Page 137 of Cook

I balled my hands into fists, and Massimo said, “Enough, Snakes. We’re not at Serenity now. No kink.”

Snakes pouted. “There’s always power play.”

“Enough!” snapped Massimo. Then to me, he said, “Just get their president there.”

Mercer narrowed his gaze on me, and I unlocked my jaw, saying, “Just text, ‘See you in an hour.’”

As he typed it out and sent the text, I pressed myself back into the seat. I couldn’t get away from them. Not in this cramped limo. Sloan tucked the phone away, patting his chest, and pointed his gun directly at my lap. Yeah, I was fucked.

Maddie

Curled up in the backseat of Angel’s car, I looked out the window at the dark Phoenix streets. Eventually, the streets turned into the long highway. The desert stretched out far and wide like a dark abyss. I shifted in the backseat, and Melanie glanced back at me.

She had only just stopped staring at me, and I cursed myself for drawing her attention again.

“We should go back,” I said. “To Serenity. I’m fine. Cook needs help!”

So far, they hadn’t listened to me. Mel had talked over me like I was a child, but I forced the words past my lips again, hoping they would listen.

Of course, they didn’t.

My hands balled into fists because when I tried to open the door, it wouldn’t budge. Even when the car was stopped and the lock disengaged, the handle didn’t work. They had to have the child lock on. Damn it, didn’t they understand that those were the types of things Signora did to us? To me?

Another fucking cage!

I couldn’t get out. Couldn’t even roll down the window. The wind in my face would do so much to relax me right now. Why couldn’t my sister get out of her head long enough to see that?

Theynow held me prisoner, my sister and her man.

“We need to find Cook,” I continued.

I needed my daddy. To see him. Talk to him. Touch him. Why couldn’t they just take me back to the club? I shouldn’t have left him there with Massimo Parisi. I just had to run.

Would Cook be angry at me for leaving him? No, surely not, because he could punish me for that and know I would take it. Love it. Cook would answer my calls if he could. My breath hitched in my chest. Something was terribly wrong.

“We’re taking you home,” said Mel.

“Cook is a big boy,” said Angel. “I’m sure he can figure out his own shit.”

“You don’t understand,” I whined. “He didn’t pick up my calls. He isn’t responding. We need to go back and find him.” My voice was pitching up, but I couldn’t help worrying over the one person who grounded me.

Melanie frowned. “Maddie, I’m sure Cook is fine. Really.”

“Quit talking like I’m a clueless child!” I flounced against the backseat. If she wanted to treat me like a kid, I had no problem acting that way. “You’re not listening. You wouldn’t say the same if it wereAngel.”

“Maddie,” said Melanie like she was so fucking smart.

I kept my eyes fixed on a rare and distant light. My sister might be some big-shot lawyer now, but I had seen more shit than she would ever know. Thank God she hadn’t been through what I had, but still... I had a different kind of education. One that probably applied better in this situation than all her degrees combined.

“I left Cook at a club,” I said. “Serenity.” I had freaked out and ran, and now he wasn’t answering my calls. He wouldn’t do that. Ever. I’d never phoned him, but I knew it in my bones he would always answer when I called.

Melanie and Angel exchanged a look before Angel focused on whatever was beyond the windshield. The night-covered road hurdled toward us, and I swore he sped up.

Melanie whipped out her cell phone, the blue light casting her face in ghostly shadows like when we used to hold flashlights under our chin in the dark bathroom and pretended. This, though, was not pretend.

As she started typing, I leaned forward, only for the seatbelt to strangle me. Forced by the restraint, I settled back in the seat. Still, I tried to peek to see if she was finally calling Cook. Maybe he would pick up for her.

Suddenly, she dropped her cell phone, shaking her head. Disgust curled her upper lip. “No fucking way!”

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