As soon as I’m ready, I head back inside the room and see her watching me with fury blazing from her eyes. She opens her mouth to scream and I say firmly, “Scream all you like, there is nobody around to hear you. Now, I’ll be gone for a few hours, so you may want to get some sleep because when I return, you’ll be put to work.”
She just stares at me in utter disbelief and says incredulously, “Are you serious?”
Looking around, she takes in the confined space that was not designed for comfort and I see her shivering as the air conditioning hits her naked flesh.
I nod and grab my jacket, saying in a rough voice. “I am always serious; you will soon learn that first-hand.”
“But what if I need to use the, um, facilities; what if I die of dehydration, even a dog is better cared for than this?”
She has a point, so I nod and head outside the room with a terse, “Wait there.”
Once I’ve found what I need, I head back and her eyes widen in disbelief as I hold up a bucket and a bottle of water and say firmly, “I’m going to unlock the cage and throw these in. If you make any attempt to escape, I will punish you—severely.”
I frown and she scoots away nervously until her back is against the cage wall and says fearfully, “You are serious—aren’t you?”
I nod and unlock the cage and throw the items inside. As I turn the key, I say darkly, “Benefits need to be earned and this is how you will live until you learn to obey my commands. The sooner you do, the easier your life will be.”
I ignore the terror in her eyes and the fact her breathing is shallow. I ignore the large eyes that are begging me for mercy and I ignore the sight of the tears building in them. I even ignore the fact she is obviously freezing because I need to break this woman before I can re-build her and I’m hoping that when I return, she will be in a more agreeable mood.
Chapter 3
Riley
Ok, I’ve had better days. In fact, it’s difficult to think of a worse one. Strangely, my only thought as he left was, ‘why are the hot ones always weird?’ And he is hot, so hot I can feel the heat tearing through my body as I picture him.
Seriously good looking with that whole bad boy vibe. Dark hair, almost black eyes and a body that wouldn’t look out of place on a center spread as ‘man of the week’. In fact, as I picture this man, I feel my body reacting to just the memory of him, proving just how fucked I am. Maybe I had too much sun and I’m delirious. Maybe that rat poisoned me on impact and I’m really in hospital locked in some dark place in my mind. Perhaps I really did face-plant the marble and was knocked unconscious and am now in the darkest recess of my mind. I certainly hope so because if this is reality, I am seriously screwed. It’s obvious what he wants from me and the worst thing of all is, I’m interested to find out what that would feel like.
Sitting on the floor of the cage, I draw my legs to my chest and try to stop my body from shivering so violently. I must be in shock. I’m having a strange spasm and he will probably find my body later when I die from shock. It happens—I guess.
As I look around, I see the trappings of wealth and wonder why he’s doing this. Surely, he’s rich enough to find a willing girl to play with. This is so strange because who the hell kidnaps a random girl and holds her hostage in a cage?
Mr Romano.
The fear in the receptionist’s eyes makes me think back on a moment in time I should have taken notice. Her expression alone should have warned me this was not a good idea and now, here I am, shivering almost naked in a cage, locked in the lair of a madman.
After a while, I look around and try to see a way out of here. Maybe I could reach out and grab something to pick the lock, or make some noise, alerting security to an intruder in the room. However, this room appears impossibly large and there is nothing within reaching distance at all. Just a luxurious room that I should be beyond excited to be in, not this weird parallel universe I appear to have fallen into.
Outside the window is nothing but the sky and a few lone sea birds flying past. Freedom—how I took that for granted. Thinking back on my pathetic attempts to persuade him let me go, make me cringe with embarrassment. There is nobody coming for me and I only have myself to blame for that. My family think I’m with Mark. They won’t expect to hear from me for a few weeks because they are on vacation themselves in Europe and my heart twists as I picture the cheating bastard probably holed up with the woman I found in our bed as we speak.
My thoughts drift to my deceitful boyfriend and I feel nothing but anger. Two wasted years with a man who promised me the world and delivered me a nightmare. We met at college and I thought he was everything I wanted. Popular, good looking and so funny my sides used to hurt from laughing. After graduation we both took jobs as lawyers in Boston and found a lovely apartment together near to the city. Then I found him screwing my best friend when I was meant to be visiting a friend. He didn’t know she canceled when I was on my way.
The tears bite as I remember the betrayal that knocked me for six and the worst thing of all, I did absolutely nothing. They never saw me. I just crept back outside and pretended I hadn’t seen anything. Then a few hours later, I returned home when I was sure she had gone and told him I was having second thoughts and wanted to end things. I thought he would fight for me—he didn’t. He seemed almost relieved as I packed my things and checked into a room in a nearby hotel. Then I booked this vacation to re-evaluate my life and this is where I’ve ended up. Locked in a cage in a monster’s paradise.
If I feel anything at this moment, it’s cold. I feel no warmth at all. My body is freezing inside and out and the icy blast from the air conditioning is causing my teeth to chatter. I just can’t get warm as I think about the impossible situation I’m in. What should I do? Maybe the best way of getting out of here alive is to pretend to go along with him. Humor him and make him think I’ve agreed to this whole weird set up. Then, when he’s distracted, I could run for help. I’m guessing that wouldn’t be far away, we are in a hotel after all. His hotel.
Who is this man? Thinking back, I remember the black suits that crowded around him and the fear in the receptionist’s eyes. Also, the fact I was pushed away so harshly by the men that surrounded the owner. Bodyguards? Maybe he’s such an asshole he needs them to beat off the many women he’s treated badly. I’m guessing I’m one of many because who the fuck has a cage big enough for a human inside their bedroom? A fucking weirdo, that’s who and it’s just my luck I attract them like bees around honey.
As I sit rocking inside my cage like a demented bird, I try to figure a way out of this crazy nightmare. The sun dips and the darkness rolls in and I’m not sure when I fell asleep, but it happens despite my fear. In fact, I am so deep into a delicious dream, it takes me a while to register I’m actually living a nightmare, until the sound of the metal door creaking open brings me back to the present and I feel myself being pulled from the cage across the carpeted floor. Then it goes dark.
A hoarse whisper makes my blood run cold as he says smoothly, “Wake up my angel, there will be no rest until you’ve earned it.”
I blink and my lashes hit fabric which tells me he’s tied something around my eyes and suddenly I’m wide awake.