With nothing else to do, I was constantly drifting in and out of sleep. Nightmares kept haunting me. Each time, I woke up feeling cold and numb, still tied down to this infernal chair.

I feared that I would die here. That I had been abandoned and would slowly starve to death. The thought brought tears to my eyes. I did not care about my own death as much as the well-being of my child. I was supposed to protect my son – to keep him out of harm’s way, and yet, I couldn’t even do that.

Once more, I tried to plead for help, but my muffled screams accomplished nothing more than drying out my throat even further. I would kill for some water right now.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a door opening. It creaked ominously on its hinges before slamming with a loud thud. I jumped, my heart nearly escaping through my mouth. My muscles tensed as footsteps approached. I imagined the strange man holding a knife, about to slice my throat, but instead, he tore off my blindfold.

Bright light flooded my vision, causing me to squint. For a few seconds, all I could see were large white spots, but then, the room started to come into focus. It was small. The walls were made of cement. There was a pile of sports equipment in the corner.

Where was I?

I didn’t have much time to ponder the question before the man grabbed a fistful of my hair, jerked my head back, and loomed over me. With the shadows dancing across his features, he looked like a demon ready to devour me. My blood ran cold.

This was the end.

He leaned back slightly, positioning himself in the light. For the first time, I could clearly see his face. Had he just been a regular man on the street, I would have thought him rather attractive.

His thin, pink lips twitched into a grin that made me shiver. I could tell he was plotting something.

This was not the end – this was only the beginning.

I gulped.

He seemed satisfied by my reaction because he eased his grip and stepped back, melting into the shadows. I could hear him circling around me, but I could not see him. This only heightened my fear. He was playing with me like a cat plays with a mouse caught by its tail.

Then, something came flying through the air. I flinched, closing my eyes as tightly as possible.

He chuckled. “So easily frightened… I like that…” He ran his fingertips along my collarbone. “Maybe when this is all over, I’ll think of keeping you for myself…” His hand dropped to my thigh, squeezing it gently.

I screamed in protest. I tried to press my legs together, but my bondage made it impossible. I was helpless. Vulnerable.

His hand crept further along my leg before stopping.

I dared to look down. In my lap was a golden envelope. Was this what had flown through the air a moment ago?

He slipped it into my pocket. “Think of this as my parting gift…” he whispered into my ear. “And don’t forget to keep in touch…”

With this, he stepped back and disappeared. The door once again slammed shut.

I sat there stunned for a moment before I started to struggle. I needed to get out of this hellhole. I put all my strength into severing my bounds, but all I managed to do was chafe my wrists. I screamed at the top of my lungs, even though I knew it was useless.

There had to be something I could do.

Before I could even come up with a possible solution, someone burst through the door.

Franklin!

My eyes widened in surprise. How had he managed to find me? Why hadn’t he arrived sooner?

He rushed to my side, pulling the gag from my mouth. “Are you okay? Did he do anything to hurt you?” His face was full of concern as he looked me over for injuries. “What about the baby? Is it okay?”

“I’m okay… Just untie me…” My voice was a feeble whisper, cracked and weakened by my experience.

“Right, right.” He quickened to release me. Gently, he helped me onto my feet, but it felt like my whole body was made of jelly. The world spun before my eyes. Losing my balance, I fell forward.

Franklin caught me in his strong arms. “Lauren!”

“I’m okay…” I whispered, my head on his shoulder. “I just…” Before I could say anything else, I felt a wetness trickle between my legs. My eyes widened with realization. “M-My water…” I stuttered.

“What?”

“My water!” I exclaimed. “It broke!”

Franklin looked down at the puddle accumulating underneath my feet. “But it’s too early!” Without another word, he picked me up and ran out the door.

I closed my eyes, feeling my body sway back and forth with his movements. A sharp pain shot through my abdomen. “Hurry!” I pleaded, a sense of dread washing over me. I couldn’t lose the baby.