Captive Heroes (9 page)

He nodded to the fish. “It is not laced with any drugs, if that is what you fear. I may have lived with the Death Valley Boys, but I did not adapt nor agree to their ways.”

Whoa.
This was nuts.

“You lived with the Death Valley Boys?”

“Jarod and I. Yes.”

“Jarod…that’s the guy Piper is interested in, right?”

He nodded and bit into his fish. The crunch of his chewing and the succulent scent wafting off the warm fish made her mouth water some more.

“And these…Boys, they laced the food with drugs?”
What kind? Why?

His full lips dipped into a frown and his eyes glittered with intense seriousness.

“Many of the women taken during the Slave Uprising were…uncooperative. The males used the same techniques on the females as were used on the males. Eat your fish.”

Kayla couldn’t wait any longer. Taking a bite, she gasped in surprise at the moist explosion of flavors against her taste buds. Outside the fish was crispy and savory. Inside the white meat literally melted in her mouth. Okay, so she didn’t hate fish anymore. She took another bite, and then another.

Gosh, it tasted good and she was famished. Within minutes, she had devoured the two fish.

Damned if she didn’t want more. She eyed the one fish left on Taylor’s stick.

“Go ahead, eat it. I have more on the fire.”

More? Heaven! There is a God!

They ate silently and Kayla helped herself to three more fish as Taylor brought them over to her one by one. Oh yeah, she liked this treatment of him serving her. Liked it a lot.

“Where in the world did you learn to cook like this? You should be a chef in some exotic restaurant,” Kayla gushed as she licked her fingers, wishing for an ice-cold beer to wash down the wonderful flavors tingling on her tongue.

“What is a chef?” he asked, one eyebrow cocked in question.

“A cook, someone who gets paid a lot of money for their services.”

“Servicing females is done for free. Always has been. Unless you are assigned to Brothel Town. Then your owner gets the payment.”

“Were you in Brothel Town?” Kayla asked. She wanted to know everything there was to know about this man.

“Yes, many times,” he admitted and gazed up at the sky, acting totally at ease with the conversation.

“And I suppose you serviced many women?”

“That was what the females wanted.” His gaze darkened to what she surmised was anger as he lowered his eyes from the sky to study her. “I do not do what females require of me anymore. I am a free man. I intend to remain free. I would die before I accept captivity with a female again.”

Okay, no relationship with this guy
.

He suddenly stood. Yep, he was pissed, if the way the muscles in his cheeks twitched was any indication.

“Go to the river and drink as much as you can. We need to travel.”

Sweet need ripped through her as she followed his command and on extremely tender tootsies headed down to the creek. The cool sand sifted like heaven through her toes and the heat of their earlier sexual tryst rose though her as she stepped into the water.

She remembered every hard thrust, every pleasure grunt of his—as well as her whimpers of arousal—along with the intoxicating way he’d held her hips as he’d fucked her.

Think about drinking the water. Don’t think about the creamy wetness between your thighs or the fantastic way he filled you.

Cupping her hands, she dipped them into the water and drank as much as she could. Her heart twisted in disappointment when she turned around and found him kicking sand into the fire. She’d hoped he would join her, fuck her again.

Well, he’d certainly made it clear he wouldn’t do what a woman wanted him to do, so no use asking him to put her out of her sexual misery. Thankfully though, the need for sex wasn’t insane as it had been earlier. The need was more pleasant…kind of like a sexual attraction should be.

After drinking her fill, she forced herself to get out of the river. When she met up with him at the covered campfire, the bed of ferns had disappeared along with their tracks in the sand.

“We will follow the river. Stay in the water. I will meet with you as soon as I make sure all the evidence of our meal is gone. Then I will track back a little and set a false trail. Go that way.” He pointed to her right and then rushed off into the nearby woods.

She stared at the area where he’d just disappeared. Dark and spooky. No way was she going back in there. The water looked much more inviting.

She stepped into the river and began heading the way he’d instructed. She’d forgotten to ask him if—after he took her to Piper—he would then take them to her brothers. Come to think of it, he really hadn’t said much else about her brothers and had steered the conversation away from that subject.

She thought about calling out to him, but then a nasty low grumble of thunder roared far off in the distance. The ominous warning made her pick up her speed.

Chapter Five

Stunned disbelief wrapped around Kinley’s neck like a hangman’s rope. How could she not realize he was real? He’d just finger-fucked her
again
for God’s sake. How had this happened? And he was smiling down at her! A confident, smirky, I-caught-you smile.

Well, screw him! There was no way this guy would lay another finger on her.

Rage unlike any she’d ever experienced roared through her. Rage mixed with lust. She’d had fantasies of this moment, of him capturing her. But it had always been fantasy fun. This was not fun.

If she hung around, he would overpower her. Just as he had when he’d previously captured her. But this time was different. Even as she struggled to get up in order to make a run for it, he was already leaning over her. His big body gently guided her to the ground, his heavy weight pushing her deep into the fern bed she’d made for herself. She swallowed at the panic when the hard knot of his arousal pressed intimately between her thighs.

She was trapped and something snapped inside of her. She didn’t want to be in this position. Didn’t want it at all!

Lifting her arms, she pounded her fists against him, targeting the knife wound she’d sliced into his arm. But it was bandaged and, to her frustration, he didn’t so much as flinch as she hit him. She quickly moved to attacking other parts of his body, but her blows merely bounced off his hard, lean muscles. His powerful legs were tangled with hers, making them useless. A head butt was in order, but when she tried to get into position, he merely moved his chest a bit off her and his face farther away.

Damn him! He’d thought of all the angles of escape, hadn’t he? Smug bastard.

She was caught. Caught! Dammit!

“You belong to me,” he growled. His black eyes glittered with triumph and Kinley held her breath as he dipped his head and brushed her lips with his. It was an erotic, featherlight touch. Ever so gentle. Ever so teasing. Very nice though.

Stop it
! This is serious shit!

If he kissed her again, she would bite his lips and bite off his tongue.

He chuckled but didn’t attempt another kiss.

God, could this guy read her mind?

“I will let you watch. The next time I do it,” he murmured softly.

The next time…what was he talking about? And then suddenly she understood. He knew she’d been watching him when he’d masturbated. Of course! He’d been waiting for her last night. He must have been waiting, and then he’d followed her back here.

He’d let her come closer to him over the past couple of days. He’d let her get comfortable so she could sneak into his camp and grab some food. Then he’d followed her. And she’d fallen for it.

Stupid, stupid, stupid woman.

“Do you remember my name this time?” he whispered.

She threw a fuming stare at him. “Get off me,” she ground out between gritted teeth.

He didn’t move. Like she’d expected him to? Not.

“I am called Blackie. Do you remember?” His eyes narrowed with concern as he studied her.

“I remember you. I wish I didn’t.”

There. That remark wiped away his concern.

He glared at her. “I own you now. You belong to me. I will do whatever I wish to you and you will accept this. You will accept me.”

Arrogant, wasn’t he?

“You don’t own me and I will never accept you! I will escape the first chance I get.”

“I enjoy your fire,” he taunted and her gaze flew to the pink tip of his tongue as it peeked out from between his lips. Suddenly, she longed for him to kiss her again.

She was a total dunce for thinking such a thing.

She’d killed his friend. He wanted revenge. He was probably going to kill her. Okay, she needed to keep calm. Too bad they weren’t role-playing. It might have been fun. Yes, by the lusty glaze in his eyes, he certainly did enjoy this situation.

“You will be good in bed.” The confident way he spoke made her cheeks flame.

“Get off me or I swear I will kill you.”

At her comment, his dark eyes darkened even more—if that were possible.

“I must get off you? Why? Because the law forbids my being on top, female? Because
you
wish to be on top?”

The sexual insinuation merely threw more fire onto her anger. But she forced herself to tamp it down.

Save your strength, Kinley
.
You’ll need it to escape
.
Or to meet his every thrust as he fucks you.

She blew out a frustrated breath.
Shit!
She wanted to escape, yet at the same time she wanted his fingers thrusting into her pussy again. Wanted the sex again, but it could never be because he wanted her dead!

“You do not need to fear me. I did not know you were being attacked. I was away from the camp when he came. I am sorry I did not react quicker. I was shocked.”

Join the club, buddy.

Okay, so he said he wouldn’t hurt her, but could she believe him?

Naïve thinking, girl.

The man saw her murder his friend. The man experienced her violence when she stabbed him.

He will hurt you if you try to hurt him again. It’s called self-defense
.

“Kinley.” Her name rolled off his tongue like magical music and she liked the way he pronounced it. “A beautiful name for my warrior woman.”

Warrior woman? Oh for Pete’s sake!

“Okay, listen to me, Mr. Blackie. I need to tell you straight up what is going on. I need for you to get me out of these woods and back to civilization.”

So I can figure out who the hell I am. And get away from this sexual haze that captures me every time I’m with you or even look at you…despite you probably wanting me dead
.

Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. Had she insulted him in some way?

“I do not follow females’ instructions anymore. Not ever,” he snapped. “I have told you I will not hurt you. That does not mean I must submit to any commands of a female. I am a male of my word. But you are still my captive.” His face had grown red with anger and Kinley shivered at the pure lust splashing into his eyes.

“The Boys will make you see who is in charge now, female.”

The Boys? To her surprise he produced a collar from somewhere beside him. Something wild and warm slithered through her. Instead of panicking, she felt totally opposite. Serene.

Within the blink of an eye he’d climbed off her and pulled her to sitting.

Now
! Run!

She would have done it too, but he clamped a soft, black leather material around her throat and snapped it shut. A tiny beep echoed through the air.

Somewhere deep inside her a zing of peacefulness, or maybe it was surrender, zipped through her. He had her now. There would be no escape. Besides, the leash appeared electronic. Where the hell kind of place was she when guys ran around almost naked, living like savages off the land, yet had an electronic-controlled collar? She had to be on some rich guy’s secret island or something. This must be some BDSM game and she was the bait for this guy.

He held tight to a black leather leash and twisted the other end of it around his wrist. If she made a dash for it, she’d be taking him along for the ride…or he’d break her neck if he yanked hard enough.

“That’s right, my warrior woman. Stay still and surrender to it.”

She bit back a sharp retort about him calling her a warrior and remained silent. No use arguing. He held the reins, so to speak. He looked down beside him and she followed his gaze. Her breath backed up in her lungs. Not because the collar around her neck was too tight. What surprised her was the arrangement of items he’d laid out at the foot of her fern bed while she’d slept.

Despite the arrow of panic searing into her, sensual shivers whipped through her at the sight of the chains and the clamps.

Damn her. Had she gone sex-crazy? Some hot stranger—who until moments ago she thought meant to kill her—had her in a collar and leash and, from the gear he’d spread out, had every intention of making her his sex slave.

And she was aroused?

Maybe her arousal had to do with something in the air she was breathing.
This is not Earth.
And how did she know this was not Earth?

Kinley shook those thoughts aside as a calming voice from somewhere at the back of her mind told her if he’d planned on killing her, he would have done it by now. Wouldn’t he?

Yes, she had to keep that thought in her head. Based on what she had recently recalled, her memory was going to come back slowly. In the meantime, she needed to stay as calm as possible and escape the brute the minute she had the opportunity.

“I know being captive frightens you, but you will get used to it. I will enjoy pleasuring you and I will teach you how to pleasure me.”

“Never,” she replied coolly, avoiding his gaze and the slave gear on the ground. “Obviously this is what the creep meant when he said you were training me.”

“He was correct. I will train you to crave sex from whichever male demands it from you. Life is easier for females after the training.”

Great. Just fucking great.

“I said never, buddy. And I mean N-E-V-E-R.”

“I’ve heard many of the females say this word ‘never’ after they arrived in Death Valley. But the Boys have been trained all their lives to pleasure and please. They know the weaknesses of a female’s body and now they use them quite expressively against their females. I will find your weaknesses.”

Who the hell were these Boys? Damn. The collar was her weakness. The surrender, the submissiveness sliding through her bloodstream the instant that collar had snapped around her neck attested to that fact.

He smiled at her silence.

“Good, you know when to hold your tongue. Now hold out your hands.”

“No,” she spat and hid her hands behind her back so he couldn’t get them. She knew what he wanted to do. She’d seen the leather wrist cuffs and other things.

Her pussy creamed. Oh God, she was nuts!

“If you don’t wish me to cuff your hands, then I assume
you
wish to do what needs to be done.”

Damn him!

“I’ll do it,” she muttered. If
she
did what he wanted, she had at least some semblance of momentary control.

He swooped over to grab something from the ground and she couldn’t help but notice the crisscrossed scars lacing his body. Thick slabs of marred flesh twisted across his tanned back and shoulders, dipping lower to disappear below the breechclout slung oh so low on his hips. No wonder he hadn’t reacted to her punching his wounded arm. He’d experienced much more violence than what she’d dished out.

The thought of slamming her fists down on his neck in an effort to escape came too late. He straightened in record time and held up the items.

They were beautiful, she had to admit. Slave chains—delicate, silver chains that were interlaced with glittering, ruby-red gemstones. She tried hard not to look at the clamps and loops attached, but for some insane, inexplicable reason, her gaze latched on to the items and her pussy creamed some more.

Oh God! This couldn’t be turning her on!

“By the way you watch the training gear, I see you are impressed. I made it myself. Made it with you in mind, days ago when I thought you were the woman in Death Valley with Jarod. But the lack of a scar on that woman’s belly made me realize I had the wrong female. She was someone who looked exactly like you, but she was not you.”

Someone who looked like her? Something fluttered in the blank depths of Kinley’s brain. Something just out of reach. And then it was gone. Anger reared through her again, replacing the submissiveness. She needed to escape him and she needed to escape now!

He easily caught her wrists as she prepared to attack him.

“You bastard, let me go!” she screamed, wanting to gouge out his eyes.

He yanked her wrists around until he held her with one hand. He slapped on first one cuff and then the other. Each time the lock hit home it beeped, signaling it was secure. She was effectively cuffed and only a couple of inches of leather hung between her wrists.

He pulled her against him and his entire upper body pressed intimately to hers.

Heat. Masculine heat and hard flesh melted along her curves.

She swallowed as his strength dominated her.

“You belong to me, female,” he breathed. “At least for now. By the time we reach the Boys I am to have you properly trained. They will know you killed the leader and they will be both angry at you for killing him and aroused at your bravery for doing so. They will want to mount you. You need to be craving the sex, regardless if they are not tender.”

The serious tone in his voice and the firm coolness blazing in his eyes reeled in her anger.

“Where is she?” Kinley asked through gritted teeth. “Where is this woman who looks like me? Where does she come from?” Maybe it was her he’d seen? Maybe she belonged with the guy named Jarod.