Tormented (17 page)

“Don’t tell me you’ve been listening to those fucking motivational talks again?”

“So what if I have? It’s not rocket science. You’re in denial and until you get your head out of your ass, life will always be a struggle. You don’t need me to tell you that, but consider it a friendly reminder.”

Savage’s words packed a mean punch. Ironically, everyone always thought of him in a purely physical way, thanks to his Hulk-like size; they thought that he was all brawn and no brains. They couldn’t be more wrong. Savage had heart. And he was clearly a lot smarter than me.

“Point taken,” I said wryly. It was a little too late to change anything now.

“Ryder and Jade need your—
our
help—to find Eva. What if she really is missing and not just on a holiday? The longer nobody knows where she is, the more dangerous her situation becomes. We’ve seen that so many times in the past. Don’t wait too long before you come to your senses, is all I’m saying.”

Slumping forward in the seat, I rested my head in my hands. Perspiration formed on my brow and trickled down the side of my face.

Eva needs me.
I’d fucked up so many times in the past I was beyond redemption. But if Eva was in any kind of danger, I had to do something to save her. I just had to.

“There is no way out of this mission until it’s done. How am I going to get back in time?” Deflated, I sounded desperate even to myself.

“Haven’t you heard a fucking word I said? There is always a way, Summers. Always. You just have to figure it out, buddy.”

Swiping the back of my neck with my hand, I had no clue as to how to fix this. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. We were stuck in this flying machine for many, many hours.

I have time to think.

If something bad happened to Eva, I’d never forgive myself. Not in a million years. Life without her in it wouldn’t be worth living.

It had taken me a long fucking time to admit it, but with clarity came complications. I was up against so much more than the obvious. The puzzle had started falling together, admittedly slower than I would have liked. Someone was screwing with me. Someone had planned to get me out of the way.

There was only one person who’d go to such extreme lengths. One person who had the power and resources to make it happen. One person who would gain the most if I never came back from this godforsaken mission.

Senator Nolan Parker was privy to my death wish—it was common knowledge that Harrison Summers was fearless and the only man for a deadly assignment where death stakes were impossibly high. Only he’d never bargained on it changing.

Since the incident and losing Amy and my child, there had been no reason for me to stay alive.

Eva had changed everything.

I had a reason, and I wanted to live.

I needed to see her again and know she was safe and happy.

This was
not
the time for dying.

S
ince my phone lay smashed on the floor of my apartment, there wasn’t any way I could reach anyone or know what day or time it was. I had no idea of how long it had been since he came to my apartment and I’d been kidnapped. It all just seemed to blur together into one long fucking nightmare.

I had no hope of escaping because even though I was no longer tied down, Nolan made sure I stayed in a semi-conscious state with whatever he was feeding into my veins.

What would happen if I screamed for help? Then I remembered that Jones was most likely outside my door. The devil himself. That man didn’t have a single grain of humanity in him. He wouldn’t care what happened to me—if I lived or died.

As far as I was aware, Nolan only left the room for short periods of time. When he closed the door behind him I’d give up the battle to stay awake and allow myself to slip into dreamless sleep. Every time I woke again, he’d be lying on the bed beside me, running his hands over my body, touching me as if he owned me and I was a prized possession.

Pleading with him to stop had only aroused him more, spurring him on to touch me in intimate places. It took a few attempts of trying to ward him off to realize that he liked it when I put up a fight, so I decided to act counter intuitively and just lie there, even though every fiber in my body screamed against it.

With no reaction from me, he’d give up with a sigh and roll over, but if I even twitched, he’d turn back to me and start touching my body again.

Like now.

I wanted to cry. I’d been as still as possible, every muscle in my body aching as I yearned to move my position until I couldn’t stand it any longer and slowly turned my head to the side to check if he’d fallen asleep.

“Stop resisting, darling.” Laced with alcohol, his warm breath puffed in my face, and I couldn’t suppress the urge to shudder as his hand at the back of my neck pulled my face closer to him. “I know you like it.”

Wrong. So fucking wrong.

I pressed my lips tightly together as his mouth covered mine, even though I was certain it would anger him.

Stop. Please stop.

Breathing hard, he pulled back and fell against the pillows with a huff.

Thank God, somebody was listening to my silent pleas.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I sucked a deep breath in to calm my racing heart. Nolan and alcohol were never a good combination. It stripped him of all his charm and charisma and turned him into a man I resented even more than when he was sober.

How could I ever have thought I loved him? It sounded ludicrous that I’d entertained the idea of spending the rest of my life with him. The blinkers had truly fallen from my eyes and now I saw him for what he was: a man who wanted his own way, regardless of the cost.

The weight of the bed shifted again. Nolan was between my legs, pulling my panties down.

“No. Don’t.” Fear pushed up into my throat so that I could hardly get the words out.

“I’m sick of this shit. I’m taking what I want. My cock wants inside you, and today it’s getting its way.”

“Nolan. I beg you, don’t do this.” Tears ran from the outer corners of my eyes into my hair. He tossed my panties over his shoulder, an evil sparkle in his eyes as he licked over his lips.

“I love when you beg, darling.” His snarl reminded me of a rabid dog eager to sink its teeth into its prey.

I’m his goddamn prey.

Leaning forward, he grabbed hold of my left wrist and tied it to the bed with the straps that still dangled there from before.

No. I had to do something.
Anything.

As he made a grab for my free wrist. I lashed out and slapped him.

Anger flashed over his face before he started laughing. “Oh babe, you’re just making this even more fun. I love fucking a wild woman. Tame bores me.”

“You want wild?”

I clawed my nails into his cheek and dragged them over his skin, satisfaction filling me as four angry lines appeared. He grabbed my wrist and pushed down, tying it to the bed with the restraints that he’d used earlier.

“You little bitch. I always knew you had fight in you. What was that boring vanilla sex you used to give me? This is what I crave. Tonight, I’m fucking you my way and you’re going to love it.”

Leaning over me, he came in for a kiss. I pulled up my knee with every bit of strength I had left in me, crashing into his balls with all my might. Nolan screamed, then fell back onto the bed, cupping his groin and swearing out loud.

That was going to cost me, but I’d be fucked if I was letting him take me without a fight. Of all the terrible things I’d endured in my life, I’d never imagined being raped by a man I’d once cared for. Couldn’t he see how wrong that was?

My mind scrambled for options as he lay grunting like a wounded animal. Helplessness washed over me as I pulled at the restraints. I wasn’t going anywhere.

The madness in his eyes filled me with terror. “I’m going to make you pay for that. With blood.”

The crazy laugh that fell from his lips made my blood run cold. “But don’t worry. It’s not your blood I want.”

“What do you mean?” My voice strained as I tried to keep it together. Panic swept through me, and my heartbeat picked up a few paces.

“Your lover. I want his blood.” His face contorted with a mix of pain and pleasure that frightened the fuck out of me. “And I will have it. I’ve sent him to Afghanistan, and I’ll make damn sure he comes back in a body bag.” He smacked his lips as he dealt his trump card.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

“Why?” My voice sounded hollow.

“Because he’s trying to steal you from me. Because I saw him fuck you with my own eyes. Because I need to put an end to the motherfucker’s life so that we can live happily ever after.”

My head was spinning.

“Nolan, listen to me. Harrison and I are over. He’s not my lover . . . anymore. I don’t mean a thing to him.” The truth of that statement hurt more than anything Nolan could do to me. “It was just a fling. I mean nothing to him, so there is no point in killing him.”

“Too late, little darling. He’s on his way to meet his maker. He has to pay for what he’s done. It’s as simple as that.”

I blinked fast, stopping the tears from falling. If Nolan ever suspected I was lying to him about anything, I’d have no chance of negotiating Harrison’s release, but telling the truth wasn’t easy either.

I feigned contempt. “I don’t really care what happens to Harrison, since we broke up. But I hate the thought of bloodshed in the name of revenge. Tell me what you want, Nolan. Let’s see if we can make this work for . . . us.” I nearly choked as the words came from my mouth. What the hell was I doing? Sealing my own fate by letting Nolan win was the hardest thing to do.

Something that sounded like a strangled laugh came from my lips. It was Harrison or me. One of us had to die. Harrison’s blood would spill
or
my soul would be destroyed, killing me as surely as if he’d put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger.

“I knew you’d see it my way . . . sooner or later. I’m not a patient man, and you’ve tested me to the fucking limit.”

“I’m sorry.” That was half true. I was sorry that it had come to a choice.
This choice.

Sacrifice myself so that Harrison will live.

Could I do it? Could I give up my freedom in exchange for saving Harrison? A calmness washed over me that I hadn’t felt in days. My voice was low and raspy as I repeated my question. “What do you want, Nolan?”

“Marry me tomorrow.”

Jesus!

I blinked fast. “
Tomorrow?
”

“Yes. Show the world you are mine. Unless . . .” He smirked, and I couldn’t help shivering.

“Tomorrow is fine. I don’t have other plans.” I laughed softly. I was screwed either way. Harrison didn’t want me anymore, but that didn’t mean he had to be sent to his death. “Promise me you will abort whatever you had planned for Harrison. And Savage. We can get married tomorrow if you promise.”

I searched his face, looking for signs of sincerity. These days I had no idea what it looked like any longer; I’d been screwed over so many times.

Nolan laughed. It sounded cold and devoid of emotion. “You forget you are tied to my bed, darling. In reality, you have zero bargaining power. But as a gift to my bride-to-be, if it will make you feel better . . . yeah, I promise.”

I tried hard to not let the relief show on my face.

Oh, the fucking irony.

I’d just signed my own death warrant.

I despised this man who traded lives for his own gain. I hated that I’d be tied to him for the rest of my life. Senator Parker would make damn sure I didn’t leave his side unless it suited him. I was his prisoner for life, only I’d be calling it
marriage
and pretending I liked it to avoid a backlash.

Life. It was as cruel as it was bitter. I was trading my soul for that of a man who didn’t care if I breathed. Yet this was the only option and the only way forward.

My life for his.

N
olan rubbed a hand over his inflamed cheek. “We’re going to be happy, babe. If you fuck like the lioness I met with today, all my wet dreams will have come true. Not only will I have the backing of a powerful music mogul, I’ll have the most beautiful woman in LA in my bed.”

I gulped for air. Did I hear right? What did my father have to do with any of this?

I wriggled as I tried to loosen the ties around my wrists. “Hang on. Why are you mentioning my dad? Does he have anything to do with this?”

“Um, not directly. But I already asked him for your hand in marriage. For the second time, he gave his blessing. Said he’d do whatever it took to get Summers out of your life. He even joked he’d rather have a baby kisser than a baby killer as his son-in-law.”

Oh God. I stopped fighting the restraints and closed my eyes for a moment. When I opened them again, I took a deep breath and spoke in the calmest voice I could muster. “What else?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, a deep frown forming between his eyes.

“How much money did he pledge to your next campaign?”

It was starting to fall into place. My father would sponsor Nolan to stop me from being with Harrison. It was all about money and power, and never about me. I was nothing more to Nolan than a way to my father’s checkbook and ultimately a possession he owned.

“It wasn’t like that. It was just an implication. But I know Bill is good for a few million.”

What had I done to deserve this? The only man who probably wanted nothing from me for his own gain was Ryder.

Nolan gave me a lopsided grin. It was the same smile that used to make my heart skip a beat. Now it left my heart cold. I’d seen the real man behind the fake smile, and he creeped the fuck out of me. How I’d be able to keep to my side of the bargain, I had absolutely no idea.

“Since you’ve agreed to marry me tomorrow, I guess we have something to celebrate.”

He shifted closer to me, leaning on his elbows as he hovered over me.

“Um . . .” I licked over my lips as nerves got the better of me. Silence stretched out between us, and my heart pounded in my ears as I floundered and my throat grew too tight to speak.