Page 32 of Unlocked

“I don’t think that is a good idea,” I tell her as calmly as I possibly can. “You aren’t ready for all that yet. Wait to see your therapist. Get their recommendation on what is best for you and we will go from there.” I can see her growing ever angrier with each word that comes out of my mouth.

“It is a good idea!” She rages at me. “You don’t get to decide what I’m ready for. I want to go home. I have to talk to them to be able to do that. So call them!” I cringe at her anger and volume, but I’m not ready to let her go, yet.

“No.” I keep my voice level and composed in stark contrast to her tirade. “You should lay down and rest for a while. We can talk about this when you get up.” I step toward her with every intention of leading her to the bedroom for a nap. She backs away from. Her next words cutting me to the core.

“You freed me just to hold me hostage again?” The hurt in her tone unmistakable. Her next accusation burns. “You saved me from dying only to hold me against my will and torture me further? I’ve traded one prison for another.” Her entire demeanor deflates in defeat.

“Sweet girl, that’s not fair, and you know it,” I chide. “I’m not holding you prisoner. I only want what’s best for you.”

“I want to go home, Bo. That’s what’s best for me. You can’t force me to stay here.” She turns away to run down the hall and into my bedroom, slamming the door behind her. The silence that follows is deafening.

Chapter 19

Shelby

Ican’t believe that arrogant, high-handed prick! He thinks he is going to force me to stay here against my will? He has another think coming. I will make his life a living hell if he thinks he can force me to stay here with him. I pace his room while hot, angry tears drip from my cheeks. I need to call Marley. She could get Luke to force him to let me go. I begin to search for a phone but already know it is a lost cause. I saw how he hid the security system code from me. There is no way he would leave his cell phone laying around where I could find it so easily, but I need something to keep me from completely losing it.

I open and close every drawer and door in the bedroom and bathroom, coming up empty of course. I slam the final door closed and drop onto the bed, defeated. A soft knock on the bedroom door has my head jerking up. “Shelby?” Bo calls through the door. “May I come in?” I roll my eyes. Now he wants to be polite? Acting as if he isn’t holding me against my will?

“Do want you want!” I yell. “You’re going to anyway. Why bother to ask my permission?” I think I hear him scoff, but the door eases open then. I hadn’t bothered to lock it when I blew in here earlier. It’s not like I could keep him out if he really wanted in anyway. I can’t breathe as I take in his God-like frame. Hestands so tall. His broad shoulders nearly taking up the whole doorway. He is without a doubt the most handsome man alive. It isn’t fair.

He crosses the room and stands in front of me, looking nervous and unsure. It bothers me, much more than it should. I try to remember that I’m angry with him, that he doesn’t deserve my sympathy, but I find it very hard to stay angry with him.

“Sweet girl.” I hold up my hand to stop him.

“Stop with the pet names and all that bullshit,” I complain. “Kidnappers shouldn’t be nice to their victims.” Hurt flashes over his features briefly before he gets himself under control. I cross my arms over my chest like an angry toddler, shutting out the regret I feel for hurting him.He has hurt me more…right? Is that the right thing to do, though? Tit for tat?

“Shelby, I’m not trying to hold you against your will,” Bo announces. I raise an eyebrow in disbelief, but he continues, “I called Agent Morris. He will meet us at Luke’s in an hour.” I’m shocked at his words. He’s giving up?Why do I feel disappointed?“We can go whenever you’re ready.” He walks over to the closet and pulls out a duffle bag before turning back to me. I nod and rise to my feet. I’m ready, now. No need to put this off.

Thirty minutes later, we are pulling into the drive at Luke’s beautiful beach home. It isn’t lost on me this is how I arrived here just two short weeks ago. I feel like a completely different person than the one who arrived here in Bo’s sports car. Today we are in a large black SUV with tinted windows, so dark it looks like twilight outside even though it’s only mid-afternoon.

The front door flies open when we arrive. Marley and Daisy come flying down the walk, followed by Luke, Ace, Hillary, and Ashley. Bo is at my door, helping me down despite my unconcealed annoyance with him. His jaw ticks with his exasperation, too. I get a smug smile on my face. I’m glad Iannoy him. He’ll give up sooner rather than later, then. Bo Robertson isn’t used to having to work for what he wants. He’ll soon see I’m not worth the aggravation.

“Shelby!” Marley calls out to me. She runs toward me with her arms wide. I’m so happy to see her in the sunshine without those men standing over us, waiting to dole out more pain. Her steps faulter before she reaches me. She must have determined by the look on my face where my thoughts have gone. I break away from Bo’s hold on me to close the distance between us, throwing my arms around her neck.

“Oh Marley!” I sob as I hold on to her. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” She squeezes me so tightly I can’t breathe. My ribs are still very sore, though I’m certain they aren’t broken, but if she keeps this up, they might just finish snapping.

“Shelby,” Marley cries again. She can’t seem to form words, at the moment. Daisy, Hillary, and Ashley wrap their arms around us, creating a cocoon around me. Marley mumbles incoherent words into my shoulder. I push her back gently.

“Marley, stop,” I say firmly. “I’m fine. You look fine. There’s no need to be so upset.” She looks at me as if I’m insane. She shakes her head in disbelief, tears running down her face. The men are standing around us uneasily. It seems the men are still expecting something bad to happen. They take turns scanning our surroundings.

“I kn-know you ha-hate me,” Marley snubs through her tears. I’m shocked at her words. Why on earth would she think such a crazy thing? Before I can respond, Luke nudges his way into our circle.

“Let’s take this inside,” he says firmly. None of us dare argue at his tone. Marley nods, turning away from me to head inside. Luke is at her side. My feet don’t want to move. I’d been wanting to see Marley, make sure she wasn’t harmed any worse than the last time I’d seen her, but this didn’t go at all how I expected.I startle when Bo places his hand on my lower back, urging me toward the house. Everyone else is already at the door.

“We should go in, sweet girl.” Bo urges me forward. I stumble as I’m still trying to process what Marley has said. Once inside the house, Bo leads me to the large living room. Marley is sitting in Luke’s lap, sobbing softly. He is whispering in her ear, rubbing her back. Everyone else is sitting around soberly like someone has died.

I honestly don’t understand Marley’s reaction. We got free. We are both alive. I haven’t done anything to make her think I’m angry with her.Have I?I stand at the door, taking in the room, racking my brain to remember our time in captivity. I’ll be honest. I shut down when the beatings started. I learned a long time ago to get lost in my head. It isn’t always easy to do, but it has helped me endure the pain.

The men pullus from the van they had thrown us in when they took us from the bar. We are taken inside a dull brick building. The man gripping my arm jerks me roughly as he pushes me through a door to descend a set of steps. No! He’s taking me to a basement. I begin to resist, pulling against his hold. His free hand comes up slapping my face. Marley screams. The slap does nothing to calm my fight. I try to back up the couple of steps he has forced me down. Another man is behind me, preventing me from making any progress. My hands are tied, and the gag is still in my mouth. I can do nothing to stop them from forcing me down the steps, but I don’t make it easy for them. I expect to be shoved down them at any moment, but they manage to get me down them without me falling to my death.

We reach the bottom and I’m dragged into a dark concrete room. Memories I’ve repressed from my childhood roar to the front of my mind. I fight harder to not be left here in the dark. The men have no intentions of being merciful, though. I’m hit, punched and, once I’m down, kicked repeatedly.

“Damn bitch!” a man, with a heavy accent, yells. He gives me one last parting kick before Marley is thrown down next to me, and the door is slammed shut, leaving us in the dark on the cold, hard floor. My breathing is rapid. I can feel a full-on panic attack flooding my body as my mind returns to the dark basement of my childhood.

“Shelby?”Bo’s voice, next to my ear, brings me out of my dazed state. I blink, returning to Luke’s living room, to see unease on Bo’s face. He’s come to stand in front of me, leaning down to make eye contact with me. I try to smile but know that I fail miserably. “Come, sit down.” He takes my hand and leads me to the sofa. I don’t resist, momentarily forgetting I’m angry with him. He sits, pulling me down next to him. His arm comes around my shoulders, drawing me to his side. I sink into him, needing his warmth and strength after the memory I just relived.

Everyone is sitting quietly. The tension in the room is uncomfortable. Marley’s words keep repeating in my head. I need to understand why she would think such a thing and assure her she couldn’t be further from the truth. “Marley?” She raises her head from Luke’s shoulder to look at me. “Why on earth would you say I hate you? How could you think such a thing after all that we went through?” Her bottom lip is quivering as I’m sure mine is as well. I’m so hurt that she would think I could ever hate her.

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