“Kelsey, Kelsey, Kelsey,” he chanted as he rutted inside her. At least the hard cock pummeling her offered some distraction from her torn, flayed skin. It was only a minute or so before he stiffened and then jerked, climaxing inside her with a cry.
Once he pulled out of her, Kelsey’s instinct was to curl into a tight ball on the floor, but she felt James’ strong arms go around her, and then she was lifted into the air and pulled close against his chest.
“I’m sorry I was so rough, darling,” he whispered gruffly as he carried her toward the bedroom, “but it’s the only way to tame that wild spirit of yours. It’s for your own good, believe me.”
He laid her on her stomach on the bed. She closed her eyes, hoping he would go away, though she knew better. She felt him sit beside her, and then his fingers moving lightly over her ass.
“This beating will leave some marks. You should think of them as badges of courage. It takes courage and grace to be an obedient, submissive wife. I’m really proud of you, Kelsey.”
Badges of courage? How about badges of brutality?
A sudden black tide of unwelcome rage lapped at the edges of Kelsey’s consciousness, threatening to spill over. Peaceful thoughts. Let it go. Flow with the pain, focus on the good things. Don’t let him see the anger. Don’t let him know. It took all her will to push away the negative feelings before James sensed them. The last thing she needed right now was another punishment. She just wanted to be left alone.
Thankfully, her mutinous thoughts remained hidden. A moment later she felt the cool salve he used on her skin after especially brutal beatings. His touch was gentle, and the soothing balm felt good as it penetrated the still-stinging skin of her ass, back and thighs. After a while he turned her over and rubbed more of the salve onto her breasts.
When he was done, he wrapped her cuffs around her wrists, covering the rope burns with the black leather. He clipped the cuffs to the headboard chains, unspooling them to their full length so she had maximum movement, which Kelsey appreciated.
“You take a rest. I’ll wake you in time for lunch.” James stroked her hair from her face and leaned down to kiss her cheek.
Kelsey closed her eyes and imagined herself slipping out of her aching body and floating up into a cloudless blue sky. She focused on emptying her mind and letting all thoughts, fear, pain and anguish fall away. She opened her arms, which had become wide, white wings, and flew away.
~*~
James placed the slices of turkey on the bread and reached for the mayonnaise jar. The warm afternoon sun was shining through the window and bathing the kitchen in a golden glow. A beautiful, sexy, submissive woman lay asleep in his bed. She belonged to him, and him alone. Life was good.
Since he’d started reading the obedient wife sites, a whole new world had opened up, one in which his natural inclinations and secret desires had a place. For the first time in his life, he felt like he fit in. He had found a community of like-minded individuals. He wasn’t suffering from perverted or twisted thinking, as he had sometimes feared. There was a rooted basis in many religions and cultures for a man taking full control of his woman.
If he happened to derive great sexual satisfaction from exercising that control, where was the harm?
The harm is that she’s here against her will. The harm is that this is a non-consensual relationship, no matter how you try to couch it in obedient wife theory or the natural order of things. You took her by force, and you keep her by force. Where is the love in that?
Angered, James shook away that small but unwelcome voice that still occasionally plagued him. That voice had no place in their lives now. As he’d told himself a thousand times, what was done was done. There was no going back. The old rules no longer applied. He’d written new rules, and they were working.
Kelsey had blossomed in just the short time they’d been together. Already she had learned many of the basic tenants of the obedient wife philosophy, and seemed to embrace them. She never asked him to let her go anymore, and she seemed genuinely thrilled when he praised her, her face glowing with happiness when he told her she’d been a good girl.
She’d never looked like that back in that other life, when they’d both spent their days crunching numbers in the back room of a huge, impersonal banking conglomerate that didn’t give a shit if either of them lived or died. Though she’d been good at her job, she’d never beamed under his praise. Theirs had been a casual flirtation, nothing more.
Not so now. Now he was the center of her universe. She literally lived or died at his hand, and there was no greater high in this world.
James was amazed at how easily he’d let the life he’d lived before slip away. Until he’d met Kelsey, he’d honestly believed his career was the most important thing in his life. Though his sizable inheritance would have let him retire and never work again, he’d never even considered leaving his job before he met her. Badly burned by Emily’s betrayal, he hadn’t even thought about looking for another partner. Work had been everything, until Kelsey Anne Rowan had appeared in his life like a golden angel, lighting his world.
His life had new meaning now. He was training Kelsey to be his obedient, dutiful wife. All the research he’d done assured him that her love would come in time as a natural byproduct of the obedience and duty.
Already Kelsey was completely dependent on him for everything she did—he’d seen to that. He was the only person she saw or talked to, ever. She didn’t eat unless he fed her. She didn’t sleep until he gave her permission. She didn’t use the toilet, or bathe or read a book unless he said she could. When he decided she’d earned a punishment, she bent over his knee or assumed a punishment position without hesitation and without question. And she thanked him afterwards, even through her tears.
Maybe he’d been too hard on her this morning, but he couldn’t deny the deep, wild thrill he had gotten from whipping her all over and holding nothing back. He’d loved the sudden howl of shocked pain when he’d brought the whip down on her back and shoulders. He’d loved the way her perfect breasts jiggled with each blow of the whip, her nipples hard and red by the time he’d finished stimulating them with the stinging leather.
If he were honest, the whipping hadn’t been about teaching her, or punishing her, not by the time he was done. It had been a kind of lovemaking really, the whip an extension of his cock, her entire body just a quivering cunt, his cunt, there solely to satisfy his lusts.
James was distracted from his thoughts by a sound coming from outside. It took him a second to register that it was car tires crunching on gravel. He couldn’t see the driveway from the kitchen window. Dropping the mayonnaise knife, he sprinted into the living room toward the front windows that looked out on the porch and beyond to the driveway.
A nondescript black sedan was pulling up in front of the house. There were two men inside. Don’t panic. It’s probably just salesmen or preachers or something, he tried to tell himself. He glanced back at the bedroom door, which was ajar. His heart slamming into high gear, he sprinted across the room and glanced inside the door.
Kelsey was sleeping like an angel. James pulled the door closed with a click. As he turned around, he saw the ropes dangling from the beam and raced toward them, yanking them down and kicking them under the couch. Trying to slow his breathing, he ran his hands through his hair as he watched the men climb out of their car and lumber up to the screen door.
Deciding to seize the bull by the horns, he went out onto the porch and pulled open the screen door, hoping the smile he was aiming for made it to his face.
Before him stood two uniformed policemen.
The air thickened somehow, and James found himself unable to draw a breath. Sweat sprouted under his arms and beaded along his upper lip as he stood staring at the men, his mind suddenly, utterly and completely blank.
“James Bennett?” one of them said, while the other held out his badge.
James opened his mouth and managed to croak, “Yes?”
�
�May we come in a moment, sir?”
They hadn’t pulled out a warrant for his arrest, at least not yet.
Feeling as if he were a fly trapped in amber, James somehow made his limbs move. He stepped back and gestured the men onto the porch. “What’s the trouble, officers?”
“We’re making inquiries into a possible missing person. Bob Reynolds gave us your name and address information. We called your cell phone a couple of times but it went to voice mail.”
“Oh,” James had forgotten that Reynolds knew about his cabin. “We get sporadic cell service out here sometimes,” he offered lamely.
“We?” one of the officers, a heavy man in his forties with a buzz cut cocked an eyebrow.
Oh god. I’m dead. I’m dead. “A figure of speech,” James found himself saying. “I mean service is sporadic around here. I’m alone here in the cabin.”
Don’t make a sound, Kelsey. Not a sound.
Sweat was rolling from his forehead into his eyes and James wiped at it with his hands.
“You okay, Mr. Bennett?” asked the younger cop, a thin, wiry man in his twenties.
“I—I’m fine. I’m sorry. I’m—I’m not feeling so good.”
“Mr. Reynolds mentioned your condition.” The cop’s tone was sympathetic.
James seized on the man’s words like a lifeline. “Yes,” he agreed, hoping the tremble in his voice would be attributed to his “condition”. “They’ve been really great at the bank, letting me take all the time I need. I haven’t told them yet, but there’s no cure. I haven’t got that long left…” He trailed off, lifting his chin and offering what he hoped was a brave countenance in the face of impending death.
The two cops were staring at him, and he wondered suddenly if he’d laid it on a bit too thick. “Uh, I’m sorry.” Again James took the bull by its horns. He would get through this and send these men packing. “You said you were here about a missing person? Someone from work?”
“Yeah,” the beefy cop said, looking down at the pad in his hand. “Kelsey Rowan.”
James’ heart was beating so hard he was afraid the cops could hear it. He ran a hand over his face as he struggled to compose his thoughts. He looked up. “She’s missing? She quit the bank a while back. It was the same day I started my leave, I remember now. She didn’t give any notice. She just left a voice message. It was pretty shocking, really.” He shrugged, making eye contact with the older cop. “Young people today…”
“Did she say where she was going? Did she have another job she was taking?”
James stared at the ceiling, pretending to think back. He shook his head. “No, not that I recall. Her parents are in Florida, I think. Maybe she went back there?”
“Nope. Her parents are the ones who made the report. Apparently she hasn’t been back to her apartment for quite some time, and her cell goes straight to voice mail. We haven’t been able to trace the phone’s location. There’s been no credit card use. Her rent’s past due. Do you still have the voice message she left, by chance? They accessed your voicemail at work, but it wasn’t there. Did she call your cell?”
“No, I’m sorry. We were just colleagues, nothing more than that. The call was on my work phone, but I routinely delete my voicemail messages as a matter of course. It didn’t occur to me to save it, frankly.” He blew out a breath and brought his hands to his face, silently praying the cops were buying his story.
The fat cop consulted his pad again. “Some of the bank employees we interviewed indicated you two were the last ones left at the group’s happy hour. Ms. Rowan was seen leaving Sal’s Pub on Thursday, July eleventh around eight o’clock with a man matching your description.”
James’ blood froze in his veins and for one horrible second he thought he was going to burst out crying. Stop it. Get a hold of yourself. They don’t know a fucking thing. They’re just fishing for information. James lifted his head and forced himself to meet the man’s eye. “I remember that night. Some of the folks in the department had gone out for pizza and a beer. I gave Kelsey a ride to her bus stop afterward.”
“You had a car parked at Sal’s?” The cop frowned.
Stick to as much of the truth as you can. “No. I have a parking space in the car garage next to the bank. We walked down together and then I gave her a ride. She didn’t say anything about quitting either. I didn’t get that message until the next morning when I went into the office.”
“Where did you drop her? What stop?”
James told them, silently congratulating himself that he knew exactly where Kelsey got on and off the bus, along with where she shopped for groceries, where she lived, and a whole lot more, not that he’d ever let them know that. Instead, he said, “Man, this is really awful. I hope nothing’s happened to her. Yeah, she was irresponsible, but she was a sweet kid. If there’s any way I can help…” He held out his hands, palms up and looked at each cop in turn.
“Keep your eyes and ears open,” said the older cop as he hoisted himself to his feet. The young cop handed James a card. “If you hear anything or think of anything that might be useful, give us a call.”
James took the card and shoved it into his pocket “I will,” he promised. “Gosh, I hope you find her. I hope she’s okay.”
“You too,” the younger cop said. “Hang in there.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
James walked the cops to the screen door, and watched as they got into their unmarked vehicle. The young cop climbed behind the wheel, while the fat one scribbled something on his pad. Finally they drove away.
James went back into the house and collapsed onto the couch. He felt as if he’d just run a marathon. His muscles had turned to jelly, his hands were shaking, his heart beating so fast he thought he might pass out.
He lay back against the couch, taking deep, slow breaths until he could calm himself down. Everything was okay. Those cops were just doing their duty, going through the motions, checking all the leads. They hadn’t even asked to come inside the house. He wasn’t a suspect.
He realized now what a horrible, stupid risk he’d taken in going back to her apartment, but apparently no one had noticed his coming or going in that big, impersonal complex in which she had lived. He would be even more careful going forward. Kelsey’s cell phone was in the trunk of his car, along with her purse. Thank goodness he’d thought to remove the cell battery. He would dispose of her things as soon as possible. He would hide them in a bag of garbage and take the bag to the local dump. He would make sure Kelsey never left the cabin. She wouldn’t even be allowed on the screened-in porch anymore. At least not until this whole missing person thing had well and truly blown over.
Maybe he would change her name and color her hair. They could drive down to Texas or Mexico or somewhere and start a whole new life, where no one knew them. But for now he would lie low. It might look suspicious if he suddenly took off. He would touch base with Reynolds, let him know he was leaving the bank for good, and then bide his time until it was safe to move his precious cargo out of the state.
He sat up, feeling much better. He held out his hands in front of him, pleased to see they were steady as rocks. His breathing had returned to normal and he was no longer sweating. He’d handled things brilliantly with the cops. They hadn’t suspected a thing. And Kelsey, darling Kelsey, wonderful Kelsey, hadn’t made a peep. He would let her eat a whole sandwich for lunch, and a peach too.
He stood and moved toward the bedroom. Opening the door slowly, he peered in. She was lying on her side, her back toward him. Her lovely ass was crisscrossed with welts and there were even a few marks on her slender back and pretty shoulders.
He’d done that. He’d marked his property, while teaching her to accept her place as his obedient wife. They would start the blog entry right after lunch, he decided. Despite her little slipup earlier, he deemed her ready.
As he approached her, his cock twitched in anticipation. Reaching into his shorts, he stroked it, pleased to see it was already erect, despite h
is having fucked her only an hour ago, and despite the cops sending him into a temporary tailspin.
Everything was fine now. Better than fine. His eyes on his prize, he quickly stripped off his shirt and shorts. He approached the bed and reached for Kelsey’s shoulder, pulling her over onto her back. As he straddled her chest, her green eyes opened wide, her lovely lips parting in surprise.
Putting his hands lightly around her throat, he pushed his cock into her pretty mouth and closed his eyes. Ah, life was good.
Chapter 12
Kelsey sat cross-legged on the throw rug beside James’ desk chair. She stared down at the legal pad on her lap, her pen poised, her mind blank. She knew what James expected—he’d read her enough of the endless, nauseating blogs written by brainwashed women and their deluded partners—but she couldn’t seem to make her brain perform the necessary functions to get words onto the page.
At least her stomach was full, almost uncomfortably so. After the beating that morning Kelsey had fallen into a fitful sleep. James had woken her with a tray of food, and instead of the usual two or three bites, he’d let her eat the entire sandwich, plus a peach and a big glass of iced tea. Maybe the prick was feeling guilty.
Kelsey closed her eyes, trying to let go of the negative energy building inside her. It wasn’t good to resist. It only made things worse. Positive thoughts. Focus on the good things. Anger is destructive. He’ll sense it and he’ll punish you. James loves you. He takes care of you. This is your life now.
She stole a glance at James. He was shirtless, wearing his favorite khaki shorts. His right hand was resting lightly over his crotch, his mouth hanging open, his eyes glued to the screen, though whether he was reading from one of his favorite blogs or staring at naked girls, Kelsey couldn’t tell. At least he was leaving her alone, for the moment anyway.
Kelsey glanced down at the welt on her left breast. She could feel welts on her back, ass and thighs too, though she didn’t dare shift her position to try and see, not with James right there beside her. She tried to recall what heinous crime she’d committed to deserve such brutal treatment. His words came back to her. You forgot one of the prime rules of wifely submission. A wife doesn’t voice what she does or does not want. She asks what would please her husband, and no more.
The Abduction of Kelsey Page 12
