Snare (Delirious book 1) (16 page)

Rain splatters on to the roof, making eerie noises. Darkness surrounds me, as there is only one light in the room, which flickers every two or three minutes. The solitude I’m in is overwhelming; so much so that I jolt up in bed each time I hear the door from my neighbor’s room slam. There’s a screaming couple in another room, and they keep fighting and making up … with sex, that is. Last night the banging was so loud, I just turned on the television and watched a soap opera the entire night. It barely managed to drown out that humping, moaning couple.

I hate it here, but I keep reminding myself that this place is better than being stuck at the institution. Maybe I’m just jealous of the couple next door. They have passion, sweet love, furious emotions, and wild sex. I am dying for it. Well, the love part, mostly. Although, I’d take just the sex, too, if I could have it. Anything, as long as it’s with Sebastian.

Slamming my lips together, I sigh and try to think about something else. I can’t keep thinking about a man who doesn’t want me. I’ve tried my best to stay away for days … for my own sake as well as his. There’s something about us being close that makes everything volatile—on the verge of exploding. It scares me shitless, but at the same time draws me in like a magnet.

I turn around in my bed, shoving the pillow into place. Fisting it tempers my rage a little, but when I hear footsteps outside, I sit straight up in the bed. Not moving a muscle, I stare at the door. Two shoes. A hand that dips under my door. A note that’s slipped through.

I swallow as he or she walks away again. Whoever it was left something specifically meant for me. Or is it?

Too curious to leave it be, I throw the blanket off me and get out of the bed. Slowly, I walk to the note, afraid it might jump me. Of course it won’t, but my rational mind isn’t thinking right now. I’m on overload, my emotional state on the brink of destruction. This note could push me over the edge. Or it could pull me back to safety again. All I have to do is read.

Do you dare come to the dark side?

Step into the limo on the parking lot.

With widened eyes, I gasp. Immediately, I grab the door handle and jerk the door open. Staring outside, there’s no one around. Rain comes down like the sky has split in two, making it impossible to see anything far ahead. I stick my head out and look around. Nothing. Not a soul nearby.

I close the door again and stare at the note. No doubt, this is from Sebastian, but how in the world did he find out where I was? Should I listen and step into the limo? Would it be safe?

Somehow, the thought of disobeying him makes my stomach churn.

Even when rationalizing everything, I still can’t come to a sane choice. Everything I do is for him, always. No matter if it’s the right choice. It doesn’t matter. Therefore, asking myself these questions is futile; I’m already lost to him.

I put on a coat and my shoes. As I look at myself in the mirror, I notice a change in me. I’m no longer that weak, vulnerable woman I was at the institution. I have a goal now. A purpose. So I walk to the door with confidence and open it wide.

Yes, I dare
, I tell myself as I step out into the rain. I wander across the parking lot until I find the limo. I pause, waiting for someone to step out. Instead, the passenger door in the back opens. My heart is beating in my throat, but I can’t waver. I need to see him and find out why this is all going the way it is. So I walk closer and step inside the car. The humid temperature is a welcome warmth compared to the cold, wet rain outside. Soaked, I close the door behind me and pat down my clothes in an attempt to look mildly decent. It’s then that I notice there is no one in the backseat with me. I’m completely alone. The only other person in this car is the driver, and as soon as he spots me looking at the glass between us, the door lock jams shut.

“Hey!” I say as he turns on the engine. “Who are you? Where are you taking me?”

He doesn’t answer, which freaks me out. I’m trapped, and he could take me anywhere he wants, even though I have no clue who he is. I hope he truly works for Sebastian and that he’ll take me to the library … otherwise I’m afraid I might end up in a ditch somewhere.

It might sound crazy, but it’s not. Right now, I’m the perfect victim. Inconspicuous. No friends in sight. Family is gone. No money. Nothing. I rely on the kindness of others, which could just as easily be abused.

I hope I made the right decision.

The ride to wherever I’m being taken feels long and tedious. I fumble with my red hair and attempt to comb it with my fingers. The driver still hasn’t made any contact with me, let alone made any sound. It’s creepily quiet in here.

Suddenly, a gas squirts in my face. I squeal and cough at the same time, trying to cover my mouth. In a haze, I waft away the gas, which is coming from a tube on the right side of the door. Dryness fills my mouth, enters my lungs, and makes me woozy. It’s getting hard to see. Oh, no.

I fumble with the door, but the lock prevents me from getting out. I start slamming the window between me and the driver, screaming, “Stop! Let me out!” It’s no use. My muscles are getting weaker and weaker, my body sagging in my seat. My head falls back. My eyes close.

All that remains is the sound of the engine rumbling and coming to a stop. The clicking of the lock and the doors open and slam shut. A voice, warm and soothing. Another one, shrill and blunt. I try to open my mouth and speak, except nothing but a vapid moan comes out. I struggle with staying awake.

Something is put over my head. Darkness surrounds me. Wrapped around my neck, the material prevents air from escaping. I can’t breathe.
Oh God
, I can’t breathe.

A hand covers my mouth and another one jerks my arms, hauling me out of the car. I want to fight and stomp on his feet, but my body refuses to listen. I feel like I’ve been stripped of all control over my muscles.

Something is tied around my wrists, preventing me from intervening. My heartbeat is out of control, fear raging through my body as they drag me onto the street and into a building. Lacking the energy to open my eyes, I focus on the sounds as much as I can. Whatever was in that gas has intoxicated me to the point of being powerless. If this is Sebastian’s doing, I don’t understand any of it, but now I understand why he’d noted the words ‘Do you dare?’ on that paper. This is all a test.

Realizing this, I take in a deep breath and calm myself down, preparing my body for what’s to come. I’m sure this is his way of remaining in control; something he’s always perceived as most important. I have to trust him and relinquish all fear in order to proceed.

I must. It’s the only way to make him want me. If I do everything he says, he will keep me safe. I know he will.

As we enter the building and walk up a few stairs, I feel more and more awake. The gas is leaving my system quickly now that I’m not exposed to it anymore. By the time we reach our destination, the intoxication seems to have disappeared. Even so, I don’t struggle with my captor, who holds my hands behind my back as he positions me. When his hands leave my body, I wait and listen. The slight tick of a door being closed, the rustling of feet coming closer, the scent of exotic aftershave.

A finger caresses my shoulder out of nowhere. I shiver as I recognize the scent that enters my nose. “Hello, Miss Carrigan.” His voice is like a warm, velvety blanket covering me in the cold. He sucks in air past his teeth. Even though a bag is covering my head, I can still tell that his mouth is dangerously close to my ear. “You are brave to come here.”

“How did you know where I was?” I ask with trouble, the bag constricting my movements.

“I had you followed.”

I huff in the bag, my chest tightening from the lack of oxygen and the idea that someone had been tailing me, watching me, prowling in the darkness, waiting for me to make a move.

Suddenly, a hand is placed on my chest. “Relax, Miss Carrigan.”

“Where am I?” I ask.

“Exactly where I want you to be right now.”

I hear Sebastian pace, the sound moving away and then coming back again. A cold, metal-like object pokes at my skin. It hurts. Shuddering, I clench my teeth together and wait for it to puncture my skin.

“Do you know what this is?”

“A knife?”

“Correct.”

I flinch from his words. Then he slides the knife up my arms and along my collarbone. It burns, and I’m not sure if he’s cutting me and I’m bleeding, or if it’s all in my head.

He hums. “Powerful object, don’t you think?”

“Yes.”

“Hmmm … You know you are at my mercy now, right?”

“Yes, Mister Brand.”

“And that this is what you asked me to do.”

I don’t respond. I wouldn’t even know how; how can he think this is what I want? Being drugged in a car, blinded by a hood, shoved and pulled into a building, kept secret like some kind of abducted prisoner?

“I live on the edge, Miss Carrigan. I thought I told you not to cross that line.”

“You asked me to come.”

“No. I
dared
you.”

“Should I not have come, then?” I cough. I can barely talk.

“It would’ve shown me that you listened to me when I told you to run and never come back.”

I sigh, knowing I did the wrong thing again.

“But no matter. I will have some fun with you now.”

I feel a sudden lump forming in my throat. Holy shit. “Is this your idea of fun? Drugging me and abducting me?”

“You stepped into the car, Miss Carrigan. All you had to do was walk away. You didn’t, which is what brought you here.” He circles around me, the knife sliding dangerously along my side. “I needed to keep this place a secret from you.”

“Why?”

“So you won’t attempt to come here on your own accord, of course.”

The knife passes my lips and for a second I think this is the end.

“Open your mouth.”

Instinctively, I respond to his command, even though it could mean the end for me. I don’t know why I trust him, but I do.

I wait for the knife but never feel it. A slit is created right between my open lips.

“Don’t move,” he says. I stand as still as I can while he makes two holes near my nostrils.

When he pulls back, I’m still holding my breath.

“Can’t … breathe …” I whisper.

“Yes, you can.”

“No …”

“Air can flow through now. Breathe. Stop letting your mind get in the way of experiencing what your body can do.” He shushes me in soft, calming waves. It relaxes me enough to let go of my anxiety.

“Now … tonight you are mine to play with. You will do as I say, when I say it. If I ask you to bow, suck, and swallow, you will do just that. If I ask you to bend over and take my cock hard and fast like a good girl, you will do just that. Do you understand?”

His words send shivers down my spine, arousal pooling in my belly. “Yes, Mister Brand.”

Sebastian’s hand traces my shoulder as he walks around to my back and smells me. The sound of him inhaling my scent creates goosebumps all over my body. “Stay still. Do not move a muscle.” I swallow as the knife is placed between whatever is binding my wrists and cuts through it. I rub my wrists, which hurt and are probably red.

I wonder why he’s doing all this when he said he didn’t want me. Is he reconsidering?

“Can I ask a question, Mister Brand?”

“Go ahead,” he says, lifting my arms and placing them behind my head. “Keep your hands there.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because I need something from you. But only once.”

My mouth feels dry and emotions overwhelm me. He does need me after all.

“Don’t get your hopes up too soon, Miss Carrigan,” he says, chuckling. “I didn’t say what for.”

“Can I know?”

“No, but when I’m done with you, you won’t want to ever come back to me again.”

A darkness coats his words that I cannot ignore. I suffocate from them. No … I suffocate from his hand, suddenly gripping my throat. It scares the living shit out of me.

“After tonight, you will not come back to me again. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” I cough. With his hand, he instills fear deep in my heart. I wonder if it’s intentional. If he uses it as a tool to frighten me and make sure I will never come back.

“Good.” When he releases me again, I reach for my throat. He swats it away. “Did I tell you that you could remove your hands from your head?”

“No … sorry, Mister Brand.”

“Show me how obedient you are, then. Strip.”

I lower my hands and take off my sweatpants. Then I pull up my sleeping shirt, throwing it to the floor. He makes a sound of approval as I unclasp my bra and let it drop.

“Stop.”

With my hands down my side, I cease moving immediately.

A sudden pinch at my nipples makes me squeal.

“Shhh …” He lets go of them again, but they sizzle from his touch. He slaps them. The burn is a pain I’m not familiar with, but somehow my body responds to it with shameful need. I struggle to stay standing. “Do you like it when I fondle your taut nipples, Miss Carrigan? Do you ache for my fingers, tugging them until they are painfully red?”