Taken, Kissed, and Loved [FREE and COMPLETED]

Chapter 13

Christina laid on the bed, trying to gather her thoughts. Not very successfully. "What the hell are you doing" seemed to be the prevalent thought. What was she doing was getting the best orgasms of her life. Also quite possibly the last orgasms of her life. Did she seriously pull a knife at him? Her mind was making the screaming face again. He was so quiet now. A few days ago you made him angry just by saying a few words. How the hell did you think he would react to this? He is probably furious and thinking about all the possible ways to torture the s**t out of you. Christina shivered and curled up, sitting on the bed and hugging her knees.

David heard her move and turned around to look at her. He didn’t seem angry, which was either really good or really bad. She clearly remembered how he joked with her and smiled just before he grabbed the belt and spanked her. His head tilted to the side, but he remained silent.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Are you mad?” A stupid question, of course he was, she just wanted to find out how much.

He raised an eyebrow. “Do I look mad?” He pulled himself onto the bed, his eyes watching her like a predator watching its prey.

Christina shook her head. No, he didn’t look mad. He looked absolutely gorgeous. She realized even after everything that happened between them, she still hasn’t seen him shirtless, let alone completely naked. Aside from that certain part of his body, of course. But at this moment she was more interested in his hands. Is he going to grab her and start inflicting pain?

Her eyes went down, trying to avoid his intense look. She noticed the knife laying next to her on the crumpled sheet. Why did she even pick it up? It was so stupid, she knew she could never overpower him, special training or not - he was so much stronger than her. And even if she could, then what? Would she… kill him? No. Christina didn’t think she had it in her to kill anyone, let alone him. Taking the knife was an instinct, an immediate idea she didn’t think through until it was too late. And then she was too terrified to stop. The fact that he played her dumb game surprised her, she expected to end up tied up and beaten. Which might still be on the table.

He crept up closer and reached towards her. Christina flinched but he just put one finger under her chin, lifting it up. “What are you thinking about?” he asked softly. She glanced at the knife and he followed her gaze. “Yea. I think I’ll take that.” He grabbed it, pushed the blade inside the handle, and tossed it across the room, directly into the big bag on the floor. “Score!” he chuckled. “Is that why you thought I was mad? You think it’s the first time someone pulled a knife at me? It actually happens a lot more than you’d think.”

Christina looked up and studied his face, allowing herself a little bit of hope. He didn’t remind her of the angry man who kidnapped her, in fact, he seemed like a completely different person. More like the David Parker that got photographed laughing happily with Laura Denning. “So, does your training cover giving oral s*x to ‘the assailant’?” She sniffled, tears kept filling her eyes for some reason.

“Uuh, not really. They do teach survival at all costs though, I guess you could fit it under that.” David scratched his chin, pretending to think about it. “I would gladly continue if you are interested but I think we could take a break.” As if waiting for a cue, Christina’s stomach rumbled loudly, reminding her that she had only eaten a piece of a blueberry muffin. “Exactly. I’ll be right back.” He gave her a brief smile and got up. “Oh, and this is for you,” he mentioned casually as he passed by the bag. “If you still want it.”

She didn’t move for a few moments, thinking about his smile. A real smile, not a sarcastic or ironic smirk she had seen earlier. He really did seem like a different person. How long will it last before he turns back into the furious and violent guy who kidnapped you?

A sigh escaped her lips. There was nothing she could do about it anyway so why not just enjoy it while it lasts. Plus, she was here for a reason, no matter how much she tried to avoid thinking about it. Right, a reason. Was that reason digging up dirt on your father or f*****g this asshole who kidnapped you? Because neither of those seems really good. "I’m not throwing away my life and everything I’ve built just for two stupid girls." That’s what her father said in the video. She needed to find out how the person who read her bedtime stories and brought her a special soup when she was sick could talk about her in that way.

She pulled her panties back on, not bothering with the jeans. She had a feeling they wouldn’t stay on for long anyway. The bag was full of files, real paper files with printed-out documents and photographs just like they had in the crime-solving TV shows. Christina pulled one out and browsed through it, sitting cross-legged on the soft carpet. There was a lot more than the three cases mentioned in the ransom note. Threats, blackmailing, people rapidly changing their opinions after disappearing for a few hours. All to the benefit of Anderson Holding. All coincidental, no real proof of anything, but put together like that it looked at least suspicious.

The Denning file was one of the thicker ones, containing images from the car crash, police reports, expert statements. All agreeing that it was a horrible accident - the car flew off the road, rolling over several times. All three people inside died during the crash. No sign of anything suspicious. One of the images of Laura Denning in the file was different - not a professional photo from an official occasion but rather a quick snapshot, showing her in comfortable leggings and an oversized paint-stained shirt. She was looking at the person taking the photo with a warm loving smile.

Christina extended her hand, wanting to grab the picture and take a closer look, but stopped when she heard David breathe in sharply through his nose. He must have returned while she was reading, too distracted to notice him.

“Don’t touch that one. Please.” His voice sounded strangled.

She pulled her hand back, looking up at him. At first, she thought it was anger twisting his face but then she finally put all the pieces together. It wasn’t anger, it was pain. “You loved her,” she whispered. Of course he did. That explained everything. Well, everything except why he blamed her father for Laura’s death.

David sighed and sat down next to her, carefully picking up the picture. “She loved to paint even though she always said how horrible her images were. We were dating for weeks, but only her parents knew about it. She wanted to protect us from journalists and such.”

Christina nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. It was hard meeting someone new when there could be a sleazy guy with a telescopic lens behind every tree. And the next day you and your new acquaintance would find detailed pictures of your first kiss in the press. Did she use tongue? Was that his hand on her butt? Read more on page 6!

“I’m sorry.” And she was. Strange seeing him like this, sad and vulnerable. Christina knew she had to be really careful about what she said next. If she angered him again, he would most likely lash out against the closest target available. Which was her. “But this all…,” her fingers swept through the papers, “...says that it was an accident. How…” She stopped talking when he turned to her.

“How do I know it was your father’s fault?” A disgusted smirk twisted his face. “This one is really simple. I was in that car. We got pushed out of the road by a black sedan. I was the only one that survived. When I climbed out to call for help, well, see for yourself.” He pulled off his shirt, revealing a muscular chest with several scars. His finger pointed to a round one on the left side of his ribcage. “Roman Grigorievich put a bullet through me right on the spot. Lucky for me, he is a terrible shot. Also lucky for me, Albert’s car had that automated call for help system which detected the accident and immediately summoned a rescue party. Grigorievich and his goons had to disappear, hoping I was dead. I was hoping I was dead,” he added quietly. “But…”

“Survival at all costs?” she finished and he nodded.

“Revenge is a strong motivator.”

This is all very nice, but none of it proves anything. Except it did. Grigorievich was her father’s man, a dog kept on a very short leash. He would never go and do something like that without Peter’s blessing. Do you seriously believe that your dad is some kind of a criminal mastermind? A crime lord not hesitating to kill or kidnap people? Christina hid her face in her hands, feeling like those thoughts are going to tear her apart.

The situation was interrupted by a phone ringing. “Sorry.” David jumped up and pulled his shirt back on. What a shame. “Be right back.”

When he left the room, Christina’s breath got heavier and a panic attack caught her completely unprepared. This couldn’t be true. Was every moment of her life fake? Her brain randomly jumped between memories from her childhood, carefully examining them, scrutinizing every word her father said. Each smile suddenly seemed fake or ironic, each word a lie. Her life was falling apart, shattered into thousands of little pieces, and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. It felt as if she never even existed, nothing was real anymore.

She couldn’t take it any longer, jumped up, and sprinted towards the bathroom door, not sure if she was not going to throw up.