Evanesce (The Darkness #2)

by Cassia Brightmore

  “Dude. Spit it out,” he said, exasperated.

  “Sydney Kenner,” Quinn blurted out, before Theo got a chance to say anything. Nora looked at her. Sydney was one of her oldest friends. They had been very close growing up in grade school.

  “Sydney?” Nora repeated. “What about her? She isn’t…” Nora trailed off, not able to voice her question.

  “No no, she’s fine, Nora. Well, she’s not fine. She’s not fine at all! But she is, you know?” Quinn babbled. Gabe shook his head, unable to keep up.

  “Theo.” Gabe said his name in a harsh tone. “What the fuck is going on now?” Theo shook his head, still unable to believe the news himself.

  “Sydney and Brent’s daughter. Their newborn, Sophie,” he began. Nora gasped out loud and covered her mouth.

  “No. Did she?” Nora asked.

  “She was kidnapped from her crib last night.” Theo’s words hung in the air like a toxic gas. Seeping into their skin and digging its way into their bones.

  Theo turned to Gabe and leveled him with a serious look.

  “This is escalating fast. We need some help.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Brooke screamed bloody murder as Milo carried her down the hall. She was upside down over his shoulder, clawing and beating uselessly on his back while he dragged her off to some unknown destination. She had a sickening feeling that it wasn’t back to the dungeon or her chambers. At that moment in time, she wished desperately that’s where they were headed.

  “Shut the fuck up, bitch,” Milo growled, slapping her hard on the ass. His hand lingered to cup her cheek possessively, gripping it hard. “I can’t wait to fuck the spirit right out of you. See how rebellious you are once I’m through with you. Marcus has been way too fuckin easy on you, whore.” Reaching a door, he removed his hand from Brooke’s ass to fling it open, not caring when he bounced off the wall. Kicking it closed, he locked it and then strode across the room. Brooke’s line of sight was limited being upside down over his shoulder, but that didn’t stop her from searching for any kind of a weapon.

  Milo tossed her face down on the bed and was on her instantly. He wasted no time yanking her pants and panties down, groping at her ass. He ground his rock hard erection against her and slobbered in her ear. “You’re fuckin hot for a whore, I’ll give you that. I can’t wait to sink my cock in every one of your holes, bitch.” Reaching between her legs, he jammed two fingers into her dry pussy, pumping in and out.

  “Fuck you, Milo,” her voice was muffled since he was pushing her face into the mattress, his body weight like a stone on top of hers. Arching her back, she tried to buck him off, but only succeeded in giving him a better advantage as he added a third finger. To her shame, her body began to respond as she felt moisture build.

  “Oh you are a fucking slut aren’t you? You’re fucking enjoying this.” Flipping her over, her yanked her top up and feasted on her breasts. She wasn’t wearing a bra and Milo’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head at the sight of her perfectly round tits. “Fuck me,” he mumbled around a mouthful of nipple. His fingers continued ramming into her, determined to shame her into an orgasm.

  “You’re a fucking psycho!” Brooke screamed as she pushed at his head with all her might. He bit down hard on her nipple in response.

  “Fuck. You got a fucking mouth on you, girl. Let’s see what we can do to shut you the fuck up for once.” Horror filled Brooke as she realized what he meant. She would rather die than be forced to suck the vile man’s cock. The telltale sound of a zipper sent her into action. Bringing her knee up, she aimed for his crotch, but he was ready for that move and quickly avoided it. Catching him in the stomach instead, he was momentarily winded—giving Brooke the opportunity she needed. Balling her fist, she cracked him in the mouth, watching as he fell back on the bed. Launching herself off the bed, she ran for the door and furiously punched in the code to disengage the locks.

  The red light blinked at her no matter how many times she punched the combination in. Screaming in frustration, she ran from the door toward the bathroom. Milo’s chamber was the same layout as hers and she knew the bathroom door had a lock, she just had to get in there. Reaching it, she wept in relief and with the speed of a superhero, slammed the door shut. Only it bounced back and almost smacked her in the nose. Jumping out of the way, Brooke stared as Milo filled the doorway. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth and his eyes were filled with a crazy lust. His partially undone pants showcased a trail of dark hair, a trail she didn’t want to see the end of.

  “You are going to pay for that fucking stunt,” he told her, his voice surprisingly calm. He advanced on her with precise speed, not about to let her get the upper hand again. Brooke panicked and swept her arm across the marble counter, grabbing at objects to launch at his head, desperate to ward him off. Easily dodging the flying electric razor and bottles of cologne, he grabbed her wrists, twisting them painfully.

  “You don’t want to suck it, bitch? That’s fine. I have other ideas for you.” He tossed her to the cold, tiled floor and held her there while she struggled. Removing his belt, he wound one end around his hand slowly.

  Forcing Brooke onto all fours, he once again ran his hands over her smooth, soft ass. Raising the belt, he brought it down over her cheeks with punishing force. Brooke screamed at the impact, biting down on her lip. Tasting the blood there, she twisted her head back.

  “Please, Milo, stop. I—ahhh!” Milo brought the belt down again on her ass, harder. Enthralled with the red welts raising on her creamy white skin, he continued beating her with the belt until he was breathing heavy from the exertion. Brooke’s screams had dulled to whimpers, tears and snot covering her face.

  Letting his pants fall to the floor, Milo grabbed Brooke’s hips and pulled her back up onto her knees. She had slid down onto the floor in a slump sometime during the beating.

  “I’m not done with that ass yet, whore.” Stroking his cock a few times, he spit on it and rubbed the tip. Lining it up with her ass, he began to push inside.

  Brooke was dazed after the beating, she had lost all sense of where she was and what was happening. Floating up and out of her body seemed to help her cope through the brutal torture, helped to ignore the searing pain of Milo’s belt cutting into her skin. She started to come around when she felt something probing her ass once again, although it wasn’t the belt this time.

  Realizing too late what was about to happen, she tried to crawl away, but Milo had her held firmly in place. His sinister laugh made her blood run cold, there was no humanity in him at all. He was worse than Marcus.

  “Please—don’t,” her whispered plea went unnoticed as Milo drove his thick cock into her ass with one push. Brooke’s back arched as she screamed from the pain of being torn open. Milo took advantage of her position and buried his hands in her hair, yanking her head back further as he pulled out to drive back in again.

  “Fuck your ass is so tight. So warm,” he mumbled as he continued his assault on her. Reaching around, he grabbed one of her nipples, pinching hard.

  Brooke wheezed and gasped as she fought to breathe. The pain was excruciating. His balls were slapping against her pussy, adding insult in a depraved situation. The fresh welts were further irritated by his skin rubbing hers as he pounded into her ass. The burn of fire and the feel of him all the way into her stomach was too much. Heaving, she vomited all over the floor in front of her, unable to hold it in.

  Milo didn’t stop or care about her pitiful condition. He was lost, heading towards his release. Pulling out of her ass with a small pop, he flipped her onto her back, ignoring the fact that she was now laying in her own vomit. “Gonna fill you with my cum, whore.” His words terrified Brooke. Dear God, no.

  Fisting his cock once again, he kneeled between her legs, spreading them when she slammed her knees shut tight. “Let me in, bitch.” Losing his temper he backhanded her across the face, leaving her dazed once again. Covering her body with his, he dragged his tongue along her
ear. “I like you compliant like this, girl. It’s such a fucking turn on, knowing you want to fight me.” He sucked on her earlobe and then bit down viciously. “You’re no match for us, though. You’ll never escape.”

  Feeling his cock rubbing back and forth along her pussy, Brooke let out a scream. Trying to wiggle to the side, she managed to half roll over before Milo slammed her back down onto the floor.

  “Knock it off, girl,” he ordered, as he once again got his cock into position. Brooke squeezed her eyes shut and braced for the impact, wishing for it to be over fast. When nothing happened for a few moments, she cracked one eye open. Milo was gone, sprawled on the floor in the bedroom, a tangle of limbs. Marcus stood in his place, gazing down at her. Had he tossed Milo out of the room? But why? Seeing him filled Brooke with relief, he was a monster himself but at that moment, he was the lesser of two evils.

  His mouth was set in a grim line as he stared into her eyes. Grabbing a towel from a rack he wrapped it around her almost tenderly and lifted her into his arms. “Milo went too far in his lesson. I should have stopped him sooner, beautiful girl.” Bursting into fresh tears, Brooke buried her head in Marcus’s chest. The pain was like a fire in every part of her skin, comfort and compassion were two things she craved in that moment and ironically, Marcus was offering it to her.

  Reaching her room, he headed straight for the shower and turned it on, the temperature lukewarm. Placing Brooke on her feet in the stall, he kept an eye for a few minutes making sure she could stand on her own. “Greta will be in to see to you.” Brooke’s head snapped up at the mention of her name. “Yes, she’s alive and fine. She was not punished for your actions, but she has asked to keep her job of assisting you and I’ve agreed. Don’t make me regret that, Brooke.” His tone turned cold at the end.

  Brooke meekly nodded, closing her eyes under the spray of the water. She heard the door open and assumed he was gone until his voice called out again. “I won’t apologize for giving you to Milo as you deserved a punishment, but I do regret that it went as far as it did.” With that, he shut the door and left her alone.

  * * *

  A few weeks passed with no further incident. Brooke barely left her chamber, she hadn’t been back to the lab and Milo seemed to have vanished. Greta was determined to befriend her and went out of her way to see to Brooke’s every comfort. What she couldn’t comprehend was that Brooke didn’t want to be comfortable, she wanted to be free. Red’s death was haunting her and she couldn’t let what happened that day be for nothing. Marcus still kept up his frequent visits for sex, but that day was never mentioned. Brooke had hoped that she might get a reprieve from him after what Milo did, but that wasn’t the case. He had a business to run after all.

  Brooke was sitting on the soft, plush couch one morning when a wave of nausea hit her. She barely made it to the toilet in time before she threw up. Sitting back on her heels, she gasped for breath after the worst of it had passed. Hearing a noise behind her, she turned and saw Greta hovering in the doorway, a small package in her hands.

  “Miss, are you alright?” she asked as she hurried to her side. Brooke nodded, pushing her hair off her face.

  “I’m fine, Greta,” she said, accepting the other lady’s arm for support to stand up. Dizziness blurred her vision for a moment, but it passed as quick as it came. Greta wrung her hands and bounced from foot to foot.

  “Miss. Miss, I think it’s time…” she held up the package in her hands. Brooke was quiet as she looked at it, sadness in eyes.

  “I don’t need it, Greta,” she told her, brushing past her to exit the bathroom.

  “Oh, but Miss, I really think—” Brooke interrupted Greta’s argument.

  “I said I don’t need it,” she snapped. “I already know. I’m pregnant.” Brooke stormed out of the bathroom and slammed the door behind her, leaving Greta inside.

  Brooke was laying in the darkness when the door opened. She knew it was Marcus without having to roll over to see him. He had a habit of visiting her at night if he had been too caught up with work to see her for a few days. Since it had been almost a week since she last saw him, she wasn’t surprised to see him.

  The bed dipped under his weight as he sat on the side, reaching out a hand to stroke her hair. “I hear you have some news for me, beautiful girl.”

  Brooke ignored him. She was living in the bubble where if she didn’t say the words out loud again, they weren’t real. The bubble was nice, safe, comfortable. Delusion was the only thing that got her through the day, trapped in a Hell she couldn’t escape.

  Marcus’s hand stilled in her hair and he tugged it, forcing her to roll over and meet his eyes. “Ignoring me is not a smart option, Brooke.”

  “You already know, why do I have to say it?” she demanded. He was insufferable with his need for control.

  “I want you to tell me the news, Brooke.” He moved closer to her and glared at her until she huffed and gave in.

  “Fine, you arrogant prick. I’m pregnant, okay? You already know I am so making me say it is completely ridiculous. But you got what you wanted, I’m going to have your baby. Now, just go away and leave me alone.” Brooke flopped back down, giving him her back once again.

  “I’m very pleased, Brooke. Your first child and in such a short amount of time, I know you will give me a magnificent product.” He leaned down and kissed her head, choosing to ignore her silent tears, before leaving her to cry in the darkness alone.

  Every day like clockwork, a meal tray arrived to her chamber. Her immaculately decorated, spacious house of horrors. The large, sinister looking man covered in tattoos would saunter into her room and deliver a tray of the most delicious meals. Greta was no longer granted the privilege of delivering her meals, she was simply a companion for Brooke ever since the incident in the dungeon. The aroma was always so hard to resist, even though every fiber of her being screamed at her to grab the tray and launch it at him, and then run like hell for the door.

  The nightmares she had witnessed while being in this godforsaken place was the only thing that kept her sitting frozen, watching him approach with careful eyes.

  Dropping the tray on the dark wood table a few feet from the bed where she sat, he leveled her with a look.

  “You will eat it.” It wasn’t a question, it was a cold command from the brick wall pretending to be a human. In the first few weeks of her captivity, she had learned what happened when she tried to remain stubborn and starve herself. Shuddering, she shook off the horrific memories.

  “I want to see him.” She spoke out of nowhere, surprising herself as much as him. He cocked a brow at her, his displeasure at her demand evident.

  “He will come to you when you are more ripe.” With those words, he turned and stomped out of the room, the finality of the lock clicking sounding as loud as a bullhorn. She dropped her head in defeat, her hands moving to splay across her belly protectively as silent tears tracked down her cheeks.

  I will find a way to free us, little one.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Nora was giving Shadow his morning workout before helping the other ranch hands round up the cattle when she spotted Gabe’s truck pulling into the lane. Stroking the soft fur of the horse’s mane, she whispered in his ear to settle him. “I know, I know, I don’t want him coming and going as he pleases either.”

  Kicking him into a trot towards the stables, she called a good morning to a few of the workers that were just stumbling out of the bunk. It wasn’t usual for her hands to stay the night but with the busy cattle season around the corner, Nora wanted to start new processes and traditions. It was all part of her grand plan to build Jacobs’ Ranch into the place she knew it could be.

  Reaching the stable, she dismounted and walked Shadow the rest of the way inside. She felt Gabe’s presence before she saw him, the heat coming off his body was like a goddamn furnace. Seriously, was the man hot all the time?

  “Ah, there she is.” Gabe wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, taking
Shadow’s reins from her hands.

  “Good morning, baby,” he whispered in her ear, sending shivers through her. Nora closed her eyes and leaned her head back on his chest, his embrace had a way of offering security and peace while promising dark pleasure if she only gave in.

  Turning in his arms, she noticed a large duffel bag on the ground behind him. He can’t be serious.

  “Gabe. What’s that?” she asked, nodded towards the bag. Gabe tipped her chin up and placed a light kiss on her lips before answering.

  “It’s my bag, Nora. I’m moving in for awhile—remember?” Not giving her a chance to argue, he deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping inside her mouth to claim hers while his hand got lost in her thick black hair.

  “Gabe,” she panted. Pushing on his chest, she pulled out of his arms. “Stop. Wait. We talked about this already,” she said, flushed from his kisses. Her panties were damp, her breasts straining against her t-shirt. The damn man had too strong of an effect on her.

  “Yes, we did. So glad you remember, baby. This was already discussed and decided…that day at the pier,” he added, winking.

  Grabbing Shadow’s reins from him, she stomped him over to his stall, unaware that Gabe was watching the sway of her hips with appreciation.

  “I don’t need you moving in here, Gabe. I can take care of myself just fine. And with the ranch hands starting to stay in the bunks, I’m covered,” she argued.

  Gabe came to stand behind her. “Look, Nora, I’m not doing this as a ploy to have a repeat of the other day. I just need to know you’re safe. I’ll take one of the guest rooms. Just for a few nights until we get a better handle on what the fuck is going on around here. Deal?” Nora shoulders sagged in defeat. Why did he always have to make so much fucking sense?