[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
under the logo.
Stop here, please, she said, pulling the cash from her bag and paying the driver.
Bayleigh paid cash for the room, and gave a random name to the girl behind the counter. Since she
was paying in cash she didn t have to leave ID or credit card, and she asked for a second floor room
close to the front office, thinking the more exposure she had the safer she d be.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, seeing Cade s number flashing, and she
pressed the mute button, cutting off his call. It was the third time he d tried to reach her. Hopefully,
he d get a clue and stop trying. There was no way in hell she d be talking to him any time soon.
The room was small and sparsely furnished a queen-sized bed and a small desk and chair the
only furniture but it looked clean, at least on the surface. She made use of the coffee pot to warm her
insides, hoping to soothe the uneasiness she felt at being out on her own.
Brant still wasn t answering, and she tossed her phone on the bed as she went into the bathroom.
She showered quickly, leaving her hair wet since a blow dryer wasn t one of the room amenities, and
she pulled on an oversized shirt. The phone on the bed showed she d missed another call from Cade,
but Brant hadn t tried to call her back. And he would have if he d gotten the message.
The heavy blackout curtains were pulled tight, but she checked them and the door locks again
before slipping beneath the scratchy sheets. Her mind wouldn t settle, and she tossed restlessly, trying
not to think how empty the bed felt without Cade beside her. An uneasy sleep finally came over her,
her body recognizing the need for rest even if her mind didn t.
***
Bayleigh couldn t say what woke her only a short time later. It wasn t a specific sound. More of a
movement that didn t seem to belong in the stillness of her room. Her eyes popped open and she
waited for them to adjust to the darkness. But they didn t. To adjust there had to be at least a small
amount of light coming from somewhere.
The room was black as pitch, as if she were inside a sealed tomb, and panic began to claw its
way out as disorientation played tricks on her mind. Not even the heater made a sound as the silence
covered her like a heavy blanket, smothering the shreds of her sanity.
Good, you re awake, an amused voice said, his Latin accent smooth. We have so little time
together, I thought it would be best to get started right away.
A match flared and her eyes were drawn to the flame as it lit the candles on each side of the bed.
A burst of panicked laughter bubbled in her throat at the thought that her kidnapper was trying to be
romantic, but he quickly set her straight.
The second floor is on a separate fuse box than the first floor and the front office, he said
conversationally. It wasn t difficult to cut the electricity, especially since there are no other guests
near you to complain.
Her eyes made the quick adjustment to the meager light, but she couldn t break her stare away
from the madman in front of her. Carlos del Fuego would have been a handsome man if his black eyes
hadn t held so much menace. He wasn t very tall a couple of inches shy of six feet but he was
solidly built, muscular enough that it was obvious he worked out. His black hair was cut short, and
his clothes were expensive and well tailored. He didn t look like a killer. Except for the eyes. Those
eyes couldn t conceal the kind of man he was.
God, she had to think, but terror was building inside of her like nothing she d ever experienced,
and she felt frozen, trying to remember the advice her brothers had given her. She d never had to fight
off an attacker before, and practice was a hell of a lot different than the actual event.
She squeezed her eyes closed and slowed her breathing, trying to gather her thoughts and decided
what she should do.
Now, now, Carlos said, his chuckle grating across her spine. Open your eyes, little one. I want
to see your fear. It makes me hard.
He sat down on the bed beside her and she didn t take time to think as she rolled in the opposite
direction, wanting nothing more that to put as much space as possible between them. Her shoulder
bumped the bedside table, making the candle wobble precariously, and one leg slid to the floor, but
he was too fast. His hands clamped around her arms, his fingers biting into her skin painfully, and she
cried out as he jerked her back up to the center of the bed.
His strength was overwhelming as he restrained her arms as easily as if she were a small child.
She fought against him impotently as he did the same thing to her legs, binding each one to the corners
of the bed. She opened her mouth to scream, but he shoved a thick piece of cloth past her lips, quickly
muffling her efforts.
She looked around frantically, trying to think through the panic, but she was completely at his
mercy. The thick curtains had been taped down against the wall and down the seam so outside light
couldn t get in, and he d re-bolted the door after he d gained entrance. She had no idea how he d
gotten inside, especially since she hadn t heard him make a sound.
It is interesting to see all of your thoughts flash across your face, he said. You are wondering
how I came to be in here. His smile was sinister, the white of his teeth flashing between full lips that [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
under the logo.
Stop here, please, she said, pulling the cash from her bag and paying the driver.
Bayleigh paid cash for the room, and gave a random name to the girl behind the counter. Since she
was paying in cash she didn t have to leave ID or credit card, and she asked for a second floor room
close to the front office, thinking the more exposure she had the safer she d be.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, seeing Cade s number flashing, and she
pressed the mute button, cutting off his call. It was the third time he d tried to reach her. Hopefully,
he d get a clue and stop trying. There was no way in hell she d be talking to him any time soon.
The room was small and sparsely furnished a queen-sized bed and a small desk and chair the
only furniture but it looked clean, at least on the surface. She made use of the coffee pot to warm her
insides, hoping to soothe the uneasiness she felt at being out on her own.
Brant still wasn t answering, and she tossed her phone on the bed as she went into the bathroom.
She showered quickly, leaving her hair wet since a blow dryer wasn t one of the room amenities, and
she pulled on an oversized shirt. The phone on the bed showed she d missed another call from Cade,
but Brant hadn t tried to call her back. And he would have if he d gotten the message.
The heavy blackout curtains were pulled tight, but she checked them and the door locks again
before slipping beneath the scratchy sheets. Her mind wouldn t settle, and she tossed restlessly, trying
not to think how empty the bed felt without Cade beside her. An uneasy sleep finally came over her,
her body recognizing the need for rest even if her mind didn t.
***
Bayleigh couldn t say what woke her only a short time later. It wasn t a specific sound. More of a
movement that didn t seem to belong in the stillness of her room. Her eyes popped open and she
waited for them to adjust to the darkness. But they didn t. To adjust there had to be at least a small
amount of light coming from somewhere.
The room was black as pitch, as if she were inside a sealed tomb, and panic began to claw its
way out as disorientation played tricks on her mind. Not even the heater made a sound as the silence
covered her like a heavy blanket, smothering the shreds of her sanity.
Good, you re awake, an amused voice said, his Latin accent smooth. We have so little time
together, I thought it would be best to get started right away.
A match flared and her eyes were drawn to the flame as it lit the candles on each side of the bed.
A burst of panicked laughter bubbled in her throat at the thought that her kidnapper was trying to be
romantic, but he quickly set her straight.
The second floor is on a separate fuse box than the first floor and the front office, he said
conversationally. It wasn t difficult to cut the electricity, especially since there are no other guests
near you to complain.
Her eyes made the quick adjustment to the meager light, but she couldn t break her stare away
from the madman in front of her. Carlos del Fuego would have been a handsome man if his black eyes
hadn t held so much menace. He wasn t very tall a couple of inches shy of six feet but he was
solidly built, muscular enough that it was obvious he worked out. His black hair was cut short, and
his clothes were expensive and well tailored. He didn t look like a killer. Except for the eyes. Those
eyes couldn t conceal the kind of man he was.
God, she had to think, but terror was building inside of her like nothing she d ever experienced,
and she felt frozen, trying to remember the advice her brothers had given her. She d never had to fight
off an attacker before, and practice was a hell of a lot different than the actual event.
She squeezed her eyes closed and slowed her breathing, trying to gather her thoughts and decided
what she should do.
Now, now, Carlos said, his chuckle grating across her spine. Open your eyes, little one. I want
to see your fear. It makes me hard.
He sat down on the bed beside her and she didn t take time to think as she rolled in the opposite
direction, wanting nothing more that to put as much space as possible between them. Her shoulder
bumped the bedside table, making the candle wobble precariously, and one leg slid to the floor, but
he was too fast. His hands clamped around her arms, his fingers biting into her skin painfully, and she
cried out as he jerked her back up to the center of the bed.
His strength was overwhelming as he restrained her arms as easily as if she were a small child.
She fought against him impotently as he did the same thing to her legs, binding each one to the corners
of the bed. She opened her mouth to scream, but he shoved a thick piece of cloth past her lips, quickly
muffling her efforts.
She looked around frantically, trying to think through the panic, but she was completely at his
mercy. The thick curtains had been taped down against the wall and down the seam so outside light
couldn t get in, and he d re-bolted the door after he d gained entrance. She had no idea how he d
gotten inside, especially since she hadn t heard him make a sound.
It is interesting to see all of your thoughts flash across your face, he said. You are wondering
how I came to be in here. His smile was sinister, the white of his teeth flashing between full lips that [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]