Maybe I didn’t know my brother as well as I thought I did. But I knew he loved me fiercely, and he would do anything to protect me. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he was working on a plan to get me out of here.
I just had to be patient.
Staying in this basement would make things more difficult. I had to get to the surface, to check out the rest of the house. If Joseph made his move, having me down here would just make my rescue more difficult.
So I would have to do something I strongly didn’t want to do.
I would have to obey Crewe.
Crewe brought me breakfast the following morning instead of sending his butler, Finley. Dressed in a midnight black suit, his broad shoulders looked utterly masculine. Without being able to see his skin, it was obvious he was packed with lean muscle. He had dark brown hair that nearly looked black, a five o’clock shadow on his chin even though he probably just shaved a few hours ago, and he had an arrogant smile on those full lips. He slid the tray of food under the bars then stood to his full height, something over six feet.
When I saw my captor for the first time, I was surprised by his appearance. I expected a monster, a disgusting middle aged man who had nothing better to do than kidnap young women. I expected him to be fat and flabby, a fiend who couldn’t get women on his own.
But Crewe could definitely get women on his own.
If I saw him on my morning walk to the coffee shop in Manhattan, I’d probably stop just to strike up a conversation with him, hoping it would lead to a date for the weekend. I didn’t have a problem being forward with men. Time was important to me, and I liked to get to the point as quickly as possible. If he wasn’t into me, that was just fine. I would find someone who was.
Crewe stood at the door of my cell, his hands sliding into the pockets of his slacks. “Morning.”
I bit my tongue just so I wouldn’t say anything. Something about his air of arrogance just made me want to defy him. It had nothing to do with the fact that he had kidnapped me from my bed and taken me to the other side of the world. Something about him immediately put me on edge and made me want to ignore his requests just to annoy him. He was the kind of man who got under my skin—but I had no idea why.
He stared at me with his handsome face, his chiseled features and pretty brown eyes. They were mocha, warm and radiant. They matched everything about him perfectly, hinting at a dark core. “Didn’t sleep well, lovely?”
I knew he called me that just to annoy me. “My day was going pretty well until you showed up.”
He chuckled, his eyes lighting up at the same time. “I thought I was being a nice guy by bringing you breakfast. Should I have brought flowers instead?”
“You should have brought cash and a passport.”
He smiled, amused by my smartass comments. “You’re smart. I guess it makes sense since you’re a doctor.”
“I’m not a doctor. I would be training to become one right now if you hadn’t kidnapped me.”
“How far along were you in school?”
I ignored the question, not wanting to chit-chat.
He slid his arms through the bars as he relaxed, probably daring me to try something. He wanted any opportunity to exert his power over me. He baited me into making attacks so he could squish me like a bug. “If you calm down, I’ll invite you upstairs. It’s a beautiful house. It’s been restored but the natural history of the castle has been preserved. You seem like someone who would appreciate it.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you’ve been living in a rat hole for a week.”
I nearly laughed at his wit.
“So, what’s it gonna be? Are you gonna play nice?”
“What does that mean, exactly?” I sat on my cot and kept my knees together so he wouldn’t see up my dress. “Because I’ll never be pleasant company.”
“That makes two of us. I just don’t want you to attack Finley or Ariel. They’re good people.”
“Who’s Ariel?”
He grinned like I said something particularly interesting. “Jealous, lovely?”
“No, idiot,” I snapped. “I’ve met Finley. I haven’t seen this Ariel person before.”
“She’s my business partner.”
“Oh.” My insides turned in anger. Another woman was in the house, knowing I was locked up down here. How could she stand aside and not give a damn? How could she call herself a woman and do nothing? I hadn’t even met the woman, and I hated her. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that. If I’m gonna make a move on anyone, it’ll be you.”
“Ooh…I hope it’s the kind of move I like.” He winked.
The fact that I thought he was charming—even for an instant—irritated me. This guy was a psychopath with a good sense of humor. That was it.
“I can settle for that.” He unlocked the door and opened it. “Grab your breakfast and eat at the table upstairs.”
I stared at the open door, unable to believe he was actually letting me out. “You’re really so na?ve to think I won’t try to hurt you?”
He grinned like my words had no impact. “Lovely, I’d like to see you try.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“Would you prefer Slave?” he asked. “Because that has a nice ring to it too.”
I couldn’t handle a title like that, so I shut my mouth. Lovely was much better.
“Lovely it is.” He nodded to the stairway. “After you.”
I stopped myself from rolling my eyes and reached the next floor. With my plate still in hand, I walked to the table. My plate contained scrambled eggs, a slice of toast, and a piece of bacon. It wasn’t much, but since I wasn’t eating much anyway, it was perfect.
I didn’t see much of the first floor last time I was released from my cage. I’d been too terrified of Crewe to think about anything besides him. I concentrated on how close he was to me, the way he moved his hands as he walked. In anticipation of a strike, I kept my eyes on him.
But now I knew I was safe—for the time being.
“This way.” Crewe led the way into the enormous kitchen. It had two ovens, two microwaves, and enough kitchen space to prepare dinner for dozens of people. A kitchen table sat beside the large window that took up most of the wall. “Would you like some coffee?”
I set my plate down and immediately looked outside, wanting to get an idea of where I was. But I only saw rocks jutting out until they disappeared over a cliff, and the ocean sea in the background. Beyond that, it was only blue. Infinite blue. The sight was beautiful, but it made me realize just how alone I was.
There was no escape.
Crewe studied my face, watching my expression change. His brown eyes contrasted against everything around the property, from the green of the grass to the deep blue of the sea. “Don’t make me ask you again.”
The tone in his voice brought me back to reality. “Yes, please.”
“So you do have manners.” He walked to the counter and poured hot coffee into a mug. “I was beginning to think you didn’t with all those smartass comments.” He returned and placed the mug next to my plate. “Cream or sugar?”
“No, thank you.” I growled when my automatic response came out, wanting to be as rude to him as possible.