Bar None (8 page)

He released the rope from her left wrist, slid cuffs from his pocket, and shackled her wrists behind her back. Her moment of false hope stymied, she felt more exposed and vulnerable than ever, her skin chilled as if already dead. The shock of it momentarily froze the thoughts blasting through her mind.

He pulled the thong from her bottom and slapped the cheeks hard.
No, I can't die like this. Think, damn it.
Drool from the gag slid down her face.
Naked, covered in drool. This is how I'll be found.
She pushed the thoughts away. She couldn't think of her ultimate humiliation, couldn't focus on her death. She had to completely concentrate on the moments she had left alive.

The masked monster tethered her ankles. A chain about a foot or so in length attached to each shackle. He lifted her by her arm and her legs swung down to the floor. He was going to move her. This might be it. Her chance to escape. Then he placed a cloth around her eyes, and the loss of sight caused another round of panic.

He pulled her along, half dragging her naked into the night. The cooling air nipped at her exposed flesh like a rabid dog. The earth beneath her bare feet poked and cut, reminding her she was alive. But for how long?

A twig stabbed into her foot and she hobbled along until he lifted her and flung her over his shoulder like a duffle bag of dirty laundry. A second creak of a door reverberated in her head like a siren. If they were going indoors, it might be where she'd take her last breath. Dani struggled but he only tightened his grip. She couldn't even see or yell.

He tossed her down on what felt like a bed and yanked the chain on her ankles upward, securing it. Her legs were tethered wide open. He could take whatever he wanted and she wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

His voice cut into the air like a knife. “I'm going to fuck you bad, and then I'm going to kill you. But first I'm going to get you out of here.” His footsteps moved away and Dani wondered how the hell he planned on doing that with her shackled practically upside down. But every moment's delay was valuable. Each one increased the possibility that someone would come to save her.

An engine turning thwarted her hopes. He didn't care that she was naked because he'd hidden her inside some type of camper. He'd move her, fuck her, kill her and then dump her on the side of the road somewhere.

As the vehicle bumped along the short duration of her life played before her. It hit her that she hadn't lived long enough. She'd only recently started to experience things, but then again, it was her recent experiences that landed her in the boat she was in.

A siren started, and hope washed the unshed tears down her face. Could it be for her?

"Fuck. You damn bitch. Look what you've done.” He continued with a string of curses, expounding on the ways he'd make her pay. They picked up speed. Everything moved too fast and at the same time in slow motion.

And then they were flying. Screeching tires mingled with the man's scream. They'd die together. She bounced helplessly on the bed, her ankles secured to the roof by the chain until she tumbled off the edge of the make-shift bed, and hung by her ankles as the vehicle slid sideways to a stop. On the last bounce, her head hit the floor and she slipped into another kind of darkness.

He'd never endured anything like the sound of Dani's scream. It would echo through his brain for the rest of his life. It had taken all his control to keep from screaming himself while he had to listen to that psycho maul and hurt her.

They weren't moving fast enough. He'd heard the directions and knew where the police were headed. “Pull over and let me fucking drive."

Lori glanced over at John and sped up. “I can't go any faster even with the siren. We'll intersect in a few minutes."

A blip on the radio and a call went through. “We got the RV. Hit a pole on Maple two blocks from the highway. Two cars are on it. No movement from the vehicle yet. He may use her as a hostage, depending. What's your ETA?"

John radioed back, “Minute or two, tops.” He knew what the depending meant. Depending on if both of them were alive.

His heart beat wildly and his stomach lurched. No. She had to still be alive. His heart ached with things unsaid. The things he hadn't told her. The things he hadn't realized were true until the possibility of her never hearing them arose.

The car skidded to a stop and John bolted from the door to the side of the RV, gun raised. He ignored the yells from his colleagues to stop. It didn't matter if the perp shot him, as long as he got off a fatal shot. At least that way, Dani would have a chance. If she was still alive. The thought galvanized in his stomach and he yanked the passenger door open.

The man from the club worked diligently to unpin himself from the deployed air bag and a crunched front end. He had managed to slide from the seat where he continued to groan and pull at his leg, which was obviously broken. John held his gun cocked in front of him and turned to yell for the others to approach when a knife hit his arm. He dropped his gun but kicked it out of range before the man could pick it up.

The man grabbed at John's cut arm and pulled him down to punch him. John swung with his left and got him in a choke hold when he saw Dani's nude body hanging there not moving. Unbridled rage flooded his body and he tightened his grip. The driver's side door opened and two officers held up their guns. “Let him go, man. We've got it now. “

A groan from the back made him drop his grip and run to Dani. He pulled the chain down and scooped her up in his arms. “Look for cuff keys,” he yelled back to the others. “And make sure there's more than one ambulance. She's not going to be anywhere near that bastard."

"John?” Dani's voice was no more than a whisper. She looked up at him for a second and then drifted back into unconsciousness.

He wrapped the comforter from the bed around her and waited for the ambulance to arrive. An hour later he sat at her bedside relieved that she'd suffered no more than a concussion and a few bumps and bruises. She'd come to and had asked questions, but he'd told her to save her breath, that they'd have plenty of time to talk. And it was a talk he wouldn't relish having.

His boss walked into the room with Lori. John nodded at them. “You fill in the locals?"

Trevor nodded and Lori walked over to the side of the bed. “How's she doing,” Lori asked.

He smiled a tired smile. “She's going to be fine.

Trevor put his hands in his pockets. “You know we have to talk to her. We don't know what he might have done. . . . “

The thought of her naked body hanging like a slab of beef filled his mind and turned his stomach. “I asked the doctor after the examination and it didn't look like he'd. . . . “ He paused for a second, having difficulty completing the sentence. “I think he had to move her before anything could happen."

John turned toward Dani when he saw both Trevor and Lori were staring at her. Dani's eyes were open and she blinked as if trying to focus.

"Ms. Summers, I'm Trevor Whitman with the FBI and I'm here to ask you a few questions. Do you think you might be able to answer them now?"

John stood up from the bed. “Can't this wait? She's been through enough."

"I can answer. It's fine, John. Let's just get this over with. Will I have to repeat this to the police or can I just say it this once?"

Trevor pulled out a small recorder. “Once should be enough."

John glared at him and sat back down.

"Um, I think it might be best if we spoke to Ms. Summers alone,” Trevor said looking at John.

"I'm not leaving. Not unless she wants me to.” He looked to Dani pleadingly. “If there is something you'd rather I don't hear, then I'll leave, but I'd like to stay.” More than anything he prayed there'd be nothing she wouldn't want him to hear, prayed that the monster hadn't violated her in any way.

She reached her hand for his. “You can stay,” she whispered.

Trevor pressed the record button. “Can you tell me in your own words what happened when you left the club, Ms. Summers?"

She nodded, then remembered the recorder. “Yes. I was walking to my car when a cloth covered my face. The next thing I remember, I was tied up in some type of garage and a man with a mask threatened me, slapped me, and undressed me. I'm sure he would have done more but John had called. My cell phone was on when the guy came back for me. When he was undressing me he noticed the phone and then shut it off. He stripped me, cuffed me, and shackled me inside the RV. When I heard the siren he sped up, and the last thing I remember is hitting my head."

"So he didn't rape you?"

"He would have. He said he'd rape and kill me. He just didn't get the opportunity because of the call. He knew someone heard what he was saying and would contact the police. It's what saved me. You'll still be able to charge him, won't you?"

"Don't worry. We're gathering evidence as we speak. This wasn't his first time.” He shut the recorder off and headed toward the door.

"I'm glad you're okay. I'll leave you two alone now,” Lori said. She glanced at John and followed Trevor to the door.

"John, I can't thank you enough. If you hadn't called. . . . “ Dani shook her head and her eyes filled up with tears.

"Let's not think about it. But it's my fault you were there in the first place. If you weren't looking for me you never would have been in any danger.” He looked down, unable to face her.

"You can't be serious. You're in no way to blame. I got myself into this and I'm the one who went to the club when you specifically said you were busy. If I hadn't been checking up on you it wouldn't have happened to me. But he just would have picked another girl. And the thing is, it could have happened anywhere, in any type of club."

Even after everything that happened, she still didn't think of herself. She thought of other potential victims. She protected his sorry ass by trying to take the blame. So good. So generous. He didn't deserve her. “Now you need to rest. Get some sleep and everything will be better in the morning. He bent down and kissed her forehead.

"John."

She didn't say any more than his name, but he knew he couldn't stay any longer. He'd have to write his report and see Trevor. “Sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. And they'll probably let you go in the morning."

He stood and Dani tried to hold on to his hand, but he pulled away. He smiled at her and walked away. Once on the other side of the door he leaned against it and shut his eyes. What had he been thinking? He'd gone too far with her. He started off playing a role. But it hadn't taken him long to figure out he
was
the Dom he played. And he'd dragged her into the depths of it. Now he had to go back to reality. The smart thing to do would be end it. The case was over and so was the relationship. So why did he feel like there was a big hole in his heart?

Two days had gone by and not a word from John. She'd called and left messages on his cell but still no word. When she was released from the hospital she'd thought maybe he'd pick her up, but she had to call her family. That was something she was hoping to avoid. She didn't exactly want to explain what she was doing at the club to begin with.

Her parents had hit the roof and demanded she change the genre of her story. She listened to them rant, and snuck in a call to John. She managed to keep the fact that he was involved in the club a secret. She wasn't giving up John. And she couldn't let him give her up, either. Not because he blamed himself for what happened to her. Or he feared she wouldn't be able to remain a Sub after the ordeal she'd suffered. What he didn't understand was how safe she felt with him. The words John used didn't matter. She would never associate John's touch or his words with the man who kidnapped her.

She looked at the address she had written down. This federal building housed offices for the FBI. Who would have thought it? Providence was the state capital, but she'd never thought agents worked and resided in the Ocean State.

She trudged up the marble staircase thinking of nothing but John. On the second floor she went down a long corridor and found the room she was looking for. The man who'd spoken to her in the hospital wanted her to come in and sign an affidavit. Then her involvement would end. He guaranteed she would never have to face the man who abducted her. There were plenty of others who'd be able to give enough evidence that he'd be put away for a very long time.

A secretary greeted her and escorted her into Mr. Whitman's office. He inquired about her health and handed her several papers to read and sign. Just as she was about to leave, John entered the room. He stopped dead, staring at her as if she didn't belong there.

That's when she noticed the suit. He looked more like a businessman than a bartender in a sex club. Lori entered behind him. Dark suit, holster over her shoulder. She brushed past him and handed a folder to Mr. Whitman. “Glad to see you up and about, Dani. Trevor, I need to get back to my team in Boston. John, pleasure working with you."

"What?” Dani's voice squeaked. “What do you mean? Working with him?"

Lori glanced at John with an incredulous expression. “Please tell me she knows what you do? You can't mean that you didn't tell her."

"You don't bartend at the club? Wait, you're actually an accountant there, right?"

Lori whistled and the FBI agent dropped his folder. That's when the truth hit her. Lori was an agent, too. And she worked with John. No, it couldn't be. He couldn't be an agent. He couldn't have been faking the whole Dom thing. Son of a bitch. He'd fucked her upside down and backward and the whole thing was just an act. She'd kill him.

"Tell me you're
not
an agent. Tell me you did
not
make an idiot out of me.” The soft hiss of her words dripped with menace. If Dani hadn't recognized it as her own voice she would've scared herself. “You made me believe you were a Dom,” she said through clenched teeth. “You made me believe I had to obey.” Dani pushed at him, but he barely moved. Through her entire ordeal, her thoughts of John had kept her centered. To find that it had all been fake proved more than she could bear. Something in her exploded. The pent up anger, the violence resting under the surface broke through and her small fists pounded his chest like a drum.