AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He heard his name over the speakers. Arquin Enterprises had won the award for most progressive exploration company, another for best employer in mining and exploration. He hurried back inside and strode toward the podium. Any other time he would have been elated, but now he made his thank you speech in a daze, his mind elsewhere.
Afterward, the congratulations and handshakes became too much and he strode outside to make yet another call.
It went through to her message bank.
Her beautiful voice, “Hi you’ve reached Shona Dove, leave me a message…” made him want to bellow in frustration, but he managed to leave—yet another—tight, polite message.
Looking at his watch again, he scowled.
It was past nine pm and she still wasn’t answering.
All day. Not a message, nothing. His gut told him something was very wrong.
And Katrina was the only person he trusted to find out what.
He dialed her number, his fingers shaking.
“Hey bro. How’s the awards dinner going? How many did you get?”
“Two.” She began to congratulate him, but he cut her off. “Look Kat, I need you to check something out for me. It’s Shona. I can’t reach her on the phone.”
“Well, maybe she’s got a life other than waiting for the great Tor Arquin to call.” She laughed.
“You don’t get it. Something’s not right.”
The fierceness of his tone must have given Katrina pause. “What way?”
“Let’s just say sis, we left on very good terms. Warm and affectionate. I said I’d call her, from here. And not once has she answered, not even a message in return, nothing.”
“That does sound weird.” Katrina’s voice was unusually pensive.
Tor was nearly exploding out of his dress suit. Goddammit! He ripped off his bow tie and flung it aside. Took a deep breath, and a button pinged off his shirt just from inhaling.
Fuck!
“Please, Kat, can you go to her apartment?” He reeled off the address. “Check if she’s there? She lives above the office. I’ll get a flight back tonight, but if something—” He choked up, unable to speak.
“Sure, I’ll get Grayson to fly over. He’s closer, he’ll get there quicker, and I’ll hightail it over if there’s any problem.”
“Thanks, I owe you. Call me back asap, okay?”
“Absolutely. Leave it with me.” And she hung up.
“Get out,” Matteus snarled at the young goblin. Casting Shona an apologetic look in the mirror, Zoe put down the curling wand and scarpered.
Shona sat very still and pulled the dressing gown tightly around herself as Matteus prowled toward her. He laid his gloved hands on her shoulders, then smoothed them down her arms, and she had to consciously stop herself from shuddering. The reflection in the mirror showed only her, but she could see the slight indents where his fingers pressed her flesh. She straightened her spine. He would not bend her to his will like he’d done so often before. Back then, she was young and impressionable. This time, things would be different.
“Ah, you’ve found your dress, I see,” he purred. “I remember how proud you were of this design. What a wonderful time we had when we worked and played together. We will soon have that back.” In the mirror she saw a strand of her hair rise in the air, then felt a painful tug at her scalp. She refused to yelp, refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d caused her pain.
“What are you planning, Matteus?” she asked softly.
“A ceremony. To claim you. In a few hours you will put on your beautiful creation and join me for dinner and afterwards, we will become one in immortality… But first, I have some entertainment for you, my little dove. Come.”
He took her by the elbow and walked her over to a desk by the window. She frowned as she noticed a laptop set up.
“Sit,” he commanded. His fingers digging into her arm made it clear she had no choice but to obey. When she sat, he took a strap and tied her wrists to the chair behind her. For a moment she was tempted to struggle, to scream and kick, but she knew Matteus would find that exciting, titillating, like foreplay. It would only serve to make him more vicious later.
Oh gods, she needed to speak to Zoe again, but how?
