Page 5 of Beyond the Temptation: Vol 2

Perhaps he won’t hurt me now.

The image of his kind blue eyes lives in my mind. Someone with such beautiful eyes shouldn’t be so horrible.

Except he is.

“Why am I here?” I ask again as he walks in and sets the tray on the table.

He doesn’t reply.

“Please. Why won’t you talk to me? How long have I been here? Is Mrs. Brugler okay?”

He pauses when I mention Mrs. Brugler.

But still he says nothing.

“Please, tell me why I’m here.”

Nothing.

“People will be worried about me. They’re going to try to find me.”

The lie is bitter on my tongue. Besides Mrs. Brugler, no one will even know I’m gone. I grew up in the system. I have no relatives. No close friends. And I’m currently unemployed, so no one will notice if I don’t show up to work.

Still, I have to try. “Once they find me, you’ll be in big trouble!”

He turns then. Apparently he doesn’t like to be threatened. He glares at me with those beautiful eyes. “Someone saw you and wanted you.”

His voice is rich and deep, and though I can tell he’s trying to sound malicious, he doesn’t.

“Who?” I demand, swallowing my fear.

“I’m not supposed to talk to you.”

“No one will know. Unless this room is bugged or something.” I look around. “But there’s nothing in here. Just that one lightbulb on the ceiling. Is there a camera there?”

“Your room’s not being watched,” he says. “It’s not bugged. But it is soundproof. Otherwise the screams of the captive would echo through the entire building. They don’t want cameras in here because they don’t want any footage of what goes on in here that can be used against them as evidence. I can do whatever I want in here and no one will know.”

Good. He’s still talking.

“Did you bring me here?” I ask.

He shifts his blue eyes uneasily. “I can’t tell you that.”

“I assume that means yes.” I straighten my shoulders. “Is Mrs. Brugler all right? How did you get me out of there without her knowing? And why should I believe you that this room isn’t being watched or is bugged?”

He picks up the previous tray, walks to the door, and this time he doesn’t turn his shoulder to look at me. He simply stands in front of the keypad, unlocks the door, and leaves.

He brought me another bottle of water, thank goodness, because I’m feeling very parched. Next time he comes, I’ll ask him to bring extra water.

Dinner—or breakfast, as it appears to be—is two slices of bacon, hashbrowns, and two poached eggs with a slice of toast. This time he gave me a utensil. A plastic spoon. I’ve never eaten eggs and hashbrowns with a spoon before, but it’s better than eating with my fingers. I haven’t been able to wash my hands since I got here, and I’m beginning to feel pretty gross.

The good news is that my stomach feels fine after the grilled cheese and potato chips, so they aren’t trying to poison me.

I finish my breakfast and drink half the water. This time I’ll do better about saving the rest. I have no idea when the stranger will come again.

CHAPTER FIVE

Someone saw you and wanted you.

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