I stepped out from the bathroom, finding Theo sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for me. He stood up quickly, coming to meet me as I stumbled in his clothes like a fawn. He bent down and started folding the sweatpants up, so my feet were exposed. When he was finished, he stood up again and looked over me.
“Would you like to sleep? You didn’t at all on the drive. You must be exhausted.”
I shook my head no, not wanting to have my guard down around him.
“No one will hurt you, I’ll make sure of it,” he promised adamantly.
“It’s not everyone else I’m worried about,” I said quietly but with strength against him. He looked sad again and began shaking his head.
“Margo, I won’t ever hurt you.”
I held my wrist up, showing him the bruise he left on me earlier. The one on my upper arm hurt as well as the one on my ankle.
“Little one,” he all but whimpered.
“Don’t call me that,” I said softly.
“Margo,” he tried again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how fragile you were before. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I promise. I will do better.”
“I’m not fragile,” I hissed. He went and sat against the bed again.
“You are, Margo,” he insisted. “Come sleep. I won’t touch you.”
I waited a few moments, allowing my tired muscles and eyes to persuade me into sleep. I went and stood on the other side of the bed. Theo reached over and pulled the cover back, revealing soft, silky sheets. I climbed in slowly and laid on my side, away from him. He pulled the covers farther over me and pushed my hair back before leaving the room. Though the sun streamed through the room, I fell fast asleep, allowing it to heal my body and mind.
Confinement
When I woke up, it was darker outside, maybe late afternoon. I stretched, rolling my aching shoulders, and threw my legs off the bed. I stood up and looked around, wandering around the room to see if the Enforcer was lurking somewhere. He wasn’t. I went to the bathroom and looked in the drawers, to the closet to look behind his clothes, in his nightstand, trying to find any secret of his.
I found nothing, despite my intrigue, and sat on the edge of the bed. Minutes passed, maybe twenty of them before I decided to leave the room. The cold wood touched my feet, and I wished Theo had left me socks as well. I followed the same path to the stairs and descended slowly.
There were fewer people downstairs; now, I only noticed Theo sitting at the glass table with his two male friends. Theo noticed me first, his eyes lit up, and he stood up as I finished the last four steps. The other men turned to face me, watching as their friend met me at the bottom.
“Did you sleep well?” Theo asked. I nodded and looked at my hands, stationary at my stomach. He placed a hand on my back and walked me over to the table, pulled out a chair, and waited until I sat down in the seat next to his. I sat cautiously, looking at the other men who were confused as well. “I’m going to go get you something to eat; I’ll be right back.” And he disappeared out of the room.
I turned and faced the two men, both around the Enforcer’s age, who wore deep smirks seeded in confusion.
“So,” the blond one spoke. “You’re human.”
“Yes,” I said blankly, sliding down into the chair.
“Are you really Theo’s mate?” he asked, his nose scrunching up in disbelief.
“I guess,” I said stiffly, looking over my shoulder, wondering where Theo had gone. “Who are you?”
“His friends,” the other one said.
“His best friends,” the blond one spoke again, a little boastful.
“Do either of you have a phone?” I asked softly. They cocked their heads back, and the one on the right pulled out a phone from his pocket. He slid it over to me across the table, and I reached for it greedily, wanting to call Caddy.
As I picked up the small device, Theo’s hand reached over my head and plucked it from my fingers. He threw it back at his friend and set a plate of pasta in front of me. He shook his head and slumped into the chair next to me, scolding his friend. “Not until we have a talk,” he told me, staring at me until I picked up the fork and took a bite.
“Why?” I asked, chewing a piece of tomato. “I should call Caddy.”
“Your friend?” I nodded. “You can call him after we talk. There are certain things you need to know. Security matters. You can’t go around telling everyone that you’re my mate until I make arrangements.”
“You told them,” I pointed out, sticking my fork in their direction.
“They’re my friends,” he answered. “They won’t do anything that compromises either of our safety.”
“Caddy wouldn’t say anything.”
“You can talk to him later,” he promised, a tone of finality settling over us. I finished eating quickly and slid the plate a few inches in front of me. The two men left, leaving me alone with Theo and whatever guards were stationed outside of the house. I stayed sitting until the Enforcer came back into the room.
“How about we talk, Margo,” he offered. I nodded softly. He sat down on the gray couch where his suit coat once laid, and
