The Boss (Chateau 3)

“Come on.” The guard indicated to the door. “Now.”

I swayed on the spot before I rose up the stairs, passing between the two guards and entering the small cabin. My clothes had been placed on the bed, a fire was in the fireplace, and I heard the door shut behind me. Their footsteps never sounded, as if they stayed put.

I approached the bed, took a seat at the edge, and then noticed the couch, coffee table, and armchair positioned against the opposite wall. There was an empty bookshelf there as well. In the armchair sat the man I expected to see.

The boss.

He was as terrifying as I remembered.

Deep-brown eyes, hair so short I bet he shaved it whenever it became too long, a jawline so chiseled and sharp that every bone in his face was visible, even his prominent cheekbones. Through his dark facial hair, the thin beard that hadn’t been shaved since yesterday or maybe the day before, his fair skin was visible, bright in the light of the flames that burned in the hearth.

The fire popped when the wetness from the wood sizzled into steam, and the light licking of the wooden pieces by the flames made a peaceful noise, making it sound like a cozy cabin over Christmas.

But it didn’t feel cozy.

The longer I stared at him, the harder I cried.

He was in his bomber jacket, black jeans, and black boots. His knees were wide apart, his thick arms on the armrests, his muscular frame leaning against the back of the chair. With the same expression that never changed, he watched me cry, feeling absolutely nothing.

I pulled my gaze away because his expression frightened me. It only made it worse, only made the pain I was about to endure that much more intolerable. What was worse? What was about to happen…or the fact that there was nothing I could do about it?

In my peripheral vision, I saw his immense frame rise from the chair.

I gave an uncontrollable squeal of terror and immediately shifted farther down the bed, like the increased distance would make any difference at all. It provided me no extra protection whatsoever.

He didn’t move.

My shallow breathing turned into pants, and my hand tightened into a fist and rested against my chest, my eyes on the floor, cowering in fear but also impulsively preparing to fight a battle I would lose.

His deep voice invaded every corner of the cabin, slid over every inch of my skin like a breeze from an open window on a summer day. It was warm like the fire, not cold like the piles of snow right outside. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

I sucked a shuddering breath through my clenched teeth, taking comfort in the promise I had no idea if he would keep. But there was something about him that made his words unbreakable, that gave a high level of credibility. A man like that didn’t need to lie…so why would he?

But his words could mean less than what I hoped for.

He wouldn’t hurt me.

Didn’t say he wouldn’t rape me.

I remained motionless on the bed, my eyes still turned away, waiting for him to make his move.

He did—by walking out.

The door locked, and several sets of footsteps thudded against the wooden beams and disappeared.

The girls asked questions the next day on the line.

Petunia sat beside me, taking the bags I prepared and doing the final measurement before she handed it off to the next person. “Where did they take you?”

I kept my eyes down, my voice low, and did my best not to get caught by the guards. “A different cabin. I’m by myself now.”

“Why?”

“I…I’m not sure.” I didn’t bring up the boss. Not sure why.

“They only put the really difficult people in isolated cabins,” Petunia said, taking the bag from me and working like we weren’t deep in conversation. “Did you do something?”

“No.” I was just very unlucky.

Kiley sat on the other side of me and gave me a nudge. “Your sister…”

I looked up to see a large guard at the edge of her table, standing right over her, watching her sit across from Bethany and not take a single bite. He loomed over her, making sure she starved so her work would weaken on the line…and she would be hanged.

Tears welled in my eyes, and the only reason I didn’t break down into sobs was because Raven wouldn’t want that. If I drew attention to myself, I would be hanged too. And it would kill her if she had to see that, just as this was killing me now.

A guard escorted me to my new cabin.

There was a stack of firewood beside the fireplace, but I didn’t know how to get a fire going, so I didn’t bother. It was cold in the cabin, so I wrapped a blanket around me as I sat at the edge of the bed. Without company or a book to read, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I stared at the armchair where the boss had sat the day before.