I heard myself whisper, "Baby?"
No response.
I spoke again, louder this time. "Say something. Please?"
"Shhhh…" With her eyes still shut, she mumbled, "Hit the snooze, will ya?"
Relief flooded through me, and I felt myself smile. She was okay. Just asleep. My smile faded. But what if this, too, was part of some act?
Screw it. I didn't care. I might be a monster, but even I had my limits. Whether she was faking or not, I wasn't going to let her freeze in my basement while I stood, watching like an asshole. I strode to a nearby box and dug out a couple of winter blankets. Carefully, I wrapped one around her shoulders and bundled the other one around her waist.
Her lips curved in a slow, sleepy smile. She looked like an angel, all safe and warm. I reached out, wanting to smooth her hair like I always did. In mid-motion, I stopped and yanked back my hand. What the hell was I doing?
Needing some distance, I strode to the far wall and tried to think. I stood there and waited, watching her sleep, or pretending to sleep, whatever she was doing. Twisted or not, I couldn’t stop looking.
With Chloe, it had always been this way, right from the first time I'd seen her. As the minutes passed, I couldn't help but wonder, would this be my last?
If so, that was a good thing.
But it didn't feel like a good thing.
By now, she should've told me everything. I hadn't hurt her. But she didn't know that I wouldn't. At the thought, I made a sound of disgust. God, what an ass. Ihadhurt her. I was still hurting her.
Screw it.
It was time to give it up, let her go, and let the chips fall wherever. "Alright," I said. "You win."
At the sound of my voice, she shifted in the chair. Good timing? Or part of her act?
I stood, watching as she slowly opened her eyes and looked around the basement. When her gaze landed on me, she sucked in a breath. The way it looked, her nightmare was me.
No more games, I decided. In a voice that was surprisingly calm, I asked, "Why'd you do it?"
Chapter 57
The question hung in the cool, damp air. I stood with my arms crossed, waiting for Chloe's answer.
When she finally spoke, her voice sleepy and maybe confused. "Do what?"
I considered everything that she'd done. Where to start? I reached into my pocket and pulled out Bishop's cell phone. I walked toward her, searching for the right video as I moved.
When I reached her chair, I stood in front of her and hit play, holding the phone out so she could see it.
From where I stood, I couldn’t see the screen. But Icouldsee Chloe. And that was all that mattered. Besides, I'd already seen the video and had no interest in watching it again.
Listening, I heard the guy's voice, and I recalled his face, bloody and bruised, thanks to the beating I'd given him on the lawn. He was mumbling excuses like the pussy he was.
But then Bishop spoke. "Go ahead. Say it again, just like you told me."
"It was Chloe," the guy said. "She paid us a couple hundred bucks to you know, pretend to kidnap her, maybe rough her up a little bit."
"Why?" Bishop's voice asked.
"I don't remember," the guy mumbled.
Bishop spoke again. "Want me tomakeyou remember?"
"No, no," the guy stammered.
