Heated Abscondment

Chapter Seventeen

“I was told that my life is in danger with you.” Ada whispered against the chest that her head laid on.

“It is in danger.” He responded.

Ada bolted upright.

He lazily brought a hand behind his head and gazed at her with his intense hooded gaze.

“You are in danger by my side because of what I do and who I am. There are those who wish to hurt me, and by harming you, someone I care greatly about, that’s how they’d hurt me the most.”

“What?” She asked flatly with incredulity.

“I care about you. More than you know.”

“I don’t understand. You can’t care for someone like, well, me.”

The sheets shuffled as Etienne sat up and gathered Ada in his arms.

“I do.” He buried his face in her neck, “Against all my efforts, I have developed a weakness. I have come to care for you more than anything.”

Something prickled at the back of Ada’s neck at his words and the ones he spoke next.

“I used to be indominable, but you have changed that.” He raised his head and looked at her as he finished his last sentence.

“I’m determined to rectify that.” He said roughly in a low voice.

Ada’s prickling got worse, but before she could put conscious thoughts to her apprehension, Etienne crushed her mouth in a searing kiss. All her cognitive thought evaporated away as she was swept away in the passion Etienne brought out of her. 

*******************************

Ada’s eyes flew open as she woke from her memory/dream. She pulled in a gasping breath.

“Hush child. You’re safe.” A voice crooned to her.

Ada turned her head to look at the woman the voice belonged to. She furrowed her brows as she concentrated on pilfering through her memories, trying to recollect on where she was and how she got there.

She sat up, her head swam with the movement. She brought up her hand to hold her forehead.

“Easy dear. Looks like you’ve had a rough time. Here, drink this.”

A cup was gently pushed into her hand with a steaming liquid.

“What is it?” She asked hoarsely in the same language the woman spoke to her.

“An herbal tea I made. It’ll make you feel right in no time.”

Ada sipped the concoction and was rewarded with a sweet flowery taste in her mouth that was pleasantly satisfying.

“Mmm.” She said.

The woman smiled, “I’m glad you like it. Now, are you ready to try and stand? I tried to clean you up as best as I could, but I think you’d feel better after a thorough bathing.”

Ada nodded. She set the cup on the night stand next to her. Using the woman’s offered arm, she steadied herself from her vertigo as she stood.

Her muscles were stiff and protested every single movement.

Ada let the woman guide her to the bathroom and help her draw a bath. The woman dumped some salt from a clear jar, in the water. She pulled out towels and washcloths. Telling Ada that she’ll be right back, she left the bathroom and returned moments later with a bundle in her arms.

“I’m not sure what you have for clothes, so here’s some clothes of mine that I think may fit you.” She said as she set some sweats with a tee shirt and basic underwear on the counter.

Ada quietly said her thanks.

“Whenever you’re ready, you can come downstairs. My husband and I will be down there.” She said with a warm smile.

The woman left the bathroom, giving Ada privacy, closing the door softly behind her.

Ada stripped and gratefully sank in the tub.

She knew she should be planning her next steps. She knew she should leave this house soon so that she wouldn’t endanger the sweet woman helping her.

She also wondered with a bit of cynicism, if that woman may actually be calling the hotline. Which would mean that Etienne and his men may be on their way right now.

But she was tired, exhausted in fact. She didn’t have it in her to run anymore. So, she just clung to hope that the woman wasn’t calling anyone right now.

She decided to take care of her body first, she knows that she could risk injury to herself if she doesn’t properly rest. In the meantime, she’ll play it safe with this woman who has offered help. Ada decided that she won’t offer too much information and she won’t believe everything she’s told by the couple, either. But she’ll also take advantage of her situation as much as she could. She can get some rest, nourishment, and maybe use their phone to get a call off to one of her friends.

She still had her small bag that was under her clothes. When she stripped, she had quickly rifled through it. Everything was secure and there, including the sim card from her cell phone that she had had to destroy in the beginning of the night. But she dared not try to use the sim card in another cell phone. Not yet, while he can easily track her.

It took all of Ada’s will to drag herself out of the tub. She just wanted to lay there in the warm water and escape from everything.

But that’s not how life works.

It carries on, and if you don’t get yourself pulled together, it’ll carry on and run you right over.

She got dressed in clean clothes, after a double check in the mirror, she grabbed her things and turned to the door. With a deep breath to steel her nerves and mind she prepared herself to go out and talk to the people that took her in.

Whether they were just good Samaritans or the wolves that will hand her over to her doom will remain to be seen.

She’ll be prepared for either.