The Scotch Series: The Complete Series (Scotch #1-3) - Penelope Sky Page 0,305

I blurted.

“Lars. I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.”

That didn’t answer my question.

“His Grace was just about to sit down for breakfast. Would you like to join him?”

Did I have a choice? I was hungry. And I did want answers. “Okay.”

“Okay?” he asked. “My question requires a yes or no.”

I gave him an irritated look. “Sure.”

“Good enough. Follow me.” He led the way, taking the staircase to the bottom floor. The same archway of my bedroom window mirrored the doors and other windows. The tile was shiny enough to be brand new, and the area was spacious in its luxury. My captor didn’t just live in a mansion. He lived in elegance. Bones’s home was bland and ugly—just like him. This place had taste.

Lars escorted me into a dining room. A large window took up one wall, highlighting the vineyards on the opposite side of the house. The mahogany table was big enough to seat sixteen people. Did he regularly invite sixteen people to dinner?

Lars pulled out the chair for me then scooted me in after I sat down. “He’ll be here shortly.” He walked out and left the double doors wide open. The sound of moving dishes echoed from the kitchen as he prepared breakfast.

I sat absolutely still and focused on the glorious view in front of me. Despite my fear, I couldn’t deny how beautiful the image was. I’d never seen anything like it in my life, and I suspected I never would again.

A moment later, he walked through the door in a deep navy blue suit with a violet tie. He looked just as glorious as he did the first time I saw him sitting at the bar. He carried himself with confidence, his shoulders broad and powerful. Even when he was silent, he commanded the room with just his presence. He was terrifying but hypnotizing at the same time.

The moment he sat down, Lars entered the room like he’d been waiting for his cue. He placed an egg white omelet with mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach in front of him, along with a black cup of coffee and the morning newspaper.

The man said thank you in Italian. At least, that’s what I think he said.

Lars placed the same meal in front of me, along with a newspaper in English. Then he departed, closing the doors behind him.

My captor sipped his coffee and opened the newspaper, acting like I wasn’t there at all. He didn’t even look at me. His behavior suggested we’d done this before—several times.

I ate my food quietly, loving the taste. Everything tasted fresh, like it was just picked that morning. The vegetables didn’t taste like they were from the supermarket. They were obviously organic. The coffee was better than the stuff at my old prison. Everything was better, actually. A copy of the New York Times waited in front of me, the headline in words I could understand.

He still didn’t acknowledge me. He turned the page and kept reading.

“So…what am I—”

“You can speak to me when I’m finished reading.” His eyes didn’t break their focus as he read. He took a few bites of his food and a sip of his coffee.

What an asshole.

Thirty minutes later, he finished the paper from front to back. He folded it back to its original condition and set it on the table. “Yes?”

I read my paper in protest, ignoring him just the way he ignored me.

He sipped his coffee and watched me. “Spiteful, aren’t you?”

“I don’t like being treated like a dog. It’s pretty straightforward.”

“Well, I hope you change your preferences soon.” He snatched my paper and set it on top of his.

This man was infuriating. I wanted to stab my fork in his eye, but I knew I would miss.

“You got my note this morning.”

I hated it when he asked a question in the form of a statement. It was arrogant. He acted like he owned everything—including me.

“It would be pointless to run.”

I wanted to know why but refused to ask out of defiance.

“I inserted a tracker in your ankle. I’ll know where you go and when you go. The nearest town isn’t for thirty miles. You wouldn’t make it there in time even if you drove.”

My hand automatically moved to my ankles until I felt the bump in the right one. “You freak.”

“I can remove it if you wish.”

“Then do it now.”

“But you’ll be confined to your bedroom at all times. Bars will be placed over the window and meals will be brought to you. If that’s