“What do you mean?” Goose bumps sprout on my arms, and I shiver.
“Dad and I have convinced your father to let you return to Rydeville. We’ve made a deal so you can live at our house, but if your father finds out you’re trying to escape, all deals will be off!” His tone is frantic, and little sweat beads dot his brow. Charlie is usually a very cool customer, which is how I know he’s telling me the truth. He’s genuinely panicked.
I still don’t trust him one hundred percent, but my options are limited now they’re here. “Okay.” He grabs my hand, and we run back down the ramp into the parking garage, sprinting around the corner. “Oh, shit.” I slam to a halt, clasping a hand over my mouth in front of the staff entrance as it dawns on me. “Father can’t come to my room!” I blurt.
He frowns. “Why not?”
“Because I drugged a nurse, and he’s tied to my bed.”
His eyes pop wide, and I can almost see the wheels churning in his mind. “I’ll handle it. I’ll make some excuse to come to your room first. Just go.” He pushes me at the door, and I use Wyatt’s card to gain access. “Stay safe,” he whispers before rushing off toward the elevator.
I make it back to my room undetected, closing the door and racing to my bed to untie the bindings around Wyatt’s hands and feet. I’ve only gotten one off when there’s a knock at the door, and a little whimper flies out of my throat. Adrenaline courses through my veins, and I pray it’s Charlie and not my bastard father.
“Abby. It’s me. Let me in!” Charlie says, and a relieved breath flees my mouth.
I almost trip over my sneakers in my haste to get to the door, opening it and yanking him inside before anyone sees him. “It’s only ever locked from the outside. How much time do we have?”
“Knowing how impatient your father is, I’d say ten minutes. Tops.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That I wanted to talk to you first. I told him I’d get you onboard with the plan.”
I scowl at him, and he raises his palms. “You want out of here, don’t you?”
“Yes, but not if it means selling my soul to the devil.”
“We’re well past that point,” he murmurs, tossing a look over my shoulder. “Fucking hell, Abby.”
His lips twitch as he walks toward the bed, taking in the prone body spread-eagled on top of my comforter.
“You untie his other foot while I get his hands,” I instruct, conscious of the ticking clock. I pull at the pantyhose around one wrist, ripping it with my bare hands.
“What the fuck did you do to the poor guy?” There’s an edge to his voice that he’s trying to disguise.
“I seduced him into coming here tonight with some booze. Then I drugged him with the pills I’m supposed to be taking until he passed out and I tied him up.”
A muscle clenches in his jaw as he rips the binding from Wyatt’s foot. “Did you fuck him?”
“What?” My eyes blink profusely.
“Did he touch you?”
“Who I fuck is none of your business. I don’t pry into shit you’ve done, and if I had to screw him to escape, I wouldn’t let you make me feel guilty.”
“I don’t want to think of you having to do stuff like that.”
“Have you forgotten the sick world we live in? You know as well as I do, that we do whatever we have to, to survive.”
“I don’t want that for you. You deserve better.”
This is a pointless argument, and we’re wasting time. “Not that I owe you an answer, but I didn’t fuck him. So drop it,” I say, dragging Wyatt’s body down the length of the bed.
He sighs. “Sorry. I… This is a fucked-up situation.”
I harrumph. “Tell me something I don’t know!” I roll my eyes. “We need to get him into the bathroom.”
Charlie nods, lifting Wyatt over his shoulders with a grunt, and I push the bathroom door open for him. He throws him into the tub without ceremony, pulling the shower curtain around him. “Let’s hope your father doesn’t take a piss.”
