Page 83 of Her Hidden Smile

He hit his fist against the table.

“Answer me. Did he get sick of you?”

I swallowed the spaghetti and took a sip of water.

“I guess so.”

“I thought so. You’re nothing like Lisa. She’s perfect. She is so kind. So brave. So outgoing. She helps everyone. She’s just lost her way because of Thatcher.”

“How do you know Lisa?”

“We were destined to be together. I was her muse.”

Ick. It was like he got a doctorate in whack job.

“You must have meant a lot to her.”

“I did. I mean, I do. She loves me.” He pulled his dagger out of its scabbard. “Do you see this? She designed it for me. Isn’t it beautiful? See this jewel? It’s the same color as Lisa’s eyes.”

“It’s beautiful,” I said politely.

“She’s beautiful.”

I watched him get lost in thought.

“I need to go to the bathroom.” It was true, but I needed to make a move. I needed to do something to get out of this situation.

He looked at me. “Oh.”

He looked down at his plate. “Uhm. Right.”

He looked up at me. “Sure.”

He stood up. Then he did something awful. He lifted up his shirt and pulled a gun out of the waistband of his jeans. “Head to the bathroom. I’ll follow you. You have one minute. If you take any longer I’m coming in. Don’t try something funny like hairspray or something like in the movies, cause I got this gun. Got it?”

I kept staring at the gun. I was shaking. I’d never had a gun pointed at me before.

“Got it?”

I just stood there.

“Bitch, do you got it!” he screamed in my face.

“Yes,” I whispered. “I got it.”

I got up out of my chair and held up my hands, then I turned and went down the hall. We had to pass by my phone that was on the floor. Now that I knew he had a gun, I had to be sneakier. But I had to save Lisa.

I took care of my business as fast as I could. I opened the door so he could see me washing my hands.

“Now it’s my turn. Stay right where I can see you.”

If I didn’t want to grab my phone so bad, I would have asked to be tied up again. I looked down at the ground as I heard him take a whizz into my toilet. I hadn’t heard him lift the toilet seat, so I was sure he’d made a mess.

“Come on, let’s get you on the sofa. It’s time for sleep.”

It was now or never.

As he walked behind me, holding the gun, I pretended to trip right before we got to the chair. I fell on my phone and let out a harsh yelp as I landed on my scarred hip. Pain raced up my body, but I ignored it. I had to. I grabbed the cell and shoved it into the front pocket of my jeans. No-Name jerked me up, and it felt like he pulled my arm out of its socket.