“He hurt you.” Vance shrugs, as if killing random people for hurting me is normal. “Also, he likes to beat on women. Someone should have put the dog down a while ago. Might have been still breathing had he not crossed me, but he made the mistake of touching what belongs to me.” Vance steps to me. The vulnerability in his eyes a moment ago now completely gone, replaced with conviction and rage. He rubs his thumb along my bottom lip, the simple touch making me wet. He leans in, whispering in my ear, “I told you. No one touches what’s mine. If you don’t want it to happen again, you better make sure no one touches you.”“I should run,” I say, my eyes fluttering closed, my voice barely a whisper, my body so responsive to his touch.“But you won’t,” Vance says, pushing his body against mine. His cock presses against my stomach, and my mouth waters. “Will you, Little Bird?”His question comes out as a demanding growl, like he is telling me who is in charge here.“No,” I pant with so much nee
CLARISSAI wake up, and the darkness engulfs me. I turn to the chair that Vance was sitting in and notice he isn’t there any longer as I snuggle my face into his pillow and breathe him in. Smiling, I remove the covers and tug at the warmth of the robe. The chill of the hardwood floor hits my feet as I set them on the floor. I am jarred with the realization that I’m literally in the home of my captive. The fear that was coursing through my body a mere few hours ago has completely dissipated.There is a piece of paper with a note written in black ink on top of sweatpants and a hoodie at the foot of the bed.Little Bird,Since you were a bad girl and made me rip off your dress, I thought you’d like something to wear. I’m going to enjoy peeling them off of you at some point. Maybe with my teeth.Yours, VanceI can’t help but smile. For a guy who’s out of control, he’s also incredibly thoughtful. He was a rose with too many thorns, gorgeous and captivating, but if you made a wrong move, he
VANCEMy heart aches as I sit there watching Clarissa asleep in my bed. Worrying about how long it will take her to get used to being here, being with me. I feel a lightness that I haven’t felt for a very long time. She belongs here with me. There is nothing I have ever been as sure about as that.My phone buzzes. I walk into the bathroom and lift it off the counter. My arm stings as I do.Enzo: We got him. Should be at the cabin in 30 minutes. You sure this can’t wait? I can hold him for a few days.ME: No. I want this done. Tonight.I put the phone down and unwrap my arm. I smile as Clarissa’s name stares back at me. Grabbing the first aid kit, I clean my arm, wrap it up with gauze, and head downstairs.I throw a coat on and open the door just as Enzo pulls up to the house. He gets out, followed by Tony and who I could only guess is Roy.“Where am I,” Roy asks before he flashes me a dirty look. “You’re all gonna be in a world of pain.”I step up to him and smile, and I see his eyes
CLARISSAVance’s grip on my arms is firm, but it doesn’t hurt. It is the way a parent might hold a child who is being belligerent, gentle but he wants me to know he isn’t messing around.I sigh, casting my eyes down. There is something about the intensity of Vance’s stare that makes me want to run both to and from him. The man is an enigma with a well-fortified web, and I am standing right in the middle of it.“Look at me, Clarissa,” he demands before his fingers lift my chin. I am lost in the deep blue of his irises. The man is really a work of art. His face is perfect in every single way, matching the sizable muscular frame of his sculpted body.“What are you gonna do to him?” I stutter, my words failing me.“Kill him.”Vance says those words as if I'd asked a stupid question. I can see that to him, that is the only solution, but the real shocker in all this is that if Vance kills Roy, I wouldn’t care because, after everything that man did, he deserves it. There is only one reason I
VANCEHaving Clarissa here feels right. I had brought no one to the cabin before. It is a place of refuge, peace. I don’t want anyone here unless they mean something to me. My raven means the world.I stare in the mirror and then gaze at the white handkerchief now stained crimson from the severed finger inside. I don’t know when this all became my world, when my need for control and power trumped my humanity.I shake off the self-loathing that I am feeling and get on with it. Walking into the master bedroom, I drop the towel and put on jeans then head to the kitchen, and to my shock, Clarissa is gone.“Where is she?” I growl at the dogs. They cast their heads down, telling me they fucked up. I glance at the front door, and it’s ajar. “Fuck.”I don’t bother grabbing a shirt and leave my feet bare. I open the front door and run, the dogs following in pursuit. It’s fucking not safe for her here at night. There’s literally nowhere to go, and the only thing she might find is some wild anim
Vance places his hand on my back, guiding me to the cabin. I can’t move. My feet won’t let me. I’m frozen, unable to do anything but look at the two dogs, who are glaring at me.“Stand down,” Vance yells. Both dogs whimper before running away. “They won’t hurt you. They know your place and theirs.”I nod and lean into him as we walk to the cabin. Vance opens the door with a gold key and holds the door open for me. I walk in under his arm, my body brushing against his, and heat pools in my center. My body’s reaction to him is ultimately out of control.The cabin looks like one of those cheesy spots for a man’s man that you’d see in a Hallmark Christmas movie. If I were honest, it is not at all how I’ve pictured Vance’s style. It is a complete log cabin, all wood, bear rugs, and warm colors.“You were expecting a sterile white room,” Vance jokes once again and cuts through my thoughts.I whirl around and pin him with my eyes. “How do you do that?”“Do what?”“Read my thoughts.”Vance la