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Running a bath, she found lavender-scented bath salts, and sprinkled some in the bath, along with bubbles.
She didn’t feel comfortable removing her clothes. No matter how many promises Chains made, he’d still kidnapped her. She couldn’t put her guards down. At least he hadn’t beaten her. All he’d done was knock her out with some chloroform, which sounded bad, but it wasn’t anything compared to what Carlton had done to her.
“What kind of food do you like?” He leaned against the doorframe, and this time she really paid attention. When he’d been in the diner, he’d worn a full suit. Now he only had a navy t-shirt and black jeans. His shoulders were huge, and the muscles in his arms flexed when he crossed them.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m going to order us some takeout. Chinese, Mexican, Italian? What do you love?”
“I’d love to try some Chinese food,” she said.
“You’ve never tried it before?”
“No.” She’d always wanted to, but her parents hated it, and said not to waste money on something they wouldn’t eat.
“I’ll order the menu.”
She was sure she heard him wrong. For a second, she thought about her responsibilities. The guilt began to gnaw at her, and she was tempted to make a run for it.
One week.
She didn’t know what would happen after that week, but she couldn’t help but think and feel that Chains was right. Her brothers and sisters were not her responsibility. For too long, and too often, it had just been assumed that she would deal with them.
“Lori, go get cough medicine.”
“Lori, wake up, and feed your brother. We’re tired.”
“Lori, you can’t go to school today.”
“Lori, don’t be so selfish, and take care of your sister.”
Sitting on the edge of the bathtub, she couldn’t think of a single reason why she should go back home. To her apartment. To her old life. Everyone used her. Did they even for a second worry where she might be? Or were they just pissed off that Lori wasn’t there to deal with their k
ids?
Tears filled her eyes once again, not from fear, but a deep-seated sadness.
“You’re crying,” Chains said. “Why are you crying? Are you hurt?”
It was all just too much. A complete stranger had cared more for her in the past few minutes than her own parents had. And her own fate wasn’t even certain.
“I’m fine.”
“That doesn’t sound fine. Please, Lori, let me help you.”
He hadn’t even entered the room.
He was giving her space, taking care of her, and loving her in a way that her own parents had failed to do.
This was probably going against every single warning or alarm bell going off inside her head, but she asked for him to enter.
He stepped into the room, and he didn’t leer at her. The concern etched on his face touched her heart.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, moving a little closer.
“You care,” she said.
Her words seemed to stop him in his tracks. “I’m confused.”
