Page 9 of Reckless Seduction
The doors open, revealing a dark, wood-paneled corridor. Kiernan strides out of the elevator and into the quiet hallway. There isn’t much I can see from where I am curled up against the mobster’s chest, the smell of vomit overpowering the woodsy scent of the man carrying me, but the interior seems to have proper order.
The carpet beneath his feet stifles his booted steps. There are pictures hanging along one wall that look well cared for and dust-free. It is hard to tell from this distance, but they appear to be family related.
There aren’t any windows, save one at each end of the hallway, but the hallway is lined with several doors. He stalks toward one end of the hall, stopping in front of the last door on the right. He doesn’t let me go; instead, he clutches me tighter before reaching for the doorknob and pushing it open.
Kiernan doesn’t stop at the doorway. He kicks the door shut with his foot and continues to carry me through the apartment-style suite toward a back room. I struggle against him as we approach the bedroom. The movement causes my head to spin and stomach to churn sourly.
Kiernan doesn’t loosen his grip as he bypasses the bedroom altogether and heads straight through another door and into an attached bathroom. His strong arms lower me until my bare feet meet the cold tile floor. My body wavers slightly before gaining its balance.
The world spins again.
A little less than last time, but it’s still enough to give me a headache.
He reaches behind me and grabs a small white bottle. Pulling out two pills, he hands them to me.
“For your headache. The doctor will be in a little later to check you out.”
What kind of kidnapper pays attention to their prisoner’s headaches and asks for a doctor if they are going to kill them?
Irish ones, apparently.
I stare at the white pills in his hand apprehensively, but the banging construction gnomes in my head are going full speed ahead. I take the pills and swallow them down with the glass of water he tips to my lips.
“Where are we?” I ask, my voice hoarse from screaming through the gag.
“Nowhere you need to worry about.” He steps back, grabbing my bound hands in his, and works the knot out. “I’m going to untie you. If you do anything other than what I say, I will punish you, and trust me, you won’t like that.”
Punish me?
Who the fuck says shit like that?
“Do you understand?” he growls at me, his fingers digging into the bones of my wrist.
“Yes,” I yelp and try to peel my wrists from his grasp.
“The proper response from now on isyes, sir.”
Oh, come on. Now he really has to be shitting me. When I don’t respond fast enough, he pinches the skin between my thumb and forefinger until I answer.
“Yes, sir,” I choke out. The pain is gone in an instant.
“Good girl.”
No. My thighs clench together at those two words.
Bad vagina. Bad. That isn’t something I need to be responding to.
Kiernan turns away from me, leaning into the shower, and turns on the spray. “Now, strip.”
Oh, hell no.
“Strip,” he commands again when I remain frozen.
“Excuse me?” I stare at him in disbelief. There is no way in hell I am going to be getting naked in front of this guy. Even ifmy pussy is throwing a party downtown right now. I’ve only been completely bare in front of one person my entire life and… ugh, fucking Drew.
“Strip, Bailey,” he growls as he begins methodically removing his own clothes, his emerald eyes never leaving mine. “Or I’ll do it for you, and if I have to do it, I’m going to be expecting something for my troubles.”
A frisson of awareness tingles through me at the less than subtle sexual threat.Stupid whiskey.
