The One Adored (The One Trilogy Book 3)

by North, Alexandra

  “I can put a search out on his vehicle but if he is as clever as you insinuate, he will have no doubt hired another by now.”

  “What about the rose message saying ‘Let’s Play’ - surely that’s enough evidence to get a search party out there? We need to find my fiancée!” I begin to pace, biting my lip in frustration. What the fuck was going on here? Was nobody going to start doing their job?

  “I agree, the message is a concern - something we are taking very seriously Mr. Silver. But where do you suggest we begin this search party? We have no clues, no witnesses who saw Ms. Myers leave with Mr. Peterson.”

  “You’re wrong there, Murray - we do. ” Nathan enters the room, flushed in the face from the cold night and nodding at me. “I think they are heading for Penrith.”

  “Dawn?”

  “Yep, finally got through to her. She said ‘Leonard’s’ parents owned an old cottage up in Penrith. It’s got to be worth a shot. They stopped there, the night before they got married at Gretna Green and then spent their honeymoon there.”

  The next few minutes are spent in a blur of police orders and discussions. Ten minutes later, Nathan and I are back in the helicopter and on our way to Penrith. The car would be quieter, but would take at least two hours, journey and the thought of what he could do to her in that amount of time, brings me out in a cold sweat.

  I’m coming, baby, just hold out a little longer.

  *******

  I open my eyes, tentatively and try to focus as I come to, beneath an itchy blanket on the backseat of a car. My eyelids are doing their damnedest to close, as I drift in and out of consciousness for the next few minutes. Flickers of what had occurred at my Hen-Do coming back to me in waves. Had it been a nightmare?

  Please God, let that be the case.

  My eyes open wide in horror as it all comes crashing back to me with thundering clarity. It wasn’t a nightmare - Leo Peterson, the man whom I’d trusted with my business accounts, who was the Osten Bank Manager and dating my friend, had been stalking me all this time. Now, he’d drugged me and was taking me God knows where! He was seriously unhinged!

  I feel like I’m coming around from an anaesthetic. My throat is dry and poor head pounds like it’s done ten rounds in the boxing ring. I feel dreadful.

  I can hear the radio in the background and have the dizzy sensation that we are still moving. Where the hell was he taking me? I wonder if Seb received my text?

  I move my limbs as cautiously as possible, reluctant to alert Leo to any movement - I didn’t want him knowing I was awake until I could get my bearings and figure out some way as to how I could play this.

  He had been watching me all this time, he had a knife and he wants to rape you. I swallow the bile that has risen at that thought. If he hasn’t already. I reach a hand to my panties, inwardly sighing as I note that they are still in tact - that he’s not been … there, whilst I was out cold. He must have dressed me again, after I passed out. I’m wearing the dress I’d worn that night.

  All this time it had been Leo Peterson watching me, sending me those roses. I’d always had an ‘off’ feeling about him but I didn’t think he was capable of this! If I’d realised how mentally unstable he was, I’d never have worked with him.

  Oh God! Please Seb, find me!

  “Hey, sweetheart, welcome back to the land of the living - thought you were never going to come round. You’ve been out for nearly two hours,” a voice filters through to me from the driver’s seat and I still, holding my breath.

  Two hours - that means wherever we were was maybe two hours by car?

  “Oh, don’t pretend to be asleep, I know you’re awake. One thing we need to be Lucia is honest with one another from hereon out. If you do as you’re told and make me happy, and that means no lies, I won’t hurt you.” His chuckles, continuing to whistle along to the Christmas carol that is playing on the radio.

  He was a complete psycho! How would I be able to reason with him?

  I breathe deeply and allow my heartbeat to calm and then begin to sit up, my head swarming and I grip the window ledge for balance. “Easy, take it steady. Sit back and enjoy the ride. We are nearly there my soon to be wife.”

  My eyes widen in alarm. Wife! WTF! He was completely mental. I try to look out the windows which are fogged up, but it’s so dark outside, the winding road are off the beaten track. No chance of any Motorway signs here.

  “Yes, we’ll stop the night at lovely little cottage. We’re almost there - just another left.”

  We swing left and then head down a gravelled drive, towards a gate. As we reach the gate, Leo slows the car and then unclips his seatbelt, twisting to face me in the back. “You wait here. Any crazy shit and I’ll make you pay. Do you understand?” he grabs my chin, breathing stale coffee breath over me. My stomach flip-flops with nausea and I nod clearly, this was my chance, if I got inside the cottage with him, I’d surely be raped, or worse, and God knows what tomorrow!! I’ve got to make a run for it before he noticed.

  The car door slams shut and I watch as he walks the few short steps to the wide wooden gate, jumping back into my seat as he spins and returns my stare pointedly in my direction. The headlights shining on him cast harsh lines across his face - how had I not seen how cruel this alternate side to him was - he was utterly twisted?

  My heart pounds in my rib cage, as I wait for him to continue on, and I reach out to grab the door handle. Finally, he seems satisfied that I will adhere to his rules and gives me his back. I pull down harshly on the handle, expecting the door to clip open and my eyes fly up as it doesn’t budge. I shove against it with all my weight but to no avail - it’s stuck. The lock is down. Shit! He must have put the child-lock on. Glancing up I see he’s now walking back towards the car, breath billowing from his mouth in the cold night.

  His weight makes the car rock as he slips back inside and icy blue eyes fix on mine in the rear view mirror. “You wouldn’t be trying to leave early would you Lucia?”

  I shake my head emphatically. Keep him on side, Lu - you need to keep him on side.

  “Good - because that would be very rude of you and I don’t like rude bitches!”

  My shoulders slump as he drives us the through the gateway and towards a small stone cottage, glowing invitingly in the eery countryside. It really was decidedly isolated and my plans to get away were becoming slimmer by the minute.

  I swallow hard, my throat clogging with unshed tears. What would happen to me inside there? Was this it? Would I never see Finn again or Seb?

  My resolve kicks in and I inhale deeply, sucking my bottom lip through my teeth. No fucking way. I needed to find every ounce of strength I have in me and fight this mother fucker - he’d already killed my baby, he wasn’t going to have me.

  *******

  Leo unlocks the cottage and with his hand pincering my neck, in vice-like grip, he pushes me forward. Dropping a bag in front of the hall table. I rapidly scour my surroundings taking in the large open-plan lounge and kitchen area with several doors that lead off from it. It appeared to be all on one-level.

  “Take a seat, sweetheart and I’ll get the fire lit.” He walks around turning off all lamps, bar one. “We don’t want it too bright. Don’t want to alert anyone that we’re here.”

  I anxiously sit down on the nearest sofa, shivering in my short dress. His niceties unnerved me.

  I watch him expertly create a small fire in the open grate, continually flicking his eyes to mine with a seedy smile. “Don’t worry, you’ll soon be warm. It’s nearly 3am, probably too late or early, dependant upon how you look at it, for wine but I can make you a hot chocolate?”

  Narrowing my eyes I frown. WTF? “I’m good, thank you.”

  His smiling mouth drops into a firm line, eyes dead. “No, wrong answer.You will have a hot chocolate with me, Lucia, won’t you?”

  “Y…yes?” I whisper.

  “Good girl. With squirty cream and marshmallows.”
r />   Holy shit!

  “We can use the squirty cream on our honeymoon.” He winks at me and I close my eyes to forget the thought.

  “No? Don’t like food sex, sweetheart? Well, we’ll soon change that - you’ll like it with me. I’ll make you.”

  He removes his jacket and begins to move about the lounge area, flicking the kettle on, the sound of normality both welcoming and surreal. I take the opportunity to assess the windows - all seem to be UPVC, designed to look like wood and locked. “There’s no way out and even if there was, I’d find you.” He chatters stirring our drinks with a jovial tap of the spoon. “I’ll always find you. You’ve no idea what I’ve put into planning this moment. The time, the money that’s gone into ensuring that eventually you and I would be together for one night, alone.”

  He passes me the hot chocolate, the last thing I want is to play house with a man who only a few hours ago threatened me with a knife, drugging and kidnapping me and I consider throwing it in his face, but seeing his relaxed mentality, I decide to use this to my advantage and go with the flow. If I played the game his way, maybe I’d be able to string him along enough for Seb to find me.

  “Can we take it slow, Leo. I’ll do things your way, I promise, but can we take it a little slower.”

  He considers me. A smile playing over his thin lips. “You just relax and drink your hot chocolate and then we see. I did say earlier I quite like it when women are less accommodating, with you, as you are so special to me, maybe we will do things your way.”The seconds rolls into minutes, and each feel like an eternity as I put on an act, tensing my body and trying to make it appear that I’m doing just as he’s asked. It’s not long before I need to us the toilet. Dare I ask him?

  “Leo?”

  “Yes, my love.” I shudder inwardly at his term for me.

  “I need the loo - where are they?”

  His mouth reduces to the size of a five-pence piece in annoyance, he’d obviously not countered that into his plan. “I’ll take you.”

  “I can manage on my own…” I hear the panic in my voice and hate myself for it. The last thing I wanted was to be in such a vulnerable position around him.

  “If you think I’m allowing you to run off again - think again. You’ll piss in front of me or you’ll do it here, like a dog! Or rather a bitch!” He laughs at his nasty reference. “Either one will not be pleasant for you - come on, tick tock, tick tock - you choose which appeals more. Floor or toilet?” He’s totally warped and it scares the hell out of me. Flitting from easygoing to mania in a nanosecond.

  “Toilet, please.” I whisper.

  “Now that wasn’t so hard was it. Soon, you’ll learn how to please me.” He nods, leading me to a small lavatory at the rear of the property. A strong smell of bleach hits me as we near and I have to refrain from retching.

  “Pull your panties down - I know you’re good at that - just pretend I’m that flash bastard Silver, doing the asking and sit - don’t fucking close the door.”

  I swallow my distaste - he wanted to watch me take a pee? He was mad!

  I find a spot on the wall where I can zone him out and empty my bladder, before wiping and standing, with a ‘satisfied’ look on my face when I eyes with him. I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction. My resolve was back in place and I see his sly smile wash over me as he likes that my sass has returned. Fucking weirdo!

  I make to head back into the lounge but he pulls painfully on my bicep, his fingers biting into my skin. “Hey? Where the hell do you think you’re off to?”

  “Just back to…”

  “Ssssshhh….no speaking. I make the rules remember - you will go back when I tell you to.” He drags me into a room just off the corridor, and clicking on a light I see we are in the main bedroom. My heart plummets into my stomach. That sass that has just returned reducing fast.

  You gotta find it, babe and zone out, if you can get away, do everything you can to escape from him, kick him, fight to the death but if he has weapons - you may have to deal with the fact that you’re about to raped - my inner thoughts help me to focus, dealing with the possible terror rather than ignoring it and having it come out of the blue. I was a glass half full kind of girl and this man was not going to change that, even now!

  A quick reccy of my surroundings shows me there is a small bedside table, a double bed, dressing table, mirror with a crack - maybe I could get a piece from that? There’s a window recessed into the thick old cottage walls…but it has bars across it. Seriously? He has really been planning this for sometime…

  “Finally, you are in my abode.” His audible sigh is sickening. “First things first, hands out.”

  “Why?”

  “Are you daring to ask questions?”

  I shake my head and put my hands out, wrists together. They are immediately bound in rope, and tied in a knot. I test the them for their strength, and grimace as friction burns shoot through my tender skin. Shit! I was ten times worse off now. This was nothing like when Seb had restrained me for pleasure. I’d felt in control - I’d trusted him implicitly.

  “That’s better - not ideal but reduces the risk of you getting away, easily. You won’t get away, I was a Scouts Leader. Now, tell me how much you want to be here, Lucia.”

  I swallow. “I want to be here, Leo.”

  “Oh come on, I’m hardly getting the vibe that you meant that! NOW TRY AGAIN! This time like you mean it!” he yells, snarling before he grabs me by my hair and throws me in the direction of the bed. I wince in pain. Keep talking, the more you talk, the longer your clothes will be on.

  “The cottage is lovely, Leo, is it yours?”

  His blue eyes study me and he moves to sit beside me. “It is. It could be ours.” He lifts his hand to my jaw and I try not to flinch. “Such a sexy mouth…” His fingers wipe the remainder of my lipstick harshly across my face, drawing it up over my cheek and I pull back at the sensation. It hurt! “You don’t need all this shit, on your face - your beautiful enough - all it does it attract the attention of men - men like Silver! When you’re my wife tomorrow, you won’t need to wear make-up ever again!” He leans in and kisses me hard on my mouth and I breath quickly through my nose, my mouth still, my body rigid. His lips felt so cold, and wrong - they weren’t Sebs!

  A tear slides down my cheek but I remain still, his hand grounding me, gripped around the back of neck. “It’s like kissing a fucking corpse!” He grinds through his teeth, breaking free.

  “I’m sorry, Leo.” Keep him calm.

  “You better start putting some effort into it, Lucia - I don’t care really if I’m honest - you and I will be fucking tonight no matter what, but it will go a lot better for you, if you go with it - let yourself go. It will hurt a lot less. You need to be able to walk up that aisle, after all, tomorrow!” His laugh is pure evil.

  My chest hurts, so tight with stress as dizziness washes over me - I feel so nauseous.

  “I don’t want to use the knife as an incentive, but I will.” He shrugs complacently. “Now, as you and I haven’t done this before, I’ll be respectful tonight, I’m not a monster after all.” He reaches a finger to trail a path from my cheek down my face, and across my collarbone, dropping to my breast. Freezing at his touch, the thought of his hands on my body, where Seb’s should be, only Seb’s, I begin to shake. Every instinct in me wants to kick him in the balls and run.

  “Please, don’t do this, Leo. I can’t be with you.” I can’t do this, no matter how hard I want to keep him sweet, he’ll have to force himself upon me, because I detest the man.

  “Stop begging, you silly bitch - still hankering after Silver’s prick? He’s not coming - he doesn;t know where you are you stupid cow!” He moves to climb across me, straddling me on the bed, pinning me down on the mattress and I turn my head away from him, determined not to make this easy for him.

  Don’t look at him, Lu, don’t give him the satisfaction? He might say he likes to take his women rou
ghly but he says he loves you, has planned this forever - he’ll want you to enjoy this - so don’t look at him!

  “Look at me, Lucia!” he fury in his eyes in menacing, the knife is back, and I remain still, but I turn my head away again, despite him beginning to lift my top, his clammy head stroking up my abdomen.

  “Bitch! Look at me! God, you’ve got pretty tits! I know you did, after seeing you on camera but I’m going to have some fun with these.”

  My eyes go blank, as I zone myself out; a curled piece of wallpaper in the corner of the room is something for me to focus upon, as this disgusting monster mauls me, his words forgotten. In my mind, all I can see is Sebastian, my love.

  *******

  I see the cottage in the dark, running towards it at breakneck speed, I get to the door. The copter had dropped Nathan and about half a mile away as I couldn’t risk the chance of alerting him to our arrival. Finding this place, in the middle of nowhere in the pitch black had been interesting but with blind determination on my side and my love for Lucia I’d located it quickly.

  There are lights in inside and I can hear voices but they may be coming from the television. Carefully I lean back into the shadows against the stone wall, and peer into the nearest window. The open plan lounge is empty, but I scanning the room manically I see one of her Louboutin shoes that I’d given her. Relief floods me.

  She was here. She’s fucking here!

  I look up to the inky sky, beginning to lighten as dawn makes her appearance and silently hope that I’ve got there soon enough.

  I don’t waste another second, and on two counts, charge the wooden front door with my shoulder, pain slicing through my bone instantaneously but I don’t give a shit, I’m in and one step closer to finding my woman. Looking around, there’s no sign of Lu, or anyone. I’m a quiet as possible but they must have heard the break-in?

  I wander deeper into the cottage, down the corridor, gently opening doors, as I go. Then I hear the muffled noises and they are coming from the door right in front of me. I can hear, Lu and she doesn’t sound good. Then I hear his words and rage consumes me.