Read Held for Free Online Page B

he’d said he would be. A madman of his word.
    He smiled at me , took my wrist in his hand, and snapped the cuff around it. I followed as he led me to the kitchen and once again hooked the handcuff to the underside of the table.
    “I’m sure you ’re hungry,” he said. I watched as he pulled items from the refrigerator and carried them to the counter by the stove. “Do you like scrambled eggs?”
    I thought of not answering, but decided I was too hungry to ignore the opportunity to eat. “Yes.”
    With his back to me, he nodded. “Good. While I cook, I see no reason we can’t continue our conversation from last night, do you?”
    I rolled my eyes, knowing that he couldn’t see me. “Sure,” I said, unenthusiastically.
    “Very well. Did you attend college?”
    “Yes.”
    “In what field do you have a degree?”
    “I don’t have a degree. I didn’t finish college.”
    He glanced back at me over his shoulder. “You didn’t finish? Why?”
    “My mom got sick and I had to go home and take care of her. After she died, I wasn’t interested in scho ol anymore. I never went back.”
    “That’s a pity. You said you were married. Where did you meet your husband?”
    “He was the friend of a friend. I met him at my friend’s birthday party.”
    “How innocent. When was that?”
    “Seven years ago.”
    “Do you love him?”
    “Of course. Why would I have married him if I didn’t love him?”
    “I’m not saying you didn’t love him at one time, but many people fall out of love. I was just inquiring as to whether you still loved him, after seven years.”
    “Well I do. More now than then, in fact.” It pissed me off to have this asshole asking me personal questions, but if it kept him calm, I would suck it up and push through. Besides, I knew there were far worse things he could be doing to me other than prying into my personal history.
    “Do you believe that he loves you as much as you love him?”
    “Yes.”
    “Do you think he’s searching for you right now, as we speak?”
    I imagined Wade and what he must be going through. I had no doubt that he was devastated. We’d never been apart. I’d never failed to come home, nor had he. We went to bed together every night, and we woke up next to each other every morning. We didn’t fight, we didn’t argue, though from time to time, we disagreed. My heart sank as I thought of how sad he must be.
    “Yes, I do.”
    “Do you think he’ll find you?”
    I could tell by the way he stopped what he was doing and studied my face that my answer would be pivotal. Quickly but carefully, I weighed my answer. I wasn’t sure what to say, but I felt that I should say no. Ron thought he was smarter than other people and if I said my husband would find me, he would be furious, feeling as though I thought he was too dumb to outsmart my husband. He may even move me to another location, one not nearly as nice as this one.
    “Probably not,” I said.
    He smiled and nodded. I sighed, relieved to have answered his question correctly.
    H e carried two plates to the table and set one in front of me. The aroma of the eggs and buttered toast made my stomach rumble. He sat across from me, and we began to eat. I didn’t have to ask why I was eating my scrambled eggs with a spoon and he had a fork. It was obvious. A fork was a weapon. And though I supposed I could possibly put out one of his eyes with the handle of the spoon if I got really lucky, I knew that wouldn’t happen. Even if I did manage to cause him sort of damage with the rounded utensil, I was still handcuffed to the heavy table.
    “Is it my turn to ask you questions yet?” I asked after the first bite.
    “I suppose that would be fine.”
    “Where were you born?”
    “Milwaukee.”
    “Is that where you were raised?”
    “No. My family moved around a great deal, so we were never in one place for long.”
    “Was your father in the military?”
    “No.”
    “Then why did you move around so much?”
    “My