Page 84 of Ready Or Not

My chest tightens.

“I just…I can’t breathe.” She sounds tired.

I clench my jaw. “You have to. I need to sleep, and you can’t be free to stab me or run.” I don’t want to tell her I’m leaving, or she’ll try extra hard to run.

Riley rubs her eyes. “Can you put me with Rachel?”

In the basement? Absolutely fucking not. It’s not comfortable down there.

“Please?” Riley stands, her voice still just…tired.

I’m caught. I don’t like the idea. In fact, I hate it, but Riley is actually asking for something genuine. I try to dissuade her. “It won’t be long.”

Riley shakes her head. “Please don’t make me.”

“I’d have to cuff you.”

Riley bites her lip. “Anything but upstairs.”

There are no cameras in the basement. I used all of them for upstairs. Is she trying to get out from under my eye?

Riley doesn’t push it. Just waits.

I’m going to regret this. “Fine.”

There’s no celebration this time. No kiss on the forehead. Riley just stands, waiting for me to lead the way.

“Can I get some water first?”

I motion impatiently at the kitchen, watching each movement as she grabs a glass, fills it with water, and then throws it back. While she does that, I grab something from my pocket and then grab an extra pair of cuffs. My feet move like they’re in cement despite the fact I know I have every angle covered. Why does this have to be so hard? I can’t trust Riley. I won’t. Not right now. She’s smart and cunning and beautiful and…fuck. Everything I’ve ever wanted by my side. So why won’t she just…be by my side?

Rachel looks surprised to see us, but she doesn’t say anything. I crouch down to attach Riley’s ankle, but Riley holds out her wrist. “Please. It’ll be more comfortable.”

I eye her. She eyes me back.

But who am I kidding? I’ll give my woman anything she wants that doesn’t threaten her safety. I attach Riley’s wrist to the same chain Rachel is on, then double-check that it’s secure. I check the whole area Riley can reach, then pat both of them down. I slip my item into Riley’s back pocket while checking her. Neither of them has anything.

I almost decide not to go. It’s not worth it. Riley is behaving too much. But what is she going to do? She’s secured to a metal pipe that’s bolted to the floor. The chains are thick, and the cuffs are hinged. They’re not breakable. And if she does manage to get away, where will she go? She has nothing. I have her girl. There’s nowhere I, or the people in my club, can’t reach.

And so I leave, setting off on this stupid adventure to win my woman’s trust.

45

WOOF - FKA Rayne

I stashed a paperclip in the glass before Manson came upstairs. After he leaves, I take the clip out of my mouth as Rachel watches. Her eyes widen. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” Manson is leaving. This is my chance.

“I don’t think…” Rachel watches as I bend the end of the paperclip and insert it into the keyhole. Manson fucking double-locked them, which means they won’t tighten anymore, but it also makes them harder to pick.

Rachel fidgets. “He’s going to be mad.”

“I’m okay with that.” I focus as I work. That time on the couch pushed away some of the bad feelings for a bit, but they’re back, buzzing around my head. I can’t stop thinking about the mounted deer head on the wall and the bald patch on its fur. I hadn’t remembered that. Now I wish I didn’t.

“What did he do to you?” Rachel’s voice is hesitant. “Manson.”

So many things. But for some reason, all I can think about is him fucking me silly and always making sure I come. But there’s more than that. He’s always been in every detail of my life. So much so that I can’t think of a time when he wasn’t there. Well, I can, but all of those memories are bad. My life really turned around once he showed up.

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