32. Scarlet
Chapter 32
Scarlet
The soft fabric of my robe warms my skin. I’d forced myself into a cold shower the second I got home. What the hell was I thinking, rolling around with Matthias like that? I can still feel the weight of his body against mine. His kiss took over my senses until I didn’t care that I was supposed to resist.
It’s the impossibility of his words that throw me off-balance. The way my heart ached in my chest like he’d just cracked it open and looked inside.
“I told you I’d marry you when you turned twenty-five.”
Never in a million years did I think Matthias would ever say something like that to me. I bite my lip and pull on a skirt that swings out from my hips, large folds rippling the fabric. He handcuffed me, drugged me, kidnapped me, then forcibly married me. Now I’m supposed to believe it was all because of some promise we made when we were kids?
I cover my face with my hands, sighing out a breath as my eyes sting. I want it to be true so bad. That’s the exact reason I need to get out of here. I can’t think properly when all I can see is him.
I pull on a thin shirt without a bra, needing all the help I can get, then open the bottom drawer, using the charade of digging for something, but I don’t take anything out. Leaving it open, I step out of my room. The chilly air causes my nipples to harden, and a little part of me hates this strategy, but with every eye on me, I need to use every advantage I have.
As expected, there’s a guard standing right outside the door. He’s wearing black tactical gear and a gun strapped to his chest. The way his belt is stocked with a variety of weapons is more than a little overkill. My heart rate speeds up with every second I wait. I’m not sure what Matthias will do to me If I’m caught.
That’s not true. I know he won’t hurt me.
One knock is all it takes for the guard to turn toward me, his eyes lowering to my tits before snapping up. “What is it?”
My hand cups my ear, and I mouth some words in my best attempt to fake the inability to hear him. Putting on a show, I huff dramatically and point at the front door. His eyes dart from the door to me, and he shakes his head no, turning away.
I pound the glass with my fist using all of my strength, making it rattle. The hard surface groans, and the guard’s eyes go wide. If I break it, I will definitely get hurt, and he knows it.
“Fuck,” he cusses and punches in the key code. The door cracks open, but I push against it, throwing all of my weight until it’s wide enough for me to fit through.
The clear night tempts me to make a run for it now, but that’s not the plan. No, the plan is to take advantage of this poor guy. I almost feel bad for him. Almost.
I lift onto my toes before he can stop me, and he visibly shivers when I bring my lips to his ear.
“I need some tampons.” I don’t. My period isn’t coming for weeks, but he doesn’t know that.
Pink flushes his cheeks. I’m playing dirty with this one, but hey, it’s not my fault this guy is embarrassed by girly things. “I’ll let Matthias know.”
Images of big bad Matthias standing in the store, flustered by the million options before picking out tampons, makes me smirk. I pull back from the guard, having acquired what I need just as his phone starts to ring.
“You better get that.” I step back into the house, smirking at the now pale guard.
He brings the phone to his ear and flinches as the door shuts, lock sliding into place. My heart’s thundering, sending my pulse rushing through my ears, elation building inside me, but I’m not done yet. I flip the sharp blade of his knife that I lifted from him so it’s pointed up, the flat side pressed against my wrist. The folds of my skirt engulf my hand. I can practically feel the cameras on me as I make my way back into my room.
Grateful that I had the foresight to leave the drawer open, I crouch, angling my back to the camera, taking care to keep the blade tucked so it’s invisible. This is the riskiest part of my plan. I knew I could get it away from that guard easily enough, but all it would take is a camera I didn’t locate coming from a different direction, and I’d be screwed. My throat tightens, making it hard to swallow as I transfer the knife to the back of the drawer, then take out an oversized sweater.
I pull it over my head, the hoodie dropping to mid-thigh and warming me. Matthias’s fresh scent envelops me and has a calming effect. I countdown the seconds with each inhale, waiting for a guard to come busting in and confiscate the blade. After what feels like forever but is only a few minutes, my shoulders drop. I did it.
There’s a bubbling feeling rising in my chest, one that sends shivers down my spine. I lean into it, wanting it to fill me completely. Brown eyes with gold centers have my chest aching. There will be no going back from this.
I scan the room. Everything is still in place, except for my laptop placed on my nightstand. How did he even get this? Stepping closer, I see the white note placed on top.
Behave
- Your husband
I crumple the note, head into the kitchen, and let out a long breath at the hundreds of emails waiting for me. It’s going to be a long night.