Heart Ache (Bound by a Touch Novels #1)

by Morgan Kearns

  Hungrily, her eyes moved over him. He was beautiful; strong muscular legs, a narrow waist, and…

  “You like what you see?” he purred.

  Her eyes flicked to his face. She nodded slowly, unable to use her voice. Feeling lazy, drugged, she reached for him, and he crawled across the bed to her. His muscles flexed much like a lion on the prowl, and she decided she would gladly let this predator devour her. A smile tipped her lips. He paused, examining her for a moment before mirroring her expression.

  “You’re beautiful.” He cupped her cheek in his palm and she leaned into his touch. A skeptical expression fluttered over his features. “Are you sure this is okay?”

  “Um-hmm,” she moaned.

  She lay back and he moved up to cover her with his body. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest and she struggled to fill her lungs with air. This moment was what she’d dreamed. No, it was better. Nikolai’s kisses on her skin surpassed anything she could have dreamed up. His fingers slid between lace and skin and Gabby sucked in a breath. She felt the stretch, prepared for the snap, and…

  “I know I promised not to—” Gustav’s voice interrupted.

  “Get out of here!” Nikolai shouted, grabbing for sheets to cover her. A difficult concept since they were both grasping for the same ones. As her fingers tugged, so did his. Finally she wrapped both hands around one of his and yanked at the sheet.

  Gustav stood with his back toward them, rubbing his eyes. “I didn’t see anything.” His reassurance didn’t lessen the tension in Nikolai’s muscles, nor the embarrassment coloring Gabby’s entire body.

  “Why are you here?” Nikolai growled, looking back to make sure she was covered.

  She smiled and gave him a seductive wink. She hoped to relieve some of her anxiety, but it didn’t help. She was so mortified—and frustrated. Just once she’d like to have sex with Nikolai.

  He blew her a kiss then turned his irritation on his brother. “This had better be good.”

  “Look, man, don’t kill the messenger.” Gustav held his hands up. He took a step closer to Nikolai and dropped his voice to a whisper.

  Gabby couldn’t tear her eyes from the naked bottom of her lover. It was firm and perfect and she couldn’t wait to sink her nails into it.

  “What!?”

  Gabby jumped, her eyes flying wide. She studied the tension in his shoulders, the anger in his white knuckles. Her ribcage constricted, closing in on her lungs. She tried to breathe.

  “I thought you might feel that way.” Gustav still had his back to her, and now she could see the tense set of his shoulders. “Vincent tried to call and didn’t get an answer. I think you should check it out. Soon.”

  Nikolai looked over his shoulder and Gabby knew without having to be told that he would be leaving. A nod verified her assumption.

  “Let’s go.” He stepped up to Gabby, tucked the sheets around her, and kissed her.

  “Is everything okay?”

  She expected him to assure her everything was a-okay. He shook his head, his muscles tight, his expression grim.

  “I just need to check something out. We’ll finish what we started as soon as I get home, I promise.” His lips touched the tip of her nose. “And first thing tomorrow, I’m installing gold leafing on the walls.”

  He kissed her again. He dressed quickly in jeans and a t-shirt, stuffing his feet into a pair of black leather combat boots. She watched him closely. He was intense, serious, every movement had meaning. Her man had plans, and those plans clearly included kicking ass and taking names.

  Gustav had been so quiet during the preparations and when he spoke, although it was softly, Gabby jumped. “I’ll meet you there.”

  Niko jerked a nod and Gustav was gone. She was getting used to the popping thing—especially when people were leaving her and Nikolai alone.

  His heavy footsteps crossed the room to where she waited in the bed. The mattress dipped when he planted his knee into it. His strong hand cradled her head, his fingers digging into the back of her skull. There was nothing gentle about his kiss. The pressure of his lips was a possessive grind, an aggressive brand.

  When he pulled back, he panted, “I love you, Gabrielle Voinea.”

  He straightened, winked, blew her a kiss and was gone.

  She blinked and stared at the empty space. A shiver wiggled up her spine. Maybe she wasn’t getting used to the popping thing after all, because Nikolai’s quick departure felt like a part of her had left with him. She snuggled deeper into the pillows, inhaling his scent. Her heavy eyelids drooped closed.

  Soon, he’d be back, they’d be together, and then happily ever after could begin.

  *****

  The first thing her mind registered as Gabby awoke was the fluttering touch of fingers against her cheek. She leaned into the touch, sighed … and panicked.

  Something was wrong. Her eyes flew open and she sat upright in the bed.

  “Hello, my dear.” Natasha flashed a smile containing no humor, only fangs and malice. “It seems your lover has left you unprotected.”

  Gabby took a quick inventory of her surroundings and realized she was still in Nikolai’s room, still alone, and still very naked. She ripped the sheet up around herself.

  “What do you want?” She slipped from the bed, taking the sheet with her, and went over to the dresser. She was careful to keep Natasha in sight. The woman could move quick as lightning but it made her feel better to know she hadn’t.

  After pulling on a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt, Gabby popped her hands onto her hips. “I asked you a question.”

  “Nice ring.” The snarled hiss made the hair on the back of Gabby’s neck stand on end.

  Gabrielle lifted her hand, feeling smug as Nikolai’s declaration of love sparkled. A growl rumbled in Natasha’s chest and a panicked warning screamed in her bloodstream. She channeled her inner Wonder Woman and narrowed her eyes at the intruder.

  “Thank you. Now, tell me what you’re doing here.”

  “Oh, I came for you.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.” Gabby retreated until her back met the wall. She wished she had her cell phone. She tried the only thing she could think of.

  “Nikolai,” she said.

  Ringing laughter echoed through the room. The sound was much too pleasant for the sinister scowl on the face it’d come out of. “It doesn’t work that way, little girl. The two of you might be connected, but he can’t hear you.”

  Natasha vanished and Gabby’s flight instinct raged, but she didn’t know where to go. The phone on the nightstand beckoned her, shouting to her senses that it might be her only hope. She bolted, and just as her hand wrapped around the cold plastic, Natasha was back.

  Long fingers wrapped around Gabby’s throat, making it hard to breathe. The phone tumbled to the ground with a crash. Gabby thrust an elbow backward and made contact with a stomach that didn’t give at all. Tingling sensations rushed up and down her arm like she’d hit her funny bone. Yet there was nothing funny about the pain nor the situation.

  Gabby sucked in a breath. Her vision went fuzzy and she grabbed at the arm attached to the vise-like grip.

  “Very good.” Natasha laughed again. “That’s what I was waiting for.”

  Everything went black. Gabby felt a newly familiar tug that meant she was no longer in Niko’s bedroom.

  She was, however, in very, very deep trouble.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Glass crunched, roses squished, and stems snapped as Niko walked through Gabby’s office. Gustav strode at his side with a sick expression on his face. As sick as Gustav looked, Nikolai was sure it didn’t hold a candle to what he felt.

  Someone had destroyed Gabby’s office and broken every long-stemmed token of his love. There wasn’t even enough to make potpourri. He reached down and let the mulch slip through his fingers. Fury scorched through his veins like acid.

  Vincent slipped through a narrow opening in the door, closing it when he was completely i
nside.

  “Who did this?” Nikolai was barely able to contain the fury building in his bloodstream.

  “Nobody entered from the hallway, I do know that much. But since you and Gabby…” Vincent cleared his throat. “The security cameras in these two offices have been deactivated.”

  The displacement of air signaled the entry of another vampire. “I was just about to win the caber toss,” said a Scottish accent. The three of them turned to see Stephon. The guy was dressed in a kilt and linen shirt. Nikolai didn’t have time for this crap, and didn’t even want to know what was under the plaid—or not, as the case surely was.

  Stephon looked from male to male to male then dropped his gaze to take in the chaos around them.

  “What the hell happened in here?” The accent disappeared.

  “I needed to drop something off for Nik’s signature,” Vincent explained. “The door wouldn’t open, so I popped inside and found … this.”

  “It had to be a vamp then.” Stephon knelt down to scoop up some of the debris. “My guess—” He stood and looked hard at Nikolai. “—you find who did this and you find who framed you for the murder.”

  “No shit, Sherlock!”

  Stephon ignored the poke and moved around the office with slow precision. He examined the picture frame embedded in the drywall, shaking his head. He stopped in front of her desk. The thing had been haphazardly wiped clean. The computer lay in a broken heap on top of scattered papers and files on the floor.

  “What’s the status of your office?” Stephon asked. The men all looked at each other. Stephon shrugged. “Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out.”

  He stepped toward the door and as his hand wrapped around the knob the door fell into the room, leaving the knob dangling from his fingers.

  Nikolai’s heart sank as he took in the disaster area; the desk had been reduced to twigs, his favorite leather chair still had the letter opener sticking out amongst the stuffing, and the books had been pulled from the shelves, the pages looking like they’d gone through the shredder. Niko strode through the mess and held his breath as he picked up the Voinea Family Bible. Some of its pages were bent, the cover scuffed, but the precious book was intact. He carefully set it on his desk.

  He joined the other men, all of them ambling slowly through the room, examining the disarray. Nobody said anything, and the silence was harder to take than if they’d been shouting at each other. Nikolai walked over and stood in front of the window. His arms shook where they were braced against the window frame. Fury vibrated in every cell. He stared out into the late afternoon, molars grinding. The Oquirrh Mountains and their patchwork of reds and oranges offered no answers.

  What the hell? Someone was hell bent on destroying his happiness. What he didn’t understand, though, was why?

  An unknown enemy was a dangerous enemy.

  Like a lightning bolt realization struck him.

  He’d been played!

  A shot of adrenaline spiked and without a word Nikolai popped into his bedroom.

  “Gabby!” he shouted. “Gabrielle!?” Please baby, answer me.

  But she didn’t.

  With panic fueling him, he moved quickly from room to room, praying she would be in the shower, or in the kitchen, or in the room he’d given to her down the hall, or … anywhere in the damned house. Her scent lingered strongest in his bedroom—their bedroom—and he returned there to find the others milling around.

  “She’s not here.” He attempted control, but heard the dread in his own voice.

  Stephon took the position of lead detective in this horror flick of reality. He moved around the room. His nostrils flared with a breath and he shook his head. “I’m not getting anything. How about you guys?”

  Gustav and Vincent shook their heads. So did Nikolai.

  Stephon nodded and went about his search. His fingertips hovered above various things: the drawer still gaping open, the rug mussed by the doorway to the bathroom, the house phone lying on the floor, Gabby’s cell phone plugged in on the nightstand, her purse sitting where she’d left it last night. He opened the bag and began to set the contents on the dresser; wallet, lip gloss, a tampon, keys.

  “Wherever she is, I don’t think she went by herself.” Stephon bent down and smoothed the rug. He picked up one shoe. “And she didn’t go willingly.” He popped out of the room and before Nikolai could think to follow, Stephon was back. He ran his fingers through his cropped blond hair and shook his head. “The doors are all still locked, which means—”

  “Her kidnapper didn’t come in the traditional way.” Gustav’s strong, supportive hand came to rest on Nikolai’s shoulder.

  “It’s all got to be connected,” Vincent said. He’d been so quiet Nikolai had almost forgotten he was even there.

  “I agree. The murder, the office, Gabby; they’re all connected. But how?”

  Total darkness.

  Gabby awoke slowly. She tried to blink, but something prevented it. A blindfold? She shivered, a layer of goose bumps blossoming on her skin. Something was in her mouth too. She moved her tongue against the coarse cotton and tasted a bitter of hint soap. Hard as she blinked or thrust her tongue against the fabric, neither would budge.

  Every part of her hurt, especially her head and her ring finger of her left hand. Somewhere deep in her brain she knew that was significant. She tried to lift her hand but found resistance. Her legs were plagued with the same problem. She tugged at the restraints on her wrists and ankles.

  Oh, Niko!

  She felt very alone in this moment. Completely petrified. Her heart hammered against her ribcage. Her breath sounded like Gale force winds wheezing through her nose. She listened, straining to hear any sign of where she was, and heard … nothing. Her fingers stretched out to find cold metal.

  Sucking in a breath, her olfactory system greeted dirt and fertilizer. The scent drifted over her taste buds and she gagged. Panic bubbled just below the surface, threatening to overwhelm her. Cold sweat broke out on her chilly skin. She’d never survive this if she gave into her fear. She attempted to calm herself enough to think by piecing together what she knew. The last thing she remembered was being choked by Natasha.

  Where the hell was she anyway?

  As if the bitch had heard Gabby’s thoughts, a door creaked open. Footsteps echoed like a yell in a cavernous canyon. Then a palm met Gabby’s cheek. The slap resonated through the room—and Gabby’s head as it snapped to one side.

  “Wake up, princess.” She slapped Gabby again. “I have big plans for you.”

  A vicious yank ripped the gag from her mouth. Her head jerked off the table and landed again with a solid thump. Gabby bit her tongue to keep from screaming. This whole situation was bad. Very bad. One of those kinds she may not live through, and her only hope was keeping her wits about her.

  “I know you’re in there.”

  Something—a fist?—slammed into Gabby’s gut and air escaped in a rush. Her stomach burned, nausea bubbled. She coughed and wheezed.

  “You can stop hitting me, you psycho bitch! I’m awake!”

  “Hitting you?” Natasha laughed. “There will come a time when you will beg for me to only hit you.”

  OhshitOhshitOhshit!

  “You know, I think you are in serious need of a makeover.”

  “It’s kind of you to offer, but no thank you.” Gabby’s mind raced, trying desperately to come up with a way to get out of this impossible predicament. She tugged at the bindings and they didn’t move.

  “Didn’t your mother teach you it’s rude to refuse a gift?”

  Gabby rolled her eyes, grateful for the blindfold, and kept her mouth closed.

  Small wheels squeaked and then stopped. Only to be replaced by the sounds of metal scraping against metal and hard objects thudding as they were placed on … a table?

  “It’s really a shame, my dear—” The saccharine laced tone didn’t fool Gabby. Her captor had no plans for a spa day. “—I’m sure I could giv
e you a look to trigger Nikolai’s claim on you.”

  “I already have him.” Gabby wasn’t sure where the words came from and she wanted to suck them back in, especially when something slammed into her nose and warm, sticky blood spurted to coat her mouth and chin.

  Her hand jerked at the binding, needing to cradle her broken nose. Tears flowed from beneath the blindfold. She tasted blood in the back of her throat and gagged. Swallowed. Tried to breath.

  “You broke. My. Nose!”

  “Yes, and before I’m done, you’ll have much more broken.”

  Dread crept up and grabbed hold of Gabby, drenching her in a cold sweat.

  “Nikolai!” Another slap and stars shot through the blackness. “He will never let you get away with this!”

  Natasha laughed and the blindfold was whipped from her eyes. She blinked at the bright lights and winced when Natasha’s face appeared right in front of hers. Golden eyes sparked with hatred. “This is as much to punish him as you”

  “He will—”

  “Go insane watching what I have planned for you.” Natasha laughed again, and Gabby could only think of one thing: pure, unadulterated evil. Natasha smiled, her face smug with accomplished animosity.

  Carefully, slowly, Gabby allowed her gaze to search the room. Concrete slabs with no windows made up the four walls. No wonder it was cold. What looked like miniature wooden bleachers were pushed against the concrete walls. Lights hung in strips from the ceiling as did naked light bulbs shining dimly on their wires. Remembering the smell from earlier, Gabby wondered if this was a greenhouse of some kind.

  Then she noticed the cameras. Seven of them, placed around the room, all aimed at her.

  Surely Natasha wouldn’t kill her. But when she pulled out the straight razor, Gabby knew death might just be the easier road.

  The talking around Nikolai sounded more like the annoying buzzing of a beehive than the voices of his nearest and dearest. The only thing he could do was pace and think.