They stared at each other, Cat in bone-deep fear, Tesh in shock at his own savage outburst.
His chest expanded as he visibly gathered himself. By small degrees he released her, carefully separating her hair from his fingers and still taking too many strands.
Her scalp stung from the attack, but she did what she could to keep all expression from her face.
He didn’t deserve to see her fear.
Now more composed, Tesh stepped back and brushed his hands over his slacks. With impersonal command, he instructed, “Take off your clothes.”
What? His mood swings changed lightning fast, making it difficult for her to anticipate.
The driver glanced in the rearview mirror, not in concern, but lewd curiosity.
“Don’t worry about him,” Tesh said softly. “He might look, but he won’t touch what is mine.”
Numb at the idea of being so exposed, Cat shook her head and whispered, “I’m not yours.” She would never be his.
Pleased to again have the upper hand, Tesh casually unbuckled his belt and slipped it from his pants loops with a quiet hiss. While ignoring her, he wrapped it around his meaty fist. When he finished, the silver buckle gleamed in the shifting light, prominent over his knuckles.
Cat tried to swallow, but fear left her throat too dry. She didn’t want to be hurt—but she knew she would be.
In a singsong voice, all the more eerie for its softness, Tesh said, “Our relationship may as well start out right.”
Again the driver glanced back.
“We don’t have a relationship.” Cat back-stepped and tripped over the bulky tarps, landing hard on her palms and her butt. As Tesh moved in, she crab-crawled away, but there was nowhere to go. She ended up backed against the rear door, scrunched in a corner against the protruding metal frame. Terror gave strength to her defiance. “We will never have a relationship!”
“You are so wrong.” He knelt by her, grabbing her ankle when she tried to flinch away. “You belong to me now, my pet, and you will be tamed.” He licked his lips in lewd excitement. “I’m looking forward to it. God, I’ve been looking forward to it forever.”
“You’re sick,” she snapped, and tried to kick out with her free leg.
Prepared for that reaction, he dragged her flat and landed one heavy punch to her midsection.
The hard buckle connected with her ribs and pain exploded. She couldn’t help but cry out as she curled in on herself. Oh God, oh God, oh God.
“I wish you wouldn’t make me hurt you. But if you do, understand that I won’t hesitate.” Now he gently stroked her hip, adding frightful revulsion to the pain. “Webb was always too lenient with you. For your own good, I won’t be. No, I won’t bruise your pretty face. But your body... Sometimes a few bruises make things more interesting.”
Carefully, staying in the cowed position, Cat dragged in an uneven breath. That punch had hurt so badly, she wasn’t sure she was brave enough to provoke him toward further violence.
Then again, she definitely wasn’t brave enough to let him strip her naked.
“Come now, Kitten.” He stood over her. “Stop hiding from me.”
Terrified of more retribution, Cat uncurled enough to see him. Tears pricked her eyes and the ache from that strike continued to radiate to every nerve ending.
Tesh smiled at her. “Good. Now you will get up and you will strip away every single article of your clothing.”
Each small breath hurt, but Cat didn’t fight him as he took her arm and yanked her upright. Her ribs protested. Had he cracked a few?
She kept her arms wrapped around herself, her feet braced against the jostling of the van. Glancing up at him, she showed him all the fear he craved.
His gaze, devoid of sympathy, moved over her features and then down her body. “Webb tried, I’ll give him that. But you were always so goddamned feral.” He loosened his hold and his firm voice softened to a croon. “I will soon have you purring. That’s a promise.”
She tried a tremulous smile, confusing him, deluding him. He seemed stunned but pleased, already amped up from the violence, his expression raw with lust.
He yanked her against him.
Though any movement hurt like hell, Cat reacted by bringing up her knee as hard and fast as she could, striking him in the groin with stunning accuracy.
Blank shock cleared Tesh’s expression just before he moaned and doubled over.
For good measure, Cat ignored her own pain and shoved him hard. As he fell to the hard corrugated floor of the van, a guttural groan bubbled from his throat.
Please, please, please, Cat whispered to herself. She grabbed the latch on the back door. At first it didn’t give, and as the driver cursed and swerved, slowing the van, she tried again, gripping it with all her might.
She cried out as pain ripped through her bruised midsection, then the door swung open, dragging her out. Her toes barely stayed inside the van and she balanced over the pavement racing beneath her.
The van kept going, but so what? Better to die from the fall to the road than be tortured to death by Tesh.
In the distance behind the van, she saw headlights. If she did survive, perhaps the passengers would call for help.
“Cat, no.” Sounding truly alarmed, Tesh stretched a hand out to her.
Ignoring him, Cat considered her odds of surviving the fall.
“Stop, damn you!” Tesh barked.
Cat thought he spoke to her until he added, “She’ll die!”
The driver slowed, pulling to the side of the road.
Knowing it was now or never, Cat jumped toward the piles of snow on the berm. She hit hard and, against her will, her body rolled uncontrollably, tumbling fast.
Tires screeched.
Tesh would come after her. God help her, he’d almost sounded horrified by her probable death, which only made him more insane. He wanted to keep her, to sexually torture her, to enslave her as his own—for the rest of her life.
What kind of life would that be?
She had to get up. She had to run. Her hands dug into the snow, frozen mud and gravel. Her hip now hurt as bad as her ribs. Panting, she got one knee beneath her—
“Cat!”
Terror played tricks on her, because that outraged voice sounded entirely too much like Leese.
She heard the running footsteps, then the screech of police sirens and finally a gunshot. Without understanding, she cringed, covered her head and—
“Cat. Baby, it’s okay now. Just be still. Where are you hurt?”
Her racing heartbeat slowed. That was definitely Leese.
Peeking up, she found him kneeling by her in the snow. He didn’t wear a coat. He was dressed exactly the same as he had been at the party—meaning...what? That he’d learned of her kidnapping and run after her without a second thought?
It appeared so. “Leese?” Confusion and hope squeezed her lungs. “How are you here?”
“I’m so sorry.” He touched her gently, with fear and so much more. “Paramedics are on the way. Just stay still.”