Captive Heart (Club Risqué Book 6)

Chapter 8

She remained still for a long time; alert, listening. Wondering whether she would be able to run even if she tried.

She considered things for so long she eventually became aware that the bowl of water was getting uncomfortably cold. Eyeing the kettle, she didn”t see any harm in following the pretty surfer dude”s request to keep it warm.

The glass with the glucose drink she looked at with a little more suspicion though.

There was a second bottle of water on the table as well, and closer inspection showed it still to be sealed. She chose to drink from that one instead, but she did examine the packet of glucose tablets. The individual tabs inside the packet were also sealed.

Emptying the water from the glass into the bowl at her feet, she poured her own instead and added a glucose tablet. She wasn”t so stupid that she didn”t realise she needed help of some kind, but she could still be cautious.

Although, if this man had wanted to do something rather more depraved to her, then he”d had plenty of opportunity while she”d been asleep.

So far, he hadn”t shackled or caged her or even locked her in. She really hoped that meant something because, in truth, she would like nothing more than to rest her aching bones and painful feet, shelter somewhere dry and comfortable, and maybe get lucky enough to have a meal.

A hospital or shelter was out of the question. She’d run before she allowed anyone to take her there. Those would be the first places Master would look for her if he was searching.

She”d rather take her chances on the street, but she also knew she wasn”t in any fit state to take care of herself right now. If she was, she wouldn’t be in this pickle.

After a few sips of the water, she picked up the box of medication. By reading over it carefully, she saw that they were tablet-form antibiotics, and a thorough examination of the packaging showed that they, too, were sealed and hadn”t been tampered with.

She pushed one of the coloured capsules out of the blister pack and checked it again. It appeared genuine.

Did she really need it? She was tough, Master had never bothered giving her medicine if she was sick. He”d just raged at her or, if she was lucky, left her in blessed peace in case he caught something, himself.

Then again, as bad as things had been in the prison that had been her home, she”d never spent the better part of a week slumming it, freezing half to death, and eating leftovers out of rubbish bins while drinking whatever she could find that seemed at least halfway safe.

She closed her eyes, prayed she was doing the right thing, and washed the little pill down with a gulp of the lovely, fresh tasting water. That was like nectar on its own.

Afterward, she waited expectantly to see if she grew drowsy. When nothing happened, after what, according to the clock on the wall, was ten minutes, she breathed a sigh of relief, sipped on the rest of her water, and added a little more warmth to the bowl her feet were in.

For better or worse, she decided to trust the stranger who, so far, had treated her with nothing but a kindness she hadn”t known for…well, who knew how long it had been.

She”d lost count of days, weeks, even months, a long time ago.

Years had passed. She knew that simply by the fact that the weather changed.

There wasn”t very much in life that could possibly be worse than what she had left, so what did she really have to lose?

Besides, this was a club. She knew that, because she had seen the patrons coming in and out. It would be hard to keep her secreted away in a place where there were other people and staff.

Decision made, she felt as if a great weight had lifted from her shoulders.

Only time would tell if she’d made the right choice. What she did know was that this unknown place was somewhere Master would never think to look for her, and that, alone, offered its own heady relief.