The Beginning Is Always Today

It is mid-morning by the time Amber finds the energy to stretch. The morning plays over in her mind, and she could not process how fast she went from being a captive for a week to rescued and engaged−in what, ten days? What would her dad and sister think? You are bat-shit crazy, is what they would say. This is the most impulsive thing she had ever done and definitely not part of her life plan; but being kidnapped and tortured wasn't, either.

Of course, she wants to get married and have kids someday, but that came after finding the perfect job. She needed to be independently stable for her peace of mind. Wow! Life throws you through a loop, knocks you down, picks you up but puts you on a different path. She is astounded by how accepting and at peace she is with this new path.

Not that she couldn't still have a career but now using her degree to help battered women seems much more gratifying than teaching Psychology in a stuffy classroom. Maybe once they rescue her sister and the other women, Troy and her could set up a safe house to transition the women back into the real world of normal people, away from monsters.

The concept of "Monster's" has become a different realization for her. When she was young, her sister and herself feared the monsters under the bed. They used to jump from their beds to the light switch, so they didn't have to touch the floor by their beds. In their teens, they never thought they could walk among monsters daily, or that being in the wrong place at the wrong time would become their own personal nightmare.

Troy said Jake is going into one of these types of houses tomorrow. It definitely sounds like the same house she was in. It can't be a coincidence with the missing girl and dead guards. She needs to convince Troy to let her help get her sister out and save the other women. She believe it's her fault that they ended up in this mess, and she needs to be a part of fixing it. She just don't think Troy will be too keen on the idea.

Troy needs to get up and call Jake. He needs this new information about Amber's sister. He feels like the worst selfish bastard already and know that once they know whether or not Tori is in the house, Amber will stop at nothing to get her out. Her focus will be on Tori, and he's afraid this happy little family bubble will burst. Amber will truly never be happy until her sister is safe and they are both reunited with their dad. He will do anything to make her happy even at the risk of losing her or not having her all to himself.

"Baby, why don't you go take a long hot bath and then meet me downstairs for some breakfast?"

She nods her head, and then looks at him shyly as if looking for confirmation that everything that has transpired is real. Troy kissed her forehead, her nose and then her soft lips. "I love you, Amber. Everything is going to turn out just fine."

Sliding out of bed, he heads for the closet. Still sitting on the floor in the doorway is his gun and under his pants sits the kitchen knife. He quickly snatch up the two and hide them from Amber's view, so they don't remind her of that trauma. He placed them in the safe and locked it back up. Grabbing a pair of sweats and slipping them on, he strolls out to see her rising from the bed naked.

"Damn, I am one lucky son of a bitch".

She looks embarrassed as she rushes to the bathroom and closes the door softly.

He chuckles to himself. He will give her a reprieve now, but she will learn that she belong to him, and he will have access anytime he wants, as will she. They may as well get used to being naked with each other; it will happen often.

Quickly moving down the stairs, he heads to the kitchen. He'd only brought a few necessities when he came up here and grabbed a few others while waiting for his meeting with Jake. Her diet that has consisted of chicken broth and Jell-O is not much to sustain anyone. She will need to start off with soft and easy to digest foods, so she doesn't get sick. He settles on scrambled eggs with toast and coffee.

The tub is heaven. Amber was amazed at how huge Troy's bathroom is. Expensive jacuzzi and wall tiles and marbles. The surrounding jets are placed in just the right spots to rub out any sore areas someone may have. The controls let you focus on just your back, feet, or any specific area, or they can all be on to create a jacuzzi effect. She reaches for the shampoo, and her only option is Suave plus conditioner, and the only soap is Dial. All his? she's assuming. She's just glad he didn't bring her leftover products from a previous lover that left them behind. She stayed in until her fingers and toes are all pruney then rinses off and climbed out. Wrapping a towel around her body plus one around her hair, She moved out of the bathroom and into the closet. She grabs another t-shirt and a pair of boxers that she have to tie in a knot.

She needs to get her own clothes. Not that she minds wearing his, but it's not like she could go into public dressed like this. She moved back to the bathroom to hung her towels, combed out her hair, then pinched her cheeks a little to give her some color. She haven't seen the sun in weeks. In her normal life, she spent time in the sun then throws on a little mascara, and she's good to go. Amber guessed Troy had seen her at her worst and still wants her desperately, so she's okay with being a plain Jane.