Page 1 of Captivated

Prologue

“Fuck, Harley. I’m sorry I couldn’t get back to you sooner.”

She stirred at the anguished voice that spoke, pain racing through her. When she moaned, a hand covered her mouth. Panic filled her, and she tried to move away, only to cry out in pain.

“Shh...Harley. You have to be quiet. Let me help you before Ice comes back and finishes the job.”

She stiffened at the name of the man who tormented her for longer than she could remember being invoked.

“Do you understand?”

She gave a slight nod as she tried to open her eyes, only to find she couldn’t. Ice had hit her with his fist, evidently hard enough to swell both of her eyes shut. Instead, she tried to focus on placing the voice, but she couldn’t.

“I need to move you. Do you think you can be quiet?”

She shook her head, knowing it was impossible. While she didn’t know where he would move her or how far, there was no way she could keep from making any sound.

“Damn,” he muttered before the sounds of rustling reached her ears. “I have a bandana. It’s clean. I’m sorry that I have to do this. Open.”

The material pressed against her lips was softer than she expected, but it was still uncomfortable.

“Bite down and try your best to stay quiet.”

That was as much warning as she received before being swept into someone’s arms. It took all of her strength not to scream. But the way she stiffened must have been a clue.

“Just hang on. It won’t take long.”

Whoever the man was, he was a person of his word. A few minutes later, she was placed on a blanket in the back seat of a car. She was covered with another light one before the door clicked closed. But instead of hearing a car start as she expected, the person helping her climbed into the front, disengaged the parking brake, and the car began to roll.

After what seemed like an eternity, the car stopped, and then the ignition turned over. She didn’t miss her rescuers' exhalation of relief before the car picked up speed.

“Let me get some distance between us and the compound, and then I will stop and try to make you more comfortable.

The irony of his statement struck her. She was in so much pain; the only way that would happen was if he could give her something to make it all go away.

Flashbacks of the beating she’d been on the wrong end of began to roll back in her mind. Ice had always had a bad temper, but something had set him off in a way she’d never experienced.

He’d entered the clubhouse and yelled for her. Realizing immediately that he was in a mood, she rushed over. Ice was always mean if you made him wait. It hadn’t done any good. The first punch landed before she’d come to a stop in front of him.

Even if others had been surprised, no one dared come to her rescue or get in the way. Not even when she’d fallen to the ground, and he’d kicked her.

Tears filled her eyes as she wondered how she’d sunk so low that this had become her life. How had she gotten mixed up with a man like Ice? The unfortunate thing was once she had, there’d been no escape.

She’d tried...

Even then, that beating hadn’t been as bad as this one.

“Just a little bit further. Okay?”

She tried to speak to indicate that she understood, but it came out as a grunt. Tears filled her eyes, and she squeezed them shut, allowing the moisture to escape and trail down her face. As she began to fade from consciousness, she made a vow to find out who her savior was if she survived.

She needed to thank him for being brave enough, the one thing she’d never been able to do. Get away from Ice.

This person was taking a considerable risk. Everyone knew you didn’t cross Ice and live to tell the tale. She prayed that both would have a different outcome than those who hadn’t.

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