Page 34 of Monster

As tears of joy streaked my cheeks, I let my eyes fall closed. Darkness overcame me in a dreamless state, but the sound of muffled voices snapped my eyes open. I bolted upright, listening as my chains of resistance and entrapment jangled for all to hear. And as I strained my ears to listen to the voices behind the door, I felt my heart slam against my chest.

Teo was behind the door speaking with someone.

And I hated the warmth that washed over me.

I mean, this man was my captor! He was keeping me against my will! The last thing I needed to do was soften toward a man like him. That’s exactly what he wanted me to do, I was sure of it. Soften toward him, and in return he’d treat me like an equal. Make me feel important.

The man was trying to brainwash me, and it wouldn’t work.

I’d make sure of it.

Still, the lovely dulcet tones of his voice wafted against my ears and warmed me all the way to my toes. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, remembering back to the tenderness of his touch as he bandaged up my wrist. Electricity sizzled through my body, puckering my nipples as I remembered what his touch felt like against my skin. I placed my palm over the gauze wrappings, trying to remind myself that he was the reason I got hurt in the first place. These handcuffs were the reason I had been bleeding. My capture, all thanks to him, was the reason I had to get hurt in the first place.

It didn’t do me any good, though.

“You’re such an idiot, Charlotte. Come on,” I whispered.

I drew in deep breaths and ignored the clenching of my gut. I listened to the voices as Teo started chuckling, and the sound made me smile. Actually, truly smile. I hated myself for it. I hated him for it. How in the world could I regard a man like him with anything other than a slap across his cheek?

His chiseled, angular, beautiful cheek?

“Jesus Christ,” I hissed.

I heard a key being slipped into the lock and my eyes ripped open. I stood to my feet, readying myself for a fight as I watched the doorknob turn. His cologne was the first thing to walk into the room. Those oak and honey-laced tones relaxed my muscles as I slowly sat down onto the edge of the mattress. And as his handsome, valiant outline appeared in the darkness, I heard the door close.

Before he stepped into the light.

“How are you faring, Miss Pettigrew?”

I swallowed hard. “Do you even care?”

He nodded toward my wrist. “Are you in any pain? Or bleeding through the gauze?”

I didn’t bother looking down. “No. I’m fine.”

He took another step toward me, his hands clasped behind his back. “Is there anything I can get you to make you more comfortable?”

I raised my handcuffed hand. “You can remove something, if you’d like.”

He grinned, but glossed over my comment. “Have you checked your toiletries? I had one of my guards run out for a few errands. I figured you might need some things.”

“And I’m supposed to thank you for that? I want to go home, Teo. That’s what I want. Just let me go home. I’ll leave right now. I’ll pack up my things and you can put me on a plane personally.”

He shook his head. “I can’t do that, Miss Pettigrew.”

“You can’t, or you won’t?”

And when he didn’t answer, I had mine.

What’s preventing him from letting me go?

“Miss Pettigrew, I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but you’re safer here. At least, for now,” he said.

“My mother will come looking for me, you know.”

He nodded slowly. “I’m sure she will.”

I shook my head. “No, no. You don’t get it. I was supposed to text her when my plane landed. Yeah. Before I got to the vacation home, I was supposed to text her when I got off the plane and got settled in. It’s been days since she was supposed to receive that message. She’s going to come looking for me. She’s going to know it was you.”

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