Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
What if he’s right?
What if it’s me who’s imagining all this captivity stuff?
It still doesn’t make sense, though.
If I chose anyone, it’d be Gareth, not Caius. There’s no way in hell we’re a couple. I don’t believe it. I can’t.
“I’m…not…” I croak out, shuddering. “One…of you.”
So much for playing along.
Back to prison I go.
Romy
“I’m hungry.”
Gareth smirks at me. He’s still carrying me as though I weigh nothing. We’ve gone through several hallways too quickly for me to try to memorize and are now back in the elevator.
“If you stop being crazy, you can eat like a normal person,” Gareth teases. “You’ve got to get it together, silly girl.”
I don’t like how there’s a familiar way in which he speaks to me. Like we’re old friends. Like we have history. It reminds me of Bastian.
My heart clenches in my chest at the thought of my brother.
I miss him so much.
“Hey,” Gareth croons. “I’ll get you food. Don’t cry.”
This only makes me cry more. I desperately try to hold it in, but I’m overwhelmed with defeat and despair. My whole body quakes with sobs.
He gently pats me as he steps out of the elevator. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
God, how I want to believe in his words.
I squeeze my eyes shut and attempt to stop the tears. By the time we reach the door to the guest room I’d left not too long ago, I’ve got my emotions under control.
“I wish I could take a bath,” I croak out.
He pauses, frowns, and then cocks his head. “You can.”
“Where?”
His lips quirk on one side. “I know a place.”
He turns on his heel and heads back in the direction we came. When he stops halfway down the hallway, I pick up the scent of cigars.
“Is this your room?”
“It’s where I chill when I need to get away from everyone,” Gareth says as he pushes through the door. “I actually live in a small cabin nearby.”
My interest piques at that kernel of information. “Where are we?”
He strides through the lounge area with leather chairs, a bar with stools, shelves full of books, and a sleek MacBook Pro sitting on a coffee table.
I wonder if I could use it to reach out for help.
And how will I tell them where I’m at?
I need more information.
We pass through a bedroom and then enter a bathroom. This whole hotel or wherever we’re at is confusing. None of the rooms are the same. It’s been remodeled for these weirdos, and something tells me there’s a lot more to uncover.
The bathroom Gareth brings me into is a carbon copy of all the ones I’ve seen in this place, except this one also has a clawfoot bathtub.
“Can you stand?” he asks.
“I think so.”
He carefully sets me to my feet. Since I’m feeling woozy, I automatically reach out to grab onto him so I don’t fall. His touch is soft as he holds onto my waist to steady me.
“You good?” His eyes burn into me as he looks over my face, causing heat to prickle at my skin. “Caius will kill me if I let you get hurt.”
Hearing that man’s name is the splash of cold water I need to break Gareth’s weird spell. I shiver again.
Slowly, Gareth releases me and then reaches into the bathtub to start the water. I stand in place, shivering violently as he finds a bottle of bubble bath under the sink and pours a healthy glob into the water. The scent of lavender and honey fills the bathroom as it mixes with the hot water.
“I’ll let you get undressed. While you do that, I’ll get you some food. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
I nod and watch him leave. Once the door is closed behind him, I quickly strip my soaked clothes off, eager to get into the hot water. With my eyes on the door, I step into the tub, wincing slightly at the temperature. I don’t dare turn it colder, though. The idea of sinking into the scalding water and soaking my achy bones is too tempting to ignore.
After several seconds of standing in the water, trying to get acclimated to it, I force myself to sit. The last thing I want is for Gareth to come back and see me naked. I still don’t trust these men. I don’t want to tempt him in any way.
I hiss when my butt touches the water and then again when it rests on the bottom. My feet, legs, and rear end are bruised from hitting the bottom of the pool. At least it’s not my tailbone and nothing is broken. Small victories.
By the time Gareth returns, the water has filled nearly to the top and the bubbles fluff out around me, hiding my nakedness. He doesn’t try to catch a peek, which is a relief.