Page 18 of You Found Me
Ward glanced pointedly at all of Piper’s equipment. “This is hardly a cage, Ms. Bellamy.”
It was really annoying to fight with someone who managed to get his nasty insults across without actually saying them out loud. “Why does he, whoever he is, get to live his life while I’m here not living mine?”
He leaned back and studied her. “You agreed to come here. You said?—”
“I know what I said,” she snapped. “You don’t have to keep reminding me. I don’t break my promises. That’s why I’maskingfor permission to go out instead of just going. Behold, my cooperation.”
“Cooperation involves not putting yourself in unnecessary danger just so you can have a scoop of ice cream.”
She realized she’d crossed her arms at some point and willed a more persuasive tone into her voice. “I just want to live my life. Is that too much to ask?”
“Livingis the key.”
She drew in a deep stage breath to ease her temper. “Why did you take this job? You hate my life so much I’m surprised you find it worth protecting.”
His expression darkened. “No woman deserves to be stalked.”
She studied the deadly spark in his eyes. “I could almost believe you mean that.”
“Believe what you want.” He returned his attention to the laptop. “Stay on the property, Ms. Bellamy. Please.”
“Asshole.” She stormed out, but she doubted he even noticed. The anger-fueled adrenaline didn’t last long, either. It fizzled out, leaving her drained and hollow. She wound up wandering up and down the hall, in and out of every room, like a ghost too depressed to even wail.
Why couldn’t she enjoy being alone like her sisters?
She felt more like herself on stage than anywhere else, but she’d never noticed that until she’d had to sit here doing nothing for days on end.
“This sucks,” she told the empty living room.
Through the windows, the pool winked at her.
She didn’t feel like swimming. She didn’t feel like pacing or doing her nails or watching TV.
She gave up and took a long, overly hot shower. She went through the motions of putting on clothes and drying her hair, taking her time with every single step. It wasn’t like she had anything else to do.
Laughter greeted her when she emerged from the bedroom.
Actual laughter.
“What the hell?” She focused on the out-of-place noise. Two…no, three distinct voices. Two she didn’t know. One she knew too well.
Surely not.
She drifted toward the sound and found them in the kitchen, clustered around the island.
Her warden held a clear dish filled with vanilla ice cream. Like a normal person.
And was that…a smile?
She stared at him, trying to process the way the friendly tilt of his lips softened his face. Maybe he wasn’t some kind of mutant robot sent to torture her after all.
What had brought that out? It had to be the two visitors he’d allowed into her prison. She’d seen them before, briefly. He’d introduced them as his team that first day when all three of them had emerged from the black SUV favored by security people everywhere, but she hadn’t seen them since.
What were their names? Annette? No. Annie. Like Little Orphan Annie. The guy was…she wracked her brain…something with an S. Steve? No. Something more studious. Stuben? She almost giggled at that. Definitely not. She glanced at his long hair and pale skin and the name came to her. Spencer. Like a geekier, lankier Spencer Tracy.
Annie looked at Ward with bright amusement and easy confidence. She wore jeans and a plain T-shirt in a way that somehow screamed elegance.
Spencer chuckled from behind the kitchen island. He seemed a little awkward, like he felt out of place even while he joined in on whatever joke had them all laughing. She had a feeling he didn’t get out much.