Page 88 of Beautiful Prey

“Tell me how,” I said. “Are you going to make me suffer?”

He freed my hands and picked up the ropes, turning to leave.

“I’ll kill myself before I let you torture me, Emery.”

He stalled by the doorway.

I slowly rose from the bed. “I’ll find a way,” I said quietly. “Is that what you want?”

I saw his fingers move against the rope, looking at it as if regretting freeing me after all. Maybe even contemplating tying me back up.

“Say something to me.” I knew he wouldn’t, but he didn’t leave the doorway, his back turned to me. I took a step closer. I had to think quickly, give him a reason to acknowledge me in the slightest before he shut me out for who knew how long. “If you won’t talk, then listen to me. Whatever you might think, it was never my intention to finish my father’s work. I never came to St. Agnes to put you through that again. I didn’t know what had happened to you until…”

I could see he was shutting himself off again. Or his ghosts were trying to make him.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry my father did that to you.”

He moved so quickly I flinched. He jerked his head as if trying not to hear me or to shake the voices that were in his ear. Then he gripped the door handle and took a step out of the room.

“You have my laptop. I know you took it,” I said as he began to close the door. “My password is gingersnap. No caps. Look in the folder named My Thesis, open the file that says FINAL with the date. Read it, Emery, please.”

Shutting the door, he worked at the lock and left.

I backed away and plopped down on the bed with a sigh. I bowed my head and covered my face with my hands. I was not going to get upset, not now. But I was already beginning to hate being locked in here, unable to know what was going to happen. But if he read my thesis, it might save me. I’d written down everything I knew about what happened to him in that paper, but not just that, I opened myself up, poured out my feelings. I’d taken that risk, unthinking or uncaring of the outcome. I’d done it for him.

And if he could see that, then maybe he’d believe what I’d told him. And my last moments wouldn’t be of a blade being shoved into my body and me screaming in agony.

I shuddered at the thought, letting my hands fall from my face. My gaze drifted around, then stopped on the bag Emery left on the floor near the dresser.

Curious, I went over and dropped down next to it. I unzipped the top and peered inside.

I took out one of my shirts, a simple gray top. I searched further and found more clothes, shirts, some pants and my green hoodie with State on the front. My panties and bras were at the bottom and my face heated, thinking of Emery finding them. I doubt he felt anything at all since he hadn’t taken any time to sift through them as none of them matched. There were a couple of socks thrown in too. Then my toiletries—hairbrush, toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and conditioner. It was obvious he meant to keep me here, but I still didn’t understand his plan for me. Why bother?

There was also a water bottle and a couple of snack bars, all from my kitchen. I uncapped the bottle and drank, then tore open one of the bars.

There was a sudden loud tapping noise followed by a low roar coming from the vents. I jumped, first in surprise, then I moved over and put my hand down to one and felt heat at my fingertips.

Heart fluttering, I moved into the bathroom and flipped on the switch. The light flickered above and then turned on.

Emery must have restored the generator.

I finished the rest of my bar and threw the wrapper on the floor. I brought my bag into the bathroom and shut the door, delighted to find I could lock it too, which I did. I was still apprehensive as I slowly took my clothes off knowing a locked door wouldn’t keep Emery out.

But I needed a shower. Sweat and dirt stain my clothes, making me feel grimy and gross. I kicked my pants and shirt away and turned on the water, waiting for it to heat up. It took some time but eventually my hand warmed underneath the current.

Upstairs, I heard the groan of the floorboards as he walked around. I tensed until he walked off again and a door shut. I took my shower supplies from the bag, finding a woman’s razor in a side pocket too, and brought them into the shower with me. It was going to be a quick shower since I didn’t know how long I had before he killed the power or returned. I didn’t want to reenact the shower scene from psycho if I could help it.

Showered, I took a spare towel from the shelf, dried off, then quickly put on a new pair of clothes, the gray top and a pair of light jeans followed by my hoodie. I used the toilet, brushed my teeth, and combed my hair, flinching at every sound I heard from outside or above.

When I finally crept out of the bathroom, I looked around, but Emery wasn’t waiting in the shadows. Testing the door to my room, I found it was still barred.

I ate the other bars and drank the rest of my water then organized my clothes and everything else stuffed in the bag. I started to contemplate whether Emery did put some thought into the few clothes he took because I also found my silky robe and one of my thigh-high dresses thrown in there as well. No,I doubt in his raged-fueled state he was thinking how cute that would look on me.

The thought of him sifting through my clothes and considering which ones he liked made me want to laugh. Then I wondered what the fuck was wrong with me.

Eventually, I started to pace the room, waiting to see if Emery would come back. I started looking for ways out when I couldn’t think of what else to do. I tried to pry the board off the window with no luck. I worked at the lock at the door, even started to kick at it when I thought Emery might be outside—until I heard his footfalls coming down the stairs and I immediately stopped. They quieted as if he were on the stairs watching the door, then he slowly went back up.

I turned away from the door and sank back on the bed.

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