Page 24 of Captivated with Them

Chapter Ten

Rue

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I COULD TELL FRANKIEwas pissed at being made to leave the D.A.’s office.

Ever since we left the courthouse, he’d been short with me, his fingers digging hard into my skin as he dragged me from the building and shoved me back into the waiting car.

He insisted I tell him, word for word, what had been said during my meeting with Caroline Simpson, and so I told him. I had nothing to hide, but I still felt as though I’d done something wrong. He hadn’t liked that she’d told him to leave the office, even though it was in the best interest of the case. I wondered if he was more pissed off that he’d been told what to do, or that he’d been told what to do by a woman.

We reached the house and drove through the gates to the front door.

My stomach gurgled audibly, and I put my arms around my middle, my face heating at my body’s natural responses. I hadn’t eaten anything so far that day, and I regretted turning down the offer of coffee from the lawyer. I should have made the most of it, but I’d been too nervous to think about stomaching anything.

Frankie frowned at me then checked his watch. “You can go through to the pantry. The others will be eating in there.”

I ducked my head in a nod. “Thank you.”

I shouldn’t really be thanking him for allowing me to eat—something he took for granted—but in the mood he was in, I wouldn’t have put it past him to let me starve for the rest of the day.

We left Frankie dealing with some other business, and my minder, Otis, ushered me into the house. He took me to the east wing, where the kitchen, boot-room, and pantry were located. Our rooms and the rooms of some of the other staff were situated above.

I was surprised to see the two other girls, Skye and May, already sitting around the small table in the pantry. This room was nothing like the orangery. It was poky and dimly lit, but I was pleased to see both the other women and the meal of bread, cheese, and meats that had been pre-sliced and laid out for us. There was no sign of any knives with which to cut the food. I assumed we weren’t trusted with them, and rightly so.

The other woman peeped up at me as I took a spare seat. They clocked my smart outfit, and I recognized the questions in their eyes. I couldn’t tell them anything, though. It was safer for them if they didn’t know the full story.

I reached out for some bread and cheese and chomped down. I was starving, and I couldn’t eat quickly enough, swallowing before I had the chance to chew it properly. I forced myself to slow down. I wasn’t going to do anyone any good if I choked to death on a lump of half-chewed bread.

Otis and one of Frankie’s other men were hanging around, keeping an eye on us, but they were chatting with each other and didn’t seem particularly interested in what we were doing.

When I’d eaten a fair chunk of food, I leaned in and lowered my voice. “Are you two okay?”

They exchanged a glance, and Skye nodded. “Yeah, no one’s laid a hand on us since the other night, thanks to you.”

May ducked her head and whispered. “What’s going to happen to us?”

I twisted my lips. “I don’t know, exactly.”

“I heard one of the men talking,” Skye said. “They said we’re going to be taken out of the country.”

May kept her voice down. “But how are they going to do that? Are we going to end up in the back of a truck or something?”

I could only tell them what I knew. “They have people who will make counterfeit passports for them. That’s how they’ll move you around.”

It felt like a betrayal to Kodee and the others by telling them, but I couldn’t keep it to myself.

Skye frowned. “So, we’ll go on an airplane, just like everyone else?”

Hope lit May’s features. “We might be able to find someone who’ll help us.”

I didn’t want to dampen her spirits, but it was better they be prepared for the reality of what their future might hold. “You won’t be alone. There will be men with you the whole way.”

“But surely if we start screaming and begging for help, someone will have to pay attention to us?”

“I expect they’ll already have that possibility covered. They will probably say you have mental health issues. They may even have a doctor’s note to prove it.” I shrugged. “I’m just guessing, of course, but I’ve been around these kinds of men long enough to know how they work.”

Skye’s eyes widened. “How long have you been living like this?”

I shrugged, my face warming, suddenly embarrassed. I found myself staring down at the table, not wanting to meet the other woman’s gaze. “My whole adult life, and a good chunk of my childhood, too. Basically, as long as I can remember.”

May’s mouth had dropped open. “Oh, my God. That’s going to be—”

“Hey, you three! Enough of the chatter. Stop talking!”

Otis had finally noticed us.

Our body language was all identical, each of us cowering at the sharp words, clamping our lips shut, not making eye contact. We might still harbor hope in our hearts, but there was no denying that we were still owned women.

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