A loud thump startled me. I pulled myself out of water. What in the world? So far, the hotel had proven to be pretty much soundproof.
Feeling vulnerable, I was anxious to dress.
I rose hastily and stepped from the tub, further chilled by the rivulets of water cascading from my thick curls, leaving icy trails all the way to my feet. Normally, to avoid this unpleasant sensation, I wrapped my hair in a towel right away. But for some reason, all I wanted to do was to cover up. I cocooned myself inside an oversized towel and tiptoed to the bathroom door.
I peered into the suite. You’re being ridiculous! Get a grip! I scolded myself. Every bump wasn’t the boogie man.
This time it was the boogie girl.
The infamous redhead was stretched across on my bed, and two, very large, suit-clad-men, mutants, I suspected, in their human forms, stood impassively by the door.
I hugged my towel tighter and fought the familiar fainting feeling. I refused to tumble over, knowing I’d land in a powerless and naked heap on the floor, without Zane to soften the fall.
Twisting into a sitting position, my tied-for-first-place, worst-enemy-ever, broke the silence. “Well, well, Chloe. We meet at last,” she said sounding like a typical movie villain.
Terrified, I took a step back.
A rapidly forming plan featured me hiding in the bathroom. Problem, I had no idea what I’d do next. I considered melting her mind like I’d done to the mutants at the cabin, but without her, I’d lose my greatest link to the Plum Beach murders.
I wasn’t even sure my powers would work on a purebred. So far I’d only been able to override mutant minds. What if I tried and failed?
I’d be the one dead on the floor.
Keeping my eyes locked on hers, I took another tentative step.
“Don’t bother. We’ll just break the door down, and I can’t guarantee you won’t get,” she paused for effect, “hurt.”
Her warning worked. I wasn’t moving an inch in any direction.
“That’s a good girl. And to show you that I’m not a complete bitch, I’m going to have my men face the door so you can get dressed. Just ignore me. Us girls have all the same parts anyway.” She raised her brow daring me to refuse.
The men complied without further prompting, giving me a close up view of their football-player-shoulders. Any last minute fantasy of somehow getting past the two of them was doused like a flame underwater. They’d tackle me or toss me aside. Neither option tempted.
The woman scowled. “Any reason you’re not moving?”
That was all it took. I sprang into action.
Ignoring her smug expression, I tried to dress as discreetly as my towel allowed; all the while wondering what of use I could rescue from my belongings without her noticing. My purse was on the floor by the bed. There was no way she’d let me bring that a long.
What kidnapper allowed their captive to pack? — Apparently mine.
“Pack up and leave your cardkey on the desk. Everyone will just assume you checked out and took off on your own.
She’d made a good point.
Two people knew my whereabouts — Luke and Alcuin. Only one person, if I wanted to get technical. And one vampire. I’d slammed the door on my supernatural support system.
For the first time, I found myself hoping one of my sneaky sidekicks would betray my confidence and tell Zane and the others what I was up to. But I’d have to presume otherwise and act accordingly. I could no longer see myself as a victim of circumstances, especially since I’d insisted to Zane, on more than one occasion, I wasn’t some disaster-prone damsel in distress.
If I intended to survive, I needed to get and stay one step ahead of my captors. My powers could provide that extra edge.
One problem: I’d always found it tricky to do multiple activities while listening in on an animal’s thoughts. That would have to change. To my benefit, the gift had been expanding every day, and I believed the growth-trend would continue. Believing in me and my capabilities was essential. Without faith in my talents, the woman I despised as much as Jazmine would ensure I died a humiliating and gruesome death.
It was time to push through any self-imposed limits and stay alive. I had to be ready to climb through any window of opportunity, no matter how brief or unexpected.
To my amazement, the first window opened following my personal pep talk.