Illusion (Swept Away #1)(9)
Author: J.S. Cooper

“What’s your name?” I whispered against the man’s shoulder. “I feel like we should at least know each other’s names, now that we’re being intimate.” I attempted a joke and groaned inwardly as I heard how stupid I sounded.

“Intimate?” He sounded surprised.

“Intimate doesn’t mean sex, you know.” I was irritated again. “We are crowded together in a small space. Your arms are around me. My body is pressed against yours. We’re being intimate.” I bit my lower lip after I spoke. Shut up, Bianca.

“Trust me. I know.” He groaned and shifted, and I could feel something hard pressing against my stomach. Oh boy.

I stilled as I realized what it was. I swallowed quickly as my body reacted swiftly, my skin heating up and my stomach churning. Part of me was delighted that he was excited by me. The other part was disgusted and made me want to slap myself and him. Rationally, I knew that his member was reacting to our being in such close quarters in the only way it knew how.

“Jakob,” he said gruffly, and I turned my face up to his.

“What?” I whispered, then pulled back quickly as my lips lightly grazed his. “I didn’t realize we were so close.” My heart was beating fast now, and my tongue darted out and gently licked my lips.

“My name is Jakob,” he whispered again, and I could hear a hint of humor in his tone.

“I’m Bianca.”

“Nice to meet you, Bianca. It’s a pity it had to be in such circumstances.” He tried to shift again, and in doing so, my head slipped from his arm, bumping into the floor.

“Ow!” I cried out loudly and instinctively.

“Shh.” His hand flew to my mouth, but it was too late. The vehicle stopped abruptly, and I heard doors slamming. He kept his fingers pressed against my lips, and his skin felt slightly rough against my lips. My body stilled as I lay there, and I resisted the urge to reach out and bite his fingers.

The waiting was the hardest part. It felt like hours went by as we lay there in the silence, only the sounds of our breathing letting us know we were both still alive. Then I heard the sound of footsteps and wished that I were still in that unknown void. My body tensed up and then started shaking in fear.

“It’s okay, Bianca. It’s okay.” Jakob’s voice sounded worried, and in that moment I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. I found myself wanting to trust him, even though my brain was screaming at me to trust no one.

There was a loud banging above us, and I looked upward, wanting to see what was going to happen next, even if that meant coming face-to-face with death. I swallowed hard with fear but kept my eyes peeled upward.

“So you’re awake?” a deep, menacing voice yelled at us as the trunk opened. A stocky man stood there, his deep blue eyes cold as they stared directly into mine. He had on a ski mask, and all I could think was that his lips looked odd.

I’d always thought that lips were the most sensuous and sexy part of the face, but now I realized that they were sexy only when seen with other parts. Lips by themselves were not sexy at all. I started giggling hysterically as I stared at his mouth.

“What the fuck?” The man glared at me as if I were crazy. “You think that’s funny?”

“No . . .” I swallowed again, wanting to throw up. My hand moved to my face to stifle my laughter as fear overtook me. It was then that I felt Jakob move behind me.

“Let us out.” His voice was demanding as he tried to get out of the trunk.

“Stay still.” The man pushed Jakob back into the trunk with such force that I heard him hit the back of the trunk hard. His hand fell down on my hip as he fell back, and I jumped slightly.

“Sorry,” he whispered as he fell back.

I nodded my understanding. I was too scared to talk or even turn to see if he was okay.

“Let us out,” Jakob demanded again, this time less forcefully.

“We sure will.” The man grimaced. “Hey, Billy. Hurry up.”

“I’m coming!” another voice called back to him. “I’m just getting the shots ready.”

“What shots?” I screeched, and attempted to straighten my legs.

“Don’t move, lady.” The man pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. “Make one more move, and you’re dead.”

Jakob spoke up. “Is that really necessary?”

“Is that necessary?” the man echoed mockingly, then laughed evilly. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re enjoying this too much,” Jakob continued, his voice harsh. “Have some humanity. You’ve got a scared woman in front of you.”

“Be quiet.” The man stood there and stared at us for a second before continuing. “When my boss gave me this job, I was delighted. I don’t get enough fun in my life.”

“You’re sick.” Jakob’s arms circled my waist to calm me as we lay there. “You’re very sick.”

“I listen to my boss’s orders. If anyone’s sick, it’s him.” The man shrugged.

I stared at his fingers on the gun. They were short and grubby, and his nails were full of dark grease. I wondered if I should attempt to knock the gun out of his grasp, but I knew it was unlikely that I’d succeed.

“Okay, where are they?” The other man approached the man with the gun. He looked young—younger than I imagined. And he didn’t have on a mask.

I tried to take a mental photograph of his young, handsome face. He had light brown hair and brown eyes. He was dressed nicely in khaki pants and a white shirt. He looked to be the complete antithesis to the scruffy man in front of us.

“Billy, go put your mask on!” the first guy shouted.

“Oh, yeah.” The other guy looked at me for a second, and I could see fear and concern in his eyes. I had a feeling he knew now that I’d be able to identify him if I ever got the chance.

“What an idiot,” Jakob whispered in my ear, and I nodded in agreement. “Should we try to make a run for it?” His fingers gripped my waist tightly.

His body tensed behind mine, and I knew that he was just as anxious as I was. For some reason, it made me feel more connected to him. He was no longer just the strange man I’d been sharing the back of a car trunk with. He was no longer someone I believed to be involved in the kidnapping. I could tell from the fear in his voice and the slight trembling of his muscular body that this man, this Jakob, was a fellow kidnapping victim. He was someone like me, who was worried for his life. I could hear it in his voice. He was anxious but also angry.