Page 46 of Liberating Mia
“That’s correct. Yes.”
Desai looked over at Finn. A long look passed between the two men that Mia couldn’t read. Turning back to face her, Desai said, “What happened then?”
“I was convinced that at any moment Dylan or Christoff was going to find me and then I’d be in a world of trouble. However, luck was on my side. I set Dylan’s computer back into sleep mode and as I headed for the door, I spotted his safe standing wide open, packed with cash. I grabbed as much as I could stash in my clothing, and I got the hell out. I ran upstairs, threw some clothes in a bag, then I ran away.”
“Where did you go?”
“I crisscrossed the country, hoping it would make me more difficult to find if I were unpredictable. I couldn’t go home. That’s the first place he would have looked, and I didn’t want to bring my family into it. I spent weeks wandering aimlessly from town to town. I never stayed anywhere for long, and I always used the cash I’d taken and an alias. How the hell he found me, I have no idea. It shouldn’t surprise me though.”
“What happened the night he found you?”
“While I was on the run, I spent all my time in my room. I even ate in my room. The only interaction I had was with reception, room service, and housekeeping. Anyway, that night I was so sick of my own company, I decided to chance a drink in the bar and dinner in the dining room. After dinner, I went back to my room and went to bed.”
Mia could swear she felt Finn’s eyes on her. Lifting her head, her gaze collided with his.
“Then what happened?”
“At some point during the night, something woke me. I have no idea what. When I turned the light on, there he was, sitting in the chair. He was furious. When he attacked me, I thought he was going to kill me. Instead, he’d planned a fate worse than certain death.” Mia paused, taking a sip of her water. Her skin crawled as she thought back to that night and the nights that followed.
“He said he was going to ship me out with the next ‘consignment’ and sell me to the highest bidder. If I couldn’t appreciate what I had, I would see what it was like to be someone’s meaningless fuck-toy. His words not mine.”
“Do you need to take a moment, Ms. Shore?”
Mia considered it, then shook her head. “No. Thank you. Let’s just finish this.”
“If you’re sure.” She nodded. “When you’re ready, you may continue.”
“He and Christoff hustled me downstairs where Dylan made me book myself out of the hotel. He told me he’d kill my family if I made a scene or tried to get them to help me. I lied to the woman at the desk about having to leave so suddenly because my mom was sick. They bundled me into the car and took me to that awful warehouse.” She shuddered, remembering the utter dark of the cavernous space they’d been caged in. “The area where they kept the women was kept dark. You couldn’t see anything. All you could hear was crying, wailing, women calling out for help, for mercy. It was horrific. I’m convinced they kept us caged in the dark like animals to break us.”
Mia breathed in harshly, attempting to composed herself. Unbidden, a sob broke free. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine herself back in the dark. The sounds of despair and defeat echoing around the room. The echoes, the smell, and the unrelenting, godforsaken dark. Panic began to set in.
“Sugar, I need you to listen to my voice. Give me your hand.” Without thought, Mia held out her hand. “That’s it. You know the drill. Feel my heart beating. Breath with me.”
She slowed her breathing to match his. Focused on his strong, steady heartbeat.
“That’s it. Now I want you to open your eyes and look at me. Good girl. No, don’t look away. Right here. That’s it.”
Slowly she felt the shift, the calm that seemed to come over her each time he talked her down. Mia hated that it kept happening, that he witnessed her weak moments. But if it had to be anyone, she was grateful it was him.
With a tender squeeze of her hand, the one that still lay over his heart, Finn turned to Desai. “I think we should call it. You can get the rest another day.”
“No,” her voice croaked out. “It’s nearly done. I want to finish it. I don’t think I can stand to come back and do this again.”
His gaze swung back to hers. “You sure?”
Cracking a weak smile, she quipped, “No, but let’s do it anyway.”
Shaking his head at her, he gifted her with that smile she’d come to love. The thought rattled her more. Already on emotional overload, she tucked that thought away to deal with another time.
“When you’re ready, I’ll turn the recording back on.”
She motioned with her finger to show she was ready. He turned it back on and placed the relevant details on record. “You may continue, Ms. Shore.”
“Using a powerful torch, Dylan dragged me down this row of cages. Some of the women threw themselves at the bars, begging him to let them go. Others shrank back to get away from the light, as if terrified of what the light would bring. We got to the end of the row, and he shoved me into the cage. The bastard locked me in and walked away like I’d meant nothing to him. Then you guys arrived, and now here I am.”
“One last question, Ms. Shore. Do you know how long you were held captive?”
“No, not a clue. Like I said, we were in constant darkness. There’s no telling how much time passed in that hellhole. It could have been hours; it could have weeks. I have no idea.”
