Page 65 of Biker's Babygirl

He’s so pleased by my show of compliance to his rules that he deems to answer. “We are, actually.”

“Mmm,” I murmur noncommittally, my gaze on the floor as I take tentative steps.

“And you need to be ready so you don’t slow us down.”

Surprise makes me lift my head and I meet his gaze. “Where?”

He doesn’t seem to notice my omittance of the word he loves so much. “To the border—that’s all I can say.”

I nod and begin to shuffle down the hall once more. I do my best to hide my face, just in case I’m not doing a good job of hiding my emotions. I’ve had dozens of hours—hundreds? How could I even know?—to think all alone in my room except when Lucas or one of his goons delivers the meds he forces me to take. I’ve given up hope of ever seeing Duke again. I remind myself that I left for a reason, to keep him and Ellie and all the rest safe. They are doing good work, helping other people, and if they kept helping me, the onslaught would have continued until they were injured, or worse.

“We’re going somewhere where you’ll never be able to escape from me again, sweet Ginny.” He reaches out a hand and strokes my hand while I do my best not to flinch. “You’ll be mine forever—and in time, you’ll come to love me again.”

Not a chance, asshole.

“But I don’t think I can wait that long for you to resume your duties as my Little girl.”

My eyes flash to his face, and for the first time in a very long time, I don’t give a damn what my expression looks like. Ihopehe sees the disgust I feel. “I’d rather die.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I brace for retaliation, but he only laughs.

“You’re too pretty for me to let you go to waste. And besides, Daddy knows just how to cure that attitude of yours—whether you like it or not.” His fingers dig into my arm as his words make their impact. “Don’t worry. You’ll learn to love me again. I’ll makesureof it. Now, let’s get you back to your room.”

We’ve barely taken fifteen steps. As he escorts me back to my room, loudly slamming and then locking me in from the outside, I realizethisis my punishment. He doesn’t put the ankle rope back on, but still.

I’ve gone through all the stages of loss and landed squarely on acceptance. But still, Lucas’s announcement stirs something inside of me that I’d thought was dead: desperation. And hope. It sweeps through me with such force that I realize why I’d banished it in the first place. It hurts so much to hope.

All of a sudden, the doorknob rattles. I’ve flung myself onto the bed, but I sit up as the door opens once more. The sight of Pukey—I’m pretty sure I heard Lucas and his fellow mobsters call him Lukey, but for lack of a better way to occupy my time, I’ve given them all nicknames. His suits his pale complexion with a greenish tint—makes me sit up straighter. He’s the smallest of my captor’s goons, and I’m surprised Lucas would send him in.

“What is it?” My words come out irritable, and hopefully disguise the hope I began to feel only minutes ago.

“Boss decided you need your meds.”

I shake my head. “Not yet. I only get them at morning and night.”

He snorts. “Yeah? You know what time it is, princess?”

His words give me pause, because of course I don’t. But even as I’m digesting his question, another thought comes to me. I’m remembering the old-fashioned corded telephone out in the hallway. It’s only, what—ten, fifteen feet away? If I could get to it, I could make a call.

I eye Pukey—he’s not much heavier than me, and only an inch taller. Is it possible I could outrun him? Lucas’s words about my strength, or lack thereof, run through my mind and I silently curse myself. I should have been walking laps until I wore a path in the carpet if for no other reason than to be ready for an opportunity like this one.

It won’t work. I won’t be able to make it.

But if I don’t try… I might never get another chance, and Lucas will take me so far away I’ll never find my way back.

I have totry,I decide just as Pukey approaches. He holds out his hand, the colorful trio of pills standing out against the placid tone of his palm.

I reach for the pills, and take them out of his hand, but then I tip my hand, letting them fall to the carpet and hold my breath as I wait to see what Pukey will do.

He scoffs, but he’s a gentleman, at least in his own mind, so he bends down to pick them up.

Before I even have a second to feel relief, I sprint up and grab hold of his shoulders right before I knee him in the nuts as hard as I can.

With a howl of pain, he crumples to the floor. “What the fuck!” he screams.

I jump over his prone body and shoot for the door.

I’m not thinking. Just moving. I race out of the door, slamming it shut and pausing just long enough to engage the lock on the outside. Then I sprint to the phone sitting on a small cabinet. I’m moving so fast, I almost pass it.

It’s not until my hand is on the receiver of that black telephone that I realize that I don’t know Duke’s phone number.Shit.Though I feel frozen in place, my brain is racing.Ellie? Elvis?Even as I come up empty, I snatch the cabinet drawers open. When my frantic eyes land on a phone book, my knees nearly buckle in relief.

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