Turning to Dahlia, she held up a slinky slip dress made of burgundy silk. “Here, put this on. I think it should fit, but you can’t wear a bra with it.”
She took the dress, but she barely registered the soft material in her hands as her mind churned with the new information. “I met Yvanna. Sort of.”
“My condolences, then.” Marietta pulled out a sleek black thong and tossed it to her. “She was a cunt and I’m glad she’s dead.”
No love lost there,Dahlia thought, eyeing Marietta with newfound caution. Her demeanor was care-free and cheerful, which made the casual way she spoke of Yvanna’s death that much more unsettling.
Clearing her throat, she jerked her chin toward the bed. “Tell me this isn’t all for me. I recall bringing my own clothes, so that would make this extremely unnecessary.”
Marietta cast her a sly look. “I thought you said you were kidnapped. Seems strange that you’d be given time to pack a bag.”
She could feel the flush settling into her cheeks. “He coerced me and threw me over his shoulder. It counts.”
“Sure it does.” She winked, making Dahlia’s face flame hotter. “And don’t worry about the clothes. Felix told me to go crazy, so I did. You know how big your closet is? Even with the stuff you already own, this won’t even make a dent.”
The panties were halfway up her legs when she muttered, “Closet? What closet?”
Marietta jerked a thumb toward a small door Dahlia had overlooked by the bed. “The one in your room.”
Tossing the damp towel and robe down on the bed, Dahlia wiggled into the dress. It fit like a glove. Because of course it did. Felix had shown her again and again that he knew everything about her — from her favorite foods to what dress size she wore.
Gods, he’s creepy.
But her hands still smoothed over the silk, greedy for the texture, and that stubborn warmth in her chest couldn’t be dislodged, no matter how hard she tried.
Shaking herself, she padded to the door. It blended nearly seamlessly into the wall. The only sign that it was there at all was the gorgeously wrought brass doorknob shaped to look like a lily.
Pulling it open revealed a room that mirrored Felix’s, except instead of red silk wallpaper and upholstery, everything was done in creams and golds. There was also a notable absence of a bed.
“That’s your suite,” Marietta explained as she came up behind her. The scent of raspberries and dark chocolate hovered in the air as she leaned over Dahlia’s shoulder. “It’s got its own sitting room, office, entertainment area… Nice right? Felix should have your things moved in by tomorrow, probably, so you can start planning what you want to do with it.”
Dahlia stood in the doorway, frozen, her hand limp on the lily door knob. It appeared that she’d at last hit her limit.
Staring blankly out at the suite, she said, “I think there’s been some confusion.”
“Hm?”
“I’m not staying here.”
“Oh.” Marietta made a thoughtful noise. “Would you prefer I have everything put in Felix’s suite? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. We can just chuck his shit in his office.”
Dahlia sucked in a deep breath. Her fingers spasmed on the cool brass flower. “No, Marietta. I mean I’m not stayinghere.I don’t want my things moved in. I want to go back to my life in San Francisco.”
“Ah. Well. That’s trickier.”
Rounding on her, Dahlia demanded, “Why? Why can’t I go home and forget any of this happened? Can’t I just leave?”
Marietta’s red lips pursed. “Not exactly.”
The truth settled in like a frost, chilling her in a slow, awful wave of prickling ice. “So I’m a prisoner.”
“You’re not…nota prisoner.” Marietta spread her hands and opined, “But in the grand scheme of things, aren’t we all?”
“For fuck’s— No, we’re not!” Dahlia pushed past her, heading for the bags. “Where are the shoes? I need shoes.”
“Why? You gonna run?” Marietta didn’t sound particularly worried about it, merely curious. Maybe even a little amused. “That won’t be easy. Felix has the guards on high alert in case Alastair tries to snatch you back.”
“Oh, that’s fantastic,” she seethed, ripping through bags until she found a pair of devastatingly beautiful black leather pumps. Shoving her foot in one, she snarled, “One man is holding me prisoner and another is trying to kidnap me so he can do the same. I must be the luckiest woman in the world.”
