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It gave way when I put pressure on it, and I stumbled into the room. It was still pitch-black, but for the briefest of moments, I dared to flick on the light.
A simple bathroom, with only a toilet and a sink for handwashing.
I shut the door as quietly as I could and turned the light back off, breathing hard. I pressed my ear to the door, desperate to know where he was, but I couldn’t tell. My breaths were too loud. A ringing in my ears piercing.
But he was out there. I knew it.
Stalking me like I was prey.
I was trapped.
Again.
32
KARA
I was such a fool. A stupid, stupid girl, just like my father had always told me. I’d thought I’d put that all behind me when I’d left our tiny town in the middle of nowhere Texas. I’d thought I’d escaped his torments and ridicule. I’d thought I’d show him by making it out on my own.
Instead, I’d proved him right.
And found out the real truth about men.
That they were all like him. That movies and TV shows all lied about there being good guys out there. Men who loved and cherished women.
Ha.
How stupid I’d been to hope for any of that.
I’d barely been here a month when I’d met Caleb. When he’d charmed the pants off me, only for me to realize there was no such thing as an honest man.
In the darkness, I rubbed a hand over my swollen belly, the skin stretched so tight it hurt sometimes. But then the little baby inside me kicked, and my heart swelled big enough to take away the ache. Only for me to crash down a moment later when I remembered where I was.
Locked in a windowless room.
Hands and feet tied.
Gag over my mouth so I couldn’t scream loud enough to attract any attention.
Not that anyone would hear me anyway.
There was a party going on outside, and at first, I’d thought it my chance to draw attention to myself. To make someone realize I was here.
But though noise filtered through from outside, the house had remained mostly quiet. There’d been no footsteps on the stairs Caleb’s friends had dragged me down when I’d been stupid enough to come back here.
I let out a sob of despair. What had I been thinking? I should have just stayed away. Gone on living my life for the baby inside me. But no. I’d gotten greedy. Greedy and stupid. I dropped my head down on bound hands, wrists red raw from the rope around them.
“Louisa Kara Churchill! Oh my God, where are you? Are you okay? I’ve been so worried!”
I was so grateful to hear her voice I didn’t even cringe at the reminder my family still called me by my full name, even though none of my friends had in years because I hated it. “I need help, Mama.”
There was a pause down the phone line. “What sort of help? Money? I have a few dollars stashed away, but anything more than that, your father will know…”
I shook my head miserably. “I’m pregnant.”
She gasped. “Pregnant? No, that’s not possible. By who? You’ve barely been gone four months.”
I hung my head in shame. “I know. But please. I need you—”