Page 35 of Silent Vendetta (Vendetta Duet)

I hadn’t given much thought tohowhe’d keep me here, but this? This was too far.

“It’s locked, Luna,” Hunter said from the other side.

“Thanks for mansplaining that to me,” I snapped. “Why the hell does your door lock from theoutside? How many other hostages have you had in here?”

The A-hole had the nerve to chuckle. “You’re my first one, Little Leopard.”

“Stop calling me that, you freaking snake! Why is there a door lock on the other side? How long have you been planning this?”

“I installed a bidirectional door lock when you started staying here. I knew there might be times I’d sneak out at night, and I couldn’t afford for you to wake up and discover things you weren’t supposed to.”

Like the night he evidently brought somebody here and tortured them.

“I see. And you thought if I discovered I was locked inside a room, I would what, never have asked any questions?”

“It was a precaution.”

“A stupid one,” I said. “Have you forgotten I need stitches? What’s your plan there, Hunter?”

Silence. “I’ll figure something out. Meanwhile, get some rest, Luna.”

“Go to hell, Hunter.”

I pressed my back against the door, assessing my surroundings.

Somehow, this room looked so different from how it had when Hunter and I first made love in here. The vintage chandelier had looked soft when he’d kissed me, but now it looked like a possible weapon. Maybe I could bust it into pieces and stab Hunter in his ear to escape. Or maybe I could use the antique furniture to break down the door. Or better yet…the floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the mansion’s lush backyard garden.

I walked over to the glass window and looked down, my hope of escape disintegrating. Even if I could bust out the glass and didn’t get sliced up from it, Hunter’s mansion had tall ceilings, resulting in a high fall from a second story. One I doubted I could pull off without snapping my spine. Especially since a stone courtyard sat below me.

I pawed through the desk, and when I found paper clips, I bent the cold metal and battled with the door lock. But when the repeated scratches didn’t produce a loud click, I flung them away in utter defeat.

Running through other potential options, I sprinted to the bathroom, searching for any way out, but there was nothing.

I plopped on the bed, grabbed a pillow, and screamed into it. Having no choice but to bide my time until that door opened again, and once it did, I’d make a run for it before Hunter had a chance to close it.

Meanwhile, I was covered in dried blood and sweat, feeling so disgusting I couldn’t take it for another second, so I walked into the bathroom and stripped away my clothes, each layer peeling off the traumas I’d endured.

Standing before the grand marble shower, I turned the handle, and water flowed generously. The great thing about a billionaire holding me hostage was that he had seriously good water pressure. The water, initially cool, began to warm, cascading over my fingers in a reassuring embrace, its heat slowly seeping into my chilled skin. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to focus on the sensation and the sound of the water splashing, when an unexpected click of the bedroom door jolted me back to stark reality.

Hunter stepped into the room, carrying a basket, but stilled when he saw me.

Completely nude.

CHAPTER19

Luna

Ifroze into a statue, as if my muscles were immediately incapable of moving, not even an inch.

Hunter’s gaze felt predatory as it swept down my body, lingering on intimate spots before settling back on my face.

Then he shut the door behind him—with himinside—and this time, the click of the lock was deafening.

The shower’s water now burned my skin, so I yanked my hand away, backing up, wishing the calming scent of lavender could stop my throat from becoming a desert.

The old Hunter—the one I loved—would never harm me. But this man? He was unpredictable.

He moved closer. Each step accelerated my pounding heart, and evidently, my hormones had compartmentalized the awful things I’d learned about Hunter tonight because they fixated on how gorgeous he looked. His hair, a midnight black, was untamed, messily scattered over his forehead, and his rounded shoulders, exposed chiseled chest, and arms looked as though they were carved from marble.

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