situation.
Grace knew she must be out of her mind. The man before her had to be a good six-two, six-three of solid muscle and the look on his face was not one that suggested he might be hesitant to use the weapon he held. For a moment, eyes the color of the sky before a storm scanned hers, as if looking for something, before the barrel of the gun slid slowly from her temple down her cheek to rest beneath her jaw.
“We don’t want your money.” This fact thrummed through her, simultaneously scaring and arousing her. When men attacked a woman alone at night, they usually wanted one of two things; and if they didn’t want money, then…”We don’t want that either.” She jolted as he seemed to pick up on her train of thought before staring up at him incredulously. “I’m going to put the gun away, but I want you to understand that I can reach it again very easily. Then we’re going to tie you and take you from here, understand?”
“Why?” The word burst from her even as he began to lower the gun to tuck into a holster at his side. “Where are you taking me?”
“For now, it is of little consequence. Don’t make any trouble, and do as you’re told.”
That did it for Grace.
As entranced as this man had her for two minutes, Grace realized that their taking her from the park couldn’t mean anything good for her just as quickly. The moment the gun was out of sight, she turned on her heel and ran – almost tripping as she stepped from her heels to sprint across the damp park grass.
She shot for the east entrance of the park, running faster than she had ever believed possible – and made it perhaps ten meters before an arm hooked around her waist, yanking her backwards and knocking the wind from her. “ Grace .” Her name uttered in an irritated tone made her stiffen even as she struggled to catch her breath. “I don’t have the patience for games.”
The time, the weapon raised to threaten her had a very sharp edge, stinging as it was leveled across her throat. “Come quietly and I will have no reason to open your throat.”
Grace took a trembling breath. They knew her. Whoever was intent on taking her knew her name . Closing her eyes, she nodded in a minute gesture and, slowly, the knife was lowered. This time, her captor didn’t let go of her, holding her in place so he could bind her hands firmly with a measure of duct tape.
Now, his companions advanced on him from where they had blocked her way. The blonde one spoke as her captor knelt to bind Grace’s ankles together, still holding her hands tightly in his free hand; but the language wasn’t anything she could understand. Italian, maybe?
When she was bound so tightly she thought she might not be able to stand upright, she was afforded the further indignity of a strip of tape across her mouth. “For insurance,” her gray eyed attacker assured her as he plastered it across her lips. “Since you’ve proven yourself so terribly trustworthy.” Grace found herself flushing, though she knew she had absolutely no reason to be embarrassed.
They were kidnapping her! Yet, somehow, this gray-eyed Italian god of a man managed to make her feel as if she was the one in the wrong. The way he spoke to her was soft and admonishing – almost as if she was a small child. But there was no mistaking the cold ruthlessness in those steel-hued eyes of his.
When he bent to heft her over his shoulder, a small squeak of surprise escaped her before she fell completely silent. Then, her world was upside down, swinging almost nauseatingly as she was carried from the park and onto the very street upon which her car had been parked. They strode past her white Volvo to a black van four cars down.
Grace found herself placed inside on the back seat with surprising gentleness, seated upright instead of tossed in like a bag of potatoes, and though she was far from comfortable in her restraints, she found herself glad she wasn’t being thrown around carelessly. She had
Grace knew she must be out of her mind. The man before her had to be a good six-two, six-three of solid muscle and the look on his face was not one that suggested he might be hesitant to use the weapon he held. For a moment, eyes the color of the sky before a storm scanned hers, as if looking for something, before the barrel of the gun slid slowly from her temple down her cheek to rest beneath her jaw.
“We don’t want your money.” This fact thrummed through her, simultaneously scaring and arousing her. When men attacked a woman alone at night, they usually wanted one of two things; and if they didn’t want money, then…”We don’t want that either.” She jolted as he seemed to pick up on her train of thought before staring up at him incredulously. “I’m going to put the gun away, but I want you to understand that I can reach it again very easily. Then we’re going to tie you and take you from here, understand?”
“Why?” The word burst from her even as he began to lower the gun to tuck into a holster at his side. “Where are you taking me?”
“For now, it is of little consequence. Don’t make any trouble, and do as you’re told.”
That did it for Grace.
As entranced as this man had her for two minutes, Grace realized that their taking her from the park couldn’t mean anything good for her just as quickly. The moment the gun was out of sight, she turned on her heel and ran – almost tripping as she stepped from her heels to sprint across the damp park grass.
She shot for the east entrance of the park, running faster than she had ever believed possible – and made it perhaps ten meters before an arm hooked around her waist, yanking her backwards and knocking the wind from her. “ Grace .” Her name uttered in an irritated tone made her stiffen even as she struggled to catch her breath. “I don’t have the patience for games.”
The time, the weapon raised to threaten her had a very sharp edge, stinging as it was leveled across her throat. “Come quietly and I will have no reason to open your throat.”
Grace took a trembling breath. They knew her. Whoever was intent on taking her knew her name . Closing her eyes, she nodded in a minute gesture and, slowly, the knife was lowered. This time, her captor didn’t let go of her, holding her in place so he could bind her hands firmly with a measure of duct tape.
Now, his companions advanced on him from where they had blocked her way. The blonde one spoke as her captor knelt to bind Grace’s ankles together, still holding her hands tightly in his free hand; but the language wasn’t anything she could understand. Italian, maybe?
When she was bound so tightly she thought she might not be able to stand upright, she was afforded the further indignity of a strip of tape across her mouth. “For insurance,” her gray eyed attacker assured her as he plastered it across her lips. “Since you’ve proven yourself so terribly trustworthy.” Grace found herself flushing, though she knew she had absolutely no reason to be embarrassed.
They were kidnapping her! Yet, somehow, this gray-eyed Italian god of a man managed to make her feel as if she was the one in the wrong. The way he spoke to her was soft and admonishing – almost as if she was a small child. But there was no mistaking the cold ruthlessness in those steel-hued eyes of his.
When he bent to heft her over his shoulder, a small squeak of surprise escaped her before she fell completely silent. Then, her world was upside down, swinging almost nauseatingly as she was carried from the park and onto the very street upon which her car had been parked. They strode past her white Volvo to a black van four cars down.
Grace found herself placed inside on the back seat with surprising gentleness, seated upright instead of tossed in like a bag of potatoes, and though she was far from comfortable in her restraints, she found herself glad she wasn’t being thrown around carelessly. She had
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