Chapter 38: Chapter: 38

ANDREA

I regret the decision that had brought me here. I struggled, twisting and pulling at my bound side hands, but to no avail. I tried everything to lose the tie so I could escape.

But I only managed to exhaust myself, I screamed pointlessly, then finally gave up. No one could hear me.

I couldn't stop the tears streaming down my face; I didn't know when sleep had claimed me. It was hunger that woke me up; I hadn't eaten anything since I woke up.

My stomach was cramped with hunger, and my throat was so dry my tongue felt like sandpaper.

Not to mention I needed to pee desperately, but I couldn't unless I chose to pee in my clothes, which was the blanket I'd been wrapped up in since morning. And I couldn't reach up and open the faucet even though I was in the huge bathtub.

The bathroom was so dark at first that I thought it was because I'd just woken up, but I later realized it was dark because it was night.

I have been in this position all day. What does Nicklaus plan to do with me? Was he going to kill me? Call the cops? Somehow, I doubted Nick would let the cops handle this case; he didn't strike me as someone who would let other people take control.

I might not have known him for long, but I knew Nick loved control, and Jules had also said the same thing that he was a control freak.

I had to scoot and maneuver closer to the drain in the bathtub, because I didn't want to pee where I was and later be forced to sleep in it.

I couldn't hold it in, my bladder was close to bursting. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't stop myself from peeing inside the blanket. Hot tears raced down my face from the humiliation of it all.

And I'm to blame for my situation. I cried silently until I could no longer produce any tears and was pulled into deep oblivion.

My sleep was restless, plaguing me with nightmares of different frightening outcomes awaiting me.

I dreamt Nick had me bound to a chair and was cutting off my fingers and toes while I screamed and begged him. Then it morphed, and I saw I was in prison, forced to fight dangerous women who wanted to molest me.

I awoke with a gasp, shivering from the cold and it's only gotten darker, and the worse? I stank of piss. My hands would have been numb if not for the deep cuts and blisters from the zip tie.

I didn't know how many hours or days had passed since Logan had dumped me here.

I had slipped between sleep and wakefulness and had lost track of time.

I vaguely remember Logan coming by once or twice the next day to give me sips of water, then slap the duct tape back in place.

Or maybe I dreamt him up. I didn't care much about the pain from the cut in my legs and hands, or that I stink to high heaven.

Well, the truth is I do, I care, but thirst and hunger are the priority on my list. I've never starved since my biological parents had left me one day in our then-tiny apartment until the social services came to take me with them when my parents didn't come home for two days.

I had never suffered from hunger again until now. My throat was so dry, my lips were cracked and had split, my stomach was no longer growling, but was cramped so badly I felt like I was going to die.

The last food I ate was two days ago, or was it three? I remember that the dinner I had with Nick was the last time I ate anything.

The silent steps I heard alerted me that someone had come to check up on me, maybe it was Logan coming to finish me off, I struggled to get up from the fetal position I was but I had no strength left.

Regardless I kept trying until I managed to sit up, my eyes swam with darkness before I could manage to see if I was right.

I gasped and sputtered, my teeth chattering with the coldness of the jets suddenly beating down on me. The water was ice cold. I raised my hands to protect myself from the cold onslaught and was surprised to find they were free.

My wrists were cut and bruised, but not as much as I thought they were, when I couldn't see them.

“You can shut the water now, Logan. She's fully awake.” Nick's voice startled me, and I tiredly raised my head to look at him, pushing away the tangle of wet hair around my face.

Nicklaus was standing before the bathtub, both hands in his pockets, looking like the angel of death. Face blank, those dark blue eyes cold.

He didn't look anything like the man who had chatted with me, smiled at me, even if it was a slight, almost non-existent smile, seduced me, and then bedded me.

I guess it was his disguise, he's the kind of man who would smile at you one minute and shoot you straight to the heart the next. Cold, that's who he was. I sigh when Logan finally shuts off the water.

My shoulder slumping, my hands trying to cover my breasts from their eyes, with the sheets now wet and see-through.

Nick crouches down, his eyes aligned with mine. “Are you ready to talk to Andrea?”

I nodded, shivering. I was extremely tired, scared, hungry, thirsty, and I desperately needed the toilet.

I felt extremely vulnerable with no clothes on, but wet bed sheets that didn't leave anything to the imagination, with two huge intimidating men in the room with me.

Not to mention, I haven't eaten or drunk anything since I woke up and found myself in this nightmare. How many days has it been? Three? Four? It felt like a week.

Now that I know Nicklaus has no compunction about starving a woman to death. I had no choice but to take the blame for everything. I think of myself as a decent person.

I don't do drugs or steal, and have never killed anyone. I never abuse anyone nor am I a racist, bigot, or anything, and I try not to judge people.

I'm not saying I'm perfect. Not even close, I've made a few choices and mistakes throughout my life that I wasn't proud of.

But I have one redeeming quality I'm damn proud of: my loyalty. I'm loyal to a fault to those whom I consider my friends. I consider Jules my friend and would like to repay her kindness.

I don't blame her for what I'm going through. Jules might have begged me to take this job, but I was the one who decided to accept it, so it would be unfair to blame her.

I believe her now that Nick is capable of anything. That's why I'm not telling him anything about her, it's the only way I can pay her back for all she's done for me.

I shiver again, fighting hard against the darkness pulling at me, my body has been pushed to its limits. This reminds me of the incident with Luke. Only this time, I had only myself to blame.

I feel bruised and battered. Which I'm pretty sure is how I looked. I wouldn't be surprised if I looked like something out of a mediocre horror movie, with my tangled hair, puffy red eyes, and nose. And the cuts and bruises

“So nobody sent you, you decided to come and make a sex tape with Mr Montgomery so that you can blackmail him later? You expect us to believe that's all?” Logan repeated for the umpteenth time, his voice booming with anger.

“Yes, that's pretty much it,” I answered tiredly in a hoarse voice. I don't think Nick would allow a guard dog to attack me, even if he felt like he'd flay my skin off. People don't always do what they feel.

But then people don't always bind and starve women in their bathrooms. Normal, good people let the law enforcement mete out justice.

Nick stared at me with his intimidating, cold eyes, then he glanced at Logan. He puts his hand in the pocket of his jeans.

He had on a black cotton shirt that stretches across his broad shoulders, and shows all that hard, sinewy body.

“You will stay until I come back from the office. Don't do anything you'd later regret, Andrea. Where's your phone?”

His eyes were dark, his voice cold and detached. I'm not going to let him take my phone. That's an invasion of my privacy and taking away my basic human rights.

If I give him my phone, he would see Jules in my contacts and might even be able to read my messages, although I don't remember Jules ever texting me. She always calls me.

He stared at me hard, patiently waiting for me to answer, as I stubbornly stared right back at him, but my eyes didn't hold the heat his did.

I couldn't hold that hard, intimidating glare. I crumbled and was about to tell him where my bag was, the last time I checked, when Logan said.

“Her bag is in the guest room. The housekeeper gave it to me yesterday.”

He pivoted, and together they walked out of the room. My heart plummeted into my stomach when I thought of my phone in his hands.

But then I thought, what's the worst thing that could happen? I refuse to believe Nicklaus is capable of killing me. At least he would already if that's what he wants.

That thought only marginally reassured me, it didn't change the fact that I'm in over my head with Nicklaus Montgomery.

The man is unpredictable. I felt like screaming my frustration, fear, and helplessness to the world, but that won't achieve anything.

I fear for what he has in store for my future.