AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m at my wits’ end and am considering walking out into the unknown. I don’t have a phone or money for food or the subway, so it would be foolish to leave.
Still, as I exit the shower and begin to dress, I’m caring less and less about how I’ll survive outside this room and more and more about getting away.
A click, like from a door opening, stops me mid-dressing. I listen, and when I don’t hear any more, I finish tugging on my shirt and slipping on my jeans.
As I run my fingers through my mass of auburn curls growing more unruly since I don’t have a brush, I think I hear another noise.
“Hello? Liam?” My heart is thundering in my chest. Images from the last two times I’ve been yanked from my quiet life flash in my mind. But who would be here except Liam?
I take a breath and tentatively open the bathroom door, looking out. I see nothing. My mind must be playing tricks on me.
I step into the room, ready to start my day with morning talk shows like I have for the last two days, when a man appears.
I stop short. “Who are you?”
“You’re coming with me.”
I look around, hoping to see Liam, but it’s only this man. He’s wearing jeans and a T-shirt, so he’s not likely the FBI.
Panic sets in. I turn, running back to the bathroom. I push the door to close it, but it bursts back, knocking me into the sink.
He grabs me. “Don’t make this hard.”
“Let me go.” I thrash about, arms and legs flailing, trying to get him to lose his grip. But he’s strong, spinning me around and pushing me over on the vanity. His body presses against mine, and for a moment, I fear his plan isn’t to kidnap me, but to rape me.
“Please… don’t…”
A sharp pinch stings my neck.
God, not again is my last thought as darkness overtakes me.
3
KATE
Iwake up, or at least I think I do. My head throbs and feels like it is stuffed with cotton. I'm disoriented and can't form a coherent thought.
I sit up and sway a little bit as I press my hands next to me to keep from tipping over. I force my eyes to focus as I take in my situation.
The first thing that is clear to me is that I am no longer in the hotel room. Instead, I’m at a new location, one that might be described as warm and cozy except I don't know where I am, who brought me here, and whether or not I'm in danger.
The walls are made up of pine planks, and across the room is a stone fireplace, where a fire burns, spreading warmth into the room. I'm sitting in a large bed wearing the same clothes I was in when I was kidnapped by Giovanni Fiori.
I feel a little gross to be in the same clothes, and at the same time, I'm relieved that I wasn't stripped and put into new clothes.
I stand, wobble, and fall back onto the bed. I rub my neck where I feel the soreness. Memories flood back.
Someone had come into my hotel room. He cornered me in the bathroom. I felt a sting in my neck. I must have been drugged.
Panic rushes through me. I glance at my wrists and ankles. I’m not bound, but I have no illusions about my situation. Just because there is a nice fire and I’m not tied up, doesn’t mean I’m safe.
I force myself to stand, tentatively taking steps toward the door. The room starts to spin, and I drop to my knees. Sleep is calling me, but I can't succumb. I need to find a way out of here. I need to find Liam. Does he know I’m missing?
On all fours, I crawl to the door.
When I reach it, I sit for a moment, again trying to clear the fog from my brain. I reach up, and it takes me a couple of tries to wrap my hand around the doorknob and turn it. I pull the door open, crawling out into a hallway.
I feel like I’m in a funhouse. The walls shimmer and wobble, making me feel nauseous. But I can’t stop. Determined, I crawl toward what I hope is a way out. Every now and then, I have to stop and reorient myself.
