by Sophia Gray
“Don’t you worry,” he said. “We’ll get him back.”
“What the fuck? Don’t you know what’s going on?”
“Yeah. Tuner’s got his head up his ass again, and he’s playin’ with us, and he has your girl up for ransom.”
“First up, I don’t think he’s playin’,” I growled. “And second, I don’t have a girl.”
Bob glanced at me real quick before focusing on the road. “You took her to your place, right?”
“Yeah. So?”
“You fucked her?”
I was silent. I had fucked a lot of women, but the word fucking didn’t fit with what Victoria and I had shared. She wasn’t my girl. She wasn’t even really mine. We hadn’t known each other for long. We didn’t really know each other at all.
Not yet.
“He really fucked up this time, hasn’t he?” Bob asked, his tone low.
“You got that right.”
“Drugs again?”
“Yep.”
“Using or…”
“Selling. He fucked that up, too. Had it stolen.” I hadn’t given the guys all of the details, figuring they would ask if they wanted to know. They weren’t sheep, blindly following me, but I think it was something in my tone, my attitude, or maybe my eyes that made them fall in line without question.
“Jesus.” Bob’s foot pressed down on the pedal, and the van sped up even faster with a jerk.
We were silent for a time, and I watched the scenery roll on by, the colors blurring together.
Bob cleared his throat. “Is all of this firepower necessary?” he asked quietly.
I wasn’t used to this side of him. He normally clowned around. Maybe a few jokes were what I needed, but I also kinda appreciated that he was being more levelheaded at the moment. “I hope it isn’t,” I said honestly.
Could I pull the trigger on Trenton? I sure as hell didn’t want to find out. It sure as fuck better not come to that. He had to see the light before it reached that point.
“But we gotta be prepared,” I continued. “For any shit that might hit the fan. I mean, if we were able to track him down, it’s possible the drug lord he owes money to would be able to, too, and if they show up…”
“They’ll be packin’, too.” Bob nodded. After a moment, he pursed his lips. “This fucking sucks, though.”
“Believe me. I know.”
Another silence. Fuck it all, Trenton. You just had to go and deal. Why the fuck would you do that? After drugs wrecked your childhood. There were a thousand different ways to make money. A thousand different ways that wouldn’t require you to be bullied into holding women for ransom.
If he hurt Victoria or Sage…
Was he a victim, too? In a way, but fuck it, I did not feel compassion toward him right now. When I took him under my wing, I knew he was fucked up in the head. I thought I had helped. Maybe I had some, but obviously it hadn’t been enough.
Sage, if you are in on this… I squirmed in my seat. I didn’t know her except for what Victoria had told me, but somehow I doubted she would be into the drug scene. Not after everything with her mom. Which meant this whole fucked up situation should hopefully open her eyes and make her end things with Trenton for good. Even if Trenton survived this and got the help he needed and started to walk the straight and narrow, I still didn’t think the two of them should get back together. Trenton would need to move forward with his life and not look backward, and Sage probably would need that, too.
Victoria…There was so much I wanted to tell her. So many things I wanted to do with her. So many things I wanted to do to her. I’ll find you. I’ll save you. Just hang on. Be strong. Don’t break. And don’t piss Trenton off. Who knows what the fuck he’s capable of right now. He probably feels like a caged rat right about now.
A slight smile came to my lips as I recalled how Victoria had been when we first met. Her sharp tongue, her biting words, her fierce protectiveness of her daughter…I’d been drawn to her right from the start, but if she wanted to be able to snap witty retorts to me, she would need to hold her tongue around Trenton. There was a chance that the pressure might get to him, that he might start using again, and if he did, the probability of someone getting shot would go sky high.
Victoria might be impulsive—like when she went to the bar even though we’d agreed she wouldn’t—but she was also reasonable and smart. She would do everything she could to keep herself and Sage alive. She wouldn’t provoke Trenton.
But if Trenton was using, he might not need something to set him off.
Fuck, we could not get there fast enough.
Chapter 20
Victoria
Sage was still sleeping, but I couldn’t focus on her. I kept eyeing Trenton and his gun. Was it better or worse that he had taken it out? Probably worse. At least he seemed to have calm down a little since he announced that the gun was loaded. Maybe he felt like he was more in charge now. I didn’t know.
But it was time for me to try to make a play, for better or for worse. “I have to go to the bathroom,” I announced.
He had been staring at his gun, but now he lifted his gaze to me. “Go ahead and piss yourself.”
“Seriously?” I snapped. “You really think Sage’s gonna be happy with you letting her mom wet herself?”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”
“You let me go earlier!”
“And you should be good. Wasn’t that long ago you went.”
I glowered at him. Did he suspect? Maybe I was telegraphing my plans by looking at the gun too much. Damn it! Time to change tactics slightly. “Do you really want to smell my urine until Grant arrives with the money?”
He glowered right back at me. “The smell would dissipate.”
Damn him! Fuck. My plan to get free had been thwarted. I just didn’t see how I could get my hands on his gun while tied up, and if he refused to untie me so I could pee, then how else could I convince? I doubted there was a way. Shit! If only he would leave the motel room. I wanted to talk to Sage alone again. “Fine,” I bit out. “I guess I’ll do my best to hold it, but don’t you dare complain if the room starts to smell.”
He actually cracked a small smile. “I won’t complain.”
I rolled my eyes, but at least he tucked his gun inside the back of his jeans. If I couldn’t get it away from him, it at least made me feel better to not have it in his hands.
Just then, my phone went off. Throughout our conversation, someone or someones had been trying to get ahold of me, calling every few minutes.
Trenton’s face turned purple. He was starting to get majorly agitated about it as he once again rejected the call. Maybe he should just turn it off already and be done with it.
“What the hell?” he grumbled a little loudly. “Did they put up a new tower or something now that you’re getting good reception?”
I had no illusions that it was Grant calling. He would’ve started calling a long time ago, hours ago. Maybe it was someone from the restaurant. Maybe a problem had come up. The mystery was too much for me, so I couldn’t help asking, “Who’s calling?”
Trenton’s gaze slid to Sage. She was stirring. “Corinne. Why the fuck is she calling you?”
“Oh.” My racing heartbeat slowed. A part of me had hoped it was Grant calling. Where the hell was he? He was coming for us, right? I wasn’t sure how long Trenton had held us captive, but it sure felt like forever. He kept the curtains pulled tight, so I couldn’t tell if it was night or day, and he also unplugged the alarm clock. He’d mumbled something about having a migraine. Guessed the bright light from the numbers didn’t help.
“Why the fuck is she calling you?” Trenton repeated. “I’m not gonna ask you again.”
“I called her a few times to see if she knew where Sage was,” I said calmly. “We got to talking some about her and her boyfriend, and I gave her some advice. She probably wants more.”
Sage stretched and sat up. She snorted and rolled her eyes. “No one wants dati
ng advice from you, Victoria.”
I winced. Sage had gotten so deep into her role of being on Trenton’s side that she was back to talking down to me. Hell, she was so convincing that when she ganged up with him against me, it was almost impossible for me to not take it personally.
And it was even worse to hear her call me by my first name again after she’d called me Mom so many times after I found her. We haven’t been alone in forever—Trenton won’t leave the room and hadn’t had any more phone conversations, and he hadn’t even close the door to the bathroom when he showered so we couldn’t even talk then since he took the world’s quickest showers—so we were stuck using the plan from before with her trying to keep Trenton calm.
“Now, now,” Trenton said condescendingly, “Corinne knows to do the opposite of whatever she says.”
“Corinne probably wants to tell her just that. ‘I didn’t listen to your advice, and I’m so glad I didn’t!’” Sage giggled, but she wouldn’t look at me.
I swallowed hard. I could take the abuse—that was fine—but that didn’t mean that the words didn’t sting, even if I knew—hoped—Sage didn’t mean them.
And wasn’t that sad? That I wasn’t completely certain Sage had truly seen the light about Trenton. No. That was just my being paranoid. Sage had changed. She had learned. Maybe, if something good could come out of all of this huge mess, it was this—that Sage once and for all broke ties with Trenton. God willing, she would avoid all kinds of guys who were Trenton in disguise, and she’d hold out for a good guy, one who deserved her and who would make her happy and didn’t use and abuse her.
A guy like Grant.
My cheeks grew warm, and Trenton laughed cruelly. “I know you always said that your mom needed to get laid, but, hell, that doesn’t seem to have made her any less uptight.”
“That guy must not be a good lay.” Sage shrugged. “Are you hungry, babe?”
“Yeah. Want me to order a pizza?”
“Sure!”
Yes! Go order pizza and go pick it up!
But damn it all. He didn’t leave. He didn’t even have to make a phone call. He ordered straight from his phone, and it only took twenty minutes for the food to arrive. And before the delivery guy showed up, Trenton fucking gagged me. He pushed me and the tied up chair away so it wouldn’t be visible from the door.
As soon as the delivery guy knocked, Trenton grabbed the food and closed the door in the span of two seconds. Literally. Sage didn’t even have time to yell for help.
Did my level of hate for Trenton have no bounds?
As soon as he placed the pizza box on the bed, without having to be asked, Sage grabbed a large slice form the pie. Trenton sat on the bed, waiting expectantly, and Sage delivered. She walked right on over to him, sat on his lap, and proceeded to feed him a bite.
I had to look away. My stomach was churning. I was hungry, but I wasn’t about to ask for food.
Trenton ate eagerly, licking and kissing Sage’s fingers in between bites. She giggled and hugged him, and if he was anyone else, it might actually have been cute, but that was what Trenton was best at—being two-faced. Cute and sweet and endearing for a few minutes and then the next, cruel and demanding.
I hope you land your ass in jail. I shot daggers at him with my eyes. I hope you get straightened out one day.
And I really did.
Did I think that would ever happen, though?
Nope.
Trenton finished the pizza, and Sage stood to throw his paper plate away. He walked over to the sink and washed his hands when my cell rang again. He really should just turn it off.
I opened my mouth to ask him to do just that, but he removed it from his pocket. Maybe he was gonna do it with my having to mention it.
But he just stared down at it, scowling. “I don’t want her thinking you ran off, too,” he said slowly. “Answer it, but I swear, if you try to give her a hint as to any of this…” He removed his gun from tucked behind his back and pointed it at my head.
I nodded. “You gotta answer for me.”
“You do it,” he snapped.
I glanced at my bindings.
He flushed. “Sage, you gotta keep quiet, okay? Just for a little.” He threw me a wicked glance that made my skin crawl. “I know it’s not easy for you to stay quiet and all, babe, especially when we’re fucking, but…”
I grimaced. If I could kick him in the balls right now, I wouldn’t hesitate.
“I’ll be good,” Sage promised, but she walked over to him and pinched his butt. Everything from the cocky tilt of her head to her lopsided grin oozed of sexual appeal.
Actress is right. A damn good one, too. Maybe she should forget about going into psychology and just head for Hollywood.
Chuckling, Trenton whispered something in her ear before swiping for me and then putting the call on speaker.
“Victoria? Are you there?” Corinne’s loud voice filled the room.
“I’m here.” I cleared my throat. “What’s up?”
“So I did what you said.”
Trenton snorted and covered his mouth.
“What was that?” Corinne asked.
“The TV,” I lied smoothly. “So you…” What had I told her to do? Oh, yeah. “You went out and had a day to yourself. How did it go?”
“Terribly!” she wailed. “I had never been more bored in my life. I am so not meant to be single!”
“What did you do?” I asked.
“I watched a few movies on Netflix, but then I remembered that you really wanted me to leave the house, so I went to the movies and watched a romantic comedy, and it was just so perfect and funny and sappy, and my life isn’t like that at all.”
“No one’s is.”
“But that’s what I want,” she said. “I need that. I need the happiness. I need a break.”
“A break from…”
“From everything!” she wailed.
Trenton rolled his eyes. Sage bit her lower lip. She opened her mouth, closed it, and dropped her gaze to the ground.
“Then take a break,” I suggested, staring at Sage. “How did Jack take you having a day to yourself?”
“He didn’t care for it.”
“Why not?” I asked. I was only half paying attention to the conversation. Should I be trying to warn Sage through my talk with Corinne? Or should I be trying to relay a hint to Corinne? But how? Trenton was stilling pointing the gun to me with one hand, the cell in his other. While I didn’t think he would actually shoot me, I also didn’t want to set him off. He had been disappearing into the bathroom a lot more often lately—never for long and he always kept the door open—but his personality would always change then. He’d laugh more, his eyes were glossy, and I had a feeling he had a stash of drugs hidden away. Whenever his high came down, he tended to be either sad or angry.
“None of his friends were around, so he was forced to have a day to himself, too,” she said.
“Maybe that was a good thing,” I said. “You could both see how you were alone and—”
“I’m not sure he was alone,” she said quietly.
“What do you mean?”
“I think he cheated on me.”
Sage made a low sound from her throat, and Trenton shot her a warning glare. She clapped her hands over her mouth and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.
“Do you have any proof?” I asked. Why had Sage reacted that way? Just because she was upset that her best friend might have been cheated? Or because it struck a nerve closer to home?
I couldn’t help myself. I glowered at Trenton. Had he ever cheated on her? Sage hadn’t always told me the reason for their many break ups. I had assumed they would just get into fights, but maybe cheating had been involved.
Asshole.
Trenton leveled me a cool glare back.
“I…I found…” Corinne sniffed.
“What did you find?” I asked gently. Forget trying to send a message. Corinne was hurting. Even though
I was tied up and kidnapped, I might still be able to help her.
“A condom,” she wailed.
I hesitated. While I didn’t want details, I kinda had to have them. “How do you know it wasn’t for you?”
“Because it’s the kind with spermicide. I can’t use that kind. Allergic to it. Why would he have that kind of condom unless he was cheating on me?”
“Might it have been from a previous relationship?”
There was a slight pause. “I don’t think so.”
