Chapter 17 #2
I stay rooted to the spot a moment longer, my eyes flicking from him to the door I’m sure leads to the main area of the building, then back to him. Braum’s right, if I’m going to make a move, it has to be while Serenity Falls is quiet for the night.
Begrudgingly, I walk over toward Braum, who sits and leans back with his arm slung over the couch, watching me approach. His eyes slide over me, taking in the attire I’ve chosen.
“You know…” he drawls as I stiffly sit down as far as possible from him. “I’m quite partial to you wearing my clothes.”
His clothes? I glance down then back up at him. Of course, they have to be his clothes.
Grimacing, I glance away, toward the platter.
On it, there's a variety of mini sandwiches, grapes, crackers, three different types of cheese, deli meats, olives, and mini sausages. My stomach growls again. It’s loud enough to be heard by Braum, who chuckles.
Embarrassed by my body’s reaction, I glare at him.
“Host a lot of kidnappings?” I ask. “You seem to have things covered pretty well. Bathe the prisoner, feed them… What’s next? Are you going to walk me like a dog?”
At this, Braum laughs. The sound is warm and deep. It slides over my skin then sinks beneath it. A shiver works down my spine as butterflies take flight in my stomach.
“Kidnapping implies you’re not free to leave,” he answers when he’s gotten himself under control.
“So, once night falls, I can walk right out those doors?” I hedge cautiously.
He’s watching me with interest, but there’s something off about him.
Braum gives a shallow nod. “Absolutely.”
I don't believe him. The longer I sit here in his presence, the more charged his energy becomes.
Part of me wants to press him until he comes clean.
A larger part reminds me that talking back or arguing has never worked in my favor before.
Even though Braum isn't Father, I have a feeling he could break me just as easily.
Deciding to remain quiet, I look away to peek at the food before us.
My stomach growls.
“Go on, Everly,” Braum urges, his voice dropping an octave. “Eat.”
Reluctantly, I lean forward and grab a square napkin from a stack and then pluck a finger sandwich off the tray.
Using the napkin as a plate, I bring it up and sit it in my lap.
Braum tracks each movement. I can feel his eyes on me, and it makes me uncomfortable.
Lifting my legs up, I tuck my bare feet beneath me then take a bite of the sandwich.
It’s roast beef with some type of cheese, lettuce and mayo.
It takes everything in me not to moan. God, this is delicious.
“Good girl,” Braum murmurs as I take another bite.
The praise is unexpected and jarring.
As is the inappropriate wave of heat that gathers in my cheeks before it makes its way down the rest of my body. I try to repress the answering shudder as best I can.
“Stop it,” I mutter, not looking up to meet his eyes, which I feel on my face.
“Stop what?”
Shooting his chest a glare, unable to stare into those dark eyes any longer, I snap, “Being nice. I'm not stupid, you know.”
“I know you're not, Everly,” he assures me with a deep, rumbling chuckle.
“It would take someone very clever to break into Serenity Falls.
This place is a fortress and hidden away from the public.
It must've taken a lot to figure out how to slip onto campus undetected.” Braum pauses before he adds, “And is being nice a crime these days?
I've been here two years, but I would think niceness is still appreciated.”
He turns away then, finally giving me a reprieve from his open staring.
As he reaches for an olive, I reply, “No matter how nice you are, I'm not safe with you.”
Braum’s hand pauses just over the green treat. His head jerks toward me, his gaze sharp and appraising. Despite everything he’s put me through, there’s no ignoring the striking perfection of his face. The sharp lines, well-defined nose, and strong brow make him mesmerizing.
God, that shock must’ve really messed with my head if that’s what I’m thinking about right now.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
His response throws me for a loop because how can he not know? The genuine confusion on his face infuriates me. Braum thinks he’s innocent? What a load of bull.
“You had me strapped down and electrocuted!”
Braum considers my response as calmly as if I asked him what his favorite shade of purple was.
“I'll take credit for putting you in that situation,” he admits after a moment. “However, if I recall correctly, you’re the one who said to pull the lever.”
The soft laughter that slips past my lips before I can control my response is cold. “As if I had any choice.”
“You could’ve told Vick you were lying,” Braum points out.
“But I haven't lied about anything!” I protest.
Braum picks up his olive. Just before he plops it into his mouth he says, “Yes, we all walked away last night knowing that to be true.”
Not sure what else there is to say, I angrily finish the sandwich. As I do, I feel Braum's eyes return to my face. The feel of them is almost tangible, as if they’re caressing my cheeks.
“Out of curiosity, once you leave this room, what's your plan?” he asks.
As if I would tell him. I don't even bother sparing him an incredulous glance. Instead, I grab a small block of cheese and quickly scarf it down.
“Hm,” Braum hums thoughtfully. “You don't trust me.”
“I wonder why?” I counter coolly, stealing another finger sandwich. My stomach growls eagerly for it. This one seems to be ham and cheese. It's confirmed when I devour it in two bites.
“That game last night was beneficial to both of you, you know. We were doing you and Vick a favor.”
A favor ? Braum thinks putting me through that ordeal was somehow beneficial to me? God, no wonder he's here at Serenity Falls. He's a nutjob. My lack of response encourages Braum to elaborate.
“Now you two know where the other stands. Vick knows you're not lying to him, and you know you can't trust Vick,” he points out.
Swallowing hard, I force myself to say, “That wasn’t your place. In any case, it doesn't change anything.”
I'm still going to get Maverick out of here. Sure, I've somehow gotten way off track, but I can fix this.
But is that wise ? A small voice in the back of my head asks.
For a moment, I wonder if maybe I should just leave without Maverick. If he can put me into a situation like that, what else is he capable of? Maverick isn’t the guy I knew five years ago. Serenity Falls has changed him. Maybe... maybe he belongs here?
My uncertainty is followed immediately by guilt and violent objection, wiping it clean off the map.
It’s my family that threw Maverick in here.
Whatever he's endured that's turned him cold and full of hate, it must’ve been horrible. Last night wasn’t Maverick.
That’s not who he is. I know that. He just needs to get out of here and get some real help.
How can I possibly consider leaving him behind?
If I have to drag Mavie out of here kicking and screaming, I will.
Then I’ll quickly put as much distance between us as I can because there’s no way in hell I want to be shackled to someone who hates me enough to watch me suffer so violently.
After last night, it's obvious Mavie can't separate me from Father and Peter. There's no amount of shouting from rooftops or pleading that will make him see differently. The entire Woodrow family is evil for him, and there's nothing I can say to dissuade him because, ultimately, that's the truth.
Braum's half-smile and slow nod draws my attention back to him. Again, when our eyes meet and I stare into his fathomless dark orbs, I get the sense there’s something off about him. Still, I find myself unable to pinpoint exactly what it is.
“I figured as much,” he says slowly. “That you would stay and finish whatever this is with Vick, I mean. You are a very fascinating and complex woman, Everly Woodrow.”
The hairs on the back of my neck rise in alarm. “How do you know?—”
“Your face and name are posted all over the news and internet,” Braum explains. “Everly Woodrow—the runaway bride. How exciting. The press must be eating it up. Did you come to sweep Vick off his feet? Is that why you skipped out on your fiancé?”
The startled giggle that wells up in my chest is choked down before it can escape. Me, marry Maverick? As a little girl I dreamed it. Prayed it would be so. But as a woman, I'm not as naive.
“No,” I mutter, my appetite suddenly disappearing. I twist the empty napkin between my hands and look away. “I'm just here to right a wrong.”
There's a pause before Braum laughs. It's a full belly laugh that causes him to drop his head backward to let it out completely.
I stare at him, wondering what the hell is so funny.
Anxiously, I reach up and tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear.
That's when I realize someone's re-braided it.
I reach back and pull the thick plait around, surprised I hadn't noticed before.
Was this Braum's doing? My eyes lift to his face as his laughter begins to subside.
“The Universe speaks in a language that's hard to understand, but I didn't need a translation when It spoke of you,” he says.
“You're special, Everly. It's why It brought you to me.
Maybe you were right earlier. Maybe you're not safe with me.
The way I want to peel each layer of you away to get to your core, to get to what makes you, you .
.. It's an obsession that started the minute I laid eyes on you.”
I don't like the light that's beginning to glow in the depth of his eyes, or the words tumbling fervently out of his mouth. None of it makes sense.
As I stare back at him, it dawns on me what’s off about Braum. It’s his focus. While he’s definitely watching me, he’s also… not. It’s like he’s looking through and around me but not quite at me . The longer we stare at one another, the more I realize Braum isn’t all there.
Which means I’m in the room with a madman.
I'm on my feet and stumbling away from the couch in the next heartbeat.
“You know what?” I glance toward the door. “I think I’m going to take my chances and?—”
“And get caught by campus security?” Braum asks, watching me backtrack toward the door, not bothering to get up. “Don’t be ridiculous, Everly. You want to right a wrong? Then you need a place to lay low until you can find Vick.”
“He has to go back to his room at some point,” I tell him hastily. “I’ll hide there.”
“Do you even know if he made it out of the Williamson Health Center last night?” Braum asks, still not moving.
“He could’ve been swept up in the security sweep.
You know what happens to you if you’re caught somewhere you’re not supposed to be after hours?
You get solitary confinement. If he didn’t get caught, then in his present state, he’s a danger to himself and others.
Either way, Vick is out of reach at the moment.
You might as well take it easy for the time being. ”
I swallow nervously. “You said I could leave.”
“And, as you can see, I’m not standing between you and the door,” Braum says with a shrug.
“I would like to point out, however, that if you leave this room without me or Rowan by your side, the generous hospitality I’m providing will stop.
I won’t hide you from the staff who have, undoubtedly, seen your face in the news and know about the reward your father has offered to anyone who knows your whereabouts. ”
My stumbling footsteps come to a halt. “T-there’s a… a reward?”
Braum nods his confirmation. “Yes, and you know how greedy people can be. The staff gets paid well here, but what your father has offered? Almost anyone will happily turn you in.”
Shit. Not being a patient is bad enough, but to have a reward on my head? They’ll be fighting over who can make the call to Father first if I’m caught.
“What’s more,” Braum drawls from his seat, “you leave this room, and I might just drop hints about where to find you or how to lure you out.”
The blood drains out of my face at the threat.
Suddenly, he reminds me of my father. Cold, contemptuous, and unyielding.
Braum stares at me with a smug smile, confident this situation is going to go how he wants it.
For a suspended moment in time, I’m a little girl again—powerless and scared and nearly ready to cave if that means I don’t get hurt.
A cold tendril of fear creeps down my back, causing my chest to tighten and hands to tremble.
“W-what? Why…why would you do that?” I ask, struggling to find my voice. “What’s in any of this for you?”
The coldness melts away from Braum’s face, gone so swiftly I second guess whether I’d actually seen it.
He blinks, his brows furrowing as if the question is perplexing.
In one fluid motion, he’s up on his feet.
Skirting around the coffee table, Braum prowls toward me.
Those eyes, those dark piercing eyes, are pinned to me, but I can see his gaze is still out of focus.
They’re still not clear when he comes to a stop before me.
“You, Everly,” he mutters, a smile pulling at his lips. “ You’re what’s in it for me.”