Tag: romantic suspense

Those dark eyes, blacker than black. Alayna couldn’t resist staring into them. She shouldn’t, she knew that, he was dangerous, and he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt her if she made him angry.

And yet . . . he was Mekhi.

She should be afraid of him, and part of her was, but the other part loved him in spite of who he was.

“Do you need help?”

His words ripped her from her thoughts and she quickly shook her head. She may still love him but he had kidnapped her and locked her in a box, and she wasn’t quite ready to forgive him yet.

Stubbornly, she struggled off the bed and to her feet. Her wrists and ankles still burned with pain, it would take weeks for them to heal, and even then there would be scars. How many more scars would Mekhi put on her body? How far would he go next time? Would he end up killing her?

A gentle hand grasped her elbow. “I apologised for putting you in the box, stop sulking about it.”

She rolled her eyes. How generous of Mekhi to give her a whole couple of hours to get over him torturing her.

“I know what I’m doing, Alayna. You might not understand it, but everything I do I do because of you. To keep you safe.” He reached out and swept a lock of hair off her cheek, tucking it tenderly behind her ear.

The constant dichotomy of Mekhi’s two sides was confusing. One second he treated her like she was made of porcelain, the next he was cruel and vicious. He was going to make her lose her mind with this constant back and forth.

He led her into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She still wasn’t wearing any clothes, but he threw off his pants, then guided them both into the shower. The hot water pounding down on her still sore muscles was heaven, and lulled her into a sort of trance. She didn’t object when he lathered up his hands and began to wash her body.

Mekhi worked those magic hands over every inch of her, working out every kink and knot left behind by those hours in the box. When he reached her neck he paused, his hands wrapped around it but he didn’t squeeze, instead he pierced her with his black gaze.

“Trust me, Alayna.”

Vulnerability bloomed in his face, and it was so unlike her strong, arrogant man that she quickly wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed herself against him.

Taking what would probably be the biggest leap of faith of her life, she whispered, “I trust you.” She meant it. She just hoped her trust didn’t end up getting her killed.

Lips whispered across hers.

For a moment Alayna forgot everything. Where she was, what had happened to her, what her life had become, it all faded away. All she could think about was that the man she loved was kissing her.

Abruptly he stopped, then stood and left.

As soon as he left her side her common sense started to return. She should run. Mekhi wasn’t who she thought he was. He had told her that her old life was over. That she belonged to him now. That he was never letting her go. Then he had locked her in a box.

He was a monster.

Alayna struggled to sit, but got no further than swinging her legs over the side of the bed when Mekhi returned.

He frowned slightly. “You shouldn’t be up. You need to rest.”

When he was near her she couldn’t think straight. It was like he possessed her. She complied.

“Good girl.” He smiled at her as he came to sit beside her. He had a first aid kit in his hands and he placed it on the bed then lifted one of her hands, cradling it gently as he went about cleaning and bandaging the wounds from the rope. He did the same with her other wrist and both her ankles, then he draped a blanket over her naked body.

“I apologize,” he announced.

She had no idea what he was talking about. Why would he be apologizing to her? He was the one with all the power here, she was his prisoner, he could do whatever he wanted to her, how could she stop him?

“For locking you in the box,” he elaborated. “It was unavoidable, but I know how horrible it was for you. I hope I won’t have to do it again.”

“I don’t understand,” she whispered. He was apologizing to her but in the same breath telling her he wouldn’t hesitate to do it again if she displeased him.

“I know you don’t.” The smile he gave her was tender, and he touched his lips to hers again, before sliding an arm under her shoulders and lifting her. “Here, take these, they’ll help you with the pain and to sleep.”

When he tipped some pills into her mouth then held a cup of water to her lips, Alayna allowed herself to swallow them. She wanted to sleep. She wanted to wake up and find this was all just some horrible nightmare.

Laying her back down, Mekhi then stretched out beside her and pulled her close. He kissed her forehead, then held her in his arms as he had so many times before. “Sleep my sweet angel,” he murmured.

Against all odds she drifted off feeling safe in the arms of her kidnapper. He may be a monster but he was her monster and despite what he’d done to her she still loved him.

Finally he could close the door behind the man who wanted to ruin his life.

Now he could go back to Alayna.

He wondered if she was still conscious. It had been nearly three hours since he’d stuffed her in the box. He hadn’t had a choice. If his brother found out she was here he would kill her, and he wouldn’t be quick about it.

Poor Alayna. She didn’t know what she’d gotten herself into when she’d fallen for him. He’d tried to push her away, him and relationships never mixed well, but the stupid girl had been so persistent.

Then she’d done the stupidest thing she could ever do.

She had made him fall in love with her.

That had cost her her freedom and if his brother ever got near her also her life. He could never let her go now. No one else had ever loved him. He’d been used by everyone he came in contact with since he was a child. Alayna’s selflessness was such a stark contrast to what he was used to seeing in people that at first he hadn’t been able to believe it was real.

But it was.

Alayna was pure goodness personified.

And now she was his.

Despite his warnings that he wasn’t what she thought he was, she had left everything to come to him. Now he could never let her go. How could he let such sweet angelic perfection walk out of his life? He couldn’t. She’d got what she wanted, he loved her, and now she had to pay the price of just what that meant.

Unlocking the box he opened the lid and looked down at her. Her eyes were closed, her body slack in unconsciousness, she looked . . .

He couldn’t even think the word.

She couldn’t be, he couldn’t lose her already, not when he’d just gotten her.

His fingertips pressed to her slender neck and he was rewarded by the thumping of her pulse.

She was so small, so delicate, so fragile, he’d never had something so vulnerable in his care before. While his dark side relished in the knowledge she was completely helpless and at his mercy, the protectiveness that only she brought out of him was fierce with the need to keep her safe.

While he had tied her up to keep her from drawing unwarranted attention to herself, he couldn’t deny that the part of him that enjoyed hurting people, that fed off their pain like it was genuine nourishment, stirred as he unhooked her hands and she moaned as circulation returned to her numb limbs bringing with it a rush of pain that ripped her from her slumber.

When he had her free he picked her up, cradling her in his arms as though she were the most precious thing he owned. And she was. He knew he could never promise that he wouldn’t hurt her but he could promise her that he would be devoted to her for all eternity. That her every wish was his command. That he would do whatever it took to make her smile, to bring her joy, to make sure she never regretted falling in love with him.

She stirred as he set her on his bed, her eyelashes fluttering on her cheeks, before her eyes opened and he was losing himself in a blue so bright it didn’t seem real.

Her gaze was unfocused, and she murmured, “What’s up with the feathers?”

“Shh, my sweet angel,” he stroked her long blonde hair. Her mind and her body needed time to heal, both needed to accept that they now belonged to him.

Alayna would be his, body, mind and soul. She already owned his, so it seemed only fair he should have hers.

How could she do this?

She was panicking already. There was no way she could endure this for any length of time.

“P-please,” she begged. “I can’t survive this way.”

“Did I ask you for your opinion?” he snarled.

“N-no,” she stuttered.

“Then keep that pretty mouth shut. Unless you want me to fill it with something.”

He looked down his body and she followed with her eyes, promptly pressing her lips tightly together before he got any ideas of doing what he’d threatened. So far he hadn’t touched her in a sexual way, but how long could that last?

Who was this man?

How had she been so wrong about him? She’d thought he was everything she’d ever wanted. She’d left her home, her family, her friends, her job, her studies, everything for him.

“I dont trust you not to cry out,” he said, prying her mouth open to stuff a foul tasting cloth in it.

She gagged, but he slapped a piece of tape over her mouth to keep the cloth in, then wound the tape around and around and around her head. There was no way she could spit it out now.

He had put her inside a large metal box. Her wrists were bound with rope, already she’d ripped most of the skin off, fighting to get free. He had pulled her arms above her head and attached the rope to a hook embedded in the end of the box, he’d done the same with her ankles. She was stretched to the point of pain, and already claustrophobic anticipating the moment when he slammed the lid shut, and no doubt locked it, leaving her trapped in the small space.

“If you’re a good girl and keep yourself quiet and take this time to think then I’ll let you out soon.” He stooped and pressed an almost tender kiss to her forehead.

Then the lid thumped closed with an ominous air and she wondered whether she would live to see it open again. Within seconds of being locked in she realised that he’d meant it when he’d made her strip naked earlier and told her that she’d soon appreciate the gesture. It was stiflingly hot in here already, if he didn’t come back soon she really would never live to see the box open.

It was pitch black in here.

And silent.

Too silent.

She was going to lose her mind before he ever came back to get her.