Page 16 of Chained to You (Dark Billionaires 6)

I had no idea how bad I looked. Sophie had said I was ugly, especially with all the bruises about my body. Then I wondered how James would react if he were to see me now. Would he, like Sophie said, be repulsed at the sight of me? God, I didn’t know, and honestly, I didn’t have time to think about that right now.

Now I needed to take control of my weak, throbbing, inflamed body and tell it to get a move on if I wanted to get out of here before night came, if I didn’t want Herbert to take me out of town as Sophie had implied.

Miraculously, in agony, I somehow managed to pull myself up. Then I raised my gaze to the window where the curtains were still drawn shut. What little light managed to sneak in through the dark room told me it was somewhere around late afternoon. It’d only be a couple hours more until darkness fell and then…

Shit! I had to get out of here fast while I still had the time.

I took a deep breath as I closed my eyes, psyching myself up for the next move, which would be comparable to a herculean task, considering my current state.

Once I was ready, I pushed myself off the bed.

Pain coursed throughout my body, and I did my best to hold in my cry of agony. My head spun as my vision darkened. I breathed in deeply and slowly, telling myself to stay calm and steady. God, my legs felt like jelly. I felt as though I were about to collapse onto the floor.

Once my head managed to stop spinning, I opened my eyes and noted, with relief, that my vision was now clear. Commanding my legs to straighten, I then moved, one small step at a time and not without pain, toward the window. There I grabbed for that thin curtain, and with all the might I could muster, I pulled and tugged and tore at it. I was glad the material was very old and torn, and therefore, it wasn’t a difficult task to shred it away from its rail.

The sound of the fabric ripping, however, made me nervous. Shit! I hoped neither Herbert nor Sophie were in the next room because the odds of them hearing the sounds of fabric shredding and the screeching of the metal rod was undoubtedly high.

When there were no signs to indicate that either of them were in the next room—because surely I’d hear movements or footsteps at least—I sighed in relief. That, of course, provided very useful information. I was not being watched as strictly as I had thought. The only conclusion was simply that I looked so bad after the beating that they didn’t think I’d be able to move afterward. A good thing, then, if they thought that way. I’d be able to make my escape easily since they had their guard down.

Once I had the material in my hands, I made quick work of wrapping it around my body like a beach towel to cover my nakedness since my clothes, which Herbert had torn off me, were nowhere in sight. I suspected he had them hidden away in his bag somewhere, as was his usual disgusting habit.

I headed to the door and cautiously tried the handle, wiggling it a few times. When the door came away, I wanted to shout out in happiness.

Oh God, thank you so much! I thought, looking heavenward.

Slowly and carefully, I opened the door and then cautiously scanned the next room, searching for either Herbert or Sophie, even though I knew they weren’t there.

Noting all was clear, I opened the door wider and stepped out. I had no time to see what was in the room as I raced across and headed to the next available door. There, I cautiously tried it, praying it wasn’t locked like the previous one. When I found that it indeed wasn’t, I felt like laughing, despite the pain aching throughout my body because of my movements.

After opening the door, I took another cautious search. I noted it was a hallway with glass walls on both sides. I assumed this must lead me to the exit.

Without wasting time, I rushed out, and as I tottered across, I noted I was on the second floor of an old, abandoned building. Down below was a spacious warehouse of some sort.

So Herbert and Sophie had held me captive in a warehouse, then. But where? I didn’t know, and I wondered if James and his team would manage to pinpoint the exact location. Los Angeles was a huge place after all. I just hoped I’d be able to escape without Herbert or Sophie noticing and find someone to help me get in contact with James.

I was across the hall now and opened the door to see there was a set of stairs descending. God, I hoped the door at the base of the stairs was the exit.

Without hesitation, I took a step downward and then another and another as the pain in my body continued to scream at me, telling me to stop. But of course, I refused to listen to the anguish coursing through me. My escape was more important.

Once I managed to step onto the landing at the base, I was even more on high alert, instinctively knowing that any moment now, either Herbert or So

phie would spot me and drag me back to my cell and lock me in. Although, I did pray I could escape unscathed.

I opened the door and did another thorough scan of the next section, noting it was the main warehouse. The place was, unsurprisingly, filled with an assortment of junk: pieces of metal, car parts, TV parts, cardboard boxes, rubbish in general, pieces of broken beds and furniture, and a whole lot of other shit that just kind of blended together until one didn’t know where it ended and where it began. Of course, the smell was overwhelming, too. I tried not to gag at the stench but found it hard as bile rose from my stomach and my head started spinning.

God! What the hell smells so bad?

I didn’t know, and to be honest, I didn’t want to find out. All I needed to do right now was get across this humongous warehouse to that next door that would lead me outside. My escape route. My savior.

Once I somehow managed to clear my head and overcome the smell, I opened the door wider and stepped out. After searching around again and noting all was clear, I staggered toward the exit.

Oh God! Yes. I was almost there. My heart was pounding so hard that I felt it was about to pop out of my chest any moment now. My adrenaline was high, as I knew it was only a little ways more until I reached that door.

But then…

Then that door decided to open from the other side and across came Sophie’s voice.

“Fuck!” she shouted when she saw me.

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