Page 54 of His Beautiful Revenge
Just come home to me.
The pain was becoming overwhelming. Norah sat on the toilet and peed, feeling her insides churning and cramping. When she got up, there was blood in the bowl. “Fuck,” She whispered and had to steady herself against the cool tile wall to stop from fainting.
“Norah? You getting on okay?”
“I’m just going to shower.”
“Fine.”
God, such a bland, normal, everyday conversation to be having with your kidnapper and abuser. She cranked on the shower and left it to get warm, stripping off her dirty clothes. She felt wretched in them and decided to wash them. There were robes on the back of the door. She plugged the tub and let the shower water fill it as she washed herself, her hair, and her body. She saw a trail of blood snaking down her leg and prayed it was just her period. She would tell Lucian it was …he had always been squeamish. Maybe she could get him to leave her alone for a few minutes while he got her some tampons? Maybe …
She used the other half of the complimentary soap to wash her underwear, jeans, and top, then hung them over the shower rail. She wrapped herself in the robe and combed her hair through. There was a blister pack of aspirin on the sink; she threw three down with some water and felt better.
“Noh? You done?”
It was a weird feeling—so many times, when they had lived together, she’d heard him say that. It was both strange and upsetting. How had they come to this? She slid from the bathroom and he looked at her in surprise.
“My clothes were dirty,” she said shortly. “I had to wash them.”
His eyes swept over her robed body and she knew what he was thinking. God, it made her feel sick. “I have my period,” she said and it wasn’t without satisfaction that she saw the lust in his eyes die.
“God.” He looked disgusted. “I suppose you need some tampons?”
She nodded and half-smiled at him. “That would be nice. Thank you.”
Lucian’s face softened at her smile. “Anything else, baby? Anything that might make you feel better?”
She could almost believe the tenderness in his voice. “Some new underwear might be good. Deodorant. And toothpaste?”
He half-laughed. “So practical. Fine, fine, and how about some candy?”
Despite herself, she nodded. “Red Vines, please. And some bananas. I don’t want to ask too much.”
That got him—he was starting to believe she was softening towards him. “I will have to cuff you up, though, Norah. I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “I figured. But, please, for comfort’s sake, can I be left in the bathroom? You know how it is.”
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Sure.”
When he’d gone out—to her amusement, wearing a comically bad blonde wig under his baseball cap—she looked around the bathroom for any weapon she could use. The top of the toilet tank was heavy porcelain. She could lift it, but she wasn’t sure if she could swing it. A couple of tiles were loose. If she pried them off, she could use them to cut his throat while he slept. She kicked the bath surround, but it seemed to be solidly built. Standing on the toilet, half-crouched because of how she was cuffed, she could just about see through the small window. Outside, it was dusk, and all she could see was thick forest and the edge of the motel sign. She poked at the glass of the window, but it was set fast. She clambered down and sat on the toilet lid. Her eyes lit on the towel rail and she put out her hand and grasped it. It wobbled in her hand.
Loose.Her heart started to beat faster. She studied it and found that one end had loose screws but the other was stuck fast. She tried to turn the nail with her fingernail and her fingernail ripped off painfully. Norah cursed and looked around for something small and thin. Nothing.Fuck.
Maybe she could find a sliver of tile. She tried that, managed to pry a little piece off, and tried to use it. It snapped in her hand.
She glared at the towel rail, then grasped it with a growl and shook it violently to jerk it free. It didn’t budge. Panting, Norah was about to try again when she heard a car outside. She frowned.That was quick.Then she grinned. Yeah, itwasquick …which meant they weren’t far from civilization.
She was sitting back on the floor when Lucian came in. He smiled at her. “You’re going to love me when you see what I got.”
She blinked.Did he really just say that?But, seconds later, she forgot everything when he held up a bag of steaming hot fast food. “I got way too much, but I figured what the hell.”
He uncuffed her from the radiator and brought her into the bedroom. She almost swooned when she saw him pull out a foil-covered burger. “With everything, the way you like.”
They’d been living on crackers and potato chips. He handed her a cup of ice-cold soda.Sugar.“Oh, my god, so good.” She couldn’t help but sink her teeth into the burger, still steaming hot and oozing with ketchup and mustard. Lucian watched her with a smile on his face. She nodded to him.Keep him sweet.“Thank you, Lucian. I appreciate it.”
He looked delighted. “Also,” he held up a packet of Red Vines. “And I got you some new underwear, some blue jeans, and a couple of t-shirts. Also the toiletries you wanted.”
“Thank you.”
