Lake

The temptation to keep my eyes closed, like hiding behind my eyelids would mean this wasn’t happening, was strong.

It was also a temptation I had to ignore.

I lifted my lids, closed them again quickly, and began blinking, trying to acclimate to the light as quickly as I could.

At the same time, I scurried to my feet, my shoes and the fogginess in my brain making my motions clumsy.

But by the time the door was fully open, I had stood and adjusted my robe—not that looking presentable was important in this situation, not that looking presentable was something I could even accomplish right now—and kept my lids hooded against the bright light.

“Sleeping beauty awakes,” a man said when he entered.

Not quite six feet tall, stocky but not fat, neatly cropped brown hair, pleasant face. Were it not for the deadness in his green eyes, I could have imagined him working at an electronics store fixing people’s computers or something.

But those eyes…

They told me that this man, however mild-mannered he might look at first glance, was anything but.

I’d known I was in trouble, and seeing this man, experiencing the air of menace that he carried around with him, confirmed that I was, immediately made me wonder how I was going to get out of this.

It was a question, the only question that really mattered, but unless he chose to let me out, I wasn’t getting out of this room, so it was best to focus on information.

Computer Guy walked deeper into the room, which I gave a quick once-over and saw was as empty as I had suspected, the only furnishings what looked to be a military-style cot in one corner.

The floors were concrete, bare concrete with nothing to soften them, not even a glossy coating like a fancy city loft. The overhead light was a single bulb, one that had to be about a thousand watts based on how bright the room was.

My surroundings now examined as thoroughly as I could manage in a split second, I turned my attention to the man who came in after Computer Guy. Taller, dark hair, long enough to tell me that he didn’t work in an office, something I could see immediately.

He was muscle, a quintessential representation of muscle if I’d ever seen one.

Was he the one who had taken me from the townhouse?

Maybe.

I didn’t know for sure and didn’t have time to figure it out, instead choosing to look at the third man who had entered.

Trying to, anyway.

One glance at him and I had to look away.

Computer Guy practically vibrated with menace. Muscle was an intimidating presence, and I had no doubt both were capable of great violence.

But the third man…

He was something different.

Everything about him exuded power, command, and danger.

In a split second, I knew that if he so chose, he could end my life, the lives of the two men with him, and not even break a sweat.

My heartbeat, which had somewhat slowed, started to race again.

I had been so thrown off by his presence that I hadn’t looked at him too closely, only caught broad shoulders, saw that he was about half a foot taller than the men he was with, that he had dark hair.

For reasons I didn’t understand, I was intrigued, wanted to see more, but I didn’t look at him.

Instead I focused on Computer Guy, who was doing all the talking.

“Where is this? And who are you?” I asked.

Computer Guy shook his head. “Let’s not play these games, Lake,” he said.

His use of my name had been intended to scare me, but that didn’t work.

After all, someone had taken me from a townhouse that was under constant surveillance by a powerful criminal.

Knowing my name wasn’t even a drop in the bucket.

“What game are we going to play, then?” I asked.

I made certain to keep all inflection out of my voice, not daring to let even the faintest hint of the fear I was feeling come out.

I wasn’t sure why it was important to stay strong, but my instincts told me it was.

Not like I had any great trust for my instincts.

They hadn’t helped me get away from Vlad, but they were the only thing I had right now, so I would try to make the most of them.

“You’ll be told what you need to know,” Computer Guy said.

He was walking around me in slow circles, his eyes on me, staring at my body, but more importantly, gauging my reactions.

“When will that be?” I asked.

“Don’t ask questions,” Computer Guy said.

His voice wasn’t raised, but the firmness in it was impossible to miss.

I desperately wanted to ask what would happen if I did, but I held back.

Instead, wearing nothing but that short robe and heels, I stood tall, trying to look distinguished, or at the very least like something that deserved to live.

“Don’t ask questions. Don’t try to escape, do what you’re told, and we’ll get along swimmingly.”

“Try to escape?” I said, the question popping out before had a chance to pull it back.

“Strike one…” Computer Guy said.

He was standing close enough to touch me and reached out and trailed his finger along my cheek.

I gritted my teeth hard not to shudder and didn’t allow myself to have a reaction when he whispered, “Don’t let there be a strike two.”

I didn’t look at Computer Guy.

Instead, my eyes were again drawn to the third man in the room.

At first glance, he didn’t seem to be particularly interested in what was happening between me and Computer Guy. But somehow, I sensed that wasn’t the case.

Though he might appear nonchalant and uninterested, the man was watching every moment of this play out.

I couldn’t gauge his reaction. I also couldn’t shake the feeling that he was important.

Far more important than Computer Guy or Muscle.

And then it hit me.

“It was you,” I whispered.