The door opened, and a woman entered the room. Her mahogany hair was styled in an elegant, low bun. Around her green eyes, fine lines gave away that she had probably had about fifty or sixty years behind. The lady looked to be taking excellent care of herself. With a fitted jacket and a knee-length skirt, she walked toward me with a confident step.

"Good evening. I'm sorry if I woke you up." Her voice came out way too gentle and kind than I expected it to be.

And in an instant, it seemed as if the whole room was filled with tenderness and warmth. Or did I start imagining things?

The lady was carrying a tray of food, and the aroma wafting from it instantly activated my primitive sense of starvation.

"I didn't sleep," I replied and waited like a little child for my ration of food.

"Here you are." She handed me the tray and took a few steps back.

Was she about to wait for me to eat, standing right there?

"Don't worry, honey, take your time." She kind of answered my unasked question.

As she walked to the door, I stopped her with insecure words. "Excuse me."

I already knew what I had to do. I had to run away from Grayson, but I had no place to hide. And even if I didn't know who these people were, they were my chance to survive.

"May I speak to..." I didn't even know the tattooed man's name. "...your boss?" That was my guess.

"Your request will be handed on."

I couldn't pay much attention to the way the lady formed her answer because the meal already melted deliciously in my mouth.

After being left alone again, along with the pleasure I gave to my stomach, I couldn't stop thinking if my decision was right. But even if I wanted to keep running alone, I had to heal first.

There were a lot of unknowns; in fact, there were no knowns at all, but as long as I had a roof over my head and obviously water and food, this probably wouldn't work that bad after all. Or at least not deadly, and that alone mattered at that time.

Some hours later, I had no idea how much my savior came.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, once again piercing through me with his dark eyes.

Was there a correct answer to that seemingly simple question?

"I am not good," I answered. "But that's something I am to be concerned about."

No words on his part followed; he just spent an awkwardly long time looking all over me.

I dared myself to stand before him despite how tense I felt when being so close.

"Do you really know who Grayson Hall is?" I asked, just to confirm that I would eventually really be safe.

He looked, however, much irritated hearing about my concerns. "I am the one who asks questions here. You only answer to them. Clear enough?"

His voice came out so rude that it made me regret asking at all. But... How could I know that you can really protect me from him? Without even noticing, that one came also out loud.

"What do you think am I doing right now?"

This conversation was so hard. I decided to quit it already and only to share the decision I made. "I accept your offer," I said, but so quiet that I almost didn't hear myself.

But he obviously heard me clear enough and was not surprised at all, or so he seemed was not.

He complimented the smart decision I made, but I couldn't accept his words as a pure compliment.

When the man was perhaps ready to go out, one more question escaped from my mouth. And since I was allowed to do so, I asked, "What is your name?"

"Dark," he said and paused after that. "Axton Dark."

He gave his answer instead of saying goodbye. At least he didn't lock this time.

The next visitor was not long to come, but this time, I couldn't help but give a little small smile when I saw the kind lady's face.

Her light grace made me feel some kind of calm among this gloomy, dark space.

"How did you like your dinner, honey?" she asked.

"It was very delicious, thank you very much."

She came to my bed. "Come on." Her hand went extended to me. "Let me take you to your room."

"My room?" I asked while slowly standing up. I thought the zone between these four gray walls would be my long-term home.

The lady nodded and gave me support with a hand around my waist.

The long, dark corridors we walked through were as creepy as I imagined the area behind the door would be. But what I didn't expect was what my eyes saw after we went out from the basement.

There was no more concrete; the floor was covered in sculptured marble, so shiny and bright. The surrounding panoramic windows revealed a beautiful night view decorated with hundreds of lights.

The dining area was to one side, and in the middle of the living room was a huge black sofa, in front of which stood a television whose size I couldn't even guess. It was not that I hadn't witnessed such a level of luxury before, but this house was way more stylish than Grayson's was.

Then my eyes stopped at something quite strange—cars were visible behind the opposite glass doors. Why would anyone put their garage as a gallery in their living room?

Well, from what I could see, the vehicles were at least five in number, each worth no less than a six-figure amount, or seven, maybe. Which actually answered my question of why.

Then, my room on the second floor had exactly that fancy style; it was spacious with an incredible interior. I didn't need any convincing before snuggling in the silk sheets' arms.

***

I might have been asleep all night long because when I opened my eyes, there was no darkness anymore. In normal circumstances, I would say it was a beautiful sunny day.

After I rolled over in the soft bed, my body reminded me of my injured rib. But I took another pill, and thankfully, soon, the pain decreased again.

Mrs. Giselle served my breakfast in bed, which was all I could dare to ask.

Just when I was about to swallow my last bit, mighty shouts sounded throughout the whole house. I could already recognize Axton Dark's rude voice.

But I had no guts to show up my face, so I stood in my bed, only wondering what was happening downstairs.

The rest of the day passed no any less different from that when, around the afternoon, I finally gathered the strength to walk out of my room.

Axton was gone, and Mrs. Giselle was also nowhere to be seen. I already had permission to go anywhere around the house, but the basement area was forbidden for me.

Then why my wayward eyes kept looking at the damn door, leading exactly where I shouldn't go?

I tried to distract and explore the interesting living room, which strangeness didn't stop with the garage in it but also at the end, again separated by a glass door, was formed an area with a pole and a jacuzzi in front. My mind imagined a disgusting sight. But it was true how much you can learn about a person just by seeing what their house looks like.

After my tour was over, my legs refused to listen to me anymore, and shortly, I found myself quietly pushing the handle of the door leading to the basement.

"You are dead, Ella. You are so very dead," I muttered to myself while walking between numerous doors.

I didn't dare to open any of them, but a sudden noise drew me to the end of the hall.

There, I didn't have to wonder whether to open the door I was in front of because no one had bothered to close it at all.

My curious mind made me peek inside. Why did my freaking curious mind make me do that?

Axton's massive torso blocked the view at first, but when he moved a little, my heart skipped.

Some guy was roped on a chair and had his hands placed on a counter in front. Blood gushed from one of the wounds on his face, surrounded by many others, smaller ones.

Axton grabbed him by his blouse and shouted something at him; I couldn't tell what because of the shock I was in.

Then, just when Axton moved away, Cade came close only to smash with a hummer the person's hand.

I hid behind the wall and put my hands over my mouth, trying hard to block the scream that wanted to escape.

Not that I could be heard in the background of the man's cry.

My breathing reached the point of its limit, and my heart wanted to jump out of my chest. I couldn't control the shaking of my body.

I started running, making all efforts not to raise any loud sounds until I made it to my room and locked the door behind me.

What did I get myself into? I tried to gather my thoughts. But who was I kidding? I knew very well what I got myself into when I agreed to stay with Axton Dark.

Only, I didn't know why I thought that he could be any different from the monster he was since I saw his true essence the very first time I met his eyes.

Actually, I hadn't hoped that much; at least, the reasonable part of me did not. But the heart was the one to blame that it kept believing that a good side should exist in every man.