Chapter Three
Malory
The relentless vibrations underneath me.
That’s the first thing I notice, and the first thing that makes me realize that something is horribly wrong.
My eyes remain closed but I’m almost completely certain that I’m no longer in my bed.
Gradually returning to consciousness, I feel my senses getting sharper by the minute as I finally I recognize the humming sound all around me.
It’s an engine.
I’m in a vehicle of some sorts. One that’s definitely going above the speed limit judging by how loud it is.
Slowly but surely, tonight’s events start coming back to me.
The dark eyes, black clothes, strong arms cradling me to a hard, warm chest.
My heartbeat quickening against my ribcage as I struggle to keep my breath even.
The smart thing would be to keep acting like I’m still knocked out, right? That’s what people in movies do for whatever reason.
My mind remains a bit drowsy as I gradually come back to myself. Barely.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I remained in a drug induced haze for the rest of whatever is about to come.
Blinking a few times, my vision slowly adjusts.
It’s still dark outside which means I couldn’t have been out for too long.
My head is propped up against the passenger window of a car, making it look like I’m asleep for anyone looking in.
Unsurprisingly, the interieur is black. Like apparently everything about this man.
I don’t have the slightest idea about car models but judging by the sheer size of this thing, I’d guess it’s a massive SUV.
Fitting.
Under different circumstances, I’d be laughing.
“Finally awake, little one?” The deep, velvety voice echoes through the cabin.
Jerking my head towards the source, I instantly recoil from how nauseous that sudden move makes me feel.
Going by the level of dizziness I’m currently experiencing, I’d say that whatever he injected into my neck isn’t out of my system quite yet.
Taking a few deep breaths to gather my bearings, I finally set my eyes upon him.
Solely focused the road, his large hands grip the steering wheel like a vice. The gloves are gone with the sleeves of the black hoodie hiked up to his elbows, showcasing the prominent veins running down his corded forearms, making my insides clench at the sight.
Damn him. This isn’t the time or place, or the right person for that matter, to be reacting this way.
Instead of ogling my kidnapper, I try stretching my numb limbs to get some blood flow back into them.
Though, something isn’t quite right.
Looking down, I find that both of my hands have been zip tied to the door handle.
“Why am I bound?” I ask weakly, my throat raw and hoarse.
“Given your reckless nature, I was worried that you’d jump out of a moving vehicle.” My captor counters with a hint of amusement.
Scoffing, I go back to tugging against the restraints, digging the sharp plastic further into my skin.
Suddenly, the car swerves off the side of the road, coming to a jerky halt as I’m flung forward in my seat, the seatbelt stopping me from flying through the windshield at the last moment.
Out of nowhere, the man has a switchblade in his hand.
“Please, don’t…” I start scrambling away from him to no avail.
Ignoring my protests, he grabs my hands, quickly slicing through the restraints as I’m left speechless.
“Stab me all you want if it makes you feel better, but there’ll be no hurting yourself.”
My jaw slacks as I gape at him.
Well, that definitely wasn’t what I expected.
“Understood?” He shoots me a daring look and I just nod, unable to form words.
To confuse me even further, the man starts gently massaging my wrists in places where the zip ties have left a mark on my skin.
I know I should be tearing myself away from him but to my absolute horror, his soothing touch calms me.
As much as is possible given the situation.
“There’s no running, no hiding from me, little one.” His gaze meets mine. “I’ll always find you.”
Having said that, he starts the engine back up and we’re on the road once more, silence spreading between us.
Though it’s not the uncomfortable kind that most people have the need to fill with meaningless small talk.
Not that I would want to talk to him about anything. All I’m saying is that at least none of us has the urge to comment on the weather.
All of a sudden, a heavy hand lands on my thigh.
Without the gloves, his rough palm is directly kneading my sensitive flesh.
When I try pulling away, his hold on me tightens, denying me an escape from his dominating touch that makes my skin prickle all over.
We’re passing less and less houses with streetlamps becoming a rare sight. A thick forest stretching out all around us.
That can’t be a good sign.
Keeping my gaze firmly fixed on the passing scenery, I do my best to distract myself from his warmth seeping into my bare skin.
Yet when he starts drawing small circles with his thumb, leisurely stoking back and forth, my focus shatters to pieces.
The intimate feeling of his fingers on my exposed thigh sending a full body shudder through me.
I’ve never felt this way before and to my utter disbelief, deep down I don’t want him to stop.
It feels too good.
No.
This isn’t right.
I can’t let him touch me like this.
Once again, I attempt to yank my leg away. Though it’s a futile struggle with his iron grip on me never faltering. Not one bit.
“I’ve waited a fucking long time for this.” He growls. “Letting you go is not an option, princess.”
That’s when I turn towards him, our eyes locking as the time stills. Just the two of us encapsulated in this very moment.
“Why are you doing this?” I breathe, meeting his gaze head on. I’m getting my answers, whether he likes it or not.
“Because you belong to me.” The man states with unshakable conviction like it’s an obvious fact.
“T-that's.... I-I'm not...”
“You. Are. Mine.” He bites out every word, making it clear there’s no point in arguing.
So instead, I try a different approach.
“Why me?” The whisper barely audible over the roaring engine.
“Your father led me to you.” His voice drips with unmistakable hostility. “John fucked with my life. So naturally, I decided to return the favor.”
The finality in his tone making it evident that he won’t say more on the topic.
I don’t know much about my father’s businesses, but whatever grudge the masked stranger is holding, it has nothing to do with me.
At this point, my mind is too scrambled, torn into all directions and whirling with all possible explanations.
Each of them more unlikely than the next.
“Where are we going?” I demand, anxious about what will happen once the car ride is at an end.
“A cabin.”
Oh, hell no. That’s how all the horror films I’m too scared to watch usually start.
“So you can lock me in a basement in the middle of nowhere?” My breath accelerates, pushing me to the brink of a panic attack.
“No basements, don’t worry.” He squeezes my thigh in reassurance like that’s supposed to bring me comfort now.
I shoot him a look of disbelief.
“I told you that I'll keep you safe, little one. And I’m nothing if not a man of my word.” Sure, why on earth would I doubt that.
“I’ll provide you all the comforts of the life you’ve known and then some.” His soothing, rich voice washes over me like a gentle caress. “ Besides human contact .”
Well, that just means my non-existent social life won’t be changing any time soon. That’s not the worst thing that could have happened.
“Except for you?” I quirk an eyebrow.
“Except for me.” He confirms, going back to tracing intricate patterns with his thumb.
“I need your father to feel the same loss I did.” There’s a beat of silence before he continues. “And ripping you away from him will ensure just that. Only I have no intention to harm you.”
Does that mean my father has hurt someone close to him, maybe even the man himself? Somehow, I have a hard time believing that.
“Unless you want me to.” The way he lowers his voice isn’t lost on me.
“Not going to happen.” I snap, feeling all flustered as blood rushes to my face.
“I mean it, little one. I'll take good care of you.”
Why does he have to keep saying things like that? It would be much easier if I could just hate him with a passion but that has never been my strongest suit. The people-pleaser in me won’t allow it.
Besides, I hate to admit that his justification for kidnapping me is nagging at my conscience because I feel like there’s a kernel of reason behind it.
No person takes such drastic measures to prove a point if they haven’t been driven to it.
Ugh, only I would sympathize with my abductor.
“For how long? I echo weakly, recognizing that my fate is in his hands from now on.
His jaw ticks but he doesn’t answer, returning to his ministrations on my thigh.
As we keep driving down the remote road, away from the last signs of civilization, the man next to me relaxes visibly in his seat.
Leaning back with a sigh, he tugs the mask off his face and from the corner of my eye, I can see him ruffle his hair.
My eyes widen, shocked by the sudden loss of anonymity.
My self-restraint snaps as I turn to look at him, to fully take him in. To my disbelief, my core tightens as I drink in his hard, manly features.
A wide, strong jaw covered in scruff, full lips and a nose that looks like it has been broken a couple of times, adding a certain level of roughness to his look.
Soft, black curls are messily sprawled on his head with a few stray pieces falling across his forehead, covering those dark eyes that could stare right into one’s soul.
I’ve never seen a more handsome man, in the most brutal way possible.
He’s lethal.
There’s nothing gentle about him. Only ruthless masculinity that would intimidate anyone who’d dare to come close. The pure dominance radiating off him, it’s luring me in.
My whole body feels like it’s on fire just by looking at him.
My insides liquifying at the way his jawline flexes in concentration, making the muscles in his neck protrude.
Judging by the fine lines at the corners of his eyes as he squints at the road, I’d say the man is in his late twenties.
Sensing the intensity of my stare, he turns towards me, his bottomless eyes trapping mine, refusing to let go.
“Tyson,” He offers me his right hand like the perfect gentlemen, and I simply stare at it dumbfounded. “Corso.”
Tyson Corso.
That’s his name.
And why is he giving it up to me like he’s not expecting me to turn him in the first change I get? That can’t be good.
“M-malory” I manage to choke out, setting my palm into his much larger one.
“I know.” He keeps my hand engulfed in his for a beat longer than necessary, making me struggle to take the next breath.
With the introductions out of the way, he turns his full attention back to the road and I do the same just as we pass a sign reading Sierra National Forest .
This has to be where he’s taking me when he mentioned a cabin. We must be like two or three hours away from San Francisco by now. How long have I been out?
Though I probably should be glad I’m not bound in the trunk, his somewhat decent treatment and the intimacy of this situation are making me more anxious.
I have a hard time figuring out where I stand with people as it is. Adding abduction into the mix isn’t making things any easier.
Taking deep breaths to calm my jittery nerves, my nose floods with Tyson’s masculine, woodsy scent. Like a forest after rainfall combined with musk and forbidden allure.
It’s warm and weirdly comforting.
His hand on my thigh hasn’t moved during the whole drive, sending tingly jolts up my spine with every bump we hit.
I slump back into the leather seat, defeated.
The ground under the tires getting increasingly more uneven as we turn onto a dirt road with overgrowing branches occasionally hitting the car from both sides.
It doesn’t look like anyone has driven through here recently.
That’s just great.
I wasn’t being serious when I said that we’ll be stuck in the middle of nowhere, but it looks like I might have hit the nail straight on the head.
From what I can tell, we’re somewhere below Yosemite National Park, in the vast forests that aren’t often frequented by tourists. Or anyone really.
With how much the car is jolting around, I have to grab the handlebar above while pulling the seatbelt tighter with my other hand to keep my head from bumping the roof, clinging to it like my life depends on it.
Tyson however doesn’t seem bothered in the least.
Maneuvering the car with one hand while his other one rests on my leg, making it look effortless.
I must admit that there’s something impressive about the way he handles the car with utter confidence and control.
The rocky terrain goes on endlessly with the forest around us gaining an eerie quality in the total darkness.
If it weren’t for the headlights lighting the way, I’d be freaking out by now.
I’m sure it’s beautiful around here in the daytime but being stuck here at night seems like straight out of a nightmare.
I adore nature and I’m more than fine with solitude, but this is on a whole other level of terrifying.
Just when I think that the drive will never end, a clearing appears in front of us, and my mouth goes dry.
Surrounded by tall pine trees, a cozy wooden cabin sits at the far end of a vast property, illuminated by the pale light of the crescent moon above.
I can’t believe I’m actually seeing this.
It’s huge, probably three times the size of an average house and yet it blends seamlessly into the natural environment.
A balcony stretches along the whole first floor with a wraparound porch extending beneath it. The yellow light escaping from the sizeable windows making it look incredibly inviting.
I mean there are even potted plants on each windowsill.
Off to the side, I make out what looks like a greenhouse with a pile of chopped wood stacked neatly next to it.
All of it so perfectly picturesque that it doesn’t look real.
The car comes to a sudden halt in front of an adjoining garage, and I instantly jump out to take in the breathtaking view, completely disregarding the fact that I’m technically a hostage.
I nearly forget about Tyson’s presence at my back, his eyes trailing my every step as I let my gaze roam over our surroundings insatiably.
I can’t believe that this is where he brought me.
The scenery is gorgeous, I can’t wait to see what it’ll look like in the daylight.
And when I finally look up, I gasp.
The stars.
There are so many of them.
I’ve never seen something so magnificent.
Back in the city, it’s rare to spot one or two adorning the night sky. But here, hundreds of them rest unobstructed at the palm of my hand.
What stuns me further is the total silence.
Only the light rustle of wind and a distant sound of running water filling the dead of the night.
Maybe there’s a river or a creek nearby.
I should keep that in mind since it could be useful when I at last make my escape.
“You like it?” Tyson’s hot breath grazes my nape, his warmth enveloping my body from behind.
I have to fight the urge to lean back into him.
“It’s beautiful.” I breathe with wonder.
“Beautiful indeed.” The drop in his voice causes me to turn around only to find him already looking at me with an unreadable expression that sends a pleasant shiver to my core.
Damn him and his onyx eyes.