I shrugged and resumed walking to the door. “Believe me or not. It won’t change anything.” In the doorway, I paused and twisted my head to meet her pale green eyes. “I told you before, Audrey. You’re mine, and I’m never letting you go. And that means keeping you safe from anyone who tries to take you from me.” Without another word, or waiting for a response, I left and went down to the kitchen.
7
Merrick
Audrey wandered in just as I was loading a plate with French toast. She’d put on a T-shirt and a pair of clingy, black pants that left nothing to the imagination. I wholeheartedly approved of them as long as she never wore them outside the house. “Have a seat, kitten,” I told her, nodding at the kitchen table. It sat in a sunny alcove that also looked out over the valley. I’d made sure plenty of windows let a lot of light into the place so there was not even a single hint from the inside that this was a warehouse.
In order to do that, and keep the house impenetrable, the windows were bulletproof, with a polycarbonate glaze to make them even stronger. As Audrey took a seat in the sunshine and gazed outside with a pleased expression, I mentally patted myself on the back for preparing for her even before I knew she existed.
I set the plate of toast in front of her, then gathered the butter, syrup, and silverware, depositing those on the table as well. When I went to grab my own plate, I also poured her a glass of orange juice.
“If I’m not your hostage,” she started as she cut up her breakfast, “then I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if I called Grace to let her know I’m all right.” Her tone was nonchalant, but she was terrible at hiding her thoughts—something I loved about her—and it was easy to see that she thought she was testing me.
I rose from the table and picked up my cell phone from the island in the kitchen. After returning to my seat, I unlocked the device before sliding it across the table to her.
“Go ahead, kitten. I know it would make you unhappy to have your friend worrying over you, and I want you to be happy.”
One corner of her mouth lifted slightly, but her eyes brightened, and her freckles stood out as pink bloomed on her cheeks. “Um, thanks.”
I nodded and started in on my food.
“Won’t they be able to trace the call?” she asked suddenly.
I nearly broke out into a massive grin at the sound of worry in her voice, but I managed to keep a straight face. “No, kitten. It’s an untraceable burner. Trust me, even Jonah couldn’t crack it.”
“You know Jonah?” she asked with a real smile. I would have been jealous at her obvious happiness, but some of her tension had melted away, and she was looking at me with happy eyes, not daydreaming about someone else.
“You could say that,” I hedged. I’d promised not to lie, but I also didn’t want her to realize that Jonah was the one who’d put a hit out on Barrington.
“Oh, well you should have said that back at the church,” she said as she rolled her eyes, looking completely at ease.
She dialed a number and was about to put the phone to her ear, but I tapped the table and gave her a hard look.
One of her eyebrows arched before her whole brow knitted in confusion. “I thought you said I’m not a prisoner.”
“You’re not, kitten. But I still want to make sure you don’t say anything you shouldn’t.”
“Why?”
“For your—”
“Safety,” she finished for me, obviously irritated. “So you’ve said. But—”
“And mine,” I interrupted this time. Apparently, we were one of those couples who did the opposite of finishing each other’s sentences.
“Yours?” Her tone held less annoyance and more curiosity now.
“Did you think I lied when I told you that I was taking you because you’d seen my face?” I asked with a frown. “I promised never to lie to you, Audrey.”
Her face fell. “Oh, that’s why I can’t ever leave?”
I gentled my expression and reached across the table to trace her lips for a moment. “No, kitten. That’s just an added perk.” I winked, and she flushed adorably. “I knew the second I saw you that you were mine,” I admitted softly. “The fact that you’d seen my face well...it just gave me an excuse to take you.”
Her mouth had opened into a little O, and I used the same finger to push her jaw back up. “Call Grace, kitten.”
“Um…” She blinked a few times, then dropped her eyes to the cell phone. After a beat, she hit send, then the speakerphone button, and set it on the table.
“Who the fuck is this?” a man snarled when the line clicked on. “And why are you calling my wife?”