Page 4 of Morsel

Yep.

Being abducted?

No, not so much.

Yet here I am, sprawled out on the floor of what I can only assume is someone’s mother’s minivan. There’s a long metal rod or rail of some kind poking into my back. My guess is that the person driving removed the back bench from the van so there would be room to transport me.

And now I’m in Dolly’s lap.

What the hell does she have to do with all of this?

“When we get to the apartment, Dolly goes in first.” The driver speaks to his passenger. His voice is deep. He sounds commanding, but that’s just because of his tone. I know leaders, and he’s not one.

“You get that, Dolly?” The passenger seems familiar with her. A sharp tang of jealousy hits my belly.

Jealousy?

“I got it,” she says. I feel her hand on mine, but I don’t move. For all she knows, I’m asleep. “I’m sorry, Oscar,” she says.

Well, she fucking should be.

I want to reach for my pocket. If my cell is still there, I can grab it and make an emergency call to one of my brothers. Ryan or Phoenix will be able to help.

Unfortunately, while this ragtag team of losers seem ignorant and sloppy, they also seem capable. I’m sure they took my phone already.

As if on cue, the passenger speaks.

“Did you turn off his phone?”

“It’s off, Craig,” Dolly says.

“Good.”

“She’s not stupid,” the driver says.

“Well, Hank, you could have fooled me,” Craig says.

What the hell is with these two guys?

And how does Dolly know them?

Dolly is what I consider to be a kind, cautious human being. She’s soft, and she’s sweet. She’s very interesting, and she has worked for my family for a long time. Years.

I don’t understand why she turned me over to these men, and I certainly don’t understand what they want from me.

Most of the time, when people want something, it’s from Phoenix or Ryan. They’re the better brothers. Ryan runs everything with Shadowvale Industries, and while Phoenix likes to stay out of the spotlight, he’s still pretty involved.

So, why me?

I wait to see if the trio is going to say anything about where they’re taking me or what they want. If it’s money, they’ll get it super fast. Ryan and Phoenix are both wealthy, as am I. Money won’t be a problem.

Unfortunately, the thing about abductions is that they never really follow the same rules, so chances are that there’s more happening than I’m aware of.

“I still don’t think you needed to take him,” Dolly says.

“You don’t know everything,” Craig says.

“Don’t I? You said you just wanted to talk to him,” she says. There’s an edge to her voice. She’s scared.

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