His uncle’s harsh treatment was a sore subject with Bret. The hurt and anger Jake read in Bret’s silver-green eyes when he said those words still haunted him. Perhaps if he’d found a better way of convincing his friend to rid himself of the conniving woman, Jake would’ve never been captured.
Leave it alone, he told himself. What’s done is done. There’s no changing it now.
Despite everything though, he missed his friend, missed his witty banter while working a job, his loyal friendship, even his occasional dark moods. But Bret was long gone by now. Or a prisoner himself somewhere, though Jake hoped not. Being enslaved and owned by a woman like Darla Cain would kill Bret as surely as a bullet or a well-aimed arrow to the heart. Jake’s stomach churned at the thought, but he had no way of knowing, so he chose to picture Bret still living in the mountains as a free man.
“Jake?” Shawn’s teasing tone brought him back to the present. “Earth to Jake.” The man was always joking around.
“Sorry. What?”
“Where were you?” Shawn scolded with a grin. “We were speculating on how long we have before we start working on the roof.”
“Two or three weeks,” Jake answered shortly, still distracted by his previous musings.
“Can I work on the roof too?” Trevor piped up from the end of the table. Jake glanced at the woman caring for the boy and his sister, saw the sudden unease on her face, and shook his head.
“I’m sure we’ll have plenty of work for you on the ground, buddy,” he said and caught Trevor’s new mom’s grateful look.
“Me too!” Kara chimed in, and Jake grinned.
“Yes, you too, squirt.”
After a generous meal and enjoyable conversation, a quick good night to everyone, and a swift once-over of the construction site, Jake was ready for bed. Rosa had lent him an old crime novel after learning he liked to read, and he was looking forward to burning an hour of lamplight reading and relaxing in bed.
Upon entering, he flicked the switch beside his bedroom door, but the room remained dark.
Power’s still out, he thought as he stepped inside and closed the door. He didn’t bother to immediately light the lantern on his bedside table; enough illumination crept in from the curtained window for him to undress without a lamp. His shirt untucked and unbuttoned, he was sitting on the bed, pulling off his last boot, when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Startled, he clumsily jumped to his feet, boot in hand. Unthinking, he tossed his footwear aside, and it hit the wall with a loud bang. Jake didn’t hear it. All of his attention wholly focused on the person moving toward him from the darkest corner of the room.
This was his room, yet an uninvited someone moved silently toward him. Unsure how to react, Jake prepared to meet an attacker.
“You’re not supposed to be in here,” he growled at the shadow still slowly strolling toward him, as his fingers curled into fists at his sides.
A feminine giggle skittered over his strung-out nerves like the unpleasant screech of a violin in untutored hands. A woman, he thought, but the realization didn’t lessen his anxiety.
“What do you want?” he demanded, sweat breaking out along his hairline. His breath came in short gasps, and his fists clenched tighter. He had been waiting for this, knowing eventually someone here would demand things from him he didn’t want to give.
“Don’t be afraid,” she said, so close now he could grab her. “I’m not here to harm you.” A small hand stroked his furred chest through his open shirt, and it was all he could do to hold back the shout that leaped into his throat.
“What do you want?” he repeated, stepping back and away from her roaming fingers. His back bumped up against the wall, and he froze.
She moved closer again as he suppressed the urge to shove her away.
“I wanted to spend some time with you,” the woman said, and Jake almost groaned. He knew what she wanted.
“I’m not interested.” His heart rate kicked up, and he swallowed the lump of terror in his throat. His jittery stomach instantly threatened to hurl up his dinner.
“You’re not?” the woman sounded sulky.
“No.” He wished he could see her face more clearly, so he would know who to avoid.
“And why is that?” she asked, her hand once again caressing his chest, her fingers combing through the crisp mat of hair. “A big, handsome man like you, not interested in sex with a beautiful woman? Seems strange to me. I think you’re playing hard to get.”
“I’m not playing anything,” he snarled and grabbed her wrist, being careful not to injure her. “I’m not interested.” He pushed her away and released her.
“You will be,” she promised and lunged at him. Her arms snaked around his neck to pull his head down to hers, and she kissed him.
His whole body stiffened when her small form collided with his, and he stood immobile while she plied his lips with hers. He couldn’t say her soft curves pressed against him and her eager mouth teasing his were bad sensations, but the memories crashed in too. He didn’t want to remember. He didn’t want to feel. But his mind gave him less of a choice than the woman did.
He started to shake, and anger bubbled to the surface. In a fit of self-preservation, he clutched her shoulders in a tight grip and shoved her away from him.
“I said, ‘No!’” he shouted and kept shouting. “Stay away from me. Don’t touch me. Don’t touch me!”
Someone knocked on the door. They kept calling his name, but Jake couldn’t reply. He grabbed the first thing his hand touched and threw it at his attacker while sensations of pain and fear assailed him.
Glass shattered against the far wall.
“Get out!” he cried, stepping toward the woman this time.
