Chapter 8 #2
I moved to the edge of the trees, easing down onto the rocky sand.
She could see me if she tried, but at this point, the only movement was the swaying of the trap because of the heavy breeze.
The light wafting also allowed me to catch a whiff of her perfume, the exotic spices adding to my arousal.
Damn it. I had to shift my cock in my jeans, the pinch becoming agonizing.
I forced myself to look away but couldn’t seem to take my eyes off her. I’d never been much for patience of any kind, and Alexander had taught all of us to take what we wanted. That had been my mantra my entire life.
At least until now.
Another five minutes passed, and she didn’t move at all.
I couldn’t take it any longer. Jerking to my feet, I headed toward the ocean, purposely shifting against the rope.
While I refused to look at her at first, I was rewarded with the sound of slight movement.
When I was only a few inches from the water, I took a deep breath.
The secluded island was too surreal, something straight out of a damn fantasy.
It wasn’t real life for anyone else, yet Alexander had purchased the island and had the elaborate main house and twenty guest houses built.
The place would make a fabulous vacation spot, only the plans he had for the location had nothing to do with rest and relaxation.
Those partaking in the long weekend or week getaway would be subject to the same kind of hunt. The boobytraps were just Alexander’s test of how his more primitive ones would work. I wasn’t certain it was something I wanted to invest in, although the idea was sexy as hell.
After a few minutes of basking in the sun, I turned toward her. She was staring at me intently. I didn’t need to be close in order to realize what she was doing or that there was hatred in her eyes. I took a deep breath, heading in her direction. When I was only two feet away, she smiled.
“Prison. You killed a man.”
Her words weren’t accusatory, but to her they held a strong meaning. “Yes, I did. You already know the circumstances. I don’t think we need to talk about it any further. It’s time for you to face round one of your punishments.”
When I approached, she did what she could to slink away. But the words she issued stunned me, more so than I could believe.
“I don’t give a damn about the circumstances. You got what you deserved. What a shame you were set free.”
* * *
Cassie
I’d almost caught a slight glimpse of a human behind his cold, hard stare.
The flash coming from them was now nothing but the eyes of a venomous snake preparing to strike.
I’d never seen such a quick change in demeanor as I had as soon as I’d uttered the wretched words.
They’d done more than sting. They’d driven a rusty razor-edged blade directly into his heart.
Sadly, I was no longer certain if I’d meant them.
Brogan’s jaw clenched as he held the sharp glare. Then he took three long strides toward me, yanking out a hunter’s pocketknife. When he flicked the steel blade open, the glisten from the sun highlighted the razor-sharp teeth.
Just like in my vision.
I shrank back as much as the thick netting would allow, never taking my eyes from him as he advanced.
The muscles in his forearms were as tense as those in his chiseled face.
He was the epitome of a barroom brawler, his extensive martial arts training allowing him the capability of killing a man with one hand.
Which is what had happened inside a tiny bar on the outskirts of Albuquerque years before.
The media had called him a monster, highlighting the man he’d killed with a single blow as an American hero, recently returned from the war.
How dare an outsider come into their tightly knit community and steal one of their own.
There were always two sides to every story, but Brogan had said very little after being arrested and in court.
The news media had captured everything. Then his ten minutes of infamous fame had disappeared along with any mention of his name.
I’d just opened the wound, enough that I feared he would kill me.
The big, brawny man had no issue slicing through the rope that had been wound around one of the massive tree trunks.
Instead of allowing the trap to plunge to the hard sand, he guided it gently, the rope sliding through his fingers.
When I was safely on the ground, he took his time folding and shoving the knife into his pocket before returning.
His expression was that of a true predator.
I fought with the rope, doing everything I could to get myself out, but the harder I struggled, the more the heavy twine collapsed on me.
Every sound I made I loathed, the stupid yelping like the sound of an injured sow just before slaughter.
I wasn’t that kind of girl. I knew how to fight with the best of them.
My ridiculous thoughts were based on terror of the unknown, a self-admittance that I’d been not only stupid but out of my freaking mind.
Brogan ripped at the rope, easily creating a hole large enough to yank me through like a doll.
He held me aloft for a few seconds, his upper lip curling as my arms flailed, trying to gain any leverage.
When he eased me down, the expression on his face was now carnivorous, a primal man hungry for a feast.
I couldn’t stop shaking as he kept his firm grip on my arms, digging his muscular fingers into my skin in such a way the pressure was stimulating instead of painful.
“You will tell us everything you know,” he growled. The husky tone of his voice was much darker than the others’, electrified from years spent behind bars. I could tell what he was thinking, the filthy things he wanted to do to me.
And somewhere deep inside, a series of vibrations caused my throat to close, a moment of utter suffocation adding to the danger.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I knew my haughty words would likely piss him off even more, but I refused to give in so easily.
He laughed, cupping the side of my face with one of his beefy hands. “The things I could do to you in order to get you to talk would terrify you. Is that what you want?”
“What I want is for you to let me go.”
He took a few seconds to rub his callused thumb across my lips, narrowing his eyes as he continued feasting on me with his eyes.
His nostrils were flared and the heavy dose of testosterone he was giving off created a crackling moment of electricity between us.
I was stunned I was attracted to the man in any capacity, but visions of the past kept me believing that there was some good left in him.
He jerked away seconds later, pointing toward the trees. “Get moving. You have a date with a round of punishment that is well deserved.”
I couldn’t imagine what they had in mind. Finally, the fight or flight aspect that I’d been taught to keep close to my chest kicked in. We’d gotten here on this island. There had to be a way off. I was determined to find it.
The second he turned his head, I took off running down the beach. With my bare feet, I was able to make good traction, moving toward the damp, hard portion of the sand, pumping my leg muscles. I didn’t bother looking back. I knew he was chasing me, but I wouldn’t stop for anything.
When I was jerked back by a huge fist snagging my long hair, I pitched backward like a doll, and he dragged me up against his stone-hard body. Gasping, I kicked out, using one foot then the other, managing to slam one against his upper thigh, hopefully catching his balls.
“Fuck!” His yelp indicated I had, and his hand slipped away.
I lunged forward, panting as the new rush of adrenaline fueled both my anger and my drive. I zigged and zagged, managing to keep out of his grip for almost a full minute.
Then the brute tackled me to the ground, the hard pitch toward the surface tumbling us both toward the lapping water. As a splash washed over my face, I did everything I could to regain leverage, crawling only a few inches before being yanked back by several feet.
Brogan finally had enough, rolling me over and straddling my hips.
The snarl on his face reminded me of a feral animal, the deep rumbling growls he issued primal and unhinged.
He cocked his head, staring down at me as he slammed one of my arms over my head then the other, a single oversized hand easily able to hold both of mine down.
I curled my fists, still struggling, but it was no use. The man was huge, his body weight crushing me into the sand.
“Goddamn it, Dahlia. You refuse to learn. Don’t you?”
I had nothing to lose so I spit in his face.
Oh, boy. That angered him even more than kicking him in the balls.
I thought for certain he was going to rip me apart with his teeth, chomping down on flesh and bone.
Instead, he hovered over me like a vulture, his eyes glistening like prisms, the colors so vivid that I had to blink because of the glare.
He took several deep and ragged breaths.
Then he leaned over, lowering his head until our lips were almost touching.
I was cradled in the sand, water splashing over us, but I did everything I could to sink further into the muck.
When he smiled, the look was devious, a hunter who’d captured his prey.
“You’re one very naughty girl,” he whispered, the sound floating away, but I was able to capture every syllable.
“I had to learn to be that way.”
He snorted then did something that shocked me to the core.
He crushed his mouth over mine, only he didn’t tear at my lips or consume my mouth as I would have expected.
Instead, he allowed the heat to build, generating a combustible feeling between us.
If I’d thought the kiss on the balcony had been something special, the feel of his full lips pressed against mine was positively perfection served on a silver platter.
Without realizing what I was doing at first, I succumbed to the moment of passion, my hips swiveling against his until I was able to feel his throbbing cock pressing into my stomach.
I should be repulsed by the entire situation, disgusted that the convict believed he could dare take advantage of me, but I was so aroused I couldn’t think clearly.
He was true to his dominating nature, peeling open my mouth and exposing all the sensual layers I’d fought to keep hidden.
I’d never wanted to become close to anyone.
I’d learned from my mother that doing so meant losing your virtue as well as your heart.
I never wanted that to happen to me. I’d purposely stayed away from men, avoiding any physical contact, but the kiss was an awakening, more so than being stripped of every ounce of virtue by Alexander or the time I’d spent with him before.
He swept his tongue against mine, exploring every dark crevice, taking his time to enjoy what he was doing.
My nipples were aching, the tiny pebbles now so hard they hurt as they scraped against my shirt.
Even my pussy was clamping and releasing, an indication of just how turned on the brutal man had made me.
Everything was a wondrous blur and for a few minutes, I could almost believe that we were lovers, enjoying a perfect vacation on a beach hideaway. No one else to bother us and nothing to do but explore each other’s bodies.
Then reality rushed in, dragging my mind from the ugly gutter of fornication that it had been shoved in. I started fighting him in earnest, biting down on his tongue until I tasted blood.
Brogan reared back with a sharp cry, hissing toward the sky. When he lowered his head again, I could see his wheels in his brain churning, his thoughts drifting toward something even more disturbing.
“What the hell are you doing?” The sound of Daniel’s snarky question drew both our attention.
Brogan tossed his head toward the man, his chest heaving as an entirely different level of anger rushed in. He didn’t like being interrupted or told what to do.
“Ensuring she doesn’t run away.” He jerked to his feet, yanking me with him. Then he tossed me over his shoulder with ease, taking long strides toward his buddy.
“That’s not what it looked like, my friend.”
“Mind your own business, Daniel. I don’t like being here any more than you do, but it’s necessary. You said so yourself.”
“Yeah, I guess I did. Come on.”
I didn’t bother fighting him as I was carried through the dark foliage, but I tried to listen to every sound, paying attention to everything around me. I would get out of their clutches one way or the other.
My inner voice reminded me that if I was so lucky, they would come for me again.
And again.
There was no place left that I could consider safe, no location on Earth where they couldn’t find me.
I was fucked and there was nothing I could do about it.