Page 39 of Perilous

“What did you mean when you said you werefree?”

I swallow hard. “I’ve been stuck here for a long time. Fulfilling my father’s wish. I knew he went to this place. He put me right in his footsteps and I played along. He never had a son, okay? There is no extending the family bloodline or any of that crap rich guys talk about. And I know they talk about it. I’ve heard it a million times. You know what I don’t want? I don’t want my father to handpick someone to be my husband. And then to dictate how many children to have. Knowing all he wants is for me to give birth to a son so that in some sense his name can continue. I’m not some fucking breeding farm animal.”

“Moo,” Peri whispers with half a grin.

My teeth chatter.

“I’m on birth control. And you didn’t even come inside me.”

“Go on with your fucking story, doll,” Peri says. “I’m intrigued by everything to do with you right now. Which is keeping your perfect tasting cunt alive and well.”

“I don’t want to be here,” I confess. “Not just here in this fucking room with you. I meanhere.”

“Christ, doll, are you talking…suicide?”

I smile. “No, I’m not talkingthat. I mean, I wasthis closeto leaving this place. I had it all lined up and worked out. Okay?”

“You mean leavingSA.”

“LeavingSA, yes. But also leaving the country. I had a fucking plan, Peri!”

My entire body starts to shake as I think about it.

Like a person tossed from a boat in the middle of the ocean, seeing land, and swimming so fucking hard toward it. Then getting within a hundred feet, and then a fucking shark grabs your legs, pulls you back out and devours you.

“You were going to leave the country? Why?”

“Do you really give a fuck?”

“Of course I do, doll,” he says. He pulls me toward him. “I care about everything you have to say right now.”

“To use it against me. You’re going to kill me, Peri.”

“You seem confident in that statement.”

“You said you were going to kill me,” I growl.

“Maybe you can beg for your life.”

“No. I tried that. I sucked your dick.”

“And I let you leave.

He smirks. That evil smirk.

My heart thumps too hard and my inner thighs tremble too much. I’m starting to wonder if something is wrong with me.

“Peri, when I went out that night, I wasn’t alone. I was with my best friend. She has to be worried about me by now. And others.”

“You had a chance to leave, Annika. You came back.”

“So can I at least text Molly? Make up some kind of lie or something? Can I meet her for coffee? I mean, I guess maybe it doesn’t matter if my father is looking for me. But why would he be that upset so quickly? It’s not like I see him every day…”

“Like I told you already, doll, you’re intriguing,” Peri whispers. “And you don’t even know why. No way I’m letting you leave again. You’re all mine. Let me work on everything you just said. I’ll handle it.”

“What about something to eat?” I ask.

Peri smirks again. “Are you asking me out on a date, Annika?”

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