Page 56 of Slay King

The races. The pink hat on the topless girl. Thatcher … Thatcher bending her over a sofa and screwing her right there in front of everyone. The Derby. We’d watched it. King.

I closed my eyes tightly, gasping from a new pain. The one in my chest. King. He had been on the screen with Scotlin. They’d been close. Touching.

A knock on the door startled me, and I looked at myself, realizing I was wearing the sundress I had worn to Sebastian’s house. He’d come to pick me up at Maeme’s. He’d said I looked beautiful. Maeme had agreed and told him not to keep me out late.

Another knock, and then the doorknob turned. I backed up, unsure as to who it was since I had no idea where I was. A tall man with olive skin, dark eyes, neatly brushed black hair, a strong jawline, tall and muscular build, and arms covered in tattoos where they were visible entered. Then, he smiled. Even white teeth.

“You’re awake. Good,” he said, and I realized he had a glass of ice water in his hand. “You’ll need this, I imagine.”

I dropped my eyes from his face to stare at the glass. When he held it out to me, I didn’t move. I had no idea who this was.

The cloth over my mouth. Oriel’s voice in my ear. He’d been the last thing I remembered.

This wasn’t Oriel though. Had Oriel brought me here?

“Take it. Please. You need to drink water. The chloroform knocked you out for fourteen hours. Your mouth must be fucking dry.”

Chloroform? My hand started to fly to my stomach, but I stopped it and fisted the covers instead. They couldn’t know about the baby. I had to protect it.

“What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice scratchy.

He held out the water to me. “Drink the water. We will discuss that later.”

I stared at it, wishing I could swallow and wanting to down the entire glass. “What’s in it?” I asked.

He chuckled. “Nothing. I want you clear and ready to talk. It is ice and water.”

“I need to use the bathroom,” I said.

I would get water from the faucet. I wasn’t drinking anything he gave me.

He walked over and set the water on the bedside table, then pointed across the room to a door that was closed. “Right through there. I laid out fresh clothing for you and all you need for a shower. Please, take your time. Get refreshed, and then we will talk about why you’re here over brunch.”

If he thought I was eating his food, he was insane. Talking was hard with my throat feeling like sandpaper. I stood without a word and headed to the bathroom, ready to lock myself inside and try to figure out what to do.

Pausing on my way, I turned to look back at him. “Where is my phone?” I asked, knowing it was pointless.

He wasn’t going to hand that over.

“It was destroyed and left outside where you were taken.”

That response didn’t surprise me. He’d used chloroform to take me. This had been a well-planned-out kidnapping. One I’d made too easy for them. I should have asked Sebastian to take me back to Maeme’s. Going outside alone had been stupid. Especially after the incident outside Maeme’s the other night.

The lavish bathroom was as bold in color choices as the bedroom. Everything was gold and white in here though. I locked the door, although I was sure the man had a key. Then, I went directly to the sink to get several handfuls of water and drink until swallowing no longer hurt. When I was satisfied, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I was pale with dark circles under my eyes. Other than that, there was no damage.

My gaze dropped to my stomach. I wasn’t sure about the baby though. How would chloroform affect it?

Nausea began to roll over me. I walked over to turn on the large walk-in shower before stripping off my sundress and panties. I needed to wash this from me. All of it. Being touched by strange men. Sleeping in a bed I didn’t know. While under the spray of water that came from the ceiling like a rain shower, I checked my body for marks, then reached between my legs for any sensitivity to show that I’d been raped. There was nothing there.

I let out a sigh of relief, then tilted my head back and closed my eyes.

This was bad. Very bad. I needed a plan, but I’d never been taken before. Abused by a man I was married to? Yes. I hadn’t won that battle either. I’d been saved. Would King find me and save me this time? Could he? No one knew where I was, including myself.

Opening my eyes, I scanned the contents of the shower to find shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Both the shampoo and conditioner were the exact same brands I had used when married to Hill. A coldness settled over me. I didn’t touch it. Instead, I turned off the water and got out quickly. My fear was slowly turning into a panic.

Why was the special brand meant for curly hair like mine in here?

I dried while my heart raced in my chest, then looked over at the panties, black leggings, a sweatshirt, and some thick socks that were lying on the counter. I didn’t want to wear the clothes they had provided, but they covered me up more than the sundress I had been wearing. The desire to be covered from head to toe won out, and I took the things left for me.

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