Page 219 of Love Me in the Dark

I wokeup in a soft bed, my head rested on one of the most comfortable pillows I’d ever used. It was almost enough to make me forget exactly where I was, but not quite. A flash flood of memories came back to me. I jolted, ready to jump off the bed, but I was immediately yanked back.

I touched my throat where I’d been pulled back. A thick leather collar wrapped around my neck. A ring hung from the front and the back with a chain attached to the back ring and hooked to the metal frame of the bed.

There was just enough slack for me to sit up, but not move from the bed. I was still naked, but I was clean. White bandages had been wrapped around my wrists. My hair had been washed and brushed. A new sense of violation washed over me with the realization he’d touched me. He’d bathed me and carried me to the bed.

At least it wasn’t that dirty cell again.

“You’re awake.”

I scooted back against the headboard and wrapped my arms around my knees. He stood in the doorway, a soft smile on his lips.

“You know when you sit like that, I can see your pussy even better.”

Heat rushed up my neck and covered my face. I stretched out my legs in front of me, eliciting a laugh from him.

“You shouldn’t have run like that, Gabby.”

“Why do you keep calling me that?” I focused on the nickname he kept using. I hadn’t been called Gabby since high school.

His eyes darkened as he stared at me from the doorway. There it was again, a familiarity I couldn’t explain.

“What’s your name?” I asked when he ignored my question.

“It doesn’t matter.” He shook his head.

“Of course, it matters.” I tried to soften my irritation. I’d read somewhere making a connection with your abductor could help get him to see you as a real human. And when that happened, maybe he’d be less likely to kill you.

His lips spread wide. “I’m sure you’re concocting all sorts of things in that pretty head of yours.” He moved to the foot of the bed, glaring down at me. “And I can promise almost all of it’s not true.”

“So, you’re not a kidnapping murdering monster?” I couldn’t stop the words, they just popped right out. This was why my mother laughed when I had toyed with the idea of going into the police academy. My nerves shook all the common sense out of my head.

He laughed. “I didn’t kidnap you, and to date, I’ve never murdered anyone.” He scratched his chin beneath his beard. “So, like I said, mostly not true.”

Did he just admit to being a monster? I rubbed my temples; a dull throb was growing behind my eyes. Probably from the drugs he shot into my system.

“You washed me up.”

“I did.” He moved to the dresser, opening the top drawer and fumbling around.

“Can you take this off?” I asked, pulling at the stiff leather of the collar.

“Nope.” He pulled something out of the drawer and shut it. When he turned back around, he held a short purple nylon leash. “You ran away, and that was a bad girl.” He walked toward me, his boots making soft sounds against the thin carpeting of the room.

“What are you going to do?” I asked, putting my hands up to ward him off.

“Hands down, Gabby. Now.” He snapped his fingers and pointed at me. Chained to his bed, did I really have any options?

I dropped my hands to my lap.

“Good girl,” he said with an easy smile. After clipping the end of the leash to the ring on my collar, he reached around and opened the clasp on the back. I was loose from the bed, but not from him. The leash was too short for me to get farther than three steps from him and he held a firm grip on his end.

“I was going to give you a night to get used to the idea of what’s going to happen, but you were too naughty. It’s best we start your training right now.”

“Training for what?” I wanted to scream. He kept talking like I had any idea what the subject was.

He pointed to the carpeting. “Down on your hands and knees.”

I shook my head. “No. Not until you tell me what the fuck is going on.” I folded my arms over my chest like I had any real power.