attention. The finest and softest silk in the world. She would know after testing them all around her neck. She also knew it to be the most expensive and, at its exorbitant price, she’d passed on it for something less pretentious.
But this guy had furniture made with the stuff.
Again, her captor did not need her family’s money. He had his own. And a lot more than she’d ever seen.
So then, what did he want? Why was she here?
A soft knock came, and Roni heard the lock click over. She straightened up to receive whoever was about to enter.
“Come in,” she said, as if she had the authority to say otherwise.
Roni expected her captor, but when the door opened, the young woman who had led her upstairs returned with satin-tied bundles of linens, her head of black hair bowed as she entered without a sound. The girl hadn’t said a word to Roni before and didn’t appear to want to talk now as she walked to the bathroom. With the main door wide, Roni stepped up to look down the hall, ready to make a run for it.
But just as she noticed the hall clear on one side, Gunn filled the doorway with his massive build and stopped her. The man was a boulder, sharp contours and all, and she would be going nowhere with him as her guard.
“Just checking the accommodations,” he said, looking beyond her into her room. “I see you even have your own maid.”
“There’s also no windows, so you don’t have to worry about me making a break for it,” she spouted back. “Has my family been notified about my ransom?”
“Not yet. Is there another exit from the room? Through the bathroom, maybe?”
“I already told you there’s no way out.” She crossed her arms at her front.
“I was thinking more along the lines of someone getting in. But just in case, I’ll be right outside your door. Count on it.” Then he leaned in, his clean-shaven jaw brushing her cheek, and she nearly jumped back from the shock he gave. “I’m going to get you out of here,” he whispered against her ear, but she barely registered his words. Frustrated with the light-headed response his closeness caused, she shoved him away from her.
“So you can take the ransom for yourself? I wouldn’t go anywhere with you.” Roni slammed the door closed on his face and took delight in having the last word. Then the lock clicked back over, taking even that away from her.
On a huff, she checked herself before she turned to face the young girl. The maid stood by the bed, her head still bowed, but the bedcovers had been pulled back.
“Hello,” Roni said, hoping the girl would engage.
She only nodded in reply. Her lashes blinked, a seemingly nervous reaction to Roni’s greeting.
“Did I say something wrong?” Roni asked.
A low reply came. “They don’t like us talking. Only working. I can help you get ready for bed now.”
“Who’s us ? You and me?”
The girl shook her head. “Other girls. Please, senorita, let me help you. I can’t be gone too long.”
Roni ignored the plea in her voice. Something felt off in this already off place. “There’re more girls like you? How many?”
“My counting is not so good. And the number, it...it changes.”
“Changes? Because girls quit?” Roni would have to think the turnover was pretty high in this warped place.
The girl’s silky hair swished side to side with the shake of her head, but no answer came. Instead she peered out from behind her hair at the corner of the room as though someone watched. A wave of nausea swept over Roni. The picture of captivity this girl painted for her had all the details Roni needed to put two and two together—and what it meant for her. The owner’s earlier compliment of her beauty sickened her even more. Guerra and Gunn had paraded her in here like some horse to be put on the auction block. “They have no intention of ransoming me, do they?”
The girl shrugged again and lifted her chin a bit. Roni caught her first glimpse of her youthful face and too-sad eyes
But this guy had furniture made with the stuff.
Again, her captor did not need her family’s money. He had his own. And a lot more than she’d ever seen.
So then, what did he want? Why was she here?
A soft knock came, and Roni heard the lock click over. She straightened up to receive whoever was about to enter.
“Come in,” she said, as if she had the authority to say otherwise.
Roni expected her captor, but when the door opened, the young woman who had led her upstairs returned with satin-tied bundles of linens, her head of black hair bowed as she entered without a sound. The girl hadn’t said a word to Roni before and didn’t appear to want to talk now as she walked to the bathroom. With the main door wide, Roni stepped up to look down the hall, ready to make a run for it.
But just as she noticed the hall clear on one side, Gunn filled the doorway with his massive build and stopped her. The man was a boulder, sharp contours and all, and she would be going nowhere with him as her guard.
“Just checking the accommodations,” he said, looking beyond her into her room. “I see you even have your own maid.”
“There’s also no windows, so you don’t have to worry about me making a break for it,” she spouted back. “Has my family been notified about my ransom?”
“Not yet. Is there another exit from the room? Through the bathroom, maybe?”
“I already told you there’s no way out.” She crossed her arms at her front.
“I was thinking more along the lines of someone getting in. But just in case, I’ll be right outside your door. Count on it.” Then he leaned in, his clean-shaven jaw brushing her cheek, and she nearly jumped back from the shock he gave. “I’m going to get you out of here,” he whispered against her ear, but she barely registered his words. Frustrated with the light-headed response his closeness caused, she shoved him away from her.
“So you can take the ransom for yourself? I wouldn’t go anywhere with you.” Roni slammed the door closed on his face and took delight in having the last word. Then the lock clicked back over, taking even that away from her.
On a huff, she checked herself before she turned to face the young girl. The maid stood by the bed, her head still bowed, but the bedcovers had been pulled back.
“Hello,” Roni said, hoping the girl would engage.
She only nodded in reply. Her lashes blinked, a seemingly nervous reaction to Roni’s greeting.
“Did I say something wrong?” Roni asked.
A low reply came. “They don’t like us talking. Only working. I can help you get ready for bed now.”
“Who’s us ? You and me?”
The girl shook her head. “Other girls. Please, senorita, let me help you. I can’t be gone too long.”
Roni ignored the plea in her voice. Something felt off in this already off place. “There’re more girls like you? How many?”
“My counting is not so good. And the number, it...it changes.”
“Changes? Because girls quit?” Roni would have to think the turnover was pretty high in this warped place.
The girl’s silky hair swished side to side with the shake of her head, but no answer came. Instead she peered out from behind her hair at the corner of the room as though someone watched. A wave of nausea swept over Roni. The picture of captivity this girl painted for her had all the details Roni needed to put two and two together—and what it meant for her. The owner’s earlier compliment of her beauty sickened her even more. Guerra and Gunn had paraded her in here like some horse to be put on the auction block. “They have no intention of ransoming me, do they?”
The girl shrugged again and lifted her chin a bit. Roni caught her first glimpse of her youthful face and too-sad eyes
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