The woman flinched but still didn’t respond. With a huff of frustration, I turned my back on her, focusing instead on the food. It smelled delicious, but no way could I trust it. There was no telling what might have been done to it, and I refused to let my guard down, even for a moment.
As the woman left the room, I made my move. With a surge of adrenaline, I lunged for the door, slipping through the narrow opening just as it began to close. The hallway beyond was well lit and unfamiliar. Any other day, I’d have said it was beautiful, butI didn’t hesitate as my bare feet pounded against the cold stone floor, and I sprinted toward what I hoped was freedom.
“Hey!” the woman yelled, her voice high-pitched with alarm.
I ignored her, pushing myself harder, faster.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Footsteps echoed behind me, but fear lent me speed, and I refused to give up. I would escape this place no matter what it took. “Fuck you.”
As I turned the corner, I skidded to a stop. A massive, burly guard, with his arms crossed beneath his broad chest, and a menacing scowl etched on his face, stood in the corridor. His imposing figure blocked my path. I wasn’t going anywhere without a fight.
“Going somewhere?” he asked in a deep, gravelly voice. He did not sound amused.
“Get out of my way,” I snarled, trying to sound brave. If Ty were here, he’d fight for me. But I was alone—I had to be my own hero.
“Nice try, but you’re not going anywhere.” The guard took a step toward me, cracking his knuckles menacingly.
“Watch me.” I tensed my muscles, preparing for the fight of my life.
He lunged with surprising speed for someone of his size, but I was quicker. Ducking under his outstretched arm, I tried to slip past him. However, he recovered rapidly, and he grabbed me by the waist before slamming me against the wall. Pain exploded in my back, and I barely bit back a cry of agony.
I thrashed wildly in his grip. “Let go of me!”
The goon was too strong. His iron-like fingers dug into my neck, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
“Give it up, girl,” he growled in my ear, his breath hot against my skin. “You’re not getting out of here.”
My vision blurred. If I didn’t act fast, I’d pass out. With one last surge of strength, I slammed my elbow against the side of his head. He grunted in surprise and released me just long enough for me to slip from his grasp.
My victory was short-lived. Before I made it more than a few steps away, the guard tackled me, pinning me to the floor under his massive weight. My arms were trapped, and no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn’t break free.
“Enough,” he said. “You put up a good fight, but it’s over now.”
As he hauled me to my feet and dragged me down the hallway toward my prison, despair crept in. My escape attempt had failed. I was once again at the mercy of my captors.
The guard’s grip was unyielding, his face an emotionless mask as he shoved me into the room. I stumbled a couple of steps before regaining my balance and spinning around to glare at him just as the door slammed shut with a loud bang. The lock clicked into place, sealing me in my prison once more.
“Damn it.” I kicked the door in frustration. Pain shot up my leg, but it did nothing to quell the anger boiling inside me.
“I tried to warn you.”
“Fuck you.” I was right back where I’d started, locked in a room with no way out.
“I’m not surprised you tried to escape, but even if you managed to get out of this house, there’s only miles of forest waiting for you. You’d be lost in no time.”
“Thanks for the pep talk,” I said sarcastically. “Really helpful.” Despite my snarky response, I had a sinking feeling the voice was right. I’d never been good with directions, and the thought of wandering around aimlessly in the wilderness was almost as terrifying as being held captive.
Okay, a bit less terrifying.
“Your safest bet is to remain in the house,”he continued. Yeah, right.“At least here you have some chance of staying alive.”
“Alive, but still a prisoner.” I flung myself onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling.”
“Sometimes survival is all we can hope for,”he said softly. He sounded almost sad, as though he understood the gravity of my situation better than I did.
“Who are you?” I hissed. “Why won’t you help me?”
