"It's two in the morning, in weather like this. There's not a cab to be found out here, and the nearest hotel is miles away. You'll freeze to death on the side of the road."
The moment the words left her mouth, Lauren seemed to get an idea. She picked up her phone and dialed.
"Call every hotel and motel in Capital City. Laurence Henson is not to be given a room. Anywhere."
My heart plummeted.
This was Lauren's obedience test.
She wanted me to understand that she could dictate my life on a whim. She was training me to be docile, to swallow my pride and submit.
I drew a long breath, then slapped the bank cards down on the coffee table.
Without a second's hesitation, I pulled off the Canada Goose parka and tossed it into the fireplace beside me.
The flames surged, casting a bright glow across Lauren's stunned face.
I turned and walked straight into the blizzard without looking back.
The wind cut through me like a blade. Every step was a battle, my whole body shaking so violently my teeth rattled. I kept going until I found an internet cafe that was still open, and begged the owner for a cup of hot water. Only after I drank it did the feeling start returning to my fingers.
But within minutes, my eyelids grew impossibly heavy. I slumped forward and passed out.
Somewhere in the haze, I felt hands on me.
I forced my eyes open and found myself staring into the owner's greasy, bloated face.
The cafe that had been buzzing with people just moments ago was completely empty now. The metal security shutter had been pulled down over the entrance.
The owner leered at me.
"Hey there, pretty boy. Out here all alone this late at night. Nowhere to go, huh?"
"Poor little thing. Let me take care of you."
The water. He'd put something in the water.
Terror crashed over me like a wave.
I bit down on my tongue, hard, forcing myself awake through the searing pain.
I shoved him off me with everything I had and bolted toward the bathroom in the corner, slamming the door shut and locking it behind me.
I was about to call the police when Lauren's number flashed across the screen.
One percent battery. I stared at it, then clenched my jaw and answered.
The sound that came through was Lauren's breathless panting, thick with arousal.
"Laurence, where did you put those condoms I brought back from overseas last month? I need to show Noel a thing or two about wedding-night party games."
Her tone turned mocking.
"What, now that you know you can't survive without me, you went and stole them to sell? Is that how desperate you are?"
I choked down the nausea clawing up my throat and spoke as fast as I could.
"Lauren, I'm at an internet cafe on Guangfu Road."
"The owner is trying to assault me. Please, come get me—"
Lauren's voice went taut with alarm. "What? I'm coming right now!"
Then, the very next second, Noel's sneering laugh slithered through the speaker.
"Laurence, buddy, are all kept men as calculating as you?"
"I drove down that road just this afternoon. There's no internet cafe there. You're just pulling a sob story to guilt Ms. Sanchez into caving first, aren't you?"
"Ms. Sanchez, if you actually go, you'll only be rewarding his tantrums. Once you two are officially married, he'll threaten divorce every time he doesn't get his way. How embarrassing would that be?"
Before I could get a word in, Lauren exploded.
"Laurence, you are absolutely shameless! You'd stoop to a lie like that?!"
"Don't think for a second I'm going to coddle you this time. You want to come back? Fine. Tomorrow morning, you get on your knees in front of my office and tell me you were wrong!"
"Without me, that pathetic little salary of yours couldn't even cover rent on a decent apartment. You'd try to sell yourself on the street and people would turn you down for the lousy accommodations. Go sit somewhere and think about that!"
The line went dead. A heartbeat later, the screen went black.
Something inside me died with it.
Click.
The bathroom lock turned from the outside.
The cafe owner barged in, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and grinned.
"Where do you think you're going, pretty boy? This is my turf. You think I don't have the key to my own damn bathroom?"
"Trying to call your little girlfriend for help? I heard every word. She's too busy letting some other guy use those condoms to bother with you."
