Read Forever Lost: Becoming Elena - Book Two for Free Online Page B

beautiful woman standing there with an open smile and long dark hair.
    “Hi, Elena, I’m Tina, your personal shopper for the day,” she said and stepped into the room.
    Elena was confused.
    “My shopper?” she finally asked when the woman didn’t elaborate.
    “Yes. Dalton said you’ve never been out shopping, and he has events coming up, so you and I get to go put a nice little dent in his platinum card,” Tina said with a twinkle in her eyes.
    Dalton hadn’t said a word to her about shopping or events. She’d only left the house with him twice: once at the beach, which hadn’t gone too well, and the second time when he’d taken her home. That had gone even worse.
    “I don’t understand,” Elena said, not moving from her position.
    “What don’t you understand? We’re going to buy clothes, cosmetics, get a makeover, and it’s all on Dalton,” the woman said with a laugh. “Come on. There’s lots to do and only so many hours in a day.”
    She turned toward the door, opened it, and exited. Elena didn’t move. Was this a test from Dalton? He’d told her she was to do exactly as he said at all times. Was he seeing if she would jump ship at the first opportunity?
    Elena was torn on what to do. Tina came back to the open door and looked at her expectantly.
    “Dalton didn’t say anything about this to me. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to go,” Elena finally told her.
    Though it was almost physically painful to resist going out when she rarely ever got to leave the mansion, she wanted to pass this test.
    “We will be back before Dalton gets home if we leave now. You have nothing to fear,” Tina said, her brows puckered as she considered Elena.
    “I . . . really . . . I don’t know . . .”
    Elena was torn. Tina picked up her phone and dialed, holding it to her ear. It must have been answered quickly.
    “Dalton. Would you please tell Elena it’s okay to go out with me,” Tina said before turning back to Elena. “He wants to speak to you.”
    Elena cringed as she took the phone. This was a test, and she’d failed it by disobeying Dalton’s friend or employee, maybe even his lover. She had to fight the trembling in her fingers as she put the phone to her ear.
    “Elena?” His voice was firm and she couldn’t stop the slight quiver this time.
    “Yes, it’s me,” she said.
    “Go shopping with Tina. I have events coming up, and I need you presentable. Enjoy the afternoon.”
    “Okay,” she said. Before Dalton said another word, the phone was ripped from her fingers as Tina lifted it back to her ear.
    “Good. That’s all settled. I’m going to make a dint in your ever expanding wealth now,” she said with a laugh. He must have said something else, because her chuckles grew before she hung up the phone.
    Elena followed Tina out the door without any hesitation; they moved down the staircase and exited the house. The large black SUV was waiting for them, and Elena gave Lincoln a hesitant smile as she began climbing in.
    “It’s good to see you outside, Elena,” he told her.
    “Thanks, Lincoln,” she responded.
    She wouldn’t exactly call Lincoln her friend, but he was her confidant once in a while. Dalton would sometimes be gone for days at a time and if her path crossed with Lincoln’s he would offer her kind words, or just sit and talk to her about anything and everything.
    He was a huge football fan and really got revved up when the Cowboys were playing. It didn’t help that they often lost games. He said it didn’t matter if your team was winning or losing, you were loyal to them no matter what.
    Elena knew nothing about loyalty. She’d been loyal to Leo and look how badly that had turned out for her. That man had shattered her trust in people, had abused her, and done whatever he’d wanted with her. But she’d never felt protected by Leo, just used and afraid.
    Dalton had saved her from that life, but really, what had he saved her for? He wasn’t nearly as cruel as