Taken, Kissed, and Loved [FREE and COMPLETED]

Chapter 24

Christina desperately hoped to wake up from this nightmare. One second everything was perfect, and then… Glass shattering, gunshots, armed people everywhere. Then something exploded and she was left totally blind, deaf, and disoriented. Strong hands grabbed her, at first she thought it was David, but as her sight slowly returned she realized it was one of the men that attacked them. She struggled, terrified, trying to see what happened to David, but they just pushed her on the ground, tied her up, and blindfolded her. If it wasn’t so horrifying it would be ironic.

For a long time, she was in the dark, trembling in fear. They brought her to a car, drove for a while, and then pushed her around some hallways. Her hands were tied in front of her, but when she tried to use them to remove the blindfold, somebody grabbed and held her arms until she stopped struggling. Finally, she was left alone in a locked room, curled up on the cold concrete floor.

WHAT DID YOU DO?! A voice in her head kept screaming at her the whole time. Adam was right. She f****d up. Hard. She had no idea how, no idea what happened but knew for sure it was her fault. And David? Did they kill him? There was some gunfire, but as far as she could see it was him holding the gun and shooting the other men. But he lost. Yes, how could he win? You brought an entire army to him!

She sniffled quietly, feeling just as scared and useless as she felt during the fight. All she managed to do was cover in fear curled up in a corner while David tried to fight them off. She could have tried to help him, to pick up a gun. Christina had never touched one before, but how hard could it be? But you did nothing but tremble in fear. Coward. You still think he could feel anything for you? Contempt? Disgust? Anger? Hate? If you could just stay away from him, as any sane person would, he wouldn’t be in this s**t now. Or… Don’t say it. ...dead.

When Grigorievich came for her and led her through the hallway, all she could manage was to hold back the tears. He couldn’t be dead. When the head of security pushed her through the door to the cell, there was a split second of relief. David was alive. But the moment passed and she realized the whole situation, succumbing deeper into despair. The man that looked like her father screamed at her and even hit her, something her dad would never do. Just wake up and face the reality already. This IS your father. But how could someone who raised her, who she looked up to, just stand there threatening to torture a man to death while she watched?

Somebody opened the door and called her father away in an urgent matter. Peter Anderson snapped at him at first but, after a short debate, he attached the rope on her wrists to a metal loop conveniently sticking out of the floor and left the room, angrily smashing the door behind him. She could no longer hold back the tears.

“Christina.” David’s voice was quiet but sounded urgent.

She was too ashamed to even look at him. “I… I’m so… sorry.”

“Christina, please look at me.” There was no trace of anger in his words and her eyes rose up to meet his intense stare. “This is not your fault, alright?” What the hell was he talking about? Of course this was her fault. He knew it just as well as she did. “Listen to me. I’m gonna die here.” His blunt admitting the truth shook her and she burst into tears again. STOP IT! You useless piece of s**t, crying is not going to help anyone! “But you don’t have to. Listen. No matter what happens, you are going to agree with everything he says. You are going to obey every command he gives you, no matter what he orders you to do.”

Her head shook in a silent protest. She knew what he meant by those words, she knew damn well now that her father was capable of forcing her to hurt David. She also knew that she would never be able to do that. “I can’t,” she whispered.

“Of course you can. I kidnapped you, hurt you. Raped you. You are scared of me. I’m not a good guy, Christina.” There was despair and urgency in his words. “And I need you to remember that right now. Please, remember what I told you about my training.”

She remembered. Survival at all costs. But what point was there in surviving if David was dead? Then do something about it! Stop being a useless whining child! Before she had time to think about it or say anything, her father returned with a smug smile on his face.

“Mister Parker. I’m sorry to inform you that the ruin you used as a base of operation just exploded and collapsed, with all of your associates inside,” Anderson said. David’s jaw clenched but he didn’t respond. Christina gasped for air. Adam, Shannon? All of David’s friends? Oh my god. “It looks like it’s just you and me now,” her father continued, turning to Christina and poking her ribs with his super expensive leather shoe. “Oh, right, and this seed of mine that her mother should have swallowed instead.”

What the f**k did he just say about her? A spike of anger managed to pierce through the thick layer of horror and despair clouding her mind. She was just about to open her mouth to snap at him, but the same voice that called her to action before stopped her now. Wait! Just wait. You want to fight? Good. But words won’t hurt him and you can’t do anything while tied to the ground. “Dad, please.” It wasn’t hard to pretend to be sobbing and sniffling. He thinks you are weak, let him think that. He’ll give you an opportunity. Yes, but will David be still alive by then?

Peter Anderson scoffed and spat at her, then went back to ignoring her completely, walking to a table in the back of the room. “Although come to think of it,” he spoke up so they could hear him clearly, “she didn’t swallow anyway. She was a bit of a prude when it came to s*x. I think you know what I mean.” He returned in front of David, holding some oval metallic object.

Christina clenched her fists. It was one thing when he insulted her, but talking about her mother that way? Just wait. Hold on to that anger, you are going to need it. David didn’t respond either, but his breathing got heavier looking at the thing her father was holding.

“Ah, you are curious too, aren’t you? I mean I’ve only ever used it for flamed cooking, but I’ve always wondered what it would do to human skin.” Anderson waved his hand and Christina could finally see that he was holding a small blowtorch. She screamed out and struggled against the rope. “Shut up.” Her father didn’t even look at her, started the torch, and brought it near David’s chest. “Don’t worry, I’ll get to the more ‘fun’ areas later.”

Christina saw David’s eyes close and his lips shut tight, but when his face twisted in agony she looked away, unable to watch. His sharp scream pierced through the room seconds later, mixed up with her wailing and sobbing. “PLEASE STOP!” she yelled at her father but he ignored her and continued until a big letter A was written over the left side of David’s chest in deep black burns. David was quiet, his eyes still closed, his breath quick and heavy.

“Now you know who your life belongs to.” Peter Anderson smiled, apparently satisfied with his work. Christina flinched upon seeing his eyes. He was enjoying it, the pain, the screams, her tears. He was insane. That only makes him more dangerous.

“Ah, daughter. Come here, it’s time you participated in the family business. Right, you can’t.” He quickly released the rope holding her down. Her hands were still tied, but at least she could get up and move now. “Here.” His arm extended towards her, the blowtorch in his hand. “You were always hopeless in the kitchen, but even such a clod as you can handle this.”

“No,” she shook her head and sniffled, “please.” She glanced at David who was staring at her, nodding softly. Giving her permission to hurt him, as if she could ever do that.