His by Aubrey Dark Read Free Book Online Page A

expensive vintages,” I added.
    Her head nodded slowly. She stood in the middle of the basement, her arms crossed over her chest, tightly hugging herself. Despite her tear-stained cheeks, she was quite beautiful. It was a shame she’d followed me home. Shame I’d forgotten to change the batteries.
    I flicked the light switch.
    “The light’s here. I’ll bring a blanket for you. And food, later.”
    I went to leave and her voice piped up. It sounded thin in the empty basement.
    “What are you going to do with me?” she asked. Her lip quivered.
    “I haven’t figured that out quite yet,” I said, and shut the door.

CHAPTER FIVE
         Kat    
    After he left, I scoured the basement for anything I could possibly use to escape. A few empty paint cans were all that lay on the ground near the door. I pissed in one. No way was I asking him if I could use his bathroom. He’d probably want to watch, the creep.
    There was nothing in the corners, nothing behind the rack of wine but a stack of cardboard boxes so heavy I couldn’t pull them out. I could probably break one of the wine bottles and use it as a weapon, but I believed him when he said he’d have a gun.
    No, fighting him wouldn’t work. There weren’t any other doors in the basement. I didn’t know how I could escape. I was beginning to hyperventilate. I sat down in the middle of the basement and hugged my legs to my chest.
    Well, Kat, I told myself, there’s nothing you can do right now. But it doesn’t seem like he’s going to kill you, not yet, anyway.
    How could I get him to let me go? It was impossible. I thought of Jules working in the library. What would happen tomorrow morning? She would get to work and I wouldn’t be there. I was never late. She would realize something was wrong. But how would she know what had happened? She wouldn’t.
    Terror took hold of me again and I let myself sob.
    Let it all out, Kat. Let it out. Cry and be done crying. Then I could figure something out. It was better than letting myself go into a full-fledged panic attack, anyway.
    I must have sat there for an hour before he returned. His hair was wet and dripping, but he was wearing clothes. He had brought a blanket. He put the blanket on the floor.
    “I took care of your car,” he said.
    I looked up at him, unsure what he meant. He raised his hand and mimed driving a car off of a cliff.
    “Down in the canyon. Sorry about that, but you won’t have any use for it here anyway.”
    I breathed in sharply. I’d saved for two years to buy that stupid car, and despite the more pressing situation at hand it still hurt me to think about my car being destroyed by this maniac.
    “My car...”
    “I’m sorry, I truly am. Same with your cell phone. It would be stupid for me to keep them around, though. And I’m not a stupid person.” He looked at me as though hoping for agreement. “Your wallet was in there, too. Kat, is it? I think I’ll keep calling you kitten. Curiosity killed the cat, you know.”
    “Please,” I said. I could hear my voice trembling no matter how I tried to steady it. “Please, I won’t say anything if you let me go.”
    “See, now that would be stupid,” he said matter-of-factly. He pulled up the extra chair and sat on it, setting the blanket to the side. “And what did I just say about being stupid?”
    “You’re not a stupid person,” I whispered.
    “I’m not stupid,” he said, nodding.
    “What are you going to do with me?”
    “For now? I’m going to keep you here.”
    I began to cry again. I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to make him mad, but I couldn’t help it.
    “No,” I said. “Please don’t. I don’t want to stay here.”
    He spread his hands out in front of him.
    “There’s nothing I can do.”
    “I’ll run away,” I said, choking on my sobs. “I’ll escape and run away.”
    He frowned.
    “Now that would be very stupid,” he said. “Very stupid, indeed.”
    “I’ll scream,” I said. Anger was