Chapter 7
Savvy
At least he lets me sit in the passenger seat the second time he kidnapped me. I suppose it’s something to be grateful for, not having to roll around in a trunk where I’m sure more than one dead body has lain.
The sun is already setting by the time we arrive at his house, but I’m able to take in the massiveness of the house as we drive through the gates.
I didn’t even know places like this existed in the city.
Only two blocks down, apartment buildings tower over the streets, but here is a row of mansions, each surrounded by tall, wrought iron gates.
“I’m going to need my phone if I’m going to be doing work,” I say, once we’re inside the massive foyer. Since I’d been dragged from the garage to the second level when I arrived yesterday I hadn’t had time to take in the beauty of the house.
He drops his car keys into a dish and gestures for me to hand him my coat. Fall in Chicago has no predictability. Yesterday it was eighty-five and humid; today it’s barely hitting fifty-nine. Like with everything in life, it’s best to just roll with it.
“My phone?” I say again once he’s hung up my light jacket in the closet and walks toward the stairs. “I need my phone. And my iPad. You put it in the last suitcase. When will they be here?”
“Oh good! You found her. I was so worried.” An older woman rushes into the hallway from what I assume is the kitchen. She’s wearing an apron over a pair of black pants and a dark green blouse. Silver streaks through brown hair that’s pulled back into a braid.
“You knew I’d find her,” Gabriel says, a teasing chastisement in his tone. “She’ll be staying with me from now on. Savvy, this is Mrs. Neville. She’s here a few days a week and handles all the cooking. If you get hungry, she’ll feed you.”
“Hi.” I give a little wave, suddenly feeling awkward. He’s made me out to sound like some prized cattle he’s holding onto until he can bring it to market.
“Have you had dinner? I wasn’t sure when you’d be back, but we have the roast left from yesterday. I can warm it up.”
“Oh, I’m not hungry,” I say after a beat of silence passes, and I realize she’s waiting for me to say something. “I ate a little while ago.”
He eyes me. “The peanut butter and jelly sandwich you ate while you finished packing?”
“I had an apple, too.” I snap.
He lifts an eyebrow then turns back to Mrs. Neville. “We’re fine for now. You should get going; Jeffry is going to wonder what’s keeping you. I’ll heat up something if she gets hungry later.”
She smiles at me. “My husband takes me to the movies every Thursday night,” she explains for me. “I’ll be back in the morning.”
It hits me; this woman knew I was gone. Which means she’d gone up to the locked room I was being kept in and didn’t bat an eye at the fact a woman was being held against her will in the house. In fact, she’d probably been bringing me breakfast. And she was glad he’d brought me back.
So, I won’t be getting any help from Mrs. Neville if I want to make another escape.
“This way.” Gabriel cups my elbow, leading me to the stairs.
“Are you putting me back in the same room? I assume you’ve boarded up the windows?” I force lightness into my tone as we get to the top of the stairs.
“No. I need to keep a closer eye on you.” We pass the room where I’d been held and stop at one beside it.
It has a double door entry, and when he pushes them open, a full sitting room comes into view.
It’s not a bedroom, but a suite. With a television and couch and a writing desk in the sitting room and another door that leads to the bedroom.
That’s where he goes and stands at the doorway when I’m standing frozen in the first room.
“This is…” I don’t have words. “A full apartment. I don’t need this much room.”
He leans against the door frame. “Good, since you’ll be sharing it with me.”
I blanch. “What? Why? No.” If the emotions could get in a straight line for once instead of all bombarding me at one time that would be amazing. But instead my brain gets all tangled up with questions.
It’s this man. And the way he’s staring at me like he’s going to pounce on me at any second. He drops his leather coat over the back of the couch and leans with his arms crossed over his chest, making the short sleeves of his shirt strain against the bulge of his muscles.
“I told you, I’ll need to keep a better eye on you.”
My cheeks flush with heat. “This is a huge house; I’m sure there’s another room I can use. And really, you should have security cameras, considering your career choice.”
“We do have cameras.”
“Oh. I just assumed since I’d been able to get out and away so easily, there weren’t any.” I fold my arms over my chest, attempting to look as nonchalant as him.
“The man in charge of security last night has been dealt with.” He pushes off the doorframe and disappears into the bedroom.
“What does that mean?” I rush to catch up with him. “You didn’t…oh god, you didn’t kill him did you?”
Crushing guilt smacks me right in the chest, and I have to stop a second to catch my breath.
“He was too busy playing on his phone to notice you climbing out onto the roof, shimmying down the tree, or when you walked right up to the gate and pushed the button to let yourself out.”
My mouth dries. “You killed him.”
Several long-drawn-out seconds pass before he shakes his head. “He’ll live.”
Breath whooshes back into my lungs.
“But he’s hurt?”
He raises his brows. “Do you want to know how badly?”
“No.” I shake my head, deciding less is more when it comes to details.
“You could have killed yourself getting down from that window,” his tone darkens. “If you had, he would have joined you.”
I blink. “Why? I’m a nobody. Why would you care about my life so much that you’d kill one of your own men if I’d gotten myself killed?”
He crooks his finger at me.
“Savanah, if I have to keep repeating myself it’s going to be very, very hard for you to sit through breakfast in the mornings. Come here.”
I should run. The heated danger pooling into his eyes is a warning to run away. And yet, I put one foot in front of the other and make my way to stand in front of him.
As soon as I’m within reach, he wraps his hand around my chin, forcing my head back. He leans into me, his entire body flush with mine as he towers over me.
“First rule, you are never to speak down about yourself. Not even joking.”
“I wasn’t doing that, I was only saying—”
“You called yourself a nobody.”
“Well—” My words are cut off when he covers my mouth with his other hand.
“Don’t continue. If you do, you’ll be over my knee while I give you the other rules. And I’d rather have your full attention.”
Other rules?
I agreed to make him a few fake identification documents, not become his ward. And I sure as hell didn’t agree to live in his room with him in the same bed.
Slowly, he peels his hand away from my mouth, though he’s still gripping my chin so I’m not getting away from him yet.
“While you’re working for me, you don’t work for anyone else. No side jobs.”
“You mentioned that at my apartment, but I didn’t agree to it. I still need to keep up my own income.”
“No.”
“How am I supposed to earn a living if I’m working for you for free and can’t do outside work? You never answered that.”
“Next rule,” he continues on. “If you need something, you’ll charge it to this.” He releases me, reaches into his back pocket, and pulls out his wallet, plucking a black card from the fold then putting it on the dresser.
“So you can add it to the amount you think I already owe you?”
“No.” He grabs his phone and swipes the screen. “Your things will be here in the morning.”
“Morning? Weren’t they right behind us in the van? Where’d they go?”
He puts his phone on the dresser along with his wallet. “They’re here. But your things won’t be brought up until morning. You’re busy right now.”
I huff. “Busy? All I’m doing is hearing your list of silly rules.”
He narrows his gaze. “Do you want to know what happens if you break these silly rules?”
My stomach clenches. Common sense, which dove out the window since I’ve met him, peeks its head back in and tells me not to ask.
“I don’t tolerate disobedience.” He brushes the back of his knuckles across my jawline. “And you were very disobedient last night, weren’t you?”
Now my pussy clenches. This man is ruining my nervous system.
“You never told me I couldn’t climb out the window,” I manage.
His lips curve into a whisper of a smile.
“Next rule, no climbing out windows, or down trees, or trying to run away again. If you leave, you tell me where you’re going. If you’re late getting back, there’ll be consequences.”
“If you think I’m going to let you do what you did last night ever again, you’re delusional. I wasn’t thinking straight, but I am now.” I roll my shoulders back and firm my stance the way Cassie’s uncle showed us when he visited her one Christmas.
“I obviously didn’t handle last night right. I left you frustrated with pent up energy. I won’t be making that mistake with your punishment tonight.”
“I just said I won’t let you.”
“Let me?” He laughs. “Sweetheart, there isn’t a thing in the world you could do to stop me from having what’s mine.”
“I’m not yours.”
He cocks an eyebrow. “You’re in my house. In my bedroom. Under my protection, and you think you’re not mine?”
“I think I don’t belong to anyone.” I didn’t mean for it to sound so pathetic. Even if it is the truth. It’s not something I’ve been ashamed of, being on my own. I can and have handled myself just fine up until now. I don’t need him. I don’t need anyone.
“I should tell you lying to me is always a bad idea. Lying to me when you’re about to be punished is even more dangerous, which means you’ve broken the rule about not putting yourself in danger.” His hands move to his belt. “I think we should get started before you cause yourself any more trouble.”
“I’m not letting you use that thing on me again.” I cover my ass with both hands, backing up until my thighs hit the edge of the bed.
He stalks me. Predator to the prey.