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)
Shaking my head as I admire the box, I say, “No way. I think I can get it done in three. I’m going to try.”
Theo, though he’s definitely crushing on me, reminds me some of Bastian. My brother was the one who got me involved in puzzles in the first place. When I was a young girl and having trouble coping with horrible things I went through, he brought me a jigsaw puzzle meant for an older child. He sat with me for an entire day as we put it together. That day was the first one in a while that I was able to turn off all the bad stuff and completely zone out. After that, I was addicted.
“Thanks again for the rescue,” I say to him before leaning over the center console to kiss his cheek. “Want to come inside?”
He grunts before adjusting himself in his jeans. “Not a good idea. You should go.”
I follow where he points and discover Caius standing under the carport, staring at us from the shadows. What a creep.
“Ugh,” I groan.
Before I can climb out, Theo grabs my arm, stopping me. When I glance over at him, his eyebrows are pinched with worry. “Be careful. What you just did… That stuff can’t happen. It’s dangerous.”
“Because of Caius?”
“He has demons,” Theo says softly. “They’re deeply hidden, but we all know they’re there. Just don’t push him too far. I don’t think I could protect you from him.”
So Theo can protect me from the burly, slightly unhinged, possibly sexual predator Gareth, but the cold, calculating Caius is the bigger problem. Somehow, I fail to see that logic.
“You know it’s going to have to be you who gets me out of here one day,” I tell him softly. “Soon.”
Theo hangs his head, neither agreeing nor denying. It’s comforting to know that I’m at least penetrating his heart. One day maybe I’ll fully convince him.
I blurt out a goodbye to Theo and then climb out of his vehicle. Rather than walking straight into the house, I make my way over to Caius. I’m compelled to look him straight in the eyes, letting him know he can’t intimidate me by hiding in the shadows wearing his sourpuss face.
“I thought you ran away,” Caius states, voice sharp like a blade.
“You didn’t put much effort into finding me.”
“Survival out here is impossible. It would’ve been a fruitless effort.” He inclines his head to the side. “Either you’d come back, or you’d die.”
Does he mean the elements, the wildlife, the unbearably cold temperature? Or is it more sinister than that? Could he know what sort of feral beast lurks beneath Gareth’s carefully arranged facade?
“Problem solved, huh?”
“The problems would exponentially multiply,” he reveals, baring his gleaming white teeth at me. “I said I like a challenge, not total annihilation of my life.”
At least I know he still needs me to stay alive. Being the youngest daughter of one of the wealthiest, most well-known families on the East Coast has its perks.
“Don’t worry,” I mutter, hugging the puzzle box to my chest. “As long as you keep Gareth away from me, we’re good.”
He tenses slightly, but I pick up on it. So Gareth is the one he thought might be the reason for my demise. And why does he even care? Rather than divulging anything else to me, he barks out an order in his usual dismissive tone.
“Get packed up, little girl. We have a big travel day ahead of us in the morning.”
Right. A trip on Solomon’s yacht. Lake Erie, here we come.
Romy
My head throbs when I open my eyes, the light making it hurt worse. All my muscles in my body ache and I wonder if my hike through the snow has anything to do with hit.
Or…
It reminds me of the day after the first time I was drugged.
Sure enough, I can feel a bruising pain on the outside of my arm. Injection site. This hangover-type feeling is the aftereffect of being drugged.
Overwhelming anger at my situation has tears burning my eyes. Rather than forcing my eyes open to take in my surroundings, knowing it’ll make my head pound worse, I attempt to remember last night.
I came back to Caius being a prick. Then I packed like he demanded. After that, when unable to focus on my new puzzle, I’d crawled into bed and fallen asleep early. Vaguely, I remember Caius joining me in bed, his body coming close to mine. I’d pretended to still be asleep, curious to see what he’d do. Instead of his hand caressing me, I felt a pinch on my arm. And then…nothing. Until now.
Fury chases away my helplessness and I force my eyes open. Warm yellow light makes me cringe. I shade my eyes with my hand. In front of me, Gareth watches with a crooked smile. Sadistic asshole.