20. To Never Stop

Chapter 20

To Never Stop

T he next morning, I woke and tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes only to find myself struggling to do so. Naturally, because of this my eyes opened and my foggy brain registered the reason why… making me snap the second I saw the ropes tied around my wrists.

"Son of a bitch!" I then looked around the room, seeing it was the same one I had woken up in before. Obviously, they hadn't trusted that I wouldn't be able to escape again, so they tied me to the fucking bed! It even looked like they had thick silver rings attached to the headboard that, I swear, hadn't been there the first time. Was this done in preparation of this happening?

"Those bastards!" I shouted, not giving a damn if they heard me. No, all I cared for was getting the fuck out of there for the second time and if I had to scream the place down or fight my way out, I would!

Okay, so in my anger I clearly thought I was Wonder Woman or something. Because in reality, I knew I wouldn't get far against the two Vampires that had pretty much stolen me from the street last night.

I needed to think about this calmly. I looked to the window and could see daylight peeking through, so it stood to good reason the brothers were asleep… Wasn't that the myth that they burnt up in the daylight?

Damn it, I felt like I knew nothing because all the books I had read had different rules. Meaning my extensive knowledge on the subject was actually a grand total of zero. And yes, the irony wasn't lost on me considering my secret obsession with reading Vampire Romances. Although I never thought I would ever be living one!

Well, if the sunlight rule was in fact true in my reality, then that meant that I had until nightfall to figure this out. Starting with these super soft ropes that, even though they were tied tight enough not to slip, they hadn't broken the skin. Although they would most definitely bruise if I tried to fight my wrists free of them. I even reached up with my teeth, seeing if I could work them loose that way.

"Oh, come on… just fucking give, would you!" I complained, only to be left totally surprised when one did, in fact, give way.

I paused, stopping a second just so I could think about this. Last time, I had wanted certain things to happen and like magic, they seemed to have done just that. What if all I needed to do was say it, not just think it.

Well, what the fuck did I have to lose?

"I wish these ropes would loosen enough for me to get my hands free… oh my God!" I cried out in shock because unbelievably it actually worked! The ropes did just exactly what I asked and fell away from my wrists like they had a life of their own. My god, was that all it took?

I quickly got up from the bed and was forced to use the bathroom, feeling desperate after I had slept. I also didn't feel like wetting myself during this little escape plan of mine, so gave into nature and answered the call.

The next part of my plan involved finding my sweater because I was still in just my bra and jeans. At least they hadn't undressed me fully. But as I stuffed my feet back into my sneakers, the biggest wave of déjà vu hit me. It made me wonder if there would be a third kidnapping… and would I be trying to find all of my clothes next time? The thought made me shiver.

I was so embarrassed when I thought back to what I had let them do to me. I had already checked in the mirror to find no marks on my neck, nor was there any blood left on my skin. What they had done while I was asleep. Had they cleaned me up? Had they licked the rest of the blood from where it dripped down my neck? Licked me clean? Touched me or played with my hair? And why did the thought turn me on so fucking much?!

What the hell was wrong with me?

A question I seemed to be asking myself a lot lately.

Well, it would be time to ask myself that when I finally got myself home… again. At least I knew the way this time.

I approached the door to the room and wasn't surprised to find it locked. Oh, and what was this…? A few extra locks had been fitted for good measure… cute, I thought with a wry smile.

"I wish the door to be open," I said, waiting until I heard the now multiple locks all slide and the door opened.

"Wow, this is seriously cool," I said as I stepped through, pausing only to remember another wish I should make.

"I wish all the guards on this floor to leave and have something else to deal with." That was just in case any were inside the apartment, so they couldn't sound the alarm. Once I felt like I had given this enough time, I left, making my way down the same hallway, and glancing once more at the macabre artwork.

It didn't take me long before I found my sweater, along with my bag and phone. I was almost grinning to myself, thinking about Victor and how he would never have believed that I would be walking out of here with everything I needed to escape. His city or not, he clearly had underestimated the power of luck. Although, even I could barely believe it, being forced to question not only how it happened but most importantly…

When would it wear off?

The second I got home, I made it my priority to ring Stacey.

Her voice answered with a panicked, "Where the hell have you been?!" I opened my mouth to blurt it all out and nothing happened.

"Nessa?" She said my name and all I could come up with was a lame,

"Hey girl."

She scoffed and said, "Don't you dare give me that! And what was with that message last night? ‘Cause if you expect that you can send me something like that and not give me every detail, then we got friend problems and I am signing us up for therapy!"

Damn it, why didn't I check what Victor had messaged her last night before making this call? Well, it was too late now.

I paced from one side of the apartment to the other as I thought of what to say. The thick black rug was now marred with a trail of my turmoil.

"Well?!" Stacey snapped, making me decide to go with what I assumed Victor had said, taking my advice.

"Okay, so like I said, I bumped into an old friend and when they asked me to help them unpack…"

"You thought you would unpack your panties?" she asked, making me screech,

"What?!"

"Although what did you give the other one, your bra…? I mean, hey, I'm not judging here but two super-hot brothers and twins at that! When you swear off men and then go back again, you're really not messing around." During this whole girly rant of hers I was shaking my head as if this was a nightmare. Of course, there was only one way of truly knowing what shit Victor had landed me in. So, I quickly told her,

"I will call you back."

"No, wait… don't you dare hang up on…!"

I tapped the red phone icon and quickly scanned through the messages, and it was no wonder why I missed what ‘I had said' when Victor was pretending to me. Because there were about forty messages from Stacey in response. Okay, so most were eggplant and fire emojis… oh, and don't get me started on the gifs. Everything from sexy dancing sandwiches, hotdogs falling from the sky, and male strippers ripping off their tight underpants.

But I passed them all, my heart hammering at what his message must have been for her to have sent me all of that.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no… Fuck!" I said now the horror of it sank in as I read his very long message…

‘Hey, just letting you know I won't be back tonight, in fact I'm hoping I won't be back for a while. Because I just had an amazing date with super-hot guy and realized he has a twin brother. Yey me! Which means I am in for a fucking hot night of sex and well, you know how much I have needed this. Hopefully they won't ever let me go ;) I swear I haven't felt this way about a guy in like forever, and now I have two of them and the best bit is I don't even have to choose. Lucky me, they are both fucking sexy as sin and twice as gorgeous.

Message you, soon.

Oh, and Wish my pussy luck.'

"What the actually fuck!?" I screamed at the fucking essay that alternated between making me sound like a fucking horny teenager and some sex crazed nympho! I mean, why the fuck…? Why in the ever-loving Christ would he have said that?! And who the fuck signs off with, wish my pussy luck ?! Like, who the fuck does that?! I wasn't surprised when my phone started ringing and it was Stacey.

"Erm hey, so I can explain," I tried, holding the bridge of my nose like this would help.

"Oh right, let's hear this one then!"

I stopped my manic pacing and told her, "I might have got a little drunk last night."

"And slept with two super hot guys… yeah, I got that part, honey," she said, making me groan.

"I didn't sleep with anyone," I argued because, well, it was true.

"Damn, that's a crying shame," she said, making me suddenly blurt out the only thing I could think of that would save me this type of shame.

"They are gay!"

"What?" she asked, the disappointment obvious because, clearly, she had been hoping for all the juicy details.

"Yeah, it was just a joke, I guess one of them must have got hold of my phone and when I said that I needed to let you know I wouldn't be home, he must have taken the opportunity to play a prank on me," I said because this really did seem far more plausible and no doubt why she instantly believed it.

"Oh… wow, like I said, that's a damn shame. I was concerned, of course, but I was also like, woohoo you go, girl, you know?"

I laughed and, of course, it was fake because in my head all I could do was play out what actually happened. But more importantly, what I would have actually allowed to happen.

Because had I not passed out on them, had Victor not taken too much of my blood, would that have been the next step? Would we have taken it to the bedroom, and once there, would I have slept with them both? I mean, I didn't remember protesting at all, not even when they took my sweater off and were alternating between kissing me.

Jesus, I could feel myself getting hot just thinking about it. To the point that I wasn't listening to what Stacey was saying, until I caught something at the end.

"Say that again?" I asked, that dangerous feeling creeping its way up my spine again.

"I said, speaking of super-hot guys, two just walked in wearing sunglasses."

My heart plummeted and I asked quickly, "Quick, tell me what they look like."

"Well, one is wearing a suit and kind looks like he belongs on the calendar for the Men in Black, if it were a real intergalactic government organization that was," she replied, making me gasp. Not at the idea but more at the fear Victor had now entered into my domain. But of course, I had stupidly told him where I worked. Damn, damn, damn!

"And the other guy?" I asked quickly.

"Like some sexy biker that looks like he should be on every calendar… Jesus, I might self-combust."

I could just imagine her fanning herself, like some gothic widow overcome at the graveyard.

"Fuck, okay, Stacey, listen to me, don't tell them…"

"They are coming my way," she interrupted, making me start to panic.

"Then walk away. Go into the back room and…"

"Hello, gentlemen, how may I help you?" I heard her say, completely ignoring me.

When I heard Victor's voice, I froze and gripped the phone hard enough to crack it more than it already was.

"Stacey, I presume?" Victor asked, his tone as smooth as dripping molasses.

"That's me," I heard her say, which was why I tried one last time.

"Stacey, listen to me, don't tell them anything, just make some excuse and…" This plea died the second I heard Talon say,

"Do us a favor, honey, give my brother the phone."

I sucked in a quick breath and pulled the phone down to look at it, my finger hovering over the tiny square image of the red phone. But then came the warning…

"I wouldn't end the call if I were you. We don't want your friend here to think you're being rude to your lovers."

I gritted my teeth knowing what he was doing, reminding me that they had my friend.

"Leave her alone!" I demanded, putting the phone back to my ear.

"My promise made to you last night still stands, Nessa."

The sigh I released felt as if my body were deflating just as my ass found the couch.

"What do you want?" I asked, my tone sounding hopeless.

"I think that would be obvious, my little escape artist," he hummed.

"You tied me to the fucking bed, Victor, what did you expect I would do? Wake up and fucking thank you!?" I snapped, making him growl a little before warning,

"No, I expected you to still be there so we could release you ourselves and then care for you the way we intended."

I shook my head at this, telling him, "You can't just keep kidnapping me."

He laughed and mused, "Can't I?"

"No, you can't… I have rights," I argued, and it even sounded weak to my own ears despite it being the truth.

"The sooner you learn this, the better, so here it is… you belong to us, Vanessa Cadell. Your rights were forfeited the moment you witnessed all you did that night. Your life is now in our hands and no longer your responsibility, for it is ours."

My mouth dropped.

"But that's… that's insane," I hissed disbelievingly, making him laugh once more before reminding me,

"We are Vampires, Sweetheart, what did you expect? Upstanding citizens who buy their blood off the internet?"

I realized then that he must have walked away from Stacey, because surely, he would not be saying all this within earshot of anyone. What was Talon doing? Chatting up my friend and keeping her compliant? I didn't know why that thought irked me so much. What if he liked her? Jesus! What the fuck was wrong with me?

"Have you both been using mind control on me?!"

He made a sound of disbelief himself and said, "No, we haven't been using fucking mind control on you!"

"I don't believe you! Because I would not be feeling this way on my own!" I said, regretting it instantly because I had confessed too much. Something of course, Victor picked up on.

"What way?" he was quick to ask, making me wince before biting back,

"I am not telling you that."

"Then I will make you a deal, if you tell me, my brother and I will give you a chance to make a decision on your own."

I frowned so hard I could feel a headache forming.

"What do you mean?" I was unable to stop myself from asking.

"Well, this can go one of two ways. We can force your gothic friend here to give us your address and come get you now and pack your bags ourselves before kidnapping you for a third time…"

"Jesus, what is the alternative to that?!" I interrupted on a yell, making him chuckle before informing me of my only choice.

"Or you can choose to come to us of your own free will tonight and not involve your friend in this mess."

"That's blackmail," I told him with gritted teeth.

"Name it whatever you like, but those are your choices, so pick one before I do," Victor demanded, and the only thing I could think to do was remind him,

"But you told me you wouldn't hurt her."

"And I will keep my word, however, that doesn't include not scaring the shit out of her to get the information I want."

"You bastard!" I shouted, and I could almost see him shrugging his big shoulders before telling me,

"I never claimed not to be, now what is it to be, my sweet Nessa?"

I released a pained sigh, swiping angrily at my tears and because I really didn't want them to involve Stacey, I snapped,

"Fine! I will come to you tonight." To which he didn't think to end my torture, tutting at me and reminding me,

"Now you know that is not the deal we made."

"What? I just told you that I would come to…"

He was quick to cut me off.

"Why did you think we had used mind control on you?" he asked and I gasped, shaking my head despite him not being able to see it.

"Come now, Sweetheart, you know you want to tell me," he said, his voice switching from stern and commanding to soft and tender in a heartbeat. And out of the two, the second was most definitely more dangerous.

So, I closed my eyes, letting the tears leak down my cheeks and admitted, "Because I can't stop thinking of you both and I don't want to… that's why."

He released a soft sigh and told me something that ended up sounding like a vow.

Something that scared me far more than anything else he had said.

"Oh baby, after tonight, I promise you that…"

"…You won't want to stop."