I glanced at my fingernails, the black stains from shop work beneath that wouldn’t go away no matter how much I tried. “Unlike me, Nix, my brother doesn’t like to get his hands dirty.”
“Meaning he had help,” he replied, filling in the blanks.
“So then where the fuck is she?” Mac asked, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.
Our girl was out there and in trouble. I’d never have thought my brother could do something like this, which meant she was in more danger than I might have ever imagined.
14
SAM
* * *
“Help!” I shouted, writhing and trying to get free.
The rope about my wrists was snug and wrapped securely around the brass headboard. One foot was similarly secured so I couldn’t do anything except rub my skin raw. My head ached where I’d been hit. When I’d first woken up, I’d done a self-assessment. My vision was clear, and I wasn’t nauseated. On the pillow I’d wiped the spot where I’d been hit and looked—no blood. I was sure I had a goose egg, and some ibuprofen would really help with the throbbing. Otherwise I was unharmed. My coat, mittens and hat were missing, but I was fully dressed.
I was in someone’s bedroom, a man’s, based on the beige and navy decor. It was simply decorated, but the finishes were nice. The bed I was on was soft, the comforter plush. The walls were painted, the trim stained wood. A large window with a bench seat offered a view of mountains. It would be a great reading spot, especially with the fireplace beside it, although it wasn’t lit now. From my vantage point, I couldn’t see if there were any houses nearby. There were three doors off the room; one I assumed was to an en suite bathroom, another to a closet and the last to a hallway. I could only scent lemon polish, as if the place had been cleaned recently. No smells of food or even coffee. And it was quiet. Too quiet.
I screamed again. This time someone came into the room.
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
“This could have gone much differently,” Dr. Knowles said. Mark. Hardin’s brother. He released the buttons on the cuffs of his dress shirt and rolled the sleeves up.
“This is crazy. You need to let me go. I promise I won’t tell anyone.” I tugged at my restraints. Now I knew why there was no give; surgeons were very skilled at knots.
He gave me a smile, but it wasn’t a warm one. “Oh, like you didn’t tell HR?”
I bit my lip.
“Don’t worry, your reports to HR are safe with Marion. She can keep your secret.”
I thought of the HR lady. How my claims of sexual harassment had gone on deaf ears. Mark stepped closer and I tried to shift away, but I couldn’t go anywhere.
“She’s blonde,” I said, trying to remain calm. I was used to panic-filled situations, but when I had to deal with them, I was in control. I was far from that now.
“She is. And so are you.”
It was obvious now he’d slept with the HR lady, had her under his spell somehow. She’d been ignoring all my complaints about Mark because he’d told her to. Was she in love with him, or did he force her?
His gaze raked over me from head to toe. It wasn’t anything like the way Hardin and Mac did it, and I felt dirty. I was completely covered, but I felt naked. Exposed.
“So was Erin Mills,” I said, licking my dry lips. My heart was beating out of my chest and I tried to take calming breaths but I was too scared. He didn’t have a weapon in his hand, no gun or knife, but I remembered from the news that Erin had been killed by blunt force trauma. I’d been hit on the head, but clearly Mark had wanted me alive.
To what? Kill me?
He worked on the rope tying my ankle to the footboard.
“You shouldn’t have denied me, Samantha. Women don’t say no to me.”
“I did. I’m still saying no.”
“And look where it’s gotten you.” He lifted his gaze from the rope, pierced me with his dark gaze. There, I saw anger. Clarity. An eerie calmness. Insanity. “We’re going to have some fun. Or, at least, I am.”
“They’re going to find me,” I said quickly, trying to turn away from him, but my ankle hadn’t been released yet. I made the words sound like I believed them, but I couldn’t be sure if Mac and Hardin even liked me. Hardin hadn’t known Mark was the guy I’d complained about. He’d fooled Hardin… and Mac. He’d fooled me to think he was just a handsy coworker. Who did they believe? Did they think I was a liar trying to make trouble at work? To get their brother fired? After we’d had sex, I’d tossed their interest back in their faces.
Was I too much work for them? I ached to apologize, but there was nothing to say sorry for. I was tied to a bed with Mark Knowles ready to rape me and possibly kill me.