Chapter 8

My escape was so close. If I had been a little faster, I could have gotten onto the roof and crawled down. I had no clue where to run to, but I would find someone eventually. Being trapped in this house for the rest of my life was not an option.

My cheek stung from Joseph’s slap. The smell of whiskey had lingered on Joseph’s breath and burned my nose. Miles had his arms around me, but I did not want to fight against his grip. Joseph was not afraid to hit me. What would Miles do if he was angry? He was so much larger than his father. Would he murder me?

I would not be able to beat them in strength. If I wanted to get out of here, I would have to outsmart this family. They needed to trust me and lower their guard. They needed to think I liked being here, but I had to be careful to ensure I was not too obvious.

Joseph left Miles and I standing in the hallway. Miles did not let go of my body. I was pressed against his chest, and I could feel his heartbeat against my back. I listened to him breathing, but I did not say a word. Miles dragged his hand up my arm. His rough fingers ran up my neck until he cupped the side of my face. He was delicate as he touched my stinging cheek. Was it red from Joseph’s hit?

“You alright?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said.

Miles continued to touch my cheek. He curled his fingers so that the back of his knuckles brushed against my skin. I wanted to push him away but had to allow him to do this. He needed to think I liked being here. How far would he go? What was I going to have to do?

“Your skin is soft,” he said.

How many girls had he been close to? Had he touched a girl before? Was that why Joseph wanted to kidnap a wife?

“Thank you,” I said.

I held my breath as his fingers grazed down my cheek and to my neck. His hand wrapped around my throat and held me against his chest. His grip was not tight. He was not trying to cut off my airway, but I did not know his intentions. The window at the end of the hall was still open. My escape was in view, but I could not go for it.

I jumped when Miles brought his lips down onto my shoulder. My breath caught in my throat, and I balled my fists to stop myself from pushing him away. The dress was a barrier between my skin and his lips. My body tensed when he kissed my shoulder again, but his lips were even closer to my neck. He barely lifted his head before kissing my neck. The collar of the dress was high, but the corner of his mouth was hot against my flesh. My stomach twisted into a knot as I was hit with a wave of nausea.

“Dinner is waiting downstairs,” Miles said.

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me down the hall. I wanted to avoid appearing like I was fighting, but I struggled to keep up with his wide strides. Miles did not let go of me until we reached the bottom of the stairs. I crossed my arms over my chest. A chill ran up my spine, but I also did not want Miles to grab me again. I followed him through the kitchen and into the dining room. The back door caught my eye, and I took a mental note.

Joseph and Clara were sitting on one side of the table. Miles did not look at me as he sat on the opposite side of the table. I stood in the doorway as I cradled my cheek in my hand. Clara gave me a soft smile. Did she know what happened upstairs? Was she taken like me?

“Sit down, Maisie,” Joseph said.

Miles grabbed the back of the chair beside him and pulled it out. I followed their order and sat. They passed the food around. I shook my head when Miles handed me the platter. My stomach was still in a tight knot.

“You don’t like chicken?” Miles asked.

“I am not hungry,” I said.

“You need to eat,” Joseph said.

My hands shook as I took the platter. Arguing would be useless, so I put a small piece of chicken on my plate. I piled a tiny amount of potatoes and vegetables next to it. Keeping this food down without being sick would be a struggle. I took small bites of the food and chewed it for longer than normal. Miles snuck glances in my direction, but Joseph’s stare did not leave me. His intense gaze made it even more difficult to eat.

“How old are you, Maisie?” Clara asked.

She had not stopped smiling, but it seemed fake. There was a subtle quiver in her lips. Did she approve of this kidnapping?

“I’m eighteen,” I said.

“So young,” she said. “And you didn’t have a family?”

“I had a family,” I said. Joseph glared, and I knew I had to speak carefully regarding the subject. “My parents passed away.”

“Both of them?” she asked. “What happened?”

I set my fork down. My appetite had completely disappeared. If I took another bite, I would vomit all over the table. Joseph would probably qualify that as me being disrespectful.

“They had some difficulties,” I said, hoping they would not ask for details. “My grandmother was the last one left. She died a few months ago.”

“How were you supporting yourself?” Clara asked.

I looked up at Joseph. Had he not told his family about me? Did they not question how we met? Was I supposed to lie? Would that get me into trouble?

“Every day was different,” I said. It was not a total lie. “I did odd things for money.”

“Did your grandmother teach you to cook?” Clara asked.

“A bit.” I shrugged. “We tended to cook the same things over and over.”

Clara’s smile changed to a more genuine expression.

“I can’t wait to show you some of my recipes,” she said. “I haven’t had help in the kitchen since Emily. She was always eager to learn. She used to make the best-“

“We’re not talking about Emily,” Miles snapped. “New topic.”

Clara’s smile disappeared as she bit down on her lip. Who was Emily? Why was Miles so upset about the mention of her name? My chest tightened as I thought she may have been a girl previously taken for Miles. Were they kidnapping and killing women until they found the perfect one? I looked down to see the faded blue dress. Miles said his sister had died. Was Emily his sister?

“I always wanted to learn how to bake,” I said.

Clara’s smile immediately returned. The corner of Joseph’s lips tugged into a smirk. I must have said the right thing.

“I can show you,” Clara said. “I make the best bread.”

“Thank you,” I said. “That is very kind of you.”

Joseph’s smirk did not leave his lips as he nodded. It was a miracle that I could finish my dinner without being sick. Clara was clearing the dishes from the table once we were finished. I assumed Joseph would want me to help, so I assisted her with clearing the table. How quickly would they believe I settled into this family? Would I be able to run tonight while they were all sleeping?

Clara and I washed the dinner dishes while she talked in depth about her sourdough recipe. I glanced over my shoulder to see Joseph and Miles talking at the table. Miles was staring at me as Joseph spoke. His expression was stern and difficult to read.

The sun started setting when I wiped my wet hands on the dish towel. There was a small window above the sink, but I could not see much. There was a wooden porch wrapped around the farmhouse. A barn sat outside, but not much else could be seen. I craned my neck to see a thick brush of trees surrounding the house. How close were the nearest neighbors?

A hand snatched my wrist. I gasped and instinctively swung my free hand. It was a reflex I developed after months at the tavern. My fist hit Miles’ hard chest, but he was unphased by my punch. Hopefully, Joseph did not see me attacking his son.

“Come with me,” he said.

“Where?” I asked.

He did not answer my question but yanked me forward. I stumbled as he dragged me across the kitchen. Joseph strolled out of the dining room to watch his son pull me over the staircase. He was going to bring me up to his room. What did Joseph tell him to do?

Miles did not let go of me until we were in his bedroom. I cradled my wrist to my chest. I took a step away from the bed, and I struggled to focus on my breathing. Almost every night for the past few months, I had sex with a man. Most of them I did not know. I had to treat Miles like one of those men. There was no way I could overpower him. If I went along with his plans, it would help them believe I like being here.

Miles sat on the foot of the bed. I silently watched as he ran his hand along his jaw. His gaze was off to the side as he looked lost in thought. I held my arm to my chest in an attempt to calm my pounding heart. He rolled his head to the side to look at me. I reminded myself to keep my chin up and not crumple under his stare.

“You’re small,” he said.

I raised a brow. It was an odd comment, but I doubted he had ill intentions. He probably did not mean it in a way to intimidate me. His remarks had been awkward as if he had never been around people outside his family. Was this another reason Joseph took me against my will?

“Thank you?” It came out as a question.

Miles sighed and leaned back on the bed. His hands were behind him and propped his body up. His intense stare did not leave my body. My focus was not lowering my head in fear.

Silence passed between us for an uncomfortable amount of time. I focused on my breathing as we stared at each other. He stood abruptly and walked toward me. Instinctively, I took a step backward until I was pressed against the wall. Miles trapped me when he put his hand on the wall above my head and off to the side. He leaned forward to prevent me from slipping under his arm. I glanced to the other side to see the window. He must have read my mind because he placed his other hand against the wall to block my view.

“What am I supposed to do?” Miles muttered under his breath.

He was naive, and I could use this to my advantage. If I initiated this, the family would see that as me wanting to be here. Screaming and kicking while Miles forced himself on me would not help. He would overpower me without any issue. I had to pretend he was one of my customers. Instead of earning money, I would be earning my freedom.

Luckily, my hand did not tremble when I placed it against his chest. His muscles were hard under the thin shirt. My palm could feel the steady beat of his heart. He looked down at my hand, but his expression remained blank. I did not want him to think it was an attempt to push him away, so I dragged my hand to his shoulder. His breathing grew more rapid as I went over the side of his neck until I ran my fingers into his dark hair. I forced a smile. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back as he enjoyed my touch.

His eyes opened when I took a step forward. I looked up at him and pressed myself against his body. His warm breath fanned across my face, and I fought to keep smiling. He was just another customer. I had to remind myself.

I placed my other hand on his chest. His heart was beating faster. Was he nervous? His expression remained unreadable. One of his hands left the wall and went to the small of my back. He pressed me tighter against his body. His eyes were focused on my lips. I hated kissing men I forced myself to be with, but I would have to do that tonight.

Closing my eyes, I got on my toes and kissed him. Miles’ body was tense at first as if he was unsure what to do. Had he never kissed a girl before? I pulled him closer to my body, waiting for him to react. The tension left his muscles as he deepened our kiss. He pushed me back until I slammed into the wall. I gasped from the collision, and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth.

Every ounce of me wanted to push him off, but I had to let him do this. My skin crawled as he ran his hands over my body. He held me tight against his body as he pushed us over to the bed. I squeezed my eyes shut and pretended he was another customer.

–

Miles did not say anything after. I rolled onto my side so I did not have to face him. Once Miles fell asleep, I would have to sneak out of this house. I would run until I found someone or another house. How close were their neighbors?

I gasped when Miles put his arm around my waist and pulled me across the bed. He held me tight against his chest. I chewed on my lip as my heart pounded. I had never slept beside a man before, so I was not prepared for him to hold onto my body. His breathing soon became deep and rhythmic. My grandmother made the same noise when she fell asleep. I looked over my shoulder to see his eyes closed and his lips slightly parted.

Carefully, I pulled his arm off my waist. I tiptoed around the room, searching for the dress Miles had given me earlier. Once I changed, I took one last look at Miles sleeping.

I had to get out of here tonight.