ABDUCTED FOR PLEASURE - Meet the characters!

 

CHAPTER ONE

Naomi linked arms with Beth and Tanya and pulled her two friends close. “I’m so excited for this night out. It’s been so long.”

“I know. Like, seriously, what’s been happening with you guys?” Tanya asked. She’d already had a glass of wine before they’d hit the town of Skipton in Yorkshire, and her cheeks were flushed, her blue eyes sparkling.

“Nothing much,” Beth said. “Well, you know, Netflix and chilling with Rory.”

“We know what that’s code for.” Naomi laughed, the sound competing with her heels clacking on the pavement. She’d gone for a strappy curve-hugging black number with a low back. Her blonde hair swished against her shoulders, warm on her flesh in the cooling air.

Tanya giggled. “Indeed we do.”

“Ah, you’re just jealous,” Beth said.

“Too damn right I am,” Naomi said. The great thing about Beth and Tanya was they’d all been friends since college. Bumbled through good and bad times, highs and lows, and they could say anything to each other. Being honest was a privilege Naomi appreciated after her family bust-up. Back then honesty had been a curse. “Since Pete and I split up I’ve been on a sex drought, well, apart from that one-night stand.” Naomi groaned.

“Peter was cute,” Tanya said, flicking her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “Bit young, maybe.”

“Way too young. I taught him a thing or two, though.” Naomi chuckled, remembering the fun they’d had. He’d been up for trying a few “new for him” things. He’d applied his hand to spanking but hadn’t really put his heart into it despite her telling him to. He’d let her tie him up. That had been interesting. He’d been a pleasure to tease. And anal sex reduced his stamina to zero. One slip to full depth and that was it. She wondered if he’d upped his stamina since that night. Not that she was interested in finding out. Naomi knew what she needed in a man. Someone strong, determined, passionate, and not afraid to take absolute control when she didn’t feel like holding the reins in her life for a while.

But would she ever find a guy like that, here in a small town in the middle of England? She knew everyone, didn’t she? The good ones were taken. Rory was one of them. Beth had gotten lucky. Perhaps it was her red hair and long legs? But Naomi and Tanya were still waiting for their knight in shining armor to ride along the high street and whisk them off their feet, take them to new dimensions, new heights, and hopefully new sophisticated realms of ecstasy.

They pushed into Grapes Ahoy wine bar. The scent of perfume and cologne filled the air. The conversation was loud, the crowd jostling to be served.

“Damn, no seats,” Beth said.

“What?” Tanya shouted. 

The noise was deafening.

“No. Seats.”

“Shit.” Naomi glanced around. What a pain. She really needed a good gossip with her two best friends. “Shall we go somewhere else? All That Jazz, perhaps?”

“Yes, I like it there,” Beth said, clutching the strap of her sparkly red handbag. “Come on.”

“Definitely.” Tanya pulled a face.

“What is it?” Naomi asked.

“Dickhead is over there.” Tanya gestured with her eyes.

Naomi looked. Sure enough, Tanya’s ex, Billy, stood at the bar with his new girlfriend. He’d tried to grow a beard, but it was patchy and pale, sprouting mainly from his chin. He’d changed his spectacles, too, small round ones that really didn’t suit him. “Uh, yes, come on.”

Naomi wrapped her arm around Tanya, knowing her emotions would be reeling from seeing the cheating rat. “Forget about him. We’ll have much more fun at Jazz’s.”

“Yeah, and less stink in the air.” Tanya tutted, smoothing the front of her little black dress.

They rushed out onto the street again. The cool evening embraced Naomi’s bare legs and arms. It was September and, although the day had been warm, now that the end of the month was approaching a chill had descended.

“Shall we get an Uber?” Tanya asked.

“No, we can walk.” Beth glanced at everyone’s feet. “Can’t we?”

“Yes, I’m happy to. Been sat at a desk all day.” Naomi groaned. “God, I hate that job.”

“Did you hear back from that other one, the one you interviewed for?” Tanya asked as they started walking.

“Only to tell me I hadn’t got it.”

“Damn.” Beth tutted. “Did they give a reason?”

“Yeah, they had someone more suitable.” She sighed. It was beyond depressing. “I don’t know what else to do. I’ve got the qualifications, the experience, and decent references. I am suitable. All I need is a chance at marketing. The call center is so mind-numbingly boring.”

“It will happen, as long as you don’t stop applying,” Tanya said.

“I just hope that’s before I hit retirement age.” She laughed to lighten the mood. This was supposed to be a fun get-together, not a moan about how life was stagnant. That her problems—single, stuck in a rut with her job, asshole landlord, credit card bills—were the same now as they had been two years ago.

And it wasn’t like she hadn’t tried to flip things around—she had, plenty. Luck, destiny, fate, or whatever it was just didn’t appear to be on her side.

“Shall we take the shortcut, over the park?” Tanya said.

“It’s too dark,” Beth worried.

“Let’s do it. I need wine.” Naomi headed down the alleyway between Sparks and Boots. The glow of the streetlamps faded quickly as they left the main road.

The sound of their heels echoed off the brick walls. The musty air hung heavy. Naomi hoped she wouldn’t step in anything unsavory.

And then they were spat out into the park. A wide expanse of grass that was full of kids kicking balls during the day, and at one end a skateboard ramp that was a hub of after-school activity. Now it was deserted, except for a lone cat that shot past them and into a hedgerow.

“Fuck,” Tanya said, pressing her hand to her chest. “Scared the crap out of me that stupid cat did.”

“You’re always so nervy in the dark,” Beth said.

“Yeah, well, things go bump in the night, don’t they.” She glanced around as they walked over the grass, their footsteps now silent. “And weirdos lurk in places like this, waiting to grab girls like us.”

“You really think so?” Naomi asked, the dewy blades of grass dampening her toes and clinging to her pink nail varnish.

“Yeah, it’s always on the news. Sick fucks who grab women walking alone at night. They take them prisoner.”

“And then what?” Naomi asked.

“Sex slaves.” Tanya nodded seriously. “That’s what they want us for. Put us in a basement, tied up, and use our bodies for their own warped amusement.”

“Might be the only way I get some.” Naomi laughed, even though she knew it was an inappropriate joke.

“Rory would come and find me,” Beth said.

“What if he couldn’t find you?” Tanya asked.

“Phone tracker app.” Beth tapped her handbag. “Find-my-friend thing.”

“Wow, so he always knows where you are?” Naomi asked.

“Yeah, so, not like I’m anywhere I shouldn’t be.” She huffed. “We are completely honest with each other about everything.”

“No secrets at all?” Naomi looked up at the sky. The stars were out in force, a billion tiny silver stitches sewn into the velvety night. “Not one?”

“Not one,” Beth said proudly. “We’ve promised each other that.”

“I’m happy for you,” Naomi said. “To have found the person you’re meant to be with.” She squinted at one star. It was glowing much brighter than the others.

“We were written in the stars,” Beth said, sweeping her hand upward. “Meant to be.”

“Talking of stars,” Tanya said. “What’s going on with that one?”

Naomi stopped. The one she’d been studying was still getting brighter, bigger too. Tanya had obviously seen it as well. “Perhaps it’s a satellite.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Beth cupped her hands around her eyes as if zooming in on it. “But … if it is…”

“It’s off course,” Naomi finished. “It’s off its orbit.”

“Shit, do you think it’s going to crash into Earth, like a meteor?” The pitch of Tanya’s voice had gone up a notch.

“Maybe it is a meteor?” Naomi glanced around. Was there anywhere to take cover? Not really. They were in the middle of the football pitch.

“It’s bloody big.” Beth gulped. “We should go … or … call someone or…”

Naomi knew Beth was talking sense. Something big and bright was heading their way fast. But her feet didn’t move. She was glued to the spot, staring up at it with her neck cricked and eyes wide.

“We’re going to go the same way as the dinosaurs,” Tanya cried out, taking a step back but then stopping in her tracks. “Extinct. The end of mankind. We’re all doomed.”

Naomi continued to stare upward. The bright light was approaching rapidly, the speed phenomenal. Terror and curiosity warred inside her. Her heart thudded. Her breaths were coming fast and shallow.

And then, suddenly, just when the star filled her vision and seemed about to plummet into the earth, it stopped getting bigger.

She gulped. It was the size of a warehouse now, hovering over them. “What the…?”

A strange buzzing filled her ears, overtaking her mind. It was louder than her thoughts, and a frequency she wasn’t familiar with.

Tanya gripped her hand. 

She squeezed it back.

The light was blinding white, hot on her cheeks and forehead. It hurt her eyes, but she couldn’t stop staring at it.

Beth sobbed and her shoulder bumped Naomi’s. Then blackness and silence swallowed Naomi up, and her mind misted over—foggy, quiet, and peaceful.

* * * *

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The constant tinny sound invaded Naomi’s lethargic brain. It grew in volume, each blip getting louder until she could no longer ignore it.

What the heck is it? 

She knew it wasn’t her phone or alarm clock.

She peeled her eyes open a crack, then quickly closed them again, searing light still stinging her retinas.

Moaning, she lifted her right arm to shield her eyes. But a cold, hard banding held her wrist in place.

She pulled harder, grunted, managed to open her eyes again.

“What the?” she muttered, dragging at her arm but still unable to move it. She did the same with her left, but that, too, was held in place.

“Ah, you are awake. This is a good sign.” A deep male voice came from her left. “Try and stay relaxed.”

She flicked her head around, still blinking in the bright overhead lighting. Her heart was thumping so hard she was sure it was going to burst right out of her chest. Her throat was dry, and she’d had to peel her tongue from the roof of her mouth. How long had she been out of it? Had she been drugged or something?

Gradually the room, and the man, came into focus. He was tall, with dark brown hair and broad shoulders, and dressed entirely in black clothing. He faced away from her, his hands moving over what appeared to be a clear screen hovering in mid-air.

She swallowed, licked her lips. “Let me go. Now.”

“I’m sorry, but we’re not at that stage yet.”

She cleared her throat. “I mean it. Let me go … now.” Again she yanked at the bindings on her wrists. Her arms were out to the sides, resting on a cool surface.

It was then she realized she was utterly naked except for a light sheet.

Fear escalated. Her stomach clenched. What the hell was going on? This was one of the sick fucks Beth had talked about. Why hadn’t she taken it more seriously? And where the hell were Beth and Tanya?

She shifted her legs, knowing instantly they were also harnessed in place. The same cool metallic band was wrapped around her ankles.

Pressing her thighs together, she rotated her wrists and feet, wondering if she could escape.

“You should lay still,” he said, his accent indistinguishable, soft, vowels round. “Hyper-sleep, even a short one, always takes a few minutes to recover from.”

Hyper-sleep. The bastard had drugged her. “Let me go, please. I need to get home.” She paused. “People will be looking for me. They’ll have called the police. The police will come searching.”

Would they? Would anyone miss her? Call her disappearance in? Other than Tanya and Beth—who she feared were also in some kind of predicament—then no, there wasn’t anyone. It was the sorry state of her life, to be without family. A family whose addictions had meant eventually she’d had to cut ties to save herself. 

A familiar pain tugged her heart. She pushed the memories aside.

Oh, but Rory, yes, he’d find Beth with her phone app thing. Then he’d find her and Tanya, too … surely.

“I am not concerned about people searching for you.” He tapped the screen, silencing the beeping that had been drumming in time with the beat of her heart.

“You should be. This is against the law, you know.” Again she fought her binds. The bench, or table, or bed she was on rattled. “Let me go. I want to go home.”

“You will go home, Naomi, when I have finished with you. That’s a promise.”

He turned.

She stilled. The sheet slipped, exposing her feet.

He was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Far from a creepy abductor with a dodgy mustache, questionable skin, and evil eyes, he had a perfectly symmetrical face, straight nose, wide mouth, strong jawline, and pale blue eyes.

He smiled. His teeth were neat and white. Small lines shot from his eyes to his temples, softening his chiseled features.

She was further disarmed, confusion swarming within her. He shouldn’t look the way he did.

“I really do promise,” he said, stepping closer. “You will be returned to your home unharmed.”

“When?” No, that’s not what she should say. “Now, take me now. I demand that you do.”

He reached for the white sheet and re-covered her feet with it. “I’m afraid that’s impossible. We have research to perform.”

“Research? What kind of bloody research? And where are my friends?” Her voice grew louder. Panic gripped her in a tight band. Her friends meant everything to her. “Let me go, you bastard. Now.”

He folded his arms and appeared to be waiting for her to get the rant out of her system. That just made Naomi madder, her blood hotter.

“I mean it, creepo. I’ll have your arse tossed in jail for this. I’ve got friends in high places, you know.” She didn’t, but he didn’t know that. “My uncle is a judge, and my godfather is chief of police.” Would that do it? It was worth a try.

“I’m afraid that is of no consequence.” He turned to the floating screen that was peppered with graphs and numbers, some moving like a heart monitor. “And you really should keep calm. There are residual drugs in your system.”

“I knew it.” She battled the anchors around her wrists and ankles. “Another thing to add to your list of crimes.” Oh, she’d have him for this, she really would. She’d get the hell out of there, then make sure he spent his life behind bars. She personally would throw away the key. And wouldn’t the other arsehole prisoners have a great time with a pretty boy like him. He’d never be able to take a shower without terror.

“Naomi, please.” He set his hand over her thigh, pressing the cool sheet to her skin. “I can assure you criminal activity is not my intent. The opposite, in fact.”

“What do you mean?” His hand was warm on her tensed muscles. “Explain yourself, and fast.”

He blew out a breath and ran his hand up her leg to rest on her hip point. “You have been chosen, along with your friends, for some very important Kraken research.”

“Kraken?” She clenched her fists. What the bloody hell was Kraken? “Where are my friends? I want to see them. I demand to see them.”

“That’s not possible, but they are quite well.” He set his hand over her balled fists as if willing her to release them. “Another promise I make to you. Your friends will not be harmed either.”

“They better not be because if they are, I’ll—” The very thought twisted her soul.

“I appreciate that you are very loyal to them, a quality I admire.” He moved a lock of hair that had fallen over the corner of her eye. His touch was gentle, reverent, caring.

She flicked her head away. “Get off me.” What was he playing at? Gentleman now, then he’d spin on a penny and be a crazed rapist. She’d bite him, first chance she got. Draw blood, hopefully catch an artery, then scream the damn place down until help arrived.

“You are a human female,” he said. 

“What? Yes, of course I am.” Yep, right weirdo. 

He smiled again, a charming tilt of his lips that made him more handsome than any top A-list actors in Hollywood. “Which makes you perfect, Naomi, for our needs.”