Page 59 of Bound By Blood

She climbed off the bed and headed to the door. She tried the knob, but it wouldn’t turn. She ran to the window, whipped back the curtains, and reached for the window locks only to freeze. On the outside, there were bars against her window, and she was on the third floor.

Outside the window sprawled endless land and a setting sun that painted the wispy clouds in gold and coral hues.

No one. Not a soul, not a house, not a highway.

She was alone.

She snarled. She truly was a prisoner wherever she was. If she stayed, she knew she was as good as dead.

Turning full circle, Carly contemplated her situation. She may have been a prisoner, but it didn’t explain the nice room. She would have pictured a dungeon or something as equally as menacing with duct tape over her mouth and ropes around her wrist while she sat on a chair with uneven legs. Either way, this would not have a good outcome for her. She would bet her last dollar on that.

Huffing, Carly headed to the bathroom to find some sort of weapon. Anything sharp would do. Hell, bobby pins to try to pick the lock would be helpful too.

The bathroom’s marble tiles were cold against her feet. She flicked on the lights, illuminating the large space that chased away the shadows. To her right was a large walk-in shower with the biggest showerhead she’d ever seen. The vanity was directly in front of her, the counters matching the floor. The vanity and the mirror were longer than she was tall.

She bent down and wasted no time in searching the drawers. All she came up with was a travel-sized brush and toiletries. She slammed them shut with anger and defeat. There was nothing in here to protect herself.

Leaving the bathroom, she headed to the door next to the bathroom. She opened it and found a walk-in closet. There was nothing on the hangers, but in the middle were her suitcase and her shoes. She was still wearing the clothes she was kidnapped in, and she probably stunk, but she wasn’t going to do anything about that now. Not until she came up with a plan.

From in the closet, she could hear people outside her bedroom. She exited the closet quietly and crossed the room to the door. She pressed her ear to the wood and tried to pick up the conversation, but they were already headed away from her.

She slammed her palm against the door. “Let me out!”

There was no answer, but the footsteps paused.

“Let me out, assholes!”

Still, no answer. The footsteps continued on until the silence stretched once again.

She growled, turned around, and slammed her back against the door. They could have at least had the courtesy to bring her water. Her throat was as dry as the desert.

Tears threaten to spill down her cheeks. No one was coming for her. Landon would have come by now if he could. Lily didn’t even know where she was. She probably thought she was still with Landon on their trip. Hell, she didn’t even know what the trip was for. Carly could be gone for more than a week, for all Lily knew.

She went to sit on the edge of the bed and thought about her predicament until the sun disappeared and the room grew dark. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but the knock on the door startled her out of her woeful thoughts.

Was she supposed to say, ‘enter’?

They didn’t wait for a reply before the door was unlocked and opened. A hand immediately flicked on the lights, and Carly blinked and shielded her eyes at the sudden change. When her eyes adjusted, she took in her visitors.

A regal man in a pressed black suit that was left unbuttoned in the front stood just inside her bedroom. Next to him was a man who held a tray of food and looked like he’d rather be anywhere else than standing next to the one who could only be Drayton Creed. She immediately recognized him from the pictures she had seen of him.

Fear took over first. She hadn’t realized . . . He was her captor. That just made the entire situation so much worse. How the hell was she going to get away from Drayton fucking Creed?

“Where am I?” was the first thing that popped out of her mouth.

Drayton looked her over with a wrinkle on the bridge of his nose. “At my estate.” He stepped farther into the room so that he was only a few feet from her. She could smell the faint scent of his expensive cologne from here. “Do you know who I am?”

She may have never met him before, but everyone in Gravesdale knew who Drayton Creed was. Plus, he had certain features that reminded her of Landon. She knew she had to play this carefully. She didn’t want to find out how ruthless he could be.

“You’re Landon’s father.”

He gave her a faint smile that would be attractive if she knew he wasn’t such a tyrant. “Correct.”

“I’d shake your hand, but I really don’t care.” She jutted her chin, trying to seem more confident than she felt. “Let me go.”

He stuffed his hands into his suit pockets, and the smile slipped from his lips until they were pressed into a fine line. “You won’t be going anywhere.”

“And why not?” Carly crossed her arms over her chest. “You can’t keep me here. I’m pretty sure holding someone hostage is illegal.”