Captive to the Dark (19 page)

“Actually, since we’re all here and it’s quite apparent that Mary Hagen and I are together. Hell.” He looked down at me and smiled. So fake from the genuine ones I’d seen in the past. “Why don’t we tell them, darlin’?

The breath caught in my throat, unsure of what exactly he wanted to share. The kidnapping? Our supposed rendezvous as lovers?

Slade turned toward the camera crews. “As many of you know, my sister has been missing now for a few months. With my darling Mary’s assistance, and the help of her father and Mr. Julian Brighton, we’ve got word that my sister has been located and will be home shortly.” Oh god, he was putting my father and Julian on the front line. They’d have to give Lily back now, wouldn’t they?

“As for me and the darling, Mary Hagen.” His hand lifted mine, the softness of his lips encasing my knuckles. “I’ve asked her to marry me and she’s agreed.”

Roaring from the voices had me swaying against him. Lips were suddenly crushing into mine and I was being swept inside before I could even open my eyes. Nothing would process in my mind. Nothing but Lily. Shit!

The elevator doors closed and I reared back, swinging at him with everything I had. “You stupid fucking idiot. What did you just do?”

Slade easily deflected my blows, content to let me keep swinging. “What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what the fuck I mean. Lily. What if you don’t get her back now? What if my father calls off the whole thing and claims you’re just a damn crazy, stubborn, arrogant…” with each word, I continued to hit his arms and chest, “Fool!”

Dark hair moved a little as he shook his head. “No. They wouldn’t dare pull out now. And if they did, I’ll go to Afghanistan myself. I’ll find her.”

I kicked off my heels and grabbed them, half tempted to stab him with one of the stilettos for his stupidity.  “You may never find her now. Was blasting to the world we were getting married worth it? Worth your sister’s life? Because where no one else might be honest with you, I will. If Lily dies or is never seen again, you have no one to blame but yourself. As for me, I will not marry you. At least with Jordan, he’d never use me for his own personal narcissistic gain.

The door opened and I pounded across the small area leading to his door. Brace stood at the entrance, already holding it open for us. I was swept up by the waist so fast the floor blurred underneath me while I looked down. This was enough. I took my stiletto, slamming it into his shin. We both went down hard, but I knew I’d done little damage. He’d be lucky to have a bruise come morning.

“Don’t you dare!” I shouted as we both jumped to our feet. Deep breaths brought his chest rising up and down with the force of a grade-schooler who’d just had his feelings hurt. I knew I’d wounded him internally by comparing him to Jordan, but I didn’t care. What he’d done went beyond rational. He’d fucked up and I wanted him to see that.

“Someone has to set you in your place and that person is me. Since I’ve met you, we’ve gone back and forth, but I submitted, thinking I could trust you. What you showed me tonight, I just don’t think I can do that anymore. Not only did you let me down by trying to best Jordan, you let your sister down too. Spare me the going to get her yourself bullshit. You might have just increased the hell she’s living in even longer. And the thing is, it doesn’t look like you even care about her safe return. The only person you seem to care about is yourself.”

Glass from a vase shattered against the wall, scattering and spinning wildly across the wooden floors from Slade’s throw. The yell that came from deep within his chest held nothing but suffering and misery. The pain brought tears to my eyes because I knew, deep down, he cared. Too much. Slade was his own worst enemy. He was used to getting what he wanted. My biggest fear was that concerning Lily, he wasn’t going to get lucky this time.

“This has to work, Mary. It fucking has to. You once told me that I was letting your father win. It broke your heart. I saw it. You were in my arms a hysterical mess. This ends now. The only way I see that possible is to beat him at his own game. Tell me.” He raced forward, sweeping me in his arms. “What do you propose I do? How do I get Lily back and keep you at the same time? I don’t want you to go. You gave yourself to me. Why should I let you take that back?” Anger was starting to creep back into his tone.

“I gave myself to you as your slave
while
I’m here. You’re name on my chest, I did for Lily. This is about her, not you or me.”

Disbelief lit Slade’s features while he took his time shaking his head. “If you think that was only for Lily, you’re beginning to believe your own lies. Don’t skirt around the truth. You like it here with me. Stay and let that grow. The world may believe we’re engaged. Let them. That gets you off the hook with Jordan. Give me a chance to show you that this will work out and that your father won’t win.

What did I say to that? I’d trusted him. Should I still? Maybe he didn’t make the announcement for his own selfish reasons. Not purely, anyway. Was I just too afraid of my father to open my eyes and see that maybe Slade was telling the truth? I was so confused.

“I really hope you’re right about all of this. For Lily’s sake.” I took a deep breath, watching Terrance walk out from the hallway. The tall dark haired man never once looked up as he went through the front door to where Brace was. My eyes went back to Slade just as it shut. “If this works, and you get Lily back…I’m not staying. I don’t see why you’re so damn persistent that I do. You have no idea who I really am.”

Slade’s lips pressed together and I knew he didn’t like what I had to say.

“I know you a lot more than you think I do. Every day for a month, I watched you. Or did you forget?” I opened my mouth and he shot me a look, making me close it. “But fine. We have time. Every day we’re together, I’ll dedicate the hours to getting to know you. I’ll have to be at work some days, but the moment I get home, you’ll tell me more.”

The fight went right out of me. There was no convincing him of anything. I’d just have to show him and see what happened. Truly, I didn’t mind spending time with him. He brought me alive in ways I couldn’t imagine. My body and heart craved every part of him. That just wasn’t enough. It was too soon. Too early to jump into some huge decision neither of us were ready for.

“Fine. I’ll play the part and we’ll spend time together. But don’t be surprised when I leave.”

“You’re not going anywhere, darlin’.” A smile appeared on his face and he walked to the front door, opening it to speak to his men on the other side. “Don’t come in until I come get you.” With a slam, he narrowed in, right on me. “Pull up that dress and bend over the back of the couch.”

The sound of Slade’s belt broke through the open area as I turned and obeyed. Cool air brushed against my stockings and the top of my bare thighs, then my ass. The leather couch met my hips and I leaned over the top of it, waiting, anticipating what my outbursts were going to bring. A fogginess still teased the edge of my mind, but something about it only stimulated me more. Slade and I might not agree on everything, but here we knew each other best.

Involuntarily, my eyes went to the hallway toward where I knew Thomas was restrained. Thank God the room Slade and I used was at the opposite end of the penthouse. I closed my lids, not wanting to think about it. Not yet. The release I needed would come first. And then again, afterward.

“The first spanking is going to be for the damn shoe incident. I can’t believe you did that.” The belt wrapped around my neck and he used it to pull me back. Air was hard to get in while he tightened, but I calmed and slowed my breathing. “That really hurt, slave.”

Delicious shivers raced over me at hearing my name.
Slave
. That one word had me soaking wet.

“Now, grip that sofa as best as you can because I’m about to light your ass on fire for that little stunt.”

The belt disappeared and I went back down, digging my nails into the cool leather. The sound of whistling through the air only registered a millisecond before he stayed true to his threat. Burning traveled from my ass all the way to my eyes as tears blinded me. This is what I needed.

“The next one will be for not addressing and thanking me for the first. Come on, slave, you know better than that.”

“I’m sorry, Master.”

“I’m not.” Whistling and
whack!

The amount of air I sucked in hurt my lungs. “Two. Thank you, Master.” My eyes darted to the hall. Slade gripping the throbbing skin took me away from the fear. This man, apart from his arrogance, was full of so much more than most people. He was ready to kill for me. Protect me. Darkness surrounded me as my lids lowered. Yes, this is what I needed. Somehow, I didn’t doubt he knew that. “Tell me, Mary.” Fingers traveled down to swirl over my opening. “Who makes you wet?”

No hesitation. “You do, Master.”

“And who takes care of you in all ways?”

“You, Master.”

A finger pushed in deep causing the top part of my body to lift.

“That’s right. I do, and will for as long as I want. You leaving isn’t going to stop that, slave. I don’t give a fuck what you say. If I let you leave, you’ll never be rid of me. Does that scare you?”

Another finger joined the first and the steady rhythm of his thrusts caused my answer to come out more as a moan than anything. “Not at all.” And it was the truth. Something about him coming after me turned me on. He wasn’t giving up on me like so many people had over the years.

“You’re giving me fucking consent to stalk you? Oh, slave...” Sound reverberated from his throat as he withdrew his fingers and used his teeth to pull at my earlobe. “I’m going to fuck
my
pussy and then get elbow deep in your rapist’s blood. Any objections?” He paused. “Choose your words wisely. You may have an opinion, but the wrong answer will have consequences.”

“No objections, Master.”

Slade disconnected his body from mine. “Good. Sit your ass on the floor.”

Confused, I obeyed. The belt was suddenly in his hands again and I watched as he looped the leather around my ankles, binding them together tightly. He held onto the length at the end and stood, jerking hard. My dress had my ass sliding against the wood and I fell to my back. Immediately, he started walking, dragging me behind him. The material rode up over my hips while the wooden floor heated my lower back. The whole act had me wanting to touch myself. Anything to ease the desperation I felt in my core.

The door swung open and Slade didn’t stop until he had me next to the bed. Strength radiated from him as he lifted and placed me on the comforter, leaving my feet bound. Piece by piece, his suit hit the floor until his muscular body eased onto the bed. My eyes went right to his thick cock. He was so hard, already ready to slide into me. But, he didn’t.

My knees were pushed into my chest while he eased to my pussy and traced his tongue down my slit.

“I’ve been wanting to taste you all night, slave. Damn, you’re so sweet.”

Suction against my folds and clit had me hugging my legs. My hips rocked while I basked in the amazing sensations. The slap against my pussy had me crying out.

“Be still. I didn’t give you permission to move. Now you’re going to have to be punished.”

Getting control was almost impossible. I wanted more. To have Slade all over every inch of me. Another slap almost drove me harder into his hand. It remained against me, and somehow I managed to hold still.

The tip of his tongue traced around my clit, so close, but never touching. Around and around, his tongue traveled the distance between the sensitive bud and my opening. Slade keeping just enough distance from both to have me sobbing for more. Time torturously stretched on while his teeth pulled at the folds, only to go back to teasing me with that amazing tongue. Punishment, yes, he was driving me crazy. I needed contact against my clit. Penetration of my pussy. More.

“That’s better, slave.” The restraint on my legs was undone only to be placed around my neck. Leather gripped tightly, but not so much so that I was fighting for air. At least, not yet. “Get on your knees. I want you to feel me so deep that the belt is of little consequence when it comes to breathing.”

Friction twisted around my throat as I rolled over, pulling up my dress. Slade brought the long end of the belt over the middle of my back so he could use it more as of a rein. He’d control my every move with the tightening of his grip, and I trusted him not to go too far. The moan I made was evidence enough of that, urging him to take me, choke me, set me free for the battle I was about to go into.

“You’re pussy wants me so bad.” His fingers explored the outside of my swollen folds, never breaching the opening. It was even more of a turn on to have him caress me so gently. Barely making any contact at all. Silk from the blankets clenched in my fists while the teasing lasted for minutes. My juices ran down my thighs, I was so desperate for my master’s possession. “You’re being such a good girl, slave. Not once have you disobeyed. Tomorrow, I’ll treat you with the biggest diamond this city’s ever seen. Everyone will know who you belong to.”

And there it was. His illusion of the ultimate claim on me. At least, ultimate for the moment. Slade was always finding new ways to make me more his. Yet, this one wasn’t real. Wasn’t right. My jaw clenched, but I kept quiet while my body begged for more. I’d jump this hurdle tomorrow. Tonight, I wanted my master to continue, no rings involved whatsoever.

The dress was pushed up, only to fall back down. Slade had been battling it the whole time. A curse left him and a loud rip filled the air. I jerked at the force of the slit being torn up my side.

“This fucking thing. Where’s my knife when I need it?” The powerful pulls didn’t stop until he yanked the shredded material over my head. My arms lifted, releasing the once gorgeous dress from my body. Slade took a deep breath. “There. Perfect.”

“I would have taken it off.”

The leather constricted around my throat, bringing my head and shoulders back a little. Not enough to raise me, but just enough strength for me to feel it. “If you liked the dress that much, I’ll buy you a new one.” Teeth bit into my ass, gently at first, only growing harder as they traveled toward my back. Short breaths left me while I fought the urge to panic against the lack of air.