friends.”
Tears began to streak down Melissa’s cheeks. She turned to face him. “Is that true? What he said about Amanda?”
He shook his head. “Of course it isn’t true. He’d say anything to keep her alive.”
She wiped her tears away with her wrists. “You said you wouldn’t hurt her, Ryan. You promised…”
“No one gets hurt if the asshole comes willingly with us.” He looked at me. “Okay?” He turned back to her. “Okay?”
She nodded and looked at me, her eyes hopeful. “I’m so sorry, Brandon. Ryan said it would take a few minutes for the shot to work. I didn’t think she’d collapse … I would have had her sit down or something.”
I only acknowledged her words with a glare. “Can I wear shoes? And my jacket?”
Ryan waved the gun toward the closet and Melissa walked over to grab the items I had requested.
“Pull the pockets out.” Ryan motioned toward the jacket Melissa had set on the bed in front of me.
She pulled out the pockets and the small, black velvet box I had been carrying for the past week tumbled out onto the bed. She looked up at me, her eyes wide, almost sad. The sharp breath that escaped came out as a single word. “Oh.”
Ryan chuckled. “Let him keep it. He can look at it every day and remember the life he almost had with her. The life that might have made him happy.” He shook his head and waved the gun again. “Put it on. We need to get out of here before she wakes up.”
If my memory served me, the drugs Melissa had probably shot her up with lasted a hell of a lot longer than the few minutes he had been waving the gun in my face. I put on the jacket and fingered the small box. I had wanted to wait until Christmas to ask her, but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to. I wanted her to wear the ring now—and forever. I wanted her to say she would be mine and that nothing was ever going to come between us again. I almost wanted to ask Ryan if I could put it on her finger before he marched me out the door, but I knew he wouldn’t allow it. But I knew I would come back for her. It wouldn’t take me long to finish this job, and I would come back. I only hoped that she would know enough to stay and not to try to run.
Ryan nodded at the bed. “Make the bed, Liss. Make it look like no one was ever here. Maybe toxic girl will think it was all in her head. That she imagined the whole thing with her and Brandon.”
Melissa walked over to the edge of the bed and began making it without a word to him. I barely knew this woman, but what I did know of her wasn’t gelling with the way she was behaving. He had to have something on her. Something else must have happened between the two of them that I wasn’t aware of for her to be behaving like this—like his slave.
It only took her a few moments to make the bed and when I looked over at it, I could hardly believe it. It was perfect. Not just perfect because you could bounce a quarter off the thing, but perfect because Jen would know I hadn’t left willingly. She would know I hadn’t done that.
She would know someone had taken me.
6
T oday
S he had no idea what she was doing to me, touching me like that, even just my knee. I had been hard at the thought of seeing her again—having her touch my leg … it was almost unbearable. I pulled her hand into mine. Fuck, her skin was so soft—exactly how I remembered it. My heart was hammering just having her touch me again—it was like no time had passed at all. It was like we were back in Montana for a second—like I could be happy again.
She was saying something, but I could barely hear her over the pounding of my heart—over the thought of being this close to her again. She was all I had thought about. She was in my dreams—in every single thought and thing I did. And she was right here, touching me again. I hoped to hell I wasn’t dreaming this—it had been too long. I had given up too much.
Her words finally seeped into my consciousness—she was
Tears began to streak down Melissa’s cheeks. She turned to face him. “Is that true? What he said about Amanda?”
He shook his head. “Of course it isn’t true. He’d say anything to keep her alive.”
She wiped her tears away with her wrists. “You said you wouldn’t hurt her, Ryan. You promised…”
“No one gets hurt if the asshole comes willingly with us.” He looked at me. “Okay?” He turned back to her. “Okay?”
She nodded and looked at me, her eyes hopeful. “I’m so sorry, Brandon. Ryan said it would take a few minutes for the shot to work. I didn’t think she’d collapse … I would have had her sit down or something.”
I only acknowledged her words with a glare. “Can I wear shoes? And my jacket?”
Ryan waved the gun toward the closet and Melissa walked over to grab the items I had requested.
“Pull the pockets out.” Ryan motioned toward the jacket Melissa had set on the bed in front of me.
She pulled out the pockets and the small, black velvet box I had been carrying for the past week tumbled out onto the bed. She looked up at me, her eyes wide, almost sad. The sharp breath that escaped came out as a single word. “Oh.”
Ryan chuckled. “Let him keep it. He can look at it every day and remember the life he almost had with her. The life that might have made him happy.” He shook his head and waved the gun again. “Put it on. We need to get out of here before she wakes up.”
If my memory served me, the drugs Melissa had probably shot her up with lasted a hell of a lot longer than the few minutes he had been waving the gun in my face. I put on the jacket and fingered the small box. I had wanted to wait until Christmas to ask her, but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to. I wanted her to wear the ring now—and forever. I wanted her to say she would be mine and that nothing was ever going to come between us again. I almost wanted to ask Ryan if I could put it on her finger before he marched me out the door, but I knew he wouldn’t allow it. But I knew I would come back for her. It wouldn’t take me long to finish this job, and I would come back. I only hoped that she would know enough to stay and not to try to run.
Ryan nodded at the bed. “Make the bed, Liss. Make it look like no one was ever here. Maybe toxic girl will think it was all in her head. That she imagined the whole thing with her and Brandon.”
Melissa walked over to the edge of the bed and began making it without a word to him. I barely knew this woman, but what I did know of her wasn’t gelling with the way she was behaving. He had to have something on her. Something else must have happened between the two of them that I wasn’t aware of for her to be behaving like this—like his slave.
It only took her a few moments to make the bed and when I looked over at it, I could hardly believe it. It was perfect. Not just perfect because you could bounce a quarter off the thing, but perfect because Jen would know I hadn’t left willingly. She would know I hadn’t done that.
She would know someone had taken me.
6
T oday
S he had no idea what she was doing to me, touching me like that, even just my knee. I had been hard at the thought of seeing her again—having her touch my leg … it was almost unbearable. I pulled her hand into mine. Fuck, her skin was so soft—exactly how I remembered it. My heart was hammering just having her touch me again—it was like no time had passed at all. It was like we were back in Montana for a second—like I could be happy again.
She was saying something, but I could barely hear her over the pounding of my heart—over the thought of being this close to her again. She was all I had thought about. She was in my dreams—in every single thought and thing I did. And she was right here, touching me again. I hoped to hell I wasn’t dreaming this—it had been too long. I had given up too much.
Her words finally seeped into my consciousness—she was
Similar Books
