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I tried getting the door open. That was no good. I hurt my fingers on the window frames, almost peeling my nails back as I tried to pull the edges loose to get out. I’m guessing they were sealed shut because I never managed to get so much as a sliver of movement out of them.
I don’t know what time I gave up. I don’t even remember climbing into bed, but I must have done it at some point. At least I didn’t dream of him last night. Thank heaven for small mercies.
I dig out my cell phone. The battery’s dead. Of course. The first chance I get, I’ll call for help. I’m not staying here with Hunter, not after last night. The man’s insane.
I climb out of bed and look down at myself. I’m still wearing my tee shirt from last night. I try the bedroom door. Still locked. That’s just great.
My suitcase is in the corner of the room. I rummage through it and find a pair of jeans and a blouse that isn’t too crumpled. It’ll do for now. I grab some underwear and head through to the bathroom. I take a look at myself in the mirror. I look tired, and my hair’s a mess.
While I’m brushing my hair, I hear the sound of a key rattling in the bedroom lock. I stick my head out in time to see Jeremy appearing in the bedroom. “Mr. Lombardi wishes to know if you’re joining him for breakfast.”
“You feel free to tell Mr. Lombardi to—” I cut the curse short when a girl’s face appears under Jeremy’s. She’s eight or nine, and she’s got Hunter’s eyes and the cheekiest grin I’ve ever seen.
“Hi,” she says, pushing past Jeremy and walking straight over to me. “Who are you?”
I crouch down so I meet her eye line. “My name’s Bex, but people call me Bex.”
“That rhymes with ham.”
“Yes, it does. What’s your name?”
“Alicia.” She grabs my hand. “That doesn’t rhyme with anything.”
“Pleased to meet ya?”
She grins. “That’s not too far off. Come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s breakfast time, silly. We need to eat everything we can in case the bed monster comes so we can be strong enough to fight it and kill it.”
“The bed monster? Sounds scary.”
She lowers her voice. “He’s not real. You’ll be okay.”
“Oh, good. That’s good to know.”
“I thought he was real when I was little, but he’s not. Now, let’s go.”
She sets off running, pulling me along to the stairs, flying down them, and jumping the last couple into the hallway without pausing for breath. She spins around the corner and into a dining room where Hunter sits at a long table, reading a newspaper, a cup of coffee steaming in front of him.
“Morning, Daddy,” she says, jumping up into the seat next to him.
“Good morning, sweetie,” he replies, folding his newspaper and setting it down. He kisses her on the forehead. “Did you sleep well? No getting up and eating candy at midnight before fighting off those trolls in the garden?”
“The trolls are all gone.”
“That’s convenient for the gardeners. How did you manage it?”
“Simple. I cast a spell on the wall, and they’re allergic to spells like I’m allergic to bees, so they have to stay far from the wall.”
“Well, aren’t you a clever one?” He glances up, noticing I’m standing in the doorway. The smile on his face turns frosty at once. “Good morning,” he says. “Are you joining us?”
“I guess so.” I sit at the far end of the table, but Alicia beckons me over, patting the seat next to her. “I want you to sit here,” she says. “With me.”
Hunter coughs. “You mean you want to steal her bacon when it comes, you little hungry crocodile.”
“I’m not a crocodile. You are.”
