Chapter 13
Chapter 13?
POV: Gabrielle
I was drunk and when I was drunk I got all kinds of ideas. And one being kissing him.
But I had to taste him.
I had to experience how it felt to kiss him, especially when I was drunk off of wine and was ballsy enough to do so.
And he tasted…amazing.
This fucking blows, I thought.
Why did his kiss have to feel so…right…perfect…amazing? Why did I have to be attracted to him? Why did he have to look so hot with his sleeves rolled up? Why did every muscle on his body have to be so…sculpted? Why did he have to be smart, witty, funny, even kind? Why did I feel this way?
I had so many questions yet zero answers.
Because there was nothing rational about our relationship. And there never would be.
Logically, we shouldn’t work. Logically we wouldn’t work.
Yet, here I was—wanting to kiss him, wanting to be near him, wanting to learn about the man beneath the metaphorical mask. When I shouldn’t.
This was fucked up.
I quickly unzipped my dress, letting it fall to the bathroom floor then using a makeup wipe to clean my face.
I was stupid to dress up and I was stupid to put makeup on…for dinner with my kidnapper. Yet, I did. And I was even stupider for being the one to initiate the kiss in the first place.
I threw on a pair of grey sweatpants along with a black t-shirt then wrapped myself up into a zip up sweater.
I can’t live like this. I can’t allow myself to become an actual victim and actually fall for my kidnapper.
So, I decided that there was only one thing left to do.
Run.
I needed to try to make my escape—before things got worse, before my feelings and thoughts developed into something else—insanity itself.
And right now, Dane trusted me, so maybe this actually might work.
I looked up at the camera and clutched my stomach, pretending to be in pain from my period. “Dane!”
Nothing. Silence.
Let’s try that again.
“Dane!” I put on my best innocent face, hoping that would work.
Then his deep voice sounded through the camera, “Miss me already?”
I clutched my stomach and ran my palm over it in circles. “I have cramps. They’re really bad. Can you bring me a heating pad or something?”
“I was hoping you missed me, Belle.”
A beat of silence as I put on my best suffering face.
“Fine. I’ll bring you a heating pad. Take some midol from under the sink.”
Game plan time.
He probably wouldn’t cuff me. But the problem would be getting past him, I’d have to be quick, I’d have to kick him in the balls or something. Then there’s the possibility of him having a crazy security system and having the keys to all the locks. I guess I’d cross that bridge when I got there.
I took in a deep breath, hyping myself up as I waited for him to unlock the door.
The click of the door sounded and Dane stood in the doorway.
I jumped out, surprising him, kicking him in the balls and running right past him. Dane toppled over, clutching his balls but got back up, dropping the heating pad as he did and chasing after me.
Don’t stop, Gab. Don’t. You know what to do.
So, I ran. I ran as if my life depended on it, because hell it fucking did.
And I made it to the back door, pulled the drapes to the side then tried to yank open the door handle, and somehow it was…open.
I guess I shouldn’t look a gift horse in its mouth.
I didn’t stop to wonder why, instead I just kept running but I didn’t hear footsteps behind me, and though normally, I would’ve considered that weird, I also didn’t stop to think of why.
As soon as I made it outside, the cool air hit my face and the pale moon shined down upon me. I quickly hauled ass, running over gravel and sticks and cursing myself as a sharp rock dug into my foot. But I didn’t stop.
A branch scratched my nose, it hurt like hell but I didn’t stop.
I didn’t stop until I heard his voice behind me.
“Don’t go any further, Belle.”
I stopped in place, cursing myself as I did as I turned around and met his unamused face. Dark eyes, thin lips, terrifyingly beautiful jawline.
“I’ve beat you at your own game and I’m done, Dane. I’m done!” I screamed to the wind.
He didn’t flinch. He didn’t look worried. Instead, he just said, “If you take 5 steps north, your body will go into shock.”
I scoffed, shaking my head. “Your threats aren’t working anymore.”
“I designed an invisible security perimeter barrier. That’s why the doors were unlocked. You didn’t think it was that easy, did you sweetheart? That I’d be that careless without security measures in place?”
“Fuck you!” I yelled at him as I took two more steps forward. “I don’t believe you!”
“You’ll get shocked and you’ll pass out, Belle,” he warned.
But I didn’t believe him.
I didn’t believe him until I felt the shock surge through my body as my body went limp and my mind went blank. I couldn’t control what happened next. I toppled to the ground from the surge of electricity.
Dane wasn’t lying.
And I wasn’t free.