Chapter Twenty-Seven #2
Once my body feels good and loose, I drain the water, and that’s when I realize I forgot to grab a stupid towel.
It wouldn’t be such a big deal if the linen closet wasn’t on the other side of the gigantic bathroom.
The chill of the air hits me the second I get out and tiptoe across the floor.
As soon as I grab a towel, I start drying off.
Once I’m dry, I’ll wrap myself in one of Victoria’s plush robes.
“Maddie.”
At the sound of my name, I quickly spin around and drop my towel in the process. When I see Ty in the doorway, I shriek.
What the hell is he doing in here?
“Fuck, sorry.” He turns, but only after I catch his gaze on my nipple rings.
Swiftly grabbing my towel off the floor, I wrap it tightly around my body. “What’re you doing?”
“I knocked on the bedroom door and called your name, but you didn’t answer, so I let myself in,” he explains. “I’m really sorry. I thought something was wrong.”
“Why would something be wrong?” Not like the windows aren’t locked and deadbolted. Or the two cameras in my room aren’t spying on my every move.
“You didn’t show up for breakfast, so I came to check on you, but then you didn’t answer, so…”
“You thought I escaped,” I continue for him.
“That’s one thing that crossed my mind.”
“And there was another?” I prompt, walking toward him.
Ty slowly glances over his shoulder as if to make sure I’m no longer naked. When he realizes I’m not, he looks at me. “Honestly, I thought maybe you’d harmed yourself or something.”
There are no cameras in here, but unless the door is shut, the ones from my room can see inside.
I’ve never seen Ty this vulnerable before, and it makes my heart race at the thought of him being worried about me.
At times, I get the feeling he’s putting on an act for his job’s sake.
Still, I can’t be too careful because anyone in Victoria’s world is shady and deceptive like her.
“No, I just worked out too hard yesterday and needed to soak for a while.”
He blinks as if he’s fighting to keep his eyes on mine.
“If you want some tips, I’m pretty knowledgeable about how to work out without hurting yourself.
A close friend of mine owns a gym I used to work at, and I’ve been lifting and boxing for years.
I know all about feeding and fueling your body properly. ”
“Really?” I ask with excitement, and he nods. “You sure you’re allowed to?”
Ty tilts his head and flashes a small grin. “You let me worry about that.” He winks, then steps back. “I’ll let you get dressed now. Sorry again for barging in. Breakfast is ready whenever you are.”
A genuine smile splits my face. “Okay, thank you.”
That afternoon, I skip the gym and decide I’ll take Ty up on his offer tomorrow when I’m not so sore.
Instead, I find a meditation class on TV and work on de-stressing before I have a panic attack from being locked in here.
If I’m going to stay sane, I need to keep levelheaded.
Stretching and breathing techniques help keep my core strong and ready to tackle whatever is thrown my way.
“You ready?” Ty asks me the following morning. “Made you a pre-workout chocolate shake.”
“Where’s breakfast?” I frown, looking around the empty counter. Though I typically eat light in the morning before classes, I’ve gotten used to Ty’s cooking.
“In that cup.” He jerks his chin toward it.
Grabbing it, I look at the thick liquid and glower. “It doesn’t look like eggs and hash browns.”
Ty snorts and shakes his head. “No, but it’ll help give you energy so you don’t burn out after one rep.”
“Oh, God,” I groan. “I’m gonna regret this, aren’t I?”
“Nah.” He shakes his head. “You’re a dancer, so you should be drinking this anyway.”
“Agree to disagree.” I sniff it first, then take a drink. “It’s no crispy bacon.” I gulp the rest of it down and make a sour face. “Chocolate takes offense to that being called chocolate. More like chalky vomit.”
He scoffs, shaking his head at me. “It’s not that bad.”
“Next time, just feed me a cup of dirt.” I snatch a bottle of water and take a long sip.
He pops a brow, then leads me down the hall to the gym. “Anyone ever tell you how dramatic you are?”
“Only since birth.” I chuckle, thinking of my sisters who’d wholeheartedly agree.
After Ty spends twenty minutes explaining the proper way to lift weights without straining my muscles, I sit and take a break to rehydrate.
“So, tell me about this boyfriend of yours,” he says after I catch my breath. “Or, ex—as you said.”
I arch an eyebrow, curious if he really wants to know or if he’s just gathering information for Victoria. Though, she already knows Liam and I were together behind her back, which is why I’m here in the first place.
“You want to know about Liam?” I ask, cautiously watching his expression.
When he barely flinches and keeps his eyes on me, I decide he’s being genuine.
“Whatever you want to share.” He shrugs, then continues, “How long were you together?”
“Uh…well.” I chew on my lip, thinking about how to answer that. “That’s a difficult question.”
Ty chuckles. “That’s supposed to be an easy one.”
“Technically, we met my senior year of high school four years ago. I lied about my age, he scolded me for almost getting him into legal trouble, and then I moved to Sacramento a year later. We were reunited when my sister invited me to a party, and it was Liam’s house.”
“I bet that was a shock.”
“Oh, it was. Then he basically ignored me for three years. Well…he tried to anyway.” I swallow down another gulp of water. “We were around each other a lot because his best friends are dating my older sisters.”
“Really? Mason’s dating your sister?”
I narrow my eyes at him, studying his expression as he swallows hard. Almost as if he hadn’t meant to say that.
“Yeah, but how’d you know his name was Mason?” I ask, tilting my head.
“You told me the other day,” he quickly responds.
I know for a fact I didn’t. There’d be no reason for me to mention anyone’s name until this conversation. However, I’m not about to challenge him or give him any reason to hurt, kill, or throw me out to the wolves.
“Oh, uh, right.” I palm my forehead. “Liam’s roommate.”
“So you started seeing Liam not long ago?”
“Yeah, it’s recent. So recent, in fact, it’s like it never happened.” I pinch my lips together and stand. “Okay, break’s over. I need to hit something.”
“That I can definitely help you with.” Ty smirks and nods his head toward the punching bag in the opposite corner.
An hour flies by, and I’m drenched in sweat. I haven’t worked out this hard in months, but it felt great to relieve some stress.
“Come, I’ll make you an after-workout drink. You need to stay hydrated,” Ty says as I follow him into the kitchen.
I groan, leaning against the counter. “Ugh, when do I get to have real food again?”
“Don’t worry, you’ll get plenty of protein for lunch.”
“Why does this all of a sudden feel like boot camp?”
“This is nothing like a real boot camp. Trust me, you’re living in paradise compared to that.”
“You were in the Army?” I ask.
He grabs a handful of veggies and fruit, then places them on the counter. “I’ll put these in your smoothie and you’ll barely taste the protein powder.”
The way he ignored my question doesn’t go unnoticed. I want to pry, but there has to be boundaries while we have eyes and ears on us. It’d make sense, though, considering how meticulous and strategic he seems. How the hell did he go from being a soldier to working for the mob?
“Well?” Ty asks after I take my first sip of the drink he made me.
“Better than the first one,” I tell him, wrinkling my nose. “But it’s no steaming hot breakfast.”
“I’ll make pancakes and bacon tomorrow. Don’t worry.” he grins.
Of course, Eric saunters in and ruins the nice moment we were having with his loud and commanding demeanor.
“We need to talk,” he tells Ty.
“Sure. What’s up, Captain?” I taunt.
Eric’s eyes snap to mine. “Enough!”
I jump at his sudden booming voice.
“Go to your room until told otherwise.”
I risk a glance at Ty whose jaw might snap.
“We can talk in the office,” Ty tells Eric, shuffling to put the items back into the fridge.
“No, now. Maddie can leave,” Eric states harshly.
“Maddie’s leaving,” I say, mimicking his tone.
He doesn’t approve of Ty treating me like a human being, that much is obvious, but why does he have to be such a dick?
I set my drink down and awkwardly leave the kitchen. The air is still and silent, and after I walk a few steps, I freeze at the sound of Eric’s voice.
“Victoria’s getting impatient with your behavior. She’s sending a replacement in a couple of days and wants you to start packing for your departure,” Eric tells him.
What? No!
“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Ty argues. “Just because I’m not an asshole to her doesn’t mean I’m not obeying orders.”
“You’re getting too close,” Eric says. “Which means you’ll think twice about taking care of the situation, if needed.”
What the fuck does that mean?
My skin goes ice cold.
Is Victoria ever going to let me out of here? I’m afraid to even think about the answer to that because deep down in my gut, I know there’s only two possibly ways I’m leaving this place— in a body bag or escaping.