Page 20 of Suspicion

Swallowing back her agitation, she forced her focus elsewhere. Anywhere. Perhaps if she studied the cabin, she’d discover another way out or something else to help her on her way with the morning light.

She cast an eye over the shadowy space, willing her heart to calm. Ella didn’t know why being physically chastened had such an odd effect on her. She recalled how terrible the reality had been and that she neither welcomed nor deserved it, but there was more, too—an overwhelming emotion to the helplessness, a sense that ceding hadn’t been the end of the world, after all.

It doesn’t matter. Forget it.

She didn’t have time to lose her head in such an incredibly stressful situation. Likely, she was only exhausted and dehydrated. No wonder her throat was so dry. She hadn’t had a sip of water all day.

Focus.

She inhaled as she peered around the place, getting her bearings. The interior was larger than she’d envisioned a place in the middle of the woods to be. Whoever had built the monstrosity was an adept draftsman. Her gaze returned briefly to Tucker, who was warming those same large hands by the fire. Surely, he was the one who’d designed and created the structure. Regular house builders didn’t tend to venture out this far into the wilderness, let alone recommend construction there.

There was more to the man who’d accepted her as collateral than she’d initially realized. His talents for building houses and starting fires only made him more dangerous. Tucker was plainly one of life’s natural survivors, and she had no doubt that would make him a tough adversary.

Her gaze landed back on the bed she’d earlier sought to avoid. The rickety-looking structure was located at the far end of the cabin and looked far from comfortable, but the most noteworthy thing about it was its comparatively small size.

How can a man as tall as Tucker possibly fit into that?

“Did you change your mind?”

His question caught her off guard and interrupted her internal monologue. Snapping her head around to face him, she found his expression impossible to decipher, his tone registering somewhere between a sneer and concern.

“Excuse me?” Once more, she met his eyes, still certain the line of inquiry was nothing more than a joke at her expense.

“The bed.” He motioned at it. “Did you change your mind?”

“I’m fine.” She took a reflexive step toward the door as she turned to face him. “Thanks, but I could use a drink though.”

“A drink?” he sounded utterly unimpressed with her change of tack.

“Please, I’m parched.” Her gaze flitted around for any sign of a refrigerator or even a working basin. “Do you have any bottled mineral water?”

“No.” His lips stretched into a smirk. “But there’s a tap outside.” He nodded in the direction of the exit. “I’ll get you a drink once you’re secured.”

“Secured?” She didn’t like the sound of that.

“That’s right.” He let out a sigh as though he was the one inconvenienced by the new arrangement. “Your feet are free, remember? I can’t have you running off while I’m gone.”

“I won’t.” Her thoughts flitted to the hammer and how close she’d come to snatching the weapon and doing just that. “I didn’t run in the woods, and I won’t now.”

“Much though I’d love to believe you, Ella, I don’t.” He loomed closer, every inch as ominous as he’d been out there in the forest earlier when he’d found her bound and gift-wrapped from her father.

“But I’m still tied.” She lifted her wrists as if he’d somehow forgotten the binds she was referring to. “What’s the problem?” She hoped he could sense her exasperation. Needing to stay in his favor was proving to be even more difficult than she’d expected, and honestly, she was running out of strength.

He had no right to do this. She shouldn’t even be there in his blasted cabin, and now he was talking about tying her up again.

Ella wasn’t sure if she could take much more.

“I need to tie you to something.” He emphasized the final word as he stalked past her to the counter that housed the hammer she’d eyed. Crouching in front of it, he reached beneath it and produced another, much longer length of rope than the one he’d cut free from her. Her heart raced as he rose to his full height. The guy seemed to get taller every time he got to his feet.

“I need to contain you while I fetch the water.” Stepping toward her, he flexed the binds between his fists. “Consider the rope my insurance policy.”

“Insurance policy?” Her feet backed away at his approach. There was nowhere to run, yet she intended to flee just the same. She couldn’t stay there to become a thing he could bind and maneuver at will.

She hadn’t survived the day and managed to recover the use of her feet and legs just to be bound again. If Tucker had trust issues, that was his problem, not hers.

“That’s right.” His gaze darkened as he neared. “I like to keep my property safe.”

Chapter Eight

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