Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Apollo must sense me staring at him. He always slept on edge and was ready to pounce at any moment. Insomnia was his best friend, and I remember how he never stayed in bed with me. Never. He paced the house like a lion in a too-small cage.
“Good morning, wife,” he says with a husky voice and a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. He sits up and stretches, revealing his bare chest as he does so.
I try not to look but justify my gawking by saying it’s merely out of habit.
A bad habit.
I need fucking rehab from this man.
“When I came back into the room last night,” he says, “I found you sleeping all wrapped in white fur like a little bunny. I liked it. My little bunny.”
Calling me a damn bunny, and the fuck that I’m in a cage like an animal, any thoughts that the man is handsome wash away and are replaced with rage.
“I need to use the restroom,” I snarl as I try to not picture myself clawing his eyes out like a caged tiger would do. If I focus too much on causing this man pain, then I will act out the minute I can, and I know that wouldn’t be a wise move. I have to out think this man.
Apollo gets out of bed in nothing but a pair of underwear and walks over to the cage with disheveled hair and sleepy eyes. He grabs a set of keys that rests on a dresser nearby—but not close enough for me to reach while I’m in the cage—and opens my prison.
“Come on,” he says.
I climb out of the cage, dragging the fur blanket behind me.
“Leave the blanket,” he says firmly.
I freeze, considering telling him to go fuck himself, but do as he asks instead. I need to use the restroom now and don’t have the time or energy to fight the man… Yet.
Once I cross over the entrance of the cage, Apollo helps me the rest of the way. He then takes my upper arm and leads me out of his room, down the hallway that looks upon the foyer below us, and into a bathroom.
“There're towels, shampoo, soap and stuff in there if you’d like to take a shower. There’s also a drawer with spare toothbrushes and toothpaste. Everything you should need to get yourself cleaned up is in there. If there isn’t, let me know. I’ll send for someone to deliver it,” Apollo says, surprising me with his hospitality.
Am I a guest in his house or a kidnapped victim locked in an animal’s cage?
“Can I have my clothes back?” I ask.
“No.”
“You just said if I needed anything to ask.”
“You’ll remain naked while here,” he informs.
“Which is for how long? You still haven’t told me—”
“Go into the bathroom,” he interrupts.
Part of me wants to continue to press and find out exactly what Apollo has in store for me, but I don’t wait for him to change his mind while he’s being hospitable, even though he’s forcing me to remain nude.
When I close the door behind me, it’s the first time I feel somewhat human since being kidnapped. I have privacy. No one is staring at me. No one is holding my arm. There is no cage.
There is also not a window big enough to crawl out and to escape from. There is one way in and one way out.
Chapter
Sixteen
Daphne
I consider walking out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around me but think better of it. I’m pretty sure Apollo will have me remove it and will most likely punish me for trying. It was nice to take a shower, brush my teeth, and I even blew my hair dry. I expected Apollo to bang on the door telling me I was taking too long and to come out immediately, or even charge in himself since there isn’t a lock on the door, but he never did. He allowed me to take my time, which I did.
Plus, I’m not exactly looking forward to going back inside that cage.
I have to remain calm, obedient, and act like the submissive wife who clearly Apollo wants.
I know my time will come where I can figure out a way out of this mess… if I can just stay level-headed.
And patient.
Caged or not, I have to remain steadfast and not try to kill the asshole with my bare hands. Even if I did, he has a ruthless family who would seek revenge. Getting rid of one Godwin would just unleash the wrath of more gods.
Mustering up the courage to walk outside and face Apollo—naked—I open the door with a shaky hand.
“Did you enjoy your shower?” Apollo asks as soon as the door opens.
Apollo clearly has taken a shower of his own. He’s fully clothed in black slacks and a black button-down shirt. His hair is brushed to perfection like it always is. Just like the first day I met him, the man appears dapper. He even smells good. His cologne wafts around his body.