Page 5 of Beg Me Angel

Nowhere. If I wanted to leave, the only step I could take was forward.

The room in front of me seemed cozy, welcoming even, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to be cautious. I had no plans on just leaping out and announcing I was there.

I wanted to be quiet, maybe try and sneak around to see if I could find my friend. I didn't plan on leaving until I found her, until I knew she was alright.

My eyes were fixed on the bright orange flames, mesmerized by the stone work surrounding the deep basin. There was a mix of rocks in all different sizes and colors, each one meticulously placed into their spot.

The intricate puzzle was beautiful, tempting my eyes to keep still, to take in the amount of time and effort something so amazing would require. Whoever had built such a thing had to be a perfectionist and faultless with their hands.

“You're finally awake, how are you feeling?” The voice snatched my heartbeat, causing me to freeze like a frightened doe in headlights.

“Wh. . . What?” My voice crackled in surprise as I asked, trying to comprehend the question.

I didn't know how to respond or what to say. It could have been the sudden deep tone that frightened me or the fact that I wasn't even sure what I had been through, but I honestly had no clue what the fuck I should have been feeling.

Did the question warrant a response of fear or hatred?

Did they expect me to remember who they were and what happened in the hours prior?

Because I couldn't. I was teetering on the edge of so many different emotions and feelings. What was that theory?

Fight or flight.

No words could have been more true in the moment. My mind was hovering in one space; feeling lost and confused as my body skipped to a different beat; aching from head to toe, but eager to flee.

I hurt everywhere, like I had been tossed off a high cliff and a pile of rocks broke my fall. My head was pounding like my brain had been hit by an oncoming train and every joint was either swollen or bruised.

But all of that, every inch that stung as I made any sort of movement, was nothing compared to the anxiety I felt from not remembering a damn thing.

Turning my face to meet the voice, I inhaled a sharp breath, instinctively raising my hands to cup my mouth.

Stepping out from a dark corner, a man I didn't recognize was holding a small platter with a cup of water and a bowl of food. His head was shaved, a thick beard hid the lower part of his face.

But it didn't hide the sharp angles of his jaw or the full lips that were tucked away in the fuzzy warmth of his facial hair. Dark lashes spanned his lids, forcing his deep brown eyes to sparkle with highlights of amber and gold.

A lump formed in the back of my throat as I watched his muscles roll under the skin while he shifted the tray in his hands. He looked like a mountain man, carved from the very same hard cedar his home was built from.

My stomach began to flutter, twining around itself and coiling up tight. I felt my heart speed up, hammering against my already aching ribs.

Holy hell.

I wasn't sure what I expected this man to look like, but it wasn't that. Men aren't meant to be gorgeous, are they? Because he was, he took my breath away, leaving me even more delirious than when I woke up.

“I asked how you were feeling.” Lifting the tray higher, he switched it in his hands. “Are you hungry?” Squinting one eye, the man cocked his head a hair. “Because you should be hungry, you've been out for days.”

I stood silent, trying to grasp the reality of what he had said.

Wait. . .

What?

Days?

No that couldn't be right. His words rang in my ears, pinging off every brain cell and crashing into a giant heaping pile of shit.

Days?

“Where am I?” Snapping my back straight, I ignored all the pain in my muscles and the heat swelling in my belly, drawing in a stern breath. “What do you mean days? What happened to me?”

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