Page 137 of Captivated

How had he gotten so close?

“Our room is down the hall,” he added, “and you have your own closet full of clothes, shoes, bags, and whatever else your heart might desire. Care to take a look at it with me?”

Like fuck.

She wasn’t stupid enough to put herself in a room with a bed—certainly not with this man, anyway.

“I’d rather not, actually,” Liliana said.

She didn’t tamper her tone, or the disgust. It all came spilling out in that one sentence with those four fucking words.

She should have known better.

She had pressed his patience.

She had tested his good nature enough.

Liliana didn’t even see his fist coming until it was too late, and by the time she realized what was happening, she was being dragged down the hall by the hair on her head. The stinging in her scalp and the ringing in her ears reminded her of being in the backseat of the limo, and she swore it was like her body froze.

Unable to fight.

Unable to breath.

Unable.

And then she did snap out of it just long enough to try and get out of his hold. She kicked and fought, despite the way it probably ripped hair right out of her head from his unrelenting grasp. She clawed marks down his arms, and called him every name she could think of.

It didn’t bother him at all.

He barely reacted.

Like he expected this.

Rich stopped walking long enough to throw Liliana inside a room—she got one good look around, and it scared her. Bare mattress on the floor. One blanket, no pillow. Boarded up windows, and no lightbulb in the light hanging from the ceiling.

He stood in the doorway while she laid on the floor, prone and in shock. Her ears were still ringing, too. She bet her face was swollen, or at least, bruised all to hell.

Rich probably liked that.

“Maybe a few days in here will make you more agreeable,” Rich said.

Then, he slammed the door.

Liliana heard the lock twist, too.

She was alone.

It was dark.

He couldn’t see her.

She could be quiet.

At least like this, she was safe.

And finally … finally … she cried.

SEVENTEEN