Page 135 of Wilde Abandon

Mason put his hand on Fox’s shoulder.“Good job figuring this out.Now, what do we need to know about these two guys who have Melody?Are they armed?”

“I would presume so.”Fox turned for his car.“I’m done wasting time.”

Mason caught up to him.“We’ll park away from wherever they’re holding her.We’ll go in quiet and check things out.We will not go in half-cocked.The last thing we want is for them to hurt the hostage.”

“I need her back,” he choked out.“Now.”

Mason squeezed his shoulder.“I know.But we have to do this the right way.”

5:28 a.m.Three hours, ten minutes without her.

“Fine.All that matters is that we get her back safe and unharmed.”

5:29 a.m.Three hours, eleven minutes without her.

Chapter thirty-six

Voicesroseoutsidewhateverbuilding her captors had stashed her in.

“Stay away from her,” one of the men shouted just as the outside door squeaked again, then shut with a heavy bang.“We get the ransom and leave her here for them to find.”

“I just want to make sure she’s secure.”

“She’s not getting out of that fucking chair.Now stay out here and keep a lookout.I need to make a call.”

“She’s still not answering.”

She?She who?

“Fucking probably passed out in front of the TV, stoned out of her mind.”

Silence returned and Melody tried again to loosen the ropes around her wrists, resulting in more rope burns and blood.Lot of good that did her.

She was so tired and desperate to get out of here.She hated having the hood over her head.She couldn’t see anything.Not that she needed to see to know that she was in a dark space.A single lightbulb across the room provided a drab sense of light and shadows in the distance through the black fabric cover over her head and face.

Every once in a while she heard the scurry of tiny feet.No barn cat here to chase the mice away.Though she thought she heard the hoot of a barn owl above her, so maybe the mice did have something to run from.

The door screeched open again and the heavy footfalls drew closer.Whoever had come in didn’t speak, just stopped right in front of her, an ominous presence that made her heart race and her mouth go dry.

Anticipation and dread soured her gut.“What do you want?”

“You.It’s always been fucking you.”The words were dark with fury and desperation.

Inevitability.Like this had been coming for a long time.

There was something familiar in his voice, though she still couldn’t quite place it.

His hands clamped onto her arms above her wrists.“Look what you’ve done to yourself.”He started tugging on the ropes.

She thought he was freeing her hands; instead, he twisted the ropes so her hands were bound together in front of her.She was still tied to the chair by her feet.“Did you call Fox for the ransom?How long until he pays it?”

“Our dear friend Amy is off getting the money.No phone required.Just a simple transfer of funds from yourboyfriend.”He snarled the word, but slipped out of his low whisper, and that’s when she knew exactly who was in front of her.

“Josh.”His name was barely a whisper on her breath.

“You’re fucking mine.”He grabbed her shirt and lifted it up her body.

She locked her arms at her sides, so he couldn’t pull it over her head, but he grabbed the ropes at her wrist and yanked her arms up with one hand and pulled the shirt up with the other.The second the shirt cleared her head, pushing the hood off with it, she stared her attacker in the eyes as he hooked the shirt behind her head, essentially keeping her arms raised for him.“You fucking asshole.”

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