Sitting on the edge of the bed, she sighed at the softness of the mattress.She strained to hear any noise.No sounds came from the other side that she could hear.Though there was music playing somewhere in the clubhouse.
She closed her eyes.She'd give him half an hour.That had to be enough time to fall asleep.
Chapter 3
The first thing Anniebecame aware of was warmth.Not the kind that came from sunlight or blankets, but the kind that wrapped around her like security.Her body was cocooned in sheets, her cheek pressed against a soft pillow that smelled faintly of...
She blinked, disoriented.It wasn't her bed.She wasn't in her apartment.It also wasn't the room where she was kept prisoner with her sister.
She sat up fast, heart thudding.Hunter's bed.
The room was dim, and for a moment she couldn't tell if it was morning or night.Her pulse raced.How long had she slept?
She didn't remember lying down.Didn't remember closing her eyes.
Her sister.Shit.
Annie threw off the blanket and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.She still had her sneakers on.She hadn't even gotten undressed.Panic clawed at her chest.She had to get back.Had to find a way into the house without Jason spotting her.
She rushed to the door, yanked it open, and stepped into the main room where the living room and kitchen were together.The scent of something warm and sweet drifted toward her.She inhaled.Pancakes?
Her stomach growled.She couldn't even remember the last time she had anything to eat.Jason usually brought food into the room where he held her and Leigh when he got off work.Some days, she wasn't hungry.Other times, only eating once a day about killed her.
She gazed toward the corner and stopped short.
Hunter stood in front of the small counter, flipping pancakes in a skillet.His bare back was to her, broad and covered in a skull tattoo, the word Royalla spread from shoulder to shoulder, his movements calm, as if he'd cooked himself breakfast every day.
All she had to do was walk across the sitting area and leave.He wouldn't hear her leave the room.
Annie squeezed her thighs together, suddenly aware of a more urgent need.Her bladder protested with a sharp pang.She hadn't gone to the bathroom since escaping Jason's house.She was dehydrated and hungry.
Hunter turned, eyes locking on hers.He held a flipper in his hand and pointed the kitchen utensil toward a door she hadn't noticed.
Her cheeks flushed.She nodded quickly and hurried inside.
The bathroom was small but clean, the mirror slightly fogged from steam.She relieved herself, then lingered at the sink, gripping the porcelain edge.Her reflection startled her.She looked twice her age.No makeup to hide the red-rimmed eyes or the dark circles.She let her chin fall to her chest.It was hard to shake the exhaustion and defeat when she knew what was in front of her that she still had to do.
