Page 5

Riley

Lavender Bath Salts

This is crazy. I need to get out of here. He’s insane.

I stood with my back to the bathroom door, breathing in and out as I tried to calm my racing thoughts.

The problem was that he didn’t seem insane.

But I knew better than to trust first impressions. Hadn’t that been my mistake with Drew? Because my ex-boyfriend was certifiably insane.

He’d never admit it and I’d never say it to his face, but the past few weeks had given me a sort of clarity as I dug through all the memories of our relationship and held them up to the light.

I’d learned not to trust my instincts.

Except the books say to trust your instincts.

I didn’t know what was right.

There had to be an angle, though.

I just needed to wait for Lucan to show his hand. If I stayed on guard, I could prepare for the coming blow. The nice guy routine would wear away eventually.

Hopefully, I’d be long gone by then.

He said he’d find me a charger and there was cell service out here. Whether I believed his line about dragons keeping their promises was irrelevant. We’d know soon enough if he was telling the truth.

Sucking in a shaky breath, I got a whiff of myself.

Maybe Lucan was right and I should clean up.

I grabbed the edges of the sink, not bothering to look at my reflection in the mirror. I already knew what I’d see. Dry skin, limp hair hanging around my shoulders that frizzed up in the humidity without enough length to weigh it down. Bags under my eyes and hollow cheeks.

At least the bruise had gone away.

I still couldn’t believe Drew hit me in the face.

He was usually smarter than that, knowing to leave marks in places no one could see. Proof of his anger didn’t linger long on the outside. Inside was where the real mess was made.

But he’d been slipping over the past few months as the worry about the future started to get under his skin. He’d lashed out more, losing his temper in public a few times.

And he’d started to let himself go. A few extra pounds around his waist made his constant nitpicking of my body worse.

I couldn’t believe I’d once thought him attractive.

Compared to the kidnapping dragon in the other room, there was no comparison.

Lucan’s body was sculpted like an ancient Viking warrior god and he wore his skin comfortably. It’d been an effort to sit there all through breakfast, eating his bacon and keeping my eyes away from his muscled chest.

He thought I was his mate.

My heart started beating faster again.

I slowly raised my eyes to the mirror, wondering what it was he’d seen in me. Maybe he was just lonely.

Guys like that aren’t lonely, Riley.

I snorted.

Okay, maybe he was insane.

I looked around the spa-like bathroom.

An oversized jacuzzi tub sat under frosted windows that looked out toward the mountains behind the house. Stone-tiled floors led to the walk-in shower. White terry towels were pristinely folded on the rustic wood wall shelf. A basket of bath salts and soaps sat on the ledge of the tub.

My eyes narrowed as I read the labels.

Lavender and almond milk and Moroccan oil scents. A sinking feeling twisted my gut, which instantly made me sick.

I had no right to care if another female had been here. Jealousy wasn’t my vibe; Drew had the monopoly on that. Not me. And I wasn’t starting now.

Besides, Lucan said I was welcome to anything in his house. If I was going to be kidnapped, I could at least enjoy the perks.

See? I was doing great at this gratitude thing.

Willow would be proud of me.

Later, I’d process how twisted things were getting. Just as soon as I was clean.

∞

One long, luxurious soak later, I stood wrapped in a fluffy towel holding my clothes in the air. My skin had never felt smoother. Those lavender bath salts were magic. I didn’t want to waste how good I felt by putting on dirty underwear.

I tiptoed out of the bathroom, pushing open the door to the conjoining bedroom that I’d woken up in.

The bed was made with the down duvet fluffed and wrinkle-free. Frowning, I made my way to my purse. It was where I’d left it on the chair and my phone was still dead. Lucan must’ve cleaned up the bedroom, but I guess he hadn’t had any luck finding a charger.

I made sure the door was locked and then searched for something to wear. I didn’t know what I was hoping for. Maybe a guest-bedroom robe I could put on while I tossed my clothes into the wash.

The top dresser drawer was all men’s boxers and socks. Panic tickled its way down my spine as I opened the second drawer to see T-shirts folded in a stack. I looked back to the bed, swallowing hard.

Did we sleep together?

I honestly couldn’t remember anything about last night. That wasn’t like me. I hardly ever slept. But I didn’t feel different or sore anywhere I shouldn’t have.

It’d been a long time since I’d gotten laid, so I’d know if things were… used.

I’d assumed this was a guest room this morning, especially after I’d gone to this bathroom at Lucan’s suggestion. But this was definitely his bedroom. Now that I knew what he smelled like—campfire and s’mores—it made sense why the scent was so strong in here.

None of his clothes were going to fit, but I grabbed a T-shirt from the drawer anyway. The dragon-man folded his shirts. If that didn’t scream psycho red-flag then my male-o-meter was broken.

Okay, it’d been broken.

That was beside the point.

The vintage shirt was deliciously smooth as it settled against my newly moisturized skin. I debated on grabbing a pair of his boxers, but that seemed too intimate and gave the wrong idea—like I was the kind of girl who was okay sleeping with a strange man in his bed.

Spoiler: I wasn’t.

I grabbed my purse and dead phone on the way out of the bedroom, intending to set some boundaries. If I was going to be kidnapped, then I had demands.

Yes, I knew I was slowly losing my grip on reality. In my defense, it’d been a hard few years.

It’d been a hard few decades, actually.

The house seemed empty. Everything was too clean and too quiet. A gentle harp-like music played at soft volume on the TV.

He is definitely a murderer.

The French doors to the back patio were cracked open. I thought about exploring the house more, but headed for freedom instead, testing the limits of this hostage situation.

He had gardens. As in plural. Romantic flower gardens with a bird bath and stone bench lined the patio, stretching out into an overflowing vegetable garden sowed in rows down the hill.

I marched past them, not stopping to smell the literal roses.

My bare feet barely felt the rocks and dirt as I walked out of the gardens, checking over my shoulder every so often as I kept walking up the hill.

When I reached the top, I realized why Lucan hadn’t bothered to lock me inside.

Miles and miles of open mountain range sloped around the property. There was a crystal lake and sparse trees in a valley dip leading past a winding two-lane road, but nothing else as far as the eye could see.

Lucan’s house sat like its own ecosystem tucked away in the mountains. The lush gardens surrounded the modern, angled structure.

Solar panels lined the top half of the house, making room for a solid landing pad-like roof. It was a smaller version of the one Kieran had.

He wasn’t lying when he said he had everything we’d need. This was a fortress. A hide-away. I spun around again, realizing how truly separated from the world I was.

No one would find me out here.

I’d never be able to find my way back.

I pulled out my dead phone and stared at it.

I couldn’t even call an Uber to come get me.

Tears welled in my eyes. I blinked until they cleared. It was so stupid how dependent on modern conveniences we were. Stupid how easily I trusted the world would somehow be a sturdy place. That it wouldn’t all fall apart.

The ground shook beneath my feet and I panicked, looking around to make sure nothing would come crashing down. It was just a small tremble, but it was enough to bring me to my knees.

A single tear slipped out, dripping down my cheek.

I hastily wiped it away.

Don’t cry. We’ll figure this out.

Another tear rolled down my face.

Then another.

I dried my eyes, but it didn’t help.

How much longer can I hold on?

I didn’t know anymore.

Or I could just let go…

A painful sob escaped my chest.

My insides cramped as I doubled over, gripping my waist and trying to suck in breaths, but my throat closed up, and I couldn’t get enough air.

Hot, fat tears ran down my face as the world around me blurred into a kaleidoscope of color.

I wasn’t sure that anything would be okay.