by Stella Hart
He wasn’t alone. A few maids were with him, fussing over a little table that they’d brought in for our dinner. They set it up by the window with two chairs.
“Hey, Doll,” Elias said, arching a curious brow as he took in my yoga pants and tank top. “Been exercising?”
“Yes. You look very pleased with yourself,” I replied, looking back at him. His eyes were alive with excitement.
He smiled. “I got some good news earlier today.”
“Oh?”
He waved a dismissive hand. “I’ll tell you another time. No need to get into it now. Anyway, take a seat. Dinner will be ready any moment.”
“Will there be wine?” I asked in a hopeful tone. Please say yes.
“If you like. Red or white?”
“Red. But only if that’s okay with you,” I said demurely.
He nodded and muttered something to the maids. They left the room. I sat down at the table with Elias, and a few minutes later, two of the maids returned. One had a bottle of pinot noir and two wine glasses, and the other was pushing a cart with multiple silver cloche trays.
“I’ll serve it,” Elias said, dismissing them.
When they were gone, he pulled two plates off the cart and put our dinner on the table with a flourish. Wagyu beef tenderloins with hand-cut fries, truffle aioli, and salad on the side. Simple but pricey.
“Thank you,” I said with a shy smile. “It smells delicious.”
“You’re welcome,” Elias replied, returning my smile as he filled our wine glasses.
I felt a pang of guilt at what I was going to do to him. Ever since he rescued me from the storm and brought me here, he’d acted like a changed man. So patient and generous. He only punished me when I wanted it, only hurt me in the ways I liked and craved (even though he’d probably never admit that in a million years), and he seemed to be making a real effort to have things run smoothly between us.
My feelings for him were growing stronger every day, and I had a sneaking suspicion that he was beginning to return them. But at the same time, I knew he would never let me go. I would always be his prisoner.
As much as I might care for him and want him, I still wanted freedom more.
I picked up my glass and took a sip of wine, licking my lips as I swallowed. Sensually, slowly. Then I flashed Elias my best attempt at a seductive smile. “Would you excuse me for a minute? I think I should change into something more suitable,” I said.
He nodded. I stood, still holding my glass, and headed out of the main room, letting my hips swing invitingly.
I knew there was a chance he might follow, so I moved as fast as I could once I was in the closet. I hurried over to the writing nook and held the glass at the front of the desk so I could sweep the powdered Benadryl into it. As I waited for it to settle into the wine, I changed out of my gym clothes and into a sexy black dress which pushed my breasts up and together to give me killer cleavage.
“Wow.” Elias raised his eyebrows when I stepped back into the main room. “That looks fucking incredible on you.”
“Thank you.” I gave him a shy but coquettish smile. “I figured it would be better for tonight than sweaty gym clothes.”
“Damn right about that.” He crossed over to me in a few powerful strides and wrapped his arms around me, one hand groping at my ass. My glass tipped to one side, and the wine very nearly spilled.
“Oh, careful,” I murmured, trying not to let any panic seep into my voice. I held the glass out and away from us, keeping it as steady as possible.
“Fuck the wine. Fuck dinner. I want to have you now,” Elias growled.
Shit. This wasn’t part of the plan.
I tried to think of a way to get him to sit back down but failed miserably. My mind had gone completely blank.
Luckily, Elias drew back when I didn’t respond. “Wait… I promised you this dinner, didn’t I?” he said, a frown creasing his forehead. “And you’re probably hungry after all that exercise today.”
I swallowed hard and nodded. He led me back toward the table, but not before giving me a hard slap on the ass. “Naughty little tease. You’ll pay for that later,” he said. “But you were probably hoping for that, weren’t you?”
I feigned a giggle and set my wine glass back down on the table. Then I looked over his shoulder at the TV. “Would you do me a favor?” I asked. “Could you go and turn that on?”
He narrowed his eyes slightly. “You want the TV on?”
I gulped. “There’s a channel that just plays music. I thought it might be nice to have some on in the background.”
The confusion vanished from his expression. “Good idea.”
He headed over to grab the remote, and when his back was turned, I quickly switched our drinks.
He returned to the table a few seconds later, none the wiser. I breathed a sigh of relief and sipped at my new glass of wine, watching him do the same with the tainted one. His upper lip curled slightly at the taste, but he kept drinking it anyway. Thank god.
Dinner went well. I did my best to seem calm and affable, nodding and agreeing with everything Elias said. When it was time for dessert, he got up to fetch the tray from the cart and stumbled to the side instead. “Woah,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes. “I don’t feel so good.”
“I don’t either,” I lied, clutching at my stomach. “Maybe it’s the food?”
“Maybe.” He sat back down and put his head in his hands. “I’m so fucking tired. It just hit me out of nowhere.”
“Why don’t you lie down?” I suggested.
His head was lolling now, and he yawned, eyelids drooping. “Yeah. That sounds good. Sorry, Doll, I know I promised you a fun night. I’m just…”
His voice trailed off as he yawned again. I smiled and stood up, extending a hand to him. “It’s fine. I understand,” I said, helping him to his feet. “You said you got some really good news today. Maybe all the excitement wiped you out? That can happen sometimes.”
“I guess so. Is your stomach okay?” He raised his bleary, concerned eyes to me. “You said you didn’t feel well.”
“It hurts a bit, but it’s not too bad,” I said softly. I wasn’t lying. My stomach was in knots from guilt, especially since he’d so kindly asked me how I felt.
I helped him onto the bed, trying to tell myself it was all okay. I shouldn’t feel guilty. As much as I’d grown to tolerate and even crave his company, this man was still responsible for my captivity. I shouldn’t feel sorry for him at all. Besides, I wasn’t killing him. The allergy meds would simply knock him out till the morning. They wouldn’t do any long-term damage.
I waited till midnight, sitting on the bed and watching over Elias. He was out cold, snoring gently. I poked him, hard, and he didn’t even stir.
It was time.
13
Tatum
I went back into my closet and changed into thick black yoga pants, several dark layered tops, a sweater, a thick charcoal gray coat, woolen socks, and sneakers. That should be enough to keep me from freezing to death outside. I grabbed a dark chunky-knit scarf as well, just in case, and then I headed back out to the bedroom and fished around in Elias’s pockets.
I found his Crown and Dagger keycard a moment later. Leaning down, I gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. “I’m sorry, Elias,” I whispered. “But I have to do this for myself.”
I slipped out of my room and crept down the hall as quickly and quietly as I could. There were security cameras everywhere, so someone was bound to see me sneaking around sooner or later. I just had to make it to a door and get outside before that happened.
I reached the stairs and hurried down them, and when I arrived at the nearest door that led outside, I slid the keycard into the electronic lock. It beeped and flashed with a green light. Breathing a sigh of relief, I let myself out, making sure to close the door behind me as quietly as possible. Then I stole through the main courtyard and gardens, heading for the expansive patch of snowy grass which led to the forest.<
br />
When I reached the grass, I began to run as fast as I could. One of the guards monitoring the camera feeds would’ve noticed me by now, and it was only a matter of time before a team was sent out to retrieve me. I had to get to the forest and use it for cover.
As I reached the tree line, I heard shouts in the distance, but I didn’t turn around. I couldn’t waste even a fraction of a second.
The forest was dense and ancient, tree trunks thick and old with twisted roots. The soil had a rich, loamy smell, and the canopy was so dense that I could only see the occasional streak of moonlight through the leaves and branches. Fortunately, there was enough to guide me, and I only tripped over the roots or small bushes a couple of times.
Leaves rustled in the wind and dead trees creaked ominously as I headed deeper into the woods. My teeth chattered like mad. The air was colder than ice, already seeping through my jacket and climbing up my spine. I was struck with an urge to give up and curl into a ball to keep warm, but I kept going, kept pushing.
Voices were drawing closer to me now, and I caught occasional glimpses of flashlight beams cutting through the trees. Shit. The guards were catching up faster than I expected.
Fear and adrenaline flooded me, and I doubled my already-fast pace, practically flying through the forest. Unfortunately, my burst of speed was short-lived, because I tripped over a small log only a few minutes later. I let out a yelp before falling flat on my front. Hard.
I gasped for breath, winded. The voices were getting even closer now. I was screwed.
No wonder no one ever escaped the Lodge. Every girl who made the attempt probably thought she was different than the others who tried before her. Faster. Stronger. Wilier. But in every case, reality caught up with them fast, and they found themselves in an early grave.
Soon, I would be no different.
A wild sob tore through me as I forced myself up to my hands and knees, still trying to get my breath back. That was when I saw the cave.
It wasn’t a proper one, carved out of weathered rock over millennia. It was an enormous tree hollow in a giant old oak, but it looked like just as good of a hiding place as a regular cave, because it was at least three feet tall with a wide mouth of impenetrable blackness.
Once again, the darkness would become my sanctuary.
I crawled over to the hollow and gingerly headed inside, watching the moonlight dissolve into the surrounding darkness. The dry space inside was so big that I could tuck myself around a corner, away from the hollow mouth. If any of the guards spotted it, they could shine a flashlight in and still not see me. The only way they’d find me is if they crawled right inside on their hands and knees like I did. I just had to pray that it didn’t occur to them to do so.
For a moment, the only sound was the sighing wind, but then the voices returned, louder this time.
“She can’t be far. Fan out!”
I put my hand over my mouth, keeping my breaths shallow. Even the smallest of sounds might be enough to alert them to my location.
The deep voices grew louder, and soon I could hear heavy footsteps clomping around the area.
“I think I saw her!” a guard called out. “There’s something in that tree hollow.”
“Go check it out.”
A silent tear slipped down my face as horror and resignation flooded me all over again. Footsteps drew closer to the hollow, and then a bright yellow beam of light cut through the darkness. Whoever was standing outside couldn’t see me yet, but there was no doubt in my mind that they were going to search the entire hollow any second now.
There was a sudden squeak, and I felt a brush of fur and little feet skittering over me. I clamped my hand down even harder on my lips, swallowing a shocked scream.
“Fuck… it’s just a squirrel!” the guard shouted. The light vanished.
I’d never believed in guardian angels before, but I did now. Apparently, mine was a furry little animal.
The voices and footsteps turned fainter, drifting away on the wind as the men headed in a different direction. Soon the only sound was the rustling of the leaves outside.
I didn’t risk leaving my safe haven for hours. When the faint orange glow of dawn began to creep into the hollow, I crept out and glanced around. There wasn’t anyone or anything nearby except trees and bushes, and there hadn’t been a sound for hours. Wherever the men were searching, it wasn’t anywhere near here.
I tentatively headed in the direction I’d originally been running in. After what felt like three hours or so, I spotted a wooden fence. My heart leapt at the sight beyond it. A road.
I crouched low, just in case the Lodge guards had cars out looking for me. Then I waited.
Fifteen minutes later, I spied a white RV in the distance. I stayed down, waiting for it to get close enough for me to assess if it was a threat. As it passed, I saw two people in the front. A middle-aged couple. The license plate wasn’t local, and an enormous, colorful Dixie sticker took up a large portion of the side.
Definitely not Crown and Dagger affiliated.
I ran out onto the road and waved my hands, praying they’d spot me in their mirrors. Thankfully, the RV screeched to a stop a few seconds later. I hurried toward the passenger side.
“Please!” I said to the confused couple as they put the window down. “Help me!”
“What happened, hon?” the woman said, wide green eyes searching my tearstained face for answers.
I was too choked with emotion to speak for several seconds. For the first time in months, freedom was a real option for me, and it was hard to believe it wasn’t all a cruel dream. “They… they… I was kidnapped,” I finally stammered. “They’re still after me. Please, you have to help me! Please!”
The gray-haired man got out and headed to the back of the RV. He returned with a blanket. His wife got out too, bundling me up in the thick fabric, and then she helped me into the back. “We’ll get you to the nearest town, okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” she asked, forehead wrinkled with worry.
Only mentally and emotionally, I said to myself. “I’m okay,” I said. “I just need the police.”
“Honey, can you look it up on the GPS?” she asked, glancing over at her husband. She looked back at me. “Or can you guide us?”
I shook my head. “I don’t even know where we are.”
“Oh, sweetie…” She shook her head. “Don’t worry. You’re safe now.”
She kindly sat in the back with me, holding my hand. Twenty minutes later, we pulled up at a police station in a picturesque town. The couple came inside with me and demanded to speak to whomever was in charge.
“We found this poor mite on the edge of the road,” the woman said sharply when a tall man with a chief’s badge appeared. “She says she was kidnapped and she’s shaking like a darn leaf. I just watched a documentary about a serial killer yesterday, so I know damn well that this stuff happens all the time. Even here. You better take this seriously!”
The chief nodded politely. “Don’t worry, ma’am, we’ll do everything we can,” he said, holding up a stern but placating hand. “I’ll need you two to go with Officer Stanley so he can take your statements.” He waved his hand toward a younger man in uniform, then glanced at me. “Would you like to follow me, Miss? I’ll have someone make you a cup of coffee, and then I’ll take your statement.”
I looked at the couple. “Thank you so much,” I murmured tearfully. The woman patted me on the shoulder before following the officer with her husband.
I watched them enter a room down the hall, and then I trailed after the chief and headed into a room on the opposite end. After I‘d taken a seat at the table, the chief smiled and gently informed me that he’d be back in a moment.
When he returned, he had a steaming mug of coffee. He set it in front of me. “There you go. Can you tell me your name?
“Tatum Marris.”
“Can you tell me what happened? Just in simple terms for now.”
I was silent for a moment. Ho
w could I put any of what had happened to me in simple terms?
“I… I was kidnapped by a group of men,” I finally said. “They’re from a secret society.”
He frowned. “What?”
“They’re called Crown and Dagger. They drugged me and took me to an island. It’s called…” I racked my brain for a second. “Oh, Albemarle Island! And after that they—”
He cut me off. “Miss, are you feeling all right?” he asked in the sort of tone one might normally reserve for small children or the mentally unstable.
“I know how it sounds. Totally crazy. But it’s true. They kidnap women and keep them all in this giant mansion to serve the men. There’s still at least a hundred of them there. All prisoners. You have to get them out!”
The chief almost certainly thought I was a babbling lunatic, but he had to listen to my story. He had to investigate it. Right?
He let out a deep sigh. “Look, why don’t you finish your coffee before we get into the details?” He pushed his notepad aside and leaned forward. “You should take a few minutes to get yourself a little more centered.”
“I am centered,” I said indignantly.
He held up his palms in the same placating gesture he’d aimed at the couple earlier. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I just meant that you’ve obviously been through some trauma, so it might be good to take a few minutes to relax and collect your thoughts now that you’re finally in a safe place.”
“Okay,” I said in a small voice. He had a point. I was still teetering on the edge, barely used to my newfound freedom. It might take a while for me to fully accept it.
“Is there anyone you want me to call?”
For a split-second, I was struck with the urge to ask him to contact Elias. I wanted him to know I was safe and warm and so very sorry for drugging him. Leaving him.
No. I dismissed the notion immediately. Not sorry.
The chief sat with his hands clasped on the table, waiting patiently for a response. I stared down at my lap, trying to figure out who he could call for me. Obviously not my parents. They got me into this horrible situation in the first place. Not my friends, either. They were mad at me over the bullshit my parents told them, so they’d probably think it was a crank call and hang up if I gave the police their number.