There was a tub, a glass shower stall, and a separate room where the toilet sat. Long windows hugged the far wall, letting in the light of the incoming day. Confused, Ingrid gave the maid an inquisitive glance before she was given a towel, and pointed toward the shower.
She wasn’t being helped to escape… she was being told to get clean.
Ingrid felt disappointment return as she looked at the fine terrycloth in her hands. It felt soft and marvelous under her fingers, and she wondered how nice it must feel against her skin. But Ingrid had another idea, and there was only one way she could actually leave.
Nadya was slim, almost frail looking… Ingrid felt confident she could be able to overpower her given the right moment.
Swallowing, Ingrid gave the maid a short smile, bowing slightly to show appreciation and began to head for the shower.
She whirled, throwing the towel into the maid’s face before throwing a hard punch against the woman’s jaw. It connected with a muffled thud and Nadya stumbled backward.
Ingrid yanked her chain out of the maid’s hands before she made for the door. She had barely managed to open the door and take a step out before her feet were being swept out from under her.
Ingrid hit the ground with a thud, crying out in pain when her ribs struck the marble floor. She tried to scramble up but barely made it to her knees before she felt something soft wrap around her face and yank her back.
Ingrid let out a grunt, choking at the force before she was landing on her back. Blinking blearily, she realized the maid had used the towel as a sort of rope, tugging around her head before yanking her down.
Before she could think about fighting back, she felt a lithe body pounce over her before her wrists were being yanked up and she felt something hard press against her sternum.
The towel was suddenly off and Ingrid let out a pained groan, realizing that the pressure was the maid’s knee on her chest.
When the world finally returned to normal, Ingrid was being stared at by Nadya’s expressionless face, but she could see a hint of annoyance over the pale woman’s eyes.
Even in this dim lighting, Ingrid could tell they were a soft grey.
Something struck the ground nearby with a resounding thud and Nadya glanced away before disappearing off of Ingrid’s body.
The bigger woman wheezed, feeling her chest clench painfully at the throbbing release. “Thank you, Nadya.”
When Ingrid glanced up, she saw Leo, dressed in grey slacks this time and a black shirt that made him appear mysterious and alluring, standing feet away and watching her with an amused expression.
“Have a nice trip?”
“You should’ve told me you had assigned a ninja as my guard,” Ingrid grunted, slowly pulling herself up and hissing when she felt her body throb uncomfortably.
Leo smiled at her, “Nadya’s been trained to handle herself against bigger threats, Ingrid. More to protect you than anything.”
“Protect me against what?” Ingrid scoffed, rolling her eyes.
“You?”
Leo shook his head, yet his smile was still wide. “I hope you’ll remember not to engage my staff, Ingrid. Though, I’m sure even asking is redundant considering.”
“Go fuck yourself.”
“Didn’t sleep well, I take it?”
“How could I? Have you tried sleeping handcuffed to a bed? Or would you like me to demonstrate?” The comment was meant to be a threat but now that it was out of her mouth, Ingrid felt a flash of mortification when Leo’s eyebrows rose in legitimate surprise.
Flushing and humiliated, Ingrid bit down on her lip and looked away stubbornly.
“Is that a promise, Ingrid?” He asked, and his voice was husky and low.
“Damn you,” She spat. She heard him chuckle before she felt small hands wrap around her sides and help her up.
Now standing, Ingrid faced her two captors, and watched as Leo beckoned Nadya forward with a gentle curl of his fingers. Nadya responded immediately and approached him.
To Ingrid’s confusion, Leo took in the woman’s chin in his palm and looked her face over, as though registering damage like a doctor would a patient.
He gave her a small smile and pulled a strand of golden hair that had gotten loose over her face during the scuffle back in place.
“I’m impressed,” Leo said before signing something to the maid. The movement was rapid and it only made Ingrid all the more surprised but she quickly stamped it down. Of course he knew how to sign.
Nadya nodded, signed something back before disappearing into the bathroom.
“You’ve managed to land a hit on Nadya. Not many people can.”
“I’ve learned what I had to.”
“Live a pretty dangerous life, Ingrid?” She really wished he stopped saying her name so easily. It bothered her.
The question did make her bristle and the reminder that what was waiting back home wasn’t any better than where she was. Still, at least back in that town, she had better understanding of her opponents and the people that threatened her.
This guy on the other hand…
To her relief, Leo was motioning her to go into the bathroom.
“I guess that’ll be a story for another day. Nadya should be filling the tub, and I’ve instructed her to make sure to tend to your wounds.”
At that, Ingrid clenched her fists in an attempt to hide the cuts over her fingers. She didn’t want him to see.
“I’ll see you at breakfast to…discuss further our previous conversation.”
Ingrid scowled at him, watched him give her a nod before he turned on his heel and began to walk off, sauntering about with the grace of someone well mannered.
Damn him.
Chapter 9
Ingrid took her time in the bath. After showering, she had sunk into the hot water and allowed the stream of the jets soothe the knots in her neck and lower back.
Her body had had no luck resting easily since her capture and while her hands stung from the soapy water, Ingrid allowed herself to slide until she was chin deep in the tub.
Nadya had stayed by, watching her with that same expression of disinterest. Insisting to watch even after Ingrid had been freed of the cuffs and given enough leeway to shower on her own. This was to be expected, even if being watched as she bathed was unnerving.
She wanted nothing more than to stay in the water, let the jet streams of the tub wash all her pain away, but as soon as Nadya appeared over her Ingrid felt her free time run up.
She didn’t want another scuffle with the slim woman, and she wasn’t about to see how much force the maid could push over her.
Reluctant, Ingrid pushed out of the water, keeping her hands over her body where she didn’t want the maid to see.
Towel-dry and even given permission to use various body creams (that no doubt cost more than her monthly rent) Ingrid was finally given a bathrobe.
Of course, the cuffs came back on and the walk back was uneventful.
Ingrid refused to wear anything the maid picked out, defiant to at least keep that much dignity to herself. It took some time but she was finally forced into wearing a comfortable sundress—one that hugged her body like silk.
It was beautiful and shimmery, fresh and green and looking like something a fairy would wear, and Ingrid hated the fact that she liked the way she looked in it.
She had expected breakfast to be in her room, but she was led away from the confining space and for a moment, Ingrid was torn between relief and worry all over again.
They walked down the halls and Nadya kept up a brutal pace. Ingrid nearly had to run after her to follow, not wanting to get lost in this maze of halls and turns.
She figured this was the maid’s way of getting back at her for wasting time and for punching her in the face, but who knew really? She hardly expressed any emotion at all.
They finally arrived into a beautiful dining room. The décor looked particularly decadent, and Ingrid vaguely wondered if it was styled after something Victorean or
French (she honestly couldn’t tell the difference).
The dining table was long, easily able to occupy at least twenty people and of a rich mahogany color that accentuated the marble floors and the huge glass doors that let in the morning sunlight.
Outside was a garden of all kinds of flora that it actually made Ingrid pause in amazement. She had never seen so many exotic blooms in all her life.
The table was already set, for two it appeared, and an elegant spread of breakfast options awaited her. To her cautious glances, Leo was nowhere to be seen but Nadya was soon accompanied by a tall and older man dressed in a familiar uniform. He glanced at her, aged but still handsome for his age.
“Miss Ingrid,” the man spoke, lifting an arm and beckoning her to take a seat.
This is getting ridiculous. Ingrid mused with an inward roll of her eyes. Instead of insulting anyone, Ingrid merely did as she was told. “Master Leo will be here soon.”
“Late to breakfast, is he?” Ingrid asked, nearly biting in her sarcasm.
The butler didn’t take notice of her tone, his expression schooled into one of professional disinterest. Related to Nadya perhaps?
“Please, help yourself. He should be here momentarily. If you should require anything, Nadya shall remain nearby to assist you.”
More like to take watch. With a nod and a soft ‘thank you’ Ingrid turned toward the meal ahead of her.
It was almost nauseating how incredible it all looked. Fruit salad and poached eggs, some kind of creamy sauce that looked more like soup than anything, and an entire array of breads, muffins, and meats were available.
Ingrid stole a few glances around, watching Nadya as she stood nearby and stared stoically ahead. Robot.
Her stomach rumbling, Ingrid looked back at the succulent food.
The aroma of fresh bread and cooked meats made her mouth water, but Ingrid dared not put anything in her mouth. For all she knew… this was all poisoned…
Wouldn’t they have done that by now though?
Still, she couldn’t trust any of this, but she couldn’t exactly just sit there like she was planning to dart any moment now.
“Forgive my tardiness,” she heard and Ingrid nearly jumped in her seat. She turned to see Leo walking through the other end of the dining room.
The butler walked behind him at a respectful distance. “I was… engaged in another matter.”
Ingrid watched him with narrow eyes, her hands reaching for the nearest knife.
Nadya was at her side in an instant, and Ingrid nearly reacted brashly again. Leo made a motion and Nadya backed off.
“You can put the knife down, Ingrid.”
“Stop calling me that,” Ingrid hissed.
Leo looked at her innocently, “Why? That’s your name isn’t it?”
“You say it like we’re friends, but we both know that’s not the case.”
“What if I told you I would like to be your friend?”
Ingrid’s grip on the knife tightened.
“Then I would tell you to eat shit, because there’s no way I’m going to want to be friends with you.”
Leo took a seat, settling himself against the chair comfortably as though Ingrid wasn’t just speaking venom through her teeth.
“Well, if I told you I’d get those handcuffs off you, would you consider putting the knife down at least? You’re making my staff very tense, you see.”
Ingrid blinked at him suspiciously before she glanced at the two other silent people in the room. Sure enough, she could see the tension under their still faces as easily as she could smell the fresh bread.
Ingrid flashed Leo another glower before releasing the knife in her hand. The tension lowered but didn’t disappear.
Ingrid tugged her wrists up, the cuffs jingling against her skin at the motion. Leo smiled at her again and he motioned for the butler. The man took a step to his side and produced a key from his pocket before placing it in the man’s awaiting hand.
He leaned in, reaching over with the key in hand and Ingrid saw an opportunity. She hesitated; her breath hitching in her teeth when she was met with Leo’s piercing brown eyes.
In this light, she could see their exact shade, a light chestnut that exposed a tight pupil and the intense emotion behind it. She could see it… the dare he was making her. As if asking her what she would do after she had seized her freedom.
Yet she couldn’t ignore the presence of the two people behind them. If Nadya was able to take her down in moments, she had no doubt that the man beside Leo could do so just as easily.
Ingrid remained still and relented, keeping her breathing short even as Leo’s fingers worked over hers. She could feel the heat radiate off his hands and Ingrid shuddered.
With a click, her wrists were free and Ingrid let out a sigh, pulling away to grip around the angry red marks that surrounded her skin.
“You’re welcome.” Leo said.
“I’m not thanking you,” Ingrid said stoutly.
“I shouldn’t have those things on me in the first place.”
He flashed her grin as he deposited the cuffs in the butler’s hands.
“Would you like them back on?”
To spite him, she reached over and grabbed a muffin from the nearest basket, the motion was quick enough to startle the tense staff people.
Ingrid took a bite and sat back on her chair, hiding her own rapid beating heart behind a glare and a bite of pastry. The muffin was delicious, but Ingrid dared not say anything.
Leo watched her before he, too, reached over and nabbed a muffin from the basket.
He took his knife and sliced it in half, reaching to grab a piece of cured meat between the pieces. “I always enjoy eating meals with company.”
“So I’m not the first hostage?” Ingrid asked.
He flashed her another look, this one less amused.
“Believe it or not but I don’t actually spend my days taking women as captives.”
“So you admit it then,” Ingrid said, digging her fingers into her muffin, not sure if she wanted to keep eating here.
“Yes, but I am offering a proposition to improve your situation.” Leo said, taking another bite of his makeshift sandwich.
Ingrid scowled. “You’d live here, as a guest. Ideally, without the handcuffs. Of course, you’d have Nadya keeping an eye on you. You’ll be taken care of, all your needs met and you would be allowed to live comfortably. You could have whatever you like.”
“Except my freedom,” Ingrid interjected. Leo paused, brown eyes blinking once before he nodded.
“It doesn’t have to be a bad thing, Ingrid.”
She slammed a hand over the table, the muffin dropped to her vacant plate.
The sound was loud but it didn’t startle Leo, nor the other two. “You’re not my friend. So you don’t have the right to call me that.”
“What do I call you, then?”
“Nothing. I don’t even want to speak to you!” She shouted.
“You’re worried that you can’t trust me but you are safe in this stupid mansion of yours! Even if I tried to tell anyone I’m sure you’d probably have Nadya cut my tongue out if you saw fit! But I can’t trust you! I saw you kill a man with your bare hands! How do I know that you won’t do that to me? How can I possibly believe this isn’t some scheme of yours to turn me into… into some kind of toy for your entertainment?”
“Because,” Leo said, and all manner of lightheartedness was gone from his voice.
“I’m not that sort of man.”
“But you’re the sort to kill someone?” Ingrid retorted.
Leo’s face turned stony, eyebrows dragging down into a fierce stare that stunned her.
“Yes. I am,” he admitted lowly.
“But you have no idea why I did what I did and so you have no right to judge me either.”
There are always two sides of a story, Ingrid. Her mother’s words hit her then, surprising her with the abrupt memory. You must never judge or take sides un
til you’re sure you know both sides of the story.
The sudden recollection sobered her immediately, made her anger nearly steam out completely. Leo turned his gaze away before taking another bite of his food.
Ingrid sat still, her gaze falling over a branch of grapes sitting still over a bowl ahead.
I got an innocent man out of deathrow! A man accused of murder. The case came to her hands because no one at the firm dared touch it. There was too much evidence against him, there were too many opinions on the situation.
Yet, Ingrid knew the man had been framed, she felt it in her stomach the second she laid eyes on her client. She had fought for his right to be set free, so that his reputation remained untarnished.
Yet that success had only brought her fear and judgment from everyone else.
That was different. He didn’t actually hurt anyone.
There are always two sides of a story.
“Why…?” Ingrid asked softly after a long moment of silence. She felt his attention and when she glanced up he was waiting for the rest of her question.
“Why did you kill that man?”
His expression darkened and he dropped the sandwich over the plate.
“It doesn’t concern you.”
Ingrid let out a short exhale, “Yes. It does. Otherwise I wouldn’t even be here.”
“No,” Leo rejected.
“The reason you’re here was because you stuck your nose where it didn’t belong.”
“You want me to trust you?” Ingrid insisted, crossing her arms.
“Then tell me. I won’t be allowed to leave anyway, what difference will it make?”
Leo stood abruptly and his gaze was steel, fury locked behind the brown of his irises, making them look dark.
“It will make all the difference. Consider the deal for the remainder of the day, I hope you actually think on it. Good afternoon.”
Suddenly he was walking off, leaving Ingrid to watch him, sputtering for something to say but ultimately was unable to say nothing as she watched man and butler disappear behind the door he came from.
The door slammed shut and the following silence made her feel as alone as she did that first night.
Romance: The Lion's Chosen Mate: BBW Lion Shifter Romance Standalone (Hunky Shifters Book 1) Page 12
