AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He’s perfection without being too perfect which only makes him more perfect. I hate him and everything he is.
“Stay away from me,” I snap when he breaches the invisible line three feet from me.
To his credit, he stops and stares me down, his perfect, plum-coloured lips lifting at the edges with a smirk. “Get in bed. Sleep.”
I look around for a spare bed but there isn’t one.
“I’m not sleeping with you.”
He shrugs. “Take the floor then, but I have to be up at daybreak and I need to sleep. I can’t protect you from half a ship away.”
“Protect me?” I snap, feeling my anger return. I thought it was lost forever in a sea of fear. Much like me, in this sea of water. “If you want to protect me why put me in this hell in the first place?”
He stares at me, his face unchanging.
“I almost got raped… by your men.”
“An unfortunate situation that I’m dealing with.”
I shake my head at him. “By trapping me in your room?” When he doesn’t reply I rip a hand through my hair. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“Choose where you want to sleep,” he orders quietly, turning away from me. “I’m going to shower. Don’t be stupid. You’ll have more freedom if you behave. If you don’t, you’ll be back in that room until I decide otherwise.”
“My boyfriend is a detective, he’ll find me, he’ll kill you.”
He stops and smiles at me over his shoulder. “We shall see.”
I wait for him to pad into another room, this one brighter than the one I’m in. The door remains open but I hear the hum of a shower before water hits the floor.
I run, not for the door but for his belongings. If I can get anything to arm myself with, a pen, a knife… anything. I pull open drawers, revealing papers, trinkets, but nothing that will work as a quick and deadly method of self-defence.
When I find nothing but a pen which I stuff into the pocket of my jacket, I steal a pillow from the bed and hug it to my chest as I look out of the window.
How far is home?
How worried is my family?
My mum… what if she has a heart attack or something awful? She’s older than most mums and has a heart condition. What if I don’t get to say goodbye?
I hug the pillow tighter and sink to my knees, resting against the corner walls on a soft rug. Tears spill down my cheeks as desperation consumes me. I won’t give him the gratification of seeing me cry, not tonight.
Tonight, I have to be strong. I always have to be strong. Until my soul leaves my body for a happier place.
My eyes close as exhaustion and trauma take hold and I finally fall asleep, again into a slumber that even dreams cannot save me from. Only nightmares terrorise me, nightmares I can’t escape when I wake up.
I wake with a crick in my neck from sleeping with my body twisted awkwardly against the wall.
Beside me are my sneakers, a pair of large shorts and a T-shirt that definitely isn’t for women. I rid my body of my current attire after ensuring the room is free of people, and don the clothes which are miles too big. Luckily the shorts have the elasticated waistband with the rope to tighten so they aren’t too bad. The shirt, however, buries me.
I move to the desk and pull out the comb I saw the night before and use it to brush my hair. After braiding it to one side as best as I can, I look around the room again. The bed has been slept in. I didn’t hear him after his shower and the thought of sleeping this close to a man that isn’t Niall makes me feel ill.
I had considered killing him in his sleep but without a weapon or brute strength that’ll likely be a failed attempt that leads to my death. I have to be smart about this.
“You’re awake.”
The sound of his voice has me screaming and tripping over my discarded clothing. My butt hits the floor with a thud and my hand gently seeks the pocket of my jacket which is fortunately teasing the edges of my splayed fingers. I ready to grab the pen and use it as a weapon should he test me.
He leans against the doorframe, his hands holding the part above his head, stretching his arms, showing the grooves of his armpits and the tightness of his chest.
I count eight abs before my eyes shoot to his.
“Why aren’t you dressed?” I croak, placing my other hand over my heart.
He smirks, making his eyes crease at the corners and I wonder how old he is. I’m not good at guessing age but I know he must have at least six years on me, probably even more. “I saw you undressing and thought I’d join in.”
