I ignore her annoyance and give her a pass this once. Although I am itchy to bend her over my desk again and add a clause to the contract—or a lengthy addendum.
“He’s a busy man. The internship I gave him is going to be extremely challenging but also lucrative if he does it well. His life is about to change, and he’s on a path that would be any man’s dream. It’s best if his head is focused and in the game.”
We call Sasha then, but it goes straight to voicemail. I nod at Lyriope to have her leave the message.
“Sasha, this is Lyriope. I’m safe with Nick at his mansion.” She looks at me, and I tap my pen on the desk in warning. “I don’t have my phone, so if you need me, you’ll have to reach me through him.” Her eyes remain on the pen. “But don’t worry about me. Nick and I will handle things. Please don’t tell anyone in your family. Please. I’m fine. Really.” She nods at me to disconnect the phone which I do, satisfied with how she handled herself.
She followed our contract perfectly.
Chapter Fourteen
Lyriope
White room, colorful art, but dark shadows is where I’m expected to sleep tonight and for as long as Nick deems it so. The madness that lurks in this man suffocates me. He takes hold of every emotion I possess and squeezes so tightly that I’ve lost all control. Every feeling and sensation are heightened around him. His lunacy is contagious, and I’ve been infected.
I hold my hand to my chest as I pace my room. My room. My new life. My—
This is complete insanity.
I can’t stay here… with him.
I know my life is in danger, but the peril of remaining within Nick’s reach, within his touch—
I can’t do this.
The full moon lights up the clear night, making it a perfect evening for an escape. I’ll be able to see my way without needing a flashlight or any source of light. While I should be exhausted from my ordeal, I feel antsy. I need to leave now. I need to escape while I can before Nick gets… before he can claim my virginity as his. I’m not going to let him use my body however he chooses like he did in his study. I’m not his. He doesn’t own me, no matter what his fucked-up ego tells him—or what my horny libido tells me.
And regardless that I don’t have a place to go, I need to flee now, before… before anything more happens. Like the kiss. I can’t have more of that happening to muddy up my mind and take hold over my emotions.
I need to feel the air hit my face as my feet pound against the ground toward freedom. I need to be free from my jailer and deal with my next step once I have a clear mind. And I can’t have a clear mind with Nick Hudson sticking his tongue in my mouth and his pen in my ass.
The man is still downstairs awake. Does he ever sleep? I know he’s been awake since Wonderland, and even though I have as well, I at least had my drugged and kidnapped coma to rest up a little.
Warning bells bang in my head, but a voice of reason is trying to call out for me to stop and think this all through.
What about Dylan? He’s safe right now, and if I leave…
Reason can be a real bitch sometimes. And right now, that voice is screaming at me and telling me how stupid I’m being.
The voice is right, however.
I can’t just escape now. Not yet. I don’t have a plan. I don’t have any money or a place to go. Thanks to giving my phone over while at the door to Wonderland, I don’t even have a way to call anyone for help… if I had anyone to call. I don’t even know where I’m at. Other than the fact that I’m in Nick’s house, I have no idea where exactly that is. I could be on some island somewhere without access to a boat.
I look out the window again, still feeling the need to get out of the house if not for a breath of fresh air. Maybe I could use this time to do some reconnaissance. I need to see if I recognize any mountain ranges, or what type of trees are in the area. What’s the temperature outside? Am I in the tropics or maybe Maine? I have to get some bearings on where I am. At least see if I’m on an island or something. If I can at least leave the grounds, maybe I can see a landmark or something that gives me an idea of where I’m at. That would at least help in my forming a plan for future escape.