SIX. In The Darkness
Riley was tempted to run away from Logan Hatcher's stately home when she got out of the car and Logan was busy with his cell phone in the car. Logan probably wouldn't have caught her if she ran through the half-open giant gate. She saw Jacob concentrating on his headset and standing with his back to the gate. The man's fingers danced in the air, like he was following the melody from his headset. Riley was sure Jacob wouldn't see her if she tried to sneak out of the giant gate.
However, she was worried that she could not run that fast. The distance between where she stood and the gate was about three hundred meters. Plus the distance from Logan's house to the main road that was passed by vehicles was about half a mile. If Logan realized her intention to escape, he could run faster than her.
"Come in."
Riley flinched in surprise when Logan suddenly pulled her arm violently to climb the stone steps in front of his house. She almost tripped on the second step because Logan was pulling her too hard and in a hurry. Her legs were very weak and cold. The thin sandals wrapped around her feet could not protect her from the cold autumn wind.
"Can you treat a woman gently?"
"Since you ran away this morning, you have proven to me that you are not a woman who deserves to be treated gently."
The wooden door in front of them opened. Riley gulped nervously when she saw the burly men in all black and gun belts on their waists lined up behind the door. They were exactly the same as Logan said. Their faces were hideous, their gazes intense, and the guns in their belts made Riley nervous. She imagined how if the gun was used to shoot her if she tried to run away from their boss, she would definitely die instantly with their guns.
"All of you come out. Just remember this girl's face carefully. From now on she will live here and she is carrying my baby. You have to keep an eye on her while I do my business. Don't let her run away."
"I have a name," Riley said sharply.
She didn't like being thought of as a ghost in that room.
Logan looked at Riley's face sharply with twitching lips. His dark eyes only locked on Riley's face.
"Her name is Riley. You like that, rebellious girl?"
"You just have to remember that I am not a thing, I am a human and I have a name. They have to treat me well here."
"You all heard that? Treat our princess well," Logan retorted scornfully.
Logan's eyes were still locked on Riley's face. His jaw tightened and he was filled with anger. For the first time, he faced a stubborn teenage girl like Riley. She should be afraid of his power. Riley should respect him as her new boss now. He didn't like a rebellious and stubborn girl.
"Guys, you mustn't touch her while she's staying here. You can only kill her if she tries to run away from me again. Now, come out. Go back to your business."
Riley didn't say anything. She pursed her lips tightly as she watched the line of burly men file out of Logan's door one by one. There were about fifteen of them. Riley looked at their profiles one by one and stored the information in her brain. There was a man with a wide face and round eyes. The others had gentleness behind the fierce expression they showed. But then Riley was startled when she saw the fifth man in the line staring back at her. He sent a terrible threat behind his narrowed eyes at her. He was the only man to stare at her out of the fifteen men assigned to watch over her.
Who exactly is that man?
"Now, come with me. We'll talk about our business in my study."
Riley swept her gaze across the interior of Logan's luxurious house in awe. As a child, she had always wanted to live in a luxurious house like Logan's. However, when she had the chance to live in her dream house, she lived in it as a prisoner of the arrogant man.
"Through this way."
"You said we'd talk business in your study?"
Riley stood warily in the doorway as Logan had descended the two stone steps in the dark passage.
"This is the way to my study. You think I will take you to a dungeon and torture you?"
"Maybe. You look like a torturer."
Riley hated the dark. That was what made her afraid and hesitant to follow Logan's steps down the stone stairs. The stairs were quite steep. She couldn't see the end of the stairs because of the darkness that enveloped the entire room.
"Are you scared?"
"I'm wary. You might torture me down there because you're upset that I ran away from you."
Logan growled displeased. Riley might be the woman he wanted to be the mother of his child, but he didn't like her stubbornness which was so troublesome.
"You really won't find a dungeon or room full of tools to torture you. There's only my workspace. And believe me, there are a lot of lights there. You don't have to be afraid. The lights will come on as soon as you close the door."
Riley moved his feet down the stairs to Logan's study. She then closed the door behind her as Logan said. Instant darkness enveloped her. She choked and started to get scared. She was about to run back to the door before Logan caught her waist and suddenly the lights came on brightly around them.
Riley gulped nervously when she found Logan's face very close to hers. His breath was warm and minty around her very sensitive sense of smell. Logan stared at her intently for a few heartbeats that were excruciatingly painful for her.
"I told you this place would be lit up with lights."
"Y-you can let go of your hand now."
"You promise you won't run away?" he replied in a deep, husky voice.
Riley nodded stiffly in Logan's arms. Then slowly she felt Logan's hand loosen from her waist. He watched her for a few seconds, then walked downstairs to his study.