Page 20 of Deliverance

"Today."

Today? What the hell?

I watched Zell paint for a few moments. "Do you know how to read?" She didn't respond, and I thought she might be embarrassed. "It's okay. You can tell me."

"I don't know what that is," she finally whispered.

I cupped her shoulder. "That's okay. I'm here to teach you."

* * *

I left Zell to finish her painting and went to my room. A fresh pair of panties and a bra were on the bed, and I changed out of the ones I'd been wearing since the night I was taken. I wasn't sure what I should do, so I sat on the end of the bed again. This time I noticed the camera in the corner of the room. It didn't surprise me. After being stripped naked for Madam to scrutinize me, I expected nothing I did would be private until I was out of the penthouse. But how long would that be? How was Ricardo going to help me? Was he even going to help me? He said he would, and I had to believe him because he would be my only hope.

Emily popped her head into my room. "Hungry?"

I was starving despite the bread and water I’d had before I left the warehouse. "Yes."

"Well, come on. We're all going to the kitchen."

I stood and asked, "Why aren't you in a robe?" She was dressed in lounge pants and a tank top.

She turned back to me. "Oh. We only have to be in lingerie when a client comes."

"Where are the clothes then?" I looked down at the robe.

"Madam gives us clothes, but only when she wants to."

I sighed and followed Emily. I thought we would walk down the hall toward the main room, but instead, she went toward the bathroom and then down the stairs. We came to a kitchen area that had a small table in it and more closed doors. Did one of those lead to an escape? I didn't think it would be that easy, but I was determined to find out.

The four new ladies, including myself, sat at the small table. We all seemed timid, not sure what to do or say. The fouroldwomen all started to grab food out of the fridge and pantry.

"We usually take turns making dinner, but since we have four new ladies in the house, we've decided we're all going to make you dinner to celebrate you guys joining us," one of the women said. She was about my age. In fact, all of them seem to be.

"Thank you," I responded.

"By the way," the same woman continued. "I'm Sonya, this is Liz and Ronda, and you've met Emily."

"I'm Erin," I returned.

"Jasmine," the woman next to me greeted.

"Tamara," the lady across from me said.

"And I'm Danielle, but you can call me Dani."

A man walked out of one of the closed doors dressed in a white chef's coat. I blinked. There was a chef?

"Don't mess up my kitchen, ladies," the man teased.

"We'll clean up like always," Sonya replied. "You know that."

"We have new faces," he stated as he looked at the table.

"Madam got new girls," Emily clarified. "Lana left this morning."

Left? Zell had mentioned Lana too, but I didn't think they'd allowed her to leave as Zell had said. Was she taken back to the warehouse?

"I can see that." He smiled at us. "I'm Martin." He shook our hands in greeting, and a few questions ran through my head. He had to know we weren't here on our own volition, so how was he okay with it? Who did he cook for? Zell and Madam only? Did he live here? Could I get him to get us out of here?