I must submit to Draco Molina.
Chapter Thirteen
Day 11
Sunlight has swept across my bedroom.
My curtains are drawn wide open, revealing the shimmering, turquoise water.
Sitting up with haste, I search the bedroom, wondering who in the hell has been here.
Everything looks the same. No one out of the ordinary is waiting for me to wake up.
But there is something here that wasn’t last night.
Pushing out of bed, I tiptoe towards the black vanity. My mouth parts as I get close to the flowers in the vase. I’ve never seen flowers this dark before.
They are a blood-red color with a splash of brown and a hint of lavender. I touch the velvety petals, speculating where they’ve come from.
But then I notice the envelope beneath the opaque black vase.
I pick up the flowers and snatch up the envelope. On it are the words Open Me in jagged, manly print. I look around the bedroom once more before opening the envelope.
There is a folded sheet of paper inside of it.
I open it and read it.
They are called chocolate cosmos. They are rare. Unique. Sweet smelling. They bloom when it is hottest here.
You wanted a day at the beach, you can go after breakfast. Make sure you dress accordingly and don’t be late.
Draco
His signature is bold and just as jagged as the words on the envelope. I toss the paper on the vanity and then lean in to smell the flowers.
They smell like vanilla. It’s a pleasant scent. Strong. Sweet, just like he said.
They’ve already been placed in water. I wonder how long they’ll last.
I’m wary about them, though. What if there’s a camera or something hiding between the stems? I sift through them, making sure nothing seems out of the ordinary.
Everything looks fine…but looks can be very deceiving in this place.
I’m surprised he’s giving me the day to go to the beach. I get a giddy feeling just thinking about it. I’ll be out of the house. Bathing in the sun. Maybe there’s a way out. Maybe I can swim away to another place.
Maybe someone will find me and take me to the cops.
I can’t miss out on this opportunity. I check the alarm clock. I have an hour to get dressed. I make way for the closet, searching through the clothes until I come across the untouched bathing suits hanging in the back with the price tags still attached to them. They are all nice, but one of them stands out the most to me.
It stands out because it looks like the bathing suit I bought for my and Toni’s honeymoon.
It’s all white, with a gold ring holding the fabric together. It’s a two-piece bikini. It’s simple, but it’s perfect…and I hate it.
Our honeymoon was going to be amazing. I could picture it. Our bungalow was right on the beach. We’d wake up to water that is much clearer than the water here and we’d make love when we awoke in the mornings and then fuck like wild animals at night after getting drunk.
I had it all planned out.
But just like that, it all vanished right before my very eyes.
I stand in front of the mirror with watery eyes, staring at the bathing suit. It hangs limp in my hands, but I have to wear it. I’ll pretend he’s with me. I’ll make it a good beach trip.
I wonder why Draco is rewarding me. Did I do something good? He put that tracker in me and I protested. Is he trying to worm his way in?
I hope he doesn’t think it’s working. I’ll take things and use them to my advantage, but I don’t owe him shit. If anything, he owes me.
It doesn’t matter what he does, he will never be able to pay off the debt of a slaughtered husband on my wedding day. No price is high enough to compensate for the loss of love.
As I get dressed, I remember what his mom was saying about giving myself to him. I want out of here, and that means he has to trust me, even if I don’t trust him myself.
That means I should worm my way in deep and do whatever it takes to own that man.
And that’s exactly what I’ll do.
I’ll make him crave me.
I’ll make him soft for me.
And as soon as he feels comfortable, I will seek my revenge.
If I play by my rules, I will be out of here before I know it.
Like Ronaldo said, I have a pussy. It’s time for me to use it.
During breakfast, I feel Mrs. Molina watching me. She doesn’t say anything, but she is looking. At first, I didn’t mind the idea of going to the beach with her. She seems the most lenient of everyone I’ve met, plus she knew my father.
And if my father knew of the Molinas that means she may have some knowledge. But her odd looks and words from yesterday are playing a match of ping-pong in my mind. Why is she so concerned about what happens to me?