Shackled (24 page)

Jonathan nodded. “Yes, sweetheart, it is.”

He’d understood her references, and she’d gotten his. What she didn’t think he understood was that
she
finally got it. It had never been about trust. She’d always trusted Jonathan. That’s why her body responded so instantly to his demands.

It hadn’t even really been about control. She’d been more than happy to let him be her master. In truth, she really was a natural sub. She’d known that the first day in Jordan’s office, when the sub in her had responded so instantly to the Dom in him.

What it was about was letting go, letting go of the work, and the worry. It was about letting go of the past.

Bethany nodded then smiled. “Just show me where to sign.”

Chapter 20

Bethany stood back from the canvas and stretched. She dropped her brush into the turpentine and flicked a glance at the clock. She blinked when she realized she’d been at the easel for more than three hours without a break.

“Wow.” She would have sworn she wouldn’t have been able to stay on her feet for so long, but the truth was the painting had absorbed her.

Bethany’s heart filled with love. Of all the things she thought might happen to her when she knocked on Jordan Fitzpatrick’s door, this had been the most unexpected.

Jonathan had done this, had given her back this piece of herself she’d thought she’d lost forever.

Needing a cup of tea, Bethany wiped her hands, capped her paints, and set things more or less to rights. She took another moment to look at the portrait she’d done of Jonathan. Her smile wouldn’t be contained. That was a good job, even if she did say so herself.

She stepped out of her studio. The house sounded unnaturally quiet. Peter had gone into the city to keep an appointment, and Jonathan had driven out to the furniture maker in Mapleburg to see if the man could build them a very large bed.

The two weeks since she’d signed power of attorney over to Jonathan had been quiet, family-wise. She hadn’t heard from Connie, which was just as well.

She privately thought that once the woman realized how difficult it would be to have her declared incompetent and herself named as guardian—what Jonathan and Peter both believed she wanted to do—she’d give up her ridiculous plan. If anyone needed to have their head examined, it was Connie, to Bethany’s way of thinking. The love of money could drive some people to do really crazy things.

She made her way to the kitchen and put the kettle on. Just as she brought down a cup, the phone rang.

“Hello?” Dead air met her greeting.

“Hello?” Bethany counted to five and then hung up the phone.
Likely some telemarketing company with computer dialing
. Given the opportunity, she never stayed on the line to find out what brand of snake oil some shyster organization was peddling.

While she waited for the kettle to boil, Bethany wandered to the patio door and looked out at the woods behind the house. The limbs of the trees danced on the wind. Several leaves that had already turned gold and crimson fluttered aloft, torn from their branches. Winter would be upon them before long. Thinking of winter turned her thoughts to Christmastime.

She’d have to ask Jonathan where he usually put his Christmas tree. The house and the grounds were enormous, but Bethany thought she might have a blast decorating for the season, if he agreed to give her a free hand.

It had been years since she’d felt like doing anything more than the most basic of holiday trimming.

Bethany wondered what Erica and Daniel would think of Jonathan and Peter.

The kettle whistled, pulling Bethany out of her daydreams. She made a cup of tea then carried it with her into the living room.

The room, big and bright, featured a large white fireplace on one wall. The furniture, modern lines and jewel tones, sparkled against the ecru walls and eggshell trim.

A Christmas tree trimmed with red and gold, maybe bits of white, would look wonderful in the corner adjacent to the fireplace. Bethany had never had a themed tree before. She thought it might be fun.
I’ll have to discuss it with the men at dinner
.

Bethany sipped her tea, appreciating the flavor of the Earl Grey even as it warmed her insides.

The doorbell rang. Beth set her cup of tea down on the end table. Jonathan sometimes got courier deliveries. She looked through the security viewer on the front door.

Puzzled, and just a little miffed, she opened the door.

“Connie. What a surprise.”

“You’re surprised? Imagine my surprise to discover you staying all the hell and gone out here in the country.” The woman pushed past her and walked into the house. Bethany turned and opened her mouth to tell her to get out.

Someone grabbed her from behind, his arm a vise around her middle. Bethany fought, but she was no match for the man’s superior strength. It didn’t take him long to get her on the floor and truss her up like a Christmas turkey.

Then he lifted her and put her over his shoulder.

“Come on, sweet thing.” The man’s voice and his scent made her skin crawl. He smacked her ass hard. “You’ve got a party to go to, and you’re going to be the guest of honor.”

* * * *

Jonathan had to give the furniture maker credit. When he’d taken down the required dimensions for the bed, he hadn’t even blinked. He’d looked at them and said it would be no problem. Of course, it would have to be assembled on site.

The master bedroom was plenty large enough for the king-plus frame.

Now of course, they’d have to find someone to build them a mattress. But he had a couple of ideas on that one, and since the bed wouldn’t be ready until Christmas, they had a couple of months to figure it all out.

It was a beautiful autumn day. A perfect day to drive into the city and have lunch with his lady and his best friend. Decision made, Jonathan pulled out his cell phone and called home. On the tenth ring, he frowned then checked the call display to make sure he’d dialed the right number.

Artists. She’s likely so deep into her own world she doesn’t even hear the phone.
Still, Jonathan didn’t like not being able to reach Beth. He checked his speed then stepped on the gas pedal just a little harder. Country roads, and he was ten minutes from home. He bet he could shave a few minutes off that.

He noticed Beth’s car exactly where she’d left it yesterday, parked in front of the garage. He’d offered to park it inside the garage that morning before he’d left, but she’d told him she wanted to take it out, run it through the local car wash.

The vehicle hadn’t been washed.

He left his car beside Beth’s and headed to the door. He had his key in the lock, turned it, and knew a kind of sick feeling when he realized the door was already unlocked.

“Beth!” He headed for the stairs and took them two at a time. She wasn’t in her studio or any other room upstairs that he could see. He hit the stairs running, calling her name, trying unsuccessfully to quell the fear galloping through him

He ran out onto the deck, screaming Bethany’s name. She wouldn’t have gone there. As much as she enjoyed her walks with him, and lately him and Peter, he knew she preferred not to wander off the deck when she was on her own.

Back inside, he quickly, methodically, checked the rest of the house. In the living room he found her tea cup. It was still very warm. The fact that she’d left the cup
here
told him she’d been interrupted, had likely been sipping and wandering and what? Likely set it down to go and answer the door.

He pulled out his cell phone as he ran for his car. He could only think of one person who’d want to hurt his woman. Peter was at the other end of the city. If they were fast, and lucky, they’d get to her at the same time.

* * * *

Bethany had never seen the man before. He’d dumped her on the floor of the backseat of Connie’s BMW. Neither the man nor Connie spoke as he drove. Bethany tried to free her hands, but these handcuffs had no release button on them.

She had no idea what these two had up their sleeves. Squaring off against Connie, alone, Bethany would have put money on herself. This young man was a whole other matter. He was strong, and he gave her the willies, besides.

After about a half hour, the car stopped. Muscle-boy opened the back door and hauled her up and out and flung her over his shoulder again.

Bethany fought nausea as the world went whirling past, upside down.
Connie’s place
. Why the hell had they brought her here?

He carried her inside the house. Bethany knew the layout well enough to realize he was headed to the downstairs family room. As they descended the stairs, she heard music, loud and raucous.

“Damn it, Trey. Are your friends already here?”

“Put a lid on it, Connie. This is my house now, too. That is, unless you want me to go to the cops. I’m just a nobody. You’re a Craig. The DA will deal and make a name for himself putting one of the city’s favorite daughters behind bars.”

“Bastard.”

“Yeah, and you fucking love it.”

“Hey, about time you got here, man. So, is this the guest of honor? Nice ass.”

Bethany cried out in pain when Trey tossed her down. She landed on something soft and bouncy, but the metal from the handcuffs cut into her skin.

“Yes, sir, here’s our party girl. Or she will be as soon as we get some X into her.”

“We should feed some to your bitch here, too. She went wild last time. Then maybe we could have us a little girl-on-girl action.”

Bethany blinked and looked around the room. There were three other men there besides Trey, and each one of them was huge. She wasn’t certain what the hell was happening, but the suggestion one of the men made gave her a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She realized the soft something she’d landed on was a queen-sized mattress, bare of sheets, that someone had dragged into the middle of the room.

“Fuck you, asshole.” Constance stepped back.

Bethany noticed she looked fierce but sounded scared as hell.

“Constance, what the hell is going on here? Who are these people?” Bethany tried to sound more outraged than terrified but was very much afraid she failed.

The woman she’d thought she’d come to know was nowhere in sight. This Constance looked at her as if she was a piece of dirt on the sidewalk. Her sneer turned her pretty face into an ugly one.

“These people? Every one of them is about to become your boyfriend. And they like it rough.”

“You should know, cunt, as we’ve all already banged you,” one of them said. Then, “Trey, aren’t you gonna let us have your piece, too, like last time?”

“Sure,” Trey said. “Help yourselves.”

The man who’d spoken out grabbed Constance, and while she struggled, he just laughed. Trey said, “Yeah, I like the idea of that girl-on-girl action. What do you say, sister-in-law? Ever sucked pussy before?”

Bethany’s heart thudded, and terror screamed through her veins. Unless some kind of miracle happened in the next few minutes, she was about to be raped. She’d fight for all she was worth, using whatever weapon she had. Starting right now.

“No, thanks. Your cock doesn’t interest me. I assumed you were offering to share yourself since you’re the biggest pussy in the room.”

The other men laughed. Trey leaned down and backhanded her. Bethany fell against the mattress and tried to blink the stars away.

“What do you hope to gain by this? Because you can bet your ass, unless you kill me, you’ll be arrested for this.”

“You won’t be in any position to have us charged, sister-in-law.” Trey bent down and grabbed her face, making her look at him. “Connie has it all worked out. As soon as we’re done here with our fun and games, we’re going to give you something to make you sleep. When you wake up, you’ll be in a private mental hospital, all right and tight and legal. And Connie, here, will be your legally appointed guardian.”

“Why? What did I ever do to you?” Bethany could only hope to buy time. That and pray very, very hard.

“I can give you five million reasons why, sister-in-law.” He looked over at the man holding Connie. “You get her to drink the stuff yet?”

Bethany focused on her and saw the other woman’s shirt was damp. “Yeah, gave her a good dose and most of it went down.”