Which meant there was probably snow outside. If there wasn't, the ground would still be icy cold and the air temperatures would match it. The chances of her being able to make it anywhere were slim to none, but she still had to try.
Staying there was a death sentence. At least out there she stood a chance, however small.
Of course, the lack of shoes worried her, and the fact that she was wearing nothing more than flannelette pajamas, no coat, no gloves, no scarf, no earmuffs, meant she had nothing to offer any real protection from the cold.
“The universe really does hate me,” Rose muttered as she crossed the room to the door.
Pressing her ear up against it, she tried to listen carefully to figure out if anyone was out there. Unfortunately, all she could hear was her own rasped breathing and the pounding of her pulse.
Since she was pretty sure nothing was going to make her situation worse than it was, not even being caught trying to escape, because really, they should expect her to try, Rose eased open the door enough to peek out.
Empty.
The hall outside was blissfully empty, and because she knew she was living on borrowed time, she slipped out and began to walk as fast as she could manage. Other heavy wooden doorslined the corridor, but she didn't stop to check what was behind them. Even if there were other prisoners, injured as she was, she couldn’t do much to help them. Her best bet was to get out and then bring the cops back.
Each step felt like stepping on a potential landmine.
At any second, she could be caught.
The stress had her stomach cramping painfully.
But she kept going.
Step after step, until she reached a staircase. It was grand, and the balustrades were intricately carved. If she weren't held captive, she could definitely appreciate the grandeur of the house.
Praying there were no squeaky steps, Rose made her way down, almost sagging in relief when she spotted what looked like a front door across a large foyer at the bottom of the staircase.
If she could just get to it, her odds would increase dramatically.
The fear of being caught was almost overwhelming, but she didn't let it slow her down. She kept moving because she knew her life depended on it.
When her hand closed around the knob and it turned, Rose almost sobbed in relief. She’d half expected it to be locked because the universe would love letting her think she’d made it only to mess with her at the last second.
Wrenching it open, she yanked it closed behind her and took off at a dead run to the line of trees that ringed the house.
She didn't make it even halfway when she heard a voice call out.
“Running is pointless, little ladybug. When I catch you, I'm going to spank that pretty backside of yours until it’s bright red and you remember your punishment every time you sit. I told you what would happen if you kept causing yourself pain.”
Mr. Bedroom Man’s words spurred her on. She blocked out the way the throbbing between her legs started up at the mention of a spanking, because now was not the time to worry about the fact that she apparently had some bedroom kinks, and focused only on what would happen if she was caught.
She’d wind up tied to the bed and helpless all over again.
Chapter
Ten
December 28th
9:29 P.M.
“Your little ladybug is flying away,” Blade announced as he stepped into the kitchen.
“Of course she is,” Steel said with a sigh. Why would he think the crazy woman would actually listen to him and give her body the rest it needed to begin healing? “Little brat,” he muttered as he shoved back his chair and stood, stretching out his back.
There was no way he wasn't watching over Rose while she slept, so he’d spent the thirty or so hours she’d drifted in and out of consciousness in a chair beside her bed. While he couldn’t put a name on what he felt for the little ladybug, it was useless to pretend he felt nothing, so he’d given up trying to hide it from the guys.
Other than Dragon, they all found it amusing, and other than teasing him any chance they got, they were slowly attempting to make their peace with the idea that Rose wasn't going anywhere.
