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Snarling at her abductor, she squeezed the bottle of water so hard that the thin plastic threatened to crack. Her last fight with Leo had been fraught with confusion and panic the night before her abduction. He had ended their long-term relationship abruptly with her, accusing her of lying and cheating. Her once adoring lover had switched on a dime, calling her a “whore” and “slut” among other vile things. Leo screamed that he had “proof” of her infidelity and that he never wanted to see her lying ass again. At the time she didn’t understand what the hell he was talking about, she had never cheated on him. Now, however, her confusion was starting to clear.

“You,”she hissed. “What thefuckdid you do?”

Furrowing his brow, Kade moved in closer. He hated to see her get so worked up over the loser. Didn’t she see that he did her a favor?

“Leo was no good for you...you deserve so much more,” he offered matter-of-factly.

“WHAT...what did youDO,”she asked again through gritted teeth.

Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he shook his head in warning. “Calm down, Sweetheart. You don’t want me to get the crop out again, do you?”

Resting the back of her head against the padded wall, Lexi swallowed a scream as she tried to settle her racing heartbeat. She could still feel the sting of the leather riding crop along herinner thighs from her last “punishment.” It was something she never wanted to experience again.

Play his game. Play his fucking game,she reminded herself. Closing her eyes for a moment, she centered her thoughts to suppress the rage bubbling to the surface.

“Please...please tell me?” she asked, slowly lifting her eyelids.

Happy with her change in behavior, Kade leaned his broad torso forward and placed his large hands on his knees. Feeling generous, he cleared his throat. He would tell her this story only once, she had better be listening.

“Good girl,” he began. “Well, I stopped by Leo’s office last Monday and caught him as he was leaving for lunch. He pretended like he knew me, even offered to buy me a coffee and catch up onold times.Can you fucking believe that? He’s such a bullshitting moron, you should be thanking me for freeing you of him, you really should! I mean, two years and no ring? He’s a fucking tool, he never loved you.”

Watching him in silent fury as he weaved his tale, her mind raced as she pieced together the ramblings spilling from his injured mouth. Her abductor was becoming more and more agitated with every word, which made her skin prickle in anticipation. They were two powder kegs on the verge of exploding, all it would take is one little spark.

“So, anyway, while we were having coffee, I told him that you and I had beenfuckingeach other senseless for the past six months. He didn’t believe me at first, I guess you should know that,” he continued, using his animated hands to help him tell the story. “He said that you weren’t that type of girl, that you were loyal and that you loved him. I told him that was a lie, thatyou loved me and wanted to be with me. He threatened to kick my ass, which I would have loved to see him try, but I didn’t want to cause a scene, so I showed him theproof--”

“Proof?Whatproof?” Lexi interrupted, confusion passing over her face.

“The pictures, of course,” Kade answered nonchalantly. “The ones I took while you were sleeping. I suppose it worked out in my favor that you don’t like to wear anything to bed, huh? I still can’t believe you didn’t feel me crawl in beside you. But now that I’ve thought about it, I know why you didn’t wake up. It’s because youbelongwith me. Your body knows it to be true. We are destined. Why else would you curl up next to me and let me take those pictures? Huh?”

Dropping her mouth open in shock, her blood ran ice cold. Within a split second, a high-pitched sound filled her ears, and red spots blurred the edges of her vision. His split mouth continued to move, but she was unable to hear his deep voice. She could only hear the tight shrill of rage. Somehow, he had managed to break into her apartment,climbinto her bed, and take pictures with her sleeping, naked body. Pictures that were shown to the love of her life under false pretenses. Pictures that had effectively sealed her fate.

He was right, Leo wouldn’t care that she was missing.No one would.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!” she screamed, awkwardly throwing the bottle of water at his head and lunging her tethered body at him.

Even with her ankles and wrists bound to metal chains anchored to the ceiling, she managed to land squarely on her abductor.Knocking his hard body down onto the black rubber pad covering the soundproofed cell, she released her pent-up fury. Spitting hateful phrases, she clawed at any bit of flesh her jagged fingernails could find. Her only goal in that moment was to tear his handsome face to shreds. If she had to be in pain, then so did he.

Thrashing his face from side to side, Kade let out a deep growl as her sharp nails raked across the flesh of his cheeks and neck. Letting his instincts take over, he grabbed her upper arms and flung her slim body from his towards the wall. Standing up quickly, he reached into the front pocket of his dark indigo jeans and removed a small key. Although the new wounds weren’t deep, they stung just enough to piss him off. Once again, she had made the wrong choice.

“DAMMIT, ALEXANDRIA” he spat, stomping his way towards her. “WHEN WILL YOU LEARN??”

Remaining still on her side, Lexi’s chest heaved as searing tears spilled from her eyes. She didn’t care what happened to her anymore. Leo was the only person who ever cared about her and now that lifeline had been severed. If he was going to kill her then so be it.

“I hate you! I FUCKING HATE YOU!” she screamed.

Kneeling beside his tempestuous love, Kade set to work freeing her limbs from the restraints. Pausing for a long moment after removing the last shackle, he looked over her beet red face. His anger was at a critical breaking point, she was lucky that he loved her so much. He wouldneverhave let the others talk to him like this.

Never.

“You need to calm down!” he ordered before yanking her into his arms and throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Flailing her arms wildly, she repeatedly punched her closed fists against his back as hard as she could. She wasn’t sure where he was taking her this time but wasn’t about to be the meek creature she had been the day before. Bucking over his broad shoulder, she tried her best to slam her knee into his chest but failed when she was stopped by a sharp slap stinging her backside.

“STOP!”he bellowed, giving her pert ass another smack for good measure. “Just stop! I’m not trying to hurt you!”

Thoroughly annoyed, he cleared the space from her cell to the bathroom at the opposite end of the bunker. Hissing out a command for the screaming hellcat to be still, he entered the tiny room. Pulling her from his shoulder, he set her legs gruffly down onto the cement floor and pointed to the corner shower stall. Leaning down, he whispered hotly in her ear.

“Get in now, Lexi!”

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