Chapter 33
KARA
The laptop slammed shut, ending the video conversation, and I leveled my gaze on Juric. I gave him a look that said I’d rather die than spend a lifetime with him.
He was unfazed.
“Get these off of me.” I held my handcuffs out to him. “You said I only had to wear them while I was talking to her.”
He sat beside me on the couch and undid the first cuff, moving as if he were aware I might strike at any second. When I didn’t, he undid the other and tossed the cuffs on the coffee table with a metallic clang.
“You can’t have me,” I said.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not a possession.” My throat burned as I spat the words. “And, more importantly, because I hate you.”
“It’s a thin line between love and hate. You’re attracted to me.”
A sour taste filled my mouth. “No, I’m not.”
“Right, and I’m definitely not attracted to you,” he said sarcastically. “Are you aware your eyes shift left when you’re lying?”
“I could never be with a man like you.”
Oh, that was the wrong thing to say. A wicked smile burned across his lips. “Didn’t you say you were married to a man like me?”
I slapped him.
It was so sharp and abrupt, the action was stunning, and he blinked in disbelief.
And since I was successful, it only fed my wrath.
I wanted to claw his eyes out, to make him pay for everything.
He was insane. After all he’d done to me, and my sister, he honestly thought I would be attracted to him?
I reared back to punch him, but he held down my arms and stopped me. It put his face too close to mine, and I shirked back. “Get your hands off of me!”
“Not until you calm down. If you keep struggling, I’ll find a way to make you stop.”
“You said you weren’t going to hurt me.”
“There are other ways to get you to be still.”
He knew the perfect way. All he had to do was put his mouth on me. I took in air in controlled sips, trying to get my heartrate down to a level that didn’t have blood rushing in my ears.
“Are you scared of your feelings about me?” he asked.
I didn’t answer. I was frightened by the thoughts of murder in my head, but much more terrified of what he might do.
“It’s okay,” he said in a hushed voice. He let go of one of my arms so he could brush my hair behind an ear. “I’m frightened, too.”
I tried to tell him to stop, but he kissed me, muting my words.
I leaned away from him, until there was nowhere else to go; my back was buried into the couch.
When I tried to run, he just pressed his mouth against mine harder, driving me deeper into the cushions.
And his hand on my arm gripped me so tightly, I winced.
“Are you uncomfortable?” He pulled back and viewed me with a discerning look.
Was he completely oblivious? “Extremely.”
He stood abruptly, dragged me up beside him. The rapid movement made my head pound.
“Come here,” he murmured, backing up to the bed.
“No,” I said, trying not to sound too alarmed. “I was uncomfortable because of what you were doing.”
“Stop resisting what we both know is inevitable.” His shockingly blue eyes cut into me. “You will give me what I want.”
Heat poured through my veins like lava, thick and consuming. He wasn’t the first man to say that to me. “I’d rather die.”
His mouth opened to respond, to call me a liar, but I wasn’t. He considered something, either options or perhaps my death. “It doesn’t have to be like this. I can make you . . . forget. I can make you forget everything before me.”
Any fear he’d caused before was nothing compared to this. He’d proven he was capable of it. It was what he’d done to Laurel when he’d abducted her. He could wipe everything away until he was all that was left.
I’d changed my life to accommodate Paul, but this was a whole new level. I’d lose who I was completely. I wouldn’t know the man with me was a monster. And I wouldn’t remember Shawn.
“Is that what you want?” he threatened. “Can you move past it, or do you need my help?”
I swallowed hard and fought back the wave of terror promising to overtake me if my control slipped. Survive. They were coming for me, possibly on their way now.
Wait, survive? Forget it.
I wanted to fight. “I can move past it.”
The corners of his mouth turned up into a victorious smile. It made thoughts of bashing his face in with the nearby lamp flash through my mind.
“Prove it,” he said. “Get on the bed.”
“I want to know what you’re going to do to me.”
“I’m sorry, have I been unclear about that?” It came from him more surprised than condescending.
I took a step toward the bed, to him, my calm demeanor in place. “I want specifics.”
“Specifics?” he repeated.
“Yes.” It would be easier to plan my attack if I knew his.
“We’re going to have sex.”
My stomach twisted, but I kept my face plain. “That’s too broad of a statement.”
“Come on, I don’t want to spell it out. I’ll just show you.” He put his hands on my waist and pulled me up against him.
“I need to know what I’m allowed to do,” I said, holding perfectly still as his arms snaked around my body, his lips on my neck. I let my revulsion strengthen my control over myself.
“What do you mean?”
“Can I go down on you?”
Shit. Should have been subtler.
He gave me an evil, knowing grin. “When I trust you, absolutely. But, darling, we’re not there yet.”
I swallowed thickly. “Can I touch you?”
“Of course,” he said, his eyes shining. “I’m allowed to touch you?”
He hated the word no, so it stood to reason he liked the opposite one. I nodded slowly. “Yes.”
There was worry that I might burst into hysterical, nervous laughter when I opened my mouth, but it didn’t happen. The hand on my back slid upward and slowly around the curve of my body, heading for my breasts. As I’d hoped, the permission had knocked his defenses down.
I turned as quickly as I could and wrapped my hands around the heavy lamp, swinging it toward him. I’d brought a man down with a skillet, and I was ready to add this lamp to my list of unconventional weapons.
He was unprepared . . . but he had lightning-fast reflexes. He spun away so only his shoulder caught the edge of the blow. The impact thundered up my arms as I swung again—
A foot crashed into my hip and sent me flying. I gasped as my body cracked hard against the wooden slat of the bedframe. The collision knocked the lamp from my hands, and when it hit the ground, the light bulb shattered in a flash of bright light.
There was no time to react.
He wrapped his hands around my throat and lifted me until the tips of my toes could barely scrape the carpet beneath them. He squeezed so hard I could feel every muscle in his fingers and their effort to end my life.
My vision went hazy and dark. I was rapidly losing consciousness but knew this wasn’t the end.
He didn’t want me dead. He had much worse plans for me, which he confirmed when he tossed me backward onto the bed.
His heavy footsteps took him to the bathroom, and a drawer opened, only to slam shut a moment later.
My head ached from the lack of oxygen. When I scrambled to sit up, he surged toward me.
“No!” I screamed, my voice almost gone from the recent trauma. There was a syringe in his hand.
“I gave you a choice,” he said. He shoved me back and clamped one of his large hands just above my elbow, more painful than any rubber band I’d ever had when getting blood drawn. “Don’t move or you’ll blow the vein.”
“You’re hurting me.” I panted for air. “Stop! Please!”
But the needle stabbed into my arm, and it was done. He released his grip, letting the drug work its way into me, pulling the needle back.
“I don’t want to forget,” I cried.
“You’ll be begging me to make you forget in a moment.”
What did he mean? If that drug wasn’t going to wipe my memory, what was it going to—
Oh, shit, I’m on fire!
I screamed as the burning crept along my skin, searing every nerve ending. The pain was so intense I wanted to vomit, but when I moved my head to the side, the pain was worse.
“Stop moving,” he ordered.
I had no choice but to obey, and when I did, the flames died down to a level where I could barely breathe again. Could only just form coherent thought over the pain. I had to lie utterly still on the bed and take the shallowest of breaths.
“Put your hands above your head,” he commanded.
The pain would be too great. “I can’t.”
He seized my wrists and raised them, making me scream.
If it was anything other than burning, I might have been able to be quiet.
My hands were pressed into the mattress above my head, and this was more effective than the handcuffs.
I couldn’t move. If I tried, there would be extreme and immediate punishment.
“You promised,” I whispered and closed my eyes, letting loose the tears that had collected there.
“I lied.” His lips smothered mine.
When his fingers fumbled at the button of my pants, I jerked instinctively, and searing pain bolted through me. It was like I was being flattened by a hot iron on all sides.
“Don’t worry, it won’t last long,” he said.
“The drugs or the rape?”
Unwise, but worth it.
He stopped what he was doing to climb on top of me. Then he kissed me, making everything burn. He coursed his palms along my body, touching and scorching every inch of me. I had to simply lie there and fucking take it, let him do it.
A sharp rap on the door made him pause.
The Italian words from the other side were hurried and loud, and it was clear Juric didn’t like them. His face twisted into the same expression he had whenever I said Laurel’s name, signifying he was right on the edge.
The hand he wrapped around my throat was a necklace of fire.
“Seems like the marshal can’t follow simple instructions and doesn’t care if you die.” His hand slowly slid away from my neck, flames trailing in its wake. “I’ll admit, I’m surprised he found us, but I’m all for getting this over with.”