CHAPTER FIVE
JULIET
I should lie down and go to sleep, but I want to peek around.
I know I shouldn’t because Maverick is helping me, and being nosy is no way to repay his kindness.
But I’m not tired. I was until I got caught in the bathroom, and since then, the adrenaline won’t let me sit still.
Now I’m wide awake and wondering why this man is helping me.
Besides, would it count as being nosy if I’m the new office girl?
My eyes linger on the fridge, and I decide that’s a safe bet. He told me to help myself, so I might as well. When I open it, I find a gold mine of meats, cheeses, and fruit. Before I know it, I’ve eaten way too much, and guilt quickly follows. He told me to eat something, not everything.
Grabbing a pen off his desk, I find a piece of paper and write down everything that I ate.
This way I can pay him back with my first check.
Once that’s done, I glance at his computer.
Maybe I could check my emails. He said he’d give me a job, but you can never be too sure.
Having a back-up would be nice, and I also sent out a few emails to people who have rooms for rent.
I wish there was a way I could check if there’s a warrant out for my arrest. I might be a wanted fugitive, which means Maverick can’t hire me. He’s hosting an illegal fight, and although I have no idea what that entails, I know he wanted me away from it.
The computer prompts me for a password when I hit the keyboard, so that’s no use to me. I’m thinking about what to do next when I hear a noise. It’s slight and muffled, but I sneak over to the door and press my ear against it. I’m sure it’s the fight, but I’m curious.
“Don’t do it,” I whisper to myself as I reach for the doorknob. I know I’m not supposed to go out there, but I can’t seem to stop myself. Only when I turn it, nothing happens. “What the hell?”
I try harder, but the knob doesn’t twist at all.
Maverick locked me in here? A rush of panic fills me again, and I go back to his desk to find the phone.
Not to call for help but to have a semblance of a way out of here.
I put the phone to my ear, but I can’t hear the dial tone.
I start clicking different numbers, but nothing works.
I’m trying not to panic, and I take a deep breath.
This is no different than when I was locked in the girls’ locker room before.
This space is smaller, and it’s taking me back to when my stepmother would lock me in my bedroom for days on end.
One time she completely forgot about me.
I didn’t have much food in my room, but I did have a bathroom.
Since then, it’s given me a fear of being trapped in small spaces without anyone knowing where I am.
When I’ve stayed here before, it felt safer because it was the whole gym.
I knew it would open for business and people would arrive.
Maverick could keep me in his office forever, and no one would ever know.
I rush over to the thick curtains that cover the large windows and yank them back. I search for a way to open the window, but I don’t see one. We’re a few floors up, but I could use a chair to break a window if I had to. I won’t, at least not yet.
Maverick will come back. He sounded so sincere and maybe a little annoyed.
He’s not going to want to keep me around his office forever.
I’m sure women fall all over him. He doesn’t have to lock a woman in his office.
They probably lock themselves in. He owns a nice gym and is freaking hot.
A level of hot I didn’t know existed until he was standing over me glowering.
Taking a deep breath, I go back to the couch and sit down. I pull my knees to my chest before resting my chin on them and willing myself to relax. This is a safe place for the night, and I should get some rest while I can.
At some point I must doze off because when I jerk awake, I’m still sitting up. Maverick is standing over me with his brows furrowed together. A small scream of surprise leaves me, and he takes a step back, putting his hands up.
“I wanted to check on you, that’s all.”
“Is it morning?” I ask, glancing toward the windows. The curtains are really thick, but I can’t see sunlight peeking under them.
“No, did you think you slept all night sitting up?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “I have before.”
“You’ve made yourself into a tight ball. You’re scared.”
“I mean, you’re kind of towering over me, and you’re ginormous.”
“That may be so, but you were sitting that way before I walked in here.”
I lick my dry lips, not wanting to be rude but wanting to be honest. “You locked me in here, and I don’t like being locked in a room.” A shiver rolls up my spine as I think about my old bedroom.
“It was for your safety.”
“What if I needed to get out of here?”
“There is a phone on my desk. I told you that.” He motions toward it.
“It doesn’t work.”
“Shit.” He walks over to his desk and picks it up to check for himself.
“What time is it?” I ask, fighting a yawn.
“A little after midnight.” He picks up a piece of paper off his desk, and I realize I must have left my list over there. “Who used to lock you in a room?” he asks, not glancing up from the paper.
Wow, am I that easy to read? “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“It does,” he mutters under his breath, but I hear it. “Is this a grocery list of items you want? I have most if not all of them.”
“It’s what I ate,” I admit, and heat rushes to my cheeks.
“From the fridge?” Even as he asks the question, he heads over to check for himself.
“I’m going to pay for it.” I can see that his grip on the door handle is tightening. “I’m sorry.” The words come out as barely a whisper.
“Come on,” he says quickly and shuts the fridge.
“What?” I ask, and before I can move, he grabs my bag. “Hey, that’s mine.”
“We’re leaving.”
“I said I’m sorry. I swear I’ll pay for it. I just—” I’m following behind him as he abruptly stops walking, and I run right into him. I’m sure I’m about to hit the floor when I bounce off his body, but with one arm and a speed that a man his size shouldn’t be capable of, he catches me.
I stare up at him and watch his face soften. “There is nothing to be sorry for, little mouse. I’m not mad at you. I’m pissed that you were so hungry and I didn’t know. I should have ordered you a full meal instead of offering snacks.”
“You don’t have to do that, you’ve already done enough,” I tell him as I relax in his hold. “Do I still have to leave? Could we wait until morning?”
“You think I’m kicking you out?”
“Isn’t that where we’re going?”
“I’m taking you home with me.”
“Home with you?” Is this a good idea? Every person in the world would tell me no, don’t go.
“I’m in the same building, and it’s only one floor up. So it’s not much of a difference if you think about it.”
“Then why does it matter? Why do you want me to move up there?” I ask.
“Because I’ll worry if you stay down here. Besides, I have a bed you can sleep in and a whole fridge of food.”
“You’ll worry about me?” Those words are the ones that stick out the most. It’s a concept that’s hard for me to believe.
“Someone needs to. I didn’t like the idea of leaving you down here alone. The fight is getting rowdy, and, yeah, I was worried.”
He lets go of me but only to wrap his giant hand around my wrist. I stay silent as he leads me out of his office, and although it should scare the hell out of me, I only feel a warm sense of comfort.