Chapter Three
MADDIE
I’ve been a hostage for two days. Hostage might be a stretch, considering they aren’t torturing me, and I’m allowed to eat and basically do whatever I want—as long as I don’t try to escape.
Ty is nice so far, but Eric acts like he has a permanent stick up his ass. I’ve learned that they work for and report directly to Victoria, not her dad. Neither of them knew what their mission was before coming here and were told shortly before my arrival. I’m good at asking the right questions even if they hadn’t meant to tell me that information. Eric scowls at Ty anytime he talks to me, but I’m bored as fuck. If I don’t talk to someone, I’ll go insane.
The cameras freak me out a little, but after a day, I stopped looking up at them. I know she can see me, which means I have to play along in her game and behave until I can leave. I hate not knowing what’s going on and how long I’ll be here, but she won’t tell me anyway so I don’t bother asking.
I miss Liam even though I’m pissed at him.
I miss the way we teased each other.
I miss his touch. His lips. His large hands.
I miss the way he’d look at me as if he couldn’t help but stare. Like he wanted to devour me.
But he lied or, rather, kept the truth from me. And that’s what keeps a fire lit under my pain. After everything we’ve been through, he didn’t even have the courtesy to tell me Victoria was pregnant.
It’s almost eleven, and after sleeping all night and half the morning, I’m energized and ready to do something. There’s a hot tub outside, but I didn’t pack my swimsuit. I could wear shorts and a sports bra, but I have a feeling that’d be frowned upon.
Instead of letting myself go crazy, I decide to change into some leggings and a leotard. If I can’t go to class, I might as well practice. First, I’ll do some stretches and meditation and then work on some dance techniques.
I pull my hair up into a ballerina bun and saunter into the living room, which is honestly as big as Liam and Mason’s entire house. The sectional sofa takes up one side and expensive looking chairs are on the other. If I wasn’t a ball of nerves, I might actually enjoy the space and binge-watch TV shows.
Scrolling through the channels, I can only find a yoga class for beginners and decide it’s better than nothing. Eric’s in the corner watching my every move, an annoying shadow that never goes away, but the moment I hear Ty clear his throat, I nearly lose my tree pose balance. I haven’t seen him all morning, and he just shows up out of nowhere.
“I’ve got it from here,” Ty tells Eric. “You can go on break.”
“I don’t need a break,” Eric argues, keeping his stance firm.
“Too bad. Boss wants you to call her,” Ty retorts, his eyes burning into Eric’s.
They stare at each other, neither moving nor speaking.
What the fuck?
“Or you could both leave because I’m a big fucking girl and don’t need a babysitter,” I blurt out, then smirk when they turn and glare at me. “I’m not going anywhere, geesh. I don’t even know where I am, and I’m not dumb enough to start running in a random direction outside in the middle of nowhere. I’ve watched plenty of horror movies and know that never ends well. So if you two need to have a lover’s spat in private, I’ll be right here doing yoga when you return.” I tilt my head and smile sweetly.
Eric looks as if he wants to strangle me, his dark eyes turning to slits as he scowls.
Ty has the faintest smirk on his lips that he tries to hide with a fake cough.
“I’ll be back in twenty.” Eric breaks the silence, then stomps out of the room like a man-child. My eyes follow him until he’s out of sight.
“I think your best friend hates me,” I tease before turning back to the TV and moving into the same position as the teacher.
Ty stands on the opposite wall with his hands folded in front of him. He’s not buff like Liam, but tall and lean like a swimmer. His biceps bulge from his shirt, and it’s hard not to notice his muscles. Ty looks like he’s a fast runner, which means even if I did try to run, he’d catch up to me in half a second.
“Would you mind grabbing me a bottle of water?” I ask as I switch into downward dog.
“I’m here to watch you, not wait on you.”
“And you’ll be performing CPR when I lose my breath and pass out,” I retort. Stretching, I move my body until my eyes are on the ceiling. “Hope you’ve been trained for that.”
I risk a glance at him and see the corner of his lips tilt up just the tiniest bit. He’s amused, but he tries to hide it.
“You remind me of my boyfriend,” I tell him when I stand and exhale. “Well, probably ex-boyfriend now that he hid the truth from me, and I ended up here with you.” I flash him a sarcastic smile. Not to mention he’s married to another woman. Legit or not, he’s still legally bound to her. “He was all quiet and reserved around me too, but I eventually broke him down.” Lifting my arms above my head, I shift from side to side and stretch my muscles. “Took me a bit, but now that I’m well-practiced, I’ll be much faster at breaking through next time.”
Ty shifts uncomfortably as if he’s trying to keep a straight face since there are cameras. He’s more easygoing than Eric, and if I have any chance of getting out of here, Ty’s my ticket.
“Maddie.” Ty and I turn to face Eric who’s standing behind us. “You need to respond to a text so your phone will stop blowing up.”
I walk eagerly toward him with Ty on my heels. I hadn’t known where my cell was until now, but it makes sense that Victoria would have them keep it. If I don’t respond to my sisters after a couple of days, it’ll send a million red flags, and after Sophie’s kidnapping last year, they won’t think twice about reporting me missing.
“There are rules…” Eric warns harshly. “You can use it with supervision only. Type out your message, then one of us will read it and give you permission to send. Failure to cooperate will result in consequences.” He repositions himself so I can see the two guns in his shoulder holster. “Text your sisters only.”
Nodding, I look at the screen and see twenty-five unread messages with ten from Liam. The others are from Sophie and Lennon. Along with over a dozen missed calls and voicemails.
Liam: I know you didn’t leave willingly. If by any chance you get this, give me some kind of clue to where you are. I’m going crazy.
Liam: I won’t let her do anything to you. I swear, Mads. I miss you and will do whatever it takes to get you back.
Liam: When this is over, please let me explain. I know you’re mad at me right now, and you have every right to be, but what we have is stronger than this. Please.
I clench my jaw, unable to keep reading his messages. I’m so pissed at him, even if my heart aches for his touch. I miss the way he’d whisper my name as our bodies unraveled together, the way he’d hold me, and the way he’d suffer through hours of mindless TV and movies because he knew it made me happy.