Set free

Chapter 10 Amelia POV

This was stupid !

STUPID !

STUPID !

STUPID !

But yet here I was creeping towards the door that he had left open after I had sat and stared at it for nearly an hour. The drop from my window was too steep to jump, probably why he had picked that room for me. The house had a villa feel with a modern twist. When I got near the door, I stared at the open corridor for another five minutes before I dared step forward. Taking a slow, steadying breath, I went to the door and poked my head out; no one. Not a sound, not any sign that life lived here. No sound of a TV, no music, no conversations, just the distant sound of the ocean.

Why was I even considering this ?

From my window I could see I was on an island, but maybe there was a boat or a jet ski or something that I could steal and get out of here on. He may be all mind-consuming and devishly good-looking. But the key word was devil. He had kidn*pped me, and yet I let him close to me. He was dangerous in every way, the way he so easily talked of killing me. The way he so easily manipulated me into making me feel like he was my savior at that party and how I didn't feel terrified here but in the same breath I did. He disarmed me. Maybe being around dangerous men has made me messed up in the head.

My father was a dangerous man; dangerous, manipulative, controlling and sick. I wasn't silly to not see what my father was , but he was my father. Plus better the devil you know, right ? I know whatever he has done to Dominic must be bad, and maybe he was just leading me into a false sense of security right now before he did what he so easily spoke about, killing me.

I moved like a frightened mouse out of the room, jittery and skittish. I walked down the hall, pausing every so often to listen and make sure no one was around me.

Until I eventually hit a kitchen. There was no door out but a large window. To get out of that window I would need to climb over a windowsill that had glass marble vases with flowers. I looked at them and couldn't see those being Dominic's taste. Maybe he has a girlfriend. The thought made my cheeks flush at the thought, and what we had done earlier or, should I say barley done. I didn't dare move them. What if my shaky fingers dropped one and the smash alerted someone to what I was doing? Maybe they were all sleeping. Looking around the kitchen, I saw a knife block and bit my lip. Would I even use it if I took one ? I thought to myself.

Sucking in a shaky breath, I went and pulled one out. I would be even more stupid if I didn't. There was a door that was open in the kitchen and I could see it was a laundry room , but what made my pulse race was that there was another door open and I could see another window. Moving quickly, I walked through the laundry room and into the pantry. Looking out the window, I breathed a sigh of relief to see it wasn't a big drop from here either. Placing the knife gently on a shelf to my left, I gripped the handles on the widow that opened it. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and turned it half, expecting a loud alarm to blare out at me. When it didn't I opened it the rest of the way.

Opening my eyes in shock when I then just pushed it open and nothing happened. Father's houses were all maxed with security. It was like living in a prison in more ways than one. Maybe being out here made Dominic think he didn't need it.

Looking down at my near-naked state, I winced. No shoes, only a baggy T-shirt and panties. I had really not thought this through. I could only imagine my father's disgusted face if he saw me now. A lady had to dress respectfully always, even to go to bed I had to wear full-length silk nighties at home. As soon as I woke up, I had to look perfect. Here I was in baggy clothes with no make-up and limited resources to even do my hair. It had been killing me not to do my routine to where I had to busy myself with drawing to distract me after doing the bare minimum to make myself look presentable. It was so ingrained in me that I felt lost without it.

Grabbing the knife, I threw it out onto the ground, then pulled myself up and out of the window, dropping with a thud that made me lose my balance and fall, hitting my knee on the concrete slab. I winced as pain shot through it and had to bite my lip from gasping or whimpering. Tears sprung to my eyes and I had to blink a few times to try and stop them falling.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out, I stood carefully and winced when I placed pressure on my knee. Not so much. I couldn't walk, it just throbbed. Walking with a limp, I bent and picked up the knife, then set off walking. In front of me were trees that were easier to hide in, plus on the other side was my view out of the window in the room I had been in and there had been no boats there. Maybe this way there would be.

I could only hope.

As I went in, though, I began to regret my decision. Every shadow of every tree spooked me. I should fall back into my training, what I had always been taught calm, always ready and never a mess. The teacher's voice ran through my head like it mocked me. Straightening my shoulders, I breathed deeply three times, in through the nose and out through the mouth.

" If your shoes hurt, do not show them, walk like a gazelle and keep your face from wincing. Being perfect means never showing ugly emotions or expressions. Brush the pain on the back of your mind and let the pain fuel you to be even more perfect " her voice commanded in my head.

Opening my eyes with determination, I walked on, and kept walking until I heard someone whistling a tune behind me faintly but there. I froze my eyes wide, I couldn't look back. The tune sounded like a happy tune, which made it all the more scary.

" Angel " his voice called. It sounded far away still. Slowly I looked behind me and saw nothing but shadows and darkness. Everything moved. Any one of those shadows could be him.

" When I find you, Angel, you will be punished for being naughty. The knife you have, you have better use wisely. The game of the fox and the rabbit has now begun " his voice turned from happy to taunting to deadly.

He then dropped silent, but his words said everything. This was now a game, a game of the predator hunting the prey and I was that prey.