Chapter 3
Inside the metal train car.
Matt's gaze slowly swept across the cramped space.
On the table opposite the bed sat several mechanical repair manuals, with a wire basket beside them, and further over, a small teddy bear on the second shelf of the bookcase.
Its brown fur was already matted, one button eye hanging loose, yet it still grinned stupidly.
Matt's eyes paused for a moment.
In such a shabby environment, these little things somehow pieced together a sense of life.
A life completely different from his world.
His gaze moved to the wall.
A women's motorcycle helmet hung there.
She rides a motorcycle?
He couldn't help picturing Susie straddling a bike, putting on the helmet. Her petite body leaning over the steel machine, blonde hair flying in the wind...
He unconsciously pressed his lips together.
His body felt uncomfortable.
Staying in the same position too long, his muscles were starting to stiffen and ache.
Matt tried to turn over, and the rope at his wrists immediately tightened, the fibers digging deep into his skin.
He drew in a silent breath. It really hurt!
In three years, he'd never let himself be in such a passive position.
And now, he was tied to a stranger's bed, inconvenienced by something as basic as rolling over.
How ridiculous!
Just then, the door opened.
Matt looked up to see a woman with a neck tattoo walk in. Her eyes fell on the bed and froze.
The woman's gaze moved back and forth between Matt's bare upper body and his bound wrists.
"Wow," she exclaimed, her voice tinged with excitement.
Matt looked at her expressionlessly.
"Untie the rope." His voice was calm but left no room for argument.
The woman laughed. "Sorry, that's not for me to get involved in."
She walked to the bedside, looking Matt over.
"Looks like you two had quite a time. Playing some bondage games?"
Matt's eyes turned cold.
"This isn't a game. I've been kidnapped. If you untie me now, I won't hold it against you. Otherwise when the police come..."
"Police?" Roddy laughed out loud. She looked around the room, pointing at the neat bed. "Kidnapped? Honey, look at this bed. If it was a kidnapping, why isn't there any sign of struggle?"
Matt fell silent.
She seemed to have a point...
Matt's gaze lingered on the woman's face for a moment. "Who are you?"
"I'm Roddy, Susie's friend." She sat down casually on the old wooden crate, her eyes sweeping over the knots at Matt's wrists. "Looks like Susie had a great time last night."
Susie.
Matt repeated the name in his mind. So that's what the blonde girl was called.
"Is this normal for her?" Matt raised an eyebrow. "Randomly bringing men home and tying them up?"
Roddy laughed, this time with a hint of helplessness in her voice. "Quite the opposite. Susie's the most cautious girl I know. Or rather, she's too cautious, ever since that bastard."
Matt didn't ask further.
Roddy sighed, lit a cigarette, and said, "Claire, her ex-boyfriend. Drug addict piece of trash. He conned Susie out of all the money she'd saved from working, then tried to sell her to a brothel in Mexico. If Maddie hadn't found out early..."
She blew out a smoke ring and continued, "After that, Susie wouldn't even go on dates. Maddie spent a year convincing her to go to last night's party."
Matt's expression darkened.
Human trafficking? He'd seen that racket too many times, but thinking of that girl this morning—flustered yet still remembering to prop up his pillow and warm milk—stirred something strange in his chest.
"So," Roddy tilted her head at him, her smile teasing, "this time she learned her lesson and found herself a boyfriend who's easy to control."
Matt was silent for two seconds.
"I'm hungry." He said calmly, neither confirming nor denying the boyfriend label.
Roddy paused, then burst out laughing. "You're really not shy about it."
She stood up, walked to the small kitchen area, opened the fridge and looked inside. "There's only bread, ham, and orange juice. Will that work, tied-up boyfriend?"
Matt's mouth twitched.
Tied-up boyfriend?
The title was so ridiculous that it made him want to kill someone, or at least immediately tear apart these damn ropes.
But he just nodded.
Roddy quickly made a simple sandwich and poured a glass of juice. She pulled a chair over to sit by the bed and held the sandwich up to Matt's mouth.
Matt looked at her, a flash of complex emotion in his eyes.
But he still lowered his head and took a bite.
"How's it taste?" Roddy asked, mockery in her eyes.
"It's fine," Matt answered briefly, his chewing still composed. He really was hungry.
Roddy gave him a sip of juice.
"You need to treat Susie better from now on."
Matt's eyes widened slightly.
Me? Treat her better?
But Roddy didn't notice his expression and continued, "Susie's had it rough. Her parents died when she was ten. After that, she lived with relatives, then moved out on her own at sixteen."
Her tone softened. "So she really treasures this beat-up train car. Says it's her only home."
Matt said nothing, but something seemed to brush across his heart again.
He looked around the place once more.
A girl who'd lost her parents, been betrayed by her ex-boyfriend, and nearly been sold—yet she still created traces of life in this metal car.
"So," Roddy fed him the last bite of the sandwich, her voice more serious, "if you dare hurt her, I guarantee Maddie will make you regret it. Got it?"
Matt swallowed the food, the corner of his mouth curving up.
"Next time," he said deliberately, "I'll let her experience being tied up too."
Roddy paused, then laughed. "Alright, couple of fun and games."
She cleared the dishes, clearly taking his words as a joke.
Matt watched her back, his voice suddenly colder. "Aren't you afraid I'll sell her too?"
Roddy turned around, her gaze resting on Matt's face for a while.
"You won't," she said with certainty.
"Why so sure?" Matt asked, no emotion in his voice. "Maybe by then, she'd rather die by my hand than be sold again."
But Roddy just chuckled, pointing at Matt's arm. "A man who's tied to a strange girl's bed without breaking a single sweat isn't going to do something that cruel."
With that, Roddy put the dishes in the sink.
Matt watched her back, his brow furrowing slightly. His gaze returned to his hands, his lips pressed thin. "Help me untie these."
His voice was gentler than before.
Roddy waved her hand. "As I said, this is between you two. I'm staying out of it."
She picked up her bag, walked to the door, and turned back to smile at Matt.
"Oh, and if Susie comes back late, don't get so mad that you kill her. She's definitely held up at work. But I'm sure she'll bring you a nice dinner."
"Dinner?" Matt caught the word.
"Of course," Roddy winked. "Leaving you tied up all day like this, Susie must feel terrible about it. I bet after she's done working, she'll rush out to buy something good to eat as an apology."
She looked around the shabby car and added, "Though the dinner budget might be limited, the thought will definitely be there. Just wait patiently."
With that, Roddy pulled open the door and left.
The car fell silent again, even emptier than before.
But Roddy's words kept echoing in Matt's mind, "She'll definitely bring you a nice dinner."
His expression was unreadable.
Time passed bit by bit, the light outside growing dimmer.
Then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the car, keys jangling frantically. She was back...
Matt's eyes turned cold as he rotated his bound wrists...