Hard Times: A Dark Captive Romance by C. Hallman

Author:C. Hallman [Hallman, C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-04-01T18:30:00+00:00

14

The sound of the shower wakes me. I’m a little sore, but it’s the good sore that comes after a hard workout. And a hard—

My eyes fly open.

This is my last day.

And I’m alone in bed.

Ryker’s in the shower—I hear the psycho humming. Who hums happily the day they’re about to execute somebody? Hunter’s not here, so that means I have little time.

I’m still shackled at my ankle. No sense trying to break the cuff or the chain, it wouldn’t be anything but a waste of precious time. There’s got to be something around here I can use to get free. If not now, at some point during the day I have left.

The nightstand drawer is empty. I close it slowly, carefully, one eye on the half-open bathroom door. The water’s still running, and I hear splashing coming from in there. He isn’t just running the shower to throw me off-guard.

What else can I search? I feel under the pillows, even in the cases. Nothing. No key, no bits of metal I can use to work the lock.

My only other option is searching under the bed. Might as well. I won’t die without knowing I did everything in my power to be free. I roll onto my stomach and lean over, hands exploring under the bed frame while the shower runs and Ryker hums. It’s all so damn surreal.

Nothing on the right side. I search under the foot of the bed next, but no luck there, either. Dust bunnies won’t free me.

It’s not until I’m searching the left side, up by the headboard, that my fingers touch metal. I run them over the metal, holding my breath. It’s a small key, I’m sure of it, tucked inside the little lip running along the underside of the wooden bed frame.

The water stops. I leave the key and straighten myself out, forcing myself to breathe evenly as I curl back up like I was asleep all this time. I don’t want him coming in here and seeing me all out of breath and flushed.

Now, it’s a matter of finding the right moment. How many times have they left me on my own? I’m cuffed at the ankle, there’s no way for me to break loose. I can only pray that’s how they see the situation.

It’s not the bathroom door that opens first. It’s the bedroom door.

Hunter walks in—no, that’s not right. He staggers in a little, like he’s slightly drunk. I’m glad he has it in him to celebrate on the day he knows I’m going to die thanks to him.

I grit my teeth and sit up in bed. “Hi.”

“Goodie… good morning.” Yeah, he’s messed up on something. “How you feeling?”

“How do you think?” I move my leg, tugging the chain on the cuffs.

He looks away from it. Away from me. “Yeah, that’s tough. I can’t say I’m sorry since you were bound to try to get out. Obviously, we couldn’t let that happen.”

He’s already speaking in past tense, like the way they’ve treated me happened a long time ago.

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