Prologue

Ella Jacobs was having a hard time controlling her nerves as she glanced around the small Italian restaurant. Every time the door opened, her head jerked up as she waited for her date to show up. And each time it wasn't him, she felt a pang of disappointment. A small part of her was afraid that he was going to stand her up and she would find herself back at the starting line.

Her best friend, Karen, had finally convinced her to set up an online dating profile about a month ago. At first, Ella had been very hesitant about it, afraid to put herself out there, especially since she tended to be a little guarded when it came to meeting new people. It wasn't as if she didn't like people—in fact, as she was growing up, she had always been a people person, immersing herself in the middle of any crowd. She'd been unafraid of putting herself out there and starting new relationships.

That changed almost a year ago when she'd been kidnapped, held, and tortured for two weeks. It had been a random kidnapping—she'd been walking towards her car after work when she was grabbed from behind and taken. For two weeks, she'd had to endure unimaginable pain and torment. Every time she'd closed her eyes, she thought it would be the last time. She'd never expected to wake up just to have to go through it all over again.

The only reason she'd made it out of there alive was from sheer luck. During one of her few conscious moments, a deliveryman had knocked on the door and she'd screamed before he could drive away. The police had shown up shortly after and her kidnapper killed himself before he could be arrested. It wasn't until a few days later when she'd woken up in the hospital that she'd found out he was a serial killer who had killed five other women.

For months following her abduction, she'd become a recluse, refusing to step foot out of her apartment unless it was absolutely necessary. She'd worked from home, freelancing as a graphic designer. Karen was her only friend, the only one who seemed to really understand her. All of her friends she'd made in college slowly eased out of her life, and it wasn't as if she could really blame them.

Who would want to be around someone who couldn't even step foot out of their own home?

Finally, it had become too much for Ella. As afraid as she was to face people again, she also knew she was only punishing herself for something she'd had no control over. By doing that, she was only allowing herself to continue being a victim. And she was tired—so damn tired—of being a victim.

Which was why she'd agreed to finally meet up with Ben, the man she'd been talking to online for a few weeks now. He'd given her space, never pressuring her into meeting him face-to-face until she was ready. Yesterday, she had finally gotten the courage and he'd agreed to meet her for dinner at Luigi's, a local Italian eatery. As she sat at the table, sipping her red wine, she began to question if this was a bad idea or not.

Especially since he was already fifteen minutes late.

Maybe he wasn't that interested after all, she thought glumly as she removed her napkin from her lap and placed it on the table. Reaching underneath the table, she grabbed her purse, no longer wanting to waste any more time sitting at the table like some desperate lovesick fool.

Just as she was standing up, the door to the restaurant opened and her heart fluttered in her chest as she saw the guy she'd been talking to. Ben looked just like his picture—tall with a lean, muscular build, and dark hair, his face covered in stubble that made him look that much sexier.

Ella watched as his eyes scanned the crowded restaurant, his blue eyes shining brightly when they landed on her. He held a single red rose in his hand and a smile graced his features as he maneuvered around the crowd, making his way over to her table. As he got closer, Ella noticed his teeth were perfectly straight and bright white.

"Sorry, I'm late," Ben said, handing her the rose. "Traffic was crazy out there—can you believe they're still doing road construction this time of night?"

"I heard that they do that to actually cut back with interference to traffic," Ella said shyly as she held the rose to her nose, inhaling the delicate scent. She cringed as soon as the words were out of her mouth, realizing that useless fact could make her come off as a dork.

Ben chuckled. "Someone should have given the crew the memo," he said before frowning as he finally seemed to notice she was clutching her purse in her other hand. "Were you about to leave?"

Ella felt her face grow warm as she glanced away, embarrassed. "I thought you had stood me up."

"I would never dream of doing that, Ella. I've been looking forward to meeting you in person for quite some time." Ben quickly moved behind her and pulled out her chair, pushing it in as soon as she sat down.

"Now I feel like a complete idiot."

"You shouldn't. I would have probably done the same thing if the roles were reversed."

"Probably?"

Ben smiled sheepishly. "Okay—I absolutely would have done the same thing. And probably within five minutes of you being late."

Ella nodded as a smile tugged at her lips. "Good to know."

Dinner with Ben was amazing. Time had no meaning as they sat and talked about everything they could possibly think of, which was surprising since they had been talking for weeks—every day for hours at a time. Ella wasn't even sure what else they could think of, but conversation with Ben was surprisingly easy. When she finally glanced down at her watch, she was surprised to see that three hours had passed.

"Wow, I can't believe it's so late," Ella remarked.

"Are you ready to go home?" Ben asked.

"No." Ella didn't even have to think about her answer for very long. She felt something with Ben that she hadn't felt in years. In fact, she felt so comfortable with him that she could almost forget that she was damaged, that she wasn't perfect.

Then again, Ben had no idea about her past. Or if he did, he didn't dare acknowledge it. That made Ella feel wonderful, considering everywhere she ventured out to, people still stared at her. Even after a year since the kidnapping and attempted murder, she couldn't escape the looks of pity and whispers.

Honestly, she didn't think she would ever escape it. She was considered a big deal—the one that got away. But Ben made her feel like a new person, which was something she hadn't realized she craved.

"Good," Ben said with an amused smile. "Maybe we should get out of here before the staff kicks us out."

"Good idea." Draining the rest of her wine, Ella got up from the table, stumbling slightly as she took a step forward.

Ben frowned as he gently gripped her elbow to steady her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Ella replied with a chuckle, waiting for the dizziness to pass. "I guess I had a little more wine that I thought. I'll be okay."

Ben seemed unsure, but didn't say anything else as they walked out of the restaurant, hand in hand. Ella hoped the fresh, cold air would help clear her head, but it only seemed to make things worse. She'd never been drunk before, so she had no idea if she was experiencing her first buzz. She stumbled again as her vision began to blur.

"I think maybe I should head home," Ella said, her words slurring slightly. "I'm not feeling so well."

"Did you drive your car here?" Ben asked, putting a steadying arm around her waist.

Ella nodded.

"I think you should just leave your car here for the night. Let me drive you home."

At first, Ella wanted to argue with Ben. She could just as easily take a cab home, especially since she still didn't know him that well. She was nervous about letting him know where she lived—it wasn't that he gave off a creepy vibe; she just didn't trust anyone. But she also didn't want to spend the money on cab fare, and since he was offering…

"Okay," she agreed softly, groaning as another fit of dizziness hit her.

Ben said nothing as he led her to her car, helping her into the front seat. He buckled her in before shutting her door and jogging around the other side of the car, sliding into his seat. "Where do you live?"

"1185 Sycamore Lane." Ella felt her eyes getting heavier as Ben pulled out of the parking lot. "Do you know where it is?"

"I do."

Letting out a soft sigh, Ella rested her head against the window, finally succumbing to sleep.

Former Special Agent Wesley Levine let out a frustrated sigh as the young woman sitting in the passenger seat finally gave in to the sedative running through her veins. He thought she would never fall asleep, entertaining the idea of doing something a little more drastic to knock her out. It had been way too simple to slip the drug into her wine when she got up to use the restroom since the restaurant was practically empty by that time.

Ella Jacobs never knew what hit her.

She was a beautiful girl—there was no doubt about that. With eyes as green as emeralds and bright, luminous red hair that flowed past her shoulders, Ella was a knockout. It didn't surprise Wesley that she had been taken by the Two Week Killer.

Driving down the highway for about ten minutes, Wesley pulled behind an abandoned storefront where there were no streetlights. It wouldn't do him any good to have someone see him as he got Ella prepared for the rest of her trip.

Stepping out of the car, he reached into the backseat and pulled out a backpack that he'd supplied with all of the essentials he would need. Then, he walked around to the passenger side and opened the door, the seatbelt the only thing keeping Ella in the car. Removing the seat belt, he pushed her up so he could get her hands behind her back. Then, unzipping the backpack, he pulled out a pair of handcuffs and snapped them on her wrists, the clicking of the cuffs sounding like music to his ears.

Taking a roll of duct tape from the back, he pulled the end loose and wrapped it around her ankles several times, not leaving any slack. He couldn't afford for her to get loose before he got her settled permanently.

Reaching into the car to pick her up, he stiffened when she let out a soft moan. He waited with bated breath to see if she would come out of her unconscious state, but she remained blissfully unaware as the drug continued to work its magic. Lifting her out of the car, he pressed the button on the key fob to unlock the trunk before carefully setting her inside.

Grabbing his backpack, he pulled the roll of tape out once more and tore off another strip. Leaning down into the truck, he smoothed it over her mouth, letting his fingers linger as he stared down at her sleeping form.

Snap out of it, Wesley. She's not the one you really want.

Shaking his head, Wesley slammed the lid of the trunk down, tossing the bag into the backseat. Sliding into his seat, he put the key back into the ignition and pulled back out onto the highway.

Now, it would only be a matter of time before he had the true object of his lust and affections. The pieces of the game were slowly coming together, aligning themselves perfectly. It wouldn't be long until he had the final piece. Until he was once again reunited with her.

Then the game could truly begin.

And he's back!

Today is my birthday and I couldn't think of a better present than sharing the first chapter of the sequel to The Spider and the Fly.

This story takes place three months later. This chapter is pretty tame compared to what I have in store for the rest of the story. Keep in mind, this story will get darker and scarier than Spider (at least, that is my aim with this one). There will be language, graphic violence, and all around creepiness so you have been warned. I will make it a point to warn you before each chapter if it's a bad one.

I hope you enjoy this and remember that I also have a blog! So, if you want to know what I picture Wesley to look like, go to my bio page and click on the link for my Tumblr.

I apologize for any mistakes and I own nothing except for the twisted little people I come up with.

Let me know what you think!