to open the door, tried to resist its enticing pull, but in the end, Jared’s will was still stronger. He released the door locks.

  “I hate it when you pull rank on me,” Jake said as the door opened.

  “Perks of being the head of the pack.” Jared slipped into the passenger seat, which had escaped Jake’s impromptu whiskey dunk. He wrinkled his nose. “Whew! What have you been doing? Your car stinks.”

  Jake remained silent, his head leaning back against the seat rest, his eyes closed as the fire water dripped down from his face.

  “What’s up? Your secretary said you rushed out of the office in pursuit of a demon.”

  “You can say that.”

  “So, what’s up?” Jared scrutinized his younger brother. “What happened to you? You look terrible.”

  Jake’s lips twisted. What the hell. Jared would find out, sooner or later. He might as well know now. “You are looking at Lila II.” At Jared’s blank look, he elaborated, “You know, World War I, World War II. Well, this is Lila II.”