Shift (The Neturu Chronicles) (73 page)

               
“Paint your heart out…for me,” Kayla says as William clicks end.

               
Kayla crosses her arms and tries to hold herself together.  “Thanks.”

               
He stands there and stares at her.  “I think it’s time for you to go to
your room.”

               
“You’re really going to send those, right?” Kayla says slightly panicked.

               
“I said I would, and before you get any ideas, it won’t be traced.  I have
some really intelligent people working for me, as many as the council does.”

               
“How are you so powerful?”

               
William smiles. “When your dad makes some really good investments with some
up-and-coming computer companies, a lot of money can turn into a ridiculous
amount of money.  Money buys everything.”

               
“Will money buy me things I want?”

               
A smile passes over William’s face. “And what would you like?”

               
“Some books, music, something other than TV.  I can’t watch it
all
day long.  Are you planning things for me or am I stuck in my room
forever?”

               
“What kind of plans do you want?”

               
“To go outside,” Kayla says.  “Get a breath of fresh air.  I can’t be
cooped up in a building all day.”

               
William chuckles.  “Your first night here and you’re already making
demands.”

               
“If I’m going to be here for a while, I need
something
to do. 
Books…something.  What time is it?

               
With a confused look, William looks at his watch.  “Seven.”

               
“Okay, so I go to sleep usually around eleven, which means you expect me to watch
TV for four hours straight.”

               
“Aren’t you upset?  Aren’t you going to cry yourself to sleep?”

               
She crosses her arms again.  “I already cried myself stupid, and I can
guarantee I will cry some more, but I have a feeling I’m going to be stuck in
my room for a while.  Even if you send these messages and Damien’s somehow
able to track them, who knows how long that will take?”

               
William furrows his eyebrows. “This is not the response I was expecting.”

               
“Well…I’m sorry. If it’ll make you happy, I’ll go cry in my room,” Kayla
states, standing up.  She starts to walk to the door.

               
“Wait.”

               
Kayla stops and turns on her heel.  “Yes?”

               
“What books would you like?”

               
“I don’t know.  Can’t you take me to a library?”

               
“No, but I can take you to Amazon.  Sit down.”

               
She walks over to the chair and flops down.  “Now what?”

               
Leaning over her, William clicks on the Internet and takes her to Amazon’s
website.  “There. Pick whatever books, movies, or whatever you want, and I
will get them for you.”

               
“I want my iPod; that’s what I really want,” Kayla sighs.

               
“Where is it?”

               
Kayla laughs.  “The safe house in Las Vegas.  Good luck getting
anything from there.  I’m sure Damien has the place surrounded by guards.”

               
“No, he’s probably pining over your picture, drooling in a corner,” William
mocks.

               
“At least he knows what love feels like,” Kayla growls.

               
William looks at Kayla.  “Do you love him just as much in return?”

               
Kayla diverts her eyes from him.  “My relationship with Damien is none of
your business.”

               
“I do have to say, I was happy to hear that you’re a virgin.” William
sighs.  “No need for me to get jealous of ex-lovers.”

               
“You should be jealous of my boyfriend.  Have you looked at him?  Met
him?  He is so gorgeous and has a rocking body.”  Kayla looks William
up and down.  “I think I’m going to miss that.”

               
A cold expression passes over William’s face.  “Not every guy can look
like Damien.”

               
“Or Jackson,” Kayla sighs.  “He has the perfect body, especially when he’s
in a towel with water dripping down his muscles.”

               
“Enough,” William snaps.  “I didn’t know you two were intimate.”

               
Kayla clicks her tongue. “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

               
He clenches his fist and then points at Kayla. “You are trying to get a rise
out of me.”

               
“No,” Kayla retorts sarcastically.

               
“Pick out what you want,” William instructs.  “You
will
need to get
something to entertain yourself, because you’ll be here for a while.”

               
With a glare, Kayla turns to the computer.  “I’m going to rip a hole in
your bank account.”

               
“I’d like to see you try.”

               
“Challenge accepted,” Kayla mumbles as she starts to click on stuff. 
“Just watch.”

               
An hour later, William is leaning over her.  “Are you serious?”

               
“What?” Kayla retorts, turning around.  “A thousand is too much?”

               
Giving her a look, William sits up.  “No, not at all.  I’ll have it
brought to you.  I think it would have been better to buy you a kindle.”

               
“I like to be able to hold books,” Kayla says.  “Anyway, there are movies
too.  As long as I have something to do other than to look at you, I’ll be
happy.”

               
“Mmmm,” William hums.  “One day you’ll find me attractive and actually
like me.”

               
“And one day monkeys are going to fly out of my ass,” Kayla retorts back.

               
William looks down at her.  “That may be painful.”

               
Kayla rolls her eyes. “Ha-ha, you’re so funny.”

               
“I will tell you this, Miss Kayla, you’ll be my wife, sooner or later.”

               
“Sure, when I’m ninety and don’t remember my name, then maybe you can con me
into marrying you because I won’t know any better.”

               
A smirk passes over William’s face.  “I think it will be before you’re
ninety.”

               
“You won’t get into these pants before then.  You better have a girlfriend
on the side.  Oh wait, you would actually have to have a girl
like
you for her to be a girlfriend.  Or do you have multiple prisoners? 
Like a harem of captive girls.”

               
“You’re the only one,” William says, standing up straighter.  “I don’t
need anyone else.”

               
Kayla snorts. “You’re going to need your left hand a lot then if you don’t have
a girlfriend.”  William steps up to her and brings his hand back. 
Kayla shoots up and looks him straight in the face.  “Go ahead, hit me,
it’s just going to be one more thing that cements my opinion of you.”

               
William clenches his fist and closes his eyes.  “I won’t hurt you.”

               
“I don’t know.  I can be pretty sarcastic. Add that with the fact that I
hate
you, and I bet you’re going to hit me sooner or later.”

               
“No harm will come to you if you behave,” William exhales.  “Just keep
that in mind.”

               
“Can I hit you?  You kind of act like a misbehaving two-year-old.  If
I can’t have you, nobody can!”  She stomps her foot dramatically.

               
William grabs the bridge of his nose. “It’s time for you to go to your room.”

               
“Oh!  I struck a nerve.  Am I annoying you?  Want to get rid of
me yet?” Kayla inquires snottily.

               
“No, I find it horribly attractive.  I like a girl with a fighting
spirit.”

               
Kayla glares back at him.  “If I knew how to fight, I would actually fight
you and kick your ass.”

               
“Mmm, don’t you wish,” William purrs.  “Now, let’s get you to your
room.”  He gestures to the doorway with his hand.  Kayla begrudgingly
gets up and follows him out.  When they get to her room, William says,
“I’ll take you for a walk outside tomorrow.  I’ll blindfold you so you
don’t know where we are, but I’ll let you go outside.”

               
“Thanks…I guess.”

               
“If you need anything, all you need to do is press the red button on the wall
in the living room.  Someone will come to help you.”

               
Kayla looks around the room.  “There has to be cameras in here.  Why
don’t I just flip off whoever is watching?”

               
“Can you behave like the girl I have come to admire?  You were always well-mannered
and well-spoken.”

               
“I’m not going to do anything that will make you like me more.”

               
William leans over to her.  “That’s fine.  I like spunk.  I can
handle you.”

               
Pulling away, Kayla says, “You kiss me, I’ll deck you.”

               
“You’re not allowed to punch me in the face,” William snarls, yanking her
against him.  He brings his lips to hers and unfurls his energy. 
Kayla fights it as much as possible.  Remembering she has shoes on, she
brings her foot up and slams it down his shin.  William quickly lets go
and screams.  Grabbing her, he shoves Kayla against the wall.

               
“What?” she yells.  “You didn’t say anything about hurting you in other
ways.”

               
“You brat!  You will be locked in your room for a day with no food! 
Get in there.”  William shoves Kayla into her room.  She stumbles
backwards and then crosses her arms.  “Maybe this will teach you to
behave.”

               
She shakes her head. “Probably not.”  With a growl, William slams the
door.  “Point for Kayla,” she mumbles.  Just to make sure, she walks
over and tries the door.  It’s locked, of course.

               
Kayla frowns and goes into the living room.  She turns the TV on, and it’s
the news again.  There are reports of murders, accidents, and other
horrible things.  Finally, her picture pops up.

               
The broadcaster says, “The teenage girl, Kayla Hendrickson, is still
missing.  Phones are ringing off the hook at the police command
center.  We will show you a picture of her again.  She’s around
5-foot-6, 130 pounds, brown hair, and hazel eyes.  She has a very
prominent blue streak of hair on the right-hand side of her head.  Kayla
was last seen in a red halter dress.  Her family has also come forward
stating they believe she has been kidnapped.  They said her kidnapper has
referenced himself as William.  He is approximately twenty-one years of
age with blond hair and blue eyes.  Please, if you have any information,
come forward and call the number at the bottom of the screen.”

               
The anchorman shifts to the weather after that.  Kayla’s heart
sinks.  She was hoping to see her parents again.  Her eyes flicker to
the bottom of the screen, and she sees the emblem of the Houston, Texas, news
station. “Holy cow!” she exclaims.  Remembering the cameras, she shuts her
mouth and thinks to herself, I know where I am now, or at least my approximate
location.  This is huge.  How do I tell Damien?

               
She ponders the most feasible answers until she finally has a plan.  Her
friend, Lily, lives in Fort Worth.  Somehow she needs to mention her if
William lets her make another message.  Kayla just hopes it’s soon. 
Exhaling loudly, she sits back and tries to watch TV.

               
The next day, William does deny her food.  The only person who comes in to
see her is the security guard.  He plugs in a bag of the Kiej concentrate
and leaves the room.  That is when Kayla truly realizes how bad of a
situation she is in.  Instantly, she bursts into tears.  Whimpering,
Kayla whispers, “I want my parents.  I want to go home.  Please.”

               
An hour or so later, a girl walks into the room.  “I’m here to disconnect
your IV.”

               
Kayla quickly scrambles up.  “Who are you?  Let me out of here,
please.  There’s a huge reward, millions, I bet it could even be
more.  Isn’t that worth it?”

               
The girl shakes her head timidly.  “No, Master William is a good man.”

               
“Are you crazy?” Kayla yells.  “He’s holding me hostage.”

               
“He has reasons for what he does,” the girl replies, stopping the IV. 
“Give it time, Miss.  You’ll see how great he is.”

               
Pouting, Kayla snaps, “If you like him so much, you should marry him.  You
could have his babies.”