Chapter 7

Clarisse willed her eyes to remain shut as her mind started to recover from being drugged. She didn't need visual confirmation to comprehend she was in a bad situation. She could sense her hands and ankles were secured on what she assumed was a four poster bed. For a moment, she focused on her body. The feel of satin still covered her and she silently thanked the Lord that her dress remained intact. Her shoes were missing. Those damn shoes, responsible for making her take the elevator in the first place.

She fought the urge to sigh. The shoes might have given her captors a window of opportunity, but she knew that, ironically, their plan had worked. Though, admittedly, not exactly like she and Amelia had wanted. She could only hope now that somehow she would be found before things went from bad to worse.

"See if she's awake. We need her to make the demand video." A muffled voice said from somewhere in the room.

No one responded, but she felt a hand slide up her leg. While her heart sent the signal to try to jerk away, her mind valiantly protested citing the longer they thought she was asleep, the better things would be.

The hand continued it's journey up her body. As it grazed over her breast, her body won out as breath held fast in her lungs. She heard a slight chuckle in response. "I'd say she's awake."

Not wanting to give whoever the smug bastard was the sense of satisfaction, she kept her eyes closed and forced her lungs to softly inhale and exhale. Her mind was disturbed though. She'd heard that voice before, but couldn't quite place it.

"Do what you must to compel her to do that which must be done." The first man ordered.

She heard a chuckle. "Oh, I'm good at compelling. Just give me some time alone with her."

"Very well. I'm going to check to make sure they aren't making any progress on determining our location."

"I'll let you know when she's ready."

Clarisse continued to maintain her silent, close-eyed vigil. After several minutes, she heard a door shut. "We're alone. You can open your eyes now."

Adrenalin shot through her body as the voice became recognizable. She opened her eyes and turned her heard toward the sound. "Jacob?"

He pulled up a chair and sat next to her. "I'm touched. You remember."

She failed to suppress a shudder. "I will never forget what you did to me…to Joseph."

Jacob leaned over the bed so his face was only inches from hers. She could see the black of his eyes staring into her soul. "What I did to you? What about what you did to me? Do you have any idea what Puerto Rico prisons are like?"

Despite the situation, Clarisse found the courage to chuckle. "No, somehow I've managed to avoid them my entire life."

Instead of getting angrier, Jacob smiled and backed up a bit. His hand caressed her cheek, down her neck and finally to the vee in her dress. "I can see why my brother loves you so much. You have the courage of a soldier and the beauty of a queen."

"I'd say thank you, but I'm sure there's a qualifier about to be given."

Jacob's hand moved away from her chest and down her arm until it rested on the bracelet. His finger smoothed over the rubies and diamonds. "No qualifier. He does have good taste…in women and in jewelry." He unclasped the bracelet and put it in his pocket. "Since I didn't get to have you the last time."

Clarisse wanted to say something, but knew that would just be feeding his ego as he was definitely in control for the moment. She silently prayed that he wouldn't "get to have" her this time either. Figuring it was time she learned what the end game was, she turned her head toward the door. "So what exactly do they want me to do?"

Jacob sat down next to her and let his hand rest on her stomach. "Oh see, you and that granddaughter of yours have been stirring up all kinds of trouble."

"You're referring to the Queen of Genovia?" She ignored the heat from his hand and kept her prayer simple that it would remain there.

The hand moved from one side to the other, his fingers dancing over the silk of her gown. "Yes, the young one from America that bewitched my former colleague resulting in his death." The movement ceased and his grip tightened.

Clarisse's expression hardened. "He toyed with her emotions, underestimated her, and humiliated her. I'm sorry he died, but life is about the choices we make. He made poor ones."

Jacob shrugged and let his hand slide lower to her leg. "Andre was a foolish, misguided young man. He had no idea what he was doing nor why he was doing it."

"Why did you do it?" The question had been burning in her brain ever since that fateful few days a year or so ago.

Her breath caught as his hand slid upwards and under her dress, caressing her inner thigh. "Mmmm just as soft as I remember."

"Go to hell." Clarisse uttered with deep conviction.

"I've no doubt about that, but to answer your question, curiosity."

"Curiosity?" His answer momentarily distracted her from the feel of his hand on her body again.

"I wanted to see what my brother was like, what his life was like, and then I saw you…and well, that just sweetened the deal."

"You could have called, written a letter, or bloody hell, even stopped by for a chat. All would have been preferable to impersonating him and participating in a coup to gain the throne."

"I told you. I never cared about the throne."

"So they used you and you used them?" She was completely baffled by his motives.

Jacob withdrew his hand, granting Clarisse a small sigh of relief. "Enough talk. I talked too much last time and that kept me from getting to be with you. This time, you'll cooperate quickly, or there will be a price to pay. These people aren't messing around."

Instead of saying anything more, Clarisse waited and watched while Jacob moved to the end of the bed and set up a video camera. Once he finished, he adjusted her bonds so she could sit up in the bed. She was still sufficiently restrained which annoyed her greatly.

He held up the cue cards that had been prepared. "When I turn on the camera, you read what's on the card. You've read off of teleprompters before so I'm sure you can handle this."

"What do the cards say?"

"Does that really matter?" Jacob chuckled. "Read them. Be convincing."

"Or what?"

Jacob moved into her personal space, his hand around her throat. His voice was gruff as he spoke near her ear. "I am not playing with you. Do as I say. They WILL hurt you."

Clarisse noticed he said they and not "I" but if he was following their orders, it really didn't matter, did it?

"Let me see the cards," she repeated.

His glare would be a good match for her own, but she'd stared down angry Parliamentarians before so she didn't blink or budge. "Fine."

He held the cards up, one by one, until she had read through them. "Satisfied?"

She shook her head. "There is no way I'm saying that and, even if I did, Amelia would never cooperate."

Jacob sighed and retuned to sit beside her. "She will or she will watch you suffer."