Page 17 of Trapped (Snowbound with a Stranger #2)

Intensification

Eli

Dragged out of the chopper, my thoughts were in freefall. Where were we? How was Erin? If only I could catch sight of her, I’d be able to gauge how she was. I needed that guidance, to know how she was coping and what—beyond the obvious—she needed from me. Trapped in the confines of the hood, though, there was no hope of seeing her expressive eyes, and as my weary body bounced off the ground, I could only hope she wasn’t subject to my brutal mode of travel.

“Take her to my office.”

I made out Hawkins’ command from an unidentifiable direction, my insides clenching at his words. They were taking Erin to his office? Even though there was no obvious threat from the instruction, I sensed her being hauled there wouldn’t be good news, and that, presumably, I was destined for some other destination, out of reach from the woman who’d become the center of my entire world.

“Put him in with the other one.”

The amusement laced in Hawkins’ tone should have worried me, but dragged across what felt like concrete, I was struggling too much with the escalating pain ripping through my body to notice.

“Yes, boss,”

one of Hawkins’ idiots replied, grabbing at my collar as I was pulled on.

Biting down on the rocketing hurt, I vowed not to allow Hawkins the glee of knowing how much pain I was in. The son of a bitch had taken too much pleasure from the ordeal as it was. I didn’t have to be able to see to know that. I sensed the satisfaction coming off him in sickening waves.

Gritting my teeth, I winced when my body bounced off the edge of something hard. A curb, perhaps, although I’d never know for sure.

Just wait, Hawkins… The words steeled me as the pain intensified. One day, you’re going to get what’s coming to you.

I couldn’t fucking wait.

I’d spent the last few years trying to forget what he’d done to me, but the resentment had never really waned.

Instead, it had stayed bottled up inside me, amplifying as the months crawled by.

I hadn’t concentrated on just how much I loathed the moron until he’d shown up at the cabin, but as another painful jolt jerked through my body, it was the rage he inspired dominating my senses.

I had no idea how Hawkins had intercepted my message to Baron, but I knew him well enough to know his presence only meant harm—a message reinforced as I was lugged over an unknown threshold and into somewhere new.

I recognized the change at once, the floor inside the new place considerably smoother and kinder than the ground outside.

It was small solace in the grand scheme of things, especially as I was still being half-choked by the moron yanking at my neckline, but silently, I thanked whatever fucked-up God was in charge for the improvement in my lot.

Robbed of my eyesight and with my hands cuffed, there was still little I could do to rebel against the unexpected turn of events.

The slide along the interior floor seemed to last a lifetime, my hands hiking as high up my back as they could to avoid getting caught in the friction.

The dull echo of the goon’s footsteps matched the pounding in my head; a relentless, thudding rhythm that seemed determined to break me, but my resolve only hardened with each drumming cadence.

Inside the hood, time had lost all meaning, but the bitterness swelling for Hawkins ensured I never forgot why I was there.

The snarling image of his face in my mind reminded me that however hard I was finding the trial, there was someone else to worry about, someone with no experience of the types of cretins he employed.

Someone who was innocent.

Erin.

What was that fucker Hawkins planning to do to her?

She’ll be okay. I forced myself to say the words in my head. She has to be. I’ll get out of this and I’ll find her. We’ll both be okay.

Yeah, right. A sneering second voice cut through my false hope. Sure, she will be. Just like I’m definitely going to get out of these cuffs and take on all the goons Hawkins has hired with my bare hands.

“Here you go, asshole. Home, sweet home.”

Blinking around the blackness of the hood, I realized suddenly that the announcement meant the sliding had ceased. My brow rose as I gasped for breath. It sounded as though I’d reached whatever place was to become my new, short-term residence.

The sound of a creaking door permeated my darkness before I was on the move again, my weary hands trapped in the motion before I tugged them out of the way again.

“You’ve got a cellmate, asshole!”

The cocky moron working for Hawkins raised his voice, as though he wanted to be sure I heard him.

“Play nice, now.”

“Fuck off, you idiot!”

another man responded, his tone cutting as I was dragged into the new space. Even through the damp rag that had become my hood, I sensed the atmosphere shift, the odor of old sweat and urine making me want to heave.

“That’s mighty brave for a bloke tied to a fucking chair.”

I recognized the arrogant tone of the imbecile on Hawkins’ payroll.

“Maybe I need to give your face another pounding.”

“Listen, I know you don’t have many brain cells floating around in that thick head of yours, mate, but surely you realize what Hawkins will do to you if you don’t run and report back like a good little dog.”

I turned my head toward the other man’s tone, vaguely aware that I might recognize his voice.

“You’re a mouthy waste of space!”

the goon hissed.

“Maybe.”

The second guy sneered.

“But I’m not wrong, am I? Get this guy something to sit on and run back to your daddy.”

Despite the pain still ricocheting around my limbs, I couldn’t resist the smile that rose at the insults. My cellmate had probably taken his share of flying fists as well, but he seemed to be in better shape than I was.

“I ain’t got to do nothing you say!”

spat the moron from beside me.

“You can’t leave him like that!”

the new voice of sanity chastised.

“Get him up off the floor.”

“Fuck you!”

Anger reverberated from the minion.

“He can fucking stay there, and another word from you and I’ll find something to shove in your gob!”

“Tempting…”

I bit back on the snigger rising at my cellmate’s mumbled quip, flinching when the door slammed shut behind me.

“Has he gone?”

I hoped to God he had.

“Yeah.”

“Thanks for helping him on his way.”

Wiggling my fingers, I wished the asshole had at least uncuffed me before he left, but I supposed that was too much to ask for. Beaten, bound, and hooded, I was supposed to be humiliated. Mission accomplished.

“It’s been one hell of a ride!”

I attempted to sound upbeat, but my thoughts instantly returned to Erin and what she was enduring while I sat making small talk.

It had all happened so fast that, sitting on the hard floor, I could scarcely recall the events that saw us in Hawkins’ custody. One moment, I’d been tucked up in bed with Erin’s clothed, soft curves, and the next, Hawkins’ platoon of morons had invaded. The anger rising in waves inside me tightened my jaw, provoking a new rushing pain from the beaten area.

If he so much as lays a finger on her, I’ll fucking cut out his—

“Do I know you, friend?”

The stranger’s question interrupted my miserable monologue.

“It’s just, you seem familiar.”

I laughed dryly.

“I was thinking the same thing.”

Though how he could ascertain anything about me with a hood over my head was anyone’s guess.

“I thought I recognized your voice, but it’s difficult to tell with this fucking hood.”

“If you shift over here, I might be able to tug it from your head.”

He sounded doubtful.

“The bastard has my hands tied to the sides of a chair, but I have a few inches of slack.”

“It’s worth a go.”

Being able to see wouldn’t resolve all of my problems, but it would be a start.

“Where are you?”

“Can you move?”

“Sure.”

I winced as I twisted my legs and forced myself to my knees.

“Which direction?”

“To your left.”

The conversation had steered naturally away from our identities, but edging in the direction he’d indicated, I decided to press the issue again.

“So, who are you, then?”

“Stop,”

he ordered.

“Turn ninety degrees left and then come forward.”

Brow rising, I complied. His instructions were pretty specific, which made me wonder if he was another company man. Civilians didn’t tend to use such explicit vocabulary, but then, noncombatants didn’t generally find themselves in such shitty places as the one I sensed confined us.

“Did we meet at work?”

“Maybe.”

He sighed.

“Look, I’m not thrilled about divulging my details…”

He hesitated.

“I’ve been trained not to, but since it seems we’re stuck in this together, I guess there’s nothing to lose.”

“I’ll say.”

My knees ached for rest, but the idea of being liberated from the hood compelled me to stay upright on them.

“Where to now?”

“Can you lower to your haunches?”

He chuckled.

“You’re a little taller than the chair.”

“Sure.”

I wouldn’t normally kneel for any man, but I was running out of options, and the familiarity of his voice lulled me into a false sense of security that perhaps I could trust him.

“Is this better?”

“Yes, hang on…”

The fabric tugged at the side of my head, easing up inch by inch. My heart sped up at its progress, vain hope building on its incremental gains until I dared to believe he might actually rid me of the thing.

“It’s moving.”

I could hear the effort in his voice.

“Shuffle in the opposite direction and see if you can duck out of it. They put one on me when I came here too. Seems they’re keen that no one knows where they are.”

“It’s working!”

I pulled back against his grip, my pulse accelerating as the infernal hood slipped away.

“Keep tugging!”

Lowering my head and easing backward, I gasped as the black cover finally fell from my head and landed on the floor by my knees. I pulled in a lungful of air, regretting the deed immediately.

“Thank you.”

Not that the cell was much brighter than the hood had been, but at least I was finally rid of the damn cloth.

“That helps a lot.”

“Rosen?”

My head snapped around at the sound of my name, my eyes wide as I made out the look of the man bound to the chair. “Baron?”

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The man I’d messaged to help Erin and me out in the cabin—the one who used to be Hawkins’ boss—was the other guy locked in the gloomy cell.

“Wh-what are you doing here?”

“Hawkins?”

He smirked as though it was the most preposterous thing he’d ever heard.

“Ever heard of him?”

“Yeah.”

I blew out a breath, abruptly more aware of the ache in my shoulders without the hood to focus on.

“He’s an asshole.”

And just like that, the whole sordid backdrop fell into place in my head. The reason Baron hadn’t replied. The reason Hawkins had known the exact location of the cabin. Everything made sense.

“Yes, he fucking is.”

Baron’s jaw clenched.

“Are you okay? Looks like he’s really fucked up your pretty face.”

“Right.”

I glanced up at the dark ceiling, acknowledging my tender jaw.

“I guess that modelling career will have to wait.”

Baron grinned, his expression in the shadows exploding a hundred old memories. He’d been Hawkins’ boss in the chain of command, while I’d reported directly to Hawkins, but despite the hierarchy, I’d still considered Baron a friend.

“Shame you’re still cuffed.”

He shook his head.

“I could do with some help here.”

He signaled to the ropes wound around his wrists.

“Tell me about it,”

I grumbled.

“At least yours are rope. I need a key for these fuckers.”

“True.”

Baron smiled.

“Everything is relative. Thanks for the reminder.”

“You’re welcome.”

I sniggered at his dry tone.

“It’s been a while, boss man. I didn’t expect to stumble into you in a shithole like this.”

He laughed.

“Technically, I wasn’t your boss, Rosen.”

“True, but I always respected you more than Hawkins.”

“Gee, thanks.”

He snorted.

“That’s not a high bar for comparison.”

“Yeah.”

Locking gazes with him, I nodded.

“I’m just saying, it’s good to see you. I only wish it wasn’t here.”

“We have our mutual friend to thank for that…”

His voice trailed away as he no doubt dwelled on the obvious conclusion.

Hawkins was no one’s friend.

“What does he want with you?”

I asked.

“Has he said?”

Baron shook his head.

“He was typically vague. Just said I was phase one.”

“So, I guess we’re phase two.”

That did little to reassure me.

“We?”

Baron prompted.

“It’s a long story.”

I settled on my backside, trying to get as comfortable as I could on a cold, hard floor.

“But I guess all we have right now is time.”

“Sounds about right.”

Baron sounded wistful.

“God knows how long I’ve been stuck here. Tell me your story.”

“Is that an order, sir?”

I chuckled.

“Because I’m pretty sure I don’t work for you anymore.”

Though, the only thing that was certain in the shadowy confines of the cell was that if we were going to outplay Hawkins, Baron and I would need to work together.

Baron tutted.

“I’m listening.”

I laughed at his flat refusal to acknowledge my insolence.

“I’m not sure it’s your kind of tale, to be honest. It’s about a girl…”

“What a fucking surprise.”

Baron winced as he chuckled harder.

“You never could keep it in your pants, Rosen.”

“Not true,”

I countered.

“There’s been no one for years.”

“Until this girl.”

“Right.”

I smiled in spite of myself, ignoring the swirling specter manifesting from the corner of the room. I’d been too long without her, it seemed, and Erin’s absence had inspired the return of the memories hellbent on my torment. Without her, my hauntings had returned.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I focused on the image of her face in my mind’s eye.

“Her name is Erin.”