Heart of the Woolf (Woolf Series) (14 page)

Her lips firmed stubbornly, although her heart pounded in
fear. Cold sweat broke out along her body. “I won’t tell you anything!”

He didn’t speak. He just started cutting up her shirt.

She twisted and turned, trying to evade him.
Jake, Jake,
she sobbed in her mind. All she got for her efforts were bloody nicks on her
upper body where the scissors got to her skin. In the end, her torn-up shirt
lay on the floor beside him.

The ropes binding her bit into her skin.
Jake ...

He palmed one of her breasts that peeked out from between the
ropes.

She squirmed away.
Jake ... Do this for Jake ...

He slapped her wherever his hand could land.

She whimpered. Her breasts ached from the blows.
Jake ...
Stay alive ... for Jake ...

He held her still with one hand, and with the other, he
squeezed one breast. A rapturous expression came over his face. He closed his
eyes, as if savoring the sensations as he kneaded her breast.

Careful not to disturb his trance-like state, she asked in a
timid voice, “Who asked you to find out about David?”

“I was just out of prison, after 12 years. An Englishman
approached me, obviously rich by his clothing and the stack of bills he waved
under my nose. He told me what to do, and where to find you. He said I could
have as much money as I want. I could also have you, if I want. And yes, I
want,” he said, breathing hard.

“What’s his name?”

“I don’t know,” he answered, his voice distracted. “He
always ... called me.”

Adrienne felt ... nothing. She didn’t really need the
answer; she knew who it was. A confirmation would be good though. She might not
be his real daughter, but she never thought ... How could her stepfather
do this to her?

She was sure that he was the mastermind behind the plot to
get David back. After all, she stole David right from underneath his nose. Her
stepfather, who was one of the richest men in the United Kingdom. Her stepfather,
who had loved her like a daughter, but was now ... now ...

The villain’s trademark evil laughter filled the air. “Yes, I
think I’ll have you before we continue the interrogation. Maybe you’ll be more
compliant afterward.” His mouth replaced his hand. He sucked and bit her
breast, her nipple.

It hurt. It hurt everywhere. Tears pricked her eyes.

Jake ...

Yes, she would think of Jake as she died.

Chapter
Eleven

Jake drove like a maniac through town, dodging honking cars
and running red lights. Fortunately, there was nary a policeman in sight. But
even if there had been, he wouldn’t have cared. He’d gladly spend the time
behind bars and drive all the inmates nuts.

He squealed to a stop in front of his apartment. He sat there,
the car’s motor running, and slumped over the steering wheel. He didn’t want to
move. He didn’t care if he solidified into a stone right where he was.

He dropped his hand onto the passenger seat and groped for
the half-full bottle of whiskey. He’d bought the bottle after he’d stumbled out
of Adrienne’s flat, needing to find solace in the one thing that had a chance
of causing him to forget, even if only for a little while. He’d been drinking
as soon as he’d fled her apartment, trying to drink himself into oblivion the
whole afternoon, to erase the words that still blazed across his mind.
Unfortunately, it took a lot of booze to make him drunk.

He gripped the bottle around the neck and brought it to his
lips, guzzling the fiery liquid like water. It burned as it slid down his
throat, but it couldn’t burn out the memory of the terrible words that she had
thrown at him.

One man is not enough for me.

He wasn’t enough for her. He could never be enough. He didn’t
measure up. Even with Lila, he hadn’t felt his inadequacy so keenly, so
helplessly.

He dumped the rest of the whiskey over his face, threw back
his head and howled out his unhappiness.

A rap on the window stopped him in mid-howl.

Jared. He was gesturing for Jake to open the passenger door
and allow Jared to get into the car.

Jake shook his head. He stared stubbornly ahead. He wanted to
be alone. He didn’t want any of his family to witness another one of his
failures. The last time was bad enough. He tried to ignore the small voice
telling him to open the door, tried to resist its enticing pull, but in the
end, Jared’s will was still stronger. He released the door locks.

“I hate it when you pull rank on me,” Jake said as the door
opened.

“Perks of being the head of the pack.” Jared slipped into the
passenger seat, which had escaped Jake’s impromptu whiskey dunk. He wrinkled
his nose. “Whew! What have you been doing? Your car stinks.”

Jake remained silent, his head leaning back against the seat
rest, his eyes closed as the fire water dripped down from his face.

“What’s up? Your secretary said you rushed out of the office
in pursuit of a demon.”

“You can say that.”

“So, what’s up?” Jared scrutinized his younger brother. “What
happened to you? You look terrible.”

Jake’s lips twisted. What the hell. Jared would find out,
sooner or later. He might as well know now. “You are looking at Lila II.” At
Jared’s blank look, he elaborated, “You know, World War I, World War II. Well,
this is Lila II.”

“Adrienne?”

Jake nodded.

Jared clasped Jake’s shoulder. “Sorry, bro.”

Jake shook his head.

“C’mon, let’s head to the nearest bar; I’m in the mood for a
drink.”

Jake really didn’t want to; he preferred to be alone, but he
knew his brother’s good intentions. “Your treat?”

“Sure, any --”

Jake ...

He straightened abruptly.

Jared turned alert. “What is it?”

Jake faced Jared with wonder and bewilderment befuddling his
thinking. “Adrienne. I heard her ... calling me.”

Jared looked at him sharply. “Calling you? You were never
able to ‘hear’ anyone before.”

“I know.” Jake nodded. “It’s coming again.” Fear clutched his
heart. “She’s in trouble.”

“How do you know?”

“I can hear it in her voice.” Jake fumbled with the key in
the ignition and tried to start the car. His fingers slipped, once, twice. He
realized with a start that his heart was beating too fast and that his skin was
clammy with perspiration. He laid his head on the steering wheel and took in
several deep breaths. Feeling calmer and his heartbeat slowing, he finally got
a grip on the key and turned the ignition. “I’ve got to go -- No, wait.
She’s not at her flat. Jared, we have to find her.”

“Why should we?” Jared was assessing him with steady eyes.
“She left you high and dry. I say we go ahead to the bar and leave her to fend
for her --”

Jake gunned the engine, anger and fear snaking their vicious
way into his heart. “Get out of the car!”

Jared placed a steady hand on Jake’s arm. “Cool down, bro, I
was just joking. How can we find her if you can’t think clearly? Now, take a
deep breath. There. Another. Okay, did Adrienne say where she is?”

Jake closed his eyes to concentrate better. He took another
deep breath, forcing out the panic and fear. He couldn’t afford to miss
Adrienne’s voice. He needed to find her, like he needed air and water to
survive.

Jake ... I’m so sorry ...

Adri, there’s nothing to be sorry about,
he whispered
from his heart.
Tell me where you are, honey. Tell me, so I can find you.

Incredibly, he could sense her. As long as her voice kept
coming, he could pinpoint her general direction.

He opened his eyes. “She’s to the west of us. Jared, we
better change places. You drive, and I’ll navigate.” His voice was grim as he
added, “I hope we get there in time.”

* * * * *

Jake ...

The villain mauled her other breast. He pulled up her skirt
and insinuated one blunt finger into her cunt, rubbing roughly.

She was dry. She couldn’t become wet for him, even if it
meant her life.

He made an angry exclamation and snatched up the scissors
again. He cut away her skirt in a frenzy, sometimes nicking her flesh. One
particularly careless cut stabbed deeply into her thigh, spurting blood.

The pain awakened her from her stupor. Why was she taking
this lying down, literally? Why was she waiting for death when she had so much
to live for? Nobody knew she was here. It was up to her to save herself!

All right, Adrienne, think! What should you do first?

She forced herself to smile at her captor. “Hey, handsome,
since we’re going to be so intimate, it’s a bit unseemly that I don’t even know
your name.”

He grunted. “Charlie.”

She batted her eyelashes up at him. “Well, Charlie, I think
it would be more pleasurable for you if you untie me, you know. Just think, I
can hold you close in my arms. Also --” Her lashes lowered. “-- how
can you -- how can we have sex with my legs tied like this?”

He sat back on his haunches. Sweat dotted his forehead. An
obvious struggle was going on inside his mind.

To tip the scales in her favor, she stretched and planted a
kiss on his chin, licking his flesh in the process. She kept her expression
sensuous, though she wanted to gag at his taste. “I want to be able to grip you
with my legs ...”

He sneered at her. “You’re hot for me, aren’t you? Slut,
slut, slut!” With each word, he snipped at the ropes securing her. Several
minutes passed as he sawed at the thick ropes, struggling to break through them
with the scissors.

Adrienne suffered every insulting word, every grope and
squeeze of his fumbling hands. She felt separated from her person, as if her
spirit had detached itself from her body and was floating above, watching.
Physically, she bided her time, waiting for the last length of rope to fall
away from her, waiting ... waiting ...

He gathered the rope into one untidy ball and threw it to one
side.

She raised her knees and opened her legs, forcing a smile.
Blood from her numerous scissor wounds trickled down her calf and dripped onto
the floor.

He moved eagerly between her thighs.

She held up a hand. “Wait!”

“What?” He roared. “Are you playing with me?”

“You haven’t taken off your pants,” she said, lower lip
protruding in a fake pout.

He leered. “Oh yeah, I forgot.” He stood up and took off his
pants and underwear. His cock sprang out, short and stumpy.

“Oooh,” she cooed, “well, come on, big guy, what are you
waiting for?”

He knelt down between her legs, not appearing to mind the
blood red rivulets on various parts of her legs.

Her foot shot out, aiming for his groin.

“Ow!” The impact sent him sideways to the left, clutching
that side of his crotch. “You bitch!”

Drat! She missed! Blast her wounds; they hurt too much! She
sprang up and hobbled as fast as she could toward the door.

“Get back here!”

Her hand closed over the doorknob. Two meaty hands closed
around her waist and dragged her forcefully away from the door. She struggled
and twisted and writhed. She flailed and thrashed, swinging her hands and
kicking her feet with desperate strength, determined to hit him, resolved to
bring him down. Her leg wounds stung and ached, but she ignored them. Her
elbows poked into his chest. By some lucky stroke, she stabbed his thigh with
the heel of her foot. Hard.

His hands tightened until she fought to draw a breath.

“You bitch!” He threw her on top of the bed and towered over
her, breathing heavily from his exertions.

Winded, she stared up at him, heart thudding in fear. In a
quick, surprise move, she rolled off the bed and hit the floor running.

A roar of rage sounded from behind her, and then she was
tackled to the floor. The breath was knocked out of her. Her face smacked hard
on the concrete. Her nose bled.

He flipped her onto her back, fury etched on his face. His
eyes burned with an unholy anger. His lips twisted into a snarl. “You played me
for a fool!” He caught her hands and pinned them above her head. With some
maneuvering, he subdued her legs with his thighs.

He was so heavy. She was losing the feeling in her legs, felt
crushed beneath his weight. She tried to fight him, but she couldn’t even move
her limbs. She had no strength left. He slobbered against her neck. She shook
her head, trying to escape his touch. His cock nudged against her pussy. Tears
of frustration and helplessness pricked her eyes. “No ... no ...
no ...”

The door banged open. Loud growls filled the small room, like
that of predator cats or wolves.

Adrienne’s head snapped in that direction, and she opened her
eyes. Tears threatened to spill again, but never was there a more welcomed
sight. Her breath caught on a sob.
Jake’s here, Jake’s here,
her mind
chanted.

Jake’s massive body filled the doorway. The voice that issued
from his throat was deep and harsh. “Take. Your. Hands. Off. Her.” In a fast
blur, he ate up the distance separating them. He hooked one hand around
Charlie’s neck. His fingers tightened.

Charlie turned purple. His eyes bulged with terror. His hands
slackened.

Jake growled. “Since you can’t act fast enough to suit me,
I’ll do it for you.” He lifted Charlie by the neck and threw him across the
room.

Adrienne heard Charlie crash into the wall with a loud thud,
but she only had eyes for Jake.

He sat down beside her, a tender expression on his face. He
laid a gentle hand on her cheek. “Look at you.”

Her tears spilled. Extreme joy and utter remorse mingled
within her. She struggled to sit up. “Jake ...”

He made her lie back down. “Let’s get you to a hospital
first. We’ll talk later.”