Page 36 of Brutal Legacy

I wasn’t the type to go easy. I couldn’t help it. Dumb or not, resistance was in my DNA.

The only advantage I had was the element of surprise. My mercenary was clearly not expecting to be attacked by a half-naked madwoman intent on tearing those dark-brown eyes from his face.

They were wrong. All wrong.

I neared, and he opened his arms instead of sidestepping, and I fell into his embrace. My knee came up immediately, and I nearly got him, but he twisted at the last minute, protecting his balls from my vicious attack with a hard hip check. I fell backward, and he was on top of me, pushing the breath from my lungs when I dropped onto the bed.

I gasped for breath for a split second, then I fought against him. This was it. My only chance to get away. I pushed at his face and tried to get up and away from him, but his body was too heavy, and he covered me too thoroughly.

“Enough!” he roared after I brought my head up sharply and hit my lip hard against his chin.

His hands fastened around my wrists like steel manacles.

“I said enough. You can’t get away from me. There is no escape from me, or what’s coming, or the sins of your father. I’d advise you to stop testing me. I am not a merciful man. Test me one more goddamn time and I’ll put you across my knee and turn your ass so red, you won’t be able to sit for a week. Test me twice, and you’ll be hog-tied and gagged and in a luggage trunk for our flight. A third time? You really don’t want to know what’ll happen a third time. So, be good. Got it?” he asked.

His voice was careful and controlled. He didn’t seem like a man who lost his cool easily. Even when he’d threatened to spank my ass, he’d behaved as though the act was a perfectly rational response to someone annoying you… like there was nothing at all kinky about it.

Kinky?Why was I even thinking about kink right now? I’d gone too long without sex. It was official. This man who felt all man, and sounded all man, and pissed me off just like a man… was pressing his hard, heavy body into mine, and I had nowhere near enough clothes on for my body not to get confused.

“Answer me when I speak to you!” he demanded.

“Yes, sir,” I snarled out, pissed off that I’d missed my chance to escape, and also that he could just toss me around like I weighed nothing. I was powerless. Utterly powerless, and it was terrifying. My go-to response to terror was anger, so that tracked.

I was furious.

“Good. And watch your tongue. I’ve had enough rebellion and enough questions. Understood?” His tone made it clear that he was expecting to be obeyed. The man was a total control freak.

I just nodded, clenching my jaw to keep myself from arguing.

He nodded. “Good girl,” he said and patted my goddamn head like I was an errant puppy.

“Now, don’t bother me again tonight, or I’ll handcuff you to the shower, gagged, and turn it on. How much hot water do you get here? Half an hour, max?”

I looked away. My little rebellion was clearly over, because I couldn’t risk being in a cold shower all night.

Slowly, he raised himself off me. Everything about him was solid. Even his cock. He’d been pressed between my legs, and if I hadn’t been furiously fighting for my freedom, I’d have noticed it a lot more.

He stood, and I could make out the bulge when he turned sideways. He made no effort to hide it. I was glad it was dark, because I was pretty sure my face was scarlet. It felt like it was burning. The fact that this monster was hard, had me half-naked on the bed, and yet didn’t cross any lines was vaguely reassuring.

Yes, because threatening to spank you, tie you up, and gag you isn’t threatening at all.

He moved toward the door. He was going to lock me in this room. The window was a useless escape route. I couldn’t even open it, it was painted shut so well. The only window in the whole place that opened was the living room one. Maybe I could get him to let me sit in the living room, and then if he went to the bathroom…

He’d already reached the door while I deliberated my next move.

“Wait!” I called, but he just closed the door.

I sat there, forgetting I was nearly naked until a shiver worked across my bare flesh.

Think, Georgia. Just think.He’d given some information away. I had to figure out what this meant.

He worked for Renato De Sanctis, which meant that was where he was taking me. My father and Salvatore De Sanctis had been close friends, once… I pulled on a T-shirt and shorts and lay down, staring at the ceiling. I didn’t have my cell phone; my mystery man had taken it. I couldn’t tell work that I wouldn’t be back. I couldn’t call the cops, or the lawyer, or Erica… or anyone.

The bedspread felt silky against my bare legs, and a rush of goosebumps moved up my body. I felt aware of myself for the first time in fourteen years. Being married to a gay man had switched off the part of my brain that felt anything sensual. And in the end, when Tommaso had been so ill, slowly fading away, nothing else had mattered but keeping him comfortable. I had cut the cord to my own sexual feelings. I was barely aware of it. But stripping off in front of my captor had forced me to be aware of my body. It had forced me to think about my underwear and near nakedness. Now, I was waking up. Tingling in all kinds of unwelcome places.

Relax, Georgia, it’s just the Stockholm syndrome talking, since he made you change out of your ruined clothes instead of forcing himself on you.

I wasn’t going to be the woman who fell for a kidnapper because he showed the slightest sliver of kindness. I might have only hadsex with one man in my life, and basically forgotten about my body from the waist down, but I wasn’t that desperate.

---