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Firm tapping on the door pulled me from my dreamless sleep, and for the briefest of seconds, I forgot where I was. But like a wrecking ball, my new reality crashed into me at full force. I turned onto my side, not having the energy to drag my ass over to the door. What was the point? If Jacob was going to let me out, he would have opened the door instead of knocking.

“Are you awake, angel?”

I debated about ignoring Jacob’s melodic tone, but when my stomach let out an almighty growl, I scrubbed a hand down my face and pulled myself up, hoping Jacob had brought me something to eat that wasn’t pea soup.

“I’m awake.”

“How do you feel?” he asked softly.

The familiar spark of anger ignited under my skin. “How do you think I feel?”

Seriously, what did he expect me to say? ‘Oh, I feel wonderful, being locked in the cell with no sunlight, no idea what the time is, and no idea how long I’m going to be here.’

“Angel, I know you’re angry, but I won’t tolerate disrespect,” he replied, his tone taking on a coolness that did nothing to calm my fury.

Before I could stop myself, I jumped from the bed, and on shaky legs, crossed to the door with my hands on my hips. “Disrespect? Are you kidding me, Jacob?” I screeched, my throat scratchy from all the crying. “Don’t you think it’s disrespectful locking me in here like some kind of animal?” He didn’t reply, and in frustration, I slammed my hand against the door, pain shooting through my arm. “Jacob!”

The hatch by my feet popped open, and a bottle of water and a plastic bowl covered with foil were pushed through. It closed again before I even had the chance to lower myself to the floor.

“I refuse to speak to you when you’re angry, Charlotte. Perhaps you’ll feel better after you’ve eaten your breakfast,” Jacob said.

Helpless but to stare at the door with my jaw open at his audacity, my fists clenched by my side as his footsteps faded away until I was met with a deafening silence.

When it became apparent that he wasn’t coming back, my shoulders slumped in defeat, and I crouched down to pick up the water and bowl, my stomach once again growling. Carrying the items over to the bed, I sat down and gulped a huge mouthful of water before setting the bottle aside and peeling back the foil covering the bowl.

Grits. Jacob had brought me grits for breakfast.

It was only by some miracle that they didn’t end up on the wall like the soup had.

With nothing to do but think, I spent endless hours lying on the cot bed, tormenting myself over the mess of my life. When I got bored of staring at the same spot, I moved to sit with my back against the door, my knees pulled up to my chest as I resumed my thoughts.

I didn’t understand Jacob. He claimed he wanted to take care of me, to make me happy. He asked me to give him my trust, something I gave to him so easily. Yet, here I was, locked in a cell because I dared to want freedom. He really was like Jekyll and Hyde, and I had no idea how to survive someone like that.

Perhaps the answer was easy: go along with what he wanted. Succumb to his controlling ways and accept that this was now my life. It had taken me years to come to terms with the arranged marriage my parents had put in place for me since I was born, but I learned to accept it.

The difference was, as much as I knew that I had no choice but to marry the man my parents had picked out for me, the pros outweighed the cons. Yes, I’d have to stay at home and become a mom, but before that, I would have experienced college. I would have a home in the middle of the city where I could still see my friends. I would have children whom I would have loved.

Even if Jacob let me out of the cell, I would still be stuck on an island and under his command, and I didn’t see a way that I could ever accept that.

But did I have to accept it?

A thought crossed my weary mind, startlingly obvious now that it was there. I didn’t have to accept the future Jacob was offering; I just had to convince him that I did. At least until another opportunity arose for me to escape, and one that I didn’t fail at.

Surely, if I regained his trust and made him believe that I had no intention of running away again, he would eventually take me to the mainland. Then, I could make my escape without having to face obstacles such as crossing the sea in a damn speedboat that I didn’t know how to drive.

The idea turned over and over in my head. It wouldn’t be easy, especially overcoming the first hurdle of getting him to release me from the cell. And if he did, which right then felt like a very big if, it could take time until he decided to take me off the island.

Months, maybe even years.

But that would go in my favor. It would give me time to gain his trust, prove to him that I had learned from the lessons he had taught me, and convince him that I could be the perfect angel that he wanted.

My mind raced with what that would likely entail, and my stomach churned with the thought, but if I wanted to get my freedom back and get away from Jacob, I had to do whatever it took.

I would need to be careful, though. If I had learned anything from the time I’d spent with Jacob, it was that he was a master manipulator. He had a way of sucking me in, making me feel things for him that were impossible to ignore, and making me want more, and I couldn’t let that happen.

I needed to keep my walls up, no matter what.

Lost in thought, a soft tap against the door startled me. A rush of guilt spread through my body as if Jacob had somehow discovered my inner thoughts and was coming to deliver another warped punishment. I jumped to my feet, taking a step back as if that would protect me from the man I was beginning to believe was part Devil.