Claiming His Prize (Killer of Kings 5)

He smiled. He wouldn’t have hurt her even if she begged. “What do you think?” he asked.

She glanced around the basement, and then looked down at herself. “Do I at least get to shower during this week?”

“Yes, you’ve got to promise that you won’t try to run though. My house is built like Fort fucking Knox. You’re not getting out, and if you try, I’ll chain you back down here so you don’t hurt yourself.” He’d left her uncuffed and waited. “One week where all of your needs are met. I’ll even cook for you. I’m pretty good at that. I’ve got movies and books. A week to worry about you, no responsibilities.”

She nibbled her lip, and he saw her waver.

“I won’t touch you, so don’t worry about that. There’s no one else in the house, either. What do you say?”

****

He was the worst kidnapper in the world.

Lori nodded her head. One week of not having to worry about going to work, getting home, buying groceries to feed her siblings, and dealing with whatever chaos her parents had found themselves in was just too much temptation.

She’d probably have to worry about a new job now and how she’d make up a week’s worth of expenses, but she wasn’t really in a position to change her situation. Chains waited as she climbed off the bench, and padded across the cold floor toward the stairs. He opened the door, and she followed him out into a huge luxury kitchen with natural wood cabinetry. The room had to be bigger than her entire one-room apartment.

She glanced at the door, and the craziest thing of all, she wasn’t even tempted to run. From eight years old, she’d been taking care of her brothers and sisters. Getting them ready for school and always being the constant in their lives. She’d learned how to read fast so that she could tell them a bedtime story, and would use library books as her parents didn’t exactly care for reading material in the house.

There hadn’t been any free time to play. All she’d ever known was children and work. The stress, the demands, the responsibilities were all too much, and even before cherry pie man showed up, she’d been at the breaking point.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

Had he told her it? She didn’t know. Her head was a mess.

Between being kidnapped, the confusion, and now the temptation of a relaxing week, she must have forgotten it.

“It’s Chains.”

She rubbed at her wrists, thinking about the chains she’d just come out of.

“Follow me.”

They left the kitchen, and it opened up into a large hallway. The furniture was elegant, and everything professionally decorated, unlike her parents’ place. Her childhood home was complete with peeling wallpaper, threadbare furniture, and they didn’t even have a whole carpet. Floorboards peeked through, and she was sure there was a resident rat, but she could never find it. Half the time they couldn’t even afford to keep the heat on.

“You have a nice home,” she said. “Kidnapping must be very lucrative. Unfortunately, you picked one of the poorest women you could find this time.”

“You’re my first victim.” He smiled. “Trust me, I never expected to live like this.”

She wanted to know more. “Why?”

“When you come from nothing, it’s hard to imagine having anything in life. No one ever really wants to help you out, do they? Everyone’s in it for themselves. You should know,” he said.

She did. No one had cared about what she was going through. They’d all just wanted her to deal with it, and move on.

Chains didn’t linger long on the main floor. They headed up a very sturdy wooden staircase with decorative carvings, and she held onto the banister, wondering what he did for a living. There was a lot more to him than just sitting in a diner and eating cherry pie. This kind of luxury, he should have been at one of those fancy restaurants, the kind with caviar and truffles, not a greasy spoon.

They came to the far hallway, and his hand was on the door. “This is going to be your room for the next week.”

He opened the door, and she didn’t know what she expected, but it was like out of a fairy tale. A large four-poster bed, a dressing table, so much space, and the air smelled fresh. Not of damp, decay, and piss. She spun around, and she couldn’t keep the smile off her face. Was this a joke?

“This here is your wardrobe, and I’ll deal with getting you some clothes that you like. En-suite bathroom. There’s a robe and towels in there.” He moved to take a seat on the edge of the bed. “Go ahead. Check it out.”

“I can shower in there?”

“You can even have a bath if you’d like.”

She nodded, and went inside. Everything took her breath away, it was so beautiful. The mix of modern and old-world design was breathtaking, like something out of a home and garden magazine.