Chapter Ten
She was tired, sick and tired of everything. Chloe could care less about what was going on outside the bedroom that she'd locked herself in, all she wanted was to bury her head in her mother's shoulder and cry. Chloe had always been close to Sydney, they were so much alike that it was scary. They were more like friends than mother and daughter. Now she needed a mother more than anything. A comforting shoulder to lean on and soothing voice to wipe away all the hurt of the past week.
Yes, she had been held captive by Sark for a whole week. But no matter how long she had been trapped in a cell, sleeping on a hard, thin mattress, it was not as bad what had happened only a minute earlier. Thank goodness Devin had walked in when he did. Chloe wasn't sure, no she WAS sure what would have happened had he not come back. The feel of Sark's hard body pressing hers against the wall was still fresh in Chloe's mind. She couldn't forget the way her skin had burned as his hand had caressed her neck.
She shuddered at the memory and closed her eyes tightly to block out the recollection. Chloe sought the comfort she needed by burying her face in the soft feather pillow that lay on the bed. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she dreamed of home and her parents.
Shifting on the couch so as to find a more comfortable position, Sark thought back to earlier that evening. Chloe's skin had been so soft, so pale and silky smooth. Her pulse had thundered beneath his finger. It was all he could do not to crush her to the wall at that moment and rip the revealing tank top right off of her. He didn't know why he hadn't, all he knew was he couldn't. He couldn't tarnish the rare innocence that Chloe had.
Sark sat up, wide-awake from surprise. That had to be the first time he'd ever thought enough about another's feelings to have some sense of self-control. It almost seemed as if he...cared. He couldn't care. Sark only cared about one person and one person only, himself. So why, all of a sudden, did he care about someone else's feelings? There had to be something wrong with him that was the only answer.
He lay back down and stared up at the ceiling. Shadows danced in front of his eyes. They stretched across the ceiling like fingers reaching for something that was just out of their reach. Sark watched them tangle with each other, thinking of how much those shadows resembled his life. He had always had a plan, always stayed on the good side of those he worked for. But now, now his life was a tangled mess. Chloe had made everything a jumble. She was supposed to be a girl that was easy to manipulate, a girl who would cave under the pressure Sark applied to her. But she wasn't. She was strong and resisted his interrogational techniques as if she'd been trained to.
That got the English man thinking. What was the mystery behind Chloe? Why did the Covenant want her so badly? What did she have that they wanted? What information did she hold within her?
Shaking the thoughts from his head, Sark closed his eyes and sought out the sleep that eluded him.
Warm sunlight streamed in through the window and sent beams across the bed where Chloe lay curled up beneath the covers. She whimpered softly, not wanting to wake from the dream that she was having. It was one of those dreams that were so real that you could feel everything, and right then she could feel Sydney's arms around her, comforting her. Her eyes opened slowly and the dream was broken. The feeling of her mother's arms vanished and Chloe was returned to the harsh reality that was her life.
There was a loud knock on the door. Chloe sat up slowly, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Who could be knocking on the door so early in the morning? She glanced at the clock on the bedside table and saw that it read nine o'clock in the morning.
"Guess it's not as early as I thought." She whispered to herself. There was another knock, this one more harsh and aggravated than the first.
"What?" she yelled, angry at whomever it was that was disturbing her.
"Get out of bed now." Sark's voice yelled through the door, "We've got work to do."
"Yes sir." Chloe called back sarcastically. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood reluctantly. Walking over to the closet, she studied the clothing inside and pulled out a long jean skirt.
"No," she thought, "better not give him an easy time of it if he does decide to finish what he started last night." She put the skirt back and finally decided on a faded pair of jeans and a sky blue turtleneck. Opening the door slowly, Chloe peeked her head out and made sure that the living room was clear. Seeing that Sark was nowhere around, she slipped out and hurried into the bathroom to brush her hair and teeth. Refreshed and slightly more awake, Chloe emerged from the bathroom and made her way to the kitchen. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Devin was there, quietly sipping a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper.
"Morning Devin." She said with a small smile. He looked up and nodded his head in recognition. Chloe's smile faltered and she looked at Devin to see what was wrong with him. Usually he would great her in the same carefree manner that he always had, but this morning was different, why?
"Finally you're awake." Sark said entering the kitchen from behind her. Chloe stood still, ignoring Sark as if he was just a fly on the wall. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at the table beside Devin.
"Well," he said, "aren't you going to sit down and eat something?" without a word, Chloe marched over to the counter where the coffee sat. She was careful to keep distance between herself and Sark. He watched her carefully, his eyes never leaving her and Chloe shivered as she turned her back on him to pour the coffee. She didn't have to guess which part of her body he was staring at. She turned back around quickly and his eyes caught hers. She felt as if she were drowning beneath the icy depths of his stare. Her throat closed up on her and she was scared of what was going on behind his composed gaze. She quickly left the kitchen, not caring if, in her haste, her leg brushed up against his. A shock wave ran through her body, hastening her steps.
Finally, she was free of him. Falling down on the couch, Chloe breathed easier and took a drink of her coffee to calm her nerves. Her hands trembled and the dark liquid sloshed around in the mug. Tightly she closed her eyes and took three deep breathes to calm herself. She could not show Sark that he had power over her. Someone came out of the kitchen. Chloe opened her eyes and looked up at Devin.
"Sark wants you in the kitchen," he said roughly, "we've got things to go over." Chloe nodded solemnly while her mind screamed at her not to get off the couch. She stood and followed him into the small kitchen. Sark looked up from the paper and then at an empty chair. Chloe took the hint and sat down. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she tried to appear defiant. Sark smirked and she knew that she had failed to intimidate him.
"Isn't it a beautiful morning?" Sark asked.
"Cut the crap Sark," Chloe barked at him, "what do you want?" His eyebrows rose slightly at her tone, but he seemed unfazed by it all.
"We need to discuss the issue of what I'm going to do with you." he said.
"Oh really, well I have an idea," she said, "You can let me go."
"No." Sark shook his head, "The Covenant wants something from you, so, I'm going to find out what it is."
"Haven't we been down this road before?" she rolled her eyes.
"Yes, yes we have, but this time I will get results."
"Oh I'm so scared." Chloe's sarcasm was simply a front. She really was scared. She didn't know how many more attacks she could take from Sark before she broke down.
"There's no need to be scared." Sark replied in a tone that told her there was every reason to be scared.
"What are you going to do to me?" Chloe asked, her tone calm, but her eyes nervous. Sark simply smirked in reply.
Dun dun dun. Don't you wish you knew what Sark was gonna do? Lol. I love writing cliffhangers and making you all guess at what's going to happen next. I hope that you all liked this chapter, even though it wasn't one of my best, and I hope that y'all will review.
Sallene: Yes, Sark is becoming attached isn't he? Don't worry though, he will learn how much he cares about Chloe soon enough, and she'll fall for his charms before too long.
Dferveiro: I'm glad you like this story. I always like having new reviewers, so thanks for reviewing.
Serindipity9: Nope, sorry but this is purely a Sark and Chloe romance. Thanks for the idea though.
Csk8-20: Thanks so much for reviewing. You are one of my loyalist readers and I appreciate that. Your reviews always make me smile.
Fangy: I love having new reviewers. As of right now I haven't quite decided what Chloe's secret is, but I have a few ideas going through my head.
Katherine: Glad you liked the tension. Yes, Chloe might just come between the two friends before this story is finished.
Natalie: I know you didn't ask for near rape, but that's how I perceived Sark's actions to be like. Sorry if I offended you or anybody else.
RedRose121: Realisticness is what I was shooting for, so thanks for that review.
Tentoesupurnose16: Thank you for reviewing.
She was tired, sick and tired of everything. Chloe could care less about what was going on outside the bedroom that she'd locked herself in, all she wanted was to bury her head in her mother's shoulder and cry. Chloe had always been close to Sydney, they were so much alike that it was scary. They were more like friends than mother and daughter. Now she needed a mother more than anything. A comforting shoulder to lean on and soothing voice to wipe away all the hurt of the past week.
Yes, she had been held captive by Sark for a whole week. But no matter how long she had been trapped in a cell, sleeping on a hard, thin mattress, it was not as bad what had happened only a minute earlier. Thank goodness Devin had walked in when he did. Chloe wasn't sure, no she WAS sure what would have happened had he not come back. The feel of Sark's hard body pressing hers against the wall was still fresh in Chloe's mind. She couldn't forget the way her skin had burned as his hand had caressed her neck.
She shuddered at the memory and closed her eyes tightly to block out the recollection. Chloe sought the comfort she needed by burying her face in the soft feather pillow that lay on the bed. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she dreamed of home and her parents.
Shifting on the couch so as to find a more comfortable position, Sark thought back to earlier that evening. Chloe's skin had been so soft, so pale and silky smooth. Her pulse had thundered beneath his finger. It was all he could do not to crush her to the wall at that moment and rip the revealing tank top right off of her. He didn't know why he hadn't, all he knew was he couldn't. He couldn't tarnish the rare innocence that Chloe had.
Sark sat up, wide-awake from surprise. That had to be the first time he'd ever thought enough about another's feelings to have some sense of self-control. It almost seemed as if he...cared. He couldn't care. Sark only cared about one person and one person only, himself. So why, all of a sudden, did he care about someone else's feelings? There had to be something wrong with him that was the only answer.
He lay back down and stared up at the ceiling. Shadows danced in front of his eyes. They stretched across the ceiling like fingers reaching for something that was just out of their reach. Sark watched them tangle with each other, thinking of how much those shadows resembled his life. He had always had a plan, always stayed on the good side of those he worked for. But now, now his life was a tangled mess. Chloe had made everything a jumble. She was supposed to be a girl that was easy to manipulate, a girl who would cave under the pressure Sark applied to her. But she wasn't. She was strong and resisted his interrogational techniques as if she'd been trained to.
That got the English man thinking. What was the mystery behind Chloe? Why did the Covenant want her so badly? What did she have that they wanted? What information did she hold within her?
Shaking the thoughts from his head, Sark closed his eyes and sought out the sleep that eluded him.
Warm sunlight streamed in through the window and sent beams across the bed where Chloe lay curled up beneath the covers. She whimpered softly, not wanting to wake from the dream that she was having. It was one of those dreams that were so real that you could feel everything, and right then she could feel Sydney's arms around her, comforting her. Her eyes opened slowly and the dream was broken. The feeling of her mother's arms vanished and Chloe was returned to the harsh reality that was her life.
There was a loud knock on the door. Chloe sat up slowly, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Who could be knocking on the door so early in the morning? She glanced at the clock on the bedside table and saw that it read nine o'clock in the morning.
"Guess it's not as early as I thought." She whispered to herself. There was another knock, this one more harsh and aggravated than the first.
"What?" she yelled, angry at whomever it was that was disturbing her.
"Get out of bed now." Sark's voice yelled through the door, "We've got work to do."
"Yes sir." Chloe called back sarcastically. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood reluctantly. Walking over to the closet, she studied the clothing inside and pulled out a long jean skirt.
"No," she thought, "better not give him an easy time of it if he does decide to finish what he started last night." She put the skirt back and finally decided on a faded pair of jeans and a sky blue turtleneck. Opening the door slowly, Chloe peeked her head out and made sure that the living room was clear. Seeing that Sark was nowhere around, she slipped out and hurried into the bathroom to brush her hair and teeth. Refreshed and slightly more awake, Chloe emerged from the bathroom and made her way to the kitchen. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Devin was there, quietly sipping a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper.
"Morning Devin." She said with a small smile. He looked up and nodded his head in recognition. Chloe's smile faltered and she looked at Devin to see what was wrong with him. Usually he would great her in the same carefree manner that he always had, but this morning was different, why?
"Finally you're awake." Sark said entering the kitchen from behind her. Chloe stood still, ignoring Sark as if he was just a fly on the wall. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at the table beside Devin.
"Well," he said, "aren't you going to sit down and eat something?" without a word, Chloe marched over to the counter where the coffee sat. She was careful to keep distance between herself and Sark. He watched her carefully, his eyes never leaving her and Chloe shivered as she turned her back on him to pour the coffee. She didn't have to guess which part of her body he was staring at. She turned back around quickly and his eyes caught hers. She felt as if she were drowning beneath the icy depths of his stare. Her throat closed up on her and she was scared of what was going on behind his composed gaze. She quickly left the kitchen, not caring if, in her haste, her leg brushed up against his. A shock wave ran through her body, hastening her steps.
Finally, she was free of him. Falling down on the couch, Chloe breathed easier and took a drink of her coffee to calm her nerves. Her hands trembled and the dark liquid sloshed around in the mug. Tightly she closed her eyes and took three deep breathes to calm herself. She could not show Sark that he had power over her. Someone came out of the kitchen. Chloe opened her eyes and looked up at Devin.
"Sark wants you in the kitchen," he said roughly, "we've got things to go over." Chloe nodded solemnly while her mind screamed at her not to get off the couch. She stood and followed him into the small kitchen. Sark looked up from the paper and then at an empty chair. Chloe took the hint and sat down. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she tried to appear defiant. Sark smirked and she knew that she had failed to intimidate him.
"Isn't it a beautiful morning?" Sark asked.
"Cut the crap Sark," Chloe barked at him, "what do you want?" His eyebrows rose slightly at her tone, but he seemed unfazed by it all.
"We need to discuss the issue of what I'm going to do with you." he said.
"Oh really, well I have an idea," she said, "You can let me go."
"No." Sark shook his head, "The Covenant wants something from you, so, I'm going to find out what it is."
"Haven't we been down this road before?" she rolled her eyes.
"Yes, yes we have, but this time I will get results."
"Oh I'm so scared." Chloe's sarcasm was simply a front. She really was scared. She didn't know how many more attacks she could take from Sark before she broke down.
"There's no need to be scared." Sark replied in a tone that told her there was every reason to be scared.
"What are you going to do to me?" Chloe asked, her tone calm, but her eyes nervous. Sark simply smirked in reply.
Dun dun dun. Don't you wish you knew what Sark was gonna do? Lol. I love writing cliffhangers and making you all guess at what's going to happen next. I hope that you all liked this chapter, even though it wasn't one of my best, and I hope that y'all will review.
Sallene: Yes, Sark is becoming attached isn't he? Don't worry though, he will learn how much he cares about Chloe soon enough, and she'll fall for his charms before too long.
Dferveiro: I'm glad you like this story. I always like having new reviewers, so thanks for reviewing.
Serindipity9: Nope, sorry but this is purely a Sark and Chloe romance. Thanks for the idea though.
Csk8-20: Thanks so much for reviewing. You are one of my loyalist readers and I appreciate that. Your reviews always make me smile.
Fangy: I love having new reviewers. As of right now I haven't quite decided what Chloe's secret is, but I have a few ideas going through my head.
Katherine: Glad you liked the tension. Yes, Chloe might just come between the two friends before this story is finished.
Natalie: I know you didn't ask for near rape, but that's how I perceived Sark's actions to be like. Sorry if I offended you or anybody else.
RedRose121: Realisticness is what I was shooting for, so thanks for that review.
Tentoesupurnose16: Thank you for reviewing.