Page 80 of The House Guest

‘Just your loyalty. Like I said, it’s a network. We all help each other. When you’re in a position to help another member, you’ll do so.’ But she sounded uncertain, like she was backtracking.

‘He won’t want to sleep with me?’

Eden hesitated again.

‘He will, won’t he?’ Ruth said. A memory had come back to her. That first night after she woke up, meeting Marie. What had Emilio said? That she belonged to another? ‘Do you belong to him, Eden? Do you have to sleep with him too? Do all the women here?’

She thought Eden would deny it, but instead she said, ‘Sometimes. But only because we want to. He doesn’t make us.’

‘Oh my God. But it’s expected, isn’t it?’

Eden tried to take hold of Ruth’s hand. ‘You’ll enjoy it. He’s a skilful lover. He’s a teacher in the bedroom too.’

Ruth snatched her hand away. ‘I’m actually going to be sick. He was going on and on about loving my work, saying how great I am. But really, he just wants my body.’ Nausea bubbled up in her. ‘He’s nothing more than a glorified stalker.’

It was as if they’d been hypnotising her and suddenly she was back in the real world. What had she been thinking? How could she have allowed herself to be tempted?

She knew how. They’d been working on her. Trying to brainwash her.

Well, it wasn’t going to work.

‘I want to leave now. Where are my clothes? I want my SIM card too.’

Eden looked slightly panicked. She glanced up at the wall, towards what Ruth had assumed was a smoke alarm.

‘Is that a camera?’ Ruth asked. ‘It is, isn’t it?’ She gazed up at it. ‘Are you watching me now, Gabriel? Have you been spying on me the whole time, like some disgusting peeping Tom?’

‘Ruth, you’re making a big—’

She pushed Eden away and pointed a finger at what must be a camera. She raised her voice. ‘Let me tell you something, Gabriel. I will never sleep with you. I will never even touch you. You’re a fucking creep. You’re not going to induct me into this ... this sex cult.’ She sucked in a deep breath. ‘You’re nothing more than Charles Manson with a fancy apartment. And if you think I’m going to let your diseased dick anywhere near me, you’re insane. Now let me the fuck out of here.’

She waited. Eden shook her head, like someone who had just watched a co-worker call their boss an asshole.

The door opened.

Gabriel came in. Ruth heard Eden gasp beside her, and Ruth herself took a step back, because he looked furious. Capable of violence.

‘You’re an ungrateful bitch, Ruth,’ he said with a tremor in his voice. ‘Do you know how much trouble we went to, to get you here? How much trouble you’re still causing? You’re staying here. You’re going to fulfil your destiny.’

‘My destiny? What the hell are you talking about?’

But he didn’t answer. Instead he grabbed hold of her by the arm and bared his teeth in her face. He was shaking with anger. She tried to pull away but Gabriel held on to her like a vice. He dragged her across the room and pushed her on to the bed.

‘Get the others,’ he said to Eden.

Chapter 35

I ran towards the door, intending to slide the deadlock across.

It was too late. The door swung open to reveal the dark-haired man standing there. His hand moved inside the blazer he was wearing.

I spun and scrambled into the living room, shutting the door and grabbing a chair, which I tilted and jammed beneath the handle. I looked around desperately. The knife I had taken from the kitchen was still in my backpack. But where the hellwasmy backpack? I had no time to find it. The man was rattling the door. The chair would only hold him back for seconds and, this time, Callum wasn’t here to save me.

Then I saw it. The fire escape that zig-zagged up the outside of the building. Access was through the window. As the man kicked at the door, I grabbed the window frame, praying it would open easily.

It did.

I stepped out on to the fire escape at the exact same moment the chair fell away and the door crashed open. The man came through and raised his gun. It was still the afternoon. If he shot me, it would surely attract attention from people on the street. But I wasn’t thinking about that. I was too scared to think much of anything at all.

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