Page 65 of Toxic Things I Love About You

One of the burly guys next to me answered with incentive. I tried not to wince when his fingers dug into my pressure point just below my ear.

“Okay, okay. I’ll sit. But I think we all know shutting up isn’t a thing. Not for me anyway.”

The house was huge, and I was sure during the day there would be a view. Of what? Probably more trees. I’d had enough of my fill of trees and grasslands for a lifetime. The city meant life, and I missed it right now. I missed a lot of things right now.

I’d been trying to prove in so many ways that I was worthy of something. Was it love? Maybe. That I was trustworthy? I doubted that was ever a motive for me. But there was something. Daddy had done his damage to me, to the world, to the family, and I knew I had to figure out what that damage was to help me grow and move on. Sitting here with Vinny wasn’t it.

“I don’t see me doing a lot of personal growth with you, you know that?”

He was rifling through bags on a table.

“When did that all get here?”

He didn’t answer, but I’d guess even the podunk mountain town had some kind of grocery delivery.

“At least I wasn’t an afterthought if you remembered to order food. That’s really thoughtful. I’d love to eat.”

He held up a frosted, clear bottle and started chugging. He coughed a few times before looking at me again.

“Feel free to cook us dinner then, fiancée.”

I did a slow little head shake.

“I am starting to really hate that word.”

I couldn’t even hide my rejection of such an idea, but he’d have to look at me to see it.

“So, yeah. That’s not even close to a good idea. I don’t know what you were told, but your information is really bad. I flunked finishing school, cooking school, probably obedience school if I were a dog.”

He took another swig and found his way to an overstuffed wingback chair.

“Marketed? Yeah. They did spin a little web of lies, didn’t they? Well, so are most of the marriages in our little realm of society. No one marries because they want to. No bother, I can hire a cook.”

With a roll of my eyes, I sat back and closed them.

“Finally, you're quiet.”

I heard him. I just didn’t feel like answering him. This was where I got to lull him into a false sense of security. It didn’t take much since he was just one more overconfident moron.

I, however, was good at playing games, and I was really, really damn tired. I didn’t want to be drugged again, at least not with him. I’d let Roman do whatever he wanted, I supposed, if that was his thing.I trusted him.

I’d consider a lot of things if I could figure out how to get out of this.

Vinny had left the room and left me with some guy I didn’t know.

“So, are you just the bodyguard or do you do other stuff?”

He stood still, like I didn’t even exist.

“What would you do if you were me?”

It was apparent under his suit that there was at least one gun.

“What would you do for a Klondike bar?”

Still nothing.

“You don’t have my purse, do you? I could really use some chapstick.”

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