by Jacey Ward
“You think this is convenient?” Sasha retorted, pointing to her strapped up arm. “Do you really think all these cuts and bruises came from nothing?”
He shrugged. “My brother probably tried to get away but you were determined to stop him, weren’t you? He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and you chose him to be your scapegoat.”
A sense of spiraling hopelessness centered itself in Sasha’s chest. She wasn’t going to get through to him. He was clearly determined to believe that she was the one in the wrong and that his brother had been innocent. Nothing she could say or do was going to change that.
The only chance she had to get away from him was to run.
He must have sensed what she was going to do, because he strode towards her and, as she attempted to dodge to one side, he grabbed her bodily around the waist, making her cry out in pain as her arm jarred.
“I told you that you were going to pay,” he growled, slamming her back, hard, against the wall of the wooden hut. “You’re no match for me.”
“My colleagues will wonder where I am,” she bluffed, lifting her chin in defiance. “They’ll come looking for me.”
He chuckled, mirthlessly. “No they won’t. A month off, isn’t it?” He tilted his head as her words of retort died on her lips, stunned at what he knew. How had he gotten that kind of information? Who would have given it to him? She didn’t think Stephen would have been so transparent.
Bramble was still barking, but edging away from Torin. Sasha prayed desperately that the dog would run away, head back home and somehow, raise the alarm.
“Now,” Torin said, with a cool calmness that made her skin crawl. “You’re going to come with me. Move.” He grabbed her arm and forced her to walk beside him, her feet stumbling through the damp grass. A hard shove sent her flying, but, as she righted herself, she realized he was gone from her side. Without even looking where he had gone, she attempted to run, but his fingers wound through her hair, making a fist and pulling her up short.
“Now,” he said, twisting his fingers cruelly even more until she was forced to bend backwards. “Don’t try that again, or it’ll be all the worse for you.”
Managing to look back at him, Sasha saw that he held Bramble in the crook of his arm. Bramble was cowering and Sasha’s heart broke.
“Please, let me carry her,” she begged, reaching for her dog – but Torin only grabbed her arm again and continued to march her towards her fate.
Chapter Six
Torin strode through the forest, his mind dark with rage. It took everything in him to keep his temper, but he was determined to get her back to his home before he began any kind of punishment. She was obviously injured, but he felt no sympathy; mostly just satisfaction that she had been hurt. It meant that she hadn’t got off lightly with her battle against his innocent brother.
“Please, let me go,” he heard her say, her voice shaking a little. “I didn’t do anything except defend myself.”
Torin’s wolf growled, urging Torin to let him free so that he could show this woman exactly what happened when you killed a shifter. But with an effort, he kept a firm control over the beast. The first step was to get her home. After that, he’d think about what it was he was going to do.
It didn’t take much effort to shove Sasha into the back of his van, practically throwing the scrap of the dog into her arms. She cried out and desperately tried to catch the creature, but he slammed the door shut before seeing whether or not she’d managed it. He didn’t care about the dog. The only reason he was bringing it along was so that it wouldn’t raise the alarm.
Locking the back of the van, he strode around to the front and went to pull the driver’s door open. It was only then that he realized his hands were shaking.
His jaw tightened as he ran his hands through his hair, drawing in a few deep breaths. He had to control himself before he got behind the wheel. The last thing he needed was someone stopping him for driving erratically – not that there were very many police officers near this part of the highlands. There were hardly any houses out this way, which was just what he liked. His pack could roam free whenever they liked, and he had the solitude he so often craved.
Pacing towards the front of his van, Torin leaned against the hood and tried to ignore the shouts coming from the back of his van. Sasha was clearly upset, although she hadn’t quite given in to panic. Probably some of that police training kicking in. Oh yes, she’d know every trick in the book to try to get him to let her go free but Torin was prepared for that. He wasn’t about to let her get at him. He’d tracked her for a couple of days, before the right opportunity had presented itself. She could cry and scream all she liked, but he wasn’t about to listen. She’d killed his brother in cold blood, somehow believing that he was the serial killer everyone had been searching for, but Torin knew she had been wrong. Most likely, she’d been trying to find someone to put the blame on so that she could bring her case to a close, and Thomas had been the one she’d found.
Thomas Clifford. His brother. Dead.
Dropping his head, Torin struggled against the swirl of nausea in his stomach, still struggling to take in the truth of the matter. His brother was gone. They’d never been particularly close, but Thomas had been his own flesh and blood. They’d grown up together, taken over their father’s business together and spent a few hours every day together. There was no way that Thomas was the man the police had been looking for.
Okay, so Thomas had been distant the last year, but that was just Thomas. He’d never been particularly open with anyone, choosing to live in a house a good few miles away from the factory, but Torin hadn’t had a problem with that. They didn’t have to be close just because they were brothers. He just liked that Thomas was a good business man.
Sasha had gotten it wrong. Thomas wasn’t a killer. And, because she’d taken his life, that meant she had to pay.
It had been pretty easy to discover where she was, given just how chatty the townspeople were. They’d told Torin more than enough about Sasha for Torin to make a few quick calculations. If Sasha was meant to be on holiday for a month, then no one would miss her if they couldn’t get in touch with her. They’d just assume she was taking the break she apparently so ‘desperately needed’. Torin rolled his eyes, thinking about the sympathy on the superintendent’s face as he’d discussed Sasha. It was as though the man didn’t care about what Torin was going through, focusing only on the woman who’d spilled Thomas’ blood.
Flinging open the driver’s side door, Torin threw himself into the front seat and revved the engine. If he revved it loud enough, he could almost drown out the sound of Sasha’s cries, in spite of his enhanced hearing. Turning up the radio, he drove down the dirt track away from the forest, a small smile spreading across his face. He had done it. He’d captured the woman who had put his brother in the grave and now, somehow, he was going to have his revenge.
“Get out.”
Sasha stared at him with wide, fearful eyes, holding her dog to her chest with one hand.
“I said,” Torin growled, his eyes narrowing. “Get out of the van.”
“No,” came the reply, in a voice that was stronger than Torin had expected. “You don’t know what you’re doing. I’m a police officer. If you kidnap me or….” Her voice trailed away, her face growing pale.
“If I kill you?” Torin continued, with a wolfish grin on his face. He’d had that idea, but wasn’t sure yet which way this would go. Besides, there were other ways to get his revenge.
Sasha lifted her chin. “I’m not afraid of you. People will come looking for me.”
He chuckled, reaching forward to grab one ankle before pulling her towards the edge of the van. Sasha shrieked and tried to kick out, but he caught her other leg almost at once.
“You’re on holidays for a month, don’t you remember?” he asked smoothly, continuing to pull until she was sitting right on the edge, her body almost pressed up against his. He had her right where he wanted h
er and Torin fully intended to intimidate her in any way he could.
“No one’s going to come looking for you, no one’s going to raise the alarm, no one is going to do anything,” he breathed, his furious anger igniting itself again. “I’ve got you to myself for a whole month and I fully intend to take my revenge for what you did to my brother.”
“It wasn’t my fault,” she whispered, only for Torin to jerk her, hard.
“Don’t say that,” he bit out, his face inches from hers. “You killed an innocent man, just so you could close a case. My brother would never do anything like that. You’re a fraud.”
Sasha stared up at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and determination. He wasn’t quite able to break her yet, and, much to Torin’s surprise, he felt a slight frisson of admiration for her. In fact, he found himself almost caught by her eyes, suddenly unable to look away.
“Please,” Sasha whispered, still clutching her dog. “I didn’t do anything wrong. If you come to the station, I can show you the case notes, all the evidence –”
“No!” Torin shouted, stepping back and pulling her roughly from the van. “I won’t listen to your lies. I know what you did. You shot him. He’s dead because of you.”
Sasha lifted her chin, her skin milk white but a resolute look in her eyes. “Your brother died because he attacked me,” she said, quietly. “Nothing you can do or say to me is going to change that.”
Torin blinked twice, surprised to see that she was still appearing so unafraid. “We’ll just see about that,” he muttered, reaching for her dog.
Sasha’s eyes flared immediately, and she tried to run, but his grip on her arm was too strong. Torin smiled inwardly, aware that she was attached to her dog in a way that he could use.
“Now,” he said, quietly, each word filled with fury. “If you don’t do what I ask, I’ll take this dog of yours apart bit by bit.” He glared at her, unblinking, giving her no doubt that he’d do exactly what he’d said. She slumped almost immediately, the fight temporarily gone from her.
“Good,” he grunted, shoving the dog back in her arms. “Now, through that door and up the stairs. No nonsense now.”
He chuckled darkly to himself as she turned and walked towards the door, the spark and determination to fight against him completely gone. He’d have knocked her out and thrown her into the room if she’d refused to do what he wanted, but things were just easier this way. It meant that she had to give in to his demands regardless of what she felt herself. She would see that she wasn’t about to escape from him, no matter what she tried. It was better that she learned that now, better that she gave up now. And all for a dog, Torin thought to himself, rolling his eyes. He had no time for softness of that nature, in either personal life or business.
“In here,” he growled, leaning past her and shoving the door to his room open, hard. She stopped just outside it.
“Whose room is this?” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder at him.
“It’s mine,” he said, softly. “I want to keep you safe, see?” he said with a leering grin.
She swallowed hard. The dog leapt out of her arms as she began to tremble, clinging to the door frame for support. Frustrated with her, Torin scooped her up and strode in, practically flinging her onto his large queen bed. She shrieked at once, scrambling back across it until she fell backwards onto the floor. Torin, feeling quite happy that she was so afraid of him, simply pulled the door shut behind him and feeling for the key in his pocket, locked it. There was no way she could get out. The window was nailed shut, and with a large drop underneath, even if she could get out that way, there was nothing she could use to get to the ground.
He paused for a moment, frowning to himself as a sudden thought hit him. Had she thought he intended to rape her? Was that why she’d gone sheet white and had scrambled off the bed in fright? An uncomfortable feeling ran down his spine, filling him with a sudden urge to unlock the door, go back inside and explain that he wasn’t that kind of man…. but he stopped himself just in time.
He wanted her to suffer, didn’t he? So what did it matter if she thought that about him? It would only add to her fear and distress and that was exactly what he wanted. Shrugging his shoulders, Torin walked down the hallway, back down the stairs and into the kitchen, feeling more than satisfied with the day’s events.
Chapter Seven
Sasha clung to Bramble, her whole body still trembling. Torin had been gone for over an hour, but every creak and squeak had her tensing with fright. She had no idea what he intended to do to her, but the look in his eyes had left her with no doubt that he intended to do something terrible in order to get his revenge. His threats about Bramble had her blood freezing in her veins. She would do whatever he said so long as he left Bramble alone.
When he’d thrown her on the bed, Sasha had thought he’d follow after her, intending to rape her – but he’d just frowned and left the room.
“I have to try to get a hold of myself,” Sasha muttered to herself, as Bramble lay sound asleep on her lap. “Come on, Sasha. Think!” Looking about her, Sasha took in the large room. There was more than enough space for her to move around, and certainly plenty of things she could use to defend herself. Was that an option? Could she try and get past him somehow?
Getting to her feet, she left Bramble asleep on the large sheepskin rug by the bed, and drew in a deep breath. She had to think calmly and clearly. That was the only way she might be able to get herself out of this mess.
“Get to know your captor,” she mumbled to herself, walking around the edge of the bed on unsteady legs. Maybe if she got to know him a little better, he might start thinking more clearly. Right now, it was obvious that he was completely wrapped up in his pain and distress over the death of his brother and wasn’t thinking clearly. To hear of your brother’s death was one thing, but to take in that he was, in fact, a serial killer, was quite another. She couldn’t imagine his pain. The problem was that he was allowing himself to get so caught up in what he thought she’d done that he wasn’t allowing for the possibility that his brother was the man who’d killed all those women. He was holding her entirely responsible, believing that she’d used Thomas as the scapegoat to bring what had been a long investigation to a close.
Sasha looked out of the window, seeing nothing but frost touched fields in front of her. Sighing, she dropped her head into her one good hand for a moment, trying not to let her desperation overwhelm her. She wasn’t going to be able to reason with him, not right now. He saw her as the enemy. Perhaps the first step was letting him see her as she was, not as the woman who had killed his brother. If he saw her as another, vulnerable human being then perhaps he might begin to warm to her. Perhaps he’d begin to listen to her. That was all she could hope for.
But still, it would be good to have something to defend myself with, Sasha thought to herself, looking around the room. Unfortunately for her, there was very little she could use. The room was filled with clothes, books and even a television, but she couldn’t reach that. She might be able to throw some books at him, but that wasn’t going to stop a man like him. He had more strength in him that she’d ever have and a few books flung in his direction wasn’t about to stop his strength from overwhelming hers. Even if she had a pen, then she might be able to make something from it – but he’d obviously prepared well. He’d been expecting to hold her here. There was nothing she could use.
The sound of a key scraping in the lock had her body tense with fear and she scrambled back to where she’d been hiding – a corner beside the wardrobe, partly covered in shadow. Bramble was still sleeping, apparently not perturbed in the least by what was going on and, as much as she wanted to reach for him, Sasha didn’t have the time to get him. The door opened and, as she shrank into the corner, she saw Torin grin in her direction. He hadn’t even had to look for her, it was as if he knew she was right there.
“Now, just to prove I’m not going to kill you, I’ve brought you something to eat,�
�� he said, as though he was welcoming a guest. “I’ve got something for Bramble down the stairs.”
“No, please!” Sasha exclaimed, as Torin walked over to pick Bramble up. “Please don’t take him! Please!” Tears filled her eyes as Torin simply ignored her, Bramble in his arms. “Please!” she cried, stumbling towards him. “Please, I need him. Don’t hurt him!” The door slammed in her face as she stumbled, falling directly into the door. Her shoulder screamed in agony as she crumpled to the floor, moans of pain escaping from her lips.
There was no answer. No one came to check on her. Torin didn’t return with Bramble. Sasha cried for a long time, not moving from her place on the floor. Her shoulder was damaged from her fall, and the loss of Bramble was too much for Sasha to take. She’d managed to be strong, but taking away her dog had pushed her to breaking point. Sasha had no idea what Torin was going to do with her pet, terrified that he’d tear him apart, just like he’d threatened.
“Please,” she whispered, brokenly, managing to sit up. “I just want my dog. Don’t hurt him.”
There was no answering whisper, no sound of happy barking to reassure her that Bramble was okay. Instead, there was just the sound of her own sobs filling the room. She grew utterly desperate, her head resting on her knees as she cried.
Torin was right. No one would miss her. No one would know she was gone, not until it was too late.
Sasha didn’t know how long she stayed there, nor how long she cried for. The hopelessness of her situation seemed to weigh her down, pushing her down further and further into the gloom. The hope she’d had, the determination to escape, seemed to drift away and, in its place, came a yawning darkness. Torin was going to do to her whatever it was he had planned, and she was just going to have to pray that she came out alive in the end. He was too strong for her to fight against alone, and especially not with a damaged arm.
