The headache had calmed to a bearable throb. A few hours ago, Clara brought me a glass of water while I sobbed. I hated being reduced to nothing but tears; however, I did not have much choice. Whatever Joseph drugged me with had lingering effects. I was unable to find the strength to fight back.

I cradled my head in my hand as I sat on the bed. My other hand kept the blanket tight around my body. The pain had died down in my muscles, but my arms shook as I pushed myself to the edge of the bed. I grabbed the glass; the water was like heaven against my dry tongue. My eyes were focused on the door. How many people were in this house? How big was this house? Could I slip out of the house without anyone noticing?

Running away and only wearing this blanket was better than staying in this place. Joseph had some deranged thoughts about me marrying his son. There was no way that he could mean what he said. None of this could be real. This was some kind of sick nightmare.

I sighed as I closed my eyes. Joseph seemed like a safe haven after those men, especially Amos. I would have been better off if I left the bar with that brute instead. That would have been a night of hell. If Joseph were serious, I would be trapped in a life of terror.

The floor creaked as someone walked toward the bedroom. I held my breath as I scanned the room, looking for a hiding place. If I was unable to run, I needed to be smart. I was unable to devise a plan before the door opened. My eyes widened when I saw someone new walk in.

His size was the first thing I noticed. It was hard to ignore because he was so large. He was one of the tallest men I had ever met, and his shoulders were broad. Dark strands of hair hung in his face. His shirt sleeves were rolled, and his clothes were splattered with dirt. He froze in the doorframe, and his brows furrowed as he looked at me. I swallowed past the lump in my throat. My knuckles ached from my grip on the blanket. I could not look away from the man. Was this Joseph's son? What was his name again? Miles?

He closed the door, and I wanted to stay strong. Around Amos, I could keep my chin held high, but this man was causing me to crumple under his stare. Amos would sneer, but Miles' face was a blank and unreadable stare. I was unable to gauge how disgusting his terrible thoughts were. What was he planning? I could no longer look at this strange man and looked down at my lap. My blonde hair fell past my shoulder and hid my face like a curtain.

I could not look at this man. He said nothing as he lingered by the door and stared at me. My breath was shaky when the floor creaked as he came closer. I had to resist the urge to push myself higher up the bed. It would be a futile attempt to get away from him, and I would further trap myself in this room.

His shoes came into view, but I still did not move. I had never been paralyzed by fear before, but now I could only tremble. He lowered himself onto his knee. His eyes scanned my body, mainly focusing on my bare shoulders.

"Where are your clothes?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said.

Luckily, I was able to form more than one word.

"When did you take them off?" he asked.

"I didn't," I said. "I woke up like this."

Miles cringed as he looked at me from head to toe again.

"I didn't know he'd use it on you," he said. "I suggested the tranquilizer for Bram."

"Who is Bram?" I asked.

"Someone you are better off not mentioning."

Was he supposed to get someone else? None of this would have happened if I had never talked to Joseph in the tavern. Why did I have to be so dumb? I was naive, and my guard was down because he was a new customer. My reckless behavior had ruined my life.

"There is probably something in my sister's room for you to wear," Miles said.

"How many people are in this house?" I asked.

"Just three of us," he said. "Four now, I guess."

Three of them? I met Joseph and Clara already, but he mentioned a sister. The numbers did not make sense. He must be lying. Were they trying to play mind games with me?

"She's dead," Miles said bluntly. "She doesn't need them."

He must have seen the confusion on my face. I sucked in my bottom lip and nodded. Miles reached forward. I squeezed my eyes shut, and my muscles tightened as I braced myself for his touch. Would he push me back and force himself on me? He saw me as his wife, so he would assume I owed him sex. Would he be as rough and violent as Amos? I could not endure that for the rest of my life.

Miles pushed my hair over my shoulder to expose my face. His fingers were delicate as they brushed across my collarbone. A shiver ran up my spine, and goosebumps spread across my arms. I kept my head down, but looked up to peer at Miles. His lips were slightly parted, and his focus was on his fingers and my collarbone. I had not noticed before how large his eyes were, and the dark brown of his irises was flecked with gold. He cleared his throat and shook his head before standing.

"Wait here," he said. "I'll be right back."

Miles turned and stormed out of the room before slamming the door. My knees wobbled as I pushed myself up onto my feet. The first few steps were short because I did not want to collapse on the floor like earlier. I shuffled my feet over to Miles' dresser and looked into the mirror hanging on the wall. My hair was a mess as if Joseph had ripped out the braids and pins while I was unconscious. My eyes were brimmed with red, and my skin was pale from all my crying earlier.

The door opened, and Miles came back in. Clothes were bunched in his hands, and he tossed them onto the bed.

"Put this on," he said.

The dress was an ugly, faded blue plaid. I was not about to complain because it was much better than wearing a blanket. I took a few steps forward. The blanket was long and pooling at my feet, which caused me to trip. I stumbled, but Miles caught me before I fell. His rough hands grabbed my arms and pulled me back against his hard chest in a jerky motion. The blanket slipped from my grip, but I was able to bring it back up to cover my chest. I tried to pull away from Miles, but he tightened his hold. His fingers curled deep into my biceps. Tomorrow morning, I would wake with bruises on my flesh.

"You're going to hurt yourself," he said.

"I'm fine." I yanked my arm, but he did not let go. "Let go of me."

Miles dragged me forward and pushed me onto the bed. He took a step back and crossed his arms over his chest. We stared at one another, but neither of us said anything.

"Get changed," he told me.

"Can I have some privacy?" I asked.

"No," he said. "I don't want you falling again and hurting yourself."

I could not stay naked in this man's room. It would be impossible to get out of here in only a blanket. I had been naked in front of a countless number of men. I would have to treat Miles like he was just one of my clients.

I arranged the clothes on the bed before I removed the blanket. Limiting the amount of time I was naked was the only control I had over the situation. Miles did not move as I changed into the dress. I would take quick glances over my shoulder to see that he was watching me. After securing the buttons, I ran my fingers through my hair. Miles licked his lips as he stepped forward. I gasped, but he walked past me as he unbuttoned his shirt. I watched the muscles in his toned back move as he changed into a clean shirt.

This was my opportunity. I ran for the door, but my wobbly knees did not let me go fast. It was as if I were running through water. My legs moved slower than my mind. My hand touched the doorknob when Miles grabbed my waist. I screamed and fought against his grip as he pulled me close. His large hands were wrapped around my wrists and pinning my arms to my chest. He sighed when I kicked his shin.

"Let go of me!" I screamed.

"Calm down," he said.

"Get off me!" I shouted. "You're sick!"

"Maisie, stop screaming."

I threw my elbow back and hit Miles in the stomach. I put all of my weight into my attack to hit him as hard as possible. Miles swore as he threw me onto the floor. He ran his fingers through his hair as he looked down at me. He stepped forward, and I kicked him again.

"Stay away from me!" I yelled.

Miles rolled his eyes before leaving the room. He slammed the door, leaving me in his room. I scrambled to get onto my feet. Pressing my ear against the door, I listened as Miles went down a set of stairs.

This was my chance to get out of here.