She’s Mine: A Captive Romance Read online

  My fingers tingled. My head swam. The skin around my lips pricked. I coughed. Wheezed. Gasped for breath. I hyperventilated in the darkness of a hood strapped over my head, terrified of what I couldn’t see.

  Who were these men and what horrors did they have in store for me? Would I be murdered? Raped? I would probably be raped. Wasn’t that what men like this did?

  I moaned, then pressed harder against Chad’s hand, bucking against his restraint.

  It earned me a second hand against my opposite shoulder as Chad slammed me back into the seat, straddling my legs with his.

  This was it. The moment I feared, but I wouldn’t let them take from me without a fight.

  They may have me trapped, hooded, and restrained, but I was not powerless. If I struggled, they would hurt me more than if I offered no resistance at all.

  If I didn’t fight them, would my compliance be seen as a good thing, or bad? Were compliant girls sold for more or less? And which one of those outcomes did I want? Did it matter at all?

  How many times would I be sold? Forced to whore myself while they hooked me on drugs to ensure my compliance? Dear God, I wasn’t strong enough for this.

  And the man I’d been given to, was he fat and ugly with slobbering lips? The idea of some sweaty, fat, slobbering old man doing that had me bucking in the seat. This couldn’t be happening.

  My imagination ran wild with scenes of rape, degradation, getting hooked on drugs, and being forced to be compliant as they used my body and destroyed my life.

  I had a plan, dammit. I was finally going to be free of my father and make my way in the world without his loveless judgement. A choked cry escaped me with the loss of my dreams.

  They wouldn’t get me without a fight. If I was going to be beaten and raped, then I would fight back. At least until all the fight had been whipped out of me. A low groan escaped me with the horrors I envisioned.

  I kneed my captor in the groin.

  This couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be happening.

  “Holy, mother fucker!” Chad released me and I imagined him cupping his balls as he stumbled backward.

  Serves you right.

  Score one for Team Raven.

  Satisfaction swelled in my chest, distracting me enough to control my breathing. I smoothed out my breaths as Chad’s presence moved away from me. My relief was short lived. Someone grabbed me from behind, tugging back on my shoulders and pinning me in place.

  All sound in the cabin quieted. I sensed bodies looming next to me, over me, behind me; large, male bodies, all around me. I’d never felt this vulnerable. Boldness sizzled as terrified breaths filled my lungs, speeding toward panic again. What would they do to me? Would they rape me?

  “You will not do that again,” said a man with an authoritative voice. He seemed to be in charge, so I named him Boss.

  “Or what?” I belted out my defiance with the last dregs of my bravery.

  Loose strands of hair drifted into my mouth and I spit them out as best I could. I tried rubbing my cheek against my shoulder, but only felt Boss’s hands. I recoiled at the touch.

  “We will restrain you,” Boss said.

  “For your own protection,” another voice chimed in; one I didn’t recognize. I still didn’t know how many men were on board the plane, but I discerned four distinct voices.

  “Bay,” Boss said, “why don’t you get the restraints. I have a feeling she’s not going to cooperate. Master Xavier doesn’t want her overly sedated during the trip.”

  I had another captor’s name; Bay.

  One or two pilots. From the feel of the plane, I assumed two. Whoever this Master Xavier was, they worked for him and would be of no help to me. It didn’t help to list out who was on board. None would come to my aid, but I couldn’t sit here and do nothing. Taking stock was the only thing I could do. It helped me focus, and I needed to think about anything other than the press of men surrounding me.

  Bay moved in front of me.

  It was amazing how much information I gleaned without the presence of sight. Sounds amplified themselves in the aircraft cabin. The creak of his leather shoes, and the swish of his pants telegraphed his movements.

  Smells intensified as well. Bay’s cologne, spice and citrus, wafted toward me as he approached. He was the one who held me while Chad tied me up. Boss smelled different, more pungent, manly and full of musk. Chad smelled clean and fresh, an Irish Spring kind of guy.

  Bay pushed my legs to one side. “Do not try to kick me. Chad already owes you two, you do not want me owing you as well.” I smelled mint on his breath as he leaned in close.

  What the hell did that mean? Owing me?

  Bay pressed my shoulders back against the seat. “Now lean back and behave.”

  “Take the hood off.” I tried to make my demand forceful, but it sounded more like a whimper than anything else.

  Boss’s finger’s pressed into my shoulders. “Hood stays on. Master Xavier’s orders.”

  “Why?”

  “One of your first lessons will be not to question your master,” Boss said.

  I wanted to scratch Boss’s eyes out. I would have, if my wrists weren’t zip tied together, if Boss wasn’t standing behind me, if Bay wasn’t strapping me in some contraption that seemed to immobilize me in a web against the seat back, if, if, if…

  Hot tears burst from the corners of my eyes.

  No! Damn it. I’m not going to cry.

  I didn’t want to cry. I wasn’t going to become some sniveling mess. Not under this damn hood, but wetness trickled down my cheeks.

  Bay secured me in his makeshift web, strapping my wrists in my lap so I couldn’t lift them. Why was it my nose started to itch only after he restrained my hands?

  “What if I have to use the bathroom?”

  “Do you?” Bay stood. I felt the absence of his presence as he lifted away from me, the disappearance of his minty breath relayed his movements in place of sight.

  I didn’t, which meant we hadn’t been up in the air for too long. Good, I filed that piece of information away.

  “A piece of advice, kitten,” Chad’s clean fresh scent preceded him, “do not lie. Bay took time to secure you, so you had a chance to be comfortable. If you lie, then I will tie you back up, and you will not be so lucky.”

  I didn’t think Chad and I were destined for friendship.

  I took a moment to consider my options, then decided not to push my luck. “No, but I’m thirsty.”

  I was parched, to be honest. My eyes were scratchy. My lips felt cracked and my mouth was beginning to get that cottony feel from being at altitude for too long. Maybe we’d been flying longer than I thought. I was dehydrated, which might explain why I didn’t need to use the restroom. “Can you please remove the hood and give me a drink?”

  “You can have a drink, kitten,” Chad said, “but the hood stays on.” Weight settled into the seat beside me, clean and fresh. My buddy Chad.

  Boss released my shoulders and walked away. Bay followed him toward the front of the cabin.

  “Hey, Mel, toss me a bottle of water and a straw.” Something whistled through the air. A solid thunk connected in a hand. I assumed it belonged to my buddy Chad, but I now had another name to add to my list.

  “Can you release my hands?”

  Chad laughed. “Hardly, kitten. You’ve gotten the best of me twice, and I’m not giving you another chance. I’ll hold the bottle for you.”

  He tugged at the hood around my neck, loosening strings. A cold bottle pressed against my chest and then his fingers as he guided a straw to my lips. “Go ahead and drink, kitten.”

  “I’m not your damn kitten.”

  Chad laughed. “You’re whatever I want you to be. I’m the one who gets to take care of you.”

  Thinking about Chad taking care of me, and what that may or may not imply, had me cringing. It didn’t quite fit with what Z had said though. “And what does Master Xavier have to say about that?”

  “Kitte
n, it’s precisely because of Master Xavier that you need someone to take care of you.”

  I sipped furiously at the water, sucking as if it could give me strength. I had no idea what awaited me, only that Z said I was to be a slave.

  Chapter Three

  We traveled for hours, my mind whirling with possibilities for my future. The men talked and watched action movies for a time. I was learning to recognize their voices, along with their unique scents.

  Chad’s voice was full of laughter and sarcasm. Boss’s voice was laced with command, definitely the one in charge. Bay seemed easy going, a smooth talker, friendly. Mel kept his thoughts close, seldom speaking, but when he did it was short and clipped. He wasn’t a man to waste his words.

  Chad sat beside me for the longest time. He fed me a protein bar and another bottle of water. When the press of my bladder became too insistent, he and Bay released my webbed restraints. They walked me to the back of the plane sandwiched between them. Like I could run at thirty-thousand feet. My wrists remained bound by the zip ties, chaffing against the hard plastic. I lifted them.

  “I need these off.”

  Bay huffed a laugh. “No way are those coming off.”

  Trying to argue with the two men, as I wobbled between them, disorientated under the blackness of my hood, sapped the last of my strength. I sagged against the bulkhead. “Please. I promise to be good.” I’m ashamed to admit I meant it.

  “No can do, kitten,” Chad said.

  “How am I supposed to use the restroom?” I had no idea how I was going to pull down my shorts with my hands tied together. The thought of trying to do that hooded, and in an airplane lavatory, was ludicrous.

  “That’s what we’re here for,” Bay said.

  What? No way!

  I held up my hands, took a step back, and stepped on Chad’s toe.

  “Damn it, kitten, what is it with you?” He placed his hands on my waist and lifted me off his foot.

  “Sorry.” How had he gotten behind me? I thought he was beside me.

  Disorientation flustered me and I reached out with my bound hands locating the walls. I found Bay’s solid chest of muscle and holy hell, washboard abs. He chuckled as I felt him up.

  I recoiled, moved my hands around, located a handle. It was a door. Lavatory?

  “I don’t need your help.”

  “Yes, you do, kitten,” Chad said. “You grope Bay, but hit me? For the record, my body is way better than his.” Chad grabbed my wrists and placed my hands on the hardness of his belly. He hadn’t lied, solid, immovable muscle.

  I backed away and moved toward where I thought the door might be. Good guess. I leaned against it, opening it, only to have Chad move in behind me.

  “Hey, a little privacy here!” The fabric of my hood puffed as I screeched. Loose strands of hair fluttered into my mouth. I tried to spit them out, but it only made things worse. “Seriously, why can’t I take the hood off?”

  “Master Xavier doesn’t want you to see where we’re flying,” Bay said from the hall.

  I found the lavatory sink and grabbed it for support. “Are there any windows in here?”

  “No,” Chad said.

  “Are there any out there that I can see from in here?”

  “No,” Bay said.

  Frustration at my helplessness pegged to maximum. I needed some degree of control. I wasn’t against begging to get it. “Then please, untie my hands and let me take off the hood. Just for a second so I can tie my hair back. It’s all over my face and I keep getting hair in my mouth. I promise I won’t do anything. Where exactly do you think I’m going to run?”

  I couldn’t see their exchange, but I imagined Bay and Chad’s silent conversation. A raised eyebrow. A shake of one’s head. A shrug. A nod. They didn’t say anything, but finally, I felt a tugging at the cords around my neck.

  “The ties around your wrists stay,” Chad said.

  I started to protest and his hands fell away from the bag.

  “Non-negotiable, kitten,” he said. “Don’t make me regret this. Door to the lavatory stays open. You need to understand that privacy is a luxury you no longer have. Best to start getting used to that now. Use the restroom and wash up. I’ll be right here in the hall, even think about shutting that door and I’ll be all over you. Do you understand?” His fingers hovered at my neck, holding the cords.

  I gave him a fractional nod. I had to pee in front of him? In front of the others? No privacy? Come on Raven, you can do this.

  “Tell me you understand, kitten. Give me your word.”

  My chin lifted as I swallowed phlegm. I couldn’t believe I was going to agree to this.

  “I promise.”

  The hood lifted from my head. Brown strands of hair clung to the black fabric with static electricity, while other clumps adhered to my tear streaked face.

  The first thing I did was lift my fingers to my mouth and pull out the hair. Then I smoothed hair away from my face, working one side at a time, limited as I was by my bound hands. Finally, I lifted my gaze to the mirror and sucked in a breath at the haggard vision staring back at me. Listless hazel eyes stared back with nothing but red streaks where there should have been flawless porcelain skin. My hair hung limp around my shoulders. I barely recognized myself. Puffy, red, I looked…defeated.

  Damn. I wasn’t that girl. I refused to be that girl.

  I straightened the hunch in my shoulders, pressed my breastbone out, and lifted my chin. My bladder pinched with urgent need, reminding me of why I was here.

  Beside me, Chad looked at me with his steel-blue eyes, silent, watchful, and concerned. Now, why would worry darken his features?

  “What?” My biting comment had him rearing back.

  “Nothing, kitten.” His eyes narrowed. “You are a fierce woman, a lioness I think.”

  “You know nothing about me.”

  His expression softened as he stepped toward me. “I know more than you think.”

  I lifted my hands in defense and he paused.

  “You promised to behave,” he said. “Do not make me regret being kind to you. Now hold still, don’t fight me, and don’t you dare hit me again.”

  He put his hands on the button of my shorts. When I gasped, he gazed into my eyes. His body filled the lavatory, towering over me, shoulders brushing the sides of the small space. The man was built like a tank. And, yes, he had a purple bruise at the tip of his chin. His gaze softened as he cupped my chin.

  An involuntary exhale pushed past my lips.

  “Know this, kitten,” he said with tenderness, “you belong to Master Xavier. It is my job to care for you, but you do not belong to me in that way. None of us will touch you like that.”

  But this Master Xavier would. I didn’t find comfort in Chad’s words.

  He pushed my shorts and panties down over my hips and then backed away through the doorway and took a half a step to the side. He never looked down at my nakedness. I know because my eyes were latched to his the entire time.

  I heard him with Bay, talking about sports, while I stood speechless with my pants halfway down my legs.

  My bladder pinched, spasming with need. What world had I descended into where one man controlled others so completely? If this Master Xavier held such sway over men such as Chad, Bay, Boss, and Mel, then what hope did I have?

  I didn’t know, but now was not the time to push more boundaries. I discovered one thing. I had power. The hood was off. It was only for a moment, and I checked; there were no windows I could look out, but I won a small victory with my captors.

  I pushed my shorts down and quickly did my business, mindful for the courtesy Chad afforded me. I washed up and did my best to dress. Chad had to help me pull my shorts over my hips. I bit my lip the entire time, trying not to let my mortification show.

  Bay motioned for Chad to move out of the lavatory and then proceeded to brush out my long hair. He pulled a rubber band from his pocket and secured my hair in a ponytail. I reveled in the absence
of the hood. Looking into the mirror, I almost looked like my old self and I caught Bay admiring my reflection as well.

  I didn’t see what my friends saw, what they told me men couldn’t resist when looking at me. I saw only me, a plain and curious girl. Men saw something else, some captivating quality I never understood. I used to hold up magazines next to my face, trying to see what features I shared with those models. My eyes were not crystalline blue or emerald green. They weren’t some fathomless dark chocolate to beguile men. Instead, they were an unremarkable hazel flecked with green. The only remarkable quality was in the way my eyes shifted colors with my mood. Their shape was unique perhaps, a bit too large and open for the size of my face. People said it gave me an inquisitive expression.

  I thought it made me look younger than I was, more fragile than I felt. To me, it was a hindrance as I could never sneak into clubs, although I never lacked for dates, or boyfriends, or older men who wanted to buy me expensive gifts. I was guilty for taking advantage where I could. No one ever said I was a saint. I was, after all, the product of boarding school and broken curfews.

  My mother gave me the gift of flawless skin with a natural ivory complexion, not too white. I didn’t look like a ghost and I wasn’t pasty-white. I had rosy cheeks and I tanned well. There was a luminosity to my skin my friend, Elsbeth, told me one night with only a twinge of jealousy. I never understood what luminosity meant in a skin tone. I wasn’t a whore, despite Z’s words. I wasn’t super-model beautiful. There was nothing worth justifying purchasing me as a slave.

  I lacked refinement. Z's fault. He didn’t send me to finishing school, but I never lacked men’s interest. While my girlfriends were learning how to blend in with high society, I learned to fight, took personal self-defense, learned to shoot a hand gun, and went hunting and fishing. I learned to dance, too. I wasn’t a complete savage.

  Like all my friends at boarding school, equestrian sports, swimming, tennis, the usual suspects, made up my physical education. But I also ran, did yoga, rock climbed, crawled through caves, surfed, and scuba dove. Hell, I jumped out of planes and kayaked too, and did every un-ladylike activity I could think of that would irritate my father. Whoever Master Xavier was, he was in for a big disappointment, because he wasn’t getting a socialite’s daughter.