She watched as her father made his way down the stairs, his footsteps loud. He held a bowl and a glass in his hands.
“What? You’re not even gonna get up and greet me?”
She remained silent, just watching.
“I brought you dinner.” He lowered it beside the mattress. She gave it a quick glance, her stomach turning at the sludge-looking mix. No way was she eating that.
“Say thank you, Harper.”
She could have laughed. He really expected a thank-you after kidnapping her and feeding her God knows what?
She remained silent, and as she knew he would, he crouched, his face red with visible anger. He grabbed her hair and wrenched her up, causing her to cry out in pain. “You still don’t get it, do you?I’min charge. I could let you starve if I wanted, so when I bring you food, you saythank you.”
“Sure. I’ll thank you for making my life hell. When you thank me forthis.” In one swift move, she swung her arm and thrust the nail into the side of his neck.
Her father howled as she pulled the nail out, blood spurting from the wound. As he grabbed his neck and rolled to the floor, she lunged for the key and tugged it out of his pocket. Ignoring the pain to her head and ribs, she ran toward the stairs. Her fingers shook as she attempted to push the key into the lock.
She missed.Dammit!
She tried again. It was on the third go that the key slotted into place. She’d just pushed the door open when strong fingers wrapped around her ankle and yanked her down to her stomach. She cried out when her already aching ribs hit the stairs.
She kicked her foot out hard, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he pulled her down a few steps, her ribs colliding with each one before she was flung onto her back.
Her father reared his arm back, but she threw her head to the side at the last second and his fist collided with wood. He cried out, and she quickly fisted the nail in her grip and jammed it into his shoulder.
His face crumpled, his shout loud. She took advantage of his pain and used both hands and legs to push him off her. He tumbled down the stairs, but she didn’t wait to see him hit the floor at the bottom. She turned and ran up the steps and out of the basement to find herself in a wide hallway. The basementdoor sat beneath the staircase to the second floor. An open entry to a sparse living room sat opposite the basement, with what she guessed was the front door at the far end. A few closed doors lined the rest of the hallway.
Quickly, she turned and locked the basement door before sprinting toward the front door. She turned the knob—but it didn’t budge. She searched for a dead bolt, only there wasn’t one. There was an old chain, but other than that, there was only a key lock.
No… She needed another key to get out. A key she didn’t have.
A loud shout sounded from the basement, followed by heavy steps on the stairs.
Shit, shit, shit!
She ran back through the living room and into the kitchen. The space was old, with barely any furniture. Quickly, she tried the back door, but again it didn’t open. Neither did the windows.
Panic started to drown her, tugging her under, but she took a moment to breathe. She’d locked the basement door. She had a little time.
She turned and ran back to the hall, keeping her steps as quiet as possible. When she passed the basement door, she gasped and flinched when it rippled with the force of what had to be her father throwing his body into it.
The wood groaned, the lock clearly struggling. A few more shoves and he’d break through.
Hide!the voice in her head screamed.
There were three doors that led off the hall. She chose the second one, quietly dashing inside.
A bedroom.
First, she tried the window, but after three tugs she knew there was no opening it. He’d sealed the home so she had no escape.
She turned and opened the old wardrobe that sat against the wall beyond the bed, next to the window. Empty.
She’d just slipped inside and closed the door when the commotion of wood breaking and heavy footsteps sounded in the hall.
Cody flunghis head back against the headrest. They were speeding to the location, but it felt too slow. Kayden was driving, and Eastern and Liam were in a car behind them, with backup not far off. But every second she was away from him, every second she was in her father’s grasp, was an opportunity that man had to hurt her.
His pulse beat fast and angry against his temple.
