Page 32 of Desire Him

CHAPTER TWELVE

“Get out of the car,” a deep voice rumbles. It sounds like it has a lisp, though, as if the man who is speaking is the one missing his teeth. He probably is. The bastard. He’s the one who took her; she’s sure of it.

After they were caught by the bathroom and Val was knocked out, she had woken in a car. Or a van. Or some kind of vehicle. She isn’t sure which because there’s a bag over her head. She can’t see a damn thing. She can only feel, and what she feels is leather beneath her ass. All she knows is two things: They clearly aren’t at the mall anymore, and Eme is beside her.

Eme called her name as soon as Val had woken with a groan, and the girls were both shushed, followed immediately by threats. They won’t let them talk to one another, so instead, Eme reaches for Val’s hand and squeezes it reassuringly. It didn’t help, but Val appreciates her friend trying to comfort her.

They had remained quiet for what felt like ages, even though it was only minutes until the car had come to a quick halt.

Val listens to the car’s engine shut off. She is terrified, to say the least. They’ve been kidnapped. Fucking kidnapped, and there’s not a damn thing they can do about it. At least, her arms aren’t tied. At least, she has control over her hands. Not that it’ll be any help here. There’s nothing either of them can do about this situation. Not in a car. Not surrounded by rogue shifters who have already overpowered them once. They’d do it again too, and it might not be so nice this time around.

A car door opens to her right, and a breeze gushes in to curl around Val’s neck. “Get out of the car. Now,” toothless says again.

Val turns her bagged head in that direction but doesn’t move. She’s too scared to. Moving would mean that they’re closer to whatever this is, and she doesn’t want to find out what this is.

She’s nudged in the leg by Eme’s knee. “Do as he says, Val.”

Releasing a shaky breath, Val listens to her alpha. She must have a plan, or maybe she doesn’t, and she’s just trying to keep Val safe. Either way, the feeling in the pit of Val’s stomach doesn’t go away as she shimmies her way out of the car. Her feet hit the pavement, and she stops, swiveling her head around in hopes that she can see something through the bag over her head. It’s pointless though. Everything is pitch black with it on.

Eme bumps into her back before a hand wraps around Val’s upper arm. “Let’s go,” toothless says. To someone else, he asks, “Where are we taking them?”

“Follow me,” another voice says.

They’re led away. Dragged is more like it. She hears a door open, is pulled through it, and a chill wraps around her from how damp and cold it feels in whatever building they just entered.

Their footsteps echo as they walk. She can tell the hallways are cramped because of the way everyone is walking, shoulders nearly bumping into each other with every step. The toothless guy leading her keeps his hand firmly on her arm, and when they stop and another door opens, Val flinches. She wasn’t expecting the high screech of the door hinges.

“Where are we?” she bravely asks.

No one answers her as they are led through this second door. They’re pulled forward, and he squeezes her arm tightly to stop her from continuing any farther. She hisses but comes to a halt. Her hair is pulled when the bag is roughly taken off her head.

She glances around blurry-eyed. They’re in a room that has one dimly-lit bulb dangling from the ceiling. There are two chairs underneath it, illuminating the worn and nicked wood.

“Sit,” toothless growls.

She turns around and takes a seat without further comment, shaking like a leaf. As she does, Eme is led to the seat next to hers, her face enraged. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” she hisses at them as their wrists are getting tied to the chair.

“Oh, darling, I think you have no idea who you are dealing with,” toothless growls.

“I demand to know why we are here,” she says.

“The boss man will be in soon,” he tells her, grinning as he ties both of their feet so they have no chance of walking out of here.

“Wonderful,” Eme grumbles.

“I wouldn’t be so smug, little alpha. This won’t be pleasant.” He taps her cheek, and she bites at him, but he moves his hand out of the way. He laughs as he walks back to the door, exits, and shuts it behind him.

“This is bad,” Val whispers, looking around the room again while Eme tugs on her ropes. The walls seem to be made of brick, a completely uncomfortable feeling. If they were real walls and painted a pretty hue, Val might feel better about their situation, but here, no one will be able to hear them even if they shout at the top of their lungs. They’re in a bad situation, and Val can see no way out of it.

“Are you alright?” Eme asks.

Val takes inventory of herself. Her head throbs where she was punched, and she’s terrified, but she doesn’t want to put any more stress on Eme by telling her those things. It’ll only make this situation worse. “Yes. Are you?”

Eme gives her a small nod. “Under the circumstances and all things considered, I’m fine.”

“What do we tell them?” Val whispers after a few moments of silence. They want something from them, and it’s definitely going to hurt. And it’s going to come with questions. Why else would they take them? They want to know something; Val is sure of it. The question is: What? And what length will they go to to have answers?

“We tell them nothing.”