DAY ONE
Chris
What the hell did I get myself into?
After locking her up, I sit down on the edge of my bed and run a hand through my hair.
I pull my phone from my pocket and bring up the camera feed.
The high-resolution view of my former closet shows her standing motionless in the center of the room, robe clutched around her.
She’s taking it all in or planning her next trick. Hard to tell.
That stunt with the van caught me clean.
I’ve been in combat, real combat, and I’ve never been taken off guard like that.
I underestimated her. Thought she’d be some pampered brat I’d have to babysit for a while, slap a little sense into if needed, nothing I couldn’t handle.
Now, I’ve got this wild-eyed tempest who doesn’t know when to quit.
Throwing her into the water wasn’t part of the plan. That was impulse, and I don’t do impulsive. That’s what rattles me.
The bathroom wasn’t any better. That tension could have snapped a dozen ways, all of them bad.
Handing her the towel the way I did, making it a “lesson,” wasn’t helping the situation either.
I know that, but I don’t tolerate disrespect from anyone, and I do not accept excuses.
Never again will I allow somebody to speak to me like that.
The expression she had in the bedroom haunts me. She thought I brought her here to violate her, and I hate that she did. I would never.
It wasn’t supposed to go like this. Especially not on day one, and it isn’t even over yet.
I have to get a fire going. The wind off the lake could crack glass. She hardly ate or drank today and neither did I. I’ve been running on adrenaline and irritation since the police station.
I check the feed again. No movement.
This girl’s going to make me earn every cent of that ridiculous paycheck. I’ll need to deal with her again tonight. I don’t want to. But I have to. She needs food, water, and a warmer blanket, and I need five damn minutes without her trying to bite me, bolt, or throw stuff at me.
One day down.
Too many left to go.