Page 21 of Reckless Desires

“Take a life. Let alone yours.” He leans against the doorframe, just watching me awkwardly hold the hem at the bottom of the hoodie. Standing at an imposing height, he possesses a lean, athletic build and black tapered hair that speaks of a life lived on the edge.

“You don’t know what I’m capable of,” I reply, holding my head up.

“I will admit, you put up a good fight in the car.” A mocking laugh escapes his mouth, exuding an air of authority and sophistication. “We can have another go around. You beat me, I’ll let you go.”

“I’ll make you eat your words.”

“I’ll be more than happy to put your entitled ass in place.”

His amusement irritates me. My lower back is beginning to ache, and I know it’s only a matter of hours before it all goes downhill for me. The pain is severe this time, but I expect that since I haven’t been able to take my medication. I’m not looking forward to the next few days, but I am ready to endure what’s coming for me. It’s the sole reason I backed down. My body is about to be weakened, and I wouldn’t survive being out there alone.

“You can’t keep me here forever.” My pulse pounds in my ears, my blood rushing through my veins and making my body impossibly warm.

“No one knows you’re here. With me. I can keep you for as long as I want.”

There's something dangerous in the way he smiles, reaching out to run his hand over my cheek. His fingers trail along my pulse, feeling the way it hammers. Quickly grabbing his hand, I sink my teeth into his flesh. With a growl, he steps back and slaps me across the face.

“You’re going to pay for that.”

Chapter Thirteen

Lily

When I wake, I have no idea where I am. It feels like I've been swimming through a vat of molasses. There's something heavy closing in around me, something not right. My tongue feels thick in my mouth, like I can't speak. My head lulls from side to side. I can't hold it up on my own. What did he do to me?

Panic surges through my veins.

“Oh good, you're awake.” Killian stands in front of me, and it's then that I realize I'm upright.

My hands are stretched above my head, and when I look up, I see them tied together, a hook gripping the rope, keeping them held high. The hoodie I had on is gone, heels off, and all I have on is the skimpy lingerie.

My feet are still on the floor, but when he crosses the room to a rope on the side, my heart skips a beat. Well, it skips several beats. Honestly, at this point I think it might have stopped entirely.

“Here I was being patient and kind,” Killian says, reaching for the rope that’s tied to the wall. One hand is bandaged and a reminder of my earlier action, which has gotten me here. “You Andretti girls really know how to make a man’s blood boil. Sometimes lessons need to be taught, and it seems like the lesson you need to learn is a little bit of gratitude.”

“You think I’ll just let you hold me captive for as long as you want without putting up a fight?”

He chuckles and shakes his head, untying the rope. “Oh, I knew you were going to put up a fight. I just underestimated you.”

“There’s nothing you gain by having me here. Get me down from this hook and let me go home.”

I glance around the room, trying to put the pieces together. There's a couch in front of me several feet away. It's a cognac-colored leather with plush pillows on either side. The rest of the room is bare aside from a rolling tray that displays various tools—knives, pliers, a pear-shaped metal device split into expanding segments, thumbscrews, and a torch. It dawns on me that it’s very possible he is about to torture me.

How I'm going to get out of this, I don't know, but I can’t let him sense fear.

Killian sighs and shakes his head, giving the rope a little polite tug, jerking my hands above my head higher. “You are more valuable than you realize.”

“You know you won’t hurt me in any way. You might think you're a monster, but I know you're not. You helped Cameron find Selene.”

“Aw,” he says, giving the rope another tug, his tone mocking. “Look at you trying to appeal to my nicer side. It's a shame I don't have one. And you’re wrong. I’m no monster. Anyone can get over the fear of a monster. I'm your worst nightmare. Something you’ll never be able to escape.”

“Come on, just let me go, let me down from here. I can go on with my life. You can go on with yours. I’ll even go home and tell my siblings you were kind to me and didn't string me from the ceiling like a fucking cow you're about to butcher. I’ll let everyone know you saved me. That will end in your favor. I know how you made men work.”

He laughs, giving the rope another tug, making me hiss with pain, but there’s a hint of pleasure that follows along with it. Pleasure that has my toes curling, wondering if I might enjoy being bound and strung up in any other situation. Right now, though, I'm standing on my toes, just trying to hold my balance.

My tongue darts out, licking my lower lip. My throat's gone dry. “What do you want from me?”

“What do I want from you?” he asks, scoffing and shaking his head. “How about we start with a little bit of gratitude.”