Page 1 of Trapped In Wonderland

1

Kitty

My heart beats ata steady, though somewhat elevated, pace as I press my ear against the connecting door, listening for any movement in the hotel room next door.

Nothing but the soft sound of snoring.

Knight, a dark shadow standing behind me, shuffles on his feet, his leather-clad legs emit a soft creaking noise. His impatience surrounds me with a tangible tension, like an electric charge in the air before a storm, making me uneasy. I lift a finger, signaling him to be still.

Only a minute has passed since we walked into this nondescript hotel suite in the middle of upstate New York. Even the dark cloud outside hasn’t moved and still blocks the waning crescent moon, creating a perfect shadow for tonight’s operation.

I understand Knight’s eagerness, but we can’t disrupt the sleeping bull next door, or my plan will fail. Unlike Knight, I know exactly what Raul Rojas, our target’s cousin and protector, would do if he woke up before we cleared the premises.

I wait another minute, listening to the steady breathing from behind the door before I nod to Knight. The man doesn’t hesitate and moves stealthily across the small sitting room. Staying alert, I follow Knight into the target’s room.

Except for the muted light from the digital clock sitting on the bedside table, darkness cloaks the space. But Knight moves to the bed as if he’s reeled by the unmoving woman, like a moon bound by its planet’s gravity.

He slips a large hand over the woman’s mouth. She jerks awake, jackknifing into a sitting position. But Knight locks an arm around her and lifts her off the bed as if she’s light as a feather. He pulls her back flush against his chest and whispers into her ear as she struggles.

Whatever he says works, and the woman stops fighting.

Taking my chance, I quickly place a golden crown-like mask over her head that also blinds her. I produce a swath of black silk to muffle her, while Knight secures her limbs with silk ties.

When Knight finishes, he wraps a hand around her neck.

“Good girl,Princessa. Keep it up and we’ll get along just fine.”

Fascinated by what I’m witnessing, I can almost feel Princessa’s shivers as she yields to Knight. Is it due to fear or excitement? Maybe a bit of both? I have to admit Knight is good, maybe a bit too good at this. Obviously, this isn’t his first rodeo.

As if he knows I’m assessing him, he levels his gaze at me and jerks his chiseled jaw toward the door as his way to tell me it’s time to go. Resisting the urge to mouth “fuck you” at him, I throw him a smartass smile instead.

I like bad boys as much as the next girl, but I don’t like to be bossed around, especially when it’s my operation we’re running. But Knight has been handpicked by the client during the planning stage through a discreet compatibility process, so I have no choice but to work with the man in the abduction of a high-profile target.

This isn’t like any job I’ve ever done before. As a Senior Agent in the Cyber division for Barret & Yesuda Security, my work consists mainly of fortifying our corporate clients’ networks from attacks. It sounds boring, but in the security world, ‘boring’ means good. Though, I’ve had my share of fun working live missions that required more actions than sitting behind a keyboard. But these exciting cases are few and far between. That’s why when Lina Cheung, my colleague and friend, came to me with this off-the-book job, I really couldn’t say no.

So here I am working with a mysterious man. Though from the start, I know anonymity is the rule, I never go into a job unprepared. With a dive into the deep web, I can link financial documents or any type of information, however obscured it is, to any establishment or individual. My research provided me enough information about what I’m dealing with in this job. And boy, what I found is juicy. However, as intriguing as the intel is, I’m extremely discreet despite my natural nosiness. Especially when it comes to a client.

Speaking of the client, I scan Princessa, making sure Knight isn’t being too rough on her before I cautiously make my way back into the living room. Once again, I check the status of the adjoining room. Though I hear nothing, it’s always smart to use extreme caution when dealing with a large, dangerous animal, even when it’s sleeping. That’s why I gave Raul the code nameEl Toro.

“Let’s go!” Knight commands in a low voice, as if he’s in charge.

I give him a warning glare this time. I’m not your plaything, buddy. You can’t alpha me the way you did, Princessa.

Princessa makes a tiny squealing sound as Knight hauls her over his shoulder. After throwing a coat over Princessa’s silk nighty covered figure, I zip over to the main door and make sure the coast is clear. We move quickly to the emergencystairwell and make our way down without issue. I’ve planned our movement to the last step, and no one in that hotel knows what’s happening right under their nose. If anyone checks the security cameras, all they’ll see is static.

In minutes, we reach the black Suburban parked near the side door and soon enough the three-star highway-side hotel is merely a speck in the rearview mirror. Sitting in the backseat with Princessa, I squeeze her hand lightly. The other woman’s fingers tremble, and her bound arms flinch when I touch her.

I adjust her coat over her, making sure she’s warm enough before I lean in and whisper, “I’m Kitty.” Princessa’s limbs relax slightly upon recognizing my code name. “Do you remember your safe word?” Princessa nods. “Good. Relax. It’s a long ride.”

About an hour later, the Suburban stops in front of an electric gate. After a security check, we continue on a long driveway and soon stop in front of an immense mansion. My jaw might’ve dropped at the size of it when I first arrived earlier in the day to do my preliminary recon. It looks even more impressive under the veil of night, and that’s only the outside. Its interior is nothing like I’ve ever seen before.

“We’ve arrived,” I inform Princessa.

The door next to Princessa opens and Knight scoops her out of the car and sets her gently to the ground. Her knees buckle, but he balances her.

“There, there, Princessa,” he coos at her. “Your legs must’ve gone to sleep from the ride. Do you want me to untie them?”

Princessa nods eagerly. “Yes.”

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