Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 280(@200wpm)___ 224(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 280(@200wpm)___ 224(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he growls, “and I won’t hurt your mom. But no, I’m not relying on trust.”
“What does that mean?”
He leans lower. I’m almost sure of it now, a rock-hard pressure against my belly. If I had the space to look down, I might see his outline in his sweatpants. I’m panting, unsure what to do or if I should touch him. “My apartment completely locks down. You won’t be going anywhere, whether or not you want to. I’ll see you later.”
“See you…”
Gently, he takes my shoulders and pushes me backward. I expect to bump into the wall. Is he going to kiss me? Then I realize I’m standing in a corridor, staring at a hidden door in the wall. It’s already closing.
“Wait,” I yell. “You can’t leave me without an—”
It closes, showing an almost smooth section of the wall, except for some faint creases in the wallpaper. I turn to find a Great Dane sitting at the end of the corridor, watching me. We never had pets. I’m not usually afraid of dogs, but this one is staring with demon eyes. He’s got floppy ears, but somehow, they’re not cute.
He huffs, turns, and walks away. I carefully follow him, glancing into an open-plan living room with large windows. We’re so high up, nobody can see into here. We must be in the tallest apartment in the city or close to it. I find the front door, or what used to be the front door.
It’s a sheet of metal, gleaming, mocking. A moment later, a robotic voice announces, “Soundproofing enabled. Silence mode activated. Glass refraction altered. Entrances barred. User, please ration any food and use water appropriately. Use the approved word sequence with the recognized voice to alert law enforcement of your location. Thank you.”
Somehow, I doubt I’ll guess the word sequence, and I clearly don’t sound like Jamie.
I turn, almost jumping, when I see the dog sitting right next to me. How did such a big dog move so quietly? Like his owner, he’s deceptive for his size. He grunts, turns, and leads me into the kitchen, attached to the open-plan living area. He huffs and paws at a cabinet. It has some sort of child lock on it.
“Is this where the bad man keeps your treats, boy?” I ask, sounding defeated even to myself. What can I do? How can I escape?
The dog huffs again, causing his nametag to swing back and forth. I lean close, relieved when I see his tail wagging. “Demon, huh? I guess it fits.”
I unlock the child lock and take out a treat. I’m tempted to let the dog feast, but I don’t want to make him sick. After handing him one, I walk across the living room and drop onto the couch. There’s nothing I can do.
For a girl—for a woman—who likes to think I have some control, this is almost worse than anything. There’s nothing I can do except sit here, my belly churning, my head exploding with all the evil things that could be happening to Mom. Maybe Jamie was lying about helping me. He could be going to hurt her right now, but I don’t believe it. I felt him in the elevator. I felt how badly he wanted me. I don’t understand why he’d get like that unless he’s a sicko who’s turned on by destroying lives.
We almost kissed. I groan, stand up, and start pacing. It’s the only thing I can do: pace up and down, grind my teeth, and wonder why Jamie wouldn’t tell me anything.
CHAPTER SIX
Jamie
I drive through the city, sticking to the speed limit, hoping nobody saw me swing Lena’s car around to my hideout two streets over or saw her get into my car. Somebody probably saw the commotion on the street. I may have to change my plates or use my contacts.
I could’ve given her some answers, but that would mean revealing what I did to her mom, Simone. I’m not sure it’s fair to think of it like that—in terms of what I did to her. We did it together, but I knew better. I was the one with all the power.
In the elevator, I couldn’t control myself. It was the worst setting, inappropriate as hell, but I couldn’t stop it. My manhood flooded and lust filled me up, making it difficult even to think. I was bursting from the base of my shaft, seed trying to reach her.
I could’ve held those hips again, squeezed tighter this time. It took everything I had not to pull her sweater up and sink my teeth into her hips, her curvaceous fullness. She’s thick in the best possible way.
“Focus, kid,” Imaginary Jack says, staring at me with his grizzled grey beard and scarred bald head. “Save her mother first. You can romance her later.”