Dark Boundaries (6 page)

Chapter Eleven

Garrett~

I slam my fist into the wall outside the room. Anger and disgust pulse through my veins with every heavy beat of my heart.

I can’t do that to her. I can’t rape her. I’m not a rapist.

Tears clog up my throat at the thought of failing Andrea. She’
s lying in some dingy room, all defenseless. I promised to always protect her.

“Andrea is all that matters, Garrett!” I say, assuring myself that this is all for my sister. I press my forehead against the wall, my breathing hot and fast. “She’s only seventeen while Kristine is a woman. She had sex before. She’ll recover but my sister won’t stand a fucking chance.” A tear slips over my cheek. “Fuck! I can’t do this.”

I storm back into the room. I don’t know what I’m doing. There are too many emotions making my chest tight.

She’s still on the bed, spread out like I left her. She’s fucking beautiful, any man’s wet dream. But then I see the terror in her eyes. “I’m s-sorry,” she stutters. “Don’t hurt my friends. I’ll listen. Just don’t hurt them.”

I start to laugh. Now she’s listening! My laughter dries up and I shake my head.

“No! Oh God, please don’t hurt them. I’m just scared. I’ll do anything you want!” She cries, obviously thinking I’m going to hurt her friends.

“I won’t hurt them.” My voice is hoarse, giving away my confused feelings. I don’t want to let Andrea down, but I can’t bring myself to hurt Kristine. There has to be another way to save Andrea. Maybe I can win Kristine’s trust. If she’s willing it will make it so much easier. “I’m not going to hurt you. I-” I clear my throat and linking my hands behind my neck, I shrug. Here goes nothing! “I won’t be any better than them. Andrea will never forgive me. I’ll have to find another way to get to her.”

A look of confusion washes over Kristine’s features, softening them. “Who is Andrea? I thought it was only the three of us here.”

I should shut my mouth, but the plan is already forming in my mind. “She’s my little sister. She was taken. I have to get you ready for the auction where she’ll be auctioned at. She’s only seventeen. I don’t know what to do.” I take a few deep breaths hoping to give the impression that I’m at the end of my rope. Which come to think, I actually am.

Kristine stares at me for a while, as if she’s deciding whether she’s going to believe me or not. I hope she falls for this plan, or I’m screwed! “So you took us to save your sister?” Her voice sounds incredulous. I can’t blame her. There aren’t a lot of crazy brothers in the world that will go this far for their sisters.

“Yes, and I’m so fucking sorry for what I’ve already done to you.”

She sits up, her eyes looking deep into mine. She looks like she’s falling for it. Fuck, this will be my lucky day if she does. “Is that why you look so sad?”

“I look sad?” I ask surprised. So much for looking like a badass, but this could work in my favor.

“Yeah,” she whispers. “Why didn’t you go to the police?”

“They don’t care,” I scoff and it’s the truth. “To them she’s just another runaway. If we don’t get her at the auction she’ll disappear again. It took us three years to get this far.” And what a fucken three years it was, robbing, killing but somehow this is the worst I’ve been faced with – lying, using and abusing another person – an innocent person.

“So you’re…” she shakes her head and then just stares at me. After a long while she shakes her head again and lets out a deep breath. “I can’t believe after everything you did to me I’m going to do this,” she says it as if she’s angry with herself. Hope rises in my chest. “If I help you will you protect me?” She scowls at me, anger making her gray eyes sharp. “If I help you get to the auction you better not leave me there!”

Relief explodes in my tight chest. Thank fuck! She’s falling for it.

I shake my head. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. You should run while I’m letting you.” I better not let this go on too long, wouldn’t want to convince her otherwise now that she’s willing to help. She’s willing and I don’t have to force her. That will make it all so much better.

“What do I have to do to help?” I can’t believe she’s really considering this!

“Things,” I walk closer to her. “You have to do things you haven’t even thought of. Sex, bondage…” When I’m within reaching distance I lift my hand to her cheek, “Kris, you have to become my slave. You have to allow me to do anything. You have to call the men master at the auction. I don’t think you can do all of that to help someone you’ve never met.”

“But I’ve met you,” she says confused.

“I’m talking about Andrea. You won’t be doing it for me. You’ll be doing it for my little sister.” I brush my knuckles over her jaw and she lets me. I should have tried to win her trust earlier, this is so much easier.

“I t-think I can,” she stutters again. “No woman should be kept against her will. If I can help get her back then let me.”

I lean down to press my mouth to hers, but again she turns her face away. Aww … fuck, here we go again!

“No kissing, that’s all I ask. It will make it too personal and we’re not even friends. I’ll help you get your sister back, but after that we go our separate ways.”

I can live with that. “Lie down again.” I brush my fingers down her neck to her shoulder.

“So soon! I-I … Can’t we take a break?” she stammers, pulling away from me.

I relent, deciding to let her lead things for a few days. “How about I get you something to eat? Can we start with that?”

She nods, her eyes huge on me. I don’t think she expected me to back off. I lock the door behind me, feeling more at peace with the way things are going. As long as I can make her think she’s helping me and Andrea, I might just get away with it all.

Seeing her afraid and fighting her is such a turn off, but she has an amazing little body. If we’re both consenting adults things might just get heated between us.

~*~

Chapter Twelve

Kristine~

When Garrett leaves, I pull the cover from the bed and wrap it around my body. I sit down on the bed and try to wrap my mind around everything that’s happened today.

So that’s the reason for the sadness in his eyes. He’s looking for his sister, and I can half understand that he would do anything to get her back. I’d do anything for Riza and Kelly. I’d walk through fire for them.

Shivers rake down my spine at the thought of having sex with him, never mind the other stuff he wants me to do that I don’t know about. I’m not sure I can do it. He’s attractive and he hasn’t shaved since we got here, so the stubble makes him look even hotter.

Would I have sex with him under normal circumstances? If he didn’t kidnap me, strip me and scare the shit out of me, I think the chances would be good. I’m not the type to fall for every guy I see, but I’m a woman and Garrett is super good-looking. Any girl would want to be with him.

I can’t stop feeling scared, though. I know there is no way I’ll ever trust a man again. Look at the mess it got me into. The sad look in Garrett’s eyes is begging me to believe him, but I just can’t bring myself to.

I’ll play along for a while. If I can fool him into thinking I care about his story then I might just make it out of here with Riza and Kelly.

The door opens and Garrett comes in with a sandwich and some water. What I’d do for a soda, anything with some sugar. I’ve been rejecting the food the last three days because I was being stubborn. I only ended up punishing myself. I’m starving and reach for the plate. Garrett pulls it out of my reach and I frown at him.

“I feed you. One of the things you have to learn is to hand all your choices over to me. We have to make all of this as realistic as possible, or no one is going to believe us.”

“What? How is feeding me or taking away my choices going to change anything?”

He sighs heavily, as if he has to explain all of this to a kid. “Slaves don’t have choices. They live to please their masters.”

“You’re demented if you think I’m going along with that,” I huff, crossing my arms over my chest.

Garrett sets down the plate next to the bed. He wipes over the back of his neck, his eyes flashing with impatience. “Kristine, you don’t get to decide what a slave should do. These men are animals. They’ll kill you without blinking.” My mind instantly darts to Eric and how he abused and then killed Cathy. “Bill will be back in a week to see what progress we’ve made and if you’re disobeying me he’ll kill me and hand you over to Warren. Do you want Warren? Because I can tell you that man is a bastard. He’ll rip you apart.”

I shake my head. I don’t want Warren near me. Rather the devil you know then the one you don’t know. Warren will kill me. At least Garrett is patient and he really hasn’t hurt me.

Garrett sits down on the bed, placing his hand over my knee. He squeezes softly, as if to comfort me. “Please, let’s just get through the next month. It just as hard for me as it is for you.”

Yeah right, I want to laugh at him, but swallow it back. He’s not the one that was taken against her will.

“How did you meet Riza and Kelly?” He throws me totally with the question.

“Ah … we met the first day of school, have been friends ever since.”

He nods and picks up the plate. My eyes dart to the bread and then my traitorous stomach growls.

“What work do you do?” He breaks the one half of the sandwich in five smaller pieces. It looks like there’s cheese on. I love cheese!

“I’m not working yet. I just graduated. I studied Literature. I’m not sure what I want to do. I always dreamt of owning a bookstore.”

He holds a piece to my mouth and I can’t resist any longer. I open my mouth and try not to touch his fingers as I take it from him. My hands itch to grab the plate from him and shove it all into my mouth.

“Oh, you love books? Which one is your favorite?” He actually looks interested.

I swallow hard on the bite of bread. My favorite book? I can’t tell him about my fascination with Fifty Shades of Grey. That will be so embarrassing!

He holds the glass to my lips and I take a sip, thankful for the time it’s buying.

My eyes dart around the room. “My favorite?” I croak, and my cheeks flush with heat. “Ahh…” I try to think of any other book, but suddenly they’ve all abandoned me. “Gosh, I … uhm, can’t think of one right now.” I laugh nervously. “You know, they’re all so good.”

“I don’t read much, well not the past few years,” he says with a shrug. “Been too busy…” He lets the sentence trail dead. Picking up another piece of bread, he holds it for me to take. My lips skim his fingertips and another flush of heat spreads over my body

While I chew, his eyes wander slowly over my face, and then fall to the cover I’m hiding under. He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything. He continues to feed me, alternating with a sip of water every now and then. The whole process is way too intimate.

When the bread is finished he stands up and walks over to a cupboard. He takes a few things out, but his back is to me, so I can’t see what until he turns around. My eyes widen and I start to get up.

“Kris,” he whispers. Oh God! He’s back to whispering. He throws a set of black lace underwear and stockings on the bed. “That should fit you. If it’s too big there are smaller sizes in the cupboard.” The handcuffs he holds up, as if to show me what they look like.

“I’m not wearing any of that!” I spit out, taking a step away from him.

“Was me feeding you so bad?” I think of the heat I felt when his fingers touched my lips. I force my mind to a safer topic. I can’t allow myself to fall for his nice-guy attitude.

Then my mind warns me,
‘It can be so much worse! It could be Warren or Eric!’

“It might not be the clothes you want but at least it covers the important parts,” Garrett says, his lips lifting in the one corner. For a moment I’m distracted by how good he looks with the smile tugging at his lips, then I frown.
Is he laughing at me?
I grab the skimpy underwear off the bed and start to walk in the direction of the bathroom.

“Kristine, get dressed here,” he says, his tone a bit harsher than before.

I don’t turn around. My body tenses at the command. Not wanting to push him too far, I stay in the room. I don’t drop the cover, but instead, I pull on the panties while keeping the cover over me. I can’t do the same with the bra, so I keep my back to him as I drop the cover and quickly slip the bra on. Like a stubborn child, I drop to the floor and drag the stupid stockings on. They reach me mid-thigh. I stand up and scowl at Garrett from over my shoulder.

A scream echoes through the house. I can’t make out if it’s Kelly or Riza screaming, but either way my heart sinks to the floor. Another scream, this time horror-filled, turns my blood to ice. My eyes dart from the door to Garrett who’s just watching me. Then I hear both Riza and Kelly screaming! Oh no! I take a step closer to Garrett. I know it’s stupid but I feel safer with him than with any of those other men. I’m scared Eric will come shooting through the door any minute.

I can’t tear my eyes from the door, even as Garrett steps in behind me, pressing his chest against my back. One of his arms slips around my waist. The screams sound pain filled and I can’t stop myself from grabbing hold of Garrett’s arm. I just pray it will stop soon.

Garrett turns me around to face him. His fingers brush my cheek, gently. “Don’t worry about what’s happening out there. As long as you’re with me, you’re safe.” He dips his head closer to mine as he says this.

More shrill screams makes me inch closer to Garrett. He saved me from Eric. He’ll keep me safe. I have to trust him right now and fear is my only motivator.

His arm tightens around me and he starts to walk backwards toward the bed. I let him drag me down next to him. I’m pinned between his body and the wall behind me, and I’m fine with that. I can’t see the door and it makes me feel safer.

Garrett’s fingers weave into my hair and he pulls my face to his chest. I tuck my hands between us and try harder to block out the screams, while I curl my body into his. My heart is breaking for Riza and Kelly.

“We’re a team in this, right?” he asks. His breath is warm in my hair, stirring the strands.

I feel the old terror setting into my bones as a million thoughts of what Riza and Kelly are suffering through, flashes through my mind. I don’t want Garrett to leave me so I nod.

He lifts my chin and I’m stunned when he places a soft kiss on the corner of my lips. He must feel my body trembling because his eyes search mine and I know he can see the fear. His fingers are a whisper-soft touch on my cheek, and then they brush down the length of my neck.

When he reaches my shoulder, my heart rate picks up. “Shh … I’m not going to hurt you,” he soothes me.

I nod, my movements jerky. When it comes to Garrett I’m more nervous than scared. After the time we spent together today, he seems more human and less like a monster.

His expression is serious, intense. He’s focused on me. Gosh, no man has ever looked at me like that. He leans closer with his whole body, half covering me, and even though the house is filled with Riza and Kelly’s screams and broken pleas, I feel sheltered.

Garrett’s hand skims down my arm, and then he dips to my stomach. His touches remain soft, gentle. It must be the fear I feel for the other men, because my body warms under Garrett’s fingers.

Suddenly, Garrett’s body covers me completely. He moves fast, his lips hard against mine. The kiss is unyielding, robbing me of my breath. I gasp to suck in a breath of air, and that’s when I feel Garrett’s tongue slip over my bottom lip, into my mouth. He kisses me as if I’ll be the last person he’ll ever get to kiss. His kiss is demanding and I don’t have a choice but to answer.

Somewhere in the back of my mind there’s a voice whispering how wrong this is. This isn’t me. But as his tongue teases, and his lips devour mine, I lose myself for a moment.

~*~