Ransom Ch. 02

"Get her up and ready to go; if she tries anything, give her a minor dose of Ketamine."

Dominic grabbed Kailee's chin firmly with his fingertips, bringing her face up to meet his scowl. "You had the advantage of surprise last night. I'd be interested to see what you can accomplish with one working hand and a bloodstream full of drugs."

He gave her an obnoxious smirk before leaving the room, pausing only to snatch the coffee out of Jakob's hand, sloshing some on the floor in the process.

"Asshole." Kailee muttered under her breath as soon as he was out of sight. If Jakob had heard her, he pretended he hadn't.

"Okay princess, time to get out of bed." He pulled a set of keys from his jeans pocket and approached the bed cautiously. "Are you going to behave?"

Kailee shrugged, "Apparently that's the only option that leaves me drug free."

"Brilliant!" Jakob flashed her a toothy grin and she couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her own mouth in response to his playful nature. He picked up her left hand, unlocking the manacle and replacing it with a new handcuff, then repeated the motion with her right hand until her shackled hands were now behind her back and restrained with a set of handcuffs. He carefully guided her out of the bed, holding steady onto her left arm to help her balance. The tiles were cold on her bare feet and she wondered if they'd be providing her with any new footwear or if her expected stay here was too short to bother. Kailee suddenly realised her dress had crept its way up her thighs and her underwear was at risk of showing. She fumbled at the hem with her cuffed hands until Jakob realised her predicament.

"Here, let me..." he quickly tugged at the material, wary of any intrusion, until it sat comfortably mid-thigh.

"Thanks." Kailee mumbled her gratitude uncomfortably.

Jakob gave her a light-hearted wink, "Don't mention it."

He steered her towards the exit and Kailee set her focus on the surroundings, ready to take note of the number of accesses and where each might lead. But to her dismay, rather than the hallway she was expecting to meet, she was led straight into an adjoining room. The lighting was dimmer than the room they had come from and there was barely any furniture aside from a small desk against the back wall and a stool in the middle of the room. The podgy man from the night before entered from a side door, lugging a long black bag and Kailee couldn't help but chuckle at the slight limp in his walk. He met her smirk with a scowl and dropped the bag loudly on the ground.

"Stupid fucking brat," he grumbled as he pulled out an assortment of items. Kailee's smile faded as she saw him unpack a camcorder.

"What's the camera for?"

Both men ignored her query and Jakob ushered her onto the stool, ensuring she was well balanced before leaving her side. The round man started awkwardly assembling a tripod directly in front of her.

"Jakob!" Kailee hissed at her captor who was retreating to the back of the room. But before she had the chance to demand an answer, Dominic strode through the door, clipboard in hand. His slacks had been replaced with a pair of Levi's and he now donned a fitted grey shirt, with the long sleeves folded back mid-arm. He looked too well dressed for a criminal, Kailee thought. After speaking a few quiet words to Jakob, who nodded and began helping with the camera set up, Dominic approached her, his broad shoulders and stance emanating confidence. He placed the clipboard in her lap and she took a brief glance at the page it held - a typed sheet which was only two paragraphs long. She blinked up at him blankly.

"What's this?"

"It's a script. You will read it aloud to the camera," he motioned to the camcorder which now sat on the tripod facing her. "You will only speak what is written on the page," he continued, "and you will speak clearly. Am I understood?"

Her eyes fell back to the page in her lap and as she read the words more thoroughly she realised their intent.

"You're going to send this to my brothers." It was a statement rather than a question, but Dominic inclined his head anyway and took a few steps back towards his associates.

"Alan," he nodded to the overweight man who then pressed a button on the camera. A red light appeared below the lens, indicating its operation and the three men set their gazes on her, awaiting her speech. She scanned the first sentence of her script and felt like laughing. He was somehow under the delusion that she would willingly assist him in possessing a bounty from her brothers. Clearing her throat, she faced the camera and plastered a semi-serious expression on her face.

"Hi Nath," she improvised, "I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that all of your lectures about my late night escapades were, in fact, justifiable. However," she made sure to over-articulate each word, "despite the badly painted room and the ill-mannered company," her eyes narrowed in on Dominic, "I'm having a fabulous time staying in bed for much longer than you would ever allow and they even have instant coffee! So don't bother sending any money this way." She grinned into the lens and Dominic held up a hand to Alan.

"Stop the camera." His voice was stony and he paced slowly towards her, standing in front of her with his lightly stubbled chin resting in his hand. He considered her carefully for a few moments, as if her were attempting to read her mind.

"I hope you didn't mind me adjusting the script," she feigned innocence, "I just felt your words were a little...cliché."

She threw him an impudent look, and saw the muscle in his jaw twitch before he reached out swiftly and gripped her long brown locks into his fist, dragging her forcefully to a standing position. She cried out in protest as her head was jerked backward, but his fury-filled eyes silenced her.

"Obviously you don't understand your role in this," his gaze fell to her heaving chest which, thanks to her strapless dress, offered a large amount of bare skin for his viewing. She tried to jolt her elbow back into his abdomen, but the restraints on her arms restricted her movement. "Maybe you're feeling a little too comfortable in our company?" His eyes darkened and with one quick movement his free hand shifted to the fastener at the back of her dress.

"No!" Kailee growled loudly in dissent when she felt his fingers pulling roughly at the clasp. She squirmed violently as he tore the zipper open and yanked the material down so that it fell into a black heap at her feet. Clad only in a black lace v-string and matching strapless bra, she struggled furiously against Dominic's grasp, ignoring the burn of her scalp as his grasp on her hair remained strong.

"Get your hands off me!"

She was oblivious to the delightful view she was providing to all three men, thrashing relentlessly in her underwear. Jakob regarded her uneasily, but Alan held a sly grin on his face, clearly enjoying the show. Dominic's hand smoothed over her flat stomach possessively, the contact enough to cause a feeling of dread to overcome her. His hand worked its way further up and beneath the underwire of her bra and she shook her head frantically in dissent.

"I'll put my hands wherever I please," Dominic's breath was hot in her ear and, to prove his point, his palm breached her bra and he roughly kneaded her breasts, bringing an angry sob of humiliation from her full lips.

"I can also give permission to my men to place their hands wherever they please," he continued, and she stilled suddenly at his implication.

Alan perked up in response, "I sure wouldn't mind stuffing that expensive little cunt!" he snickered. He looked back at Jakob for reinforcement, but received none.

"What do you think about that?" Dominic lowered his voice to a level only she could hear, "Would you like to feel Alan pumping between those smooth legs of yours?" His knee wedged itself between her legs for emphasis and her heart quickened in fear. "I'm sure that would make an interesting change to the wealthy young men you're accustomed to fucking." Hot tears threatened to spill from her eyes and she closed them tight, refusing to let him see her cry.

"You wouldn't!" she couldn't contain the tremor that spilled out with her words.

His hands continued their stray roaming, an amused smile lifting his features. "I am certain your brothers will make their payment so long as you're still breathing when we're done with you." He rolled a nipple firmly between his thumb and forefinger, and she let out a shocked gasp.

"Now how about you try that speech again; and this time," he withdrew his hand and let her fall heavily back onto the stool, "convince me."

*****