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worse," he said slowly and moved a step closer, putting a hand on my shoulder to keep me in place. His belt buckle was at eye level and one more step would have eliminated the distance completely.
    "I could be making you do things they don't even talk about in your Ivy League schools."
    My jaw clenched and I smiled at him. "It was George Washington University, actually."
    Kaden scoffed and released my face, walking away and sitting on the couch. He picked up a remote and turned on the small television that was in the corner of the room. I stood up, not wanting to join him, just wanting to do something to distract myself, but he spread his legs on the couch, leaving no room for me even if I had wanted to sit down. Shaking my head and rolling my eyes, I walked to the kitchen and looked under the sink. There, along with old grocery bags and a pair of snow boots, was exactly what I was looking for. I picked up the bleach, the tile cleaner and a sponge before standing up and turning straight into Kaden.
    "What do you think you're doing?"
    "Cleaning. This place is as disgusting as you are."
    Kaden's emerald eyes sparkled with amusement and his lips twitched into a half smile. "Don't make yourself too useful. I might never let you go."
    "Good luck explaining that to the FBI agents who will be pounding down your door when they discover I'm missing. Time's running out rather quickly now. I haven't spoken to my father in almost a week and he'll begin to wonder where I am."
    "Fuck you, Raleigh," Kaden swore before walking back into the living room and taking his position on the couch.
    I smiled to myself and for the first time in many, many years, I was happy that my father was in such a position of power.

Chapter 7
     
    The hours felt like days and the days felt like months. I spent most of my time in the basement, cleaning and organizing, trying to keep myself busy because the alternative was lonely misery. At times I would find tears on my cheeks without even realizing I had been crying. I would drop a glass or a towel, whatever else was in my hand, without even realizing I was shaking.
    Kaden stayed true to his word and kept Ray away from me. On the days when Ray and his brother left the house, Kaden would keep the basement door open. I was free to roam around the main floor, and use the kitchen and bathroom as I pleased. I looked forward to those days.
    But on days when they were all away, or on days when they all stayed in the house, the basement door would remain locked and I had nothing but myself and the broken furniture to keep me entertained. Often, I would try to imagine the furniture in its prime, what it looked like, where it was kept, what was stored in the drawers or beneath table legs. Unfortunately, my imagination was not very creative and all the images inside my head looked more like a shabby-chic collection from a design catalogue. Other times, I would lie in my bed and try to remember my mother's voice. Although I doubted I was remembering it accurately; it had been such a long time since I had heard anything.
    I was doing just that, while staring at the basement ceiling when I saw the dust falling from the beams overhead and I knew they were home. A week, maybe eight or nine days, had passed since they first brought me here, and I knew Kaden was getting anxious. He would stare at me for literally hours on end if we were alone, trying to figure out what he was going to do with me. His gaze bothered me at first but, like the silence, I learned to get used to it. I was never doing anything amusing or entertaining, usually just reading whatever magazine Ray or Marshal brought home. They didn't have books. Sometimes I would watch television with him. Kaden's green eyes were always on me, studying and questioning my every move.
    We rarely spoke, which I found odd. If I were in his position, I would want to know everything I could about the person I was planning to ransom. I took his silence to be some sort of strategy,