“Don’t you fucking dare raise your voice to me. Do you know how long I’ve waited for this? How much time and money I’ve spent? I’m done waiting. You, Fern Richards, belong to me now. And you will do as you’re fucking told… without question. Do I make myself clear?”
He released his hold on me and I answered in the only way I could.
“Over my dead body,” I hissed before I spat in his face. Without hesitating, he raised his hand and slapped me hard, sending me crashing against the man still holding me up.
“Oh, baby, you’re going to wish you were dead by the time I’ve finished breaking you. And when I’ve had enough, I have some friends that can have you.”
My eyes widened because I must be dreaming; I had to be. This was like a bad mafia movie. This couldn’t be my life.
“Cut the ties on her ankles and get her in the car.”
“My money?” my kidnapper asked.
“Already in your account, as promised.”
“And her… what if she talks? She’s seen my face.”
“She isn’t going anywhere. Now I’ve got her, I’m not letting her go.” James cackled, and the sound turned my stomach as it dawned on me that there was no getting out of this. He’d won.
“Make sure she doesn’t say a word or I will come back for you,” he threatened James before he dropped down and cut through the binding on my ankles before dragging me to the car.
Digging my feet into the ground, I fought to stay where I was, but he was too strong, moving me like I weighed nothing. In a last ditched attempt, I forced my feet against the shiny bodywork of the car, scratching it with my stiletto heels, but he grabbed my hair, pulling so hard that my body bowed in response and he threw me inside.
I lunged for the door, but he slammed it shut and James climbed in on the other side. The sound of the locks dropping sealed my fate, and I burst into tears.
“James,” I begged. “You don’t have to do this. This isn’t you. I know it’s not.”
He shook his head slowly. “Ah, Fe. That’s where you were always wrong. This is absolutely who I am. I’ve been a bad man for a really long time. You and your stupid family just had no idea. Witnesses vanishing, blackmailing the jury, paying offjudges. That was just the start. Seems I’m very good at being bad. Your sister was meant to balance that out, so the world thought I was a loving husband and doting father, but she was fucking useless. So, I wanted you. And you know, Fe, that I always get what I want.”
When he’d finished his little monologue, he sat back against the leather seat, looking smug.
Desperate for a way out, I twisted, pulling the door handle with my bound hands, hoping that I could get free. But instead of the sound of freedom, I heard another click as something hard pressed between my shoulder blades.
“Let’s go,” James instructed the driver, before raising the privacy screen between us. “Look at me, Fe.”
I turned slowly to find the barrel of a handgun pointing at me. My body shook as I realized I would rather have him shoot me than touch me.
“I should be cross, Fe, because you spoiled my plans today. The idea was to take Charlie and his little friends. That’s why I asked them to the interview earlier. The stun bomb was for them. But you worked out what was going on. You always were a clever girl, weren’t you?” He stroked his hand down the side of my face as a sick smile thinned his lips.
“None of the other stuff worked; your little bodyguards were too good, but I knew, if I got tohim,you would do anything to protect him. Even if that meant giving yourself to me.
“I was watching everything and when I saw you arrive, I changed the plan. Then, oh, then you made it even easier when you said what you did to him. Comparing him to me.” He pressed his hand to his heart, making a face like he was in pain. “Harsh, Fe… even for you. Ouch.”
“I didn’t—”
He didn’t let me finish. “But your actions made you foolish, weak… and that was how I got you away from the bodyguard.”
“Jarrid?” I cried, panicking he’d been hurt.
“Is fine. Probably getting fired by his bosses, but he’s alive. The bomb stunned you both long enough to get you away from him and inject you with the drugs that knocked you out… then my helper brought you here to me.” Pushing his fingers through his hair, he let out a contented sigh. “It was perfect. And you were worth the wait, Fe. But just so you know, now I’m going to fuck you. And I’m going to make it hurt.”
A sob tore from my chest as I tried to come up with a plan. I refused to let him touch me. But James wasn’t messing around, grabbing my thigh and pulling me, so I was laid out on the seat of the limo. He threw himself over me, pressing the gun to my stomach as his free hand found my breast and his mouth landed on my neck.
“Get your fucking filthy hands off me, James. I’m not a piece of meat you can claim.” I fought against him, pushing as best I could with my tied hands and wriggling my body to try to get from under him.
“Stop fighting me. You’ve lost,” he spat as he ground his hips against me, trying to prove his point that this was inevitable.
Suddenly, the car slammed to a stop, and James fell to the floor. “What the hell?” he snapped as he righted himself and the privacy screen rolled down.
