Captured Miracle (12 page)

And then he moved. His hand shot out to catch my wrist and he was on his back, looking up at me through eyes filled with rage. And I realized with shock - he’d never even been asleep.

The man allowed me to get so close to ending his life - before he took matters into his own hands. He allowed me to press a blade to his throat!

“If you’re going to do something, you do it.” He growled, tightening his hands around my wrist. “You don’t pussy out.”

“You’re,” I gasped, looking at the hand that held the knife. “You’re hurting me.”

He sneered. “And you were going to kill me.”

“Please,” I cried. “It’s hurting.”

“Drop the knife.” Calix commanded.

I didn’t and he squeezed harder. Crying out into the breathy silence, I pleaded. “Let me go.”

“Then drop the knife.”

“I can’t.”

“You can.”

“I don’t trust you not to hurt me.” I whispered unsteadily.

Calix laughed. “You think you can protect yourself from me? With that?”

I glared. “Let me go!”

“Nova,” he tisked. “I can take the knife from you. But I want you to drop it.”

I shook my head stubbornly before wincing as he tightened his fingers around my wrist even more. I swore, he was moments away from breaking it. “Calix!” I screamed his name on a cry.

“Fine, we’ll have it your way.”

Confused, I stared at him. And then I was flat on my back and Calix was sitting over me, pinning me to the bed. He tucked my empty hand between my body and his knee before moving his other hand to the knife. In one easy swipe, he had the knife taken away from me and I felt the last bit of hope shrivel up inside me.

I watched as Calix scowled down at the little blade before he threw it across the room where it imbedded itself hilt deep into the wall. I gasped.

“What else do you have?” He roared down at me.

I shook my head frantically. “Nothing.” I continued. “I promise I have nothing.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I swear,” I sobbed. “I don’t have anything!”

Calix pushed himself from my body to stand at the side of the bed. “Get up.”

I scrambled to do as he said. My entire body was quaking in fear as I hugged my middle, looking up into the angriest eyes I had ever seen.

“Undress yourself.” He demanded.

I tensed, shaking my head. “No, please. I promise I have nothing else.”

“Undress yourself or I’ll go get that knife over there,” he pointed to the knife impaled in the wall, “and we’ll test my knife play.”

“Wh, what?” I whispered through my fear.

Calix smiled, but it wasn’t kind. It made me shiver. “If you don’t undress yourself, I’ll cut your clothes from your body - with that knife.” Again, he pointed to the wall.

At the glint in his eye, I didn’t fight him. I had a feeling that Calix wasn’t bluffing. If I didn’t remove my clothes, he would cut them from my body. As much as I didn’t want to remove them, I didn’t want to test his ability for knife play, as he’d called it. I called it testing fate. No, thank you!

With shaky fingers, I pulled at the hem of the white long sleeved shirt to slowly lift it over my head. My heart was thrashing violently in my chest as I dropped the fabric to the floor. Calix didn’t move from where he stood imposingly before me as I dropped my hands to my waist. Untying the string of my pink silk pants, I let them fall down to a heap on the floor before stepping from the fabric.

Looking up at him, I spoke hesitantly. “C-can I k-keep my tank top and p-panties on?”

“No.” Calix growled and I flinched.

To my surprise, I wasn’t even crying. Maybe I’d cried all the tears I had inside of me. Who knew.

“Calix,” I tried again. He took a menacing step toward the knife and my heart leapt. “I’ll take it off!”

I watched as he paused to turn toward me. “You have ten seconds.”

I nodded. I turned my back to him, pulling my tank top over my head. Hooking my thumbs into the lacy band, I pulled my panties from my hips and down my legs. Stepping from the fabric, I covered my arms over my breasts despite the fact that Calix was standing behind me and couldn’t possibly see them.

I was completely naked now. No man had ever seen me naked before, and the thought of Calix being the first made my heart feel heavy and sore.

“Turn around.” His voice was low and commanding. I trembled as I turned slowly to face him. Keeping my eyes trained on the floor, I chewed my bottom lip. “Look at me.”

Flickering my eyes up to his face, I was surprised to find that he wasn’t staring at my body, but at my eyes. “You tried to kill me, Nova.”

I nodded, but didn’t say one word.

“Why?” He asked.

“I don’t want to be here.”

“You have no choice. And if you had killed me, my men have orders to eliminate your family.” His words were cold. Clinical. “Have you forgotten that I have men stationed outside your house?”

“No.” I shook my head.

“Then what were you thinking?”

“That I hate you.”

“I gave you a chance to sink the blade into my throat, Nova.” I gasped at his statement. “You failed. Why?”

“I’ve never hurt anyone before.” It was all I could think to say. “Why would you give me the chance?”

His face darkened. “I don’t know.”

“But,”

“Lie down.” He commanded harshly. He was angry again. But why?

I lowered myself onto the bed, between the sheets as Calix continued to stand at the side of the bed. Clutching the sheets to my chest, I breathed a breath of release at having covered myself.

Calix shattered that relief faster than I thought possible. “Let go of the sheet, Nova.”

“Why?”

“Because, I said so.” He reached down to pluck the sheet from my chest, exposing my body to him. I hurried to cover my breasts.

“What are you doing?” I demanded shrilly.

“I’m coming to bed.”

“What?” My stomach dropped. I swore I felt it in my feet. “What do you mean?”

“I need my sleep. Because I can’t trust you not to get out of bed and find another weapon, I’ll just have to be certain you can’t get out of bed.” He dropped a knee onto the bed. ““Spread your legs.”

“I can’t,” I whispered frantically. “You can’t do this.”

“I still have my boxers on, Nova.” Calix replied tightly. “Spread your legs.”

“Please,”

“I wouldn’t be forced to do this if you had just gone to bed like a good girl, now spread them.” I could hear the vibrations of his anger in the undercurrents of his tone and slowly, I spread my legs. Calix moved between them, lifting the sheet up over his shoulder as he stared down at me. The bronze sheet tented his body as he sat back on his haunches, staring down at me. I felt so exposed to him, so robbed, I felt almost as though I had nothing left.

He spoke again and this time his tone was husky and filled with want. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Please stop staring at me.”

“You’re mine, Nova.” Calix lowered his body over mine without pressing against me. A small gap of charged space existed between us. “You’ve always been mine and you’re always going to be mine. You just never knew it.”

I didn’t say anything as Calix removed my hands from my breasts before dropping his body carefully down to mine. The flesh of his chest against mine seared me and yet, beneath him, I shivered. I couldn’t stop the shivering of my body no matter how hard I tried.

Calix pressed his lips to the side of my temple, making himself comfortable over my body. He was so heavy I couldn’t breathe quite right, yet I honestly didn’t want him to move away. Feeling him against me this way was oddly comforting. Chest to chest, heart to heart, I fell asleep against Calix. I fell asleep against my captor.

Chapter 11

The early morning sun streamed in through the patio door, casting pink hues over the room. I felt Calix shift over me and memories of the night before flooded my mind.

It was daylight, and I was naked beneath Calix. I was naked beneath my captor. Tension spilled through my body as Calix lifted his head from where it rested against my shoulder.

He blinked. “Well, this certainly is a nice way to wake.”

I scowled. “Get up.”

He smiled. “I kinda like it right where I am.”

“Don’t you have a life? Work?” I snapped, pushing at his immovable body before flopping dramatically back against the bed.

“Work?” His blue eyes were dancing. Damn, they really were beautiful. “When I have someone like you to spend time with? I don’t think so.”

I frowned at the flutter in my heart. I had to kill this mood. It was dangerous. “I don’t want to spend time with you.”

Calix sighed. “One day you will.”

I opened my mouth to argue when his phone sounded into the silence. Tensing, Calix lifted himself from my body. As he moved, I watched the muscles in his arms flex before noticing the bulge in his boxers. At the sight I felt something stir in my lower belly.

Calix bent to pull his iPhone from his pocket. At one glance at the screen, he answered. “What?”

I pulled myself into a sitting position with the sheet pulled tightly to my naked body while I watched Calix pace the room. “So deal with it.” He growled into the phone. He sounded so dark and menacing that I felt for the person on the other line. Calix spoke again. “I pay you to deal with this shit so I don’t have to. If you can’t deal with it, I’ll have to find someone who can.”

Wow, he really was mean. I wondered what happened to make him so aggressive toward whoever was on the other end of the line.

I watched as he ran a hand through his inky black hair. “I’ll deal with this today. If something else happens and I have to deal with that too, you’ll be out of a job.”

I watched as he hung up on the person and almost felt relieved. As mean as Calix had been in my presence, he’d never been like
that
. His tone and his body language had never been so - menacing.

He turned to face me. “I’ve gotta work today.”

I nodded. “I figured as much.” I looked down to my lap. “Are you going to lock me in the bedroom all day?”

Calix moved forward, catching my chin in his hands. “You aren’t my prisoner, Nova.”

“I’m not?” I frowned. “I thought that was exactly what I was.”

“I want you to be happy here.” He sighed, dropping his hand from my chin. “But until I can trust you I will have to take precautions. You are free to roam the property, but I will have a man stationed to watch you.”

“Will,” I looked down into my lap again. “Will it be one of the men who took me?”

Calix crouched low. “Does it matter?”

I shrugged.

Calix continued. “Did one of them hurt you? Were they in any way violent?”

I thought about the man who’d kept his hand over my mouth. He’d whispered mean words into my ear, threatening me and my family. I particularly didn’t like him. Narrowing my eyes onto his face, I asked. “What would you do if one of them had hurt me?”

There was no hesitation in his reply. “I would kill anyone who hurt you. My men included.”

I clutched my chest in horror. “Have you killed before?”

Calix nodded stiffly. “Yes.” He scowled at what I was sure was a look of radiant fear on my face. “And I will undoubtedly kill again, Nova. But you will always be safe with me. You have nothing to fear.”

“You’ve killed,” I breathed through my shock.

“Did one of my men hurt you?” He asked sternly.

Blankly, I looked into the face of my captor. As much as I’d thought him a monster, I didn’t truly believe it until now. “No.” I whispered. “Your men didn’t hurt me.”

“Good.” Calix raised from his haunches to sit beside me on the bed. “You’re upset.”

Blinking, I shook my head. “No, I’m not.”

“I know you, Nova.” He caught my hand, closing his fingers around it. “You can’t hide from me that easily.”

“Will you kill my family?”

His face hardened and I knew he was thinking through his answer carefully. When he replied, it tipped my world upside down. “Yes. If you force me to, I will.”

“All I have to do is marry you?” I tried to maintain my unaffected tone but with thoughts of my loved ones lives hanging in the balance of my decisions, it was difficult. “And they’ll be safe?”

Calix nodded. “More or less.”

“You have to tell me.” I said frantically. “If I don’t know what you expect you’ll kill them.”

“I expect you to obey me, Nova. Make the world believe you want me as much as I want you.” He said simply.

“Why?” I breathed the question. “I just don’t understand.”

“Some things are better left unexplained.”

“Well, this isn’t one of those things.” I argued.

“Yes, it is.” Calix leaned forward to press his lips to my forehead. “I have to take a shower and head out. Will you join me?”

I stilled. I didn’t want to shower with him - but was this one of the times he was expecting obedience? “I,” I paused, fidgeting with the sheet. “Do I have to join you?”

Calix sighed. “No, you don’t have to join me.”

I nodded in relief. “Then I would prefer not to.”

Calix gave me a tight smile. “Very well.” He released my hand and stood up from the bed. “You might want to get yourself dressed for breakfast. I’ll be quick in the shower.”

I watched as Calix crossed the room to the bathroom. To my surprise, he didn’t close the door. I didn’t know if it was because he thought I would need to get into the closet, or if he wanted me to join him and it was a last attempt at an offer. I didn’t ponder it too long. Picking my pajamas up off the floor, I dressed myself quickly. By the time I was shoving my long sleeved shirt over my head, I heard the water shut off. The man was true to his word. Quick.

Knowing he had to dress himself, I meandered out onto the patio. The morning was warm. The sun was so bright and the sky was so blue, the land was practically glowing. I itched to go outside and explore down by the lake. I would love to sit on the dock with the sun high in the sky, losing myself in the words of a good book.

Leaning against the balcony railing I sighed. This is the kind of scene I wished I could share with my family. My mother would love it here. She was just like me in her love of nature. Jaylah would be romanticized by the land. The hope of meeting a dashing young man - her prince charming - would consume her thoughts. Amy would dart for the water; the girl was practically a fish. God, I missed them.