Why did that feel like a lie?
“Stupid Steel messing with my head for his own amusement,” she muttered as she gathered all her strength and pushed back the covers, kicking them off her until she lay there, panting, in the same pajamas she’d been wearing for days.
Annoyed that she could feel anything for Steel when he was doing all of this to her, Rose dragged up another round of energy, even though she was feeling seriously depleted, and managed to push herself up into a sitting position. The IV in her arm was gone, even though it had been there when she was brought to her room late last night.
Knowing someone had been in there when she was vulnerable in sleep made her feel nauseous, and she absolutely hated that she hadn't woken up when they entered her room. It was Voodoo, she knew that, just as she knew he wasn't going tohurt her. Steel would have been with him because the man was infuriatingly possessive of her, even though he had to know she hated him.
It irritated her even more to know that having Steel accompany anyone else who came near her made her feel safer. Steel wasn't a good man. He’d brought her here with the purpose of inflicting pain on her, and more than that, she knew he wanted to continue inflicting pain. Spanking her, and wrapping his hands around her neck as he thrust inside her virgin hole.
That her body heated, and her insides clenched at the thought had her growling at herself.
“Get it together. He’s crazy and dangerous. He might be possessive of you, but he doesn’t really care about you. If he did, you wouldn't be here. Try to remember that and stop getting all horny for him, it’s embarrassing, and you should be ashamed of yourself,” she snapped at her body as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.
Because she knew there was more than likely a camera hidden somewhere in the room, she looked around, trying to see if she could spot it.
Unable to find where it was hidden, Rose still assumed it was somewhere and called out, “Hope you heard all of that, Steel. I hate you and I hate what you're doing to my body.”
Feeling more out of control than she had in a long time, Rose pushed slowly to her feet. The dizziness was a little better than she’d expected, even if the throbbing throughout her body got worse with the movement.
After agreeing to help Steel and the others with the revenge plan and getting them to agree to let her at least stay in a bedroom, Steel and Voodoo brought her up here. Voodoo had added more painkillers and antibiotics to her IV, and she remembered climbing under the covers.
The second her head hit the pillow, she’d been unable to hold her eyes open, and she’d immediately passed out. She wasn't sure if it was all her or if there had been some sedatives in the IV, but in the end it didn't matter. Sleep was what she’d needed the most, especially after that run through the snowy woods, and she felt better for it this morning.
Or afternoon.
Whatever time of day it was.
When she was sure her legs were going to hold her, Rose padded across the floor toward the window. Her bare feet stung a little with each step, and she was sure she’d scratched them up last night.
Running hadn't been her best plan, but she hadn't been thinking clearly. All she’d known was that she needed to get out. With a slightly clearer head, now she could acknowledge that she should have lulled them into a false sense of security and then made her move.
If she’d done that, would they have ever told her the truth?
Would they have offered the deal that she could work with them to earn her freedom?
“Oh well, too late to second-guess yourself now, what's done is done,” she reminded herself as she stepped up to the window. Not only did she want to try to figure out the time of day, but she needed the connection to the outdoors, even if it was only looking at it through glass.
Opening the window and drinking in the fresh air would be better, but she had no doubt that after her little escape attempt, Steel would have made sure that all access points to the room were locked, window included.
Other than a circle of lawn that appeared, at least from her vantage point, to go the entire way around the house, all she could see were trees. It was likely miles from the closest road, theclosest house, and much as she hated to admit it, right now she didn't have the stamina for that kind of journey.
What's the point anyway?
They have special skills.
Enhanced hearing, sight, smell, strength, and speed. Even if you got out of the house, they’ll only come after you, find you, catch you, and bring you back.
Battling off a wave of helplessness, Rose pressed her fingertips to the cool glass, needing desperately to do something to stave off the claustrophobia. While of course it wasn't as bad as when she’d been buried alive under the rubble after she brought the ceiling down, it still coursed through her veins, making her twitchy and nervous.
Steel said they didn't want to kill her, and she assumed working with her meant not physically hurting her. Regardless, theywerehurting her. She didn't know the rules there, didn't know what to expect, and that amped up her anxiety. With Ridge, she always knew what to expect, how far to push, and while she’d push these guys, taunt them at every step, she wanted to learn the rules of engagement.
Letting her forehead fall to rest against the window, she stood there for several minutes, drawing in slow, measured breaths, focusing on the beauty just out of reach outside. The way the sun shimmered against the fresh snow made it appear that someone had dumped a ton of glitter from above. The contrast between the dark branches of the deciduous trees and the green evergreen fir trees made the forest look magical, especially with the snow resting on tree limbs.
Usually, the sight of snow made her groan internally because it just reminded her of all the childhood chores she’d had to perform in the snow without proper winter attire. But today all she wanted was to be out there, feeling the sting of the cold against her skin, breathing in lungfuls of chilly air.
From the sun’s position high in the sky, she knew it had to be around the middle of the day, which meant she’d slept for more than twelve hours straight. It was enough to have her feeling better, but not enough for her to figure anything out.
What if it takes months to find Ridge?
