Chapter Two
Malory
This has to be a dream. Or a nightmare.
No, no, no.
His rough fingertips, his warm touch feel too real.
Then there are those eyes.
I couldn’t have made them up in my mind even if I wanted to. Bottomless black pools observing me with such intensity, making it hard for me to take the next breath.
He’s here. In my room. In my bed.
“Shhh…” His hot breath brushes over my face, and I start shaking harder under his tender touch.
His fingers keep stroking my cheek as his large palm cups my jaw. His thumb caressing my quivering lip.
“You’re safe, little one.” He whispers. The deep, rough voice sending a shiver down my spine.
Unable to fully grasp the reality, the gravity of the situation, I find myself loosening my muscles a tiny bit at his soothing tone.
Though the fact that his burning gaze hasn’t left me for a single second is more than disturbing, making me feel like a deer caught in the headlights.
I’m desperately grasping at what’s happening, unable to figure out what to make of the imposing, masked man hovering above me.
The way he’s confidently holding onto the side of my face, cradling it like it’s the most natural thing, tells me that this isn’t a random burglar.
This is a man with a purpose.
Me.
The stranger continues to comfort me in the most unsettling way until my trembling somewhat subsides. Yet it doesn’t stop my heart from pounding hard in my chest, threatening to burst out.
Is he going to rape me, kill me? No, he would have done that by now. Instead, he’s whispering calming words to me.
That’s not confusing at all.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that I’m still in one piece but the suspense is slowly tearing me up inside.
The way he’s acting, touching me so tenderly in total contrast to the predicament we find ourselves in, giving me a whiplash.
“W-who…w-what…” I stutter, my voice breaking.
The man’s thumb ghosts over my mouth as he carefully studies my every micro expression, every twitch of my muscles.
“I’ll explain later.” He says with lethal calmness. “Now, you’re going to pack a bag and come with me.”
“N-no.”
Gripping my chin between his thumb and index finger, he brings his face impossibly close until we’re sharing breaths.
“That wasn’t a question, little one.” The man growls, making me shudder involuntarily.
Gathering all the remaining courage I didn’t think I had in me, I stare back at him with defiance, narrowing my eyes in protest.
“No.” This time I’m thanking my lucky stars that I managed to keep my tone even.
I won’t let this, whatever it is, happen to me without a fight.
All my life I’ve been this helpless, little girl. Coddled and sheltered by everyone around me.
And that weak, pliant version of myself that’s constantly, desperately trying to please my parents won’t help me now.
I need to figure something out. Quickly.
With his much bigger body over mine, there’s no way that I’d be able to overpower him.
Even if he wasn’t built like a damn bear on steroids, I have barely any muscle strength and probably wouldn’t stand a chance against an average sized male.
Or a female if we’re being completely honest.
Although his features are completely hidden behind a black balaclava, I can make out the subtle movement as his mouth pulls into a smirk.
Apparently, my defiance is amusing to him.
And utterly useless because when he finally leans back, rising to his full height, I immediately want to crawl back under my covers, close my eyes and pretend that all of this is just a bad dream.
The sheer size of this man is unlike anything I’ve seen before.
Impossibly tall with broad shoulders and muscles bulging underneath his completely black clothing.
He looms over me like a grim reaper, radiating pure strength and dominance.
Not to mention the amount of weapons strapped to his body, making him look like he just strode in here straight from a war zone.
And suddenly all my escape plans go out the window.
There’s no way.
None at all.
Maybe outsmarting him might be my best chance, but it’s getting really hard to think straight with his intense gaze tracking my every breath.
“Like what you see?”
Of course he didn’t miss the way my eyes were rowing over his frame. But that was only to assess my apparent enemy. Definitely not because of the raw masculinity emanating from his every pore.
The arrogant bastard.
I quickly shuffle to the opposite side of the bed from where he’s standing, backing away without letting him out of my sight.
Leaping out of bed to put some much-needed distance between us, I almost trip over a blanket in the process.
That’s when I realize that I’m barely wearing anything.
Great. Kill me now, please.
With shaky hands I grab an oversize hoodie from the floor, pulling it over my head to cover as much of myself as possible.
“Come on, princess.” The man actually chuckles. “Let’s get moving.”
Taking a deep breath, I try calming my raging heartbeat.
“What do you want from me?” My voice doesn’t falter once.
“Right now, for you to grab some essentials and follow me. We can discuss the long-term arrangements on the way.”
“No, I’m not leaving.” I say with conviction I don’t truly possess.
“That’s not up to you now, little one.” He commands with unquestionable authority, not needing to resort to aggression like I expected him to.
His posture seems relaxed, his hands resting leisurely in his pockets like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
“I’m not doing anything, much less going anywhere until you explain this.” I motion between us, refusing to back down.
“Alright, I need you to pack your clothes and anything that holds emotional value. I’ll buy everything else you need since you won’t be coming back here. Got it?”
All this time, his unnervingly black eyes haven’t left me. I’m not even sure if I’ve even seen him blink.
“What I meant is why are you doing this to me?” I breathe.
“You wanted an explanation. Never did you specify what it was you wanted to know.” That bastard can’t be serious.
When I open by mouth to argue, he beats me to it.
“We can do this the hard way if you insist.” The man palms the gun at his hip for emphasis.
There’s an edge to his voice this time, an edge I don’t want to get too close to in case I’ll cut myself. Deeply.
Leaving me with no other option but to give into his intimidation tactic.
For now.
Upon seeing the resignation in my eyes, he reaches underneath my bed, pulling out an old duffle bag I never really got to use.
Wait, how did he know it was there?
All I can do is stare, rooted in place as he opens drawer after drawer, tossing the contents of my dresser into the open bag. Glancing over his shoulder, he jerks his chin towards the closet.
A wordless order for me to start packing.
Taking care not to get too close to him, I do as I’m told. Never fully turning my back to the man.
Suddenly, before I have the chance to balk, he’s right behind me. The heat radiating off his body setting my senses on high alert, making goose bumps erupt all over my flesh.
It’s not only fear that causes this reaction.
Something else, something dark and forbidden coils in the pits of my stomach.
Something is seriously wrong with me.
Clearly my brain and my body aren’t on the same wavelength when it comes to this man.
It takes everything in me to suppress whatever base instinct I just felt, forcing myself to act unaffected.
Only for all that hopeless effort to shatter when he reaches into the closet, our fingers brushing against each other as he takes a stack of shirts from me.
He’s wearing leather gloves. Why am I not surprised in the slightest?
“I got this, go get your personal things.”
A full body shiver goes through me as his warm breath brushed the shell of my ear, making me internally curse myself for letting him do that to me.
I may not have much experience with men, none really, but reacting this way to someone who broke into my home in the middle of the night and might kill me at a moment’s notice seems all kinds of messed up.
Shaking myself off, I hurry over to my desk, obediently stuffing my sketchpad into a backpack I rarely use.
Seems like this is turning out to be one of the rare occasions I get to leave the house.
That’s not depressing at all.
Unable to concentrate on the task at hand, I throw in everything I can get my hands on. Which is not much since I only keep things that mean something to me, or I actually like.
I’m particular like that.
It may not look like it at first glance when one enters my room, but I hate having clutter in my space. It makes the chaos, the anxiety in my head worse.
That’s why I need to have everything organized and decorated in my own way. And the brute who’s currently conquering my closet is destroying my carefully crafted patterns.
All that accomplishes is to make me more agitated than before. If that’s even possible.
From the corner of my eye, I catch the gleam of small nail scissors resting on top of my desk. I was using them earlier to finish a floral collage and never put them back.
Without thinking twice, I snatch them up.
Whirling around only to find that for once the man isn’t watching me like a hawk. So, I do the first thing that comes to mind.
I’m definitely acting on impulse here, but the moment of surprise ends up working in my favor as I rush him.
It feels like I can see him turning in slow motion towards the sound of my approaching footsteps when I jump at his large back, ramming the tip of the scissors into his neck. Right into the small crevice between his mask and hoodie.
One moment I think I got him and the next, I’m being wrenched away like a ragdoll. Strong arm wrapping around my waist, firmly tucking me against his front.
His other hand imprisoning both of my wrists against the hard plains of his chest, leaving me completely paralyzed.
No matter how hard I try fighting his iron grip on me, it’s of no use. My efforts futile against his raw strength.
It’s like he’s not even trying while I’m over here hyperventilating from the exertion.
Halting my pointless struggle, I finally look up at him.
If I thought his eyes were black before, it’s nothing compared to now.
“What were you thinking, hmm?” He grits out through clenched teeth and this time around, I know he’s truly pissed.
I start thrashing in his hold once more, trying to dislodge his arms but it’s like fighting against a python. His grip doesn’t falter one bit.
It’s useless. He’s too massive, too imposing.
“You know I could scream.” I threaten like I have any leverage in this situation.
Why haven’t I thought of that sooner?
I’m a shy and quiet person, I can’t even remember the last time I raised my voice so having a totally rational reaction like that never occurred to me.
“Go ahead, little one.” He rasps. “No one will hear you.”
Then it hits me.
My mom.
She’s a light sleeper and would have woken up by now with all the commotion going on in here.
My eyes go wide with realization. “What have you done?”
“A lot of things, most of which would be frowned upon by the general public.” He whispers straight into my ear, his breath ghosting over my skin.
“M-my mom?”
“Don’t worry about her, she’s taken care of.” He admits nonchalantly.
“What do you mean taken care of?” I shriek as panic finally sets in, making my pulse spike rapidly.
“I might have helped her into a deeper sleep that usual.”
At that I begin to frantically fight him as best as I can, kicking out my legs, trying to hit his ankle or something, anything .
“Calm the fuck down. It’s just a sedative, nothing lethal.” The stranger presses me against me nearest wall, taking away any last wiggle room I might have had.
I feel him everywhere, wrapped around me like a vice.
But that’s not what makes me freeze.
He’s hard.
I can feel his throbbing erection pressing into my stomach, making me wish he can’t see the heat rising to my face in the darkness.
“She’ll wake up in the morning wondering where her precious, little daughter went. Gone without a trace.”
Tears gather in my eyes as I go limp in his arms, accepting my fate for what it is.
It’s truly over.
This man is going to kidnap me or whatever it is he’s trying to accomplish here.
The reality that this is really happening to me sets in at last.
“I suggest you start cooperating or you’ll be enjoying the same treatment as your mother.” The threat in his words is crystal clear, spoken with deathly stillness while leaving absolutely no room for argument.
He has obviously thought this through to the very last detail, prepared for every scenario, ready to act before I can even think of executing.
I nod numbly against his chest as he holds up my dead weight, his embrace all that’s keeping me together now that I’ve given up my fight.
Being enveloped by his warmth, I sag deeper into him, letting the feeling of his solid body against mine comfort me as I shut down.
A wave of submission washing over me, keeping me from breaking down.
There’s something freeing in the acceptance that my decisions or actions don’t matter anymore, that I can’t control what will happen to me.
“You will be safe and protected. I promise, little one.” The man murmurs quietly, noticing the change in me.
The hand that was clutching my wrists loosens as he starts rubbing soothing circles along my spine. The movement making the tiny hairs on my nape rise.
I let him comfort me. Let myself believe his words, at least for now .
I’ve always been soft, weak. Never truly able to fight for my own wants, but I’ve deluded myself into thinking that when it came down to it, I could stand my ground.
I guess I was wrong.
Warm, thick liquid drips onto my forehead, making me tilt my head up in search of the source, and I gasp in shock.
The scissors are still lodged in his neck with a thin trail of blood running down.
The man chuckles darkly as he follows my terrified gaze, unbothered by the sharp piece of metal sticking out of him.
“I must say, I’m impressed.” His bottomless eyes bore into mine with an unreadable expression.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say he looks almost proud.
Then out of nowhere he hoists me up, my body plastered against his as he easily carries me to the adjoining bathroom.
In one effortless move I’m seated on the counter, mourning the loss of his closeness when he steps back. Again, what is wrong with me?
How can this person have such power over me when no one else ever did?
Opening the cabinet underneath the sink, the man easily fishes out the first aid kit.
He must have guessed I stored there, right? It was literally buried under extra bottles of vanilla soap and toilet paper rolls.
Surely he couldn’t have been here before. I barely remember the last time I left this room, much less the house.
Not that I’m complaining, I’m a homebody through and through.
“Be a good girl for a minute, I need to get this out.” The man drenches a piece of gauze in antiseptic spray before cutting off two strips of medical tape.
He proceeds to yank the scissors out with one sharp thug that makes me flinch from just looking at it and puts them into his pocket without leaving a speck of blood on the counter.
The guy definitely knows what he’s doing. Getting rid of all evidence, not leaving a single trace of his presence behind.
The realization that this is not his first time doing something like this making me even more apprehensive as I watch him patch himself up.
I’d offer to help but… he’s kind of abducting me so I guess playing nice is off the table.
Plus, the wound isn’t that big at all.
Somehow, I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to cause more damage even though I gave it my everything, putting all my might into that swing.
Apparently, I’m really not gifted in the physical department.
“Next time, try aiming at the artery.” He catches me staring, pointing to a spot not too far from where I’ve stabbed him.
And in that moment, for some inexplicable reason, I’m glad I didn’t kill him.
I expected him to lash out at me, but nothing.
Most men would have beaten me bloody by now if I did this to them.
As soon as he turns away and I’m no longer trapped under the spell of his dark, penetrating gaze, I’m able to think somewhat rationally.
Unable to use pure strength and with no one here to help me, I’m lost. Although … a new plan starts forming at the back of my mind.
If I surrender to his will, maybe gain his trust, I can make my escape when his guard is down.
An opportunity has to present itself sooner or later. I’m sure of it.
Perhaps it’s stupid and naive to go with him, but what other choice do I have. He hasn’t harmed me, at least not yet. Even if I gave him every reason to do so.
Instead, he comforted me, told me to pack anything meaningful and reassured me that I’ll be alright.
And for some reason, I believe him.
Weirdly enough, he seems genuine in that regard. Not like someone who’s trying to lure me into a false sense of safety.
There was not a hint of hesitation or malintent in his eyes when he promised me safety.
So, what is his angle then?
I watch him silently, working with precise efficiency as those large hands that easily encircled both of mine in one apply the gauze with surprising gentleness.
Finishing up, there’s nothing that would betray him ever stepping foot into this room.
When the stranger finally turns towards me, I can viscerally feel my heart beating faster the closer he gets.
Towering over me, he stops between my thighs, my breath hitching at his palms parting them with ease.
Before I can react in any way, he invades my space like a force to be reckoned with.
One gloved hand cupping my face while the other remains firmly on my thigh, gently stroking the exposed flesh. The rough leather leaving a trail of goosebumps behind.
A shiver runs through my body, this time not from fear.
I feel like I’m burning up inside, every cell consumed by the man before me.
Even if my body readily responds to his touches, it’s my mind that’s resisting. Screaming at me that what he’s doing to me, it’s dangerous.
While I have this internal battle between lust and reason, the man keeps observing my face like he can read every thought that passes through my head in the most unsettling way possible.
We’re locked in that position for endless minutes, staring into each other’s souls as he contemplates his next move.
Then, his eyes darken with determination, making me instantly want to shrink back.
I can’t tear my gaze from his ravenous one as the man ever so slowly lowers his head to mine.
If he wasn’t wearing the mask, I’d think that he’s going to kiss me.
A silent whimper escapes from between my lips as he grabs me hard by the nape, making me jerk when suddenly a needle pierces the side of my neck. The sensation gone as quickly as it came.
“I’m sorry, little one. It’ll be easier this way.” I feel his covered lips brush the shell of my ear as my vision starts to blur.
Both of his hands are cradling my face now, supporting my head that’s getting heavier by the second, fighting to keep my eyes open.
The last thing I see before the numbness takes over are his onyx eyes staring back at me.
Then everything goes dark.