Black Rose

by Kris Thompson

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Warning

  Prologue

  Chapter 1 Day One

  Chapter 2 Day Two

  Chapter 3 Day Three

  Chapter 4 Day Four

  Chapter 5 Day Seven

  Chapter 6 Day Ten

  Chapter 7 Day Thirteen

  Chapter 8 Day Seventeen

  Chapter 9 Day Twenty

  Chapter 10 Day Twenty-Three

  Chapter 11 Day Twenty-Five

  Chapter 12 Day Twenty-Six

  Chapter 13 Day Twenty-Nine

  Chapter 14 Day Thirty

  Chapter 15 —Richard

  Chapter16 —Lillian

  Chapter17 Six Months Later

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Acknowledgement

  About the Author

  Black Rose

  By

  Kris Thompson

  First published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop, 2014

  Copyright © Kris Thompson, 2014

  The right of Kris Thompson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000

  This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  All characters and events in this Book – even those sharing the same name as (or based upon) real people – are entirely fictional. No person, brand or corporation mentioned in this Book should be taken to have endorsed this Book nor should the events surrounding them be considered in any way factual.

  This Book is a work of fiction and should be read as such.

  The Writer’s Coffee Shop

  (Australia) PO Box 447 Cherrybrook NSW 2126

  (USA) PO Box 2116 Waxahachie TX 75168

  Paperback ISBN- 978-1-61213-246-4

  E-book ISBN- 978-1-61213-247-1

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the US Congress Library.

  Front cover image by Thaigher Lillie,

  Back cover image by © ozbyshaka / shutterstock.com

  Cover design by Thaigher Lillie

  www.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/kthompson

  Dedication

  This story wouldn’t even exist if it wasn’t for my wonderful friend, Heather H., so I want to dedicate this book to her. Thank you for believing in me and helping me carve this idea out. I would have been lost without you.

  Warning

  Black Rose contains scenes that some readers may find disturbing. It is intended for mature audiences only.

  Prologue

  I knew I had to have Nina the moment I laid eyes on her. She was damn near perfect for me in almost every way. Her firm, toned body was hypnotic in the summer heat. The way her golden hair shone in the sunlight, or how her pink tongue slid across her full lips whenever she took a drink of water damn near made me hard every time. Her long smooth legs taunted me as she walked around in her shorts, and my mouth itched to bite down on her full breasts.

  She seemed to command attention everywhere she went. I would watch her laugh with her friends as she shopped for mundane things she didn’t need, biding my time until I could take her without being noticed. When I did have her in my arms, I swore I was in heaven. I almost took her right then and there on the quad, feeling as though I had waited long enough. Being limited to watching her from afar the last month had been infuriating. I wanted her in her room, in her chain, devoted and obedient to me.

  There was just one thing I wasn’t prepared for . . . her strong will.

  Truth be told, it was one of the reasons I loved her and wanted her. She could keep me on my toes. She would often pretend to be asleep when I came down, and then would jump on top of me when I got near her. Nina could barely throw a punch, so her struggling was comical at best, but she should have known better. She was mine, and I had told her that from day one. I told all my girls that. They were mine, and they were chosen to keep me happy. Their whole world was to revolve around me and me alone. They breathed because I needed them to. They ate because I allowed it. They slept because I wanted them rested for my needs. And how did Nina repay me for my generosity? How did that stupid bitch show her respect? She tried to escape.

  Stupid little whore.

  I finished my cigarette as I sat on a fallen moss-covered log, watching Nina’s body begin to go into rigor mortis. All around us, the forest was alive. Too alive for such an occasion. The damned conifer trees and blue spruces swayed back and forth, their disgusting scent making me want to light up again. I hated it, always had, but it would serve its purpose.

  I snubbed out the butt of my cigarette on the bottom of my boot and stood. Walking over to Nina, I knelt next to her body. I could have buried her, but then how would I enjoy seeing her corpse begin to rot as I took my morning walk? If I closed my eyes, I could still hear the quiver in her voice and feel the warmth of her skin. My hand stretched out to touch her one last time, but I stopped myself. There was no point. Her warmth had been gone for over an hour.

  A wave of anger rolled through me as I took in her collapsed skull. I had been kind to her, at least. I had waited until after she was dead before smashing her face in with a rock and removing her hands. I’ll enjoy watching them burn later, or maybe I’ll hold onto them. She would belong to me, even in death. No one else would see her pretty face again. No one would claim her. My claim would be final.

  We could have been great, Nina, but you had to be so bullheaded. Now I need to find a new girl and start all over again.

  Chapter 1

  Day One

  My chest burned with each breath as I hit the last mile of my morning run. The sun had just begun to peek over the eastern horizon, but most of Boulder was still in shadow. Frost covered the windshields of cars and trucks parked on the street, and dead insects dotted the sidewalk—victims of the sudden change in weather, no doubt. I had to feel a little bad for them. Yesterday, I’d been sweating like a racehorse this far into in my run. Today, my cheeks were barely warm and my ears and nose were icy cold—a fact my boyfriend, Richard, would tease me over when I got home. If he didn’t throw a fit first.

  Richard had always joked that I was insane for waking up at five every morning to run. But in the last few weeks he had spoken out openly against the ritual. I understood why, I really did, but I loved running. To me, it was as much a part of my day as brushing my teeth. Even as I passed the phone pole on the corner, the one plastered with a variety of MISSING posters, I was reluctant to give it up.

  When I got home, I made coffee before jumping in the shower. Richard’s phone was going off for what I estimated would have been the fifth time. I knew he would hit the snooze button at least two more times before finally rolling out of bed, and I would sit in the kitchen and giggle when he would forget to put on his glasses—again—and stub his toe on his way to the shower.

  “Please tell me there is more caffeine.”

  Leaning against the counter, I lifted my cup to my mouth to hide a smile as he walked into the kitchen in only a pair of jeans, his shaggy brown hair sticking out in every direction, and his tan skin still slightly red from his shower.

  He pulled his mug from the rack on the counter and poured himself some coffee.

  He sighed after he took a sip. “When is this going to be in IV form? We can fly a man to the moon but we can’t make a caffeine IV drip bag. That’s just wrong.”

  “You are such a dork,” I said, repeating the same thing I said every time he stayed over.

  Richard smiled and made his way over to me, his
bright, blue eyes much more alert than they had been. He reached forward and took my coffee mug out of my hands and placed both of ours on the counter. I laughed quietly as he picked me up and settled me on the counter, wrapping his arms around me.

  “Good morning, Miss Locke.”

  I hummed against Richard’s lips as he pressed them to mine. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I sank my fingers into his hair and grazed my nails against his scalp.

  “Good morning, Mr. Haines.”

  He kissed me again, with a little more enthusiasm. It made me thankful for the nights he stayed over. These morning kisses were fast becoming the best part of my day.

  “You need to finish getting dressed,” I mumbled as Richard trailed his lips down my neck.

  He chuckled darkly. “I’m much more interested in getting undressed right now.”

  I moaned, half in desire, half in frustration. “We can’t. It’s Thursday.” He ignored me, and nipped at the zipper on my North Face vest. “Stop, Richard. Class. Nine a.m. Driving, remember?”

  He let out a soft growl, but stopped. “Okay, okay . . . are you at least going to have time to meet me for lunch before you take your baby to the doctor?”

  It was Thursday, which meant Richard and I both had a morning class at the same time. I had an appointment to get my car serviced in between classes.

  “I can stop by for a quick bite, but it will only be for a minute or two. It’s a fifteen minute drive to and from the dealership, and I can’t be late for my three-thirty class again.”

  Richard wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled his nose into my hair. “Yeah, but it was worth it last time you were late.”

  I rolled my eyes and pushed on his chest. “You caught me on a good day,” I said, referencing the one time we had slipped unnoticed into an empty classroom and locked the door. “So don’t expect that to happen again anytime soon.”

  I met my best friend and roommate, Emma Haines, for a quick snack on campus before running off to our next class. I thanked God every day for bringing Emma into my life, and not just because she was the sweetest person I had ever met, but because she was also the reason I met Richard.

  “So why did you stay at Adam’s last night?” I asked as I munched on my muffin.

  “Because we share a wall, and I didn’t feel like hearing you and my brother going at it all night.”

  I couldn’t help the laugh that erupted out of me. I did understand how that could be uncomfortable—I wouldn’t want to hear my brother having sex either—but she acted as though I hadn’t been listening to her and Adam go at it for years, too.

  “Well then, I hate to break it to you, but all we did was study, cook dinner, get some laundry done, and watch a movie in my room.”

  “Wow, that’s really . . . boring. You two are like an old married couple. Except married couples say I love you.”

  “Not this again.” I sighed.

  “You two are ridiculous.”

  I rolled my eyes at Emma and ate the last bite of my muffin.

  “I’m serious! Adam and I told each other ‘I love you’ after a month, so how in the hell have you two lasted a year?”

  I walked over to a nearby trashcan and threw away my muffin wrapper. I turned and faced Emma, hearing her let out one of her characteristic dramatic sighs.

  “Some things just don’t need to be said, Emma. Some things you just already know.”

  “I get that, I swear I do, but don’t you think it may be something my brother would like to hear?”

  “Emma, we care about each other, and I know he loves me. I can feel it every time he kisses me, touches me, and . . . screws my brains out.”

  “Ew! I do not need to hear that!”

  I laughed and grabbed her hands away from her ears and raised my voice.

  “And if I didn’t believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that he felt it, too, I would say something.”

  “Whatever. I just think things would be beautiful if you two would just say the damn words. You could make it all romantic, like a Nicholas Sparks novel, or something.”

  Rolling my eyes at her again, I hitched my arm through hers and nodded.

  “Duly noted.”

  “So are you going to come over tonight?” I asked, leaning into Richard’s side as we left CU on the Run.

  “Where else would I want to be?” he said, kissing my hair and wrapping his arm around me.

  I stopped right at the edge of the parking lot, taking my backpack from his shoulder and stretching up on my toes to kiss him. “See you in a few hours, then.”

  I almost laughed as I watched him scan the path to the parking lot over my head, and then check his watch.

  “I have time to walk you to your car.” Richard took a step forward, but I stopped him.

  “No, you don’t. I promise to call or text you if I’m running late.” I slung my bag over my shoulder and gave his hand a soft squeeze before I started walking toward my car.

  “Lee,” Richard yelled, and I turned to see a look of worry on his face. “Just please be careful.”

  I laughed and raised my arms. “I parked next to one of those emergency buttons, remember? Now hurry to class!” I blew him a kiss and turned around, continuing on to my car.

  When I reached it, I noticed a white flyer underneath my windshield wiper. I opened my driver door and tossed my bag inside, leaned over the front of my car, and pulled the flyer away so it wouldn’t rip. I thought it was going to be another party invitation, but it wasn’t. It was a missing person’s report about a high school student named Ruth-Ann Summers who had gone missing a few months earlier. It had been all over the news since it happened, and a chill swept up my spine. I still couldn’t imagine how a girl could disappear in broad daylight from the middle of campus like that.

  Folding the flyer in half, I moved to put it in my pocket but felt a sharp pain in my neck. My vision started to blur and when I lifted my hand to touch the spot in my neck, my arm grew limp. My heart pounded as a pair of hands wrapped around my rapidly numbing body. Fear coursed through me, and I tried to yell for help, but the words were stuck on the tip of my tongue. They lodged in my throat as everything faded to black.

  The instant the fog cleared my head, I became aware of the cold. It was almost numbing, and there was a horrible smell all around me, as if maybe a sewer line had erupted nearby. Out of habit, I reached out with my left hand for my phone, but there was nothing there except the feeling of a bare mattress. I opened my eyes slowly, and was startled when I saw nothing but darkness. I lifted my hand in front of me to gauge my vision, but I couldn’t even see it.

  Sitting up, I felt a tug at my right ankle and moved my hand down my leg to find a cuff of some kind wrapped around it. It was not a normal handcuff, but thick and heavy, and I gasped when I felt a chain connected to it. Following it with my hands, I reached its end, where it was welded to a metal plaque that seemed to be bolted to the wall.

  My body began to shake as I sat on the floor, pulled my knees to my chest, and wrapped my arms tight around them. I bit down hard on my bottom lip to hold back the sob that threatened to erupt.

  I’d been kidnapped.

  Tears began to slip down my cheeks as I sat in the cold, wondering what was going to happen to me. I waited, praying that my abductor wasn’t still around, and tried to take deep breaths, calming breaths, but all that seemed to do was get me more upset. The last thing I needed, though, was to pass out again. I wiped my face and cleared my throat, unsure if what I was about to do was a smart idea.

  “Hello?” I said, my voice shaking. “Is anyone there?”

  Just as I started to feel some measure of calm with the idea that I was alone, a rattling noise sent my heart flying again. I stood and shook as I looked from left to right, straining to hear anything else. A sniffle broke the silence.

  “Hello?” I said again, trying to steady the quiver in my voice. Now that I was standing, I could see a soft sliver of light around what must have been a door. I stepped
forward, pulling at the chain around my ankle and trying to get closer, but it was just out of my reach. “Please, can someone hear me?”

  “What’s your name?” a soft voice answered.

  I moved toward the wall to my left, from where the sound came. “Lillian. Lillian Locke, but you can call me Lee if you’d like. What’s your name?”

  “Anna,” she said, barely above a whisper.

  “Hi, Anna. It’s really great to hear your voice. Do you know where the hell we are?” I asked, walking back to where the chain connected to the wall and gave it a strong pull. It was a relief to know I wasn’t alone, but I needed to find a way out of here.

  “No, I don’t. Do you know what day it is?”

  “Um . . . it was October first, I think. Or it could be the second by now, I can’t tell.”

  I looked around. The walls were made of wood, but they did not seem thick when I pushed against them. I put my ear to one to see if I could hear anything, but there was nothing. Glancing up, the ceiling appeared to be made of wood, too, and I could faintly make out what looked to be a vent at the top of one of the walls. It had some sort of mesh over it, which must have been why I could hear Anna so well. I sighed and slammed my chain against the floor before sliding down to sit on the thin carpet. I tried to hold back the new wave of tears that threatened as I realized I was locked up tight in this makeshift cell.

  Has anyone noticed I’m missing yet? I was supposed to call or text Richard by now, or maybe it’s late and Emma has called my family to try and find me.

  My hands shook as I ran them over my hair and body, checking to see if there was anything wrong with me. Other than my hair being tangled, I was just relieved that it hadn’t been chopped off or shaved or anything crazy like that. I was still wearing the clothes I remembered putting on the last time I got dressed—a simple blue, long-sleeved sweater, jeans, and my running shoes. The only thing I seemed to be missing was my jacket, and that would have been handy right now. I couldn’t believe how cold it was.