Chapter Four

Courtney jerked awake and upright when Larkin raced into the room.

Larkin knelt beside her. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

Courtney wiped sleep from her eyes. “You’re fine.”

“You look like you didn’t get a lot of sleep. Are you worried about what your mother will do?”

Courtney felt a blush heat her face. Larkin was confused at first and then grinned. “Oh, no. Did Daddy and I keep you awake?”

“Not really,” Courtney said.

“It’s okay if you listened. Our group is very open about sex.”

Courtney tilted her head. “Open? How?”

“We sometimes have sex in front of each other.” Larkin giggled at the look on her face.

“I can’t imagine. Doesn’t it embarrass you?” Courtney asked.

“It did at first, but now we’re used to it. Heck, some of my friends’ daddies had them have sex with two men.”

Courtney sputtered. “That’s not possible.”

Larkin threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, it definitely is possible, and from what I’ve seen, the women really enjoy it.”

“Have you…?”

Larkin snorted. “Not yet. My daddy and I aren’t interested in doing it now, but maybe we’ll try it sometime down the road.”

It was a lot to take in, and Courtney still had so many questions.

“I need to potty.” Courtney stood and smoothed down her clothes.

Larkin nodded. “If you want a shower, I’ll wait out here and fold your blankets.”

“Thank you.” Courtney walked into the closet and pulled an outfit from her bag before going into the bathroom Larkin had in her playroom.

After showering and dressing, Courtney walked into the room to find a bowl of fruit, a juice box, and dry cereal waiting.

“I’m sorry this was all I could do. Ella, our cook, would get suspicious if I asked for more food since I already ate with my daddy.”

“Actually, this is wonderful and much more than my mother lets me eat.”

Larkin looked shocked. “What do you mean?”

“My father died when I was thirteen. Since then, my mother has been obsessed with me being perfect, so she’s put me on a strict diet and exercise routine, and then she makes me read boring books. I’m forbidden to go outside in the sun because I’ll get freckles. The last meal I had was half of a grapefruit and a plain piece of wheat toast.”

“Jesus. What’s her problem?” Larkin asked.

“Although my father was wealthy, it didn’t seem to be enough for her. She wanted to be a part of the society’s elite in the city, but my father didn’t care for it.”

Larkin wrinkled her nose. “That’s weird. But why do you have to be part of her plan?”

“Because she wants me to marry a very rich man with a name. She thinks that will put us both in the top elite.”

“Do you care?”

Courtney shook her head. “Not at all. I’m a lot like my father. I’d rather be at home or with a few friends than at those stupid parties my mother is always dragging me to.”

“I understand that. I really enjoy them if some of the girls are there with me.”

“I never get to mingle. I stand by her side and try not to yawn,” Courtney said and smiled.

They both jumped when the door flew open but relaxed when several girls came into the room.

Before Courtney could be introduced to the other three girls, Sienna clapped her hands.

“You guys. We might have a problem,” Sienna said. “I heard on the news this morning that they think Courtney’s been kidnapped.”

“What?” Courtney burst out. “I wrote my mother a letter and put it where she could see it.”

“If your mother wants you back with her bad enough, she could always say she didn’t find it. That way, she has a lot of people out looking for you.”

“Oh, by the way, this is Amber,” Larkin said. “And the other two are Shelby and Kyla.”

“Could you guys get in trouble trying to help me?” Courtney asked.

“I don’t see how,” Sienna said. “You’re an adult. She can’t make you do anything.”

Courtney was still worried.

“Let’s sit down and come up with some plans,” Larkin said.

Sienna pointed to some things on the floor. “I brought donuts and juice if anyone’s hungry.”

Courtney swallowed. “I’d like to try one, please.”

All seven girls stared at her.

“You’ve never had a donut,” Shelby asked.

“Courtney’s mom had her on a very strict diet. She didn’t get to eat anything besides healthy food, and very little of it.”

“Is that why you’re so skinny?” Kyla asked.

Courtney nodded. “My mother wanted me to look beautiful so she could find me a rich husband.”

A few of the girls cursed, but they all looked angry.

Larkin reached for the box and put it in the middle of their circle before she flipped the lid open. “You choose first, Courtney.”

She looked at all the colorful pastries and felt her mouth water. Reaching for a chocolate one, she took a bite.

“Mmmm,” she swallowed. “God, this is so good.”

The others laughed and grabbed one of their own.

For the next two hours, they devised one plan after another, but none of them was perfect.

“We might have to get the daddies involved,” Amber said.

“But they’ll take me back to my mother, won’t they?” Courtney asked.

The girls looked at each other.

“I’m not sure what they’ll do,” Brylee said. “But I doubt they would do that against your will.”

“Especially after hearing the way she treated you,” Nia said.

Larkin grabbed onto one of her hands. “I don’t like that. Let’s give it a couple of days and try to think of another solution. You’re safe here for now, and there are plenty of things to do in the room.”

“Oh, this is much more fun than I’m used to. The best part is I haven’t felt this safe since my father was alive, and I have the best friends I could have ever asked for,” Courtney said and sniffed.

The other girls teared up.

“Stop, don’t make us cry, Courtney,” Larkin said. “I’m an ugly crier.”

“That’s a fact,” Sienna said.

Courtney smiled when the two started to bicker, and the other girls rolled their eyes.

“Do you think they’ll ever get along?” Shelby asked with a grin.

The other girls replied ‘no’ at the same time.

The rest of the daywas spent playing games or with the dolls. Since Larkin had so many friends over, they had a picnic in her playroom, so she was able to join in the fun.

****

Two more days passed, and Courtney’s anxiety grew. They still hadn’t come up with any ideas, and it was frustrating the other girls but scaring her because she had been told several times that the cops were looking for her and were calling it a kidnapping.

She thought about calling her mother, but the girls said they might be able to trace her, and she didn’t want her to find her yet.

God, when had her life become so complicated?