"Hey, I've got some clothes for you," Baddy said through the door."You can wash yours while you eat."
She didn't answer.Didn't move.
A moment later, she heard his boots against the floor as he moved away from the bathroom.She cracked the door open an inch.
A pile of folded gray sweats sat on the floor.No sign of him.
She snatched them up and shut the door again, locking it fast.Then, she took off the jacket, tied a sleeve around the door handle, and the other sleeve around the towel rack.If he got past the lock, the coat would stop him for a few seconds.She opened the medicine cabinet.There wasn't much in there but Tylenol, a hairbrush, and...she inhaled swiftly, grabbing a pair of scissors.Yes.If he got past the jacket, she'd stab him with the scissors.
The shower quickly steamed up the room.She hesitated only for a second before taking off her clothes and stepping into the water.It was almost too hot, but it washed away the grime, sweat, and fear that clung to her skin.
She scrubbed fast, heart racing the whole time, then dried off and pulled on the clothes he'd left.
They swallowed her whole.
The sweatpants hung off her hips.Luckily, there was a string, and she cinched it as tight as she could.The sweatshirt sleeves covered her hands.She looked ridiculous.But they were clean.And warm.And hers for now.
She gathered her dirty clothes into a pile and stared at her reflection in the fogged mirror.
She needed her brush, her deodorant, and her toothpaste.
Everything she had was back at Sonny's apartment.
Somehow, she needed to go back there.The money she'd saved would buy her some time to figure out what to do next.She could get a cheap motel, a new job, and start over.It wouldn't be easy, but she'd be safe.
She could no longer stay with Sonny.It was bad enough that she had to put up with his abuse and attitude.But, he'd sold her as if she belonged to him.She didn't belong to anyone, especially the guy in the other room.
Tucking the scissors into her sleeve, she rolled the material until she was sure her weapon wouldn't fall out and be found.She stepped into the hallway slowly, dragging her covered feet across the floor.The house was quiet except for the soft clatter of something being stirred, and the smell—
God.
Her stomach growled loud enough to betray her.
The warm, rich aroma suggested something creamy.It wrapped around her like a blanket she didn't ask for but desperately needed.She hadn't eaten since early morning, and even then, it was only a stale granola bar she had shoved in her mouth while getting ready for work before Sonny dragged her out the door.
Baddy stood at the stove, stirring a pot with a wooden spoon.When he glanced over his shoulder and saw her, his eyes flicked down her body.
The sweats were huge on her.The pants pooled around her bare feet, and the sweatshirt hung off one shoulder like she was a kid playing dress-up in her dad's clothes.
He didn't laugh.Didn't smirk.He pointed the wooden spoon toward the open door off the kitchen.
"Drop your dirty clothes in the washer.It's empty," he said."I'll start the wash once we eat."
She froze.
Her clothes.
Her only clothes.
She swallowed hard and shuffled back to the bathroom, then carried them into the small room with the washer and dryer.She stared at the appliances.He never had to go to the laundromat because of such fancy machines in his house.
Once she put the clothes in, hiding her panties in the leg of her jeans so he couldn't see them, she returned to the kitchen.She looked everywhere but at him, afraid he'd see the panic she couldn't quite hide.For a biker, he was above the Cusclan members.Above her.
Her heart pounded, remembering that he'd bought her for five thousand dollars.He had to be rich to spend that much on her.And a man who would give away hard-earned money would expect something from her besides having her clean his house.
He turned back to the stove."You like your stroganoff mixed, or you want the sauce on top of the noodles?"
She blinked."My...what?"
