Page 612 of Hell Hath No Fury

She frowns and her eyes squint, assuming I’m deceiving her. “Nickname or real?”

“Real.”

“That’s quite a lot to aspire to.”

She has no fucking idea. “My father had very high expectations of me.”

Her shoulders droop although she smiles and shakes her head. “See that’s where you and I differ. My mother never hadany expectations of me except for being worthless and fucking things up for her.”

Heartbreak hides behind her harsh exterior. She got fucked over, and now she won’t let anyone hurt her again. Now that I know the truth, I like her even more. “Your mom sounds like a bitch. My dad was an asshole. We’re more alike than you think.”

As expected, she stays mute, unwilling to agree. At least she doesn’t argue. I let her off the hook for now. “Get some sleep. I’ll lock the door behind me.”

I give her a wink before I turn and stride away. If I didn’t tease her, she’d start to think I’m a nice guy.

“Titan?”

Now what? This girl is obstinate as fuck. I spin back toward her and get rewarded with a gorgeous blush across her exquisite face. “Yeah?”

“Thank you for the clothes.”

My smile is genuine, which is rare for me. “You’re welcome.”

I force myself to leave rather than cup her cheeks and own her mouth. Hell, her body. After I latch the knob behind me, I yank out my phone. Desperate to see her again, I chuckle and shake my head. She surprises the hell out of me once again. I enjoy watching her carefully hang her outfits in the closet, stack the lingerie on the shelves, and gather the trash from the carpet, throwing the remains into the wastebasket in the bathroom. She really is a neat freak.

Even better, I like her sigh of satisfaction before she flips the light switch and climbs into bed. Once her ass touches the mattress, Pete hops up too and snuggles in behind the bend in her knees. They’re content, and I find an odd peace myself.

CHAPTER SIX

Addie

Punishment.

The idea has been circling around in my head since Titan threatened me last night. The warning was the last thing I thought about before I fell asleep. Dreaming of his huge, powerful hands caressing over my body and keeping me pinned underneath him, I woke up frustrated and embarrassed. I should be angry. And I am. Kind of. But not as much as I should be. I’ve only been here one day. Has Stockholm Syndrome already kicked in?

Now I’m imagining the same rough treatment as I lie here in this huge bed. I’m a damn prisoner yet my nipples harden from the fantasy, and if I check, my panties are probably wet. God! I’m ridiculous and should be ashamed of myself. At least he doesn’t know, and he never will. I can never admit I’m attracted to a dangerous monster.

Luckily, Pete doesn’t judge. As soon as I roll to my side, he scrambles to his paws and crawls beside me. The luxurious mattress sinks from his weight before he plops down and breathes his hot breath in my face. He’s totally a morning person while I most definitely am not. Except right now I have no idea what time it actually is. I can’t tell from the dark room if it’s evening or early morning without a clock. I guess most people use their phones, but since I don’t have one, I’ll have to get up and find out.

After confirming the bedroom door remains locked, I take another quick shower. With so much uncertainty regarding my imprisonment, this might be my last bath for a while, and I don’t want to miss the opportunity. Confusion wells up in me again after I dry off. I really, really, really want to wear one of the outfits Titan gave me. I just don’t know if I can believe his promise of no strings attached. Everyone wants something in return. Even him.

I guess I can wear them now and then leave them behind when my time here ends. That’s a good compromise. Although I can’t understand why my stomach aches from the thought of leaving. More crazy coming out, stemming from the extravagance because they truly are the nicest clothes I’ve ever worn. Real silk panties and bra glide over my skin, smooth from the lavish lotion. The shirt is thick cotton, not thin and practically see through like the cheap ones I’m used to. The shorts have real pockets that can hold stuff like a house key or lipstick or things other people own.

I twist my hair up in a messy bun and rifle through my bag for Pete’s harness and leash. He barks and does his happy dance, lifting one front paw and then the other until I lean over him to snap the fabric around his torso. Well aware we’re going for a walk, he holds absolutely still. My heart squeezes from the relief of taking him out in a safe area and being able to feed him a full meal when he’s finished. Just like he deserves.

Trying to keep him from pawing at the wood while twisting the knob is a struggle I’ve never had in the past with the cheap plastic doors I’m used to. I’m going to have to train him we live in a very different world right now. No time to show him when he bolts down the corridor, dragging me with him. I guess I took too long, and now he really has to go. Quiet and inconspicuous aren’t happening today.

Funny how quickly animals can adapt. Pete leads me straight into the dining room to the door we used last night. I shove my thigh against his torso to keep him from scratching the bottom like last time and push with all my strength—which is more than expected after eating real food and getting real sleep—to hold him off until I get the handle pushed down. He flies through the opening and out to the lanai that’s just as amazing in the afternoon sun as I remember from last night. I was not imagining the extravagance in my hunger and exhaustion.

Pete is just as thrilled as last time too, running and sniffing, uncertain as to where to stop and do his business with so many places to check out. My interest focuses on the gate by what looks to be the back of a garage. I lead Pete in that direction but try not to be too obvious tugging him past the flower boxes surrounding the outdoor kitchen and toward the tree growing about ten feet from the fence.

He chooses the base of the trunk to poop. Perfect! I grab a bag from the little pocket on his harness to clean up his mess and walk to the opening as calm and nonchalant as I can manage, ignoring my racing heart. Pretending to look for a trashcan is a reasonable cover since people usually keep their garbage bins in the garage. I’ll just flip the latch and keep walking straight to freedom. Unexpectedly I’m not as eager to be free as I thought I would be, which is unexpected and confusing.

A piercing scream squeals behind me, and I about jump out of my skin. What the heck? Pete barks like crazy from the shock and the shrill punishment to both of our ears. I spin around to see who or what’s making him lunge in that direction.

A girl jumps up and down in a frilly white dress and pink, neck-breaking high heels. Besides being the same gender and similar size, she’s the exact opposite of me. Gorgeous. Sophisticated. Ecstatic.

“Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!”