Page 51 of Securing His Obsession

Ivan had been so clever. How had he done it all? Damon supposed anyone could find anything out on the internet or by watching crime documentaries. There were even podcasts that broke down how crimes were committed these days. It made for a scary world. But this is what he and his friends did—worked to stop evil from touching as many people as possible.

“We’ve got a starting point, along with a rough time frame. We will find her,” Steve assured him.

Damon didn’t doubt it, but would they be too late?

Chapter

Twenty-Five

Margot’s head throbbed, and her mouth was drier than a piece of sandpaper. Blackness greeted her when she opened her eyes, and when she tried to lift her arms to remove whatever was covering her head, she found that they were bound together at her wrists. The same with her legs.

Panic flowed through her, and she writhed against the bindings, which only tightened them to the point of digging into her flesh.

Snippets of memories flashed through her mind like puzzle pieces that looked like they fitted together, but they didn’t.

She closed her eyes—there was no point keeping them open when she couldn’t see anything clearly—and took a couple of deep breaths, willing herself to calm down. Panicking wasn’t going to get her anywhere. The moment her heartrate settled down, the puzzle pieces slotted in together, and she remembered turning around and finding Ivan behind her. He’d grabbed her, saying something about going for a drive, and then there was nothing but blackness.

Margot concentrated on what was happening around her. There was no motion to suggest she was in a moving vehicle, so perhaps they hadn’t gone too far from her place. Which had to be a good thing. At least she hoped it was.

With her sight compromised by what was covering her head, her sense of hearing was ratcheting up. She made out what sounded like floorboards creaking. The soft tread of footfall, as if someone was pacing or walking in circles. The whisper of fabric as the person moved.

She wasn’t alone in the room. Was it Ivan or someone else? Given that Narelle’s co-worker had been associated with people that ran trafficking rings, it was possible that Ivan was like Camille.

“Ivan?” Her voice sounded meek and quiet. It wasn’t on purpose, but maybe if she acted all weak and docile, Ivan would be sympathetic toward her and release the bindings around her ankles and hands.

The footsteps paused, but then continued on, this time she thought she heard some mutterings as the person walked past.

“Ivan! Are you there?” she yelled, tossing away the idea of being a quiet church mouse. “This isn’t a good idea. If you let me go, I won’t say anything to anyone.”

Which was a total lie because, by now, Damon had to know that something was wrong and had gone to her unit to find her missing. The question was, would he find out how Ivan had gotten into her place? Margot had to believe that he would. That he would have the rest of the team by his side, and they would work together to find her.

The cloth was ripped off her head, and Ivan leaned down, his eyes wide and wild, as if he was high. “I know you lie, Margot. You’ve done it ever since we met. Saying you liked me, and then ghosting me. Saying you were going on holiday, and you weren’t. You were with him! He doesn’t deserve you, but I do. You’re staying with me forever.” He smashed his mouth to hers, and she sucked her lips in tight, and turned her head, not wanting to give him an inch.

This wasn’t the man she’d dated all those months ago. He was gone and perhaps had never really been there at all.

“That wasn’t very nice, Margie. You know you like kissing me.” Ivan grabbed her chin, and she had another opportunity to study him.

Was Ivan acting this way because of drugs, or was it something else? Or maybe it was a combination of both things? Whatever it was, she would have to adjust how she acted again. Maybe going back to the docile church mouse was a better play, and she could find out more information. Anything that would be helpful in finding out where they were and maybe making her own escape, instead of waiting for Damon and the others to come.

If they do come.

Margot banished that voice, because it didn’t belong in her mind. She wasn’t going to let fears and doubts crowd her thoughts.

She’d survived being kidnapped once before when she thought it wasn’t possible, she would survive this one, because she had so much more to live for. She had Damon. He loved her. And she loved him. No way was she going to give Ivan the satisfaction of thinking that he’d won, because the fight was just beginning.

“Why are you doing this Ivan? What do you hope to achieve?”

“Fulfilling our destiny. I knew the moment I moved next door and saw you, that you were meant to be mine. We had a great time on our dates, but I could see that you weren’t quite there yet, so I gave you the space you needed to find out that we belong together.”

As he spoke, his facial features softened, losing the meanness that had been prominent, so he looked more like a man deeply in love with her. The only thing that suggested things weren’t right was the way his pupils remained fully dilated. Now that she had a few seconds to really examine him, his eyes were glassy, a sure sign that he’d taken some sort of drug.

In a split second, his face hardened again, and he pushed her so that she fell back against the floor, hitting her head hard enough for her vision to cloud a little. She bit back a moan. No way was she going to show him he’d harmed her. “Then you had to go live with him. He doesn’t deserve you. He’s not good enough for you, and yet you sleep with him like a cheap slut.”

With an inner strength she didn’t know she possessed, she managed not to gasp out loud, or recoil from the venom spewing from him. She wanted to slap him. Kick him. Tell him she was far from being a slut, but it wouldn’t achieve anything, and it wasn’t as if she could do those things either, not with being trussed up like a rug and her head still hurting.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking. Damon isn’t anything like you.” The lie sat awfully on her tongue, but if it calmed Ivan down, then it was worth it. The only thing was, did he believe her?

“He isn’t. You deserve someone who will treat you like a princess. Like you’re the most precious thing in the world. And that’s me, my sweet Margie.” He ran his fingers down her arm, and she tensed her body so she didn’t flinch from the touch.