Madeleine Abducted (14 page)

Jason
coughed from the fetid smell of excrement and death wrapping itself within the
enclosed space. "This sight is enough for even a man of my status to grow
nervous in your presence. I'm awed by the swiftness of your hand, Aaron. Great
power obviously resides within a man of so few words."

A
simple nod in response, Aaron wiped off what blood he could from his face and
blade on the sleeve of his jacket before exiting the room and making his way
back through the maze of corridors through the house. Hearing Jason's weighted
steps following closely behind, Aaron turned and locked eyes with him. "Although
it appears my father's dogs haven't yet sniffed out our plans, we should act
more carefully from this point forward. It won't be long before more fools
believe they can garner a higher position by reporting back. I want
Xander
notified of any future meetings. They should be
coordinated so that he can attend." Aaron turned to continue his path, but
stopped short. Quick words spoken from over his shoulder, he ordered, "No
man that hasn't proven his loyalty will attend future discussions. I'm somewhat
concerned it has been allowed up to this point."

Aaron
didn't allow Jason time to respond. His task complete, he left the large house,
his mind drifting back to the small woman held in his quarters.

Maddy
sat back against the soft leather of the couch, watched as
Xander
paced the floors awaiting Aaron's return. Her mind
drifted to
Xander's
words, his acknowledgment that
Aaron had a soul as evil as the men who'd watched her in the room earlier that
day. Trepidation coiled its way through her bones until it rested on her skin
as a fine sheen of sweat.

When
the front door finally slammed open,
Maddy
watched as
Aaron entered, his face covered by the evidence of his activities, the stain of
death almost black as it lay smeared across his features. Startled, she curled
in on herself. When the deep green of his eyes met hers, a quick flash of light
behind the horror that clouded his gaze surprised her.

Sparing
her no more than a quick glance, Aaron made his way to the double doors leading
to the back bedrooms, threw them open before walking heavily down the corridor,
disappearing as quickly as he'd arrived.
Xander
sighed while standing next to her, rolled his shoulders back to release the
tension built from his wait, eventually pushing himself forward to follow Aaron
down the corridor. Locking the front doors on his way through the room,
Xander
glanced back at
Maddy
as
he asked, "Are you intelligent enough to know that escaping this room
would be to your detriment?"

Maddy
nodded, knowing full well that moving from her spot would only
lead her into the arms of a far greater form of torture. The flash of white
teeth struck her as
Xander
smiled before turning to
follow Aaron down the hall.

Entering
his bedroom, Aaron immediately stripped himself of his jacket and weapons,
picked up a rag lying near him to better clean the steel of his blade before re-sheathing
it and placing it in the top drawer of his bureau. Reaching behind him, he
grasped the collar of his shirt, ripping the soaked material from his body
before venturing into the bathroom, looking forward to the sharp bite of hot
water.

Stepping
down into the steam laden enclosure, Aaron bent his head into the water,
watched as the blood swirled angrily down the drain, changing from a stark red,
to a muted pink, and then clear once the remnants of the spy’s death had been
washed clean from his body. Only when he felt his skin begin to blister from
the heat of the shower's spray did he step out. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it
loosely around his hips before walking back into his room.

With
an arched eyebrow and the shrewd understanding of a man who knew Aaron better
than he knew himself,
Xander
lurked in the doorway of
the room awaiting Aaron's report. He stood quietly, his hands tucked casually
into the pockets of his dress slacks as Aaron disappeared into the closet to
get dressed. Seconds later, Aaron emerged in only a pair of black silk, loosely
fitted pants that flowed about his legs like water.

"Jason
has reported back to me that the spy acted on his own, but I was wanting to
know your thoughts on the matter."
Xander
leaned
back against the wall, patiently allowing Aaron time to come down from the peak
of rage made apparent by the lethal edge to his expression.

Sitting
down on the edge of the king sized bed, Aaron let his head fall forward,
watched as the drops of water fell from his damp hair to the floor. Letting out
a sigh of exasperation, he looked back up. "Jason's correct. The man's
name was Mark
Collinsworth
, a bottom feeder, I
presume, who thought he could make his place in the network by reporting back
to my father."

Xander
chuckled. "I'm sure your father would have appreciated
that information, it's too bad that Mr.
Collinsworth
didn't understand he would have lost his head either way. Loose tongues are
never acceptable in a den of criminals."

Aaron
allowed
Xander's
levity to breach his rage, chuckled
in response to the sad truth of
Xander's
words. The
two men remained quiet, both resigned to their thoughts when Aaron finally
breached the silence with a question. "What shall we do with the mouse for
the evening? Can she be trusted not to make a scene of herself again?"

Considering
the situation carefully,
Xander
choose an answer
tailored toward the needs of Aaron over the woman who was, unknowingly, working
her way into the cold hearts of her captors. "I could chain her again,
ensure that she does not draw attention to herself,"
Xander
said.

"No."
Aaron's response was sudden and assured. "Her wounds are still too raw, if
they were to grow worse, she'd be denied the medical attention necessary to
heal." Sighing loudly, Aaron ran his hand through his hair before
resigning to his next command. "Bring her to my room, I'll let her sleep
beside me, keep her from becoming a danger to herself."

Biting
back his desire to protest Aaron's decision,
Xander
strode out of the room without another word, leaving Aaron to his thoughts that
were overflowing with blood, torment and deceit.

Maddy
sat in the tranquil living room, looked around at the luxury
that filled the space; the fine linens, statues that she imagined would cost
more than the small house she'd called home her entire life. Not daring to
move, she was oddly relieved to hear footsteps approaching in the corridor. Although
these men would never let her go, had hurt her in ways deemed evil by the world
around her, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were protecting her from
even greater monsters, men who would feed on her pain, gain pleasure from
tearing her mind, body and spirit to shreds.

Xander
appeared from the dark recesses of the hall. Standing with his
shoulders held back, and his hands folded together in front him, he eyed
Maddy
before speaking. "Aaron has requested you stay
in his room with him tonight."

Her
breath hitched and anxiety rolled through her small body in waves as she
wondered about the extent of Aaron's plans. Having no other choice,
Maddy
began to stand, but
Xander
waved his hand indicating for her to remain seated. A serious look plastered
across his face, he stated, "You should know, Cricket, there is nothing more
important to me than your Master. If you were to hurt him while he sleeps, or
even make so much as an attempt, I will make sure that your death is as slow
and agonizing as possible."

A
violent shudder tore through her body as she listened to words spoken without
apology, so truthful to their depths that just the sound was terrifying.
Maddy
looked down into her lap, waited for
Xander
to finish what he had to say, to give her his next
command.

"Let's
go, Cricket. Your Master awaits you."

Standing
on weak legs,
Maddy
moved slowly across the stone
floor of the living room, the broken skin at her ankles sore and burning with
each step. The conflicting feelings flooding her heart were unexpected and alarming;
desire for a man that held her captive, fear of what the man would do to her
next, but also, anticipation for his touch, a feeling of safety when in his
presence. She wondered if she was losing her mind, succumbing to psychological
abuse at the hands of the people who stole her from her life. Her eyes shadowed
as she passed
Xander
, her steps light as she
traversed the hall, her body heavy as she led herself toward the unknown.

When
she entered the room, Aaron was sitting on the edge of the large bed in the
center of the room. His body bent forward, he held his head in his hands, the
muscles of his back and strong shoulders made even more defined by the lights
in the room. His black hair was damp but still appeared as fine silk, the color
of the onyx colored strands tempting her touch as it contrasted against his
sun-kissed skin.
Maddy
waited in the doorway, not
sure if he was aware of her presence, if she was free to enter the room without
his command. Standing silently, she waited for him to look up at her, but he
stayed in his position, his back and shoulders moving only with his breath.

After
several minutes,
Maddy
finally cleared her throat to
gain his attention. His
head shot
up, the dark emerald
of his eyes burning into hers. Her knees faltered slightly, but she stood
strong, perfectly still until such time as he asked that she move forward. Darkness
and phantoms of some unknown source darkened his expression. His full lips were
pulled tight into a fine line, the skin at his brows furrowed in agitation. His
eyes remained locked with hers for only a few seconds before they started to
travel down the length of her body, stopping only when they’d reached the
wounds at her wrists and ankles.

“You
need more ointment on your cuts.” Standing, Aaron moved toward the adjacent
bathroom, looked back over his shoulder when
Maddy
didn’t immediately follow. “Come with me, Mouse, so that I may tend to your
wounds.”

Finding
her voice,
Maddy
spoke out of turn, not thinking
about the repercussions her words could elicit. “I would prefer you call me by
my name.” She peaked up at him through her lashes. “
Maddy
,
I would prefer that you call me
Maddy
.”

Aaron
stopped with his bare back turned to her, taking several minutes to finally
respond, he asked, “What makes you think you are allowed to ask that? If I
wanted, I could call you slave … ” He turned to face her, the contours of his
chest perfectly shadowed, his strength unquestionable. “ …
or
whore.” His swagger was slow as he approached her, a hunter skilled in pursuit.
“Would you prefer those names to ‘Mouse’?”

Sucking
her bottom lip between her teeth,
Maddy
fidgeted with
her hands, refusing to look Aaron in the eyes. She could feel his gaze touching
her skin, his perusal of the woman barely half his size. The heat of his body
rolled off of him as he circled her. It was the feeling of a soft blanket and
lustful threat wrapped around her at the same time. When the deep resonation of
his voice occurred again, she cringed, fearing he would strike out at her for
the incorrect answer. “Why do you dislike the name I have given you?”

Continuing
to fidget,
Maddy
trained her eyes on her feet, not
daring to look up into the endless green she knew stared down at her. Gripping
her under her chin, Aaron pulled her face up to look at him, his eyes searching
hers for the answer to his question. “You will speak when I tell you.” Dropping
his hand from her face, he took a step back placing distance between them. “Now
answer me.”

Her
heart pounded against the walls of her chest, her throat constricted, making it
difficult for her to breath. Fear consumed her as she stood in the shadow of
the man who’d taken at least two lives that day. Barely a whisper, her voice
squeaked out the answer to his question. “Because a mouse is a furry little
rodent, something detested.”

Aaron
stood thoughtful and silent above her. When he didn’t respond,
Maddy
quietly added, “I guess it’s better than
Xander’s
name for me.”

Laughter
bellowed out, causing the toned muscles of Aaron’s broad chest to flex and
relax before her eyes. The sound of his amusement so real, it caused her to
want to smile in response to seeing a piece of his mask falling away, revealing
parts of him not witnessed by many people. Containing himself, Aaron’s eyes
sparkled as he asked, “And what, exactly, is
Xander’s
name for you?”

A
scowl creased the fine skin between her eyes, her mouth pulled into the pout of
a sulking child. “He calls me ‘Cricket’ … an insect. It’s odd that you both
refer to me as nothing more than a common household pest.”

Aaron’s
smile faltered as he looked down upon the beautiful girl who didn’t fully
understand her role. “No, Madeleine, you are not a common household pest … ”

Maddy
looked up at him, anticipating what he would say next.

For
a fleeting second, he looked genuinely amused, but his expression was quickly
replaced with indifference and contempt as he stated, “you are lower than even
a pest in your role as a slave.”

Her
heart broke at those words. Any inclination she had that Aaron and
Xander
had protected her, could be concerned for her, was
blown away by the vile truth to his statement.

Turning
back in the direction of the bathroom, Aaron snapped his fingers, indicating
his command for her to follow. Her feet padded across the cold floor as she
submitted to his command. Once they’d entered the room, he motioned for her to
sit in the same chair he’d occupied when he’d bathed her only hours before. Retrieving
the white box, he moved to kneel in front of her. Her eyes raked down the
smooth lines of his back as she took in the way the muscles bulged and
stretched under his smooth skin with his movements. The sting of the ointment
wrenched her from her perusal of his body. Drawing in a sharp breath, the chill
of the air brushed across her teeth, a slightly painful tingle running down the
bones of her jaw as a result. Desperately,
Maddy
tried not to notice how Aaron’s strong hands massaged over the skin of her
ankles and wrists. He was at least twice her size, the large area of his hand
easily wrapping around the width of her arms and legs. So firm, she remembered
what those hands had felt like when causing her pain … or when causing her to
lose herself, to float on the wave of a sensation she had never before known. Bumps
ran along her skin, betraying the warring emotions currently ravishing her
body. She should fear this man, hate him, detest him with all that she was
worth; but, yet, she couldn’t stop her eyes from closing, her head from lulling
back from the feeling of his touch.