Read Hope Restrained (Estate Series) for Free Online Page B

either when I first
arrived, so I can understand — although I’m sure it is for far different
reasons.”
    Hope studied the woman’s face. Even though it had been
years, she recognized her. “You’re the musician who went missing. I saw you on
the news for days. I figured you were as good as dead when they found nothing
except for a rose left in the parking lot outside of the theater.”
    The woman smiled. “I’m surprised they left the rose behind. That
sounds a bit sloppy for Joseph.” She let out a faint sigh, “And yes, at one
time, I was her. But that was years ago and things change.”
    Hope had to keep the woman talking in case there was a
chance she could play on her sympathies. “What did they do to you?”
    Her blues eyes blinked and she smiled. “To whom are you
referring? Aaron and Xander, or The Estate as a whole?”
    “Is there a difference?” Hope’s voice dripped with the
hatred she felt. She’d lived her entire life fearing The Estate’s reach. Living
in shadows, she’d been careful not to draw the attention of its members. Somehow,
despite her efforts, it found her anyway.
    “My name is Maddy, by the way.” She smiled warmly. There was
nothing but kindness in her eyes as she reached for a box on the table.
    “And this is where I’m supposed to be polite and tell you
mine?”
    “Not if you don’t want to. Xander will find that out. He’s
very resourceful. I’m only here to remove the lead from your body. We’d hate
for you to get an infection. Aaron is particular about that.”
    “He likes to keep his slaves healthy?” Hope laughed. “That’s
new.”
    The woman’s eyes flicked up from the supplies she was
gathering for a brief second. A blush fell across her cheeks from an unspoken
thought. Eventually, after seemingly gathering what she required, she looked up
again. “You’re not being kept as a slave.”
    She stood from the table and crossed the distance,
antiseptic and a cloth held in her hands. “I’m going to clean you up first,
then we’ll see what we can do about the bullet.”
    “Surgery will be difficult, don’t you think?” She shook the
chains. “Given that I’m chained and all.”
    The woman angled her head when she asked, “Would you like me
to remove them?”
    Suspicion tore through Hope’s body at the suggestion. She
wouldn’t kill the woman if freed, but she would silence her in order to escape.
Playing on Maddy’s sympathies, she responded, “Yes, please. I’m afraid of what
they will do to me, afraid that they’ll …” She let her eyes fall, desperate to
appear scared and nonthreatening. Looking up again, she continued, “… I’m
afraid they’ll hurt me or rape me. Please help me get free.”
    Straightening her head on her shoulders, Maddy took a few
more steps, smiled and shrugged. “No problem. I’ll ask Xander for the key when
I’m done cleaning you up.” Another smile.
    Hope’s shock turned to frustration. “He’ll never give them
to you.”
    “I know, but if you’re going to make impossible demands, I’ll
offer impossible responses.” She looked up into Hope’s eyes. “I’m not stupid. I’ve
lived in this place for three years. Don’t you think I would have learned by now
how your kind operates?” She pulled the coat away from Hope’s shoulder to
inspect and clean the wound.
    Hope flinched from the sting of the antiseptic on her skin,
but stood still, allowing Maddy to tend to the wound. The bullet hadn’t struck
anything vital, but infection would render her arm useless. She needed her body
to heal if she had any chance of escape.
    “I’d ask why you attempted to kill Aaron, but I think I have
a pretty good idea. Not many people would attempt the executioner’s life. You’re
very brave — or stupid.”
    Hope looked down, confusion furrowed her brows and her eyes
narrowed on Maddy. “You sound like you like it here. I saw how you touched him
in the hall. You must be the type who likes being treated like a