Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
I couldn’t decide if it was good or even more alarming that his gaze stayed consistently on my face.
Was he sure there was no way for me to escape? What might I find outside of these doors?
It didn’t matter, I decided.
We were alone.
And if I could just get close enough to him to force the pill in his mouth, part of this would be over, I would be armed, and I could fight my way out.
The odds weren’t great.
But one thing I would have working in my favor, at least at first, would be that they would have orders not to kill me, and that they wouldn’t know for sure that Cain was dead until one of them checked.
It gave me time.
Now, I just had to get to the boss.
And, I guess, through his interest in me was how I was going to do it.
“Well, our last little meeting got cut short,” he said, and I had to work to keep my features neutral, to give him nothing to work with. Surprise was probably going to be my biggest asset with this whole situation. If I were being openly hostile the whole time, he would be suspicious about my sudden wish to get close to him.
“A little murder will do that,” I said, tone even, conversational.
“Was that not the right thing to do?” he asked. “When he put his hands on you?”
“He hurt me,” I said, shaking my head, going for hurt by the whole situation instead of enraged. I needed to see if his obsession had a softness to it, or simply a possessiveness.
“He was told not to touch you,” Cain said. “That you were mine.”
No softness then.
He didn’t care about what had happened to me, only that he wasn’t the one to do the damage.
I had no reservations about killing this sick son of a bitch before. But he just made it even easier. Since I knew what kind of torture would be ahead of me in the future.
“And what do you want with me?” I asked, casually standing, pretending to adjust my clothing as I did so, letting his gaze move over me.
He didn’t stiffen or try to grab me when I started moving around, acting more restless than anything.
“I have many plans for you, my dear,” he told me.
“The kind where other men will pay to see them?” I asked, letting my lip curl.
“Does that bother you?” he asked, seeming genuinely curious.
That was the thing when you lived in an echo chamber, surrounded only by people with your thoughts and beliefs. You lost sight of how horrified other people would be by them.
“I thought I was for you only,” I said, going ahead and letting my eyes look doeish for a second as I continued to pace around the room.
“You are,” he agreed.
“You won’t let everyone else see?” I asked, getting a little closer.
What was my move?
To sit on his lap?
Or was that too flirtatious? Would he see it as me trying to take charge of the situation? Something a guy like him probably wouldn’t be okay with.
I could trip.
Kind of… fall into him.
Catch him by surprise.
But what if I couldn’t right myself fast enough, get out the tablet, and get it in his mouth before the surprise wore off?
Taking a deep breath, I decided maybe something more direct would be best.
“They’ve already gotten their hands on me,” I said, stalking right in front of him, waving toward my face. “See what they did? They don’t listen to you,” I added.
Suspicion of the loyalty of his men was another distraction.
I had to keep him on his toes, keep him focused on anything but my motivations for what I was saying and doing.
“I will speak to them.”
“Didn’t you speak to them last time?” I asked, chin jerking up. “And he still came into my cell.”
“He was punished,” he said.
Then, before he could bring up my betrayal in the form of the bad gun and running away, I plunged my hand into my pocket.
“And look at this,” I said, grabbing the handful of beads and the tablet, then holding them out.
Close.
Very, very close.
As if to make him inspect them.
“They broke my favorite necklace,” I said, tone accusatory. “Some of the beads are missing now.”
“Well—“ he started, opening his mouth just enough.
I didn’t hesitate.
I pretty much just… slapped my hand over his mouth, shoving the tablet and all the beads inside as I kept my hand sealed there.
The shock had him jolt, then pause, unsure.
Then I was moving behind him as I kept the one hand over his mouth, pulling the belt from its hiding place in my bra, trying to loop it as he fought my hand, as he started to stand.
No time.
I released his mouth for one short second before grabbing the belt with two hands, and throwing it around his neck before he could get to his feet, where he would be out of reach.