Guilty as Sin (36 page)

“Thank you,” she said as she eagerly took the bottle in her free hand and drank it down in greedy gulps.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to come sooner.” He reached out and brushed her hair back from her face, and his heart thrilled when she not only didn’t flinch but seemed to lean into his touch.

“I’m glad to see you,” Tricia said softly, and set the empty bottle on the bed next to her.

“Are you hungry?”

She gave a small shake of her head.

“You sure? I brought your favorite sandwich from Mary’s. You shouldn’t have any problem chewing it.”

“No, I’m okay right now,” she said again.

“In that case I have something else for you.” He pulled the small box out of his pocket and opened it up. “Here, let me light this so you can see.” Careful to keep his face angled away, he lit the candle on the small bedside table and opened
the box. Nestled inside was a delicate gold chain with a small charm, fine pieces of gold molded into the shape of a lily with a single diamond nestled in the center.

“It’s beautiful,” Tricia said.

“It once belonged to someone I loved very much,”
or thought I did
, “and now I want you to have it.”

He plucked it from the box, his fingers trembling with anticipation as he leaned forward to fasten it around her neck. He’d placed it on other necks before. Only one had ever worn it for more than a few days.

But in the end, she had died too.

He hoped from the very bottom of his soul that Tricia would wear it forever.

As he leaned closer to work the tiny clasp, he became aware of an unpleasant reality, one his nose couldn’t ignore. His love, for all her beauty, was beginning to smell.

Fortunately, he’d thought to prepare for this too. “Today, my dear, I believe it’s time for a shower.”

She stiffened but didn’t say anything as he retrieved a bag from the table. “Shampoo, conditioner, soap, even a toothbrush. And for after,” he said, pulling out a small box, “this very special cream that will make you sparkle like the jewel you are.”

She gave no response other than a little choking sound as he unfastened her cuff. “Come on now, let’s get you to the bathroom,” he said. But instead of getting up, she huddled against the headboard.

“Come on now,” he said, an edge to his voice. “We’ve been getting along so well. You know I won’t put up with this defiance.” He reached down and took her arm in his grip and hauled her to her feet.

Only to discover she was shaking so hard her legs could barely support her. “I don’t want to,” she said, her voice shrill. “Please don’t do this to me. I’m not ready, I’m not ready yet.”

Realization dawned like a lead ball in his stomach when he realized she thought the shower was a prelude to him raping her. “Sweetheart,” he said, ignoring her odor for a moment as he gathered her into his chest. “The last thing I want is to hurt you. And as much as I desire you, it’s not something I want to take by force. I didn’t lie when I said I would wait for you to come to me willingly.”

Someone else won’t be so lucky.
He quickly shoved the thought aside, afraid the memory of Kate and her fear would push the bounds of his control. The last thing he wanted was for Tricia to be afraid of his needs.

Her trembling slowed. “You’re not going to force me?”

“I won’t hurt you unless you make me,” he said, and stepped back, steering her once again toward the bathroom.

Once she was inside, he handed over the toiletries one by one. All except the special finishing touch. That he kept in his pocket. His fingers tingled in anticipation of smoothing the gold-flecked cream onto the long, slim length of her legs, her delicate shoulders and arms.

He reached past her and turned on the shower. The water was only lukewarm and came out in a feeble trickle, but it would have to do.

She hesitated again, plucking at the hem of her filthy T-shirt.

“What?” he said.

She shifted her feet uncomfortably. “It’s just, there’s no curtain or anything—”

“So? There’s no one here.”

“You’re here! I’ve never been naked in front of a guy before,” she blurted.

The reminder of her innocence sent a fresh wave of heat sizzling through his body. That more than anything made the blood heat in his veins and pool heavily between his legs.

Sweat bloomed on his skin at the thought of her naked in the shower, the water trickling over bare skin and slight curves. He swallowed hard, realizing if he stayed in there with her, he might not be able to control himself.

He studied her for several seconds, saw the fear in her eyes and knew she was attuned to his body’s instinctive reaction.

He didn’t yet know if he could trust her.

But for both their sakes, it was necessary to put her to the test.

“Okay.” He nodded curtly. “You have five minutes.”

Breath
whoosh
ed from her lungs, her relief palpable as he backed out of the bathroom.

“Thank you,” she said, and started to close the door.

He stopped it with the flat of his hand.

“Please,” she said again.

Trust was necessary to every relationship, he reminded himself. And if he ever wanted to earn hers, he had to give his. He nodded. “Five minutes,” he repeated. “And no locks.”

“Thank you,” she said. The way she was practically crying with gratitude made him feel like the king of the universe.

Tricia’s heart practically beat out of her throat as the latch clicked shut. She took a deep breath, willed herself to calm down. This was her one chance. She had to keep her head clear so she didn’t blow it. She reached into the shower and fiddled with the faucet, cursing when she realized that the wimpy stream was all she would get.

Not much to cover the noise. Her belly knotted with tension as she carefully balanced on the toilet to reach for the window above.

It was boarded up from the outside, and on closer inspection Tricia wasn’t certain she’d be able to fit her shoulders and hips through the narrow space, even if she did somehow manage to knock the board loose and pull herself up.

Not exactly a given, considering how weak she felt, even if her head was clearer than it had been in days. That was one upside to having gone so long without anything to eat or drink. Whatever he’d been dosing her with had pretty much cleared out of her system.

There was only one other alternative she could think of. She grabbed the candle from where her captor had placed it next to the toilet. Thoughtful of him, she thought snarkily.

She held the candle over the floor, looking for the slit in the cracked linoleum. It must be getting close to dark—there wasn’t a crack of light leaking through the floor like last time, or from the thin seam at the window. Though it made it more difficult to find that key spot in the floor, it would be better cover for her if she managed to get out.

No,
when
you get out, she reminded herself fiercely. When the five minutes was up, he was going to come in here and find her gone, or…

A shudder ran through her at the thought. Failure wasn’t an option.

She ran her hands frantically along the floor. Finally, she found the place she was looking for. A small crack, barely wide enough to get the tips of her fingers through. But she felt its promise in the feel of cool night air licking at her skin.

She pulled as hard as she could, bracing her feet against the lip of the shower for more leverage as she strained. Nothing.

She pulled again, muffled a cry as she felt a chunk of flooring give way. The hole was now as big as her fist. Another tug and she could fit both hands through.

“One minute.”

She froze as the voice called through the door. Adrenaline surged through her, infusing her arms and hands with strength. One last, hard tug. There was a loud
crack
ing sound, one that made her simultaneously sick with fear even as the cool air rushed over her legs, signaling her freedom.

“Tricia?”

She scrambled for the hole she made, afraid her heart was going to explode as she slid her legs through even as the latch on the door rattled.

Her feet met the ground, wood, plastic, and metal scraping her legs and hips as she tried to squirm her way out.

The door flew open with such force it bounced off the opposite wall.

She didn’t have a clear view of his face, but there was no mistaking the lightning-fast transition from concern to fury as he realized what she was doing.

With a roar he leapt forward and grabbed her under the shoulders. Tricia twisted and punched at him with her fists, tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

He was too much, his fury adding fuel to strength that was already far greater than hers. “You fucking little bitch!” he screamed, spit flying from his mouth as he yanked her back up through the hole.

Tricia cried out as something tore into her thigh, through skin and fat until it felt like it was gouging out a chunk of muscle.

Pain ripped through her as he hauled her up and slammed her into the wall so hard she could feel the cheap plaster crack under the impact.

He held her pinned there by her throat, her toes scrambling to make contact with the floor as the blood roared in her ears.

“You goddamn little bitch,” he hissed again. “I give you a chance to earn my trust and this is how you repay me? By trying to escape, after everything I’ve done for you?”

Her vision started to tunnel, her thigh throbbed with pain, but even through that she could sense the anguish mingling with his rage. On some twisted level he was actually hurt, the psycho.

“I’m sorry,” she said, but the words came out a choked whisper against the hand tightening around her throat.

“Sorry?” he roared, and released his grip on her throat.

She took a deep lungful of air, wincing at both the pain in her throat and the deep throb in her leg as her weight came down on it.

He grabbed her by her shoulders and shoved her through the doorway. She staggered, crying out as she fell to the floor. Tears stung her eyes as he fisted his hand in her hair and hauled her up by it to throw her back on the bed.

Through a haze of pain she saw his fist draw back. She tried to shift but still took the brunt of the punch on her cheekbone. Stars exploded behind her eyelids, her ears rang at a second, even harder blow. Her shoulders screamed in pain as her arms were jerked back, and the rattle of the handcuffs sent dread rippling through her. Though deep down she knew it was useless, instinct took over and she kicked and twisted, desperate to get away.

He pinned her legs down with his knees and she let out a harsh scream, nearly passing out from the pain as his knee ground into the gash in her thigh.

Her arms were stretched above her head and forced through the bars of the headboard, the cuffs snapped around her wrists so tight she could feel the metal already digging into the tender skin.

He sat back, breathing hard. “One thing I find I’m losing
as I get older,” he said through clenched teeth, “is my patience.” His hand closed around her jaw, squeezing so hard she whimpered, expecting her jawbone to snap at any second. “I was willing to wait for you, but after that stunt you just pulled, I’m thinking I should just cut my losses and get rid of you like I did the rest of them.”

Dancing on the edge of consciousness, Tricia prayed she would pass out so she wouldn’t have to endure whatever came next.

But instead of his hands closing over her throat, she felt a stinging pain in her neck. Then nothing.