Page 6 of Vengeful Vows

Lara makes a displeased sound in the back of her head. “This won’t do. I think I have some press-ons that you can wear. I know it’s a little tacky, but I use them between nail appointments.”

She disappears into a room, and I’m finally able to look around the mansion. It’s a little bigger than my father’s, probably fifteen rooms instead of our ten, and Paige drags me into a bedroom that’s bigger than my own.

There’s a four-post, king-sized bed with a pink canopy in the corner, and it’s very clearly her room. A crystal chandelier hangs above us, and there’s a portrait of Paige and a small dog on the wall.

She catches me looking at it and smiles sadly.

“That’s Bouncer. He passed on when I was twelve. I’m so glad we posed for that portrait together before Da accidentally backed over him.” She sighs, frowning. “Took me years to forgive him.”

I want to open my mouth and scream, tell her I don’t give a fuck about her stupid little dog or any of this, to just let me out. But I don’t.

Relax. Go with the flow. Just wait it out and your chance will come.

I might be delusional, but that’s what I’m doing now. I’m going along with the flow, so that I can strike like my cobra of a father later.

I take a breath.

This is not how I pictured my night when I got to bed six hours ago. My dreams and hopes are resting all on the chance that my father will come for me.

I would say my brother too, but he left the family, cut all ties with our father, so he won’t even know if something happens to me. And if he does, he’ll just think maybe I’m my mother’s daughter.

No, stop that! This night is bad enough without having to think about that too.

God. I really am all alone now, aren’t I?

Please, Daidí, hurry up and save me from this fate that might be worse than death.

I just have to focus on my breathing and try and make this as painless as I can for me.

“What kind of dresses do you have available?” I force a smile.

Paige beams back at me, sliding open a closet door to a huge walk-in closet with more shoes than I’ve ever seen. I have plenty of clothes and shoes on my own, but this is ridiculous.

Lara hurries into the bedroom, taking my right hand and filing my nails as Paige rustles through the dresses in her closet.

“You should shower, honey. There’s fear sweat all over you,” Lara says. “Let me finish filing your nails, and then I’ll get you a towel. I know this isn’t ideal, but it will all work out. I promise.”

I blink at her, surprised that she cares.

“Thank you,” I whisper, and Paige just keeps looking through her closet, humming, as Lara takes me to the bathroom.

“I’ll give you some privacy,” she says, but I don’t miss that she stays right outside. I can hear her and Paige as they whisper gibberish right by the door.

They’re all crazy. Every last one of them.

I look in the mirror.

As far as kidnappings go, mine wasn’t all that bad. Sure, it was scary, but Declan didn’t hit me or anything, so there’s no bruises. I just look sweaty and pale, like I’ve been through something bad.

I suppose I have.

I take in a shaking breath, suddenly fighting tears now that I’m alone.

Looking around the bathroom, I search for windows. And I find them… about six feet off the ground. And they’re too small for me to climb out. There's also a skylight, but it’s not like I can burst through there like Superwoman. It’s about ten feet to the ceiling, anyway.

I guess I can’t do anything but what they tell me to do, so I turn on the water and hop in the shower.

It’s one of those shower walls, and I lean against the tile, letting the warm water cascade down my back.

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