Thoughts of Escape

Liana & Charlie

Sitting at the little table in Charlie Prince's kitchen, Liana did her best to eat. She had to--for the baby. Blowing carefully at the hot soup in the spoon, she choked it down. Charlie sat across the table from her, watching her intently.

"So, what-what do you plan to do exactly, Charlie?" she asked him, more to hear her own voice than out of any real curiosity. He'd told her yesterday what his plans entailed.

She'd been in this house more than twenty-four hours now, spending most of that time handcuffed to the bed in the tiny bedroom. Last night, Charlie had spent long hours sitting on the bed beside her, telling her all about how much he cared for her.

Liana had nearly been sick as he talked about how he'd been crazy about her since he'd first met her. How much he wanted her. About how he'd be a good husband to her and a good father to the baby.

The insane look in his glittering eyes as he talked had chilled her to the bone. The man was crazy. He expected her to leave Ben behind and love him instead. He actually thought that kidnapping her and keeping her with him would make her forget her husband.

She had sat listening to him in shock until he had finally decided to let her go to sleep. He'd unfastened the handcuffs that locked her to the bed frame, let her go to the bathroom. There was no window in it and Liana had not been able to find anything that she could use as a weapon. She'd stayed in there, thinking furiously, until Charlie had made her come out.

When he'd handcuffed her to the bed again and gone into the next room, she had lay down, thinking she'd never sleep. Finally, though, she had, out of sheer exhaustion. A few times the baby had kicked and she'd run her free hand over her belly. "It'll be all right, little one," she'd murmured softly to him. She'd fallen asleep crying, saying "Ben" very quietly.

She'd spent all day today frantically trying to think of a way to escape. Charlie had gone to work like he always did, but he'd left someone to watch her. Someone she recognized. Luke, the man had Ben had fired several month earlier for beating one of the horses. All day long, Liana had made attempts to talk to him. To tell him that, no matter how much Charlie was paying him, Ben would pay him more for her safe return. Luke had ignored her.

Now, sitting across from Charlie, Liana knew that her chance for escape would be better during the day. Charlie had eyes like a hawk. He kept them on her every moment. Luke had only bothered to look at her when he allowed her to go to the bathroom. The rest of the time, he kept her locked up and ignored her.

She knew that Ben would come for her, but how long would it take him to realize that it was Charlie who had her? He trusted Charlie as a foreman. Had no reason to suspect that he would take Liana. And Charlie was going to work as usual. He'd even mentioned that he and all the other men had searched the entire ranch with no one reporting any sight of the boss' wife.

No, she had to escape on her own. Had to rescue herself and the baby. Liana forced herself to smile as she looked at Charlie. Maybe she could convince him that she was warming up to him.