8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 18
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 28
CHAPTER THREE
T983144983141 983155983141983139983151983150983140 983156983145983149983141 I came to it was like being woken up
with a twenty tonne punch to the head slamming home
recollections of Lauren the water and the manMy eyes popped open and my body jolted my head
jerking about while I grasped my surroundings
High stone walls and a stone ceiling formed a large
rectangular room around me I was in a king-sized four-
poster bed and the wooden faces that had swirled about my
head earlier were carvings of fishes mermaids and mermen
all twisting and spiralling around the bed posts as if being
pulled upwards by a current My eyes followed them right
up to the roof of the bed where gleaming pearls encrusted
in smooth wooden panels winked at me through strips of
white silkAlthough my body was damp with sweat I shivered
convulsively Nothing made sensemdashthis room this fairytale
bed I needed to find Lauren I needed to get back to the
shack Slo l I inched m self into sitting position the act
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 38
18 CAPTIVATE
It was a guy seated in a wooden chair a few metres away
his features shadowed by the dim lighting He yawned
and rubbed at his face his hands making a scratchy sound
against his jaw Then he raised his head to glance in mydirection and sprung from the chair as if somebody had
tipped a bucket of cold water down his back
lsquoWho are you Wherersquos Laurenrsquo I asked hot blood
pounding in my ears My hands instinctively formed fists
which I kept at my chest ready
lsquoYoursquore okayrsquo he said breathlessly and with relief as he
rushed to my side
The stranger was tall had wavy light-brown hair and the
sort of face that made me want to trust him But something
about his overall appearance wasnrsquot right Although he
seemed healthy enoughmdashhis chest was broad and I couldsee the outline of huge biceps below his shirt sleevesmdashhis
skin was abnormally chalk-white as though he hadnrsquot seen
the sun in a long time Like never
Goosebumps prickled my skin
When he leaned over me I caught the stinging scent of
sea saltlsquoIrsquom just going to have a look at yoursquo His voice although
deep had a gentle undertone But it did little to put me at ease
lsquoWho are you Where am Irsquo
lsquoThis will only take a minutersquo he said ignoring my
questions before peeling back the covers to expose my
bather-clad body
I gasped and shrank back into the pillow my hands
fumbling to shield as much as they could
His dark-brown eyes the pupils dilated in the dimness of
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 48
VANESSA GARDEN 19
on But when he met my eyes he held his breath and stared
into them for what seemed an eternity before he exhaled
softly and drew back
I clawed at the bedcovers until they were up to my neckagain
lsquoWherersquos my sister Who are yoursquo
lsquoJust one more thing left to do then Irsquoll leave you to restrsquo
He grimaced apologetically rubbing his hands together
lsquoSorry my hands are coldrsquo
lsquoDonrsquot touch mersquo I scurried backwards bedcovers
clutched to my chest until my spine hit the wooden
headboard lsquoI donrsquot need rest I need to get back to my sister
and my grandparents Right nowrsquo
The mattress groaned beneath his weight as he sat on the
edge of the bed and slowly inched forward lsquoThis will bequick I promisersquo
By now my back had almost fused with the headboard
I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath but gasped
when warm fingers pressed firmly against the pulse in my
neck My eyes snapped open
His lips were moving He was counting
lsquoYour pulse is finersquo he said after a pause sighing as though
genuinely relieved lsquoYoursquore perfectly healthyrsquo
I slapped his hand away The strangerrsquos eyes widened but
he said nothing He seemed nervous and unsure of what
he was doing or what he planned to do next After an
agonisingly long half a minute or so of silence he brushed
his palms against his thighs and leapt to his feet
lsquoWould you like some water to drinkrsquo
Though the inside of my mouth felt like carpet I didnrsquot
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 58
20 CAPTIVATE
lsquoYoursquove slept for a long time The drugs should wear off
soon if not alreadyrsquo
At the mention of drugs my stomach clenched Irsquod
heard the horror stories about girls having roofies slippedinto their drinks and knew exactly what went on while
those poor girls were passed out I reached down and
groped my bare flesh for any kind of bruising but my
arms the insides of my legs and stomach felt okay as far
as I could tell
The guy paced the floors for a few minutes before he
stopped at the foot of the bed and rested an arm against one
of the ornately carved posts
He drew in a deep breath and studied the wooden
mermaids somewhat reluctantly resting his eyes on me
the corners of his mouth twitching in a possible attempt atsmiling as he exhaled
lsquoSo whatrsquos your namersquo His low voice came out an octave
or two higher as though he was trying to sound pleasant
and unthreatening But I remained silent and didnrsquot move a
muscle not even to breathe The only conversation I wanted
to have was of the get-me-the-hell-out-of-here varietyHe bowed his head and swore to himself retreating
into the shadowy corner of the room where hersquod sat
earlier
I watched him my eyes travelling down his broad back
and following the length of his denim-clad legs right
down to the long black boots he woremdashboots with daggers
strapped to them Although he seemed roughly the same
age as me give or take a year he outdid me in height and
weaponry
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 68
VANESSA GARDEN 21
lsquoNearly a week Yoursquove spent most of the time in and out
of sleep The maids have had to assist you in the bathroom
Unfortunately the drugs didnrsquot quite agree with yoursquo
A week Panic closed in like a tight wall squeezing meuntil it was hard breathe
lsquoWherersquos my sisterrsquo My eyes darted intermittently
between the door and my captor
lsquoI didnrsquot take her just yoursquo he said in a quiet voice which
croaked at the last word
A strange combination of elation and crushing guilt
twisted my insides Lauren was safe and I was beyond glad
but I couldnrsquot believe that it had taken me this long to feel
true heartfelt concern for her wellbeing again Digging
my nails into my palms I closed my eyes My sisterrsquos
stricken face floated about in my mind quickly followedby the faces of my grandparents my parents my good
friend Zoe and Aidenmdashall those I had ever loved Perhaps
this is what dying people meant when they said their lives
flashed before their eyes
I sucked in a deep breath and took mental stock of my
situation I wasnrsquot dead yet If the guy had wanted to hurtme then surely he would have done so already This was
possibly some strange mix up Hersquod gotten the wrong girlhellip
or maybe he thought Irsquod been drowning that night and had
lsquosavedrsquo me
I sat up and tried to make eye contact but he was leaning
forward elbows on knees and head in hands
lsquoWhere am Irsquo I asked trying to control the tremor in
my voice
From the darkened corner he sighed and left me
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 78
22 CAPTIVATE
lsquoWhorsquos Sylviarsquo I raked my fingers through my hair
trying to recall anybody I knew by the name of Sylvia
lsquoKeeping me here is illegal You need to take me home
right nowrsquoSilence followed only to be broken by chair legs scraping
against stone when the guy stood up and strode towards the
doormdashmy only way out
I leapt out of bed and ran towards the exit but before I
reached it he slipped through and locked the door behind
him
Beating against the cool metal with my fists I shouted
lsquoCome backrsquo and lsquoLet me out of herersquo over and over again
until the words cut into my throat like razorblades
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 88
Like the
Chapter Sampler
Click here to find out more gt
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
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CHAPTER THREE
T983144983141 983155983141983139983151983150983140 983156983145983149983141 I came to it was like being woken up
with a twenty tonne punch to the head slamming home
recollections of Lauren the water and the manMy eyes popped open and my body jolted my head
jerking about while I grasped my surroundings
High stone walls and a stone ceiling formed a large
rectangular room around me I was in a king-sized four-
poster bed and the wooden faces that had swirled about my
head earlier were carvings of fishes mermaids and mermen
all twisting and spiralling around the bed posts as if being
pulled upwards by a current My eyes followed them right
up to the roof of the bed where gleaming pearls encrusted
in smooth wooden panels winked at me through strips of
white silkAlthough my body was damp with sweat I shivered
convulsively Nothing made sensemdashthis room this fairytale
bed I needed to find Lauren I needed to get back to the
shack Slo l I inched m self into sitting position the act
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 38
18 CAPTIVATE
It was a guy seated in a wooden chair a few metres away
his features shadowed by the dim lighting He yawned
and rubbed at his face his hands making a scratchy sound
against his jaw Then he raised his head to glance in mydirection and sprung from the chair as if somebody had
tipped a bucket of cold water down his back
lsquoWho are you Wherersquos Laurenrsquo I asked hot blood
pounding in my ears My hands instinctively formed fists
which I kept at my chest ready
lsquoYoursquore okayrsquo he said breathlessly and with relief as he
rushed to my side
The stranger was tall had wavy light-brown hair and the
sort of face that made me want to trust him But something
about his overall appearance wasnrsquot right Although he
seemed healthy enoughmdashhis chest was broad and I couldsee the outline of huge biceps below his shirt sleevesmdashhis
skin was abnormally chalk-white as though he hadnrsquot seen
the sun in a long time Like never
Goosebumps prickled my skin
When he leaned over me I caught the stinging scent of
sea saltlsquoIrsquom just going to have a look at yoursquo His voice although
deep had a gentle undertone But it did little to put me at ease
lsquoWho are you Where am Irsquo
lsquoThis will only take a minutersquo he said ignoring my
questions before peeling back the covers to expose my
bather-clad body
I gasped and shrank back into the pillow my hands
fumbling to shield as much as they could
His dark-brown eyes the pupils dilated in the dimness of
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 48
VANESSA GARDEN 19
on But when he met my eyes he held his breath and stared
into them for what seemed an eternity before he exhaled
softly and drew back
I clawed at the bedcovers until they were up to my neckagain
lsquoWherersquos my sister Who are yoursquo
lsquoJust one more thing left to do then Irsquoll leave you to restrsquo
He grimaced apologetically rubbing his hands together
lsquoSorry my hands are coldrsquo
lsquoDonrsquot touch mersquo I scurried backwards bedcovers
clutched to my chest until my spine hit the wooden
headboard lsquoI donrsquot need rest I need to get back to my sister
and my grandparents Right nowrsquo
The mattress groaned beneath his weight as he sat on the
edge of the bed and slowly inched forward lsquoThis will bequick I promisersquo
By now my back had almost fused with the headboard
I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath but gasped
when warm fingers pressed firmly against the pulse in my
neck My eyes snapped open
His lips were moving He was counting
lsquoYour pulse is finersquo he said after a pause sighing as though
genuinely relieved lsquoYoursquore perfectly healthyrsquo
I slapped his hand away The strangerrsquos eyes widened but
he said nothing He seemed nervous and unsure of what
he was doing or what he planned to do next After an
agonisingly long half a minute or so of silence he brushed
his palms against his thighs and leapt to his feet
lsquoWould you like some water to drinkrsquo
Though the inside of my mouth felt like carpet I didnrsquot
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 58
20 CAPTIVATE
lsquoYoursquove slept for a long time The drugs should wear off
soon if not alreadyrsquo
At the mention of drugs my stomach clenched Irsquod
heard the horror stories about girls having roofies slippedinto their drinks and knew exactly what went on while
those poor girls were passed out I reached down and
groped my bare flesh for any kind of bruising but my
arms the insides of my legs and stomach felt okay as far
as I could tell
The guy paced the floors for a few minutes before he
stopped at the foot of the bed and rested an arm against one
of the ornately carved posts
He drew in a deep breath and studied the wooden
mermaids somewhat reluctantly resting his eyes on me
the corners of his mouth twitching in a possible attempt atsmiling as he exhaled
lsquoSo whatrsquos your namersquo His low voice came out an octave
or two higher as though he was trying to sound pleasant
and unthreatening But I remained silent and didnrsquot move a
muscle not even to breathe The only conversation I wanted
to have was of the get-me-the-hell-out-of-here varietyHe bowed his head and swore to himself retreating
into the shadowy corner of the room where hersquod sat
earlier
I watched him my eyes travelling down his broad back
and following the length of his denim-clad legs right
down to the long black boots he woremdashboots with daggers
strapped to them Although he seemed roughly the same
age as me give or take a year he outdid me in height and
weaponry
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 68
VANESSA GARDEN 21
lsquoNearly a week Yoursquove spent most of the time in and out
of sleep The maids have had to assist you in the bathroom
Unfortunately the drugs didnrsquot quite agree with yoursquo
A week Panic closed in like a tight wall squeezing meuntil it was hard breathe
lsquoWherersquos my sisterrsquo My eyes darted intermittently
between the door and my captor
lsquoI didnrsquot take her just yoursquo he said in a quiet voice which
croaked at the last word
A strange combination of elation and crushing guilt
twisted my insides Lauren was safe and I was beyond glad
but I couldnrsquot believe that it had taken me this long to feel
true heartfelt concern for her wellbeing again Digging
my nails into my palms I closed my eyes My sisterrsquos
stricken face floated about in my mind quickly followedby the faces of my grandparents my parents my good
friend Zoe and Aidenmdashall those I had ever loved Perhaps
this is what dying people meant when they said their lives
flashed before their eyes
I sucked in a deep breath and took mental stock of my
situation I wasnrsquot dead yet If the guy had wanted to hurtme then surely he would have done so already This was
possibly some strange mix up Hersquod gotten the wrong girlhellip
or maybe he thought Irsquod been drowning that night and had
lsquosavedrsquo me
I sat up and tried to make eye contact but he was leaning
forward elbows on knees and head in hands
lsquoWhere am Irsquo I asked trying to control the tremor in
my voice
From the darkened corner he sighed and left me
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 78
22 CAPTIVATE
lsquoWhorsquos Sylviarsquo I raked my fingers through my hair
trying to recall anybody I knew by the name of Sylvia
lsquoKeeping me here is illegal You need to take me home
right nowrsquoSilence followed only to be broken by chair legs scraping
against stone when the guy stood up and strode towards the
doormdashmy only way out
I leapt out of bed and ran towards the exit but before I
reached it he slipped through and locked the door behind
him
Beating against the cool metal with my fists I shouted
lsquoCome backrsquo and lsquoLet me out of herersquo over and over again
until the words cut into my throat like razorblades
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 88
Like the
Chapter Sampler
Click here to find out more gt
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 38
18 CAPTIVATE
It was a guy seated in a wooden chair a few metres away
his features shadowed by the dim lighting He yawned
and rubbed at his face his hands making a scratchy sound
against his jaw Then he raised his head to glance in mydirection and sprung from the chair as if somebody had
tipped a bucket of cold water down his back
lsquoWho are you Wherersquos Laurenrsquo I asked hot blood
pounding in my ears My hands instinctively formed fists
which I kept at my chest ready
lsquoYoursquore okayrsquo he said breathlessly and with relief as he
rushed to my side
The stranger was tall had wavy light-brown hair and the
sort of face that made me want to trust him But something
about his overall appearance wasnrsquot right Although he
seemed healthy enoughmdashhis chest was broad and I couldsee the outline of huge biceps below his shirt sleevesmdashhis
skin was abnormally chalk-white as though he hadnrsquot seen
the sun in a long time Like never
Goosebumps prickled my skin
When he leaned over me I caught the stinging scent of
sea saltlsquoIrsquom just going to have a look at yoursquo His voice although
deep had a gentle undertone But it did little to put me at ease
lsquoWho are you Where am Irsquo
lsquoThis will only take a minutersquo he said ignoring my
questions before peeling back the covers to expose my
bather-clad body
I gasped and shrank back into the pillow my hands
fumbling to shield as much as they could
His dark-brown eyes the pupils dilated in the dimness of
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 48
VANESSA GARDEN 19
on But when he met my eyes he held his breath and stared
into them for what seemed an eternity before he exhaled
softly and drew back
I clawed at the bedcovers until they were up to my neckagain
lsquoWherersquos my sister Who are yoursquo
lsquoJust one more thing left to do then Irsquoll leave you to restrsquo
He grimaced apologetically rubbing his hands together
lsquoSorry my hands are coldrsquo
lsquoDonrsquot touch mersquo I scurried backwards bedcovers
clutched to my chest until my spine hit the wooden
headboard lsquoI donrsquot need rest I need to get back to my sister
and my grandparents Right nowrsquo
The mattress groaned beneath his weight as he sat on the
edge of the bed and slowly inched forward lsquoThis will bequick I promisersquo
By now my back had almost fused with the headboard
I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath but gasped
when warm fingers pressed firmly against the pulse in my
neck My eyes snapped open
His lips were moving He was counting
lsquoYour pulse is finersquo he said after a pause sighing as though
genuinely relieved lsquoYoursquore perfectly healthyrsquo
I slapped his hand away The strangerrsquos eyes widened but
he said nothing He seemed nervous and unsure of what
he was doing or what he planned to do next After an
agonisingly long half a minute or so of silence he brushed
his palms against his thighs and leapt to his feet
lsquoWould you like some water to drinkrsquo
Though the inside of my mouth felt like carpet I didnrsquot
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 58
20 CAPTIVATE
lsquoYoursquove slept for a long time The drugs should wear off
soon if not alreadyrsquo
At the mention of drugs my stomach clenched Irsquod
heard the horror stories about girls having roofies slippedinto their drinks and knew exactly what went on while
those poor girls were passed out I reached down and
groped my bare flesh for any kind of bruising but my
arms the insides of my legs and stomach felt okay as far
as I could tell
The guy paced the floors for a few minutes before he
stopped at the foot of the bed and rested an arm against one
of the ornately carved posts
He drew in a deep breath and studied the wooden
mermaids somewhat reluctantly resting his eyes on me
the corners of his mouth twitching in a possible attempt atsmiling as he exhaled
lsquoSo whatrsquos your namersquo His low voice came out an octave
or two higher as though he was trying to sound pleasant
and unthreatening But I remained silent and didnrsquot move a
muscle not even to breathe The only conversation I wanted
to have was of the get-me-the-hell-out-of-here varietyHe bowed his head and swore to himself retreating
into the shadowy corner of the room where hersquod sat
earlier
I watched him my eyes travelling down his broad back
and following the length of his denim-clad legs right
down to the long black boots he woremdashboots with daggers
strapped to them Although he seemed roughly the same
age as me give or take a year he outdid me in height and
weaponry
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 68
VANESSA GARDEN 21
lsquoNearly a week Yoursquove spent most of the time in and out
of sleep The maids have had to assist you in the bathroom
Unfortunately the drugs didnrsquot quite agree with yoursquo
A week Panic closed in like a tight wall squeezing meuntil it was hard breathe
lsquoWherersquos my sisterrsquo My eyes darted intermittently
between the door and my captor
lsquoI didnrsquot take her just yoursquo he said in a quiet voice which
croaked at the last word
A strange combination of elation and crushing guilt
twisted my insides Lauren was safe and I was beyond glad
but I couldnrsquot believe that it had taken me this long to feel
true heartfelt concern for her wellbeing again Digging
my nails into my palms I closed my eyes My sisterrsquos
stricken face floated about in my mind quickly followedby the faces of my grandparents my parents my good
friend Zoe and Aidenmdashall those I had ever loved Perhaps
this is what dying people meant when they said their lives
flashed before their eyes
I sucked in a deep breath and took mental stock of my
situation I wasnrsquot dead yet If the guy had wanted to hurtme then surely he would have done so already This was
possibly some strange mix up Hersquod gotten the wrong girlhellip
or maybe he thought Irsquod been drowning that night and had
lsquosavedrsquo me
I sat up and tried to make eye contact but he was leaning
forward elbows on knees and head in hands
lsquoWhere am Irsquo I asked trying to control the tremor in
my voice
From the darkened corner he sighed and left me
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 78
22 CAPTIVATE
lsquoWhorsquos Sylviarsquo I raked my fingers through my hair
trying to recall anybody I knew by the name of Sylvia
lsquoKeeping me here is illegal You need to take me home
right nowrsquoSilence followed only to be broken by chair legs scraping
against stone when the guy stood up and strode towards the
doormdashmy only way out
I leapt out of bed and ran towards the exit but before I
reached it he slipped through and locked the door behind
him
Beating against the cool metal with my fists I shouted
lsquoCome backrsquo and lsquoLet me out of herersquo over and over again
until the words cut into my throat like razorblades
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 88
Like the
Chapter Sampler
Click here to find out more gt
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 48
VANESSA GARDEN 19
on But when he met my eyes he held his breath and stared
into them for what seemed an eternity before he exhaled
softly and drew back
I clawed at the bedcovers until they were up to my neckagain
lsquoWherersquos my sister Who are yoursquo
lsquoJust one more thing left to do then Irsquoll leave you to restrsquo
He grimaced apologetically rubbing his hands together
lsquoSorry my hands are coldrsquo
lsquoDonrsquot touch mersquo I scurried backwards bedcovers
clutched to my chest until my spine hit the wooden
headboard lsquoI donrsquot need rest I need to get back to my sister
and my grandparents Right nowrsquo
The mattress groaned beneath his weight as he sat on the
edge of the bed and slowly inched forward lsquoThis will bequick I promisersquo
By now my back had almost fused with the headboard
I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath but gasped
when warm fingers pressed firmly against the pulse in my
neck My eyes snapped open
His lips were moving He was counting
lsquoYour pulse is finersquo he said after a pause sighing as though
genuinely relieved lsquoYoursquore perfectly healthyrsquo
I slapped his hand away The strangerrsquos eyes widened but
he said nothing He seemed nervous and unsure of what
he was doing or what he planned to do next After an
agonisingly long half a minute or so of silence he brushed
his palms against his thighs and leapt to his feet
lsquoWould you like some water to drinkrsquo
Though the inside of my mouth felt like carpet I didnrsquot
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 58
20 CAPTIVATE
lsquoYoursquove slept for a long time The drugs should wear off
soon if not alreadyrsquo
At the mention of drugs my stomach clenched Irsquod
heard the horror stories about girls having roofies slippedinto their drinks and knew exactly what went on while
those poor girls were passed out I reached down and
groped my bare flesh for any kind of bruising but my
arms the insides of my legs and stomach felt okay as far
as I could tell
The guy paced the floors for a few minutes before he
stopped at the foot of the bed and rested an arm against one
of the ornately carved posts
He drew in a deep breath and studied the wooden
mermaids somewhat reluctantly resting his eyes on me
the corners of his mouth twitching in a possible attempt atsmiling as he exhaled
lsquoSo whatrsquos your namersquo His low voice came out an octave
or two higher as though he was trying to sound pleasant
and unthreatening But I remained silent and didnrsquot move a
muscle not even to breathe The only conversation I wanted
to have was of the get-me-the-hell-out-of-here varietyHe bowed his head and swore to himself retreating
into the shadowy corner of the room where hersquod sat
earlier
I watched him my eyes travelling down his broad back
and following the length of his denim-clad legs right
down to the long black boots he woremdashboots with daggers
strapped to them Although he seemed roughly the same
age as me give or take a year he outdid me in height and
weaponry
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 68
VANESSA GARDEN 21
lsquoNearly a week Yoursquove spent most of the time in and out
of sleep The maids have had to assist you in the bathroom
Unfortunately the drugs didnrsquot quite agree with yoursquo
A week Panic closed in like a tight wall squeezing meuntil it was hard breathe
lsquoWherersquos my sisterrsquo My eyes darted intermittently
between the door and my captor
lsquoI didnrsquot take her just yoursquo he said in a quiet voice which
croaked at the last word
A strange combination of elation and crushing guilt
twisted my insides Lauren was safe and I was beyond glad
but I couldnrsquot believe that it had taken me this long to feel
true heartfelt concern for her wellbeing again Digging
my nails into my palms I closed my eyes My sisterrsquos
stricken face floated about in my mind quickly followedby the faces of my grandparents my parents my good
friend Zoe and Aidenmdashall those I had ever loved Perhaps
this is what dying people meant when they said their lives
flashed before their eyes
I sucked in a deep breath and took mental stock of my
situation I wasnrsquot dead yet If the guy had wanted to hurtme then surely he would have done so already This was
possibly some strange mix up Hersquod gotten the wrong girlhellip
or maybe he thought Irsquod been drowning that night and had
lsquosavedrsquo me
I sat up and tried to make eye contact but he was leaning
forward elbows on knees and head in hands
lsquoWhere am Irsquo I asked trying to control the tremor in
my voice
From the darkened corner he sighed and left me
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullcaptivate-by-vanessa-garden-chapter-sampler 78
22 CAPTIVATE
lsquoWhorsquos Sylviarsquo I raked my fingers through my hair
trying to recall anybody I knew by the name of Sylvia
lsquoKeeping me here is illegal You need to take me home
right nowrsquoSilence followed only to be broken by chair legs scraping
against stone when the guy stood up and strode towards the
doormdashmy only way out
I leapt out of bed and ran towards the exit but before I
reached it he slipped through and locked the door behind
him
Beating against the cool metal with my fists I shouted
lsquoCome backrsquo and lsquoLet me out of herersquo over and over again
until the words cut into my throat like razorblades
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20 CAPTIVATE
lsquoYoursquove slept for a long time The drugs should wear off
soon if not alreadyrsquo
At the mention of drugs my stomach clenched Irsquod
heard the horror stories about girls having roofies slippedinto their drinks and knew exactly what went on while
those poor girls were passed out I reached down and
groped my bare flesh for any kind of bruising but my
arms the insides of my legs and stomach felt okay as far
as I could tell
The guy paced the floors for a few minutes before he
stopped at the foot of the bed and rested an arm against one
of the ornately carved posts
He drew in a deep breath and studied the wooden
mermaids somewhat reluctantly resting his eyes on me
the corners of his mouth twitching in a possible attempt atsmiling as he exhaled
lsquoSo whatrsquos your namersquo His low voice came out an octave
or two higher as though he was trying to sound pleasant
and unthreatening But I remained silent and didnrsquot move a
muscle not even to breathe The only conversation I wanted
to have was of the get-me-the-hell-out-of-here varietyHe bowed his head and swore to himself retreating
into the shadowy corner of the room where hersquod sat
earlier
I watched him my eyes travelling down his broad back
and following the length of his denim-clad legs right
down to the long black boots he woremdashboots with daggers
strapped to them Although he seemed roughly the same
age as me give or take a year he outdid me in height and
weaponry
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VANESSA GARDEN 21
lsquoNearly a week Yoursquove spent most of the time in and out
of sleep The maids have had to assist you in the bathroom
Unfortunately the drugs didnrsquot quite agree with yoursquo
A week Panic closed in like a tight wall squeezing meuntil it was hard breathe
lsquoWherersquos my sisterrsquo My eyes darted intermittently
between the door and my captor
lsquoI didnrsquot take her just yoursquo he said in a quiet voice which
croaked at the last word
A strange combination of elation and crushing guilt
twisted my insides Lauren was safe and I was beyond glad
but I couldnrsquot believe that it had taken me this long to feel
true heartfelt concern for her wellbeing again Digging
my nails into my palms I closed my eyes My sisterrsquos
stricken face floated about in my mind quickly followedby the faces of my grandparents my parents my good
friend Zoe and Aidenmdashall those I had ever loved Perhaps
this is what dying people meant when they said their lives
flashed before their eyes
I sucked in a deep breath and took mental stock of my
situation I wasnrsquot dead yet If the guy had wanted to hurtme then surely he would have done so already This was
possibly some strange mix up Hersquod gotten the wrong girlhellip
or maybe he thought Irsquod been drowning that night and had
lsquosavedrsquo me
I sat up and tried to make eye contact but he was leaning
forward elbows on knees and head in hands
lsquoWhere am Irsquo I asked trying to control the tremor in
my voice
From the darkened corner he sighed and left me
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22 CAPTIVATE
lsquoWhorsquos Sylviarsquo I raked my fingers through my hair
trying to recall anybody I knew by the name of Sylvia
lsquoKeeping me here is illegal You need to take me home
right nowrsquoSilence followed only to be broken by chair legs scraping
against stone when the guy stood up and strode towards the
doormdashmy only way out
I leapt out of bed and ran towards the exit but before I
reached it he slipped through and locked the door behind
him
Beating against the cool metal with my fists I shouted
lsquoCome backrsquo and lsquoLet me out of herersquo over and over again
until the words cut into my throat like razorblades
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
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VANESSA GARDEN 21
lsquoNearly a week Yoursquove spent most of the time in and out
of sleep The maids have had to assist you in the bathroom
Unfortunately the drugs didnrsquot quite agree with yoursquo
A week Panic closed in like a tight wall squeezing meuntil it was hard breathe
lsquoWherersquos my sisterrsquo My eyes darted intermittently
between the door and my captor
lsquoI didnrsquot take her just yoursquo he said in a quiet voice which
croaked at the last word
A strange combination of elation and crushing guilt
twisted my insides Lauren was safe and I was beyond glad
but I couldnrsquot believe that it had taken me this long to feel
true heartfelt concern for her wellbeing again Digging
my nails into my palms I closed my eyes My sisterrsquos
stricken face floated about in my mind quickly followedby the faces of my grandparents my parents my good
friend Zoe and Aidenmdashall those I had ever loved Perhaps
this is what dying people meant when they said their lives
flashed before their eyes
I sucked in a deep breath and took mental stock of my
situation I wasnrsquot dead yet If the guy had wanted to hurtme then surely he would have done so already This was
possibly some strange mix up Hersquod gotten the wrong girlhellip
or maybe he thought Irsquod been drowning that night and had
lsquosavedrsquo me
I sat up and tried to make eye contact but he was leaning
forward elbows on knees and head in hands
lsquoWhere am Irsquo I asked trying to control the tremor in
my voice
From the darkened corner he sighed and left me
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22 CAPTIVATE
lsquoWhorsquos Sylviarsquo I raked my fingers through my hair
trying to recall anybody I knew by the name of Sylvia
lsquoKeeping me here is illegal You need to take me home
right nowrsquoSilence followed only to be broken by chair legs scraping
against stone when the guy stood up and strode towards the
doormdashmy only way out
I leapt out of bed and ran towards the exit but before I
reached it he slipped through and locked the door behind
him
Beating against the cool metal with my fists I shouted
lsquoCome backrsquo and lsquoLet me out of herersquo over and over again
until the words cut into my throat like razorblades
8132019 Captivate by Vanessa Garden - Chapter Sampler
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22 CAPTIVATE
lsquoWhorsquos Sylviarsquo I raked my fingers through my hair
trying to recall anybody I knew by the name of Sylvia
lsquoKeeping me here is illegal You need to take me home
right nowrsquoSilence followed only to be broken by chair legs scraping
against stone when the guy stood up and strode towards the
doormdashmy only way out
I leapt out of bed and ran towards the exit but before I
reached it he slipped through and locked the door behind
him
Beating against the cool metal with my fists I shouted
lsquoCome backrsquo and lsquoLet me out of herersquo over and over again
until the words cut into my throat like razorblades
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