Page 11 of The Orc Boss

“Oh.” I scooted my ass as close to the wall as possible and lifted my butt as much as I could without my skirt lifting. Ansel wordlessly yanked the duvet by the corner, crumpling it up and tossing it in the corner of the room next to his shirt covered with my dick appointment’s blood. “I really am sorry,” I said, motioning to the blanket. My eyes avoiding the soiled shirt. “I think if you soak it in warm water—”

“It’s fine, I’ve dealt with worse. I know how to get tomato soup out of a blanket.”

I nodded slowly. I didn’t doubt that. My gaze accidentally slid to the shirt. I couldn’t see the blood stains, but I didn’t need to, it was burned on the inside of my mind.

We were both quiet as he ran a comb through his hair and quickly braided it. His hair was so dark, it almost had a blue sheen to it like a raven’s feather. And so silky, I almost wanted to touch it. Did all orcs have such luminous hair, or was he just born winning the genetic lottery?

Hey, maybe he’ll let you use his conditioner. Sounds like you’ll be here a while—

I winced. I really needed to stop ogling his body. “Hey, um, Ansel?” He finished tying the end of his braid and lifted his chin towards me. I lifted the handcuff, the metal rattling, and offered him a friendly smile. “This is really hurting my wrist. Do you think there’s any way you could take this off? I also really need to use the bathroom.”

“Aye,” he said, returning to the dresser. He retrieved a small metal key from the drawer. “No funny business, please. I’m too tired to chase you.”

“I promise,” I said quickly. He leaned over me as he unlocked the cuff. I caught a whiff of his scent—the clean scent of his body wash mixed with something richer. Fresh earth after a heavy rain. Images of a wild mountain forest entered my mind.

He straightened as I rubbed my wrist. “Thanks.” I licked my lips; the air was heavy between us. “Do you mind if I take a shower?”

He regarded me quietly, his face unreadable but gray eyes intense. Finally, he jerked his head towards the bathroom. “There are towels under the sink and a spare toothbrush in the top drawer. I’ll get you some clean clothes.”

I forced a thankful smile and crawled off the side of the bed, my eyes tracking him the entire time in case he decided to change his mind and grab me. But he kept his hands to himself, watching me with equal interest.

“Skye,” he said, causing me to pause right outside the bathroom. “No funny business,” he reminded me, giving me a pointed look. I nodded, closing the door behind me.

Of course there’s no lock on the fucking door. No window, either,I realized as I rushed to the toilet. I wasn’t lying about needing to use the bathroom; I had been holding my bladder for so long, it would take a miracle not to have some kind of infection brewing. I peed faster than I ever had in my life, afraid Ansel was going to change his mind and kick the door open to watch me.

The bathroom was empty and basic, just like the bedroom, with a slightly bigger shower than I was used to. Probably just big enough for an orc, though.

The bedroom does have a window,I suddenly remembered as I rummaged through the drawers, looking for something sharp to protect myself with. So if I can’t reason my way out of this, escaping through the window was definitely an option.

I cursed under my breath when my search came up empty. Not even a disposable razor accidentally left on the shower shelf. Either I wasn’t his first victim, or he was planning ahead. A cold chill ran down my spine at the thought that I may not have been the first woman locked in his room.

My legs felt wobbly, like they were going to give out. I splashed cold water on my face to steady myself. When I looked in the mirror, I was startled by my reflection. My short curled hair had frizzed out and my mascara had smeared snail-trails down my cheeks. I stared at my reflection until the edges of my vision started to blur.

You are going to get out of this,I mentally told myself.You are smarter than him. You just need to think of a plan. There is a window and there is a door leading out.He mentioned he was really tired, so I would just need to wait until he fell asleep and sneak out the door. Simple as that.

But what if he handcuffs you to the bed again?

Well, I’ll just have to convince him that I’m a good prisoner who doesn’t need to be chained up. No funny business, just like he said.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, wearing the clean clothes he had left for me—his shirt reaching almost to my knees and a pair of his briefs tied at the corner so they didn’t slip down my ass—Ansel was kneeling on a sleep pad next to the bed, fluffing a pillow between his two giant hands. I froze in the doorway, watching him, not sure what to do. Not wanting to give him any reason not to trust me. I ended up taking a shower. The fastest shower of my life, actually. Didn’t want to give him any ideas he could barge in and join me.

He set the pillow at the head of the pad and laid down, rolling over on his back with a heavy sigh. “Can you hit the lights?” he asked. I blinked at him, still processing the scene before me. He was taking the floor?

Oh duh. Lights. I flicked the lights off next to the door. The door that led outside. My hand involuntarily reached for the knob.

“It’s locked,” he said suddenly, making me jump. “The key is hanging around my neck. Unless you want to come down here and wrestle me for it, I suggest you go to bed and get some sleep.” I didn’t say anything as I walked to the bed, crawling under the new blanket he had thrown on top. “I found a protein bar for you,” he said. His hand reached above the edge of the bed, holding a bar in the air. “The store ran out of thedruggedkind, so you should be fine.” He chuckled, and I snatched it out of his hand.

I watched him out of the corner of my eye as I unwrapped the plastic wrapper. I could barely see his features in the darkness, but he looked uncomfortable, even with his eyes closed. Like I was an annoying houseguest that had overstayed her visit. So strange. “So . . . you’re not gonna handcuff me?” I asked between bites of the stale bar.

“Not unless you want me to.”

I climbed under the blanket and stared at the ceiling. Waiting for something to happen . . . What? I wasn’t sure, but as normal and even nice as Ansel seemed, I couldn’t trust him. I had to keep my guard up while I was around him.

I laid there, staring at the ceiling, listening as his breathing grew softer as he fell asleep. I needed to think of a new plan, but I could barely think. I was so tired, I couldn’t focus on anything.Think of a plan. You need to figure out how to escape.It was the last thought I had before I succumbed to sleep as well.

Chapter six

Iwokeupwitha start like I had been jostled awake from a nightmare. But as my heart thumped against my chest as I caught my breath, I remembered that this nightmare was real. Tears pricked but I willed them away. No more crying. I needed to put on my big girl panties and focus on my plan.

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