Ruthless Surrender: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (The Surrender Series Book 1) Read online

  Ruthless Surrender

  The Surrender Series, Book One

  Zoe Blake

  Copyright © 2018, 2021 by Zoe Blake & Poison Ink Publications

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover Design by Dark City Designs

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Epilogue

  About Zoe Blake

  Also by Zoe Blake

  Chapter 1

  How deep does a grave have to be?

  Wasn’t there something about animals?

  Chloe gripped the small heart charm that hung about her neck, taking solace as the metal warmed beneath her hand. The blue-white beam of her flashlight bounced off dark tree trunks and the thick bed of wet leaves and twigs that covered the ground.

  Would the rain make digging easier or harder, she wondered?

  The sound of crunching gravel alerted her to a car traveling up the long driveway even before she saw the headlights. Turning off her flashlight, she ran back toward the cabin, tripping over a half-buried log in her haste. Throwing open the rough wooden gate that separated the forest from the clearing, she raced across the yard, ignoring the ice-cold rain that drenched her and seeped into her sneakers as her feet sank into the rain-soaked grass. Cringing at the loud squeak the back screen door made as she carefully opened it, Chloe locked it behind her and crouched low as she crossed the study into the kitchen. Keeping her head down, she reached up and turned off the small lamp she always kept lit on her kitchen table. Without the soft warm glow, the cabin felt cold and still.

  Chloe held her breath, straining to hear the sound of any movement outside. A car door. The sound of an engine turning off. If there was a God, the sound of gravel as the car turned around and left.

  Silence.

  The anxiety of not knowing was too much. Chloe crawled across the linoleum, around the kitchen island. She paused and listened.

  Still nothing.

  Trying to calm her pounding heart, she crept closer to the front door. Her knees ached from crawling on the hard floor. Her soaked jeans chafed and clung to her hips with every movement. She could feel mud squishing between her toes inside her sneakers. All she wanted was to take a hot shower and forget that this night had ever happened. But that wasn’t possible. She could never wash away the horror of this night.

  Grimacing as small pebbles tracked inside from the driveway cut into the palms of her hands, Chloe slowly crept into the mud room. The front door was straight ahead. It had a windowpane but no curtain or shade, so she kept low and to the shadows. Just beyond was the small porch and the gravel drive. Leaning against the wall to the right of the door, Chloe tilted her head and listened.

  More silence.

  Her heartbeat finally slowed.

  It must have been a neighbor driving by.

  “Chloe. Open the door.”

  Throwing her hand over her mouth to stifle a scream, Chloe scurried farther back along the wall, staring at the closed door with wild eyes.

  There was another long, excruciating pause.

  Then.

  “I know you are in there. I need you to open the door.”

  The dark command of his voice almost had her obeying. How did this man know her name? Who was he? The police? She would have welcomed the police. An hour ago. But not now. Now it was too late. Maybe he was a friend of his. Just another reason why she couldn’t open the door. The cabin was dark. The doors locked. Her car was parked in the garage with the door closed. There was no real way for him to know she was inside. Maybe if she stayed quiet, he would give up and leave?

  “Baby, I’m losing my patience. Trust me. You don’t want that.”

  The deep tone of the stranger’s voice was getting harsher. Did she dare continue to defy him?

  She moved her hand over the low shelf that ran along the wall at her back, encountering bug candles, rubber boots, and fishing tackle. Nothing that could be used as a weapon. There were her late uncle’s hunting rifles in the gun cabinet in the living room, but she would have to crawl back through the kitchen to get to them. The cabin was dark, but there was no way he would not see the outline of her movements through the front door window now that he was standing just on the other side. The door wasn’t even secured with a deadbolt, just a simple key lock. She lived in a cabin in the woods in the middle of nowhere in upstate Michigan where all the neighbors knew one another. There wasn’t a need for extraneous locks and deadbolts.

  “I’m giving you one last chance to open this door, babygirl,” the stranger growled.

  Chloe knew the old door with its old lock would not hold. She needed to make a decision.

  The door handle rattled violently.

  She was out of time.

  Jumping up, Chloe bolted back through the kitchen.

  The sickening sound of splintering wood and shattering glass reverberated throughout the cabin.

  Chloe’s wet soles skidded along the floor as she sharply turned right down the narrow hallway to the living room. The gun cabinet was just over the threshold. Her trembling hand closed over the cabinet door’s brass handle. The guns weren’t loaded, but hopefully the stranger wouldn’t get close enough to notice. Wrenching the handle upwards, Chloe threw open the cabinet door and blindly reached in, feeling for the cold barrel of the rifle she knew was there.

  A hand closed over her shoulder, spinning her about and slamming her against the wall. She had no chance to even scream. That same hand wrapped around her throat, the long fingers easily encircling the slender column till her jaw was pushed upwards, her head crushed painfully against the wall.

  The sharp angles of the stranger’s face came into focus. His angry, lowered brow. Dark, unreadable eyes.

  His full lips lifted in a snarl. “I warned you, baby.”

  Chloe tried to rise up on her toes to ease the pressure on her throat. Desperately, she clawed at the man’s T-shirt. A garbled scream escaped her lips.

  “Shhh… all that will do is piss me off more than I already am, and we don’t want that, do we?” He leaned in close to whisper the ominous threat, his lips skimming along her jaw. The scrape of his stubble rubbed against the soft skin of her cheek.

  She tried to shake her head no, but his grip on her throat would not allow it.

  He spread his legs wide before tilting his hips forward, pressing into her body. He was a large beast of a man. Both his size and voice were frightening. Intimidating.

  He ran the back of his knuckles down her cheek. “Now, you are going to be a good girl and obey me.”

  Chloe tried to convey her willingness with her eyes.

  He seemed to understand because he released his grip on her throat but shifted his hips as if to remind her he still held a portion of her body prisoner. As if she needed reminding.

  With a warning look in her direction, he flicked on the switch by her shoulder.

  Chloe blinked as the room flooded with light. The moment her eyes had adjusted, she got her first real look at the stranger who had f
orced his way into her cabin. If he had not been holding her against the wall, her knees would have given out in sheer fright. Jesus Christ! The man looked like the type of prison thug you only saw in the movies…or mug shots on the news. Impossibly tall, his chest and arms were thick with muscle. He had a neck tattoo. A goddamn neck tattoo. Piercing blue eyes watched her with amusement.

  “You like what you see, babygirl?”

  Oh God, thought Chloe. She had survived one horror this night only to end up being raped and murdered by this man.

  Maybe it was what she deserved.

  He ran a finger over her collarbone and then traced the V-neck edge of her pink T-shirt.

  Chloe bit her lip to keep from crying out. Her fists were clenched so hard, her palms hurt from where her fingernails bit into them.

  Still he taunted her. His finger slowly ran up and down the edge of her neckline, till it dipped into the low vee. Hooking his finger into the flimsy, damp fabric, he pulled it toward him.

  Chloe cried out in alarm and started to raise her arms in defense.

  “Don’t,” he ordered.

  She had no choice but to lower them helplessly to her sides.

  Her T-shirt gaped open, exposing her to his intense gaze.

  Chloe closed her eyes in mortification. The generous top curves of her breasts, encased in delicate white lace, were clearly on display. A small pink design was embroidered right in the center of her bra, nestling in her cleavage.

  The stranger raised one dark eyebrow. “Hello Kitty?”

  Chloe slowly nodded her head.

  “Later I’m going to want a closer look at this cute bra, but for now, we have some business to attend to.”

  A warm tear escaped the corner of her eye. Later? Her stomach twisted.

  Her cabin was isolated and hard to reach during the day, let alone during a torrential storm in the middle of the night. Even if she were willing to call the police, they would never reach her in time. It would take Glennie’s small force at least an hour to respond to her call for help. She shuddered to think what this dangerous man could do to her in the span of an hour.

  “Please,” she choked out. “The stones are in my office. In the safe.”

  “Stones?”

  “The diamonds. Just take them.”

  The man chuckled, the sinister sound devoid of any mirth.

  “I don’t give a fuck about any diamonds.”

  “Then what do you want?”

  The moment the question left her lips, she knew it was a mistake.

  The man leaned in with his hips. The hard ridge of his arousal pressed against her stomach.

  Chloe whimpered as she shifted her body to the side, desperately trying to break his hold.

  What kind of man turned down diamonds? A crazy fuck, that’s who.

  Chloe didn’t trust anyone who claimed to not be interested in money. Money was cold, unfeeling. Straightforward. Every horrible moment in her fucked up, twisted life could be traced back to someone else’s need for money. At least it made things uncomplicated. There was no wondering about a reason, no need for deep self-reflection or even that elusive idea of closure or meaning. She knew why. It was money. Always money.

  There was only one other thing besides money that could influence a person’s actions. Sex.

  She could feel the ominous power of his intention as he used his body to cage hers.

  She would not give in without a fight. Clenching her small hand into a fist, she lashed out. The fifteen carat, vintage amethyst ring she always wore caught him on the cheekbone. A droplet of blood trickled from the scratch caused by one of the diamond accents.

  He raised two fingertips to swipe at the blood. Keeping his eyes trained on hers, his tongue flicked out to taste the crimson drop.

  Watching him, she could almost taste the metallic tang on her own tongue.

  “I was hoping you would fight me. It will make this all so much easier.”

  Her scream was lost in the deep, dark woods.

  Chapter 2

  Logan placed his hand over her mouth. “You need to knock that shit off, or I’ll shut your mouth up another way.”

  He was almost disappointed when she complied. He would have liked to have had an easy excuse to press his cock past those pink, lip-glossed lips of hers. From the stubborn glint in her eyes, Logan was sure she would give him another reason soon.

  After all, she had information he needed, and he was prepared to get it by any means necessary.

  “Good girl,” he said as he removed his hand. “Now, are you going to continue to be nice and obedient for me, and tell me everything I want to know?”

  She looked downward, hiding her soft gray eyes from him, before nodding.

  “That’s strike one,” he warned.

  Startled eyes rose again as her sweet mouth opened on a gasp.

  “Let’s try this again. Perhaps I wasn’t being direct enough. Where the fuck is Chad?”

  Her head jerked when he said the name. From his position, pressed along her body, he could feel her short, rapid breaths as her chest rose and fell.

  “I… I… don’t know anyone named Chad.” Her voice was low and hoarse.

  “That’s strike two.”

  She paused as her eyes flicked back downward. Licking her lips, she repeated her previous lie. “Please. I’m telling you the truth. I don’t know anyone named Chad.”

  “And that’s three.”

  Logan leaned back and grabbed her thin T-shirt in both hands. Wrenching the garment upwards, he forced her arms up high. Keeping the damp, pink fabric around her wrists, he ruthlessly twisted it tight, effectively securing them.

  “No! No! Stop!” she screamed as she twisted her hips and helplessly pulled against his impromptu binding of her wrists.

  Fisting the fabric between her bound wrists, Logan shifted his weight. Raising his knee, he pressed it high between her legs. The moment his knee made contact with her jean-clad cunt, she stilled, like a rabbit caught in a predator’s snare.

  With his free hand, Logan reached down inside his black biker boot to withdraw the bowie knife he always kept handy.

  “Oh God! Please don’t kill me,” she pleaded.

  “Shh…” he soothed.

  He pressed the blade against her soft skin, slipping it under her left bra strap. Carefully twisting the blade, the knife easily sliced through the thin elastic.

  His captive whimpered but stayed still.

  Logan sucked air sharply through his clenched teeth. Jesus, he liked the sound of her frightened mews as her body nervously shifted against his own. He could just imagine the vibrations of that same whimper against his cock as he forced it deep down her throat. Or how she would sound pleading with him to stop as he strapped that plump, curved ass of hers with his belt. She was a pretty little package. Large gray eyes were framed with thick black lashes. High cheekbones were tinted a bright pink. Her dark brown hair was the color of leather, just long enough for a man to grab and wrap around his fist.

  Logan flicked his wrist and quickly cut her other bra strap.

  The thin lace material immediately sagged under the soft weight of her breasts, clinging only to the tips, denying him a look at her nipples. Would they be pink like her lips or darker, he wondered?

  He placed the end of the knife between her breasts, pressing the metal tip to her skin, although careful not to draw blood. Slowly, he sliced through the cartoon kitten in the center. The fabric gave with a snap. The lace cups fell away, exposing her generous curves to his gaze.

  She turned her head toward the wall, squeezing her eyes shut as tiny white teeth bit down on her plump lower lip.

  Momentarily releasing his hold on the T-shirt that secured her wrists, Logan adjusted his stance and pierced the wet fabric with his knife, driving the blade deeply into the wall. Once again, she was immobile. Bound. Vulnerable.

  Her skin felt cool and damp to his touch as he placed both hands on her breasts, cupping each underside curve.

/>   Her head swung violently back. Her beautiful eyes narrowed in a defiant glare. He watched as she tested the binds on her wrists. The wet, twisted T-shirt held tight. He could feel the muscles of her right thigh tense. Sensing her next move, he swiftly placed his knee back between her legs.

  “Can’t have you kneeing the jewels, babygirl. I would be no good to you later,” he quipped. “Let’s try this again.” Logan lightly pinched her left nipple between his forefinger and thumb. “Where is Chad?”

  Her voice faltered as she murmured, “I don’t know where he is.”

  “Progress. You at least admit you know him. The problem, baby,” Logan leaned in close as he whispered against her open lips, “is I can tell you’re still lying to me.” He gave her pert nipple a quick twist.

  Chloe cried out, though he figured it was more from surprise than pain as he knew he wasn’t twisting that hard.

  “People have all sorts of tells. A lowered gaze, a long pause before responding.” Logan caressed the pulse point at the base of her throat with the side of his thumb. “Rapid breath.”

  The delicate skin of her throat fluttered under the slight pressure of his thumb. Her breath quick and short.

  “I have already given you more than three strikes. Trust me. You don’t want to know what happens if you lie to me one more time.”

  Logan ran the back of his knuckles down the slope of her breast. They were just to his taste. More than a handful but not too big. He liked when they were big enough to bounce when he had a woman on top riding his cock, but still high and perky. He rolled her nipple between his fingers. A subtle threat of more pain.

  “That piece of shit you call an ex-boyfriend was headed here, Chloe. Now, if you are hiding him….”

  “He can rot in hell. I’m not hiding that bastard.” Chloe ground out her response between clenched teeth.