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He gives a slow smile, and I instantly want to hide. I’m not going to like this and I know it. “I’m going to let youtryto leave,” he corrects. “You want an adventure, and you want a fair chance to get out, so I’m going to give it to you. I’ll open the door, and you get a five-minute head start. I’ll instruct no one to get in your way. No one to stop you. If you can get to the front gates without me catching you, I’ll let you go. I’ll have one of my men take you back to your apartment, or anywhere else you would like to go.”
“Just like that?” I whisper, a glimmer of hope building in my chest.
“I’m a man of my word, so yes, just like that,” he replies. “But…” His expression turns dark, predatory. “If I catch you before you reach those gates, then you’re mine, Gia. No more running, no more attempts to escape. You will stay here, behave yourself, and you will submit to me in everything.”
My back goes up at that because there is no missing his insinuation. “If you win, I agree to be your whore?” I ask coldly.
“You will never be a whore, Giulia,” he corrects, his tone taking on an edge that has my stomach cramping. “You will be mine. And that means you come to me willingly. To my bed. And if you do all of that, I will give you more freedom around the house. But if you abuse it, I will put you right back to where you were and chain you to the bed, only allowing you to use the bathroom, or when I feel like you’ve earned it. Do you understand?”
“I get a chance to leave, and if I do, you’ll let me go and make sure that no one else can find me if I do?”
He nods. “Yes, you will have the freedom you so desperately desire.”
“And if I lose, I agree to be your…pet, until you’re done with me?”
“Mmm, I’ve never had a pet, but with you, I imagine the experience would be an interesting one,” he says thoughtfully.
It’s a loaded question, and I know my chances are slim. But what other choice do I have? This could be my one shot. Is it worth the risk? Because if I lose, I’ll be losing more than my freedom. I’ll lose everything I am to the man standing in front of me. But I suppose it’s one thing to choose your captor than to be made to have one. And he might think he can trick me, but I’m smart and resourceful. Desperation might be making me do something I’m going to regret but can I really not take the chance? Surely if I’m smart, he won’t catch me. And if he does…
Obviously, with my background, I’ve never been with a man, but I’m not an idiot. I know how sex works, and I know from the books I read and the shows I’ve watched it can be pleasurable. But I also know that it can be painful. And having seen far too much living in my father’s home, I know all about how some people enjoy inflicting that kind of pain on others.
I take a deep breath. “If I lose and I have to sleep with you, you can’t whip me,” I tell him firmly. “And no sharing.” My heart pounds. God, am I really considering this?
He doesn’t react at first, just stares at me. “If anyone would dare to touch you,topolina, I will kill them where they stand. You are mine, and that means no other fucker gets to touch what’s mine. As for the whipping, I have no desire to mar this perfect skin. I take it that’s another thing you’ve witnessed at the hands of your family?”
I stay silent because he won’t like the answer. I stare at him for another moment, trying to tell myself that I’m insane for even considering this. But I suppose there are worse things in the world than being a plaything to this man. And he has been nice enough while I’ve been here. God, why is this so damn hard?
Finally, I make my decision. I can’t squander my chance to get away, to finally have a life that is outside of this cruel world. So I give him a curt nod. “Fine, I’ll agree to your terms,” I tell him tightly.
Triumph fills his eyes, along with a primal anticipation. He holds out the key to me, and I cautiously reach out to grab it. “Once you unlock that door, your five minutes start,” he informs me, stepping back a couple more steps to give me room.
I move toward the door, hesitating as doubt creeps in. God, what have I done? I glance over my shoulder at him, and see him watching me, body completely relaxed, but the expression on his face…It makes my entire body tremble and my blood heat. It’s a primal desire that would make any woman wary. “You won’t catch me,” I say with a bravado I’m not fully feeling.
“We’ll see,” he rasps. “So run, little mouse. Run as fast as you can, because when I catch you…” He lets that trail off, and I swallow hard.
I turn back to the door and take a deep breath. Alright, it’s time to get my head in the game and get ready to figure this out. I need to be smart. Determination floods my system, and I put the key in the lock and turn. I pull the key from the lock, open the door, and run, never looking back.
Still, I’m not far when I hear him give a dark laugh behind me, making a chill go down my spine, and I know the game’s begun.
I cannot lose. I will not lose.
CHAPTER15
Gia
I dothe one thing I know he won’t expect. I run toward my wing of the house. I’m sure his men and the other house staff are all near the front and back doors, figuring that I’ll be heading straight for them. Well, they would be wrong. I may not know much about this place, but if it has secret passages, then there are multiple exits, and I just need to find one on this side of the house. But I also have to figure out a way to keep from being seen by too many cameras. Easier said than done since I can’t make them out, but I’m not going to worry.
Right now, I need to make a plan, and I need to stick to it. Five minutes isn’t a long time, and I need to make sure Nico isn’t close behind me. I know he’s going to play with me, but that’s alright. I’m a clever woman, and he’s going to be in for a surprise if he thinks I’m going to be an easy catch.
When I reach the steps that exit the west wing, I move swiftly down them and around, where there are small open areas underneath. They’re dark, and I pray I’m not going to be going into something that will get me hurt, but I don’t have a lot of time. I climb in, realizing it’s a small storage area, but plenty of space for me to hide in until Nico walks past. I have never been so happy to be so tiny, because if I was any bigger, this would be next to impossible.
I feel around and I nearly laugh out loud, when I feel something soft beneath me and when I pull it out, it’s an old maid’s uniform. Oh, yes, this will work. I’ve seen a few of the maids wearing them, and I’m sure I can use this to get out. Nico would never expect me to change outfits. No, he’s expecting me to be running for the door.
A smug smile pulls at my lips and I grip the outfit tightly to me as I wait. I can be patient. Thankfully, I don’t have long to wait. I hear his steps as they move down the stairs, and I barely let myself breathe. He can’t know I’m here. He’s whistling as he strolls down the hallway casually, like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
It really is a shame he’s insane. I watch the way his legs flex and move with each step, and the way his ass fills out those pants so nicely. I imagine that at any given moment he has women willing to crawl behind him just to get some attention. But that will never be me.
His words echo in my head as he reaches the end of the long hallway.If I catch you before you reach those gates, then you’re mine, Gia.
