CHAPTER 2

Never Ignore the Spidey-Sense

My heart was pounding. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. There was an eerie calmness all around me—yet I felt a disturbance in the air. I don't know how I missed it. Someone or something was hiding in the darkness… waiting.

I heard a clicking sound right before I was blinded by light. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust and when they did, I saw a man sitting not ten feet in front of me, shrouded in shadows, a camping lantern resting on his knee. A feeling of dread like nothing I'd ever known before had me pushing my shivering body back against the concrete wall, trying to hide my nakedness.

"I see you're finally awake." His voice was soft—unthreatening as he got to his feet, turning on hanging lanterns around the room until it was bright enough to see clearly. He was tall and had dark brown hair that curled almost as much as mine and was combed straight back off his face. He appeared close to my age—attractive—maybe one of the most attractive men I'd ever seen.

After he turned on the last light, he picked up a long white box with a red ribbon tied around it from a table to my left. With the box in his hands, he came toward me. I dug my heels into the mattress, scraping my back on the rough texture of the block wall, sliding as far as the chain around my neck would allow.

He stopped when his knees hit the metal frame of the bed and smiled down at me, his clear blue eyes reflecting the light of the room as they bore into mine, studying me, just as I studied him. "I got you a present," he said as he bit his lower lip and held out his offering. "Go ahead. Open it."

I lowered my eyes, letting my curls shield most of my face. When I made no attempt to take the box, he pushed it closer—insistent. I swallowed uncomfortably and took it, not wanting to anger him. A dozen red roses were inside. I may not have received many flower arrangements in my life, but even I knew that a dozen red roses symbolized a declaration of love—and not the platonic kind. This kind of love spelled romance. I was in trouble. More trouble than I realized.

I felt his intense stare as if he was trying to draw me to him. I thought about being stubborn and refusing to look at him, but I wanted to know why I was brought here and what he wanted from me. I looked up, an unspoken question in my eyes. He motioned with his hand for me to give the box of roses back to him. As soon as I handed them over, he quickly turned away, taking the roses to the table and grabbing a metal pitcher off a shelf, filling it with water from the small sink attached to the wall. While he arranged the flowers, he stole quick glances at me and even winked. When he was done, he stood to the side and motioned to the roses. "They spruce the place up nicely, don't you think?"

I gave a noncommittal smile and let my eyes dart around the dismal room, inspecting and cataloging everything in sight. The walls were block. The floor was concrete. There were no windows. It was medium in size and had a round wooden pole in the center that was most likely supporting the ceiling. When my eyes landed on the glowing object, I realized I'd been right, it was a space heater. I followed the cord to a large black device that appeared to be a rechargeable generator. While I surveyed my prison, he leaned his hip against the table—waiting.

"Where am I?" My voice sounded foreign, like it belonged to someone else.

He slowly spread his arm over the room. "This is our home." He took his time walking back to the camp chair, smiling brightly as he sat, casually placing his ankle on the opposite knee. "We're in the Pine Barrens." He spoke patiently as if we were meeting for coffee, and I was fully clothed, not shackled in his dungeon.

"Where are my clothes?"

His smile disappeared, replaced with cold indifference. "You don't need them anymore."

Of course, I needed my clothes. Being naked wasn't something I was comfortable with, even in my own home. Hell, I slept in a T-shirt at night.

"I guess you're wondering how you got here?" When I didn't answer, a trace of disappointment flickered across his face. He stood up, approaching me slowly, his head almost touching the lanterns hanging from the ceiling trusses. Power emanated from his six-foot frame. He balled his hands into fists, clenching and unclenching them before he reached down with his index finger under my chin and tilted my face upward. "When I speak to you, I expect an answer."

I swallowed, heavily. He was telling me that he was the boss and I was his subject. I needed to remember that, or he'd have to teach me, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like it if he did. I decided to play by his rules. "Yes, I'd like to know how I got here," I stammered with just the right amount of fear and respect.

"I injected you with a quick acting cocktail. That was two days ago. I thought I might have used too much." Regret registered in his voice. I decided he was relieved he hadn't killed me—yet.

Now that he was close enough for me to see his face clearly, I realized I'd seen him before. But where? Was he involved with a skip of mine? I mentally shook my head. No, I was certain he wasn't connected to my job.

"Stand up." He spoke in a gentle tone, but it was a demand and we both knew it.

My insides twisted. I didn't want to get up. Sitting down allowed me to hide most of my naked self. But what choice did I have? I swallowed hard and awkwardly got to my feet, making sure to keep my hands and arms strategically placed over my breasts and lower region. He leaned back, scanning me from head to toe. My heart beat faster with each passing second. I wanted to run, but there was no place to go.

"Drop your hands to your side," he ordered.

I didn't move.

"Now!" I jumped at his harsh tone. He was close enough to hit me if he wanted.

Dread filled me as I took a deep breath for courage and lowered my arms. I cringed internally at his scrutiny, my body flushing with the heat of anger and fear. His eyes immediately went to my breasts, jiggling as I shivered, then continued down to the dark triangle of hair neatly trimmed at the juncture of my thighs.

"I will only ask you one time." His emotionless eyes returned to my face, patiently dictating his terms. "If you continue to be rude, I will punish you." He paused to let that sink in. "Do you understand, my Princess?"

Princess? I fought the urge to scream. I wasn't his princess. I wasn't his anything.

He waited—daring me to mouth off. Finally, I lowered my lashes so he wouldn't see the rage reflected in my eyes and nodded my head, careful not to put stress on the collar around my neck.

"Use your words," he scolded.

"Yes," I replied in an angry whisper.

"Yes, Hunter," he corrected.

"What?" My brows crinkled as I lifted my head in confusion.

"My name is Hunter Durant." He gave a quick laugh and then bit his bottom lip. "I guess you don't remember me, but I remember you. You took my breath away the first time I saw you." I tried not to squirm out of his grasp as he lightly touched my jaw. "I could barely get my tongue to work. You were more beautiful than all—" Abruptly, he stopped speaking, his face going slack and unreadable. I waited for him to say more, but he didn't.

"Why am I here?" I asked, trying to appear strong while standing naked in chains.

"I wanted to get to know you, but you refused when I asked you on a date. This was the only way I could get you away from the two Neanderthals that are constantly sniffing around you." He sneered.

It hit me like a blast of lightning. I remembered running into him at the grocery store a few months ago. He was charming, but I was in a relationship with Morelli and tried to brush him off without hurting his feelings. Now, I was going to have to change my tune and make it believable. "A date sounds like a great idea." I nodded. "I have a stunning red dress and matching shoes that I've been saving for a special occasion. We could go to a nice restaurant and maybe dancing afterwards." If I could convince him that holding me here wasn't necessary, maybe he'd let me go.

"That does sound fun." He smiled. "But since you're already here, we have all the time in the world to learn about each other."

My body started to shake, and I willed it to be still. I needed to keep it together. "So, this is a date?" I mustered a smile and motioned to the room around us. "You'll take me home afterward and kiss my cheek like a proper gentleman?"

He returned my smile, seemingly encouraged by the picture I painted, then pushed a curl behind my ear. "This is more than a date." His arms stretched wide, sweeping the room. "This is our destiny and I don't need to take you anywhere because you're already home."

A scream lodged in my throat. I wanted to claw his eyes out, but I couldn't, not without paying a price. Instead, I held still—my chest heaving with outrage. He traced the outline of my lips with his thumb. All the while, gazing into my eyes with such intensity I thought he was going to kiss me.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you," he soothed. "I love you."

True fear crept up my spine. I wanted his hands off me. I tried a different approach, still hoping to appeal to a tiny piece of goodness he must possess. "If you love me, why did you kidnap me and why am I chained up? Love isn't forced, it's freely given."

He gripped my jaw a little tighter and leaned in. "The chains are only temporary. It's up to you when or if they come off." He spoke as if I was a disobedient child. "I know that trusting me will take some time," he continued, "but your love can't hide from me forever. Now that you're here, you'll be able to see what I can offer."

My fists clenched at my side. "And what will happen if I never love you?"

"For your sake, I hope it doesn't come to that." He reached his other hand up so that now both hands were cradling my face. His thumbs lovingly moved over my lips. My breathing increased when I noticed the desire in his eyes. Tears threatened to overflow, and I looked away. As soon as I did, I knew I'd made a mistake.

"This is why it was time. You have to learn to love me—to crave my touch." Dejected, he moved back to his chair, casually resting his left foot on his right knee this time, like he hadn't just turned my world upside down.

Now that he'd backed off, I could feel my legs shaking and my teeth chattering. I lowered myself to the bed, relieved when he didn't object. I crossed my legs and arms, leaning forward, giving my body coverage from his roaming eyes.

"I'm surprised you didn't notice the clues I've been leaving."

"Clues?" My brows furrowed as I struggled to keep up. The conversation shifted quicker than sand.

He grinned knowingly as if he had a secret and was dying to tell me. "The things in your apartment. I moved them around to let you know I was thinking of you."

My frown deepened as I remembered. It seemed that every time I needed something it hadn't been there. The missing beer—I blamed on Dillon, and my missing panties—I blamed on Bob. I started getting paranoid after I couldn't find my skip notebook. I searched everywhere and then it suddenly turned up in the exact place I'd already looked several times. Then there was my bedding. It wasn't like I made my bed every day, but there were times when my blanket was positioned in a way I hadn't left it. There were other things too, small items missing, like my favorite lipstick and a pair of earrings.

I hadn't told Joe because he already drank Maalox by the gallon and Ranger… well, I hadn't been physically threatened, so there was no need for him to bleed money to keep me safe. I did ask Hector, but he didn't know what I was talking about. After that, I ignored my Spidey-sense, and brushed it off as being forgetful.

I pasted a fake smile on my face. "Really, that was you?"

He quirked one eyebrow. "I've been watching you for a while, Babe."

Internally, I cringed. I only allowed one man to call me Babe.

He walked over to the table with the roses, and carefully pushed it across the room until it was in front of me. My eyes followed his every move, unsure what he was doing. He moved his chair to the other side of the table and retrieved a brown paper bag and a small travel cooler from a shelf along the wall. He placed the bag on the table and the cooler on the floor and he took his seat. He removed two PB&J sandwiches, two individual bags of cheetos, and two bottles of water. "Eat," he instructed, as he picked up his sandwich.

I wasn't sure how my stomach would accept food, but I had to eat if I was going to keep up my strength. As I reached for the bottle of water, my chain clanged against the table. I did my best to ignore my circumstances, guzzling half my water in seconds.

"You frequent that pizza place, Pino's, a lot." He stopped chewing and studied me. "I would sit nearby and watch as you ate and talked with your friends. Could you sense me?" My mouth went dry. I was unable to swallow the peanut butter and bread let alone answer him. I focused on my food, assuming that was a rhetorical question when he didn't give me time to answer. "After you finished your meal and left, people continued talking about you. Did you know that? It's how I learned all about you."

I desperately grabbed the bottle of water as I choked. I knew people gossiped, but it hurt that they fed him information about me. When I'd regained my composure, I put on a happy face as if I was thrilled to learn the lengths he'd gone to. "You wanted to know me that bad? I'm flattered."

"I knew the minute you walked down the frozen food aisle that you were destined to be mine," he said with a knowing grin. "We both reached for the door at the same time, but of course I let you go first and held the door while you made your selection." He smiled dreamily, as if we were star crossed lovers, finally reuniting after centuries apart. "You reached for a carton of Chunky Monkey, and I asked if it was any good."

Ice cream? This was all because of ice cream? Ranger said that stuff was going to kill me.

"Do you remember what you said?" he asked, never breaking eye contact. "Your eyes lit up and you said, 'You can't have a celebration without it.'" He laughed like I'd said something profoundly witty. "You sounded so much like her."

Sounded like who? What was he talking about?

His eyes brightened with hope as they roamed my face for signs of recognition. My face must have revealed my confusion because he sighed, and then visibly deflated. "You don't remember?"

It was getting increasingly difficult to keep up with his delusions and to respond appropriately. Suddenly, his arm darted out, lightning fast, and I jerked away. A surge of adrenaline hit my system as I tried to decide between fight or flight.

"I'm not going to hit you," he said, acting insulted as he opened the cooler at his feet and pulled out two pints of Chunky Monkey and two plastic spoons. "Maybe this will jog your memory." He handed me a pint and kept one for himself.

My skin prickled with heat from my near miss. I decided being polite was my best strategy. There was a progression in situations like this. He seemed to be starting off on an amiable foot and I needed to come up with a strategy to do the same. If this didn't work, I could adjust my approach later, but I'd never be able to make up ground if I started off being contentious.

I had a hysterical need to laugh. Strategy? Was I insane? The man was unstable. He'd kidnapped me. He wasn't using normal thoughts and actions because HE. WAS. NOT. NORMAL.

I shoved the last of my sandwich into my mouth while trying to maintain a calm exterior. I was a pretty good liar. Sometimes they rolled right off my tongue and snowballed out of control. Like when I told my mother I couldn't attend Valerie's bridal shower because I had cello practice. This was no different, just on a life and death scale. I shook my head back and forth and rolled my eyes as if I couldn't believe my own stupidity. I struggled to swallow the thick ball of peanut butter and bread that was stuck to the rook of my mouth and when I was able to speak, I said, "Of course, I remember you. I just didn't think you remembered me."

His eyes lit up. "I thought maybe you did, but… I wasn't sure." He gave me a lopsided smile and hesitantly admitted, "I fell in love with you the first moment I saw you."

The nausea returned and I struggled to keep from making a break for the door. "You're in love with me?" I asked as I casually took the lid off the carton of ice cream. He smiled, timidly nodding his head as if he was afraid I'd reject him. We'd barely spoken to each other and he seriously believed he was in love with me? I returned his smile, pointing at him every now and then with my spoon, as I let the lies flow. "It was this new book my girlfriend recommended."

His brows furrowed. "What?"

"The reason I said no." I was talking to him as if he was a simpleton and the reason was completely obvious. He still didn't understand where I was going with this, and honestly, neither did I. But the lies kept coming. "It's like a relationship self-help book to aid women in finding the man of their dreams." Unfortunately, I knew plenty about advice books. Mary Lou had one for every topic—poor Lenny.

I kept a close watch on his eyes to see if he was buying this shit and was relieved when he sat forward, interest sparked. "Go on."

"The book instructs women to say 'no' when a man asks her out the first time… even if he seems perfect." I added that little bit for effect. I'd never known a man that didn't like to be puffed up with compliments. "Men are attracted to the chase. If they give up too easily, they're just after something casual… or at least that's what the book says." I twisted my lips into a pout and blinked innocently. "When you didn't ask again… I thought… I thought you weren't interested in me." I turned away, hiding my face in shame. "I've been burned before. This time I wanted to make sure to do things right."

I felt his gaze on me—assessing. There was only one thing keeping me from walking out that door and I was looking at it. I just needed to stroke his ego enough for him to let his guard down. When it was time for me to strike, he'd never see it coming.

After he gathered our garbage and pushed the table away, he moved his chair back to the center of the room and sat down. He stared at me respectfully, never letting his eyes go lower than my face. I continued my frustrated rant in the hopes he would be drawn into the spell I was trying to cast. "I never should have listened to my friend. It's not like she's in a successful relationship. But oh, no, I must do what the book says, at the most important time in my life—Why me?"

Internally, I cringed as I turned into my mother.

He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees, his mouth gaping slightly open, loving every word. I could see the wheels turning behind his eyes, wondering if he'd misread the entire situation. I guess it's true, if you want to believe something, you'll find a way to make it fit in with your desires. That's human nature. I've done enough of it, I should know.

"I wish I hadn't read that stupid book, I would have said yes that day at the grocery store." I looked up at him as I sniffed and moved my hand to wipe away a nonexistent tear. The chain rattled and I grimaced in pain as it pulled against my wrist. "Are these really necessary?" I let my front teeth dig into my bottom lip in a submissive manner. "I'm not going to leave you now that I've finally found you."

His breath caught and the corners of his mouth started to curve into a smile, but then everything changed. His spine straightened and his features darkened as if he'd suddenly remembered something. "What about the detective?"

I stopped breathing. "You know Morelli?"

His eyes lowered to my bare breasts then back to my face, moving his jaw side to side as if to rid his mouth of a bad taste. "I've seen him kissing you and I've seen the bed you sleep in with him while you let him put his filthy hands on what's mine." His voice got louder as he spat each word. The ground I'd gained was breaking off quicker than I could shore it up. I needed to get his mind off Joe without refocusing his anger on me.

"He means nothing to me. He's been hurting me since I was a little girl. He thinks because he's a cop, he can do whatever he wants." He puffed up a little at the thought of protecting me from Joe.

"I can kill him for you." His tone was emotionless as he waited to see what I'd say.

Shit! I didn't want Joe dead, but I knew he could take care of himself and if this guy went after him it could lead them straight to me. As far as plans went, it wasn't great, but right now it was all I had. "I don't want you to kill him. If you get caught, they'll take you away from me and I'll never see you again. But I would love it if you'd make him leave me alone. Can you do that?" I raised my eyebrows in question. "I mean, would you help me?"

His body visibly relaxed and he nodded his head in understanding. "He does seem controlling. I should have known you wouldn't like a man like that."

"He is," I said, making my voice sound small. "He tries to bully me into marrying him, but I won't."

Just when I thought I'd managed to calm him down, his eyes narrowed. "What about the muscle-bound bounty hunter?"

"Vinnie thinks I'm not good enough to do my job, so he makes Ranger help me." I shrugged one shoulder, doing my best to show him that Ranger was a meaningless person in my life. "I just want to do a good job, you know?" I kept my head down, trying to evoke pity as I peeked up at him.

He nodded as his lips came together in a tight line before tilting his head to the side, thoughtfully. "You're really not involved with either one of them?"

"No, they could never give me what I need," I said softly.

His next revelation knocked the breath out of me. He gave me a sinister smile and in a honeyed voice, he said, "Your mother seems nice. I ran into her the other day at Giovincini's deli. She told me I was a nice young man and invited me to dinner to meet her unmarried daughter."

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak. I sat there, staring at him while my mind raced to understand. I had no doubt he was telling the truth. It was something my mother would do. This wasn't the first time she'd set me up with a psycho. Dave Brewer flashed in my mind.

He bit his lip while smiling mischievously. "It was easy slipping in and out of your parents' AND your sister's homes."

What? My breaths were coming quicker—heavier—and I thought I was going to hyperventilate. Did he hurt them? My mind played out various scenarios where he killed my family. I gave my head a violent shake to clear the images.

"Your little nieces are pretty cute," he added.

Fury, like nothing I'd ever felt before, ignited inside me. "What did you do to them?" I screamed and launched myself off the bed—forgetting the chain linking my ankles—and fell head long at his feet. His chair flew out from under him as he jumped up and staggered backward. I looked up from the floor, the skin on my stomach and chin burning from sliding along the concrete.

"I haven't done anything to them—yet." He stood over me, smiling innocently. "Whether or not they get hurt is all up to you."

I closed my eyes and saw Angie, Mary Alice, Lisa, Bert, Valerie, Grandma, and my parents. They were all helpless against a man like Durant. In a fit of madness, I violently jerked on the chains, trying to get my hands free to choke him. I was only hurting myself, but I couldn't stop. Finally, I gave up the struggle and slowly got to my feet. "If you hurt them, I will kill you!" I snarled.

He smiled indulgently, knowing my threat was empty and stepped so close his clothes grazed my bare skin. He was breathing heavily, making fists with his hands. He stared me down for what seemed like forever and then as if I was of no consequence, he turned away without saying a word. He folded his chair against the wall, grabbed a bottle of disinfecting wipes, and a garbage bag. He tore off several wipes and threw them at my feet, motioning to the floor beside my bed.

"I cleaned the vomit from your bed while you slept, but from now on you will clean up after yourself."

He waited while I cleaned up and took the bag of soiled wipes from me. He exchanged the generator to the heater with one that was fully charged and then put the used one in a gray plastic box. After he pulled on his coat, he tossed a brown paper bag and a bottle of water onto the bed and pointed at the green plastic box to my left.

"That is a chemical toilet. Use it." I stared at it and cringed. His voice caught my attention again when he pulled out a blanket. "When I am here you will not cover yourself." He handed me the blanket, waiting for a response. "Do you understand?" He quirked his eyebrow indicating he expected more than the stiff head nod I'd given him.

"Yes," I bit out—my hand itching to smack his smug face.

He took a set of keys out of his coat pocket, turned on the attached flashlight, and reached for the lanterns. "Wait!" I yelled. "Please leave the lights on!" One by one the lights went out as he made his way to the door. "You can't leave me here!" I screamed, but he already had the door open, letting freezing air fill the room.

There was total darkness on the other side of the door, either it was dark outside, or it wasn't an exterior door. He turned back one last time and whispered, "Sleep, my Princess, I'll be back soon."

I heard the clanking of metal on the other side as he secured what sounded like several locks. I waited until I couldn't hear him anymore, then I started screaming. My voice echoed, ricocheting off the block walls—loud and strong at first—then little by little it diminished until my throat was so raw, I couldn't make a sound.

The Pine Barrens was a vast and sparsely populated area. The chances that someone could hear me was astronomically low. My gut twisted at the realization. I focused on the chains, struggling and pulling as hard as I could. Tears streamed down my face as the metal cuffs cut into my skin, leaving my wrists and ankles a bloody mess.

Violent shivers racked my body as my mind thought up and discarded various plans of escape. The cold had seeped into my bones causing a physical ache that never stopped. I snuggled into the scratchy wool blanket, but I couldn't get my muscles to relax. What little warmth the heater put out, barely reached me from across the room, but I was grateful it kept me from total darkness.

What I needed was a weapon or something to pick the locks on the shackles. I felt around the narrow bed frame for a loose piece of metal and found that the long side was attached to the wall on hinges, allowing it to be raised when not in use. When I didn't find any loose pieces, I squeezed the mattress to see if there were coils inside, but it was made of cotton.

I was lying there thinking about what to do next when I felt something crawling on my leg. I screamed and jerked, frantically trying to shake whatever it was off me. Tears filled my eyes as the metal cuffs dug deeper into my open wounds. After I'd calmed down, I thought more about Hunter Durant. It was unbelievable to think a whimsical stroke of fate put me in his cross hairs just because I stopped for ice cream. And if the multiple stains on this mattress were any indication, I wasn't the first woman he'd brought here.

There was something fundamentally wrong with him, I could see it lurking in his eyes. He professed to love me, but he didn't know the meaning of the word. I was dead if I didn't get out of here. As bad as rape was, it was the least of my worries.

I tried consoling myself with the knowledge that people would miss me and come looking. That's what I kept telling myself, but what if no one was searching for me? Joe was away on another assignment and Ranger was in Miami working at his offices there and visiting Julie for the holidays. As far as anyone knew, I was safely enjoying my time off since Vinnie decided to close the bonds office until after the new year.

With nothing else to do and no way to get out, I curled into a ball and cried myself to sleep.