“I won’t have a man who is just there because I got knocked up. This entire conversation is moot anyway. We’re over, remember? This is just a final goodbye.”
“Suck me,” I order, feeling so much pain at her words it’s hard to breathe. Taking a syringe from my pocket, I quickly insert it into her arm.
“Caleb ...”
“It’s going to be okay, Izzy. I promise.”
“What did you do?” she asks, as I take the syringe away.
“I’m not going to let you throw us away, Izzy,” I whisper. “Just rest.”
“You drugged me?”
“It’s just a sedative. A doctor gave it to me. It won’t hurt you, baby. I just needed to get you out of here without you fighting me.”
“You’re crazy.”
“No, baby girl. I just can’t let you go,” I whisper. “We belong together.”
“Caleb …You … drugged me,” she slurs.
“I just needed time, Izzy. I’ll make it up to you. You’ll see—we’re meant to be.”
Once she’s out, I quickly pick her up and head down the back entrance to the dorm.
Fuck, I hope this works.
23
WHIPS AND CHAINS EXCITE ME
IZZY
I slowly raise my head. It’s pounding so loud I can practically feel it slamming into my body with the force of a sledgehammer. I try to massage my temples, which seems to be the most painful area. When I hear metal jingling next to me, I freeze. There’s a shackle on my wrist attached to a long chain. I move my gaze along to the chain and realize that it seems to be secured into the middle of the room on some weird device secured in the floor.
What in the actual hell?
My vision is a little blurry, so at first, I wonder if I’m imagining everything. Eventually, however, I’m able to focus and there’s no mistake. None at all. I let my gaze move through the room, but I quickly realize that this is some kind of hunting cabin. There’s the bed I’m in, and across from it is a potbelly stove like I’ve seen in old movies. There’s a small kitchen-like area. I say like because it basically consists of a microwave, a dorm fridge, a table with two wooden chairs, and a sink. That’s it. No cabinets other than the ones that are under the sink. There’s no stove or dishwasher. Which means—at least for me—it’s worthless. I notice a small door to the right. It’s slightly ajar and I can make out a toilet, so at least that’s good. I am not the roughing-it kind of girl. More than that, I’m not a girl who can handle going to an outhouse to do my business. I get sick at the prospect of using a port-a-potty. When the front door opens, I freeze, bracing for the worst, while hoping it’s the police come to take me home.
No such luck.
Caleb walks in, his long, wavy blond hair hanging down. He looks like a Greek god. Just taking him in makes me ache. I want him. God, I’ve missed him every single minute of the day since I left him in the parking lot. That’s part of the reason I didn’t call dorm security when he first showed up. I admit, I didn’t think he’d go so far as to drug and kidnap me, but I didn’t call them because I wanted him to stay. I wanted to feel his arms around me again. I wanted him to make love to me and make the ache disappear that I’ve felt ever since we parted. Each day without him made it clear to me that I needed him in my life. It was just me being stubborn that kept me from reaching out to him. My first thought when I saw Caleb was that he came so he could talk me out of the myriad of reasons I had to stay away. I was ready for it. Until now, I don’t think I realized just how intense and perhaps off-balance the man I love is. I’m going to have to see if I can make him rein in his impulses in the future …
“Great, you’re awake,” Caleb announces, standing in front of me. I must have zoned out longer than I realized.
“Are you mentally deranged? Do you understand exactly what you’ve done?” I growl, not caving in easily—after the shit he’s pulled, he’s going to have to work for it. Plus, I’m going to make him grovel forever for drugging me.
“I only did what you forced me to do, Isolde. You wouldn’t let me see you and actually thought you could walk away from us. I’m showing you that isn’t going to work. You’re mine and I’m yours. There’s no ending what’s between us.”
“Caleb, you need professional help. You drugged me!”
“I know that. I also realized it would upset you?—”
“Upset me?”
“Baby, I promise, I had a doctor help me and didn’t use anything that would harm you. I just needed to get you here so we could have this out.”
“If there was a chance for us, Caleb, you destroyed it. We don’t have anything to discuss now. We’re done,” I lie, irritated with his cocky attitude.
