Backed Redux … Chapter 1

That was a fun night. Light-hearted, stress free. Nothing wild that I would regret in the morning, just enough revelry to make life seem worth living again. Such evenings had been in short supply of late.

So, I strode down the long hallway to my condo with a bounce in my step. I felt good, optimistic even. It had been a rough year, financially speaking, but I had reason to believe that those hard times were about to come to an end. Still tipsy from drinks with my best friend, Christine, I giggled as I wobbled into a wall.

Okay, maybe the bounce was more like a shuffle. But I’d made it home in one piece, hadn’t I? My car didn’t have a scratch on it. Not any new ones, that is.

Things were definitely looking up.

I put my key in the lock and paused to allow myself a wide smile. Everything was about to change. I could feel it.

And then the only thing I felt was someone pulling me through the door. An arm wrapped tightly around my neck, and I could feel the tip of a blade against my chest. “Don’t you dare scream,” a voice said.

Scream? I could barely breathe. But even in my panic, I recognized the voice. It had once played a starring role in several recurring sexual fantasies. But this was closer to a nightmare. I knew what he was after. And what he was capable of.

“Hand over the coat,” he said. “And the bag.” And although he released me, I watched powerlessly as he closed the deadbolt then flattened his palm against the metal door.

“Wh – what do you want?” I asked weakly.

Still blocking my exit, he spun me around so that we finally faced each other. It was Seth alright. All six feet, five inches of him and solid as a rock. Short brown hair in a business cut and the most inviting dark brown eyes – most of the time. Some of his height came from his special, heeled boots. He called them Cuban heels and wore them constantly. All I knew was that the manliest man I knew wore heels, and that they only served to make him more intimidating.

I shrugged out of the heavy, winter coat and passed it to him. Without breaking eye contact, he tossed it behind him toward two small easy chairs. The purse, however, I clutched closer. There was mace in there, mace he had once told me was a waste of space and money because I would never be able to find it quickly if I needed it.

Seth snatched the bag from me, and I watched it fly off to join the coat. The I-told-you-so seemed to be implied, and I hated him for it.

“We’re going to have a little talk,” he said. The front door – actually, the only door to the place – opened onto a small dining area where a table and four chairs sat. Seth gestured with his knife toward the chair farthest from him. He’d already pulled it out. “Sit down.”

“What are you going to do?” I asked, taking a step back. Perfectly sober now, my only hope was to stall long enough to come up with a plan.

“With any luck, I’m going to figure out how the fuck to get you to do what I tell you to,” he growled and shoved me toward the chair. “Now sit down!”

“Maybe if you didn’t bark orders at me like a dog, you’d – ” His hand across my face prevented me from finishing the sentiment.

While I recovered from the blow, Seth pushed me down onto the chair, then pulled my arms behind me and through the slats in the back. I heard the clink of a short chain and then cold steel around my wrists. Handcuffs.

Unable to sit back completely, I was forced into a slight hunch that I knew wouldn’t be sustainable for long. So I struggled, in vain, to find a more comfortable position and muttered a string of frustrated curses. Meanwhile, Seth took the chair next to me and pulled my ankles onto his lap. He’d pulled rope from somewhere – for all I knew, it was from my very own stash – and tied them together. Then he stood and pulled on the excess rope until my feet hung in the air beneath me, and tied it to one of the rungs of the chair.

I was stuck. And for once, the fear was real.

“This isn’t necessary, you know,” I offered. “All this bondage. We could have had a nice, normal chat.”

A deep chuckle emanated from behind me. There was no mirth to it. “Yeah, I was afraid you might enjoy it too much,” he said. “But I didn’t have any choice, did I?”

I twisted my head, but I still couldn’t meet his eyes. “Consent – consent is key,” I told him.

My head jerked back as he gripped my hair and pulled. The knife returned to my throat. “And I didn’t consent to you stealing my money,” he said.

Tears instantly stung my eyes while my mouth went dry. “Please. I – I didn’t – I didn’t do it,” I panted. “I swear – please.”

Seth released me and took the seat in front of me again. Placing the knife on the table between us, he crossed his arms and placed one ankle over the other thigh. His grin and casual air implied he was about to order his favorite meal from his favorite restaurant. For the briefest of moments, I wondered what that might be and how I might be able to get it for him.

But my attention quickly turned to the knife. The handle extended to what looked like brass knuckles though it was silver. Such a useful weapon, and with so much potential, I thought. And there it was, out in the open.

Catching my glance, Seth cocked his head. “If you can get to it before I can, I will concede this entire operation,” he said. “Barring that, how about you tell me who does have my money. I know it’s not here.”

“I can’t tell you that either,” I said.

Seth leaned forward and looked over his eyebrows at me. He spoke slowly, in a near whisper, but the threat that came with his words was very real. “I want you to think real hard about whoever you’re protecting, Dani,” he growled. “And I want you to be sure that they are worth the things I’m willing to do to you in order to get my money back.”

The tears were both instant and automatic. I hated that I couldn’t stop them, hated how weak I now appeared to be, hated that Seth had to see me like this.

Seth ran the tip of the knife up my thigh and then up around my collarbone. My entire body stiffened while I gasped in breaths. “Are they worth it, Dani?” he asked.

“I’m sorry,” I panted through the tears. “It wasn’t supposed to get this far.”

“I’m sure that’s true,” he said, and he might as well have been reassuring a small child. But his actions belied any sympathy he might have unwittingly expressed. He grabbed my chin, his fingers and thumb digging into my cheeks as the blade moved around my face. Finally, he flicked away a tear with the tip then rested the metal against my temple.

Frozen in place, I snapped my eyes shut. They’d always been sensitive, even at doctor visits. The slightest move toward my eyes caused me to blink uncontrollably. Did he know that? Had I told him and forgotten? Or had he just made a really good guess?

In that moment, it didn’t matter. I’d never been so afraid in my life.

“Look at me,” he demanded.

“I – I – I – can’t,” I wheezed. “Please. I just – I can’t.”

Seth’s only move was to bring the blade closer to my eye. “Then tell me where my money is, Dani.”

I swallowed hard and breathed deeply through my nose. “Paul,” I whispered. “It was Paul Reid.”

My eyes still closed, I could feel the breeze left in Seth’s wake. The relief was glorious, if short-lived. “Are you fucking kidding me?” he bellowed as he stalked around the room. “Of all the people you could have trusted, you chose Paul fucking Reid?”

“I told you,” I said, still gasping. “It was never supposed to get this far.”

Seth turned sharply in my direction, a hint of a smile crept across his lips. “You know, I almost believe that from you. But how stupid do you have to be to trust a low-life like that?”

“Please stop yelling,” I said. “It’s not getting you your money back, and I feel bad enough as it is.”

Seth stalked back up to me and I braced myself to get hit again, strangled, or some combination. None of it happened. “Oh, I feel quite certain that you don’t, girlie,” he said. Collapsing back into his chair, he ran a hand through his hair and splayed his legs out in front of him. I envied his freedom. “What exactly was your arrangement?”

“There was no arrangement,” I sighed. “I ran into him at a Starbucks last week. Can you please just remove the cuffs?”

“Not a chance, girlie,” Seth replied. “There’s $100,000 on the line which means I don’t give a shit about your discomfort.”

He tipped his chin in my direction, apparently as an indication that I should continue. But I was slack jawed. I hadn’t heard an exact amount before. I’d had no idea it was going to be that much. Meanwhile, the metal had begun to dig into my wrists, but I had no reason to believe that a confession would buy my freedom.

“And then you’ll let me go?” I asked.

“Maybe,” Seth said with a wink. “Might depend on what I think of your story.”

My eyes bore into him as I muttered curses aimed at him and his lineage.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he added and pointed toward my bonds. “You did this to yourself.”

We’d have to agree to disagree on that point. While I had been known to tie myself up, I always had a way out. “Fine,” I conceded. “I ran into him. But I swear I wasn’t there to meet him.”

Seth’s face screwed up in confusion, and he held up a hand. “Wait – he doesn’t live anywhere near here.”

He had a point. I lived in a suburb southwest of Cleveland. Paul lived east of the city though I was unsure of the exact location. The snark, however, would not be denied. “Well, see, there’s this new invention called cars that – ”

Seth arched an eyebrow and reached for his knife which once again rested on the table between us.
“I drove east after work one night,” I said with a gulp. “It felt good to just be somewhere different for a couple of hours. Like a micro-vacation. I was reading when he walked in.”

“And?”

“We started talking,” I told him. “I – I might have mentioned my financial difficulties and how it would be nice if certain people would share now and then.”

“Certain people,” Seth said. He shook his head and chuckled. “Like me, for instance?”

“Your name might have come up,” I said sheepishly.

“Why the fuck?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I replied, exasperated. “It was on my mind. You and I had just talked! It’s not my fault he ran with it!”

“Bullshit!” Seth bellowed and slammed his palm on the table. I jumped as if he had hit me. Or might hit me. But he didn’t move to. Only took a deep breath and continued with an effort toward staying calm. “What happened next? What was the follow up supposed to be?”

“He was supposed to call me. Today,” I explained as I blinked back more tears. “My phone is in my purse. For all I know, there’s a message on there.”

Seth’s back was to me as he had resumed his pacing, and his shoulders shook in laughter. “There’s no message, Dani,” he said and turned to face me. “You’re not that naïve, right?”

“No,” I muttered.

My naivete had come in my belief that not getting the call was the worst that would happen.

Seth pinched the bridge of his nose and checked his watch. I had no concept of how much time had passed, hadn’t even thought about it until that moment. Suddenly, I was desperate for a time check but didn’t dare ask.

Seth strolled out of the room, behind me toward my guest bedroom. I craned my neck to try to see the clock on my stove, but there was a wall blocking my view. And then I heard Seth begin his side of a conversation, so I turned my focus to eavesdropping.

“Yes, I know what time it is,” he was saying. “I wouldn’t have called if I didn’t need your help … yes, now … alright, I could use a few hours of shut eye anyway … first thing though … see you then.”
Seconds later, Seth was unlocking the handcuffs. Freedom had never felt so glorious, and I promised myself never to take it for granted again. While I rubbed my wrists, he untied my ankles.

“What happens now?” I asked.

“I get some rest,” he said. “It’s been a long day.”

“I meant, what happens with me?” I countered.

“I will figure that out in the morning,” he said and pulled me to standing by my arm. “For now, you’re coming with me.”

We were headed for my bedroom. Though my legs felt like jelly, I dragged my feet and fought to get away. “Please don’t!” I shrieked. “Please – anything else, but don’t – ” 

Seth stopped mid-stride in the doorway and stared down at me, perplexed. “What the fuck got into you?” he asked.

Blinking up at him, I slunk back against the wooden frame. “You – you were dragging me into the bedroom, you were angry. I thought – ”

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered and shoved me into my room. “I’m going to tie you up next to me so you don’t go anywhere. I haven’t been interested in your body in a long time. Now, get as undressed as you want.”

“More like you never were,” I said as I tossed my sweater aside. My closet door was open, and I reached in for a pair of shorts to sleep in. Then I slipped off my jeans. The long t-shirt I was wearing kept me more or less covered.

“Shows what you know,” he grinned. “You broke up with me before I had a chance to show you.”

A little background. I had known Seth for almost a year and a half. We’d met at an office Christmas party where he’d been the guest of one of my coworkers. He’d looked so out of place, and I had no idea what she’d said or done in order to lure him there. Asking probably would have told me more than I wanted to know about her blow job skills.

Anyway, he’d spent much of the evening talking to me instead. We’d gone out two times after that? Maybe three. And yes, I had ended it when I couldn’t get straight answers about what he did for a living or why he was out of town so much. I had since deduced that he was involved with low-level gangsters of some sort, likely as a loan shark. He called it being in collections, but had never gone into specifics.

Nevertheless, and despite all the red flags, he had fascinated me, and we had kept in touch. I had even met Paul through him, though the reason for them being together had somehow seemed more legitimate. Seth hadn’t gone into specifics about that either.

All I was sure of was that Seth was not someone I wanted to cross. That he was dangerous may have been part of the excitement, but I knew which side of his to stay on.

And yet, here we were.

Seth shoved me onto my stomach on the bed and drew my arms behind me. Straddling me, he tied my wrists together and then went for my elbows, pulling them closer together than I had guessed they would go.

“Seriously, I never meant for things to turn out like this,” I said as he worked. “For what it’s worth … I’m sorry.”

“Of course,” he said. Condescension oozed from every word that followed. “I understand. You were just a pawn. A poor little girl who got taken advantage of. Do I have that about right?”

“You know what?” I breathed. “Every word of that was sincere, but I take it back. Maybe fuck you instead.”

Seth rolled me onto my side and wrapped a hand around my throat. “Let’s get one thing straight, babe,” he growled. “You are not the victim here. And you are not innocent. This mess is entirely your making, and you will help clean it up. I’m not sure how yet, but I am going to make sure you take some personal responsibility for once in your goddamn life. Am I making myself clear?”

I’d never learned how to spit. And for the first time, I found myself disappointed by that fact. “Oh, yes, Sir,” I said. “You bet.”

Scary as Seth was, I knew that if he intended to hurt me – really hurt me – he would have done it already. He would have left me tied to the chair. Or worse. All he actually seemed interested in was punishing me. I could survive that.

“You are a petulant child,” he said and began tying my ankles together. “One more word, and I will gag you for the night.”

When he was finished, I still lay crossways on the bed. “At least help me get to one side of the bed or the other,” I said. “Please.”

Without a word, Seth gripped the rope around my ankles and hauled me to a side. Coincidentally, it was the side I normally slept on anyway, the side with a table and lamp next to it. He opened the top drawer and pulled out a large roll of duct tape. I barely got out the first word of a protest before he’d torn off a long strip and placed it over my mouth. Another long strip was applied just below it and nearly covered my chin.

This was the good stuff too, not easily dislodged by merely working my mouth. Yes, I’d invested in quality duct tape.

“I warned you,” Seth said before throwing the covers over me. Facing away from him now, I could nevertheless hear the thud as his boots hit the floor as well as the soft whoosh as clothing was removed. Finally, I felt him get in on the other side, apparently satisfied that I was secure.

I lay there in the dark, crying softly, certain I would never get to sleep. Equally certain that he might decide that the best way to deal with me would be to either kill me or keep me tied up and simply leave.

Either option seemed plausible. And both seemed to be for the best.

Before long, I heard a soft snore emanating from the other side of the bed, lulling me to sleep. Eventually, I drifted off too.

…

A couple of notes. 

First, I loved making Seth even more brutal in this version. This quality led to what was both the most terrifying moment for me to write and the most erotic - flicking a tear away with his knife. Sounds so hot in my head, but I would be traumatized by that moment alone. I'm with Dani here - don't mess with my eyes. 

Second, despite his brutality, he's not cruel. I love the moment when Dani assumes he's going to rape her and, clearly, the thought hadn't entered his mind. I see him as very pragmatic here. Everything he does has a purpose, and raping her would get him no closer to his money. 

​Can't wait to show you all the rest of the changes!!