Captured and Kept: A Dark Reverse Harem Romance Page 6

  Snapping her head, she issued a rather loud moan, her mind foggy. Darkness surrounded her, night sounds creating scattered echoes, her skin crawling. She must have fallen asleep. She reached for her duffle, scanning the perimeter as she searched for her flashlight. As soon as she flicked the switch, she could swear the light beam captured a set of glowing eyes. Scrambling to get to her feet, she hoisted her bags, trying to get her bearings.

  Given the single growl permeating the forest, the eyes must be real and attached to one ferocious creature. She took off running, managing to avoid tripping as she rushed headlong out of the forest. This was by far the dumbest thing she’d ever done. She heard the distinct cry of a wounded beast following closely on her heels. Her legs were pumping, her heart racing and she became a super woman as the adrenaline kicked in. This creature wasn’t going to take her without a fight. She zigged and zagged, darting in and out of trees.

  Snarls and growls mixed with her ragged breathing and she flashed the light in a full arc, trying to make out anything that would keep her safe. Suddenly, she was able to see a warm glow in the distance. Was this real or a figment of her overworked imagination? At this point, she didn’t give a shit. Maybe a campsite, a few people. A fire to keep the monsters away. Anything.

  Please, God.

  She picked up speed and the closer she came the more she was certain there was some sort of a building up ahead. Her will to live took over and she began screaming, not caring how the creature reacted. “Help me!” Another snarl and a sharp look over her shoulder, along with a single beam of the light, and the true horror of her situation kicked in.

  A motherfucking bear. A wounded motherfucking bear.

  “Help. Me!” Tossing her things, she ran in full force, heading straight for the building. She was going to make it. Yes, she was going to find safety. Relief flooded through her as she was able to make out more than one structure. She was still alive, and she was going to be saved. Nearing the smaller building, she jumped forward and when she landed, her feet were ripped out from her and she skidded several yards, screaming the entire time. When she came to a stop, her blood chilled.

  She wasn’t going to make it. Covering her head, she said a prayer, promising that she’d do anything, and she did mean anything, if she could get out of this alive.

  Pop! Pop!

  Hearing the obvious gunfire, she jerked her head in the direction of the sound. Illuminated in the most beautiful light she’d ever seem, a warm amber hue both comforting and freeing, she saw four men. The four cavemen to be exact. Two magical things happened simultaneously. One, the rabid beast, the horrible bear who’d been chasing her fell dead only feet away. And two, she heard a whooshing sound a split second before her body was yanked several feet into the air. Her scream was no doubt heard for miles.

  When she was able to control her shaking to some degree, she opened her eyes. She was surrounded by a net and was swinging from a very large tree. Staring at her from down below? The same four men, two with guns in their hands. She gasped, calming her nerves, yet every cell in her body was on fire.

  The men walked closer, one prodding at the bear. The three others stood underneath her and from what she could tell, their expressions were blank. After a few seconds of silence, a chill unlike anything she’d experienced before encapsulated not only her body, but her mind as well.

  They hadn’t been hunting wild animals. They’d been hunting humans. Oh. Dear. God. She adjusted her position, both hands yanking at the netting. The rope was firm and thick. There was no way she was getting out of this by herself. “Um, hello. Thank you for saving me.”

  Silence.

  “Do you mind letting me down? I’d really appreciate it.”

  Crickets were the only noise.

  Swallowing, she ran her trembling hand through her hair before attempting to stretch the rope. “My name is Danielle Carver, Dani for short. I mean my friends call me Dani. You can call me anything. I was just hiking, well, camping really and I don’t know what happened. The bear just starting chasing after me. I saw your light and...” She was babbling like some petrified little girl. Perfect. “So, can you help me down?”

  One of the men leaned over, grabbing the bear by the front legs, dragging it off into the shadows. There was something even more terrifying by the action, as if they were making a place for her dead body. No, this was ridiculous. They weren’t going to kill her. If they’d wanted to, they would have allowed the bear to do the dirty work.

  The blond from before stepped closer, lowering his rifle. He peered at her, cocking his head twice, remaining quiet.

  “You remember me, right? I saw you at the store a couple months ago? You know, in Baker City?” Dani was as uncomfortable as hell, her body twitching from the cramped position, her muscles begging for release. She had multiple cuts and no doubt bruises forming. “Please? Guys?”

  Another one of them walked away, following the man with the bear, but the two who remained studied her as if she was... Prey. Great job, Dani. You’re the biggest dumbass of the year. Her little voice was getting ripped out of her head with a spoon. Another few seconds of total silence and a hint of anger replaced her fear. “Hey. Come on. Let me down. You can’t keep me up here.”

  If she didn’t know better, she’d say the even larger, more rugged-looking man had chuckled. Asshole. Who the hell did they think they were for doing this? She held her breath, switching positions again then something deep within her broke free. “Listen. I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but you will let me down. Right. Now. Do you fucking hear me?”

  The blond now appeared amused as he moved until he was almost right under her. Was the man licking his chops? How. Fucking. Dare. The Asshole. She’d had enough. “Let me down right this instant or you will pay dearly. I’ll make certain you never see the light of day again!”

  The two who’d sauntered away returned, giving her a single glance before walking toward the cabin. They were not leaving her like this. There could be no freaking way.

  “Hey, assholes. I’m talking to you. Get me down. Now!” Her bad mood and nasty mouth didn’t seem to be getting her anywhere.

  The first two disappeared inside, inside the warm and comfortable, posh and safe cabin that no doubt had a roaring fire and plenty of food. When the third followed, she whimpered, trying desperately to get to her knees. Only the rugged, dangerous, and ultra-sexy blond remained. Her last hope. “Please. I’ll do anything you want. Anything. Just let me down. I’ll be a good little girl, follow your orders, doing anything you command. Really. I promise. I can be good. And if I’m not, you can punish me.” Oh, my God. She’d just made a promise that... She had difficulty swallowing, her stomach churning.

  He tipped his head, his eyes somehow shimmering in the darkness, then took long strides into the cabin, shutting the door. She was for all practical purposes their prisoner.

  And she had a distinct impression of exactly what they were going to do.

  Chapter Four

  “You really going to keep her up there all night?” Wolf asked, throwing Cane an amused look.

  A good little girl. If not, you can punish me.

  Hell, Danger remained hard as a rock. If the girl only knew what she’d promised. He grabbed his glass of whiskey and headed for the window, able to observe their prize with ease. He doubted she had any idea how to be obedient. Still, her offer was intriguing. “My current plan. She needs to learn a hard lesson.” He glanced at the others about ready to feed their faces. Meanwhile, they’d ceremoniously captured a woman. Correction, one feisty and opinionated woman. She needed more than just a firm hand to her backside for her ridiculous actions.

  “The man really did fall hard for the pretty blonde,” Bronco teased as he grabbed a plate of food and a beer from the counter. “Can’t say I blame him though.”

  “Handful.” Wolf walked toward the kitchen.

  “Yeah, she sure has a mouth on her. If she were my girlfriend, I’d wash her mouth out w
ith soap.” Cane pulled a beer from the refrigerator before staring down at the stove. “Danger needs to cook more often. Haven’t had spaghetti in years.”

  “Damn good shit, too,” Bronco offered. “If she were mine, the spanking first and with my belt. Then the mouth wash. Then the hard fucking. What the hell did she think she was doing trying to outrun a bear?”

  “She has some agenda,” Danger said quietly, the almost full moon shining down over the netting. Dani. The name resonated on his tongue as he whispered the two syllables. Sexy. Suited her.

  “Why, ‘cause she managed to trail us?” Wolf snorted.

  “No ID.” Danger eased away from the window, trying to figure out how best to handle this. “The weapon she’s carrying. The fact she’d been pretty much on our tail.”

  “Huh. You’ve been checking her out,” Cane said, a grin popping on his face.

  “You know how Danger is. She did at least tell us her name,” Bronco suggested.

  “Doesn’t mean jack shit. I have five fake names, passports to prove them.” Cane looked from one to the other before yanking a plate from the cabinet.

  The others glared at him, Wolf finally laughing. “Yeah, one dangerous dude. Seriously, what are you doing with her?”

  “The question is, what are we doing with her,” Bronco stated, his tone dominating.

  “I can think of about thirty things,” Cane said quietly. “All of them filthy.”

  “She did offer to do anything if we let her down. Anything.” Danger over-enunciated the last word, cognizant that if he set these wild beasts free, there could be serious consequences. Still, he was prepared to face them. He sure as shit couldn’t keep her as his private pet.

  “Then accept her offer. There’s plenty a sexy slave can do around here. Keep the cabin and our clothes clean, cook our food, and service us at night.” Bronco lifted his beer, his eyes shining with lust from the thought.

  “Perfectly Neanderthal of you,” Wolf stated, shaking his head.

  “Why the hell not? We saved her life. She owes us.” For some reason, Cane’s logical thinking seemed realistic.

  “Man has a good point,” Bronco finally said. “However, if she’s here with an agenda, then we need to find out what. Who is she working for? Does she have an accomplice? Is anyone following her or expecting her to check in? We can’t just let her go. We’re too far along with too much to lose.”

  Cane nodded several times. “He’s right. We need to interrogate her. Wolf can handle that. Find out if she’s lying.”

  “Yeah, happy to. I’ll know.” Wolf narrowed his eyes. “I know exactly how to break her.”

  Danger shook his head, taking a gulp of his whiskey.

  “Good plan,” Bronco added.

  Wolf slumped down onto the couch. “Then we vote on it.”

  Danger heard the bantering, the way they talked about her as if she was simply a toy. “She gets a choice: come clean or remain our prisoner until we’re finished with the project.” His voice was loud, booming over the others.

  Silence fell, only the sound of forks hitting plates.

  “And the tribe has spoken,” Cane muttered.

  “Man’s right.” Wolf lifted his drink. “I think we have our decision. Still, even if she comes clean, doesn’t mean we can let her go.”

  As the others toasted, Danger moved toward the kitchen, refilling his glass. His mouth watered at the possibilities, his desire off the rails. Wolf was right again. The woman had gone out of her way to find them. She might just get more than she bargained for.

  “Well, I for one am beat. Gonna finish this and go to bed,” Wolf stated, a forkful of food poised at his mouth.

  “So, she stays all night in the trap?” Bronco locked eyes with Danger.

  “At least for a few hours. She’s safe. I think she needs to understand her place.” Danger walked back toward the window. “I’ll bring her inside when it’s time.”

  “As long as you know what you’re doing, buddy.” Cane placed his items on the counter, giving them all a look. “I will say this. Be careful what you say around her. Make your conversations minimal, especially since we’re not certain what she might be hiding.”

  “Or ready to share,” Wolf added.

  “Good point, but talking really isn’t needed.” Bronco growled for effect.

  Danger could feel the heat of their curious glances trying to dig their way into his mind. He didn’t feel guilty. In fact, he trusted his instinct about her. She’d wanted to find them for more than one reason, including her own burning desire. This could be exactly what all of them needed.

  * * *

  Dani was fed up, cranky as fuck, and she had to pee. Bad. She sensed that they were watching her, that he was watching her. The bastard. The brawny he-man who thought he was something special. What right did he think he had? He’s going to punish you, fuck you, and feast on you. They all are. That was insane. That was... wild. Oh, no. That was terrible. Shameful. How dare he think he could so something like that? She would refuse. She would put up a fight!

  She would scratch out his eyes if he tried.

  Asshole.

  How could she be aroused at the thought? She nibbled on her bottom lip, doing everything to put the idea—the horrible, wretched idea—out of her mind.

  Sighing, she tried to stretch her legs. The move was useless. She was trapped like an animal and placed at their mercy. Her wicked mind shifted to all the levels of debauchery they would gravitate to, their appetite ferocious, their libido off the chain.

  A series of chills trickled down her spine, but they had nothing to do with brisk wind. The little voice had been nagging her for a solid hour. She was excited, so turned on that the scent of her pussy juice soaking her panties and now her jeans was stronger than ever before. Just the thought of not one but four men ravaging her, keeping her as their prisoner was more exciting than anything she’d experienced in her life. Could she make good on her promise?

  Yes...

  Hard fucking. Brutal. Savage.

  The words reverberated like a horrific disco CD.

  She smacked her head against the ropes, her frustration mounting. All the naughty deeds sweeping through her mind were true. She’d followed them, planned on extorting them in some manner for information for her story. In the middle of her plot, she’d almost gotten herself killed. Twice. Paying penance. That’s exactly what she needed to do. If for no other reason than to relieve her guilt. Uh-huh. What if they found out somehow what she was really up to? There was a reason they were hiding out here in the woods, eating delicious food. The wafting smell of what had to be spaghetti sauce remained, tickling her nostrils. Two days with crap food and she was starving.

  If they found out about her ulterior motive, they’d have every right to be upset. That is, if they actually talked. Ever. She was beginning to wonder whether Lisa’s suggestion that they were merely evolved cavemen was true. A cracking sound drew her attention to the right. Panting, she craned her neck, blinking several times. What monsters were still out there? Could they climb trees or jump high enough to rip her down?

  A single moan pushed from her lips as she gathered her legs under her, the frantic motions causing the net to swing back and forth, the rope creaking against the bark of the tree. She was going to come clean with them and maybe they could work on the report together. Yeah, and maybe they were going to let her go too. Dream on, smart chick.

  As she sat and stewed, she tried to put her reporter’s hat on. Why would four handsome, rugged men put themselves in a position to stay in the mountains, sequestered like animals? They weren’t wanted, escaped prisoners and from what she’d been able to tell, they also weren’t considered missing, loved ones searching the ends of the earth for them. She strained her neck, trying to see as much of the location as possible. In the darkness, and even with the bright moon glowing like a beacon, she could see very little except the outline of buildings. They were hiding a secret. She’d bet her career on that fact.
>
  But what? What was so important about or in the mountains? Yes, she’d done some research on the Elkhorn Mountains themselves, but it wasn’t like there were diamonds hidden away in some cave. What if they were simply outcasts? Yeah, that would make for a great story. She’d be terminated so fast her head would spin several times. She clumped down, her fingers gripping the rope, twisting and turning, her anger flaring again. A few minutes later, the lights inside the cabin went off. They were leaving her here. The bastards were leaving her hitched to a freaking tree like a common thief, a criminal, and animal! No. No. Oh, no way was she going to stand for this.

  “Hey, assholes!” she called in the loudest voice she could manage. “I hope you don’t think you’re going to sleep tonight. I can scream all night long.” As she let out a bloodcurdling wail, the sound floating into the night sky, she felt a hell of a lot more in control.

  She stopped and listened, snickering under her breath. There wasn’t a flood of light in the cabin or any return yells coming from one of the men. Silence. They couldn’t do this.

  Yelling again, she followed the high-pitched wail with a howl, her best rendition of a coyote. When she snapped the sound shut, she could swear she heard a real coyote’s voice in return, the baleful sound echoing all around her. “See. I’m wanted by someone. Assholes. Freaking jerks!”

  A series of cracking sounds coming from deep within the woods made her jump and suck in her breath. Her vision as well as her mind played tricks on her, creating several fuzzy silhouettes: images of jagged-tooth monsters and lions with huge fangs. Get a grip. There are no lions here. What the hell did she know? This was the Wild West. Swallowing, her throat was already parched, and she had no water.

  One more scream for good measure. Letting out another spine-tingling, near glass-breaking effort, she was pleased with herself. Especially since almost every light came on in the house and the door was flung open.

  And out came three naked men. In the blaring light, she became instantly fixated on their incredible anatomy: their broad shoulders and massive chests, their huge thigh muscles, and three of the longest and thickest cocks she’d ever laid eyes on. Instantly, her nipples hardened, and her pussy clamped down like a tight vise. “About time!”