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I tear my thoughts away from honing in on my emotional distress and foolishly begin the denial process, starting with entertaining my mind with make-believe fantasies of escape. Then, I think of the man who was able to wrap me in his illusion of safety with his caring concern—fake or not—while existing in this hostile environment. I close my eyes, willing myself to fall asleep.
I’ve never experienced an adrenaline-rushing, heart-palpitating reaction over the mere sight of a man before. That thought alone has me concerned for my own sanity. I’d felt as if I was being helplessly pulled into a rip tide, its current sweeping me toward a man who is one of my captors. I’ve only had one man in my life romantically, and I can honestly say I never felt that heavy pull when I was with Adam. I’m confused; it was only last night I was in dire straits over Adam, and now my thoughts are in a fist fight, warring over the fact I shouldn’t be this enthralled by Travis. The thing is, I believe he felt the unspoken attraction too, and I have no reasonable explanation as to why.
CHAPTER EIGHT
~Travis~
Entering the code to gain access to the underground parking lot, I think about all the precautionary measures we’ve taken with security and technology to be able to hide in plain sight. No one would ever guess in a million years this type of cutting-edge science and debauchery was going on in the basement of one of the most prestigious hotels in Atlanta. We have surveillance cameras spread out three-blocks wide surrounding the facility. Either coming or going, there is no way in Hell our fortress can be compromised. Anyone who comes within fifty feet of this building is automatically scanned into our computer system and identified.
The iron gates open up before me, and I drive down into the damp, dark parking lot. I park and dismount my Ducati Monster, and remove my helmet, I leaving it on the seat. No one will bother my shit here. Everything we need to be a self-sustaining operation is here—labs, clinic, cafeteria, exercise rooms, offices, and sleeping quarters. The sleeping quarters are not only for certain staff, but also just in case one of us needs to pull an all-nighter.
Walking up to the metal entrance doors of the facility, I have to punch in a code and swipe my hand over the sensor in order to gain access. I enter the building and make my way to Nick’s office. We have some serious shit to discuss this morning.
When I left her room last night, I was feeling myself melt in front of her, practically becoming a puddle of drool. Everything about her was beginning to affect me. Even battered and bruised, she was beautiful. I could tell she was affected by my close proximity, as well, just by the way she stared at me and the shy gestures she displayed. By the end of the evening, I had her eating out of my hand…literally. When I held her in my arms, she felt so damn right, and I can’t afford to feel things like that.
Aside from her beauty, her strength draws me in like a magnet. It’s hard to believe she had two full-grown men howling in pain during her capture. She seems so fragile on the outside, when in reality, she’s a spunky little shit. When I went into the clinic this afternoon, the nurse was changing out both of the men’s bandages. One of them needed twenty stitches on one hand alone. I smirk at the thought. I would’ve paid to see that…serves him right. They had strict orders not to rough her up; they should have been more prepared. I believe they will howl again once Nick gets ahold of them. I need to keep my eye on this girl, that’s for damn sure.
I can only imagine from her petite body frame that her body is pure sin. Thank God, her body was hiding underneath the blanket. I had a hard enough time sitting next her, holding her, and feeding her. I’ve never gotten such intense urges of desire before, but damn if she didn’t stir something deep inside me.
I’ve also never taken stock in a female’s roller coaster of emotions before. It’s my job to deal with that shit day in and day out, and quite frankly, I don’t even hear half the shit they say anymore. Hell, even when they’re not in captivity, they still send men on a wild fucking goose chase, confusing the hell out of every male on the planet. But Julianna? For some reason, seeing her trembling in pure fear pissed me off. The shock and anxiety wracking her body almost sent me overboard. She literally screams innocence, and the way Nick clambered all over her was a total dick move. It took every trick I had to calm her down.
