Beneath His Darkness (Healing Hearts #3) (35 page)

“When you were fucking Victoria, I got jealous, but I knew you would tire of her neediness.  Mel was a necessity, but this one…she got under your skin.  I’ve been watching her pull you apart and take away the best parts of you.  I can’t have that, lover.  She’s really not good for you.”

Fear fills me with the way he talks about me and the women who have been in my life.  He’s acting like he’s my significant other and these women have been keeping me from him.  I’m scared of what he has planned for Cammie.  I don’t think he plans to let her leave here at all.

“You were such a great specimen to watch.  So moody and you could be so cruel.  Those were my favorite moments.  I love when you make them cry.”  He appears turned on by the thought.

“How the hell did you see any of that?” I ask.  These were private moments between me and these women.  Davyd shouldn’t know about them.

He laughs, like I’m the butt of some great joke.  “I can’t believe, with how smart you are, you never figured it out.”  He laughs again.  “I’ve had cameras in your place for months.  The entire place is wired.”

“Wh-what?  How?  I’ve never left you in my apartment,” I stutter.  I’m in shock, but it now makes sense.  He was always one step ahead of me.

“Hmm, not yet.  You haven’t earned the truth about me, but soon.”

He strolls over, grips my cheeks in his fingers, and slams his lips to mine.  I try to fight him off, but I have nowhere to go.

Rage burns so deep within me, I’m afraid I’ll incinerate on the spot.  How dare he kidnap and put his hands on us?  I will find a way out of this and I will kill this motherfucker.

“Keep this warmed up for me,” he mocks, grabbing my dick.

I grunt out a warning as he walks over to Cammie with a smile on his face.  He better pray he doesn’t touch her.

“He didn’t tell you, did he, sweet girl?”  I’m going to fucking kill him if he doesn’t shut up now.  Davyd peers back at me with that damn smirk and then looks back at her.  I can’t watch, knowing what she’s about to hear.  “I had him first, buttercup.”

Davyd leaves the room, whistling.  Cammie is crying and I’m plotting his death.  This morning, I thought life couldn’t get any worse, but I was wrong.

It can always get worse.

Chapter Forty

Cammie

When the driver revealed himself to be Davyd, I knew I was in trouble.  Eddie told me he had disappeared.  I had no idea how he played into all of this or why he was taking me, but when he pulled over a couple streets from Grant’s building, the real horror began.

He turned to me and with a presence I can only describe as evil, told me I should have never gotten involved with Grant.  I was confused so I blurted out the first thing that popped in my head.

“What does my friendship with Grant have to do with anything?  Why are you doing this?”

He laughs, sending shivers down my spine.  I fail to find humor in any of this, but he’s smiling ear to ear.  It’s not friendly…no, it’s the smile of a maniac about to bring his lamb to slaughter.

“You, buttercup, taught Grant what feelings are and that is not a good thing.”

Buttercup?  Grant only ever says that for me to hear.  How the hell does he know my nickname?

“What do his feelings for me matter to you?”  Nothing Davyd is saying makes sense.

“He stopped being fun to play with and you are going to help me remind him of who he really is.  Nighty, night, now, buttercup.”

The glass divider starts to rise and before I can ask him where he’s taking me, I hear a sound I can’t place.  It’s almost like a puff of air.  His voice comes through the backseat, loud in my ears, like he’s sitting beside me.  “It’s better if you don’t fight.”

Fight.  Fight what?

It becomes clear a minute later when I start to feel woozy.  The way he laughed as the divider rose and the maniacal look in his eyes rushes back to me and I want to scream.  Few people in life can create true terror in others.  The type of fear that makes your heart afraid to beat, your lungs afraid to produce air, your eyes afraid to blink.  I’m trapped in a car with a madman.  My mom’s hugs and my dad’s kisses on my head slam into my vision.  The promises I made to show Grant he’s a good man tug at my heart.  I’m never going to see them again because I’m never making it home.  I looked into Davyd’s eyes and I saw his true face…he’s a killer.

When I woke up, I was slightly disoriented, but I knew right away someone had undressed me.  I was able to quickly realize I was only in my bra and panties.  Although the room was warm, goose bumps covered my skin.  I began to fear Davyd planned to use my body as a way to torture Grant.  Tears started falling down my cheeks and I was helpless to stop them.

My fears weren’t baseless.  When Davyd came into the room, he eyed me from head to toe, and the comment he made had my skin trying to crawl off my bones. 
“What a pawn you’ll make.  Smile for the camera, buttercup.”

He shoved a gag in my mouth and snapped a few shots with his cell.  I tried looking away, not wanting to be any part of his game to hurt Grant.  I had accepted he was not letting me leave here alive, but I wouldn’t roll over and play dead for this bastard either.  I planned to fight him with every ounce of life I had in me.

That changed when Grant was dragged in unconscious, only in his underwear.  His head flopped around and the men dragging him were not gentle about running Grant into things.  Davyd’s two goons had masks over their faces, but they kept saying how happy the boss was going to be with them and how they couldn’t wait to see what their reward was going to be as they locked Grant’s chains in place.  What kind of sick fuckers drugged people and chained them to walls in their undergarments to earn rewards?

I had planned to fight Davyd just to show him I wouldn’t go out easily, but it became about fighting so Grant could get out of here alive.  I knew Grant was going to feel the same way.  It gave me a tiny ray of hope, but the longer Grant didn’t wake up, the harder it was to stay strong.

My hope is now gone.

Davyd dropped the bomb that he was Grant’s lover.  I didn’t want to believe it, but the defeat in Grant’s eyes when I glanced his way and his inability to look back at me spoke the truth.  As vile as Davyd is, his words were true.  It felt like someone jammed their fist through my ribs, grabbed ahold of my heart, ripped it from my chest, and then stood there, showing me the last remaining beats.  It reduced me to a sobbing mess and I hated my weakness.

I think it’s morning now and I had a long, restless night chained next to a man I thought I knew.  He didn’t say a word to me.  Not an “
I’m sorry you’re in this mess because of me”
, or an
“I can explain.” 
Nothing.  He remained stoic, staring at the door Davyd disappeared through.

I could hear Davyd and who knows how many others talking for a while.  I wish there was a clock so I could keep track, but I wonder whether that would be worse.  Would I count down every minute we’re locked in this room?

“They will bring us food.”  It startles me to hear Grant’s voice.  “It’s probably going to be drugged in some way, but you need to eat a little of it anyway.”

“If it’s drugged, why should I eat it?” I ask, bewildered by his statement.

“We can’t afford to get malnourished or dehydrated.  Somehow, I will get you out of here.  Try to sleep when you can.  You’ll need as much energy as possible.  Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Who the hell does he think he is?  MacGyver?  I quickly scan the room, but I don’t see any string, gum wrappers, or any other small item he can turn into a weapon or lock pick.

“Camilla, are you paying attention to what I’m saying?  I’m trying to keep you alive and I can’t have this conversation with you again.  I’m sure they’re listening to what we’re saying.  This was risky enough.”

I chance a glance to the side and his serious face is peering at me.  I nod at him, afraid of the words that will come from my mouth.  He nods back and I can see our conversing is over.  Grant is back to shutting me out.

A little while later, the door opens.  My entire body tenses.  I’m not prepared for the person who enters the room.  Does everyone lie about who they fucking are?

“Emma!” I gasp.

Chapter Forty One

Grant

“Davyd, you fucking coward.  You send your wife in to do your dirty work?” I scream when Emma walks in carrying our breakfast on a tray.  Shock takes over my brain.  How can she be a part of this?

“He’s not here, Grant.  Screaming won’t help you,” she says sweetly.

“You can let us go then,” Cammie cries out.

Emma ignores her.  There’s no sympathy for us in this woman.  I can see it in the lack of emotions on her face.  Davyd has turned her into his puppet and he’s pulling her strings.  He seems to do that a lot.

Emma stands in front of me and starts putting food to my face.  After a few bites, I turn my head and refuse to take anymore.  Emma huffs in frustration, but it only humors me.

“Drink this,” she says, bringing a glass of orange juice to my lips.  I drink a few sips and pull my lips away, allowing the liquid to spill down my front.  “Dammit!  You’re more stubborn than Davyd said you’d be.  He’ll change that.”

She walks over to Cammie and starts the same process with her.  Pride fills me as she accepts the offering in the same way I did.  Emma slams out of the room, apparently worried she let down her man.

“Why were you involved with Davyd?” Cammie whispers.

I would rather have Davyd fuck me a thousand more times than have to answer Cammie.  She’s already been compromised because of my decisions.  Does spelling out my heinous acts bring us any closer to getting out of here?  I remain silent as I once again scan the room for anything that will help us.  There’s nothing and again, I’m sickened by the bed in the middle of the floor.

What exactly does Davyd have planned for us?

“You can’t keep ignoring me, Grant.  I’m going to lose my fucking mind.  All this quiet just makes me think—”

“He got me the scripts.”  I can’t have her telling me what she thinks Davyd will do to her body.  I need to keep my wits about me.

“I know that already, but he said you were lovers.”

“I did what I had to do.  Doesn’t mean I enjoyed it.”

“Oh, he enjoyed it.  Every inch of me entering him, over and over,” Davyd mocks.

I hadn’t heard him enter.  Son of a bitch.

“There’s a reason you’re chained.  Grant likes the weight and feeling of being controlled, don’t you, lover?”

“Fuck you.”  I’m fuming at his blatant lies.

“I plan to, lover.  I want Cammie to see how sweet your ass is, but first…I need a taste of her.”

“No!  Don’t you fucking dare!”  I’m screaming and thrashing, feeling the chains cut into my skin.  I’ve never felt so hopeless and enraged.  He saunters over to Cammie and her fear is heavy in the room.  Sweat forms on my skin as I continue to fight my restraints.  “Leave her the fuck alone!  I’m going to fucking kill you!”

My words have no effect.  He runs his finger up her thigh as I watch in horror.  Cammie stares at me and I start praying to God he’ll stop this.  Not my buttercup, please.

He begins to walk two fingers across her panties, his eyes blazing with arousal.  My screams for him to stop do nothing.  I’m terrified as he slips his fingers beneath the fabric.  Blood starts dripping down my wrists as I see his fingers disappear between her legs.  A single tear falls down Cammie’s face and I know I will stop at nothing to kill this man.

It feels like his fingers are inside of her for forever.  When he pulls them out, he brings them to his mouth and licks them clean.  “Mm.  Very good year.  You’ve aged well.”

Motherfucker!

He walks over to me, pulls something from his back pocket, and before I can see what it is, he jabs me with a needle.  “You should have eaten the food, but don’t worry, you’ll learn to comply.”

My world goes black.

When I wake up, I’m chained, face down on the bed, completely naked.  God no!  I start pulling on the chains, but there’s no give.  My eyes scan the room, looking for the twisted fucker who put me here, but it’s just Cammie and I.  Her eyes are red and swollen from crying.

“He had masked men drag you to the bed.  I’m sorry I can’t tell you more.”

“Shh, buttercup.  You didn’t cause this.”

I can’t talk to or look at her, so I turn my face in the other direction and leave her to her sobbing.  I need to think and seeing her chained to a wall is distracting me.

“Sleeping beauty awakes and without even getting true love’s kiss.  I would have helped with that, lover.”

I want to vomit at the insinuation.  I’d gladly lay here and drown in it if it would keep me from being touched by him, but I know nothing will stop what is about to happen.  It doesn’t mean I’ll make this easy.

I don’t watch him, refusing to give him any satisfaction, but the sounds cause my anxiety to rise.  Footsteps pound, clothing rustles, and the telltale sound of a zipper echoes in my ears.  I’ve never felt so exposed in my life.  The bed sinks between my open legs and I swallow loudly.  At least, it sounds loud to me.  Everything does.

The first touch of his hand to my calf causes me to jolt.

“Relax, lover.  We both know you enjoy this.  I’ve seen how you smile when I enter you.”

He can’t be fucking serious.  The only time I’ve smiled is when I envision snapping his fucking neck.  How can he think I enjoy this when I’ve never gotten a damn erection?

His hand trails up my leg and slaps my ass.  “Love that tight ass.”

A few seconds later, I feel him crawl over me. his weight hovering like an impending storm cloud.  You know the thunder is coming, you just wait for the first crack to strike, and then all hell breaks loose.

Cammie’s whispered, “No,” hits me in the gut.  I start thrashing as the violation begins.  I can hear her begging Davyd to stop as I fight with all I have.  I may have taken her virginity, but she’s still innocent.  This is going to leave a wound that will never heal.