Then it hit me that I had company.
How could I have company? No one knew where I lived. Even I wasn’t certain where I lived considering a driver picked me up at the airport and brought me here. I was too busy lamenting my sucky life to pay attention to where we were going.
Ignoring his order not to move, I threw back the covers and stood. This caused me to feel a wave of dizziness. Clearly, I hadn’t fully recovered from his onslaught at The Bloodletting.
I let my head adjust and then I hurried to the bathroom. Grabbing my short, creamy-colored flannel robe off the hook on the back of the door, I shrugged it on and rushed out of the room. Tying the belt as I went, I ran as fast as my legs would carry me without passing out and doing myself bodily harm.
I flew around the landing. As I was descending the last flight of stairs, right in front of me at the door, I saw Lucien’s powerfully muscled back in his pajama bottoms. I also saw he was holding himself rigid, why, I didn’t know. Probably anger or frustration.
I also saw he was facing my aunties Kate, Millicent and Nadia, all of whom were standing just inside the door.
Hallelujah!
Before I was all the way to the bottom and opened my mouth to speak, Lucien’s torso twisted so he was facing me. I caught the look on his face and realized it wasn’t anger or frustration.
It was fury.
I didn’t get to greet my family. Lucien spoke first.
“What did I tell you?” he demanded, his voice so harsh it was a whiplash.
“Sorry?” I asked, stopping two steps from the bottom in an effort at self-preservation. I hoped distance would help me avoid the almost physical lash of his tongue.
“What did I tell you?” he repeated, turning slowly to me.
My eyes flickered to my aunties who were looking pale and concerned, their own gazes moving between Lucien and me.
“Get back upstairs,” Lucien went on when I didn’t reply.
I looked back to him and said, what I thought was logically, “But, my aunts are –”
I didn’t finish.
I found myself over his shoulder and in the bedroom where he tossed me on the bed. This happened so fast the only thing I could feel was the wind created by his movement.
I bounced on the bed once, twice, staring up at him.
Then I said in a furious whisper, “You did not just –”
Lucien interrupted me. “Don’t move.”
Rage engulfed me, I got to my feet, standing on the bed and shouted, “Don’t you dare tell me –”
He cut me off again, this time using mind control.
Lie down, Leah.
I fought it. Well, my mind did. This lasted about three seconds.
Humiliatingly quickly, I lay down on the bed.
Get comfortable, he ordered and I did as I was told as best as I could when I was struggling against my mind which was in his stranglehold.
Don’t make a noise and don’t f**king move, he finished and, without further ado, he left.
I lay on the bed motionless but comfortable as the minutes passed. There were a goodly number of them before he returned. I had no idea where my aunties were or why they were even here. I had no idea what was going on.
The only thing I knew was that I hated him now more than ever.