Chapter 9

I didn’t know how long I was locked underneath the pool cover, stuck in the limb-freezing cold water–on the lowest temperature setting purely intended for my suffering.

It had to be hours.

I screamed until my lungs burned and tried to push the cover off, but to no avail. And no one came to my rescue.

Not that I think anyone could, considering I heard the door to the room shut and the lock turned. It wouldn’t surprise me if the men took turns guarding the door for extra measure.

The sun was setting, and I was shaking so badly that my teeth chattered. My skin had turned blue, and the horrifying conclusion settled over me; what if they left me here overnight?

Or until…

Panic swelled for the hundredth time inside my chest, and I tried to lift my arms to slam against the glass, but my limbs were too stiff and sore to move. When I tried to scream, my voice was a mere cracking sound followed by a gush of breathlessness.

If they were working for my dad to supposedly babysit me, then they wouldn’t risk leaving me here? Would they?

I was consumed in my thoughts and playing worst-case scenarios repeatedly over my mind, exhaustion kicking in. My stomach rumbled with hunger–since the last time I ate anything was yesterday’s lunch. Which consisted of a soggy peanut butter sandwich at juvie. I didn’t bother with dinner last night, assuming I could have anything I’d like once I got home.

I had every intention of having a feast, lounging in front of the TV, and binging on my favorite shows. Then, enjoy some more snacks and drinks until I pass out.

Now, despite the burning hunger, I just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep.

Shit. Wasn’t exhaustion one of the main signs of hypothermia?

I moved in the water, the cold cutting into my skin like a million shards of glass, and sat down on the steps. My head kept lolling forward, so I lifted my knees and rested my head on them. Only to keep toppling over to my side.

Crap. I needed to sleep.

I was considering floating on my back in the water when a click sounded, and the creaking of a door opening followed. My ears perked briefly, but I was too tired to look up and see who it was.

Then came the best sound I’ve heard all day; the buzzing sound of the motor running as the glass cover rolled open over the pool. At least, I assumed that was what it was as I was past the point of moving. Maybe, I was hallucinating, and it wasn’t happening at all.

“Miss Cartwright?” Harris’ concerned voice cracked. When I didn’t reply, he tried, “Elise?”

Harris never called me Elise. That in itself was concerning. I wanted to reassure him that I was okay, but my lips wouldn’t move. My teeth had stopped clattering, at least.

“What have you done to her?” Harris continued, sounding angry. “You best hope she’s okay, or else the boss will–”

“She’s perfectly fine,” Jace drawled, sounding bored. “I timed her. I’ve done this plenty of times to get confessions out of people. I know the limits. I know her limits.”

“She’s not one of those brutes!” Harris snapped. “She’s a young, delicate lady whose body can’t handle this kind of strenuous treatment!”

Someone snorted, followed by Hunter’s voice, “Delicate? Have you taken a good look at Jace?”

“I’m certain she had every reason. No doubt it was self-defense,” Harris replied curtly. “Look at her. The poor thing looks frozen solid.” Harris continued to murmur under his breath, which sounded a lot like “Walking turds” and “Snot-nosed Bastards.”

Despite my pain and discomfort, I managed a snort of laughter–which sounded more like I was suffocating on my breath.

“Thank you, Harris. You can go now,” Jace dismissed him.

“But Miss–”

“I will make sure she’s all warm and comfortable. Relax.” The water around me began to move, making me flinch. Each water ripple cut into my skin like sharp blades, and I wanted to ask it to stop. “Hopefully, she’s learned her lesson now.”

Motherfucker, I thought–wishing the fleas of a million donkeys on him.

Warmth suddenly pressed against me, and a groan of pain escaped my lips. Even heat hurts at that point. More heat covered my body, and I got lifted from the water. Every movement was like getting stabbed–over and over again. Not that I knew what it felt like, but it was the closest comparison I could come up with.

I was hot and cold at the same time, and my lungs felt like they were stuffed with cotton.

I could hear someone say my name and ask something–it was demanding, but I slipped away to a place dark and safe. Away from the pain.

And then I was shocked awake–by the most ungodly burning sensation over my skin like I was set ablaze. My eyes shot open, and the sound lost in the cold water escaped my throat in a scream.

I was in my bathroom–in my bathtub, filled to the brim with steamy water and freaking bubbles. I caught a whiff of rose oil and I knew at that moment I would despise that scent for the rest of my life.

“P…Piece of…Shit!” I gritted out, wanting to claw my way out of the bathtub and beat the daylights out of them, but I could barely lift a finger. Let alone an entire hand.

“It’ll pass,” Jace sounded way too calm. “Your body is just adjusting to the temperature change. You’ll be all snug and warm as a bug in a second.”

“It’s not a…adjusting, you prick. It’s is s…shock.”

Jace stood beside me, shrugging his shoulders. “May this be a good lesson, then?”

“Go fuck y…yourself,” I hissed through clenched teeth. Though, Jace was right. My body was adjusting to the warm water–which turned out not to be scalding hot lava. But still, he could have made the water lukewarm for my body to slowly adjust. He wanted to go for the shock factor.

Jace pressed his palms over the tub’s edge and lowered himself beside me. “Actually, it doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.” He tilted his head to the side, offering me a devilish grin. “But that would be selfish of me, wouldn’t it? All this greatness just to myself?” He tutted. “There’s quite a long line who wants a piece of this.”

God, he was so full of himself. I shot him daggers with my eyes, just wanting him to grandly fuck off. Hoping he’d go away so I could enjoy this bath in peace.

The water was starting to feel like heaven, and–in a second of panic I shot up, about to cover my boobs when I realized I still had all my clothes on.

Jace got up and chuckled as he strode to the door. “Enjoy this moment while you can. Your peace is not going to last, princess. You just started a war with the wrong guy.”